Graduation Speech Essay

?It’s a rare opportunity to be given this privilege to talk to young minds like you–the youth whose minds and thinking are ideal, pure and filled with enthusiasm. Our theme is â€Å"The Graduate: A Partner Towards Transformational Society, An Answer to Societal Change†. We cannot effect social change if we ignore the social problems that are in our midst nowadays facing our very eyes. We should dig deeper to the root causes of these social problems. Every day, every hour, and every minute of our lives, we hear, we see the social problems besetting our country and our community. There is poverty, corruption in the government, violence, drug addiction, crimes, injustice and so on as if they are here to stay. Are there no more solutions for these ills of society? How and when can we stop this? The real root causes of these problems are the values of the people which they were brought up. Diploma is nothing without moral values. We have intelligent people in our society but they do not possess the right values. They think only for themselves. We have intelligent graduates but they ended up as greedy politicians and greedy businessmen. We have intelligent graduates but they are also indifferent, self-centered, irresponsible and lazy. What the society needs now are graduates who are disciplined, hardworking, honest, hospitable, makiKapwa, makaDiyos at Makabayan, not intelligent alone. Graduates, I encourage you to participate in our Sangguniang Kabataan actively in all its programs and activities. Let us always relive the bayanihan spirit and start it with the SK. It’s alright to aim for success in life. But true success is not only with becoming rich in material respect but rich with moral values. To our graduates, let’s not forget our Filipino values. Let’s keep our moral fibers intact as we go along the ladders of success. We know we cannot transform our society overnight. We know we cannot do it alone. As the future leaders of our society, you, graduates, should start now in your own little ways. Parents, and teachers, let’s us be a model to them and help our graduates in directing their path—to the path that is noble and worth living. To the graduates, congratulations, and may God Bless you.

Art of Losing Essay

In society, there is no way out of losing things; it is what’s supposed to happen and there will be no escaping it. Misplacing valuable things is a highly common activity we do presently. We lose everything! Whether it may be car keys, textbooks, your own cell phone, it is not rare to misplace any of your belongings. Time is also guilty of being a valuable product that is most often lost if not keeping a close eye on it. Elizabeth Bishop proves this point in her well-written poem, One Art, by saying â€Å"The art of losing isn’t hard to master. † Ms.  Bishop tries to inform the reader that life has treasured moments and if one is not careful they will find him or herself living in a lost state of mind. In Elizabeth Bishop’s poem, she speaks about â€Å"the art† of losing things. When the author of this poem calls the act of losing things an art, it has a greater meaning. â€Å"The art of losing isn’t hard to master; so many things seem filled with the intent to be lost that their loss is no disaster. † She speaks as though things are meant to be lost and should remain lost as if it were meant to happen. That is in fact the art in which she speaks of. She wants her readers to know that losing valuable things is somewhat beautiful in a sense that it’s meant to be and that it will find a way to become lost. Bishop even said â€Å"Lose something every day†¦. Then practice losing farther, losing faster; places, names, and where it was you meant to travel. None of these will bring disaster. † Could Bishop have been speaking about memory loss or a different loss that is only one of life’s many outcomes? She says that none of these will bring disaster; if one forgets places, names, and where he or she wanted to travel, one shouldn’t feel any loss at all because there wouldn’t be any emotion there. Perhaps one of life’s losses that Bishop wants to get through to her readers is that growing older can cause memories to fade, become lost, and never to be found again. Bishop then spoke about how time could be badly spent and how it can be lost and never granted back. â€Å"†¦the hour badly spent. The art of losing isn’t hard to master. † Any reader could definitely relate to this line. Today, people get so caught up in what they’re doing in the moment that they let time slip right out of their hands. They often will say â€Å"There is not enough time during the day! † Bishop tries to let readers know that time flies, and every minute of every hour of every day should be cherished. She then begins naming off specific items that have been lost like her mother’s watch, three houses she loved, and the cities in which she lived. Reading the line â€Å"The art of losing isn’t hard to master†, makes a reader wonder if she ever did master the art of losing, or does she still have deep feelings about these lost treasures? In the final stanza she reveals a major clue to the reader. â€Å"-Even losing you (the joking voice, a gesture I love) I shan’t have lied. It’s evident the art of losing’s not too hard to master though it may look like (Write it! ) like disaster. † As the reader, you begin to notice that there’s something that Bishop is still holding on to that she cannot seem to let go of. The reader discovers that she is obviously mourning the loss of a beloved person in her life. Even though she tries to play it off by claiming that even this particular loss is not a disaster, it appears to be one for her and she hasn’t gotten over it just yet. After finishing reading One Art, Bishop wants her readers to take from the poem that time is very precious and we should spend it wisely with either our loved ones or our most cherished heirlooms before life happens and it will be lost forever only leaving a mere memory. To focus on the things that make us happy in life before they are gone and will never return. She doesn’t want others to feel the way she did when she wrote this poem.

Bris Milah (Circumcision)

Bris Milah (Circumcision) Essay The Covenant of CircumcisionAnd G-d said unto Avroham: And as for you, you shall keep Mycovenant, you, and your seed after you throughout their generations. This is My covenant, which you shall keep, between Me and you andyour seed after you: every male among you shall be circumcised. Andyou shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be atoken of a covenant between Me and you. And he that is eight days oldshall be circumcised among you, every male throughout yourgenerations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of anyforeigner, that is not of your seedand My covenant shall be in yourflesh for an everlasting covenant. And the uncircumcised male who isnot circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that soul shall be cut offfrom his people; he has broken My covenant. Genesis 17:9-14Within the Jewish community, the topic of bris milah, ritualcircumcision, has never been more controversial. Many liberal Jews are nowrethinking its function in Jewish life, some even choosing not to perform it ontheir sons. They argue that circumcision is no longer of value now that thespread of infection can be halted by good hygiene and modern medicine. Some fear that the removal of the healthy part of an organ is a purelyarbitrary act which may cause permanent psychological and physicaldamage. It is true that circumcision alone is neither medically necessary noremotionally beneficial. Still, the bris milah is an essential ceremonyintended to formally usher the Jewish male into a covenant with G-d. Although the removal of the foreskin has been practiced by Jews sinceAvroham, the actual ceremony as it is today developed some time around themiddle-ages. Thus, communities in North Africa, Europe, and the Middle-Eastall evolved unique customs for welcoming new baby boys . There are stillcertain elements that are typical of all ceremonies. The following descriptionof a German bris is typical of the milah ritual and lacks many of the detailsthat would distinguish it from ceremonies originating in other regions. The mohel, ritual circumcisor, calls in the kvater (from German forfather, or G-dfather), the man who delivers the baby into the sanctuary. The mother, who will not witness the ceremony, hands her eight-day-old soninto the care of his grandmothers who pass him over to the kvater. Thekvater carries the baby into the next room and lays him into a beautiful chairwhich the mohel will declare as the Throne of Elijah before reciting a fewbiblical verses. The kvterin, G-dmother, lifts the baby from the Throne ofElijah and places him into the lap of the Sandak, the man (usually the father,grandfather, close friend, or well respected Torah scholar) in whose lap theceremony will take place. The mohel asks the fathers permission to act asproxy for the mitzvah, commandment, of circumcision. The fatherrelinquishes his right to perform the circumcision and appoints the mohel,who is more familiar with the religious law as well as the medical andhygienic requirements of circumcision, to do the mitzv ah instead. The mohelrecites the benediction, Blessed are You haShem our G-d, Master of theuniverse who sanctifies us with the mitzvot and commands us to performcircumcision, before removing the babys foreskin. When the actual cuttinghas been complete, the father also makes a benediction: Blessed are YouhaShem our G-d, Master of the universe who has sanctified us with Hiscommandments and has commanded us to bring him the baby into thecovenant of Avroham, our Father. Everyone in the audience then declares,Just as he has been brought into the covenant, so too he should enter Torahstudy, the wedding canopy, and the doing of good deeds (Klein 426). It isduring this ceremony that the boys name is publicly announced for the firsttime (Robinson132). Bris Milah literally means covenant circumcision. Ashkenazic,Northern- and Eastern-European Jewish, communities refer to the entireceremony as a Bris which means simply the covenant. Rabbi MosheSchapiro emphasizes that the circumcision must be coupled with theintention to forge a blood pact between G-d and the Jewish people. Thatbris milah is frequently translated only as circumcision is unfortunatebecause it leads people to believe that the removal of the foreskin is themost important element of the mitzvah. This is in conflict with Jewishthinking. Indeed, someone who is circumcised without the intent of fulfillingthis specific commandment must undergo a subsequent, relatively painless,procedure in which a drop of blood is drawn from the reproductive organ inthe name of the bris. This procedure is most commonly performed on maleconverts to Judaism who underwent medical circumcisions as children. The commandment is often seen as barbaric in the modern day. AsRabbi Shraga Simmons points out, there is no logical argument for cuttinga piece of flesh off a helpless baby. Three years ago Israeli courts heldhearings to discuss the famous case number 5780/98 which would outlawcircumcision as a form of genital mutilation. Indeed, to remove a healthypart of an organ is ridiculous in a secular context, and yet it has beenpracticed on Jewish males for nearly 4,000 years. The great question is why. One must first realize that Judaism is not a practical guide to livingbut a theological guide to spirituality. Many people have claimed over theyears that circumcision was practiced by the Jews for hygienic reasonshowever, this explanation is foreign to Jewish thinking and is absent from theearliest commentaries and oral laws of torah. The Jews were never regardedas healthier than their non-Jewish, uncircumcised neighbors. They did notperform milah on their sons because they hoped to prevent i nfection, butbecause they felt that it was a religious obligation. The Jews do not conformto religious obligations because they believe it is physically healthy to do so(if there are any medical benefits, these are considered secondary) butbecause they believe it is spiritually healthy to do so. To disobey the Laws ofhaShem, G-d, is looked upon as spiritual mutilation. According to Jewish mysticism, or kabbalah, the foreskin symbolizes abarrier which prevents growth (Simmons). Deuteronomy 10:16 calls uponus to remove the foreskin of our hearts. Orlah, the Hebrew termtranslated as foreskin literally means barrier. The foreskin is seen as abarrier to the spiritual growth of the uncircumcised individual. In anotherkabbalistic example, we are taught that when Avram circumcised himself, atage 99, G-d changed his name to Avroham. He added only one letter to hisname: heh. The letter heh is found twice in one of the most holy ofhaShems names signifying that through the bris milah a dimensio n ofspirituality is brought to the physical body. So, why on the eighth day?The answer is twofold. Schapiro believes that the number eight has aspecial metaphysical significance. He notes that the number six alludes tothe physical world: there are six directions (north, south, east, west, up anddown); there are six days to the work week, and according to the Chumashthere were six days of creation. The number seven, he adds brings a senseof spirituality to this physical world: the seventh day of the week, Shabbos, isa Jewish holy day, and many Jewish festivals, including Sukkos last for sevendays. The number eight however, transcends the physical altogether. Forexample, the festival of Chanukah, which commemorates a great miraclelasts eight days. READ: The True Tragic Hero in Antigone EssayThe second reason is one that might be considered a practical benefitwhich is supported by medical data. According to Simmons, prothrombin andvitamin K, two blood clotting agents, are at peak levels on the eighth day oflife. Prothrombin levels are normal at birth but drop dramatically during thenext few days. However, at the end of the first week, levels of prothrombinreturn to normal and are often at 110 percent of normal before stabilizing bythe ninth or tenth day. Still, the most logical reason to perform a ritualcircumcision is, in the religious context, simply to act as the sign of thecovenant G-d made with Avroham because this is the reason that we aretaught through Torah. Aside from the de-emphasis of physical matters involved in theprocedure, traditional Jews avoid reference to health benefits because, forthe most part, medicine doesnt appear to be on our side (Fink). WriterMordechai Housman insists that there has never been a re ported case ofhealth danger to a child circumcised by an Orthodox mohel, but mother, LisaBraver Moss claims that there are two known bris milah related deaths inmodern times: one in 1957 and another in 1978. Moss admits that nosystematic data on deaths or serious complications from bris milah have everbeen compiled but believes this may be due to the fact that circumcisiondeath can occur from secondary causes such as liver failure, pneumonia, andblood poisoning which health professionals may fail to link to theiroriginal cause. Nonfatal complications are equally unlikely to be associatedwith circumcision. Although the majority of modern Jews argue that the rite is harmless,historically Jews were not so certain of the safety of the procedure. Talmudiclaw exempts a Jewish male from infant circumcision if two of his olderbrothers lost their lives to the ritual. Though, as the Orthodox will argue, thiscase was hypothetical and not based on an actual incident, there are still twoBiblical examples of a parents failure to perform milah on his son due toconcerns over his health. Exodus 4: 24-26 relates the story of thecircumcision of Eliezar son of Moses. The Bibles rendering of the story isshort, cryptic and confusing: It was on the way, in the lodging, that haShem encountered him andsought to kill him. So Tzipporah took a sharp stone and cut off theforeskin of her son and touched it to his feet; and she said, Youcaused my bridegrooms bloodshed! So He released him; then shesaid, A bridegrooms bloodshed was because of circumcision.The great Torah commentator Rabbi Schlomo Yitzach (Rashi), say sthat Mosess great sin was in delaying the milah of his son. Moses felt thatthe trip he was about to embark upon would be dangerous for the newbornwho, he felt, should be allowed three days to recuperate after circumcisionbefore he embarked upon his journey (Shmos 24). In an earlier example,Midrash tells us that Yitzach did not circumcise his son Esav because hefeared for his health. Esav, unlike his twin Yaakov, was born with bright redskin. Yitzach worried that this was due to illness and that to perform milahon him would be dangerous. Esav was given a second opportunity for brismilah when he became bar mitzvah (the age of majority) but he refused it(Beraishis 140). These biblical examples provide us with some vital information aboutthe importance of bris milah. On the surface we can see quiet clearly thatthe conservatives are wrong: circumcision is potentially dangerous, andTorah recognizes this. More importantly though, we learn how vitallynecessary bris milah is to the Jews. Moses almost lost his life because hedelayed his sons circumcision too long. And Esav lost his status as a Jewishpatriarch because he refused to let anyone perform milah on him even afterit was clearly a safe endeavor. The ramifications of spiritual disobedience aresignificant. And just as the punishment for neglecting the mitzvah is severe,so the merit for properly attending to it is tremendous. READ: The Life Story of Nikita Khrushchev EssayThe devotion of the Jewish people to the rite of milah even duringtimes of difficulty is a testimony to its importance in Jewish life. When milahwas outlawed by the Greeks during the era of the Maccabean leadership,many Jewish mothers risked their lives to circumcise their sons. Even in themodern era Jews have undergone heroic acts for the preservation of themitzvah. Holocaust survivor Aviel Binyomin Colquette remembers thefollowing story:They were rounding up the young children and mothers and they putus onto a train car. There was one womanshe did not cover herhairwho looked particularly distressed. She asked all of thepassengers in our car for a knife. But we were all women and children. No knives. She then started to look around for any sharp object. Shewanted a shard of glass, or a sharp rockanything you might cut with. The other passengers tried to dissuade her. They scolded her for herweakness and begged her not to kill herself . Finally a soldier camethrough and she saw the outline of a knife in his pocket. Shedemanded he hand it over to her. In shock he complied. Then, to ourastonishment, she pulled from her bag a small infant boy. She saidthe blessings and performed the milah on him. She handed her childover to the officer and spoke to G-d, You gave me a healthy boy andnow I return him to You in purity and obedience to Torah.Similarly, many Jews in the Former Soviet Union (FSU) were notcircumcised due to secular laws and a general lack of interest in religiouspractice. However, the desire for bris milah was never completely eradicatedand when Western Jews were finally allowed to enter the FSU they weregreeted by large numbers of adult males who wished to undergo bris milah. Mohel Alexander Fink recalled his surprise at the large number of Jews whocame to see him at his arrival in the Ukraine:I was sure theyd all come to see the rabbi. Theyd heard his tapesbefore we came and had seemed really impressed. There were somany of them. From age eleven to eighty. At least a hundred men. And they were there to see me! I couldnt believe theyd be so excitedabout milah. More interested in receiving milah than in seeing therabbi. They wanted to be circumcised more than they wanted to belearned. The idea of a covenant is a rather difficult concept for the outsider tocomprehend. The relationship between the Jews and haShem, their G-d, isunderstood as a straightforward contract, I will be your G-d, and you will beMy people. The Jews will obey haShem and He will see that their needs aremet. The milah is the most visible sign of the covenant as it is inscribed on apersons body and serves as a daily reminder to the Jewish male of his statusas a servant of haShem and mankind. Until very recently, even the most liberal Jews felt that circumcisionthough not necessarily the briswas essential to Jewish practice. The status of an uncircumcised male in Jewish culture wasundefined. He was in a strange state of being both Jewish and non-Jewish. A Jew trapped in a non-Jewish body. A bizarre spiritual circumstance thatcould not be redeemed until the man took matters into his own hands andunderwent a circumcision. Indeed, Yeshiva student Joshua Konig, suggeststhat the gates of heaven will no t open up for an uncircumcised Jewish male. A Jews obligation is to serve HaShem and observe the Torah his entire life,even under the most desperate circumstances (Scheinbaum 204). Works CitedColquette, Aviel Binyomin. Personal interview. 18 Nov. 2001. Fink, Alexander. Personal Interview. 10 Oct. 2001. Housman, Mordechai. Circumcision and Your Childs Health. 5 Nov. 2001. . Klein, Isaac. A Guide to Jewish Religious Practice. New York: The Jewish TheologicalSemianry of America, 1979. Konig, Joshua. Personal interview. 28 Nov. 2001. Moss, Lisa Braver.Circumcision: A Jewish Inquiry. Midstream magazine. 5 Nov. 2001. . Robinson, George. Essential Judaism: A Complete Guide to the Beliefes, Customs, andRituals. Ch. 3. New York: Pocket Books, 2000. Schapiro, Rabbi Moshe. What is Circumcision? Aish HaTorah. 15 Oct. 2001. . Scheinbaum, Rabbi A. Leib. Peninim On The Torah. Cleveland, Ohio: KisveiPublications, 2000. Simmons, Rabbi Shraga. Bris Milah: Beautiful or Barbaric? Aish HaTorah. 15 Oct. 2001. . Weissman, Rabbi Moshe. The Little Midrash Says: The Book of Beraishis. Brooklyn, New York: Bnay Yaakov Publications, 1986. Weissman, Rabbi Moshe. The Little Midrash Says: The Book of Shmos. Brooklyn, New York: Bnay Yaakov Publications, 1987.Words/ Pages : 2,623 / 24

Valuing Stocks Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Valuing Stocks - Essay Example The DJIA is price weighted and the average stock movement is widely affected by the large stocks. 4. On January 16, 2007, the Dow Jones Industrial Average set a new high. The index closed at 12,582.59, which was up 26.51 that day. What was the return (in percent) of the stock market that day?" (Cornett, Adair, and Nofsinger, 2012, p. 173). 5. "At your discount brokerage firm, it costs $9.50 per stock trade. How much money do you need to buy 300 shares of Time Warner, Inc. (TWX), which trades at $22.62?" (Cornett, Adair, and Nofsinger, 2012, p. 173). 6. Financial analysts forecast Safeco Corp. (SAF) growth for the future to be a constant 10 percent. Safecos recent dividend was $1.20. What is the value of Safeco stock when the required return is 12 percent?" (Cornett, Adair, and Nofsinger, 2012, p. 174). 7. A preferred stock from Duquesne Light Company (DQUPRA) pays $2.10 in annual dividends. If the required return on the preferred stock is 5.4 percent, what is the value of the stock?" (Cornett, Adair, and Nofsinger, 2012, p.

A Randomized, Controlled Trial of Virtual Reality-Graded Exposure Case Study

A Randomized, Controlled Trial of Virtual Reality-Graded Exposure Therapy for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in Active Duty Serv - Case Study Example Exposure therapy involves extended exposure, implosion therapy, flooding, and systematic desensitization among others. There are different approaches that have been used in the past to deal with the posttraumatic stress disorder which include VR therapy (virtual reality). This kind of therapy allows an individual to confront the past bad experience in a controlled and safe manner. The virtual reality graded exposure therapy (VR-GET) is another method of combating posttraumatic stress disorder. This method incorporates physiological monitoring in the earlier discussed VR therapy, it also include training. This is a documentation of a randomized trail, which include discussions on specific issues of posttraumatic stress disorder therapies trials in a military environment. This study was designed to investigate whether patients suffering from combat related posttraumatic stress disorder are likely to show significant improvement in virtual reality graded exposure therapy (VR-GET) than t he usual treatment. Methodology The study was a randomized trial of virtual reality graded exposure therapy (VR-GET) for the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder (PSTD) compared to the usual treatments. ... The assessors to determine eligible participants did screening and only participants who meet the requirements for the study were included. Qualified psychologists conducted therapies on patients treated in the early phase of the study and the therapies were done twice a week for every participant. This went on for a period of ten weeks. Participants were taught aspects of attention and meditation control in the first session of the therapy and the second session involved reviewing of the autonomic control and attentional training. The subsequent sessions that followed involved exposing the participants to VR stimulation of Afghanistan or Iraq most traumatic experiences. Some participants were assigned VR-GET whereas others were assigned TAU. The statistical analysis involved classifying the participants if the posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) either reduced or did not reduce by thirty percent. The chi-square test with yattes correlation was used to compare the proportions of res pondents in VR-GET and TAU. Fisher’s exact test was used to compare the categorical variables and t-test for comparing continuous variables. Analysis of variance was also used to examine groups and time changes in CAPS scores. Results, Discussions and Conclusion The study had twenty participants who met the inclusion criteria and ten were assigned the VR-GET while the remaining assigned TAU. Post treatment assessment was done after the ten weeks and one participant did not come back for this assessment. Seventy percent of the participants assigned VR-GET showed a 30% or more improvement. Less than 30% of the participants who were assigned TAU showed improvements. There was a wide variation in response to treatment with the VR-GET and TAU study

How useful is the cultural imperialism thesis Essay

How useful is the cultural imperialism thesis - Essay Example When these capitalist corporations establish their business in the developing countries they deploy their work ethic, punctuality, thrift, conformity, and hierarchical organisational structures that contribute to amassing economic surpluses. Though these corporations pay a good wage to the employees they hire, ultimately the accumulated surpluses are carried across to the developed Western and/or capitalist societies. The ‘cultural imperialism thesis' caters to this phenomenon of subordination and domination1 CULTURAL IMPERIALISM THESIS We generally refer to the phrase ‘cultural imperialism thesis’ to elucidate the process of deterritorialization. Deterritorialization is reducing the time and space barriers between physical territories hence restructuring the old cultural geographical and social territories.2 For that reason it is appropriate to say that cultural imperialism thesis is a comprehensive framework intended to account for this complex global cultural bu ild-up and the resulting relationships.3 The key elements that this thesis caters to are cultures that are suppressing other weak cultures. First and foremost of these dominant cultures are Western and/or American culture.4 Therefore, this thesis expounds on the strategies used to regulate, deregulate and re-regulate the domination. Often there are historical cultural events that condense a culture’s value systems and its ability to overpower the other. The inequality of conditions that takes place is a key issue discussed in this thesis. This occurrence of historical dominance can be exemplified by referring to the course of colonialism that empowered Western cultures to subordinate the cultures of Asia, Africa, the Americas and certain other regions of the world. The colonisation shows the cultural superiority of the 'West over the Rest’ because the West had a strong economy and liberal democracy that set standards for the weak cultures to follow.5 On this basis, we can say that cultural imperialism works at the conscious and the unconscious level, as it gives people the appropriate standards for their being to which they ought to identify.6 The emergence of capitalism in the Western world is another key element that is covered by the cultural imperialism thesis. Capitalism in the Western world originates from both Western and capitalist values. But when we look into examples of capitalism in Japan we see it was dictatorial to a certain extent, whereas capitalism in the UK was not. Therefore, we know that there is a difference between these. The economic superiority of the first world resulted from the rise of capitalism. It is a well-known phenomenon that the organization, structure and regulations of cultural exchange between the dominant first world and the subordinate developing world have been based on capitalistic principles. Now, the capitalist classes of the first world meander around the world in pursuit of trading opportunities to mul tiply their trade and profits. The transnational business is a name given to the model of business that could multiply the trade and profit options of the capitalistic class from the first world. Therefore, now the

Dialogue Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Dialogue - Assignment Example In essence, the term described the groundbreaking cultural shift from uniqueness to seriality, from authenticity to replication, and from the original artwork to its inherent soulless mechanical copy. Me: As far as the communication and journalism is concerned, the concept has come under serious criticism, especially the lack of clear-cut and stable categorization from your writings (Benjamin 23). Indeed, a portion of the critics suggests that your writings provoke multivalent and ambiguous, rather than offering neat shorthand for transition from the traditional to modern culture. Your take please? Benjamin: Well, I think their basis for criticism is rather vague. In my essay The Work and Art in the Age of Its Technological Reproducibility, I specifically emphasize on the concept of aura and the decline of photography, similar to other technological innovations. Further, I challenge the uniqueness and originality of photography due to the unprecedented replications. Benjamin: A programmatic analysis of the essay that I previously mentioned will show that I present the relationship between photography and aura as a clear-cut opposition. Thus, photography, as a medium of mechanical reproduction, is among the driving forces behind the decline, and thus destruction, of aura. I clearly assert that the element that withers in the era of technological reproducibility of artwork is its aura. In essence, the process is symptomatic, and perhaps extends beyond the boundaries of art. This is because photographic reproduction of original works of art endows them with accessibility and mobility, thus altering their fundamental mode of reception (Benjamin 24). In this regard therefore, the contemplation characteristic of the traditional spaces of museum and gallery submits to an eagerness for control and possession. Me: That is a very sensational explanation.

Air Pollution in Beijing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Air Pollution in Beijing - Essay Example Notably, PM2.5 is most usually associated with cardiovascular deaths as shown by most cohort studies. Notably, the focus on the above statement of PM is basically correct. Automatically, air emissions in conjunction with PM2.5 particles are generally responsible for cardiovascular diseases which causes health hazard to human being. Coal consumption is another huge factor that constitutes the challenge of air pollution in Beijing. In order to manage this pollution, the government of China must control the regional total coal consumption; replace urban coal consumption with another energy source and treatment of coal pollutant. Therefore, in order to cope with the severe air pollution brought about by coal combustion, pollutants such as nitrogen oxide and sulfur dioxide emission should be piped. In this regard, the state has come up with a DE-Nox subsiding scheme that releases thermal power industry pollution emission standards (GB3096-2012) that require all existing power plants to me et tighter pollutant emissions limits by 2014 (Greenpeace, 2012).In addition, it has recommended the shutdown of coal-fired industry boilers or their replacement with a more cleaner-energy industries. Disregard to environmental laws by citizens is another cause of the air pollution in Beijing. Currently, China`s charges for atmospheric pollutants are far much lower than the set costs of end of pipe contamination control. This has, to some extent, disheartened many enterprises from creating changes, and made it difficult to clearly define lawful and illegal pollutant discharging. A hike in pollution emission charges and strengthened supervision hard work could help make unlawful... This essay focuses mostly on air pollution levels in the capital city of China, Beijing, that has overtime become an ever increasing issue among environmentalist and residents in China. As the researcher states, any hopes of resolving this national calamity seems like just a mere dream. According to Beijing Municipal Environmental Monitoring Center, the current quality of air is reported to be above 300, which is considered hazardous by the World Health Organization. This is because dense smog hangs down the atmosphere affecting the people of Beijing. The monitoring stations also observed that atmospheric particulates known as PM 2.5 are mostly responsible for air pollution in Beijing. The researcher explaines the PM 2.5 can be described as small, invisible particles which affect and damage respiratory system. In conclusion it is summed up that, Beijing is a city powered by coal-fired electricity stations, which are responsible for air pollution and which continues to have potentiall y lethal impacts on China`s urban population. Polluted air consists of carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and volatile organic compounds, which affect the respiratory system. When inhaled, they adversely affect the body by contributing to numerous respiratory problems, certainly for people susceptible to allergic reactions and asthmatic condition. Therefore, the researcher reccomends that the Chinese government should work on a plan on how to reduce air pollution more and make the atmosphere clean for all citizens.

Concept of Loyalty Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Concept of Loyalty - Essay Example Loyalty is the exhibition of characteristics of commitment and devotion in order to strengthen a business or personal relationship. The concept of loyalty has its roots in all fields of life. A loyal person values the importance of faithfulness and dedication in carrying out daily activities of life. Loyalty always has a high appraisal value whether a person proves it to a person or to the organization for which he or she works. If we talk about loyalty in personal relationships, it is a fact that loyalty helps the people involved in a relationship build trust, faith, and confidence in each other. Whereas, in case of business relationships, loyalty plays its considerable role in strengthening the business terms between the involved parties. Loyalty not only shows its value in personal or business relationships but also it plays a critical role in the success of an organization or a business firm. The concept of loyalty is applicable to the employees as well (Green). Loyal employees a nd loyal customers make a firm grow and achieve reasonable market share. Employee loyalty is integral for the success of a business. Employees’ efforts, devotion, and dedication to their job responsibilities make a company reach a good position in the market and if the employees of a company will not be loyal to their company, the company will not be able to prove its worth in the market. It is true that a loyal employee is a key towards a company’s success.

The Piano Lesson Essay Example for Free

The Piano Lesson Essay The story of the piano originated from a time when slavery was highly practiced. This piano originally belonged to Joel Nolander, but was bought by Robert Sutter, Sutter’s grandfather. Although his wife adored the piano at first, she later changed her mind and wanted to have her slaves back. However, Joel Nolander refused. To console his wife, Sutter had Willis Boy come and engrave their images on the Piano. Willis on the other hand does not engrave his image and that of his mother on the Piano but also those of other family members. Thus a piano this family reminds them of the family members. It is a history of several generations that were ahead of them. The piano had on it the history of this family. But every generation in this family has its own perception of the piano. The grandfather of Boy Willis saw this as an instrument that kept their history. He was glad enough to record the story of his family on this piece of wood. However, his son Boy Charles strongly considered that since their images were on the piano which was owned by their slave master, they would never cease to be slaves. Therefore, the piano was a symbol of slavery and it a picture of slavery to them. He, together with his brothers Doaker and Wining Boy steals the piano which finally causes him to die. His wife Mama Ola would later clean the piano using her own hands until they bled probably in mourning of her husband (August, 11). On the other hand, there is a divided view between children of Boy Charles on the place the Piano holds in their lives. Berniece, the daughter of Boy Charles believes that the Piano is an important instrument in their lives since it defines who they. To paraphrase in her words, it defines their legacy. She considers the piano to be divine and would therefore want to keep in possession. Boy Willis on the other hand thinks that though the piano signifies a lot when it comes to history and legacy, it is not important than for a man to be able to have a sense of livelihood, being able to provide for himself and his family and owning something that will cause him to enjoy the same rights as a Whiteman. To him, money is important because it will enable him to buy land than having a piano that preserves the past legacy. He believes true legacy is having possession in this world. The piano too contributes greatly to the theme of music, money and ghosts. It contributes to the theme of money in that Boy Willis needs money and thinks that the best way to obtain some quick money is by selling the piano. He sees the piano as an opportunity to get money to buy Sutter’s piece of land. The piano too is an instrument of music and contributes greatly to the music theme. When Mama Ola wanted to communicate to the spirit of her late husband, she let Berniece play the piano and sing and she could hear her husband. When Boy Willis is attacked by the ghost of Sutter, Berniece again plays some music using the piano which brings back the spirits of their ancestors to fight for them. Playing of music on this piano has been a way to communicate to the ghosts. This is seen in Mama Ola’s life when she wanted to talk with the spirit of her husband, as well as in the life of the siblings when they were attacked by Sutter’s ghost. The ghost of Sutter too came back because Boy Willis wanted to sell the piano in order to buy his land. From all this we can learn that it is hand to get rid of our past. While we can be able to get over our past, we cannot forget. There are things that are like marks in our lives and we cannot get rid of them. La Belle Dame Sans Merci There are various elements of imagery that are portrayed in the poem La Belle Dame sans merci. Keats likens love to hurt. While he talks about how beautiful the woman he had met was, he describes her eyes as being wild. While he tried to love this woman, she wept. While the harvest time was over and winter was setting, he doesn’t sit at home to enjoy it but goes on wandering until he meets this woman. This poem has form also. Its form is steady flow with the first and the third line in seeming to be the longest while the second and fourth line in the stanza being a little bit shorter. The poem seems to flow in every stanza. There is also the element of allusion in this poem. In the last three stanzas, the writer compared himself to kings and princes who had met this woman in his dreams and the suffering they had gone through when they fell in love with this woman. The poem also has rhyme in it. All the stanzas have four lines. This maintains the flow of the poem. The last sentence in every stanza, though different from each other, is written in such a way that is has the same sounds. This poem portrays the pain human beings go through when after discovering something that may bring in a lot of happiness, soon realizes that they cannot keep it. For example, the knight thought he had discovered a woman to love only to wake up and find out that he is alone. In his dream too, he dreams about many others who have gone through the same agony, including kings and princes who have suffered because they could not keep their newly discovered love (Feats, Stanza 10 and 11). Works Cited August, Wilson. The Piano Lesson. New York, USA: Published by the Penguin Group. (1990). Keats, John. La Belle Dame sans merci. (1819).

Introduction And Project Methodology Management Essay

Introduction And Project Methodology Management Essay As firms grow the role of the founder needs to change (Burns 2007, p242). For the growth of a firm as well as for the behaviour of its entrepreneur-cum-leader, academic and business knowledge offers numerous simplistic models and frameworks. A key question is not only whether these models from two different subjects growth model on one hand and leadership model on the other hand fit together, but whether a certain industry with certain entrepreneurs demonstrates behaviour different to theory. In this project, the group will explore how different entrepreneurs with different leadership styles and personality can still be successful in taking their creation through different stages of business growth for the same product/ service and how they can continue to maintain the differentiation. In the assignment, we will also test our findings (matching patterns and exceptions) with what we have studied in this module. Greiners five phase growth model and five stages of a business growth have been used (and sometime interchangeably) by us to test patterns from practice with theory for the low cost airlines (LCC low cast carriers). Project Methodology First, we did a group discussion to familiarise with the topic of growth stages and leadership approaches based on material of the MBA modules Entrepreneurship and Innovation Management and Perspectives of Leadership. Section 2 gives a brief overview of the groups understanding of leadership approaches from academic knowledge and experience to be linked with practical evaluation later. As from the second step the focus was from practice to theory which is covered in Section 3. We decided for the Low-Cost-Carrier Industry to be evaluated. Third, we defined which LCC Airlines to be evaluated and compared to each other and which features would be evaluated. Second and third stage of the project methodology is covered by Section 3.1. Fourth, we collected primary and secondary data through intense research in press, internet, articles, personal interviews, etc. and bundled them into a template (see Appendix 2). Fifth, we evaluated and compared the collected data for analysing as result (section 3.3). Sixth, the results were interpreted to derive key messages and to test models (with what we have learnt in the MBA module on Entrepreneurship and Innovation Management) (section 3.4). At last, we felt responsible to use our findings for recommendations for the future of the LCC organisations and its entrepreneurs (Section 3.5). A conclusion covers the project groups lessons learned based on this project (section 4). 2. Groups Understanding and Theoretical Background Academic research and general knowledge gives us frameworks to investigate practical examples of entrepreneurs concerning the development of their business and of themselves as leaders. Hence it is important to point out what kind of understanding the group has in terms of business growth models as well as entrepreneurial personality and leadership. 2.1. Growth Models Our groups understanding of business growth is definitely not that growth is the shortest connection between the starting point and the current point of time. Growth demonstrates phases of business increase as well as of decrease, stability, crisis, and changes. One of the most used growth models was developed by Greiner (1972) who pointed out alternating phases of evolution (creativity, direction, delegation, coordination, collaboration) and of revolution (leadership, autonomy, control, red tape). Each phase of growth is followed by a crisis that necessitates a change in the way the founder manages the business if it is to move on and continue to grow (Burns 2007, p210). Churchill and Lewis (1983) developed a growth model covering five stages of existence, survival, success, take-off, and maturity. Very close to this is the five-stage model proposed by Scott and Bruce (1987) embracing the stages of inception, survival, growth, expansion, and maturity with focus on top management role, management style, and organizational structure. At least Burns (1996) suggested a four-stage model covering stages of existence, survival, success and take-off and summarizing the main business imperatives as a firm grows in terms of the orientation of the firm (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) (Burns 2007, p218). After an evaluation of several models the project group decided to consider Greiners five phase growth model and five stages of business growth as the theoretical framework to compare our findings. 2.2. Leadership Our group understanding of leadership is that it is a relationship through which one person influences the behaviour or actions of other people. For our investigations on entrepreneurs we are aware that there is a difference between leadership and management. The 7-S framework used in strategic management provides a distinction that managers rely on strategy, structure and systems whereas leaders are concerned with the soft Ss of style, staff, skills and shared goals. A key questions discussed in this group was Is an entrepreneur a manager or a leader? At least he is both in one person. Hence it is valuable to consider both of an entrepreneur his managerial role as well as his leadership approach. Mintzberg (1990) classifies the activities of organized sets of behavior associated with a position based on formal authority and status. He points out ten managerial roles divided into three groups which are linked to the evaluations of this project in section 3.4. Regarding general approaches to leadership, we face in real business life, there is no mutual exclusiveness. Hence contemporary entrepreneurs may demonstrate several leadership approaches in one person. For this project, main leadership models of historic and contemporary research were to be considered, such as leadership as a behavioral category, the styles of leadership approach, the situational approach of contingency theories, the transformational leadership approach and inspirational or visionary leadership. 3. From Practice to Theory 3.1. Frame of Evaluation We decided that to ensure valuable evaluation, the industry of choice should be a young industry and it should provide industry and market growth within the last ten to thirty years, several start-ups associated with single entrepreneurial idea, and some industry consolidation. To bring in domain knowledge, we discussed that the whole group should be familiar with the industry either as customers or as managers working in that industry. At last we decided on the Low-Cost-Carrier (LCC) Industry since we all are frequent customers and one group member is in charge of a full service airline in a leading management position. 3.1.1. The Low Cost Carrier Industry A low-cost carrier or low-cost airline (also known as a no-frills, discount or budget carrier or airline) is an airline that generally has lower fares as compared to full service airlines like British Airways, KLM, Air France, Lufthansa, American Airlines, etc.. To make up for the revenue lost in decreased ticket price, the airline may charge for extras like food, priority boarding, seat allocation, baggage etc.. The key characteristics of LCCs are multiple frequencies on a short/mid haul sectors, quick turnaround, secondary/tertiary airports, offerings in economy class only, usage of web/call centre based reservation system and not the GDS (Global Distribution systems), no food and rarely any loyalty programme. Low-cost carriers should not be confused with regional airlines that operate short flights without service, or with full-service airlines offering some reduced fares. The reasons why LCC airlines came up in practice dates back to 1960s. Until late 1960s, travelling by air was restricted to the higher classes of the society. Only from 1960s, it percolated to the upper middle class, as costs came down and the fuel prices were low. There was increased demand for the huge middle class to travel by air if the same became cheaper. This underlying need was captured by the entrepreneurs in the form of Low Cost Carriers which was pioneered by Southwest Airlines in USA and was replicated in different ways all over the world. The momentum gathered steam with the increased globalization and integration from 1980s onward. The regulatory regime defined by agreements between countries or regional groupings became more liberal and the frequencies of flights increased bringing the overall cost platform down. Further, the cost of the aircrafts and air travel came down due to the technological improvements leading to lower cost at higher volume. The technological strides in ICT (information and communication technology) brought the booking system of the airlines at the doorstep of the passenger. He could be sitting in his environment, book a ticket, choose his own seat and print a boarding card. This reduction in costs due to technological innovations opened up an opportunity for LCC to establish its foothold by cutting on costs at different steps of its supply chain. According to Vesper (1990) the LCC industry demonstrates execution of two business entry strategies. Firstly, the strategy to develop a better product or service which is appropriate because of unsatisfied demand in terms of cheap flights providing no frills. The established competitors on the carrier market such as British Airways, KLM, Lufthansa etc. reacted against these new entrants but more or less very late. Hence some LCC airlines already established their own operations. Second, the strategy to meet supply shortages, particularly on the short-haul marke t, there was a market parallel to the railway industry. Currently, in spite of demand and supply in balance, some LCC airlines maintain their competitive advantages and continue to drive the market. Since there were numerous LCC airlines operating globally (Appendix 1), considerations in deciding for LCC airlines to be investigated were to ensure diversity over different geographical markets to emphasise on a whole industry in terms of entrepreneurial behaviour and availability of information. We decided on 5 airlines as mentioned in table 1. (Please refer to Appendix 2 for data). Table 1: Companies and entrepreneurs to be investigated 3.1.2. Key Evaluation Features Burns (2007, p30) points out four different influences on owner-managers and entrepreneurs. Whereas culture of society and situational factors are not the focus of this project, personal character traits and antecedent influences were investigated to draw a picture of the individual background of the entrepreneurs. In addition we looked at individual leadership approach. In terms of organizational development and business growth we focused on five milestones (Table 2). Table 2: Key features to be evaluated on chosen entrepreneur and his LCC airline. Derived from the collected data based on the key features described above, three main issues were investigated to ensure a solution on growth models and associated leadership approaches in the LCC industry at least: Why did they succeed whereas so many after and before them failed? Development of the culture in the organization if any Recommendations for the future 3.2. Data Please see Appendix 2 for the secondary data that were gathered through research on internet, press and media, newspapers, and television. 3.3. Results The key question for description and interpretation of the results is Is there any pattern or consistency over all evaluated LCC airlines or not? In terms of the investigated background and leadership of the founders Burns describes antecedent influences on an entrepreneur which are most likely to result in them successfully growing their business (2007, p45): Well-educated: Two (Air Berlin and Ryan Air) of five investigated entrepreneurs do not have any academic graduation whereas the other three entrepreneurs have diverse degrees from Bachelor to Honorary PhDs. But all of them already had broad and in-depth managerial and professional experience at the point of time of idea generation. Starts business because of positive motivations. All entrepreneurs had positive motivations towards their own idea and were convinced strongly that their business will be successful and will grow. Leaves managerial job to start business: This was found to be different. Although all entrepreneurs had managerial experience before, their prevailing last step before becoming an entrepreneur in LCC industry was distinct. One was unemployed (Air Berlin), two had their own business (Southwest and Easy Jet), one was manager in the same LCC organization (Ryan Air), and one (Air Asia) was manager in a different industry. Middle-aged (or very young?): We found a range between 28-40 in the age of the entrepreneurs for the point of time of the businesses starting point. They were 28 (Easy Jet), 30 (Ryan Air), 37 (AirAsia), 40 (Air Berlin), and 40 (Southwest) years old. Obviously no one entrepreneur was close to retirement and no one was very young (begin of twenties or even younger). Willing to share ownership of business: All entrepreneurs shared ownership from the very beginning but in different ways and it is not obvious whether they had a general inclination to that or whether it was needed, e.g. to collect enough money for their start-up. In terms of personal character traits all of the following were founded as high in every investigated entrepreneur: Commitment, determination and opportunity obsession. Tolerance of risk, ambiguity and uncertainty. Creativity, self reliance and ability to excel. Most of the entrepreneurs pioneered the LCC model for their home market as first mover and developed LCC business models later. Control and rewards. We saw very strong control by the entrepreneur in all investigated organizations mostly aiming to bring down costs. In terms of values, ethics, beliefs and norms all of the entrepreneurs worked very hard (Everything for the company) and expected a similar inclination from their staff. In daily business they appreciate each resource and hence aim to be most efficient. Concerning leadership all entrepreneurs provided an autocratic and patriarchic style with strong control, centralized decision-making and high closeness to their employees. A vision is part of their leadership approach as well derived more or less obviously from their individual targets for their life. Honesty, reliability and action as an example are further aspects; they all practice what they preach. This remains even during the growth of their businesses but the entrepreneurs developed different leadership styles. Some tried to keep the autocratic style whereas others tended to be more participative but all of them kept strong control. According to a major research study of the University of Michigan Institute for Social Research, the most effective leader provides four common characteristics: Delegation of authority and avoidance of close supervision; interest and concern in their subordinates as individuals; participative problem-solving; high standards of performance. Except t he former and the latter we found all aspects in later stages of growth but not consistently and not whilst the inception stage. Regarding the motive for entrepreneurship, it is obvious that there is consistency in the way of idea generation. In all of the five airlines, idea for LCC was generated by individuals. For Southwest and Ryan Air, there were more people involved in implementation in addition to idea generator. Two of the promoters (Air Berlin and Air Asia) were forced to choose entrepreneurship due to professional circumstances. There has been a considerable variance in the duration of the inception phase/ start-up. For example this phase in the case of Air Asia lasted for a year but for Air Berlin it took about ten years. But generally the other airlines exhibited a period of around five years. All organizations were run by the promoters except Ryan Air which had Michael Leary as its head due to the losses at Ryan Air. Financials were pooled by the promoters themselves but there was a variance in the financial capabilities from deep pockets to just enough money to make operations run for a year. Two of the entrepreneurs (Easy Jet and Ryan Air) had strong financial backing. In terms of environmental factors (PESTER) each airline had a different set of compelling factors. Due to the dismantling of the Berlin wall, airlines had a new segment opening up which was tapped by Air Berlin (political). Low fares attract more customers; try to wean away customers from other modes of transport tapped by all the LCCs (economic). The target consumer base for budget airlines was enormous: 500 million people live within three hours of Air Asias hubs in Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok, more than Western Europes entire population (social). Ryan Air started when there was a partial de-regulation changing the way the airlines flew (regulation). Consistency in all LCC airlines was evaluated in terms of delegation (highly centralized with all the major decisions being made by the promoters/funders), coordination (there was a very high level of coordination in three airlines while high coordination in two them), and control (in Air Berlin there was very high level of control, while in the other airlines it ranged from medium to high). For all the airlines the survival and growth stage has been a pretty long time except for Air Asia which has achieved tremendous growth in the few years of its start-up. In this stage the LCC airlines demonstrated some small distinct behavior. The delegation level increased during this phase of the business except in the case of Air Berlin which followed low delegation. Coordination was medium in Easy Jet while was high in the remaining four. Control was very high in Air Berlin, high in Southwest, Ryan Air and AirAsia, and was medium in Easy Jet. In four of the airlines original founder and management team are in place. The only exception is Easy Jet which had a CEO right from its start-up in 1995. This could be because the founder of Easy Jet had been a business man before this start-up and knew well how to delegate and where to focus. Clear patterns of consistency can be seen in that all the airlines went for IPO in this phase, thus showing the willingness of entrepreneurs to share the growth of the firm. Furthermore, all LCC airlines took equity stakes and formed alliances with other airlines. For example Air Asia formed a partnership with Shin corporation in Thailand, Easy Jet purchased a 40% stake in Swiss charter airline TEA Basle. The reasons were two fold one to take care of certain regulatory issues in their markets and secondly to help grow faster. In addition all airlines initiated cost cutting techniques to take on the competition. In the maturity stage the delegation level decreased for two of the airlines (Ryan Air and Southwest) in view of the precarious business model while continues low for Air Berlin. For Easy Jet and Air Asia the delegation level remains high. On the other hand coordination and control are on high level in all airlines. All the founders maintain a very high level of control on the overall strategy and functioning of the airlines. The external environment factors like the financial crisis, high oil prices, etc. have had the effect on the management structure and control mechanisms for majority of the airlines. There also have been roll backs on the investment plans. The promoters continue to hold power. Diversified equity base in terms of type of shareholders, further additional finances were raised through debt. We perceive a clear distinction in terms of strategy and business models. Except for Air Berlin and Air Asia which have a hub and spoke model, all the airlines offer a point to point service. All LCC carriers have the same configuration of aircraft but Air Berlin differs on this aspect too. LCCs achieve breakeven at much lower level of load factors (seat occupancy) than a Full Service Carrier. It has been observed that in all the LCCs, the primary focus is to have high load factor in order to make good profits. All the LCCs evaluated have a high on-time performance, offering customer the facility to make a reservation through web and call centre. Most of them have no prior seating arrangement and have additional charges for check-in baggage. Meals on board are charged and no refund is applicable in case of a missed fights. All the LCCs are deriving good revenue from ancillary service offerings like hotels, cars and other packages through their website. All LCCs except Ryanair do worry about customer complaints and feedback. Ryanair has a bad name in terms of customer service and misleading statements to gain publicity. Loyalty in their targeted segments is driven by the overriding need for cheap travel, good timings, multiple frequencies and lower expectations in terms of customer service. Few LCCs like Southwest Airlines, Air Berlin provide a rudimentary loyalty programme in terms of facilities and privileges to its members when compared with a Full Service Carrier, but it is enough for the targeted segments expectation We can summarize all the above LCCs on a continuum which depicts a pure LCC on the left side and a Full Service Carrier on the extreme right. Figure 1: Continuum of LCC Airlines 3.4. Derivations There is clear differentiation in the development of culture in the organization. Air Berlin exhibits an autocratic culture which is represented through its boss. Air Asia exhibits the culture of its boss too, open and cheerful. Southwest and Easy Jet exhibit a less hierarchical structure, full of freedom to the employees while Ryanair exhibits a culture in between the spectrum. Ryanair is process driven organization with little freedom to employees for decision making. Important decisions are highly centralized. It has grown so much that if he centralizes any further, the structure cannot sustain it. Hence there is no consistent pattern among these airlines from cultural perspective. However, we can definitely say that culture in these organizations is a reflection of the leadership behaviour of the founder entrepreneur. Nevertheless all the evaluated LCC airlines did succeed so far whereas so many after and before them failed. Reasons for this can be seen in this project work. During inception stage there is consistency in high level of delegation, coordination and control. All entrepreneurs had been able to recognize and to deal with the most important and influencing environmental factors on their home markets. All the airlines focused on cost leadership as a competitive advantage and made concrete efforts to mitigate the risks. Air Berlin formed subsidiaries to do away with labor unions. Air Asia formed a JV in Thailand with the Thailands Prime Minster family business to keep the political risk in check. The use of standard aircrafts to the extent possible and internet check-in as the model of bookings were part of the scheme to reduce costs. Hence the evaluated LCCs can be depicted as follows on five stages of business growth. (Figure 2). Figure 2: Five Stages of LCC Business Growth With reference to figure 2, we can consider that LCC is a product being sold by these airlines. There has been no basic RD on this product by any of these airlines. What they have done is to do applied research on the basic model of airline travel, to bring out LCC. Southwest Airlines pioneered this in the USA followed by modified versions of this by other airlines in other geographies. The trend in the figure 2 demonstrates that the growth of LCC has followed five stages of business growth, with the corresponding time taken by them for each phase and how the efficiency has changed. However, they are at different stages for example Southwest, Easy Jet and Ryan Air are in the expansion stages hitting the maturity stage in the current model, while Air Asia and Air Berlin seem to be in Growth/ expansion stages. Now the LCC carriers are facing competition from the full service airlines. This is because, full services play airlines are planning certain percentage of their seats at low p rices to compete with LCCs. Hence the efficiency of the LCC product sale for our sample airlines has reached a plateau. Now the time has come for the LCC carriers to apply development RD to give an S curve to this trend to modify the features of the product LCC. Different LCC airlines are doing this in different ways, e.g., Ryan airlines are cutting all possible costs, Easy Jet has targeted business passengers, Air Berlin wants to do everything possible for a good customer services, etc. This fits with the assertion of Schumpeter (1950), in that the technological progress can be seen as a continuous process in which capitalism constantly demands better value. Figure 3: LCC Airlines in Greiners Five-Stage Model of Growth (source: Greiner 1972) When we try to review (figure 3) the leadership and management styles within these five airlines vis-à  -vis, our finding is that it largely reflects the leadership style of the founder entrepreneur than the stages of Greiners five phase growth model. For example, Easy Jet and Southwest demonstrate collaboration in their management style, while Air Asia is in between the control and collaboration stages. Air Berlin and Ryan Air has high level of control and less delegation. Figure 4: Key Resource Factors in the Stages of Growth for LCC With reference to figure 4, we have reviewed the resource requirement of the five LCCs. All the five airlines display that they had the resource requirements (financial, business, system and personnel resources) for different phases of growth as shown in this figure. For example, airline being an asset intensive business, they all had huge capital requirements at the start-up. They used a combination of models to meet their requirements leasing aircrafts to purchasing them during start-up and survival phases. But in subsequent stages, they all followed the same strategy owning aircrafts. To reduce on cost, Ryan Airlines had purchased old aircrafts also which was criticized by Easy Jet as cutting corners on safety aspects which could hit the LCC industry in case there were any problems to happen. With regard to figure 5, we see that there is a commonality between what was practiced in different environments globally and the typical 5 stage growth model linked to leadership. Initially, in the start-up stage, everything is centralized and business and personal goals are the same for entrepreneurs which get decentralized, delegated and a formal structure coming in at the expansion and maturity stages. The financing is done primarily through personal resources initially which later on is internally generated and additionally through tapping of the stock markets and taking on debt from banks. As most have avenues for growth, they do not follow an active dividend policy and reward shareholders through capital appreciation Figure 5: Key Management Factors in the Stages of Growth for LCC Derived from our evaluation the entrepreneurship model on antecedent influences, personal character traits, and leadership approach can be illustrated only for the stage of idea generation and inception (see Figure 6). Figure 6: Model of entrepreneurial antecedent influences, personal character traits and leadership approach in the stage of idea generation and inception for LCC Most important is that the autocratic leadership approach (Tannenbaum and Schmidt 1973) is dominant which is in close relation to McGregors supposition of Theory X (boss-centered leadership) in contrast to Theory Y (subordinate-centered leadership). The contingency model of leadership by Vroom and Yetton (1973) covers the evaluated leadership behaviour as Autocratic I and II. Bass (1985) points out four basic components of transformational leadership. First, idealized influence (leader charisma, respect of followers), second, inspirational motivation (display meaning and challenge to the work of followers), third, intellectual stimulation (new approaches for solutions, creative problem solutions), and fourth, individualized consideration (leader listens and provide concern to needs and development of individual followers). For the last two points the autocratic style of LCC airlines seems to be a contraindication. Yukl (2006) formulates some guidelines for transformational leadership which cover the results of our investigations: Articulate a clear and appealing vision, explain how the vision can be attained, act confident and optimistic, express confidence in followers, use dramatic, symbolic actions to emphasize key values, and lead by example. This is very close to inspirational or visionary leadership. Here the focus is on leaders skills of motivating and inspiring people aiming to bring together goals and values of the organization and individual needs and values. Particularly in the stage of idea generation and in the inception stage the entrepreneurs took all ten managerial roles which Mintzberg (1990) pointed out. The entrepreneurs took a figurehead role (the manager as a symbol who represents the organization in terms of formality), a leader role (demonstrating responsibility for staffing, motivation and guidance of subordinates) and a liaison role (with focus on horizontal relationships between manager and individuals/groups as well as the organizations environment). In terms of informational roles we found the entrepreneurs in a monitor role (the manager receives formal/informal information from internal/external sources and develops an understanding of the working of the organization and its environment) as well as in a disseminator role (the manager as centre of information who transmits external information through his liaison role (see above) to the organization and internal information through his leader role amongst subordinates) and in a spokesperson role (the manager as a formal authority communicating to distinct stakeholders). And even in terms of so called decisional roles all en trepreneurs were very active. Here we saw the entrepreneurs in an entrepreneurial role (he is expected to initiate and plan controlled change by exploiting opportunities, solving problems and taking action for improvement of an existing situation and he may play a major part in aiming improvement and delegate responsibilities to subordinates), in a disturbance handler role (the manager reacts on involuntary and unpredictable situations and he is expected to correct a situation in case of unexpected disturbance), in a resource allocator role (the manager makes choices about resources allocation) and least in a negotiator role (this role arises from managers authority, credibility, access to information and responsibility for resources allocation and the manager participates actively in negotiation with stakeholders, e.g. works council). 3.5. Recommendation for the Future We clearly see that future growth in LCCs will be through collaboration with other LCCs and full service carrier. In other words, Southwest will grow collaborating with full service carriers like United, American, and Lufthansa and vice versa. Though the early stages of growth were in different segments , having established in their own markets, both LCCs and full service carriers are moving towards the middle of the continuum and we will see increased collaboration between them in future. Also the majority of the airlines are deliberating entering the lo

Analysis of The Shining, by Stanley Kubrick Essay -- Film Analysis

What is horror? Webster's Collegiate Dictionary gives the primary definition of horror as "a painful and intense fear, dread, or dismay." It stands to reason then that "horror fiction" is fiction that elicits those emotions in the reader. An example of a horror film is "The Shining", directed by Stanley Kubrick. Stanley Kubrick was a well-known director, producer, writer and cinematographer. His films comprised of unique, qualitative scenes that are still memorable but one iconic film in his collection of work is The Shining. Many would disagree and say that The Shining was not his best work and he could have done better yet, there are still those who would say otherwise. This film was not meant to be a â€Å"scary pop-up† terror film but instead, it turned into a spectacular psychological, horor film in which Kubrick deeply thought about each scene and every line. Stanley Kubrick was born July 26, 1928 in Bronx, New York. As a young boy, he enjoyed photography which sparked his love for filming. His father, Dr. Kubrick, had inspired young Kubrick to use his Graflex Camera to take pictures of anything he desired to keep memories of. This was later transformed as young Kubrick’s hobby. Growing up into his teenage years, Kubrick had gone to the movie theater almost more than attending high school. He would watch movies over and over and still be amused by the film even if it was not a good film. With this critical view of the films he was watching, he began to think that he could make a better film compared to what he was watching. Eventually, with the compassion for photography the Kubrick had, he had sold one of his pictures to Look magazine. Look magazine hired him as a freelance photographer and with the money he saved up, Kubrick... ... Works Cited Ciment, Michel. Kubrick: The Definitive Edition. New York: Faber and Faber, 2001. Print. Connelly, D.D.S. Thomas P. "How to Prevent Your Child From Thumb Sucking." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 25 May 2010. Web. 25 Nov. 2015. "The Internet Movie Script Database (IMSDb)." Shining, The Script at IMSDb. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Nov. 2015. Konow, David. "The Shining and The Steadicam." Tested RSS. N.p., 16 Aug. 2013. Web. 27 Nov. 2015. LICSW, Terry Gaspard MSW. "Vulnerability: The Secret to Divorce-Proofing Your Relationship." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 30 Sept. 2013. Web. 24 Nov. 2015. LoBrutto, Vincent. Stanley Kubrick: A Biography. New York: Da Capo, 1999. Print. Stanley Kubrick's The Shining. Dir. Stanley Kubrick. Perf. Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, and Danny Lloyd. Warner Home Video, 1980. DVD.

Cuba :: essays research papers

Conclusion Though it's immediate effect is mostly symbolic, U.S./Cuba policy in 1998 reflects a positive shift in attitudes amongst the leaders of Cuba and the U.S. Many would argue that only the lifting of the embargo completely would serve as redemption for a mislead American foreign policy. And then again, many others would argue that softening the terms of the embargo only further strengthens the Castro regime. The debate is far from over and the solution is very unclear, but there certainly are recognizable indicators that we can allude to and build assumptions. One, is the growing global marketplace. This driver acts as a facilitator of reform by inspiring the individuals and leaders of Cuba and the U.S. to seek relationships outside of their immediate borders. The U.S. stands as the lone holdout in the growing number of countries linked to Cuba through trade relationships. We are pressured by the WTO, GATT, OAS, Mercursor, FTA, and a growing number of regional and international trade organizations to allow some form of trade relationship with Cuba. Not that the U.S. is opposed to unilateral actions, but opposed to free trade--not likely. There is a growing populace of businesses within the U.S. that are lobbying for trade with Cuba. They wish to explore Cuba for oil, utilize it's skilled workforce, and open hotels. Unfortunately, because of domestic issues, the present U.S. administration stands powerless to further change our policy in Cuba. As Presidents have increasingly linked foreign policy with trade on the bi-partisan level, we can expect to see a continuation of this tre nd. Second, Time. The Cold War is over and slowly the wounds are disappearing. No longer does Cuba represent an ideological or military threat to the U.S.. Embargoes are implemented and maintained in countries that fear military attack. With Castro's dwindling resources and increasingly smaller number of soldiers, it is fair to say that Cuba represents no threat to the U.S.. Another function of time can be witnessed in the population of Miami, were the majority of Cubans are now American born. These American born Cubans have never lived in Cuba, nor have they experienced any facet of the revolution first hand. They have integrated into American society and possess no ill will towards Fidel Castro. Third, Communication and Travel. Last year, tourism put $1 billion dollars in the hands of Cuban business owners. Tourists, even American, have been flocking to the picturesque island in record numbers. Cuba :: essays research papers Conclusion Though it's immediate effect is mostly symbolic, U.S./Cuba policy in 1998 reflects a positive shift in attitudes amongst the leaders of Cuba and the U.S. Many would argue that only the lifting of the embargo completely would serve as redemption for a mislead American foreign policy. And then again, many others would argue that softening the terms of the embargo only further strengthens the Castro regime. The debate is far from over and the solution is very unclear, but there certainly are recognizable indicators that we can allude to and build assumptions. One, is the growing global marketplace. This driver acts as a facilitator of reform by inspiring the individuals and leaders of Cuba and the U.S. to seek relationships outside of their immediate borders. The U.S. stands as the lone holdout in the growing number of countries linked to Cuba through trade relationships. We are pressured by the WTO, GATT, OAS, Mercursor, FTA, and a growing number of regional and international trade organizations to allow some form of trade relationship with Cuba. Not that the U.S. is opposed to unilateral actions, but opposed to free trade--not likely. There is a growing populace of businesses within the U.S. that are lobbying for trade with Cuba. They wish to explore Cuba for oil, utilize it's skilled workforce, and open hotels. Unfortunately, because of domestic issues, the present U.S. administration stands powerless to further change our policy in Cuba. As Presidents have increasingly linked foreign policy with trade on the bi-partisan level, we can expect to see a continuation of this tre nd. Second, Time. The Cold War is over and slowly the wounds are disappearing. No longer does Cuba represent an ideological or military threat to the U.S.. Embargoes are implemented and maintained in countries that fear military attack. With Castro's dwindling resources and increasingly smaller number of soldiers, it is fair to say that Cuba represents no threat to the U.S.. Another function of time can be witnessed in the population of Miami, were the majority of Cubans are now American born. These American born Cubans have never lived in Cuba, nor have they experienced any facet of the revolution first hand. They have integrated into American society and possess no ill will towards Fidel Castro. Third, Communication and Travel. Last year, tourism put $1 billion dollars in the hands of Cuban business owners. Tourists, even American, have been flocking to the picturesque island in record numbers.

Romanticism as a Reaction to Neoclassicism :: Romanticism Essays

The time of Romanticism began in the late 18th century and ended around the mid 19th century. Just showing what the Romantic Movement is, it can be shown as a reaction against Neoclassicism. Romantic art portrays emotional, painted, or shown in a bold and dramatic manner, and there is often a stress on the past. Romantic artists often use sad themes and dramatic tragedies. Paintings by famous Romantic artists such as Gericault and Delacroix are filled with energetic brushstrokes, rich colors, and emotive subject matters. While the German landscape painter Casper David Friedrich created images of lost loneliness, and at the same time in Spain, Francisco Goya conveyed the horrors of war in his works. This shows the variety of different art works of this time period. Some of these artists were fascinated in nature, people can definitely see this if they are shown through any Romanticism museum, also the importance of drama and emotion. At this time artists made their art work portray more then what the eye sees, the artists added more symbolism to the art work then in the Renaissance. The Pre-Raphaelite movement succeeded Romanticism, and Impressionism is firmly rooted in the Romantic tradition. Other famous Romantic artists include George Stubbs, William Blake, John Margin, John Constable, JMW Turner, and Sir Thomas Lawrence. And Although Romanticism was very popular for the paintings, it was also popular for its music, and poetry, and even architecture. This shows that this period advanced not only in variety of artwork but also a variety of all sorts of effects. The German poets and critics, August Wilhelm and Friedrich Schlegel first used the term ?Romanticism? to label a wider cultural movement, the period expanded way more then they ever dreamed. This gave the Schlegel brothers a good time to show Christianity through art, even though the majority of people where using the plain Classical culture. This started the ?Romantic Movement. The ?Romantic Movement,? gained popularity in Germany and then quickly spread to England, France, and beyond. Eventually the movement reached America, this was around the year 1820, (some 20 years after William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge had revolutionized English poetry by publishing Lyrical Ballads). In America and in Europe, fresh new ideas and visions struck the artistic and intellectual circles in America.

Moral Recovery Program

Moral Recovery Program, An Overview Proclamation No. 62 dated 30 September 1992 declared a Moral Recovery Program in response to the need to strengthen the moral resources of the Filipino people rooted in Filipino culture, values and ideals that are pro God, pro people, pro country and pro nature. This Moral Recovery Program (MRP) refers to the national campaign for moral renewal which includes the objectives, strategies and cumulative experiences generated in the course of implementing Presidential Proclamation No. 62.It’s vision is to help the Filipino nation to become God-centered, people-empowered, prosperous national community living in unity, justice, freedom, love and peace governed by a visionary government that is democratic, responsive and effective, graft-free, transparent and self-corrective with a community of civil and military servants who are professional, competent, disciplined and trustworthy. It is about time that our political and religious leaders work han d in hand to bring about moral order in Philippine society.Freedom of worship and religion must be guaranteed. The family must be strengthened as the basic unit of society. Promote the values of integrity, excellence and service starting from the home, school, church and communities. There must be zero tolerance against violence, corruption and exploitation. Bring back the BAYANIHAN SPIRIT in order to instill civic consciousness and sense of patriotism among citizenry. Reaction Paper:According to the definition on the first page, Moral Recovery Program or MRP refers to the national campaign for moral renewal in response to the need to strengthen the moral resources of the Filipino people rooted in Filipino culture, values and ideals that are pro God, pro people, pro country and pro nature. In the definition, I can say that this program is very good not only for Filipinos but also to other people around the world.We know that all people have problems and as I observe, some people now adays experiencing problems don’t seek to God to ask help or ask guidance but instead they make money as their personal savior. And as for Filipinos, this national campaign for moral renewal can really help to restore and establish the Filipino culture not only in the Philippines but also to other countries. Maybe through this program, Filipinos will now learn to love their culture. Filipinos now will not waste their money buying imported things from abroad instead they will spend all their money to buy their country’s product.And also, some Filipinos who are not proud of their culture will now be proud and they will also promote it to other countries. This national campaign for renewal also helps nurture and preserves Mother Earth. Through this campaign, some people will now avoid cutting trees, do â€Å"kaingin†, killing endangered species and many more. And through this campaign people will learn that Mother Earth is very important to us and we must save our beloved Mother Earth from our wrong activities while it’s not too late.

Twelfth Night Explores the Nature of Love

The play Twelfth Night explores many different types of love between it's characters. With so much love and so many different levels and kinds, love easily appears to be the central theme of the play from the complex love triangle between Viola, Oliva and Orsino to hinted at homosexual love from Antonio to Sebastion, it is easily the central theme. The first love in the play is Orsino's love for Olivia. Although Orsino has never met Oliva before in his life he claims to be madly in love with her and sends messenger after messenger to tell her of his love. This uneducated and mostly appearance related love could easily just be infatuation. This could be proven when Orsino quickly asks Viola to marry him as though he never loved Oliva to begin with. Another, but a lot different, example of love in Twelfth Night is the self love Malvolio has for himself. Malvolio only cares about his social rank, becoming a gentleman. Then when he receives the letter from â€Å"Olivia† he becomes ecstatic and even says that he will make him the real head of the house rather then just a steward if they marry. The plans to use Olivia's love for him as a tool to reach where he wants to be. Another example of love, and probably the most true, is Viola's love for Orsino. Viola's love for Orsino is the most true because Viola and Orsino really know eachother. They talk and spend time together, even if they are both â€Å"men† they manage to get to know eachother. Also their live seems true because even though she loves Orsino she would go try and â€Å"Woo† Oliva so Orsino could be happy. There is also little ways showing love in the play Twelfth Night. For instance the idea that Antonio loves Sebastian is brought up by the way he speaks to Sebastian and the way he comes to Llyria with him even though he can go to jail. The last example of love is Maria and Toby, we know that Maria's love is true but whether or not Toby loves her is a mystery. Oliva's love for Cesario, Toby and Maria, Oliva and Sebastian, â€Å"Oliva's† letter to Malvolio, Viola and Orsino, and Orsino's love for Oliva easily show that love is a central them in Twelfth Night.

Shape-Changers the Chronicles of the Cheysuli

Book Report Trevor Mendham While i was in the library with the class. Shape-Changers the Chronicles of the Cheysuli written by Jennifer Roberson had caught my interest. This book was published in 1984 while the author was living in a castle. Jennifer Roberson has said that the eight book series had been inspired by the castle in Wales. Although this book is part of a large series, I strongly believe this book is about the choices that we make. The main character Alix has the choice to play it safe or to take a risk and truly find the answers she seeks. I personally would enjoy continue reading this series. Although the book was very short and left quite a few lose ends for the next book. This book set in the land of Cheysuli within the Kingdom of Homana. Alix the daughter of a man who was a religion leader whom resigned after the war on shape-changers started. After this he started running a under-croft, where dead body are displayed for the public viewing, taking a major reduction in wage and honourable work. Alix has fallen for the prince named Carillon a childhood friend, from the fathers previous profession. Soon after they are captured while walking in the woods by the shape-changers. Alix finds that she is half blooded shape-changer and has to decide to accept who she is, and lose the love of price Carillon and be at war with his race. This story was very odd but was a good book. The fiction of this story is tied to reality in a very unique way, that is very effective in making the story not feel very fantasy. This feature made the book truly more enjoyable. Other writing techniques like not having any foreshadowing. The book keeps you guessing until the very end. Even within the story parts that I had never seen coming, Like releasing the prince. Allowing Alix to run away and eventually return on curiosity. I would recommend anyone who wants a quick read of a quality story. Overall I would give this story eight out of ten stars without reading the rest of the series.

Perceptions of African American Women Essay

I am taking some classes that will eventually qualify me to major in Astro – Physics, or Chemical engineering, I also want to work with NASA and train as an astronaut. It was amazing to know that Dr. Mae C. Jemison who happens to be the youngest of three children born to a middle class African American family, Charlie Jemison, a maintenance worker and his wife, Dorothy, a teacher. Dr. Mae C. Jemison was the first black woman astronaut to be in space in an era filled with segregation and racism, she is a Chemical engineer, scientist, physician, teacher and astronaut, she has a wide range of experience in technology, engineering, and medical research. In addition to her extensive background in science, she is well-versed in African and African-American Studies, speaks fluent Russian, Japanese, and Swahili, as well as English and is trained in dance and choreography. Dr. Mae C. Jamison was an inspiration to me, and probably to many African American women. She was full of resilience and determination especially to have reached and achieved success in an unusual field of endeavor for many African American women, I applaud her determination to make a difference among the African American women and blacks in Diaspora. After graduating from Morgan Park High School in 1973 at the age of 16, Dr. Mae Jemison earned a BS in Chemical Engineering from Stanford University, while also fulfilling the requirements for a BA in African-American Studies. After earning these degrees in 1977, she attended Cornell University and received a Doctor of Medicine degree in 1981. During medical school she traveled to Cuba, Kenya and Thailand, providing primary medical care to people living there. This is an indication of her humanitarian efforts and eagerness to reach out to the less privileged population. Having a desire to do more with her life, she enrolled in graduate classes in engineering and applied to NASA for admission to the astronaut program. She was turned down on her first application, maybe because she is a black woman, but she persevered and in 1987 was accepted on her second application. She became one of the fifteen candidates accepted from over 2,000 applicants. When Dr. Mae Jemison successfully completed her astronaut training program in August 1988, she became the fifth black astronaut and the first black female astronaut in NASA history. In completing her first space flight, Dr. Mae Jemison logged 190 hours, 30 minutes, 23 seconds in space, making her the first African-American woman in space. She says, â€Å"I had to learn very early not to limit myself due to others’ limited imaginations. I have learned these days never to limit anyone else due to my limited imagination. † This is an inspiration to other blacks in general who normally assume a second class citizen and believe that they will never do well or will be appreciated in whatever they do. This is a wake-up call, and manifestation of the saying â€Å"Determination is the mother of invention†. In 1993, Dr. Mae Jemison resigned from NASA and founded the Jemison Group, Inc.to research, develop and implement advanced technologies suited to the social, political, cultural and economic context of the individual, especially for the developing world. Current projects include: Alpha, (TM) a satellite based telecommunication system to improve health care in West Africa; and The Earth We Share, (TM) an international science camp for students ages 12 to 16, that utilizes an experiential curriculum. Among her current projects are several that focus on improving healthcare in Africa. She is also a professor of environmental studies at Dartmouth College. Dr. Mae Jamison made a name for herself and name for blacks in general; Her entrepreneurial spirit put her in the limelight and acts as a boost to determined black men and women in Diaspora. Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf. It was quite surprising to read about Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, I know almost nothing about this â€Å"giant and queen of modern Africa† who is presently the current president of Liberia. According to what I have read so far about this â€Å"queen of Africa† she was born In Monrovia, the capital of Liberia on October 29, 1938. During this period, Liberians had no clue that the First female president of an African country had been born into their mist. Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf is a daughter to descendents of original colonists of Liberia (ex-African slaves from America, who promptly on arrival set about enslaving the indigenous people using the social system of their old American masters as a basis for their new society). These descendents are known in Liberia as Americo-Liberians. From what I read, I noticed that Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf was truly an intellectual power house, a charismatic leader and destined to make a change in Liberia and contribute her quota in Africa. From 1948 to 1955 Ellen Johnson studied accounts and economics at the College of West Africa in Monrovia. After marriage at the age of 17 to James Sirleaf, she travelled to America (in 1961) and continued her studies, achieving a degree from the University of Colorado. From 1969 to 1971 she read economics at Harvard, gaining a masters degree in public administration. Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf then returned to Liberia and began working in William Tolbert’s (True Whig Party) government. Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf also served as Minister of Finance from 1972 to 73, but left after a disagreement over public spending, this is an indication of her prudence and will power. As the 70s progressed, life under Liberia’s one-party state became more polarized to the benefit of the Americo-Liberian elite. On 12 April 1980 Master Sergeant Samuel Kayon Doe, a member of the indigenous Krahn ethnic group, seized power in a military coup. With the People’s Redemption Council now in power, Samuel Doe began a purge of government. Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf narrowly escaped – choosing exile in Kenya. From 1983 to 1985 she served as Director of Citibank in Nairobi. I will say that Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf had a lot of courage, because it was quite unusual for a woman to challenge a dictatorial incumbent president in Africa without being kidnapped, tortured or killed in the process, although She was later sentenced to ten years in prison. Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf spent just a short time incarcerated, before being allowed to leave the country once again as an exile. During the 1980s she served as Vice President of both the African Regional Office of Citibank, in Nairobi, and of (HSCB) Equator Bank, in Washington. Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf played an active role in the transitional government as the country prepared for the 2005 elections, and eventually stood for president against her rival the ex-international footballer, George Manneh Weah. Despite the elections being called fair and orderly, Weah repudiated the result, which gave a majority to Johnson-Sirleaf, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf eventually became Liberia’s first elected female president, as well as the first elected female president in the continent Africa. . In 2005 She established a Truth and Reconciliation Commission with a mandate to â€Å"promote national peace, security, unity and reconciliation† by investigating more than 20 years of civil conflict in the country and in November 2007, she received the United States Presidential Medal of Freedom, the U. S. government’s highest civilian award. She is truly a giant and â€Å"queen of modern Africa†. References: 1. http://space. about. com/cs/formerastronauts/a/jemisonbio. htm 2. http://www. k-grayengineeringeducation. com/blog/index. php/2008/09/12/first-african-american-women-in-space. 3. http://www. joinafrica. com/africa_of_the_week/ellenjohnsonliberia. htm.

Financial Analysis of Abiomed Incorporation Research Paper

Financial Analysis of Abiomed Incorporation - Research Paper Example The potential for growth mainly lies with such companies as once these companies start coming back to profitable tracks they provide good returns especially to those investors who put their investment at stake in the bad times of those companies. However, the risk of losing money also exists such that there are chances that these companies may perform even more sluggish operations which in turn lead them towards the way to bankruptcy. Company Overview Among those companies which are going through their struggling phase of life, Abiomed Inc. is one of those companies. The company mainly develops surgical products especially for heart failing patients and provides those equipments to hospitals. This report provides a financial analysis of Abiomed Inc. for the past three years, as well as with its industry giant Medtronic Inc. This financial analysis is conducted with the help of ratio analysis in respect four broader categories which are 1) Profitability, 2) Efficiency, 3) Liquidity, a nd 4) Solvency. Competitive Environment and Market Conditions The competitive environment for medical and surgical equipments is quite intense especially for the equipments, which facilitate heart failing patients. The financial position of Abiomed Inc. is not as stable and strong as its competitors possess. The competitors can provide better equipments as they have latest technology and better infrastructure as compared to Abiomed Inc. These competitors have a tendency to give tough time to Abiomed Inc. in such a manner that they can provide those surgical equipments either at the same or even relatively lower prices to the customers. As a result, Abiomed Inc. needs to put more focus on building their financial position stronger in order to compete on better footings. Profitability Ratios Return on Stockholder’s Equity Return on shareholder’s equity describes as how much percentage of equity is being generated as net income. Due to experiencing negative earnings i.e. losses ABMD’s return on equity remained in negative zone for all of the three years. However, the most promising sign for the company is that the company is moving in a right direction such that its percentage has been improved from -27% to around -11% which is a positive sign. By taking a look at the performance for Medtronic, its percentage has also been increased from 15% to 19% which is a better sign. Overall it can be inferred that both the companies improved their return on shareholders’ equity mainly due to increasingly improved industry conditions. This ratio is quite meaningful and important to investors especially as they are more concerned in assessing as to how much their equity has earned in the form of income for the company. Return on Shareholder's Equity Year ABMD Medtronic 2011 -11.22% 19.39% Â   Â   2010 -17.62% 21.18% Â   Â   2009 -27.24% 15.70% Return on Assets Return on assets is also a good profitability indicator such that it describes the ef ficiency of assets to generate income for the company. Companies are more interested in knowing as to whether the assets they have deployed in the operations of the business are worthy and capable of generating income or not. If the performance of the assets of ABMD is taken into