Saturday, August 31, 2019

Why a President Must Persuade

According to Richard E. Neustadt, ‘The power of the American president is to persuade. ’ I am going to analyse this statement in my essay, by answering why a president must persuade, looking at the relationship between the president and government, giving examples of when persuasion has worked and when it hasn’t, focusing on other ways the president can influence and finally ending with a conclusion. Firstly, why is it important for the president to persuade? The power to persuade is seen as an informal power as it is not clearly expressed in the constitution. It is important as presidents need to persuade other branches of government to influence policy; they even have to do this in their own branch (the executive) e. g. influencing cabinet secretaries. Due to all the branches of government, it means that power is dispersed and concentrated in different places; this can make it complex for the president to exert his own influence especially if there are opponents. Without the support of the Senate or the House of Representatives the president has only slight power, due to the checks and balances imposed on the president, power is reduced. Persuasion needs to take place in order to influence all sectors of the government so they can facilitate their policies, this supports the conception that the power of the American president is to persuade. Where has persuasion worked? When Bush was justifying the Iraq war, Colin Powell spoke in his favour and he furthered bi-partisanship with Democrats, who was the opposing party at the time. By showing this alliance, it meant that policies would have no problem going through Congress (reducing deadlock), this supports Neustadt. Where persuasion has not worked? An example was when President Eisenhower failed to persuade a governor. At the time were African-American students were not allowed in a school, which lead to a Supreme Court case (Brown vs. The Board of Education) and it resulted to the students being allowed to attend. Sadly, the governor did not agree and so Eisenhower had a meeting with him and failed to persuade him to allow them to attend, this showed that Eisenhower was not even good at persuading those in his own government, showing he was a ‘weak’ president. If persuasion is not acquired, it means that power is reduced, which reflects how the president is portrayed. For the president to be persuasive they must be charismatic and have the ability to influence the voters and those who can make their legislative goals happen. If a president has the ability to influence then it shows great leadership. Neustadt focuses on three traits a president must have to be successful: having the power to persuade, a good professional reputation and public prestige, with all these components put together they would be seen as a strong president. Professional representation, the term Neustadt used was ‘Washingtonians’ who are people in government (governors, military leaders, congress etc). The better the reputation of the president, the easier they will find it to negotiate, pass legislation and implement policy. I mentioned earlier that power is dispersed everywhere due to the separation of powers, meaning that it could be possible that someone may have great power and influence other than the president, which can be a problem for the president this means he must always be aware of them.

Friday, August 30, 2019

Symbolism to the Journey

Whether we are reading a poem or a short story, there is a story to be found within. The writer is able to capture readers with their use of rhythm, characterization, or a fairy tale setting, among many other things throughout their writing. It is imagination that allows us, the readers of these stories and poems, to be able to fill in the blanks or mentally visualize what the writer wants us to see through use of descriptive words or symbolism. In the poem â€Å"The Road Not Taken† by Robert Frost, the short story â€Å"A Worn Path† by Eudora Welty, and the short story â€Å"Used To Live Here Once† by Jean Rhys I noticed a common theme. No matter what lonely journey we find ourselves on, we determine how the journey ends. The lonely journey that each of these literary pieces tells about is presented differently in each writing. In â€Å"The Road Not Taken†, Frost used â€Å"Two roads diverged in a yellow wood† which told me that there was a forthcoming journey; he also used â€Å"and sorry I could not travel both† as a way to share that he had to make this decision of which path to take. Frost also used the word â€Å"I† many times, which allowed me to imagine him alone. In â€Å"A Worn Path†, Welty used the word â€Å"she† throughout the piece which gave me the image of this woman walking alone. The character spoke to animals â€Å"’Out of my way, all you foxes, owls, beetles’† and so forth. When the writer posed this conversation in the story, it gave me the feeling of loneliness. This woman was so lonely, she spoke to animals. The path that she was walking â€Å"ran up hill†. The idea that this path she was on was up a hill provided symbolism of a hard life. To me, walking up a hill would be hard work to get to the destination. Since the description of this woman had been of an aged woman, â€Å"her eyes blue with age† and her numberless branching wrinkles, it was a pity to find this woman walking alone up hill. In â€Å"Used To Live Here Once†, Rhys, too, used the word â€Å"she† many times to describe the character in the story. The usage of a singular word painted the picture of loneliness. â€Å"She was standing by the river† and â€Å"She came to the worn stone steps†. This woman was in this journey alone. In each piece of literary writing being discussed in this paper, the loneliness throughout the journey is clear. However, the ending to the journeys vary because of the choices the characters make. We will address this further on into the paper. The setting of a story or poem is what draws the reader in. I found myself reading â€Å"The Road Not Taken First†. The reason was that it starter out with almost a conflict of where the poem could take me. With the first line being â€Å"Two roads diverged in yellow wood†, I found myself wondering where the pathways would take me. As the poem began, I found it to be written in first person sine the writer used â€Å"I† as the main character term. Frost wrote â€Å"and be one traveler, long I stood†. This enabled me to actually step into the characters’, or the writer’s, shoes and see these pathways from his perspective. I like being able to feel as if I am in the story. Frost wrote about one path that it he could see where it â€Å"bent in the undergrowth†. He went on that the other path â€Å"was grassy and wanted wear†. This painted a picture for me of actual woods, split into two pathways, both different most likely ending in a different place. In the back of my mind, I had an idea that these were symbolic of something much bigger. The symbolism within the poem â€Å"The Road Not Taken† was abundant. â€Å"Two roads diverged could be seen as two things, two jobs, two ideas, two of anything that one could choose between. The word â€Å"yellow†, as used to describe the two roads in which Frost could choose is symbolic of aging or decay. To me, it seemed as if Frost could have been in a mid-life crisis, in which he felt old and needed change, and he had two new roads, of which the pathways and endings were unknown, to choose from. One path had been the one he was on, but did not know where it would end. The other road was grassy, seemingly vibrant, and the ending, too, was unknown. Frost referred to the both paths as â€Å"in leaves no step had trodden black†. In his description, the use of the word â€Å"black† shows symbolism of death. It seemed as if Frost was analyzing his choices and was seeing that his alternative pathway, although it did look enticing, he wondered why no one else had come back if they had taken that path. He knew that either path would ultimately lead to death, as that was his fate. There came a turning point in the poem where Frost went from indecisiveness to having made up his mind of his choice. Instead of being in front of two paths â€Å"in a yellow wood† he ended the poem that he was in just â€Å"a wood† in which he had chosen to stay â€Å"on the first for another day†. It appeared to me that his analysis of the paths he could choose from lead him to understand that the unknown is not as enticing as the known. According to John Savoie, the contradiction lies within the idea that both paths were â€Å"equally lay† but Frost chose to take the path of least resistance which indeed is arguable as there is â€Å"a lack of distinction between the roads†. (Savoie, 2004) His journey, although seemingly lonely, was determined by the decisions he made or would make. The second piece I read drew me in because the setting was not one of mystery, but instead it was one of pity. Used to Live Here Once† was the second piece I chose to read. The setting was one of sadness. I could visualize this woman â€Å"standing by the river† and â€Å"remembering each one†. It gave me the idea that she had been there long before but had forgotten the beauty of the river over time. Sad beginnings to literary pieces are not something that normal ly draws me in. However, the story grew more intriguing to me as the setting moved to her old home. When she noticed that â€Å"the screw pine was gone†, I still felt the pity and sadness for the character. Since the writer chose to write in a third person perspective, it was difficult for me to actually identify with the character personally. Rhys wrote â€Å"it was strange to see a car standing in front of it†. The personification of this car â€Å"Standing† in front of her old house was difficult to be considered strange since it was not an actual feeling of the character but instead an observation by the writer. In fact, the idea that the writer was this close to the character made me think she was speaking of herself in third person. Elizabeth Abel wrote a piece on Jean Rhys saying that Rhys’ writings typically subject us to â€Å"sparse and repetitive narratives† and â€Å"are variations of themes of failure and rejection. (Abel, 1979) This could be, perhaps, how the writer was able to make me feel as if, although told in third person, I was able to identify with her more closely. I was able to feel was the pity that the writer felt for the character through the words, such as when she spoke â€Å"shyly† to the kids but they did not hear her. This, too, solidifies the idea of Abel that Rhys wrote of perhaps herself in yet another rejected scenario. It seemed as if the journey was lonely for this character. The words â€Å"she† tells me this and also the fact that the setting is very calm and serene but without emotion from the character. From beginning to end, Rhys used symbolism to allow me, the reader, to relate and perhaps dig deeper into the meaning of things. The character stood by the river, which is symbolic of life. She did not walk into the river, she stood by it. This is symbolic of the entire story itself, since in the end of the story we find that the woman was indeed already dead and looking back into her own life. This was a journey that the character took alone. The character then walks down a road. This road is very symbolic to this story. The description is that the road is â€Å"much wider than it used to be†. This indeed tells me that the character took her life for granted. She had never truly taken the time to see the beauty in the things around her; this is why the road seems so much wider to her now that she has passed on. The day â€Å"was a fine blue day†. The color blue is used to tell the reader that it was a peaceful day. Rhys wrote on to tell us that the character noticed the pine tree was missing from outside of her own home, as her journey led her to her old doorstep. This is symbolism of immortality. Her old house had been painted white, which provides the feeling of life or purity. The character’s observation of the boy and girl playing in the yard was one that I will never forget. The colors of the yellow grass as she approached them and the gray in the boy’s eyes as the character tried to speak to him. This is when I first realized that the character was indeed a ghost looking in on her old life. The usage of colors throughout â€Å"Used to Live Here Once† is what drew me into this story. At my initial read of this story, I just thought that the writer liked colors. When linking these colors to symbolism, it gave me a much deeper perspective on what Rhys was trying to tell me, the reader. The lonely journey that this character was on was reflective of the lonely journey she lived when she was alive. It, once again, confirms that the decisions we make in life are what determine the ending of our journey. The last piece, â€Å"A Worn Path† had a setting that would draw in any reader who appreciates in-depth detail that, although in third persona narrative, makes you, the reader, feel as if you are standing there in the story along with the character. The setting throughout this story is indeed a pathway through the woods. Welty started the story out with â€Å"a bright frozen day early in the morning†. I hate being cold, personally, but Welty’s initial setting description made me feel excited to see what would happen if I read on further about the events on the â€Å"frozen day†. According to journal writer, James Robert Sanders, â€Å"the story begins conspicuously on a cold December morning, and just as quickly we are made aware that there is an old black woman†. Suanders, 1992) Continuing my reading, I found the character, again noting the use of the singular â€Å"she† throughout the piece, to be â€Å"an old Negro woman† â€Å"along a path through the pinewoods†. Welty described this woman as â€Å"very old and small and she walked slowly†. The pity set in on me at this point to think that a lady of her age was walking alone in the woods. She carried a cane, â€Å"made from an umbrella†. The setting, although starting out in an exciting manor, had, at this point, turned more so into pitiful. She seemed destitute by this fact. There she was, in the woods alone, using an umbrella to swat through the brush to ensure there were not any animals hiding along her pathway. When Welty wrote that â€Å"the sun made the pine needles almost too bright to look up at†, it brought me back to the excited feeling again. It was as if the story had gone from exciting to pitiful and fearful back to exciting again. I felt like Welty was trying to keep a positive spin on a negative situation. Continuing on with the reading, I found the character again in a battle, but this time with thorns from a bush. Once she freed herself from the thorns, she said â€Å"sun so high† which again gave the offset to the negative event. Shortly after, the character was faced with a log that she must cross over a river. This woman could not catch a break on her journey but still she kept going with intent to succeed and make it to her destination. Within the story â€Å"A Worn Path†, the symbolism, the personification, and the tone are what made this story most appealing. The story, itself is interesting. However, when you add in the extra benefit of symbolism, the reader can get a more in-depth look and feel for what the writer is trying to make us feel. This story, told in third person narrative, starts out on a â€Å"bright frozen† morning. This symbolism provided me with a feeling of hopefulness. Although it was frozen outside, it was bright. The character walked down a path. It seemed she only had one path to walk down. Her only choice was actually going down that path or not to. Her eyes were blue which gave me the feeling of peacefulness. Her face was described with golden color beneath her wrinkles and yellow color under her dark cheekbones. This symbolism gave me the idea that although she was aged and seemingly poor, she still possessed dignity and pride. To describe the wrinkles on her face, Welty personified a little tree to be standing in the middle of the character’s forehead. Immediately, I was able to visualize this much better than I would have without this connection. The character continued on her path in the â€Å"sun† and cold, passing pine trees, thorns, and speaking to animals. The sun is symbolic of life. However, being winter outside, we know this by the use of the word â€Å"frozen† to describe the weather; we know that this is symbolic of death. I took this to mean that the character was dying but trying really hard to fight to stay alive. Along her path, these hurdles, the thorns, the logs and creeks, the path being uphill, passing through a cotton field, the field of dead corn, her speaking to animals and imagining people along her journey in the woods, this is all part of the symbolism of things she was fighting to stay alive. It was her struggle. She began dancing with a scarecrow, something that is supposed to scare away birds, or in this case death, and here she was dancing with it. It just shows her eagerness to stay alive and fight off the negativity, the death. Although she seems crazy throughout this journey, her own focus, the one thing that she stays sane in regard to, is life and her desire to stay alive. When the character started to walk through â€Å"trees silver in their dead leaves† it was certainly symbolic that death was shortly forthcoming. Just as I start to think she is about to die, she comes upon a spring and sweet gum and water. It was as if she was being given one more chance. She laid there on the ground and had a dream that â€Å"she reached her hand up, but nothing reached down and gave her a pull†. This dream symbolized to me that God was not ready to take her, not just yet. That is when the hunter found her. The hunter felt pity on her and I understand this because he says he would have given her money if he could. In town, she asked a lady to tie up her shoe for her before she reached her final destination. Her need to be presentable for her entrance into the medical building to get her grandson’s medicine shows that she still has class and self-respect. Her journey to the medical building, although alone and difficult, was made possible through the love for her grandson. Had she not made that trip, her grandson would have died. Each of these literary pieces was different by means of the nding to the journey in which the character had taken. â€Å"The Road Not Taken† was a solitary journey to make the decision of which path in life to take, the one we know or the one we do not know. â€Å"Used to Live Here Once† was another solitary journey of a life after it has already passed by; it was a lesson that we should not take for grante d the things in life, although simple. â€Å"A Worn Path† was one more solitary journey, but this one taught a lesson that love can conquer all. Each journey I read for this paper has taught a value life lesson. The journeys we take are altered by the decisions we make along the way.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

American reactions to the vietnam war Essay

It contains broad coverage regarding what happened in the demonstration and the reaction of the construction workers to the war. But it fails to provide wider coverage to America’s reaction as a whole, as it only explores one event, from a certain group, which were only a small minority of the American population. It provides some context by briefly explaining why the construction workers went on this demonstration, however some areas lack context as it isn’t entirely clear as to why they reacted so violently to the war. It portrays a precise and detailed insight as to how the ‘Hard Hat’ construction workers reacted to the war, however other areas of the representation lack sufficient detail, for example the author only briefly mentions how the police collaborated with the construction workers. However it does provide broad coverage as it mentions the different reactions to the demonstration, including a major American newspaper. This representation explores the ‘Hard Hat’ demonstration in great precise detail, giving a clear view into exactly what happened on that demonstration, and how the construction workers reacted to the war. Even though it explores the event in great depth it fails to include figures, dates or statistics. It also lacks context and detail in certain areas, for example it fails to mention why the police worked with the construction workers. However it does contain carefully selected quotes which shine further light upon the event, one quote stating that the police were working with the construction workers. The other quote is from a construction worker explaining why he went on the demonstration. In addition the representation completely agrees with what I know about the ‘Hard Hat’ demonstration. This representation is written in a very professional, analytical and factual style, which is mostly detached, making this piece mostly objective. However it is also quite unobjective, as there is a certain amount of emotive language used, for example ‘mob’ and ‘chased down’. It also contains a quote which arguably justifies the attack, explaining that one of the construction workers was doing it for his brother who was wounded in Vietnam. Overall this source gives a detailed insight as to how a group of construction workers reacted to the war, however this is only a small minority and their reaction doesn’t represent the reaction of America. It fails to give a broad view as to how America as a whole reacted to the war. In addition the event is explored in great depth and is written in a professional and analytical style. But it lacks precise detail with no use of figures or dates, and contains a significant amount of emotive language, causing it to be quite inaccurate and unobjective. In conclusion all three representations explore in detail how certain different groups among US society reacted to the war. I have come to the conclusion that representation two is the best regarding the way in which people in America as a whole reacted to the war. It broadly covers in great detail the reaction of many different group among the American population including, pacifist, liberalist and students. The reaction of these groups combined with a survey of public opinion; represent the reaction of a large majority of America. Even though it doesn’t go into as much detail as the other two sources, they only manage to focus on one group of people. This representation objectively and analytically explores in great detail how a number of different groups reacted, and it portrays the best, accurate, most vivid, broad image of how people in America reacted to the war. Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Classics section.

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Algebra Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Algebra Project - Essay Example Leonardo Fibonacci (1170-1250) had also shown that the ratio of neighboring Fibonacci Numbers tends to Golden Ratio. (Knott) The Ratio of neighboring Fibonacci Numbers tends to Golden Ratio. The Fibonacci Numbers are 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144, 233... And their successive ratios (ignoring 0) are 2/1= 2, 3/2=1.5, 5/3=1.666..., 8/5=1.6, 13/8=1.625 and son on. (Freitag) Golden Rectangle (above figure) is geometrical figure that is commonly associated with Golden Ratio. The sides of Golden Rectangle are in proportion to the Golden Ratio and it is the most pleasing rectangle to the eye. It is said that and any geometrical shape that has the Golden Ratio in it is the most pleasing to look. Knott, Ron. â€Å"The Golden section ratio: Phi†. 4 November 2007. University of Surrey-Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences. 24 November 2007 Freitag, Mark. â€Å"Phi: That Golden Number†. The University of Georgia-The Department of Mathematics and Science Education. 24 November 2007

Digital Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Digital Marketing - Essay Example f McDonald’s monopoly, track my macca’s application, McDonald extended hours services, digital happy meals play zones, iced fruit smoothies application, angry birds campaign, out of home (OOH) promotion and kick the trash. However, the study has found that existing digital marketing strategy of McDonald lacks the structure and desired level of interactivity (OMahony, 2013). In such context, Truong & Simmons (2010) and Smith (2012) stated that success of digital marketing strategy for companies depend on three factors, 1- structure of the digital marketing plan, 2- interactivity of digital campaign and 3- control measures. On contrary, existing digital marketing strategy of McDonald lacks most of these three components. Therefore, gap in the digital marketing strategy of the company has been created. Therefore, in this essay, a recalibrated digital marketing strategy will be proposed that will help McDonald engage its target market in more efficient manner. Wertime & Fenwick (2011) defined digital marketing as future evolution in the field of marketing when companies will execute most of their marketing activities through digital channels and online mediums. Digital marketing activities are being incorporated through digital channels that are interactive in nature and provide opportunity to companies to execute personalized dialogue with customers. As like neural network, personalized dialogue creates multiple data points and behavioural information of customers. In such context, digital markets can use data points and behavioural information of customers to continuously improvise and optimize interaction with customers (Wertime & Fenwick, 2011). Gerzema & D’Antonio (2011) pointed out that digital marketing are being executed through variety of channels like social media pages of Facebook, Hi5, Twitter, LinkedIn or through web blogging or interactive games in web browsers like Google, Firefox etc or through YouTube videos. Montg omery & Chester (2011) stated

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

LOREAL BUILDING A GLOBAL COSMETIC BRAND. Pages 644- 651 of your main Case Study

LOREAL BUILDING A GLOBAL COSMETIC BRAND. Pages 644- 651 of your main text Ghauri and Cateora text book (2010) - Case Study Example the formula on his own and selling it to the hair dressers, until 1909 when he established a full-fledged company that started manufacturing the product, under the name of Cheveux. It continued the business still in small scale, using the assistance of three-in-house based chemists (Ghauri & Cateora, 2010 p644). By 1920, the company had expanded its production of the products, and now started selling its products to other countries, such as Italy, Holland and Australia. The company initially depended on print advertisement, where Schuelter, enlisted the services of a well experienced graphic designers to make advertising posters for the company. With further growth of the business, the need for a different strategy of advertising arose, and Schuelter, established a women magazine as the basis of advertising the company’s product which were targeting women in 1933 (Ghauri & Cateora, 2010 p644). This strategy was followed by other promotional strategies such as creating a campaign for cleaning children using the company’s Dop Shampoo product in 1937, and then went ahead and created a jingle for the campaign that emerged as one of the most famous jingles of the time. The company eventually changed its name in 1940, and established the company name after one of its popular products, L’Aureole, to brand the company its current name, LOreal (Ghauri & Cateora, 2010 p644). LOreal pioneered the advertisement of its products through film commercials that were developed in theaters in the 1950 and in 1973, the ownership of the company changed hands, with 50% of the company’s stock being sold to a personal c are products manufacturing company, Gesparal, which eventually sold its stock to Nestle, while the rest half of the stock shares were traded to the public (Ghauri & Cateora, 2010 p644). Nestle received 49% of the shares, while the daughter of the owner and founder of the company retained a 51% stake in the company’s ownership. Critically comment on LOreal’s

Monday, August 26, 2019

Room acoustics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Room acoustics - Essay Example What many people do not know is that the room in which the sound has been set up determines to a certain and large extent the final sound that one hears from the sound system. Room acoustics looks at how the room as a component of sound can be structured in order to improve the dispersion of sound in a room (Rossing, p.303). Sound in any room is transmitted or reaches the listener in two distinct ways. The first way in which sound is transmitted is directly from the speakers. This is referred to as direct sound. The second way in which sound reaches the listener is through reflection of sound. The reflected sound is referred to as indirect sound. In a studio setup, the indirect sound is as a result of the direct sound being reflected by various surfaces in the studio or in the room. For example, sound can be reflected by walls, floors and the ceiling. From this description, it can be derived that the sound one hears in any room is a combination of direct sound, directly from the spea ker(s); and indirect sound - the sound from the speakers that is reflected. Indirect or reflected sound can be or is both good and bad. It is good because it amplifies sound to sound much fuller and louder. A simple experiment which can be used to prove this phenomenon is by placing speakers in an open field where there are no walls or barriers that can reflect the sound. In this experiment, the speakers will sound less powerful simply because the sound is directional. The bass of the speakers seems to be dull. However, when the very same speakers are placed in a room, the reflection adds some spaciousness to the sound that is projected from them. Reflected sound on the other hand is bad because it can lead to sound distortion. If the room is structured poorly, then there is a possibility that it will amplify certain sound notes which will mute others. Assuming that there is video footage that is accompanying the sound, the sound may be distorted and there may be a discord between t he image and the sound reaching the ear because the sounds reach the ear at different times. Room Acoustics are more important when building a recording studio as compared to the basic stereo or home theatre setup. The main reason why it is important is because any reflected sound that is distorted can compromise the quality of the sound, or music that is being recorded. It is therefore imperative for producers to have an understanding of how they can perfect the recording studios and structure them in a such a way that sound is propagated in the right amount. In other words, the surfaces of the studio should be built in a way that diffuses sound as opposed to completely reflecting it or absorbing it. The surfaces should therefore be made of a material(s) that is both reflective and absorptive, the result of which is a diffusive surface. Reverberation Time Reverberation can be described as the collection of reflected sound in an enclosed room, or auditorium. It can also be described as the persistence or sustaining of sound in a room after the sound has been produced. Reverberation time (RT60 or T60) on the other hand refers to the time taken for the intensity of produced sound to reduce by 60 dB from its original level. Reverberation time is a very important parameter in describing the acoustics or acoustic behavior of a room (Goldstein, 2007, p. 305) and it is affected or dependent on two factors. One of the

Sunday, August 25, 2019

New Jersey Homeowners Force Majeure - Soil Erosion Research Paper

New Jersey Homeowners Force Majeure - Soil Erosion - Research Paper Example As far back as the 1970s, the United States government was already helping states that were afflicted with soil erosion debacles.   The United States Congress crafted and passed the Model State Policy for Erosion and Sediment Control Law during the 1970s. The law focuses on monitoring, controlling, and alleviating soil erosion within the 50 states, including New Jersey. The law penalizes violations that would aggravate the current soil erosion problems of any United States community. Furthermore, the government’s Army Corps of Engineers went on a massive beach replenishment program. The soil erosion management program Included New Jersey’s Sea Bright to Monmouth beaches. The two beach communities are normally the first to be hit by rampaging hurricanes entering the United States east coast territorial areas.   During 1991, the New Jersey government spent $1.2 billion to repair the soil erosion that cropped up along the beaches lined from Sea Bright beach to Monmouth beach soil. In 1991 and 1992, the New Jersey soil erosion damages reached $250 million. In 1992, the Federal Government allocated $15 million annually for the coastal soil erosion control and rehabilitation program.   The United States government pays for 65 percent of the cost of soil erosion program. The remaining 35 percent is paid by the local New Jersey government’s counties and other private contributors. The soil erosion program includes the soil replenishment of Cape M ay City, Sea Isle, Union Beach, Harvey Cedars, Spring Lake, and Atlantic City. Moreover, many people are heading towards coasts to engage in their favorite pastime, beach activities.   Research conducted shows that 4/5 of the United States coastlines, including the New Jersey coastline, are eroding. Some eroding locations reach as high as five feet a year. Likewise, the global warming’s side effect, ocean level rising, significantly contributes to soil eroding as the ocean encroaches into the low areas of the coastal areas, including the New Jersey coastline. The research also indicated that the United States East Coast is slowly sinking below the ocean level, leading to coastal flooding.

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Strategies for analyzing and entering foreign markets Essay

Strategies for analyzing and entering foreign markets - Essay Example onal franchising is the strategy that gives the opportunity to an independent entrepreneur to operate a business under the name of another established brand name. International franchising helps businesses to expand into foreign markets using a franchise agreement. When franchises are expanded internationally, it opens new opportunities to new markets that the business could not have reached. International Franchising also allows businesses to take advantage of favorable government regulations in various countries. This helps to save money through the paid taxes. There are cultural differences that exist in various countries that might go a long way in killing the business in these countries. There is also financial risks involved when trying to expand the business into other countries. In analyzing foreign markets, firms first critically need to choose well the foreign market in which it would want to venture in. This would involve the analysis of the potential success of the business products in that market (Adam, 2001). The firm then requires gathering enough information to use in the analysis process. The information may include the knowledge about domestic government agencies, private agencies in that country as well as other private sources. In the analysis, it is also important for the firm to assess the possible risks in the foreign market. Firms choose their modes of entry into a foreign market through identification of the market, collection of information about the market, risk assessment, securing capital and space to carry out the

Friday, August 23, 2019

Communication Media Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Communication Media - Essay Example Another name in this category is of a female artist Noor Jehan from who has sung songs to boost up the morale of Pakistani Army at kargil war (fought between India and Pakistan).Many people believe that her songs enabled young soldiers to die for their country with such a great passion. This was the power of this specific medium that not only contains healing power but also had the power to reinforce our goals of life. Sometimes we listen to a particular song and think that this is made for us as it represent our goals of life, dreams or the way I want to live life. It won't be wrong if we say that songs have become the tool of mass media. History of human world is a strong evidence of the power of songs and one of its example is the freedom of African American or "black people" when they accepted Christianity and started composing songs to preach the particular religion. They also used songs as a medium to express their feelings after getting freedom. These songs contain lyrics like : Steal away, steal away, steal away to Jesus Steal away, steal away, home I aint got so long to stay here My lord He calls me, He call me by the thunder The trumpet sounds within my soul I aint got so long to stay here Many Africans accepted Christianity after hearing such effective lyrics. People remember the freedom of African Americans because of these songs so directly or indirectly these songs also played an important role in analyzing the history of African Americans as well. Music is no longer used for entertainment purpose only but a sort of infotainment that portrays our thoughts, ideologies, religion and needs in some cases as well. Robert Wyatt has also composed lyrics on mass media as a tool of communication which says: And as history... This report approves that songs are also used as alternative mean of communication for children who do not respond adequately to traditional treatment approaches. Physiotherapist through out the world use music or songs to do therapies and believe that it’s a way of relaxing the mind and body of human being. Not only human beings but birds also use songs as a tool of communication. This essay makes a conclusion that that music was and is used as a tool of communication and is a powerful medium of communication as well. Today the songs or lyrics that are dedicated to represent cultures, religions or ideologies will be used by historians of tomorrow to analyze the history. Many young artists of today use music as a way to reinforce the mutual goal of today’s young generation and boost up their morals to do what they should do and majority of these songs are liked by masses. Along with TV, radio, internet, publications and other forms of communication song is also a communication medium which is much older then all the mentioned forms. Researchers, historians and media people have accepted songs as a communication medium and so did many of common people. No wonder the way this medium is progressing; it could become one of the most popular medium of communication among masses sooner or later. Every culture of the world has cultural songs that represent their culture and ideologies. The purpose of composing such songs is to let the historians of coming generation know about the particular culture and indirectly a message that the particular culture doesn’t want itself to be forgotten from minds of the people.

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Water Pollution Plan Essay Example for Free

Water Pollution Plan Essay The Ocmulgee River runs from Lake Jackson and winds its way through thirty-three counties in Georgia before emptying into the Altamaha River. The river winds over 6, 180 square miles. Many towns can be found along the path of this river. Hawkinsville, Georgia is one of these towns. It is a city in the Pulaski County. A favorite past-time for many in Hawkinsville is the numerous fishing trips that are taken on this river every spring or summer. People from all over the south come to the Ocmulgee River to canoe down through its winding paths and beautiful forests. With the increased activity comes an increase in the amount of trash and pollution that is dumped into the river. Water Pollution in Ocmulgee River Nowadays, Ocmulgee River is already polluted. Trash is thrown into the river from boats, docks and people who are walking along the banks. People take the beauty of the river and its surrounding nature for granite. Oil and gasoline from increased boating activity leaks into the river and further contaminates the water. With new park, recreation and subdivision areas being built near the riverbanks, there is an increase in the concern over the pollution that is being dumped into the river. At one time, Hawkinsville had a textile facility located directly on the riverbank. This became a dumping site for trash and other debris that the factory no longer needed and chose not to cart off. Ways to Reduce the Water Pollution in Ocmulgee River There are several ways in order to reduce the water pollution in Ocmulgee River. According to an article published by the State Water Resources Control Board-California Environmental Protection Agency, there are some ways that can be followed in order to prevent water pollution while having outdoor community events, recreation outdoors and other recreational activities like boating (Rukeyser, 2006). First is to plan ahead and be prepared always. Bring the necessary things needed for the activity as well as emergency must-have like maps. When planning for an outdoor activity, meticulously take into account some practical means on how to reuse some items you are planning to buy. Make sure that the materials you will buy can be use after your first outdoor activity. Next is to camp on sturdy places. Also, try position up camps in more or less 200 feet away from the border of the lakes, rivers, streams and other bodies of water to prevent adding water pollution. As much as possible, have small campfires and put them off afterwards as well as spread out the cooled ash in the place. In addition, use proper sanitary facilities. If the likes are not available, bury body wastes in ‘cat holes or burrow six to eight inches deep at 200 feet away from the body of water. This is to ensure that the wastes will not contribute to water pollution especially when rain runoff occurs. Then, properly dispose all garbage. Also, clean up objects around you so that you will leave the place clean. Moreover, always dispose garbage in wastebaskets. In some parks, wastebaskets are provided so make sure to throw your litter. If not, take your recyclables and other garbage home and not just irresponsibly dispose it in the area. Furthermore, do not collect items such as natural, historical and cultural objects you saw in the place. Leave them as it is. Do not disturb the wildlife you see in the place especially during crucial periods such as winter, nesting or rearing young. As much as possible, do not bring your pets along with you so as to minimize the disturbance of the wildlife in the area. Likewise, respect and be understanding to other visitors. Stay away from activities that make loud noise. If possible, keep distance with other campers. Lastly, always follow the ‘Leave no Trace’ principles when having recreations outdoors. On the other hand, in order to lessen the pollution caused by the oil and gasoline from boating activities, use human powered recreational boats like canoes, rafts, kayaks, paddles and other non-motor powered equipments like skates and bicycles. In this case, it is not only water pollution that is reduced but air pollution as well. If there are factories that are situated near a body of water, they should provide facilities for the appropriate disposal of some hazardous wastes. These also should be labeled for proper identification. Other Approach in Reducing the Water Pollution in Ocmulgee River There are also volunteer programs whose main aim is to keep the waters of Georgia clean. For instance, the Georgia Environmental Protection Division Watershed Protection Branch has an annual program wherein the community volunteers and the 4-H office team up with them to host the annual Rivers Alive Ocmulgee clean up for the Hawkinsville-Pulaski County area. There is a pleasing outcome of the activity since everybody is involved, even the school children participates in cleaning the banks’ trash and other debris that has been dumped in or near the river. In return, the volunteers are treated to breakfast by the local 4-H office and are given a Rivers Alive shirt after the clean up to show their participation in the said annual function. Reference: Rukeyser, W. L. (2006, February 14). TIPS ON REDUCING STORM WATER POLLUTION Retrieved February 24, 2007, from http://www. swrcb. ca. gov/erasethewaste/reduce. html#community

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Time Travel Essay Example for Free

Time Travel Essay Most people are familiar with the idea of wormholes in space. Try to imagine the universe as a balloon. When you pick two spots on the balloon and push toward the center, you can make those two points meet with no space between them. To imply that idea was true for the universe would mean that two points far from each other could be traversed in one step. The normal immense distance between the earth and the moon, or even another galaxy could be skipped by taking a shortcut. Now imagine time as a ribbon with ripples. The same idea could be applied to time. What if you took the ribbon at the base of two ripples and joined it? The longer distance between those two points in time, now out in a loop, could be skipped by passing where the ribbon touches. There are a few problems though. When travelling through time, one can only travel forward. Travelling backward seems impossible because changing something would have an effect on your opinion back when you came from. That would change your motivation for going back in the first place, and you wouldnt make the change at all. For example, if you went back in time and successfully prevented the assassination of JFK then back when you came from JFK would have lived and your motivation would not exist. If JFK were alive, then you would never have the idea to go back in time to prevent his death. If you dont go back however, he would have died which would once more provide the motivation. Going backward ties the ribbon in knots; the action itself might be possible, but to do it would be to condemn yourself to a life in limbo while the rest of existence is living two lives.

Key Success Factors of the Ford Motor Company

Key Success Factors of the Ford Motor Company Introduction This case analysis is made on Ford Motor Company, presented below are key success factors that a global automotive player should possess in order to remain competitive, more over a brief discussion is also presented on Fords performance for the period of 1994 to 2004, at the end of this case analysis there are few marketing strategies presented that Ford can adopt for upcoming years and that are likely to help them get competitive advantage globally. The automotive industry is big in its nature, huge numbers of people are associated with this, throughout the industrial revolution this industry has been very competitive and global big players have been striving for their share all over the world. As globalization is there and there are also rising prices for oil, now it has been difficult for major player to stay competitive and earn profits because of the high costs associated with their industry(Bordenave and Lung,2000). Now along with traditional elements of marketing mix and competitive advantage, there is a need to have more drivers that major players should have in order to remain successful for coming years, below I have presented few of global drivers that can add value in their overall performance and keep them competitive. Factors for Success A Good Brand Image Since cars are high end products, they are associated with good amount of spending and their inherent nature and use is highly related to once own safety that why the decision making process of buying car is complex, involves lots of considerations by buyer and that is why this decision is dependent upon opinions of others as well. This is where a good brand image is required by companies to stay in the market, to win the trust of users and be the car of choice, unless you dont win the trust of consumers, you can stay in the market; its critical and vital to have a good and positive brand image in this industry(Bartlett, and Ghoshal1989). Efficient Channel of Distribution Cars are sold via third party, there is not direct consumer contact of company, that is why companies rely on a good channel of distribution to help them gain confidence and help consumer to have confidence in their product, while buying a car, consumers are also dependent upon opinions of dealers, if they are not knowledgeable and unable to transfer a good image of companies product to user then they are not going to buy. Other side of distribution network is related to supply chain and assembly line, a successful automotive company requires an efficiently managed channel of their vendor who can provide them with timely and quality parts and services(Freyssenet, Shimizu Volpato ,2002). Management of Cash Flow A healthy cash flow management is also vital and one of the key success factors to stay in this industry, since these companies have to give discounts, financing options and also need to manage their plan and other operational cost, a good, effectively managed and timely available cash flow is very necessary to sustain their position in the market (Bordenave and Lung,2000). Compliance with Local and International Standards This is also an equally important factor that their product should comply with local and international standards of safety and fuel consumption, this may initially seems to increase costs, but in the longer run this factor comes to pay back in shape of increased confidence by the consumer, a positive word of mouth that is hard to achieve in these days, and it also reduces the cost of maintenance and governmental handling. It is wise to spend on standards then to spend on additional cost incurred by any maintenance recall, which has been the case with Toyota recently when they had to call back a good amount of vehicle and that resulted in huge amount in terms of cost and bad image (Bordenave and Lung,2000). Being Flexible to Changing Needs Thats difficult but important to stay in modern day business, there has been the time customer needs regarding vehicles were not dynamically changing and companies could work with same models for longer period of time, but now things are more difficult, consumer are more demanding and their need regarding cars are changing more rapidly and new need are more diverse, now in order to stay competitive in business car manufacturers have to be flexible enough to manage and incorporate increasing demand and changing needs in their products. This will increase cost but this is one of the key success factors for new age automotive industry (Freyssenet, Shimizu Volpato, 2002). Efficient Production Todays need is efficient production, this can be achieved by streamlining their production activities in way that costs are low and production standards are not compromised, TQM or JIT can be solution for that and Toyota has been successfully implementing both of management concepts in their production line. Whatever the solution is the base is to get most efficient production in order to stay competitive, yes quality is not to be compromised and standards are to be maintained. Production efficiency alone can serve as competitive advantage in todays world (The Economist, 2005). Cost Planning High profit margins not only comes from high sales but also from well planned cost structures, as commented above efficient production along with a good channel of distribution can lower costs. Without being able to control and minimizing cost, modern day auto producers cannot win the game, due to intense competition and increased customer demands, globalization challenges profit margins are squeezing, without having effective cost management system it will hard for any organization to gain profits in these turbulent times(The Economist, 2005). Organizational Size Management Above mentioned cost management cannot be achieved unless there is no organizational size management. This is vital and critical to keep an eye on the size of the organization, as mentioned in the case now companies has to lay off plants and their employees in order to control their costs, any organization that is not able better manage their size will be victim of their own size, along with size there needs to have a look on the structure, high hierarchies are not applicable in todays business world, this is the time to empower people and give them decision making power, this saves cost in terms of number of people and managements time, and also provide the competitive edge of better and timely decision making(Buckley, Casson, 1976). Joint Ventures and Mergers To better serve the market and to get most out of it, todays need is to win the business with joint ventures and mergers, there are many benefits of such activities, for example mergers brings many brands under one umbrella and provides the positive image about the organization as big company and enhance the confidence, it also helps in better management of brand, since local management is involved in managing local brand they can better handle them as per consumer psychology and help the parent company to get the desired image(Bartlett, and Ghoshal1989). These joint ventures and merger also serve as a chance for knowledge sharing and getting more strength from each other positive aspects, modern day automotive industry would require big companies to explore new opportunities like these. Un-served Markets New emerging economies like India and China need more attention by the global players, anyone who will be able to exploit these markets before their competitors will be able to enjoy customer loyalty and first movers advantage, there few un-served markets that are emerging and can turn out a good opportunities for global suppliers. There is another dimension of these phenomena, global players not matter how big they are need to maintain and create their own niche, their own market that is not served by any other, such small niches can generate more profits and win more loyalty by consumers, along with their main business there should also be some small niches to serve the cause (Bartlett, and Ghoshal1989). Focused Strategy Focused strategy is relevant in every industry and same is the case with automotive industry, whatever strategy in place, it should be focused and relevant. Top managements commitment with strategy is very crucial, unless there is no strategic focus no organization can compete in new global environment. Todays environment is more dynamic and demanding that is why it requires more concentration, focus and commitment from the top management. Toyota has been a very good example for their strategic focus on making hybrid car, since Honda and Toyota were unable to compete in luxury cars; they decided to have focus on hybrid cars that strategy worked for them (Buckley, Casson, 1976). Ford, 2000 Globalization Plan In 1994 ford announced its 2000 globalization plan, that was in direction of their globalization strategy, that strategy focused on having global business standards and rather than having multi domestic presence. This strategy focused on unifying every aspect of the business to standardization such as marketing, sales, production, research and development and design. This strategy paid them as shown by their financial result and improved companys performance during the period of 1994-2004. There are several reasons behind adopting this strategy; we shall discuss them one by one here. Saving Costs By the time ford announced its 2000 globalization plan, their operational costs were high and they were not making profit as their sales were not high and their cost were increasing, so the main objective in announcing that plan was to save costs, by creating synergies in different geographical locations and plants and making shift from strategy of adaptation to standardization. This plan saved them money in term of cost saving and helped increase their profits. By unifying business operations they were able to achieve economies of scale and economies of scope. This was the main reason of launching that program (Freyssenet, Shimizu Volpato ,2002). Operational Excellence Different plant operating on different locations were producing without having any synergy, at that point in time Fords different plants were acting as silos, and there was no synergy among them, another reason on launching 2000 globalization program was to achieve operational excellence by creating synergy among different production housed so that they can achieve the best and provide the competitive advantage. Since Ford was acquiring other automotive companies like Volvo, that globalization plan was a great opportunity for them to learn from others experiences and ring together best practices to achieve excellent operational management and Ford was successful in doing that. RD of Design At the time when Ford was about to announce 2000 globalization plan, there were different design and RD teams were working in different geographical regions and on different projects. Another objective of announcing that program was to create standardization in design, at that time for one Ford brand two separate cars were used to produce for USA and Europe market, both different in design and performance, on the other hand Toyota was already in standardization strategy (Freyssenet, Shimizu Volpato ,2002). By adopting the strategy of combined design they saved the cost of research and development, design and different assembly lines. Another objective related to design was, that different stake holders like design, research, development, operations, marketing and parts suppliers should work together so that whatever is designed should be workable, marketable and efficient, this strategy alone helped save the management time of reviewing different design proposal. Bargaining Power over Suppliers By unifying the designs, standardization of models, and globalization of production, Ford were able to have to have bargaining power over suppliers, and that bargaining power came with lower cost as they were in better positions to negotiate prices and terms. Since they were trying to produce the product that was standardized and there was no variation in the parts for different geographical areas, that is why were able to buy in bulk quantities and negotiate their terms with vendors, more over they were able to have access to innovation and new development by their suppliers before their competitors, that also suppose to give them competitive advantage, they in better position to incorporate developments in the industry and remain competitive. Sharing Knowledge Another rationale behind launching 2000 globalization plan was to make different SBUs/Silos to share knowledge, for example previously there were different RD departments working independently, without any coordination and sharing of knowledge, what one dept have produced and innovate the other counterpart might not be aware of. That situation was critical and causing costs, after 2000 globalization plan, every department was suppose to work together in as single entity and share knowledge, this was suppose to save time and money. Same was the case with production dept, they were also supposing to share best practiced with each other so that overall organizational performance could be enhanced (Bordenave and Lung,2000). Marketing Strategy for Ford Ford has been market leader in automotive industry for last many years, after launching their 2000 globalization plan their performance has been impressive as of today they are again market leader in US and Europe. After analyzing the information provided in the case I have presented some components of marketing strategies that ford can adopt to sustain their position in coming years. Find New Markets For should start find new markets for its operations, India and other emerging economies are good opportunities as their penetration rates are high, entering into these markets will open many opportunities for Ford, these emerging economies are booming and can be served with good profit margins. Ford can also establish their plant in these areas to handle the entire region with effective supply chain management (Buckley, Casson, 1976). Since oil prices are increasing and there is a concern about oil reserves and production capacity, general shift towards small cars is increasing, Toyota, Suzuki and Honda along with many other are already in this segment. If Ford decides to expand they can also enter into this segment more aggressive as buying power of countries which are in emerging economies are low, they are more likely to buy a small car rather luxury cars. Ford with its good brand name if enters into these markets with small car segment which are more fuel efficient, can win the market before others (Bartlett, and Ghoshal1989). Find New Technologies As fuel concerns are rising for world, Ford should come up with new technologies of making car that are more innovative and fuel efficient, making electrical or solar power cars would not be a bad idea, if Ford is able to revolutionize the automotive industry with their innovative and efficient fuel solution they will be able to win the market like never before, entering into emerging economies with something new and innovative can be the big idea for success. Adapted Standardization Ford, after their success in 2000 globalization plan, should now start moving a little forward, they should keep on their standardization strategy but should include an element of adaptation in that, may be called adapted standardization. It has been observed that consumer needs are changing rapidly and their needs are becoming more diverse in nature; therefore there is a need of a bit flexibility and adaptability in automotive products depending upon the nature of the market. This way Ford will be able to stay one step ahead of competition, but to achieve that they will have to bring the flexibility in their systems and product development which necessary to shift at adapted standardization strategy. Build Brand in Asia Asia can be very attractive market for Ford, and their small cars, if they start investing in their brand in Asia and especially sub-continent they will be able to achieve greater penetration in the region, despite the fact that their main target market is US and Europe, they should also invest in brand building in Asia. Conclusion This case has been focusing Ford over all business strategy and their 2000 globalization plan, since the plan has been a successful move there are other factors that need to be kept in mind by Ford and other automotive players. Market dynamics are changing rapidly and there are certain key success factors that will play a vital role in deciding success or failure of any player in this industry, starting from a good brand image and cost management, going till strategic focus, there are several elements that are critical and vital for any company to be successful in this new market. There certain areas where Ford needs to concentrate in order to sustain its position as market leader in automotive industry, they should find new markets, make their strategy a bit more adaptive and enter into emerging economies, this way they shall be able to handle the rapidly changing business world.

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Was The Dropping Of The Atomic Bomb Justified? Essay -- U.S. History

On August 6, 1945 the United States dropped the first atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. This was an extremely controversial military strategy in the United States. Was the United States justified in the dropping of the atomic bomb? The U.S. feared the rise of communism and gave aid to any country against it. The U.S. also fought countries threatening the spread communism. One of these countries was Japan. We began a harsh and brutal war against Japan and against communism. This war was killing many soldiers and Japan was not backing down. President Truman decided to use the atomic bomb when things were getting worse. The decision to use the atomic bomb was a difficult one and many people wonder if it was the right choice. When the United States caught word that Germany was close to creating the atomic bomb, J. Robert Oppenheimer and other scientists wanted to create it first, for the U.S. After three years of research, the first small atomic device was exploded on July 16, 1945 in the lab at Los Alamos. Having proved their concept worked, a larger scale bomb was built. Less than a month later, atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan (Rosenberg). There are many people who oppose the use of the atomic bombs; though there are some that believe it was a necessity in ending the war. President Truman realized the tragic significance of the atomic bomb and made his decision to use it to shorten the agony of young Americans (â€Å"Was the Atomic Bombing†). The president knew of the way the Japanese fought. They fought to the death and they were brutal to prisoners of war. They used woman and children as soldiers to surprise bomb the enemy. They made lethal weapons and were taught to sacr... ...t of physical as well as psychological damage was too great according to many people. Works Cited The Atomic Bomb. Evanston, Ill.: Nextext, 2000. Print. "Atomic Bomb-Truman Press Release-August 6, 1945." Harry S. Truman Library and Museum. Web. 10 June 2010. . Chaitin, Julia, Aiko Swasa, and Dan Bar-On. "Life After The ATOMIC BOMB." USA Today Magazine Mar. 2007: 20-23. Points Of View Reference Center. Web. 4 June 2010. Rosenberg, Jennifer. "J Robert Oppenheimer - Biography of Manhattan Project Director J. Robert Oppenheimer." 20th Century History. Web. 10 June 2010. . "Was the Atomic Bombing of Japan Justifiable?" The Pacific War 1941-43. Web. 10 June 2010. .

Monday, August 19, 2019

How Personal, Organizational, and Cultural Values Affect Decision Making :: Gandhian Movement Socialization Society Essays

How Personal, Organizational, and Cultural Values Affect Decision Making Self-limiting Conflict: The Gandhian Style I have mentioned two basic categories of conflict regulation scholarship. In the preceding section we concerned ourselves with the first, specialists engaged in third-party intervention research and experimentation-intermediaries, negotiation, conciliation, communication control and modification. The second involves the study of ways of waging conflict that tend both to keep it within bounds and to limit its intensity or at least the possibility of violence-nonviolent social movements, nonviolent resistance on the part of individuals and groups, nonviolent alternative national defense strategies. Let us look at conflict processes that are self-regulating in nature, i.e., that have built-in devices to keep the conflict within acceptable bounds and to inhibit violent extremism and unbridled escalation. Socialization is an important determinant of the style and effectiveness of conflict regulation in any society. If Tolley (1973) is correct in placing the formative period for attitudinal and behavioral patterns concerning peace/war issues and conflict regulation styles at ages 4-12, then learning creative approaches to conflict regulation through family, school, mass media, and other primary learning environments is essential. There are a few sources dealing with this problem (Nesbitt, 1973; Abrams and Schmidt, 1972). There are societies and groups within societies that socialize their members in effective conflict regulation. Bourdieu (1962) describes Berber Kabyles of North Africa as a society held together by a process of balanced and strictly controlled conflict Self-Limiting Conflict in which members are socialized to avoid violence: Elise Boulding (1974) observes that there are certain types of family environments and child-rearing practices that tend to produce persons with nonviolent proclivities and creative response patterns to conflict. Ultimately the socialization process, political socialization in particular, is probably the most important conflict regulation device. We should soon learn some interesting things about the impact of a decade of involvement in an unpopular war on the attitudinal and behavioral patterns of America's youth. Etzioni's self-encapsulation concept is very useful here. It is a process in which certain conflicts are increasingly limited by their own nature and by the nature of the host system, so that the "range of expression of the conflict is curbed." Certain modes of conflict and weapons are excluded by mutual, sometimes tacit, consent, and the conflict becomes ritualized-the game is played by the rules, so to speak. Dahrendorf's analysis of the institutionalization of labor/management conflict over the past half century is an excellent illustration of self encapsulation.

Sunday, August 18, 2019

Imperialism Essay -- essays research papers

Imperialism was reborn in the West with the emergence of the modern nation-state and the age of exploration and discovery. It is to this modern type of empire building that the term imperialism is quite often restricted. Colonies were established not only in more or less sparsely inhabited places where there were few or no highly integrated native states (e.g., North America and Africa) but also in lands where ancient civilizations and states existed (e.g., India, Malaya, Indonesia, and the Inca lands of South America). The emigration of European settlers to people the Western Hemisphere and Africa, known as colonization , was marked by the same attitude of assumed superiority on the part of the newcomers toward the native populations that prevailed where the Europeans merely took over control without large-scale settlements. For centuries, numerous European powers have plundered & terrorised the non-European world treating with contempt the people of different skin colour, cultures, philosophies, religions, languages, way of life. The conquered nations had to give up their own culture, their religions, even their languages, and convert to our set of beliefs and values that we defined as â€Å"civilized†. Where they didn’t settle, the imperialists carved out colonies across the globe and plundered their natural resources using cheap native labour. Resource rich or strategically located areas were singled out for special attention. Along with this, strict segregation was enforced between the races by living conditions, wages and public services. No country or remotest island was left to develop to its own accord. The Colonial powers of Europe ruled with an iron fist as they slowly consumed the nations of the world. From the 15th to the 17th century, the Portuguese and the Dutch built â€Å"trading empires† in Africa and the East for the exploitation of the resources and commerce with lands already developed. The Spanish and Portuguese established important colonies in the New World in the 16th and 17th cents., hoping to exploit the mineral wealth of the lands they conquered. The British and French imperialists became the foremost exemplars of colonial settlement in Africa and the East. Acting on mercantilist principles (see mercantilism ), the European nations in the 18th cent. attempted to regulate the trade of their colonies in the interests of the mother count... ...der to lead them to a higher level of civilization and culture. Among the leading critics of imperialism at that time were the Marxists, who saw imperialism as the ultimate stage of capitalism and made much of the connection between imperialist rivalries and war. After World War I, anti-imperialist feeling grew rapidly throughout the world, sparked by the development of movements for national liberation within subject countries. Nevertheless the major colonialist powers, Great Britain, France, and others, held on to their colonies, while Fascist governments in Italy and Germany, as well as militarist opinion in Japan, fostered even more extreme imperialist aims. In the years since World War II, most of the countries once subject to Western control have achieved independence. Much of the contemporary debate centers on the issue of neo-imperialism. Many of the less developed countries contend that their economic development is largely controlled and seriously retarded by the developed countries, both through unfair trading practices and by a lack of controls over international business corporations. So to this day there is still a struggle of power between the strong and the weak.

Saturday, August 17, 2019

“A Pair of Silk Stockings” and “The Wagner Matinee

A Pair of Silk Stockings† and â€Å"A Wagner Matinee† and â€Å"The These two novels have a lot in common. Each of them has its own storyline but each seems to discuss the same topic and have the same meaning. Woman in that time were greatly underrepresented ad were unable to do a lot of things that they wanted to do in their life. They were expected to be nothing more than mothers and wives. Each of these novels portrays something more, and how they were able to enjoy themselves outside of family life.In the novel â€Å"A pair Of Silk Stockings† Mrs.. Somers splurges a little bit even though it goes against all the responsibilities she has as a mother and wife, she does something for herself. In â€Å"A Wagner Matinee† Aunt Georgian has gotten into the habit, the same as Mrs.. Somers, of just being a wife and a mother. The story shows a time when Georgian was able to be herself before she had kids and gained responsibility for them, a time where she loved music and to create music.She is able to relive that in the story because f her nephew and what he did for her by taking her to the musical even if it seemed she wasn't interested. Looking at the two and comparing them you see two woman who have forgotten what it is like to do things for themselves, who have focused so much of their energy on being a wife and a mother that they cannot remember spending time and money on themselves. In this time period that each of them take place in it must have been hard to care for a family and it must have taken a lot of energy, each lady got the opportunity.

Friday, August 16, 2019

Residential Housing Essay

KB Home, one of the major housing companies in the market made a statement telling the public that they do not see housing sector to stabilize by this year. Number of housing companies has been acquiring great losses by the end of 2005 as disposable income of consumers’ declines as the consequence of lowering down of per capita income in the economy. According to the President and Chief Executive Officer of KB Home, Jeffrey Mezger, they have suffered to a staggering loss of nearly $10 per share during the first quarter of 2007 (Steverman 1).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Deutsche Bank’s economists, Peter Hopper, said that the housing correction works sluggishly just like a ‘slow-motion train wreck’ which made worse the housing sector of the economy. Moreover, the said loss of KB Home worse than what they have expected. Analysts expects around $7 loss per share which is very far from the $10 per share loss accounted last quarter. Therefore, with the further worsening of the stock prices in the stock market, this only means that there will be no improvement in the coming first quarter of 2008.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   To make the situation worse, there has been a rumor in the market regarding the bankruptcy of Countrywide which supplies loans and mortgages worth 2 million and 9 million respectively. Countrywide suffered from 25 percent losses as of January 8 of this year. Meaning, there would be a shortage on the supply of loan and mortgages in the financial market just in case Countrywide is really approaching to bankruptcy. Moreover, the shortage of supply of loans and mortgages in the economy will only worsen the purchasing power of the consumers, giving way for a further deterioration of demand to housing industry.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One possible reason behind the turmoil in the housing industry would be the oversupply of homes in the market creating a pressure for its prices to decline. By the time price level of housing units starts to decline, profitability of housing companies begins to deteriorate giving way for experiencing a low return on investment in the next quarter. Driven by speculation, investors will start to pull out their stocks in the housing sector causing stock prices to turn down. In this regard, the connection between the oversupply of housing unit in the market with the deterioration of stock prices is already established. Moreover, it is not only the oversupply of housing units in the market that caused the instability of the housing sector. The growing competition also adds up to the growth of the problem. At the end of the day, market analysts still believes that housing sector will not recover this year based from the current degree of losses that housing companies and financial institutions had experienced on the last quarter of 2007. Analysis   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It is true that the turmoil in the housing sector started during the last quarter of 2005 when consumers have high disposable income. During then, consumers spent more in the housing market attracting the housing companies to produce more house units next quarter. By the start of the first quarter of 2006, per capita income of consumers starts to decline giving them a limited disposable income for housing sector. At this point, the housing industry experienced oversupply of housing units since companies did not anticipate the deterioration of consumer’s disposable income. The said oversupply caused the price level of the housing companies to decline causing the return on investment to depreciate which later on forced stock holder to withdraw their stocks in the market. The increasing competition in the housing sector also add up to the lowering down of housing unit prices since companies in this industry starts to compete each other through price competition. Meaning, housing companies tries to lower down the prices of their home units in order to attract more customers.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The negative effects of eh oversupply of housing units will not be that severe if there is only adequate number of financial institutions that will provide loans and mortgages to uplift the purchasing power of the consumers, therefore, improving the demand on the housing industry. But the problem now would be, even financial lenders is also having a hard time providing loans and mortgages due to the low income level of consumers in the market which imposes the threat of bankruptcy   to the financial lenders.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It would be best if the government would start making action by offering low interest rate on credit. The federal bank must structuralize a special credit scheme for housing sector customers, e.g. low interest rate on borrowing or longer payment period, in order to solve the problem of over supply on the said industry.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Another way by which the government could solve this instability of housing sector would be to provide financial aids to Countrywide which, as what have already pointed out during the first part of the paper, plays a major role in uplifting the purchasing power of consumers though provision of loans and mortgages that can be used in purchasing housing units. The said government aid may be in the form of monetary of fiscal Moreover, the government could also increase the wage rate of the workers in the economy in order to improve the current level of disposable incomes of consumers in the market. By the time the disposable income of consumers increase, they will now have enough money to purchase housing units which will solve the problem regarding the oversupply of home units. Works Cited Steverman, Ben â€Å"Housing: A Fresh Jolt of Bad News.† 8 January 2008. Business Week. 11 February 2008 .

Thursday, August 15, 2019

Dickens’ Hard Times: His Penchant for Romantic Principles Essay

Hard Times is a rare example of fiction spun out of very prosaic materials. Yet it possesses certain romantic characteristics of brooding tenderness and deep sympathy for the neglected and the underprivileged which became hall mark of Charles Dickens’ novels. It also displays a grieving melancholy, a mournful reflectiveness and a quantity of self-indulgent sentimentality. The American scholar A. O. Lovejoy argues that â€Å"the word ‘romantic’ has come to mean so many things that, by itself, it means nothing at all. It may seem that repetition has wrung the life out of the term, yet it still appears to be as potentially sustaining as a twist of pemmican. It is a word at once indispensable and useless. F. L. Lucas has counted 11,396 definitions of romanticism. (Cuddon. 767). But we are more concerned with the definition of â€Å"a tendency to exalt the individual and his needs and emphasis on the need for a freer and more personal expression. †(Cuddon. 769-70) The entire novel in three parts is built up on the romantic and nature imagery of sowing reaping and garnering of harvest. It is an illustration of the biblical saying â€Å"As you sow, so your reap. † The first book of â€Å"sowing† begins with the seeds of wrong education by Mr. Thomas Gradgrind: â€Å"In this life, we want nothing but Facts, sir; nothing but Facts! † (Hard Times. 3) But as the story develops, we find that it is this education of hard facts which runs riot and destroys the happiness of his own children, Tom and Louisa. Dickens creates a poignant novel out of misplaced affections and social exploitations. Ironically, his son and daughter, Tom and Louisa, are misled by their father’s unimaginative education. They get along with the wretched Sissy Jupe, the daughter of a poor circus worker and suffer at the hands of the hard-hearted school master. Sissy is forced by circumstances to leave school and work as a household companion to Tom and Louisa who prefer the world of imagination so vehemently denounced by their father. Louisa’s first blunder is to run into an incompatible marriage with a man of fifty when she is just eighteen. It turns out to be a marriage of convenience with a highbrow aristocrat named Joshia Bounderby who unabashedly declares: â€Å"I have watched her bringing-up, and I believe she is worthy of me. At the same time – not to deceive you—I believe I am worthy of her. † (Hard Times. 84) The reason for such odd marriage is her brother Tom who seeks a position in Bounderby’s bank. Dickens exposes the hypocrisy behind the veneer of Victorian idealism. Interwoven with it is the sub-plot of unfortunate Mr.  Stephen Blackpool who jumps from the frying pan into the fire by his attempt to run away from his alcoholic wife. His love for Rachel is frustrated as he gets no help from anyone to divorce his wife. Moreover, he is witch hunted for a false charge of robbing the bank which is actually masterminded by than Tom. Throughout the novel Dickens explores the conflict between the world of facts and imagination in children and its effects in their later life, as the New Testament says: â€Å"by their fruits ye shall know them.† (Matthew 7. 20) Being a drop-out Sissy is lucky to have escape Gradgrind’s soul-destroying education and proves its futility. Dickens’ story depicts the suffering of victims, especially women, for whom we feel great sympathy. The underdogs include Sissy and his poor father Mr. Jupe, the unhappy Blackpool and Mrs Pegler. Rachael is romantically attached to Blackpool and spends sleepless night to be with him, but it is an irony of fate that she has to serve Stephen’s sick wife in impoverished lodgings. Like Sissy, she is an angel who lives for others. In Victorian society her relationship with a married man can hardly be expected to be respectable. In a moving speech she reveals her feeling of guilt for her misjudgment. Mrs Gradgrind first carries out her husband’s philosophy only to realize late its folly and advices Louisa to pay heed to Sissy. Mrs. Pegler is another victim of wrong education. Her megalomaniac son, Bounderby, tries to prove how he has succeeded despite his neglected childhood, but his allegations are proved to be false. The romantic interest in the story is sustained in Hard Times by Louisa Gradgrind. Against her father’s warning, she peeps at the circus and comes to her brother’s defense by asserting her curiosity. Because of her immaturity she is exploited by James Harthouse; yet she shows considerable wisdom by being very sensitive to her mother in death bed. Harthouse has his charm of personality, particularly for the people he likes. Mr. Harthouse’s romantic affair with Louisa is marred by the jealousy and suspicion of Mrs Sparsit. Sissy Jupe is associated with the heavenly ‘ray of sunlight’. In spite of the halo, she is down-to-earth and she makes a last attempt to hide Tom in the circus when he is implicated in robbery. It is touching to see her consoling Rachael when she waits for Blackpool. There are also victims of incompatible marriage like Louisa and Bounderby, as well as Blackpool and his drunken wife. Louisa’s marriage is a sacrifice to provide her brother with a job, but he repays this sacrifice with utter ingratitude by robbing the bank that provides him with livelihood. Most of them are victims of wrong education imparted by Thomas Gradgrind’s ‘model school’. Failed marriage is a recurrent theme in Dickens’ novels. In David Copperfield, for example, the marriage with the sweet doll-like Dora crumbles to make way for a sensible marriage with mature Agnes. Dickens himself was romantic like his hero and had an incompatible marriage with Maria which broke up in 1833 when he became free to marry Catherine Hogarth in 1836. Though she bore thirteen children, her marriage broke up in 1858 when Dickens developed a romantic affair with actress Ellen Ternan. Dickens spins a memorable tale out of the sordid industrialized life of nineteenth century England – Coketown with its blackened factories, downtrodden workers and polluted environment. Dickens gives a vivid picture: â€Å"It was a town of red brick, or brick that would have been red if the smoke and ashes had allowed it; but as matters stood it was a town of unnatural red and black like the painted face of a savage. .. It has a black canal in it, and a river that ran purple with ill-smelling dye, and vast piles of building full of windows where there was a rattling and trembling all day long..†(Hard Times. 18) His concern for Nature being substituted by man-made machines is expressed in no uncertain terms: â€Å"A special contrast, as every man was in the forest of looms where Stephen worked, to the crashing, smashing, tearing piece of mechanism at which he laboured. Never fear, good people of an anxious turn of mind, that Art will consign Nature to oblivion. † (Hard Times. 54) This horrid picture of an industrialized town presupposes a romantic nostalgia for the natural beauty of the pre-industrialized era. The plot of Hard Times hinges on the ‘stick-to-hard-facts’ education imparted by Mr.  Gradgrind: â€Å"Herein lay the spring of the mechanical art and mystery of educating the reason without stooping to the cultivation of the sentiments and affections. Never wonder. †(Hard Times. 39) But his philosophy is defeated by his own children who secretly wondered â€Å"about human nature, human passions, human hopes and fears, the struggles, triumphs and defeats, the cares and joys and sorrows, the lives of death of common men and women! †(Hard Times. 39) Herein lies dickens’ romanticism – the triumph of the mind over matter.

Mutual Funds Essay

A mutual is a kind of investment-company that combines money from many investors and backers and invests the money in bonds, money-market instruments, stocks, other securities and sometimes even cash. A mutual fund in basic terms is a large group of people who lump their money together for management companies to invest. And, like most things in the world, there are fees and commissions involved. Mutual funds are managed by money managers, who capitalize the fund’s capital and try to produce capital gains and revenue for the fund’s investors. A mutual fund’s portfolio is organized and maintained to mimic the investment objectives defined in its catalogue. A mutual fund has many characteristics, which are listed below. Investors and backers purchase shares in the mutual fund from within the fund, or through a broker or fund agent, and cannot buy the shares from other backers on a secondary market such as the NASDAQ stock market or New York Stock Exchange. The amount that investors purchase their mutual funds shares for is the estimated net asset value or NAV per share in addition to any fees that the fund may charge at the time of purpose, such as sales charges, also known as sales loads. Mutual fund shares are convertible, meaning when an investor wants to sale their shares, they sell them back to the mutual fund or to a broker working for the fund at the net asset value less any fees the mutual fund may charge, such as deferred sales loads or reclamation fees. Mutual funds commonly sell their shares on a continuous basis, although some funds will stop selling when, for instance, they reach a certain level of assets under management. The investment portfolio of a mutual fund is typically managed by separate entities known as investment advisors that are registered with the SEC. Furthermore mutual funds themselves are registered with the SEC and subject to SEC regulation. There are many forms of mutual funds, which include index funds, stock funds, bond funds, and money market funds. Each type of mutual fund has a different investment objective, strategy and investment portfolio. Different mutual funds are also subject to different risks, volatility, and fees and expenses. Fees related to a mutual fund reduce returns on fund investments and are an important feature that investors should consider when buying mutual fund shares. Mutual funds come in two main types, categorized by how the fees are charged. The types are load mutual funds and no-load mutual funds. A load mutual fund charges for the shares/units purchased plus an initial transactions fee. The initial transaction fee is typically no more than 9% of the investment fund amount or can also be a standard fee contingent on the mutual fund provider. This fee is added to your purchase as a sales fee. There are a couple different types of load funds out there. Back-end loads mean the fee is charged when you redeem the mutual fund. A front-end load is the opposite of a back-end load and means the fee is charged up front. A no-load fund means investors and backers can buy and redeem the mutual fund units/shares whenever without a commission or sales charge. Some companies such as banks and broker-dealers may charge fees and commissions for the transaction and exchange of mutual funds. Many no-load funds charge a fee if you redeem them early. Most people endorse avoiding load funds altogether and studies have shown that load mutual funds and no load mutual funds offer the same return, however, one charges a commission fee. A 12B-1 fee is the yearly marketing or sharing fee on a mutual fund. The 12B-1 fee is treated as an operational expense and is incorporated in the fund’s expense ratio. The 12B-1 is usually between .25% – 1% of a fund’s net assets. The name of the fee comes from a segment of the Investment Company Act of 1940. An electronically traded fund or ETF is a security that follows an index, group of assets or commodity, but trades them like a stock on an exchange. Prices for ETFs change throughout the day when they are bought and sold. Because ETFs are traded like stock, they do not have NAVs calculated everyday. References 1. â€Å"U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Information on Mutual Funds†. U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Retrieved 2011-04-06. 2. Fink, Matthew P. (2008). The Rise of Mutual Funds. Oxford University Press. p. 9.

Wednesday, August 14, 2019

Alice in Wonderland Essay Example for Free (#4)

Alice in Wonderland Essay As the Cheshire-Cat appears and sits on a limb of a tree with his grinning face while Alice is walking in the forest he explains to her that everyone in wonderland is mad even Alice, which is why she is there. Alice did not agree with the Cheshire-Cat but continued on her way to see the March Hare anyways. Being mad or crazy does not always make a person bad. In fact the Cheshire-Cat was right, all the people in Wonderland were indeed mad and they were all there for that reason. In every classic story there are good characters versus bad characters. In the book, Alice in Wonderland written by Lewis Carroll, there is no exception. The characters Alice, the White Rabbit, and the Cheshire-Cat are all positive characters in the story and the Queen of Hearts is the villain or the negative character in Wonderland. Positive characters can be identified in the story of Alice in Wonderland by their personalities and how each character interacts with one another. Lewis Carroll only made one distinctive negative character and the rest he made either positive characters or characters that are Just in the middle. Most of the characters in the ook are middle characters that do not have a good or bad sense of personality. Negative characters can be identified by color and personality as well. The Queen of Hearts for instance is represented by the color red with represents fury and anger. That describes the Queen perfectly. Alice is a positive character in the story of Alice in Wonderland. She is the main character of the story. Lewis Carroll does a good Job of portraying Alice as a young curious and well mannered lady. Youth and innocence can describe Alice as a positive character. Throughout the whole story Alice gets onfused quit easily when talking to the other people in Wonderland, the Mad Hatter and the Caterpillar especially. Although she is in an obscure and crazy world, Alice keeps her cool for the most part and tries to keep her senses. In the world of Wonderland, however, being sane is mad, which allows Alice to fit right in with the others (From Alice on Stage). The White Rabbit was made to contrast Alice in every way. He is timid, old, punctual, and often nervous. The White Rabbit can be seen as a positive character because he is white in color, also because he is somewhat helpful. Although he is shy and nervous he does not do anything that would make him be considered a negative character. I would say he is somewhat of a mediator, neither positive nor negative. The White Rabbit is significant in the story of Alice in Wonderland in order to understand Alice more (From Alice on Stage). Most unique of them all is the Cheshire-Cat. When Alice first comes across the Cheshire-Cat he is in the house of the Duchess and is grinning very widely. From the way he is first described I thought that he was going to be a negative character in the story. His grin seemed some what villainous and because he was mysterious led to the conclusion he was a negative character. After the book goes on the Cheshire-Cat is very calm and sensible in the mad world of Wonderland. He helps Alice when she need someone to talk to and when she has questions about Wonderland. The Cheshire-Cat is the most knowledgeable about Wonderland and fits right in when it comes to craziness (Spark Notes from Alice in Wonderland). Queen of Hearts. Some of the other characters have their moments of rudeness or snappy ways but none of them can be identified as complete negative characters esides the Queen of Hearts. When we first meet the Queen she comes into the yard yelling orders at everyone and being very rude. From the beginning you can tell that the Queen has anger and fury within her. Because she is red in color she can be identified as negative. Red usually has a bad connotation and is usually associated with anger and fire or fury. She makes irrational decisions, most of them affecting everyone but herself. Everyone in her court is afraid of her because she is known for prosecuting and beheading anything and anyone who gets in her way (From Alice on Stage). Of all the characters in Alice in Wonderland the Queen of Hearts and Alice are the most significant. I would not say that in this story there is a hero or villain, but Just positive and negative characters. A lot of the characters in the story were middle characters that had no sense of good or bad, they were Just mad. Everyone in Wonderland was mad, including Alice, that is why she ended up in Wonderland. Lewis Carroll defined each character using their personalities. The Queen of Hearts impatient, loud, and obnoxious and Alice is curious, sensible, and has a sense of uperiority. Alice in Wonderland. (2018, Nov 07).

Tuesday, August 13, 2019

Research Paper (Ford Motor Company) Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

(Ford Motor Company) - Research Paper Example The company’s customers are brand loyal and keep returning to it. Ford has also created good will in the society through its efforts in community relations. It started a breast cancer awareness campaign in which numerous celebrities were roped in. more-over, the company has extensively donated to charities and has held fund-raisers. Ford’s employee base is very strong. It offers various incentives to its employees who are motivated and deliver quality work. For instance the â€Å"thumbie† award is handed over to employees who are proficient, show strong commitment to work and to customers. The company is also known to offer high wages. As a result the staff remains content and happy. Ford has also maintained good relations and is well communicated with its current and prospective investors. The company is very prompt in its reporting’s of earnings and losses all of which can be publicly accessed. Ford’s network of distributors is very dense and has many dealers spread world over. The Weaknesses: Economic recession has worried investors at Ford about dipping sales and profits. The cash position of the company has fallen down to $4 billion from $15 billion in just a year. It also faces the possibility of a credit downgrade. As a result share-holders are not getting their desired return on investment. Ford used a â€Å"voluntary separation program† to lay off its employees during recession times. The workers were not informed about the possibility of job cuts before hand. As a result, motivation levels got affected. Even though the HR at Ford, downplayed this, but layoff hit employees hard who become insecure of their jobs. Ford also cut down on their overtime after 2001. This led to rising frustration amongst the workers for being worker and not being compensated appropriately. Around 10 plants work over time in Ford today. Ford’s relations with its customers have also been rocky. Last year it recalled around 2 mil lion vehicles which coasted the company billions of dollars. (Drucker, 1995) Performance Gaps Ford’s relationship with its customers has severed over the years. Its customer benefit program’s performance should have driven revenues home but they did not. Ford’s management was also under the wrong impression that it was handling its employees well. The performance of its employees should have improved over the years to dramatic results but it did not. Ford’s HR felt that they understood employee needs but they failed to realize that employees were more desirable of flexible benefits and communication existed within the Ford. There is a severe lack of motivation at the moment. Ford’s revenue should have been past 20 billion dollars but it is not Addressing the Gap Role of Human resource department is very important to bridge any gaps between performance expectations and performance delivered. In-order to address the weaknesses Ford needs to revamp th e morale of the employees. Conduct one-on-one performance appraisals with the employees, have a thorough understanding of employee expectations and set expectations of the company. Employees should be regularly compensated with bonuses and awards. This will automatically boost their confidence and their belongingness to the Ford. HRD should also work on good relations with the customers. For this the employees who are directly in touch with the clients should be sent through a training program on relationship management. Conferences and seminars should be conducted to groom and train the employees on this aspect. Thirdly, HR needs to hire people who are pro at their communication and bargaining skills