The Unexpected Essays (1201 words) - 9, , Term Papers

The Unexpected by It was a Saturday morning, and I thought it would be a good time to go to the beach with my friends since I had nothing to do for the rest of the week. So I decided to call my best friend Sarah to see if she wanted to drive with me down to the beach Unfortunately, she had a wedding to go to, so she was not able to make it. I was a little disappointed, but I decided to go to the beach by myself. I left home at 3:30 p.m. and arrived at 5:00 p.m. to the beach house. Everything looked the same wa as it did last summer when I came with my sister. The only difference was now I was alone, and that was little scary. The next morning I went to one of my favorite cafes The Italian Coffee. This Cafe held good memories since last summer I worked there. The owners Mr. Roger and Mrs. Roger told me that a job was available if I wanted to work. I thanked them, but e lained that I had other plans for the summer. I told them that the restaurant looked great since it had been renovated. It was very noisy and crowded, yet it had a wonderful atmosphere that customers like. Perhaps, it was the Italian music and the w derful smell of fresh coffee that attracted them. Suddenly a lady came over to my table and asked, '' How are you, Raquel?'' I told her, '' I'm sorry Maam I don't recognize you!. She replied, ''Oooh, Raquel , I'm Elizabeth's aunt''. I said, ''Of course, excuse me''. We started talking about h the place was crowded, and she told me that she had to meet a friend here, but she had not shown up. I told her that it was nice seeing here, but I was expecting a call and I had to go. She promised me she was going to tell Elizabeth to call me so w could get together for lunch soon. When I got home to check the answering machine, the telephone rang. It was mom. She said that Sarah was planning to come Monday, and if I needed anything to give her a call. I thanked her and said,'' You are not going to believe where I just came fr ?. She quickly replied, ''Don't even ask it '' The Italian Coffee''. '' You are right '' I giggled. '' The Rogers are doing great, working like crazy trying to make everything perfect '', I added. She said, '' Honey, I'll give you a call Friday n ht OK!. Good bye!''. So far my day was going great. I sat down and watched MTV. It was a re-run of '' The Real World''. I quickly fell asleep on the couch for two hours and was awakened by the door bell. It was Claudia Roger explaining that her mother had told her that was in town, so she decided to drop by. I told her , '' I'm glad you came by. Are you doing anything for lunch?''. When Claudia told me that she was available, we decided to go to the Dixie to get a cheese burger. On the way to the Dixie , we made a quick stoop by the shoe store to ask Mr. Edwards to tell his daughter that I was going to meet her at 5 o'clock so we could play volley ball with my friends. Mr. Edwards was concerned because he had eard rumors about a kidnapper in town. Since Elizabeth and I were running late , we didn't really pay munch attention to what he was saying. When we got home, Claudia left to go to work. Feeling in the mood for going to the beach, I packed all my th gs and drove there. When I got to the beach I couldn't find my friends, so I grabbed a magazine and all of the sudden felt asleep. Waking from my nap, I had a premonition that something bad was going to happen. I went back to the shoe store in the mall to tell Mr. Edwa s that I didn't see his daughter down at the beach. He didn't know where she was either. He became hysterical and decided to

Social Institutions of the Family(Notes) Essay Example

Social Institutions of the Family(Notes) Essay Example Social Institutions of the Family(Notes) Essay Social Institutions of the Family(Notes) Essay The Social institution of the family There are various types of Caribbean family forms. The emergence of the different types was largely due to historical influences that shape Caribbean civilization. Caribbean society has grown into a cosmopolitan mixture of different races and ethnic groups that construct their reality in the Caribbean. This mixture has resulted in a unique social system; plural, polarized, politicised, problematic, but still some what plantation society. This has impacted the type of family units that emerged in the region. The roles expectations by Caribbean society of mother and father coupled with the different socialization of boys and girls have influenced the many structural ways in which families are built and maintained in the Caribbean. This also affects issues related to gender construction in the family. The ever increasing proportion of matrifocal and common law unions are products of history as well as other social trends that are both local and international in scope. Family forms in the Caribbean A family can be defined as a social unit of common residence involving two adults who are in a sexual relationship. Children of either of the adults, from both, or who have been adopted also form part of this family unit. The most popular family forms in the Caribbean are: The family based on common-law union (consensual cohabitation) The nuclear family The family based on a visiting union (extra-residential) The matrifocal family The extended family The East Indian family Other family types are sibling families due largely to migration of parents, and grandparent-headed families. What are the reasons for the existence of the various family forms in the region? Some theorists such as Melville  Herskovits (1958) attribute the prevalence of certain types of Caribbean family forms to African society and some of the social institutions and social dynamics of those societies. The nuclear family The domestic unit of husband, wife, and child or children is regarded by many people in the Caribbean as the ideal family structure that comes into being ith the marriage of the partners. However where the nuclear family was established in the Caribbean, its existence as a small domestic unit did not always last very long, even among the middle and upper classes in these societies. The family based a common-law union The common law union is another type of domestic unit with the same basic relationships as those in the nuclear family, that is, adults are united in an ongoing bond but the bond is not based on the family as faithful concubinage (T. S Simey, 1946). To all intents and purposes the spouses are committed to each other sexually, they raise children in a stable relationship and the family functions as an economic unit. Because of the prevalence of this type of union and the existence of the relationship that it brings into being on the birth of children, several Caribbean governments have given legal recognition to these unions. Caribbean countries such as Jamaica, Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago and Antigua have passed legislation that affords the children of such union legitimate status as heirs to family property. Common law unions have also been known to exist for many years without persons in the community being aware that the union has not been made legal with a wedding ceremony. The family based on a visiting union A frequent occurrence in the Caribbean is the domestic unit of a woman and her child or children. In this family form, the mother and her child or children live separately but may be visited from time to time by a man with whom she shares a relationship similar to that of a spouse. The man may or may not be the father of the child or children. Quite often such a visiting union begins with a young woman being impregnated while still living in the household of her mother or parents. RT. Smith (1956) in his work on low income black families in Guyana noted the following: â€Å"It does nor by any means follow that a man will be expected to marry the girl. He will certainly be expected to support the child if he is able, and he may continue his attachment to the girl and other children be born. † R. T. Smith (1956), The Negro Family in British Guiana p. 138. Smith further stated that the relationship may eventually lead to the establishment of a common-law union. The woman, in order to take care of herself and her children, may then start a sexual relationship with another man and thus may end up having several children with different men. Financial burden and emotional strain of raising children arising from such unions can be quite overwhelming. The Matrifocal family In Caribbean society, the matrifocal family is the term used to describe unit in which women are the focal point. You may also see this form of family referred to as the ‘female headed household’ in some literature. In this form of family adult males are absent from the family unit or if they are present their role in domestic routines is marginal. A woman is usually the head of the household or family unit. This type of family structure is so armed because power and authority tend to reside in the female head. However, there, are some domestic units in which females are responsible only for a day-to-day running of the affairs of the family. Males as lovers or brothers, or fathers of the children may be the ones who make the crucial decisions about major financial undertakings or schooling for the children. Thus, absence of a male head may not necessarily mean absence of male authority. The East Indian Family The East Indian family units which  are prevalent in Guyana and Trinidad  and Tobago are also the result of plantation society and the introduction of indentureship  at the end of the slavery period. These family units are horizontally extended  as the East Indians seek to maintain their sense of community and kinship bonds that are influenced by their religion. East Indians maintained, initially, most of their family traditions. Over time, some of these traditions have been creolized while some have changed alongside social changes being pursued in post-colonial Indian societies. Endogamy still persists as well as some forms of horizontal family forms. However, these are changing as the strong traditions of colonial India lose their grip on some Indo-Caribbean social institutions. The movement away from the extended family household by the younger generation of East Indians will also affect other Indian institutions over time. Why the diversity? Researchers have offered a wide range of arguments concerning diversity within the family in the Caribbean. Three viewpoints put forward: cultural retention, plantation system of slavery and socioeconomic factors and the culture of poverty Cultural retention and family diversity Melville Herskovits (1958) in The Myth of the Negro Past, was one of the first to trace the development of Caribbean families to the African origins of the slaves who to the Americas. Herskovits believed that despite attempts to strip African slaves of their cultural heritage, the practice of polygyny was retained from African culture. Where polygyny existed, the basic unit for affective bonding and closeness was the mother and child or children. The husband/ father were somewhat marginal in this unit. Herskovits maintained that this pattern has persisted Caribbean society and culture, especially among lower class people of African descent in the Caribbean. Plantation system of slavery M. G Smith (1962) wrote that under plantation slavery, stable families were not give a chance to develop. Unions of whatever sort were often broken up as slaves and were sold. The unit of mother and child or children was less likely to be torn apart than the man/wife/children unit. Male slaves were also denied property and family rights, and a system of female centeredness emerged and developed. Males therefore tended to be marginal to family units and this marginalization from family meant that slave children were property of white slave masters. Socio-economic factors and the culture of poverty The proponents of this approach including Oscar Lewis argue that poverty of low in come families of African origin in the Caribbean and the Americas prevents the males from making the financial contributions that they ought to and as a consequence the find it difficult to meet their family responsibilities as husbands and fathers. Overtime, matrifocality becomes an accepted pattern of family living and family relationships. It becomes a feature of the subculture of poverty. Lewis conducted his study in the urban areas of Puerto Rico and Mexico. He argued that the presence of matrifocality is transmitted from one generation to the next. Further, the urban environment encourages unstable family unions due to a number of socioeconomic factors such as unemployment and poverty. Males tend to desert the home because of inability to effectively carry out the bread winner role. The absence of regular employment that women are forced to enter successive relationships with a number of different males in order to subsist. Each male may father a child or two before deserting the woman and her family. Edith Clarke in her study ‘My Mother Who Fathered Me’ illustrates the combined effects of class and region/locality on family forms. Clarke’s comparative study of three towns in Jamaica suggests that families in affluent urban areas are more likely to be nuclear. Those in rural and urban slums are more prone to be visiting union, common-law or matrifocal. The primary reason noted is wealth and statusnstitutions of the

Social Formations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Social Formations - Essay Example Anti-consumer activist, therefore, seek to have these brands put the welfare of the consumer first. They seek to instill adherence to the highest ethical standards rather than spending money on sanitizing substandard products for the sake of protecting a brand. Andrew Ross adds another dimension to their mandate. He says a call on the consumers to leverage their buying power and use it effectively to help raise the starvation wages of the individuals employed in the sweatshops (Ross, 107). The focus here is that the compromised quality of products coming out of factories is more the result of the maltreatment of the employees who work in these industries. It is a logical argument that a maltreated employee will have much less incentive to consider the customer as deserving any better. The company, therefore, might lose its core customer base because of a substandard product. The anti-consumer activists also call on the consumers who are demanding value for their money not to wait for structured negotiations between different governments to bring about change (Ross, 105). Using the illustration of the influx of harmful toys from China, the movement says that structured solutions to such unscrupulous business practices will likely take a lon g time before reaching the owners of these sweatshops. In the meantime, the consumers will continue getting exposed to the harmful and substandard products from these companies. For a wholesome product quality, the anti-consumerists aver that there is need to focus on total quality adherence in the entire production chain. Companies should ensure that they guarantee adequate protections and benefits to even their smallest supplier. Just like the factory worker, a supplier who feels unfairly treated will have less incentive to guarantee consistent quality of products. According to Ross, the anti-consumerist activists, and the anti-sweatshop activists have

Short reflection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Short reflection - Essay Example Immediately after the function we students of the senior classes divided into groups of 5 each and visited the communities nearby for direct interaction with the members of the community. The security guard at the entrance gate of the community was very cooperative and he took permission from the Community management for our house to house contacts. We were received warmly by most of the residents and they liked our presence for the great cause. We had a printed handout for distribution and the main points covered in it were: 1. Plant a sapling on your wedding anniversary and birthday celebrations of your children. Keep a small identification tag near the sapling and the child should be encouraged to water the plant daily. This is the sure step to make the children love greenery. 2. A sticker with the following message printed in bold letters was given at each house with a request to fix it at a conspicuous place. The messages were (a) Save water and energy (b) Donate school books for the needy. We toured the community for about four hours and covered most of the houses. The underlying principle behind our efforts was to generate awareness amongst people to live in harmony and develop love for

Human Resource issues at Amazon Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

Human Resource issues at Amazon - Coursework Example Within the warehouses the houses a mix of 1600 full-time part-time and temporary workers. Most of the temporary workers are hired by the company before the holiday season and fired after that period. The task designed to most of the labours inside the warehouse is to pack boxes. The warehouse is located over an area of 600,000 square foot. Inside these warehouses, the workers are required to pack boxes at the rate of 240-250 boxes per hour if the size of the shipment is large and up to 500 boxes per hour are the size of the shipment is small. In comparison to other companies in the same industry, this rate is excessively high. Amazon, as it is found, sets the rates higher than can be performed by the employees. It is expected even by Amazon that people won’t be able to attain the high productivity rates for which there are paid between $9 and $14 an hour. The workers are expected to work for 10 hours a day for four days in a week. In the holiday season when the shopping spree of the customers increases Amazon recruits temporary workers who have to work for 11 hours per day for four days in a week along with the regular staffs. The overtime in the holiday period is mandatory for the workers. The workers are given a 30-minute lunch break for which they are not paid. In addition, they are given two paid breaks each of the duration of 15 minutes. During the break, every minute is counted and the workers have to take a break at the ring of the bell and have to be back at their work at the ring of another bell.

Challenges to TESCOs Expansion into Malaysia

Challenges to TESCOs Expansion into Malaysia Executive Summary For any company to enter into the international market for the first time, a proper research and analysis regarding the challenges and current marketing conditions prevailing in the targeted country must be undertaken. The project has been undertaken to analyse, understand and highlight the major challenges that TESCO can face while entering into Malaysia for the first time. The report focuses on the Political and Legal, Economical, Socio cultural Technological and environmental challenges that may create a difficulties for TESCO to start its business in Malaysia. Introduction to TESCO Tesco PLC is a UK based supermarket chain. It is the largest British retailer, both by global sales and domestic market share, and the fourth largest retailer in the world behind Wal-Mart of the USA, Carrefour of France, and The Home Depot of the USA. Tesco has a long term strategy for growth, based on four key parts: growth in the Core UK business, expand by growing internationally, be as strong in non-food as in food and to follow customers into new retailing services. Environmental Analysis of Malaysia Political Legal Environment Rising Political instability Data In recent months, The political ruling party Barisan Nasional is facing the problem of fall in its strength in ruling the country. The opposition Party Pakatan Rakyat power influence on the Malaysians is increasing which has resulted into possibilities of undertaking of elections in the coming months. Analysis It is predicted that the opposition party may emerge as victorious which lead to increased political uncertainty lower economic growth for 1-2 years. Sales may slow down in the initial years which may be due to increased political uncertainty and disturbance on spending of public during the handover process. The handover process is generally a time consuming lengthy process. it may result into impaired business for the company. lower economic growth in the beginning years may affect the purchasing power of consumers. The company may have to reduce its cost to overcome lower sales in initial years. TESCO may have to reduce its cost on marketing and advertising . The consumers may prefer price and value over quality brand. Political war between the two parties may also result in the outcome of riots which may also result into physical damage of Tescos Property and buildings. Challenge Slow economic growth at the time of change in government which may lead to slow business in the beginning of setting its business in Malaysia. The consumers may prefer price over quality. TESCO may need to have strong control over its expenses. Riots may cause physical damage to TESCOs property if the Political war emerges. Restrictions on Press Advertising Data The Malaysian Government has a very tight control on media like TV, radio, newspapers, outdoor advertising etc for broadcasting of commercials and advertisements. The advertising code code of ethics are to be followed by all the companies business in Malaysia. Analysis The government has kept ban on advertisement of products like alcohol, pork, products with unacceptable images etc. Also, advertisement related to exposure of body parts anti social content like foul language, uncompetitive practices, religious comparisons etc are strictly prohibited. The advertisement must be shot in Malaysia with Malaysian models in the advertisements. No international models from other countries are allowed. Also, the musicals of the ad must be done in Malaysia. Advertisements related to food drink products must highlight the importance necessity of balanced diet to the viewers. Powerful emphasis on the speciality lifestyle of the country of origin of an imported product is not allowed in the advertisements. Challenges TESCO will have to change its marketing and advertising strategy in Malaysia. The government control on advertising media may disallow advertisement commercials of many products of TESCO UK. The company may also have to undergo the process of repackaging re labeling on their products. TESCO will have to create new ideas to advertise its product which could be expensive and time consuming. Focus on many cultural groups Data Malay, Chinese Indian community are the 3 major cultural groups in Malaysia. Chinese Indian community are the minority communities in the country. The recent attacks against the Christian church has created political instability social unrest among the people. Analysis The wealth gap between less richer Malays very rich Chinese and Indian ethinic group in Malaysia has always been a point of concern in Malaysian politics. There has been many issues regarding this issue in the past which created a tension in the Malaysian political environment. But currently, the government is taking efficient measures to reduce the tension between the cultural groups. Christianity is also a minority religion in Malaysia on which government has to keep its attention. However, in the beginning of 2010, there were a series of attacks against Christian church because of some high court decisions. All these factors may lead to political instability in the near future. Political instability may result into the change in government. Christianity is the major religion in UK. Malaysians may tend to emotionally link the products of TESCO with Christianity as TESCO is a UK based company. This may initially led to the unacceptance of the products by Malaysians due current social unrest which may affect the sales and brand image of TESCO in Malaysian market. This may also affect the marketing and advertising strategy of TESCO. The company may have to frequently and carefully advertise its product to the consumers to change their perception about the link between Christianity and the Companys product offering. This may result into heavy expenditures resulting into the rise in cost of the company. Challenges Recent attack on churches may create the perception of link between UK TESCO products and Christianity religion which may affect the sales of TESCO. TESCO will need to advertise more frequently to change the consumers perception about the Christian religion and the local products it sells to Malaysians. Impact of terrorism Data Analysis Rising tension between Malay, Chinese Indian cultural groups in Malaysia in last few years have created a threat of internal terrorism in Malaysia. The war between the ethnic Chinese terrorists Malaysian government came to end after 42 years. However, in the beginning of 2010, there were a series of attacks against Christian church because the court said that the Christians can refer GOD as ALLAH. Challenge Sales may become difficult due to religious unrest. TESCO many have to opt for an option of Public relations on a regular basis which may increase the expenses of the company. Economical Environment Low Purchasing Power Data The GDP per capita income of Malaysia and UK for 2008 was $14,215 $35,468 respectively. Malaysia can be classified as the country of people having upper middle income level whereas UK population can be classified under high income level. Analysis The purchasing power of UK is more the purchasing power of Malaysia. It clearly reflects that the disposable income of Malaysia is comparative low to that of Uk. The per capita income disposable income of Britishers is very high thereby increasing their purchasing power. Due to high purchasing power, normally people in UK prefer brands and are brand loyal are willing to spend extra on the products. The per capita income of Malaysians is comparatively very low to that compared with Britishers. Lesser income signifies that the disposable income will be lower thereby reducing purchasing power. This will directly result in the emergence of price sensitive market condition in Malaysia where brand loyalty could be given less priority by Malaysians. Lower per capita income of Malaysians will result into low purchasing power making Malaysia a price sensitive market where buyers may be ready to buy any product with less or no brand importance. So the company sales might get affected due to this. TESCO may have to change its products, lower the quality lower the price so that the products can be produced cost effectively consumers can afford to buy. TESCO may have to start its own manufacturing unit along with its own new supply chain management and search for local suppliers in Malaysia who can provide products of good quality at a lower price. This may help in producing products at lower cost which the Malaysians can intend to buy. TESCO will have to search the place to set up their business to get proximity to the market which may help in lowering the distribution cost of its product. Challenges Lower consumer income will affect sales of the company. Uk products have high quality with high price. The company may have to rechange its quality of the products as per the price. TESCO will have to start its new supply chain management distribution system to make the local products for cost efficiency. TESCO will need to find their place of setting business where Distribution cost is very low. The company will have to look for local supply chain who can meet all above requirements. Foreign Currency Fluctuation Risk Data The foreign exchange of 1GBP to 1Malaysian Ringett in recent months has fallen from 5.8RM to 4.7RM. The interest rate of Malaysia UK in the beginning of the year 2010 were 2.25% 0.5% respectively. Analysis The key factor for fluctuations in currency exchange rates is the interest rate in different countries. Malaysia offers significantly higher interest rates than UK. Then investors will want to put money into Malaysia, thus increasing demand for the currency. The increase in currency demand may result into lowering value of Pound thus creating Foreign currency fluctuation risk.Exchange Rates are very important for any country as they determine the level of imports and exports. Challenge Importing products may become a costly option due to fluctuation in currency risk. The company may have to look for local suppliers and also may have to start new supply chain management to reduce the cost. Unemployment Level Data The recent Global financial crisis is still having a major impact on employment level in all the countries of the world. The unemployment rate in UK has reached to 8% in march 2010. The unemployment rate has increased from 3.2% in 2007 and has reached to 3.7% in march 2010. Analysis Increase in unemployment of Skilled, Semiskilled Labourers has been a major concern for Malaysian government in last few years. The Malaysian Government may put some employment restrictions on all the Multinational companies in Malaysia to hire the local Malaysians for employment. The restrictions may include more hiring of Malaysians in comparison to foreign employees irrelevant of their level of skills. Even though the higher unemployment in their home country, TESCO may undergo the pressure of hiring more Malaysians in comparison of foreign employees and provide training to them to meet the required skills for employment which may increase the overall expenses of the company. Also, employing foreign workers in Malaysia will be an expensive cost incurring idea thus increasing the operational cost of the firm affecting the product pricing. Challenge Employing foreign talent may not be possible to run the business. Providing training for Local staff would be expensive and time consuming process. Creating new supply chain management Data Low purchasing power of Malaysians, high foreign currency fluctuation and price sensitive market in the country are becoming major factors for the companies to reduce their prices of the product. Analysis Low Purchasing power of Malaysians in comparison with those of UK will create a price sensitiveness in the country where people may prefer Price over quality. Foreign currency fluctuation between Malaysian Ringett and UK Pound has been unstable in recent times. In importing goods, TESCO may end up in paying more than their usual price thus increasing the overall cost of the product. TESCO will have to reduce the price to meet the market price with its competitors product. The company will have to look for new supply chain management along with new suppliers who can provide the required quality at lesser price to meet the comsumers expectation. Setting up the new supply chain along with new local suppliers will be a big challenge as TESCO is an International Company. Challenges Importing goods from UK will be expensive for TESCO. Tesco may have to compromise on the quality of the product in case of price sensitive market. TESCO will have to set up new supply chain management along with new local suppliers to meet both the price and quality requirement of the consumers. Socio Cultural Environment Labeling Packaging Requirements Data Analysis The Malaysian government is very strict about the labeling language used on the products sold in the country. The language on all the products saleable, whether local or imported, must be written in Bahasa Malaysia or English. And in case of imported goods, the language used in either case may also include translation in any other languages. Since the Government rules regulations is very strict in Malaysia, TESCO would have to Change its labeling repack the products with descriptions in both English bahasa Malaysia Language. Also, the company will have to give more information on the product about its HALAL Certification, ingredients, Date marking, Nutrition Labeling etc. The company will have to change its packaging strategy for its products due to hot humid climatic conditions prevailing in Malaysia This will increase the cost of packaging labeling of all the products to be sold. So to gain economies of scale, TESCO may have to increase its sales volume to cover up the cost of change in labeling packaging. Challenge Relabeling and repackaging the products due to language barrier will be costly and time consuming. TESCO may have to keep on advertising its product on a regular basis to overcome the language barrier. Halal certification Data Analysis The concept of Halal on food non food category of product consumption is a vital issue in any muslim country. Islam is the official religion followed in Malaysia. The religion of Islam demands that the product to be consumed must be HALAL. In Malaysia, The Muslim consumers look for the HALAL certification on the products which is issue by Malaysias Department Of Islamic Development (JAKIM). In recent years, the Muslim consumers in Malaysia are faced with broad selection of products services which are either locally named or are international products certified as HALAL. The Competition is intense in the Malaysian market where local retailers have an upper hand for the sale of products by projecting their products as Islamic brands with the help of creative packaging labeling on their products. TESCO will have to certify HALAL certification on all it products will have to show the logo on each HALAL certified product. This will result into rising of its operating cost. Also, The HALAL certificate is valid for only 1year. So, the company may have to incur these cost every year. Challenge Certification of Halal on all products is costly and time consuming. The validity of certification is very less which results into occurrence of repetitive expenses every year. Advertising, packaging and labeling strategy would change which may increase the cost of the firm. Intense competition from local retailers will be a challenge. Technological Environmental Factors Accessibility Updation of Information Data and Analysis The percentage of urban population to total population in the year 2008 was 70.4%. Most of the hypermarkets are located in the urban areas. Rural consumers may have little access to either buy the product online or going to the nearest hypermarket in their area. So, setting the business in urban market will be a challenge to TESCO to meet capture the market share the requirements of both rural urban population. In recent years, in Malaysia, Online purchasing has become an easy, time, cost energy saving way to buy the products. This method is more followed by the urban consumers to book an order. So, TESCO will have to keep a regular update on timely basis about the availability of its products on its online purchasing website for its consumers. Challenge Target market may get narrow down due to low internet access in rural areas. Starting a business in rural area may increase the transportation cost to the urban consumers. Regular update on timely basis about the availability of its products on its online purchasing website for its consumers will be a challenge. Impact of global warming, deforestation environmental factors Data Analysis Water air pollution, impact of global warming has affected the health of the people in Malaysia. Deforestation due to regional development is also another factor affecting the country. The Malaysian government is now becoming very strict for control over these environmental problems. Any business, whether local or multinational business, has to comply with all the set of rules and regulations related to the environmental issues laid by the Malaysian government. Government may also disallow the companies in setting up of warehouses in the certain selected parts of the country. TESCO, being an multinational brand, will have to follow the strict prescribed rules laid by the Malaysian Government and may have to submit regular reports to the government regularly regarding the working of the company. Challenge Setting up of warehouses near TESCOs hypermart can be a big challenge. Transportation cost may get increased due to problem in selecting area for warehouses. Restriction on certain products can affect the business of TESCO.

Sex in the Media Essay -- Papers

Sex plays a major role in today's society. From television, radio, music, and advertisements, to video games, the Internet, art and pictures, all forms of media use sex to help sell their products. With the public being exposed to so many different types of media, the overuse of sex is common. Is sex a useful tool, or a ploy to get the attention of the public? Before discussing sex in the media, one must understand why it has come to be that people use sex as a gimmick. "The writing of modern history has resulted in a viewpoint that is nothing short of a stag party. The history of women is ignored, hushed up, and censored in the most literal sense of the term. This method of eliminating the social and political destiny of half of humanity is the most effective form of supremacy." (Janssen-Jurreit 189) The world as it exists today, is still man-made, no less now then in the nineteenth century. Alice E. Courtney states, "Women's self-awareness as females has until very recently reflected the world's (mostly men's) image of them; how well their personal performance matched male expectations." These individual roles, as described by Oneill and Leone in Male/Female Roles: Opposing Viewpoints as the relationship of a man or woman to society on the basis of gender, became essential in shaping male and female attitudes towards one another. Over the past twenty years remarkable changes in these traditional male and female roles have been witnessed. The subsequent impact on men, women, and families due to these changes is believed to be, by many social historians, caused by the re-emergence of the women's movement. (Oneill and Leone 138) Though a positive alteration of roles has occurred, how is it that childr... ...New York. Thousand Oaks. 1994 Davis, Simone Weil. "Living up to the Ads: Gender Fictions of the 1920s." Conn. Durham Dike Press. 2000 Dines, Gail and Jean M. Humez. "Gender, Race, and Class in Media: a Text Reader." California. Thousand Oaks. 1995 Goffman, Erving. Gender Advertisements. Boston: University Press. 1974 Holtzman, Linda. "Media Messages: What Film, Television, and Popular Music Teach us about Race, Sex, and Gender Roles." New York. Sharp. 2000 Impoco, Jim. (1996 April). Tv's frisky family values. U.S. News & World Report 120 no 15, p. 58-62. Janssen-Jurreit, Marie Louise. (1982). Sexism: The Male Monopoly on History & Thought. New York: Farrar Straus Giroux Oneill, M. Teresa, Leone, Bruno. (1983). Male/Female Roles: Opposing Viewpoints. St. Paul. Greenhaven Press.

A Discussion on the Renaissance Art and Its Influences Essay

1. The Renaissance style is considered as a collective movement related to the reawakening of art – particularly drawing, painting, sculpture, and architecture – that centered in Italy from 1300-1600 (Cunningham and Reich, 2009, p. 265-266).   This movement evolved over the years as people – tired of the medieval life of poverty and sickness – started to develop new world views.   These world views centered on essential and profound questions related to human beings, their lives, and their purposes in lives.   They formed striking similarities to the Greco-Roman intellectual discourses, which were overshadowed during the dark times of the medieval age but rediscovered during the reawakening period of the Renaissance. Experts agreed that the Renaissance movement started in Florence, Italy, then a trading center between Europe and the rest of the world and a platform for exchange of ideas, purchase of arts, and commissioning of literary works (Cunningham and Reich, 2009, p. 267).   In Italy, people began to question tradition and authority, focus on life on earth, shape their own destinies, educate their selves and revisit the classical teachings from Greece and Rome.   Teachings from Italy were then dispersed elsewhere in Europe and the world through the printing press, a revolutionary invention during the Renaissance (Cunningham and Reich, 2009, p. 265). See more: Homelessness as a social problem Essay One example of a Renaissance art that is a symbol of the inner health of the people during that era was Raphael’s School of Athens (Cunningham and Reich, 2009, p. 315).   This painting pictured the great minds who existed in the city of Athens in Greece – Socrates, Plato and Aristotle – who were gathered in what appeared to be a school.   In the painting, the great minds seemed to be enthralled in a lively exchange of ideas.   Experts said that School of Athens attempted to show that the ancient greats of Greece were as good as the Renaissance men of Leonardo, Raphael and Michelangelo.   In fact in the painting, the three Renaissance artists were supposed to be Socrates, Plato and Aristotle. Another example of a Renaissance art that embodied the dynamism and transformation peculiar to the period was the sculpture of Michelangelo of David when the artist was at a relatively young age of 26 (Cunningham and Reich, 2009, p. 286). David was depicted as a civilized and a thinking individual who contemplates on challenges without immediately resorting to unnecessary brute.   David was said to represent the brightness of the Renaissance man.   It was also said to epitomize the confidence that the people then were feeling in influencing their destinies in terms of trouncing evil and gaining victories. Renaissance humanism is a notion that sprang during this period.   This notion placed emphasis on the capacity of human beings to manipulate their future without overreliance on the church (Cunningham and Reich, 2009, p. 287).   Although much of the art works had religious themes, the works portrayed religious icons as humans.   Such portrayal made light of the religious canons imposed by the church.   Instead, the portrayal highlighted the human spirit and its capacity to elevate to great heights.   One example of an art work that displayed humanism was Sandro Botticelli’s Birth of Venus, which depicted the goddess as an innocent woman with the use of pastel colors.   Another example is Simone Martini’s Annunciation, where an angel painted in realistic human dimensions and appearance appeared to tell Mary that she will bear God’s son. The rebirth of the artistic movement in Italy was largely attributed to the successful businessmen in the city of Florence who fed, trained, educated and provided for the basic needs of the artists (Cunningham and Reich, 2009, p. 268).  Ã‚   These patrons commissioned works based on clear-cut agreements. The powers of these businessmen from the Medici family stretched all the way to Rome, allowing many artists to secure contracts to accomplish religious works of arts for the Catholic Church.  Ã‚   The patronage of the Medici family for the artists was crucial to the Renaissance as artists were elevated to a stature important to the beautification and strengthening of the culture of Florence.   When the Medici family declined, artists went to Rome where they received the patronage of the pope (Weekly Lectures, n.d.). 3. Prior to the Protestant Reformation, there had been a fierce and widespread sentiment about the perceived abuses of the Catholic Church (Cunningham and Reich, 2009, p. 240).   People felt that the leaders of the church were leading extravagant lives that contrasted with the generally modest, if not poor, living of the majority of the people.   There were classes within the population that wanted to lead  Ã‚  Ã‚   towards positive change.   People were also weary of being caught in the cross-fire of conflicts between the Catholic Church and Kings, both desired power and wealth. To top these off, people were staring to change their beliefs about the capabilities of human beings during the Renaissance. These situations were the precursors to the ushering of the Protestant Reformation, which was set off by German monk Martin Luther.   Luther questioned the corruption and moral degradation in Rome and in the whole of the Catholic Church through his writings in The 95 Theses.   The Church however was not willing to change its ways.   It then financed the Counter-Reformation (Cunningham and Reich, 2009, p. 297). Immediately, art became the medium of propagating the beliefs of the Protestants, who had their bailiwicks in northern Europe, and Catholics, whose strongholds were in the south.   For the Catholics, art must focus on religious contents with certain symbolisms that magnify the holiness of the contents.   The Catholic art was similar to the art that had prevailed in the Middle Ages.   For the Protestants, Catholic religious contents in arts were idolatrous that must be destroyed through iconoclastic movements during the Protestant Reformation. The Protestant art was similar to the art of the humanist Renaissance artists who depicted contents in realistic settings. As a response to the Protestant Reformation, the Catholic Church introduced a Counter-Reformation.   It instituted a few changes within the church but became more austere in regulating heresy.   Regulations covered the arts, sending Catholic painters to produce religious contents similar to those done during the Middle Ages. Content in arts was the distinguishing factor between the Reformation and the Counter-Reformation.   For the Protestants during the Reformation, paintings centered on mundane activities of everyday existence.   Occasionally, paintings drawn out of scenes from the Bible were made.   However, these paintings depicted the religious contents in a humanistic manner.  Ã‚   Simple scenes found in regular occasions were also contained in paintings.   Generally, the contents did not attempt to glorify contents through symbols. For the Catholics during the Counter-Reformation, paintings focused on idealized religious contents that contained symbolisms of holiness, omnipotence, and great glory.   These religious contents were idealized in terms of appearance and the environment in which they were depicted to move.   Painters did not paint flaws.  Ã‚   They likewise veered from common scenes experienced by common people.   Some of the religious contents depicted in the Counter-Reformation included Catholic saints, sacraments, traditions, and codes of belief taught by the Catholic Church. The arts during Protestant Reformation and Counter-Reformation were divergent largely because of the opposing world views espoused by the Protestants and the Catholics.   On one hand, the Protestants believed that man could shape his destiny and approach God because the sacrifices of Christ were enough to save human souls.   On the other hand, the Catholics believed that intermediaries like saints and the Virgin Mary were needed to help Catholics approach God and enter the gates of heaven. Because intermediaries were needed, Catholics created relics where divine powers were supposed to reside.   A form of these relics is a typical painting created during Reformation.   Catholics worshipped the relics and sought from these relics intervention in order to get the graces of God. Because Protestants believed in the value of man and Christ’s sacrifices, they loathed these relics and called these relics channels of idolatry.

Formatting Columns in Microsoft Word

Formatting Columns in Microsoft Word Formatting Columns in Microsoft Word Much like ancient Greek architecture, some forms of writing would fall apart without columns. Newspapers, websites, journals, magazines and newsletters, for example, all present text in neat columns to increase readability and ensure professional presentation. Column formatting in action. If you are writing something along these lines in Microsoft Word, then, you’ll need to know how the column formatting options work. Read on to find out. Column Formatting in Microsoft Word Quick options for basic column formatting. To use the pre-set column options in Microsoft Word, all you need to do is: Select the text that you want to format using the cursor Go to Layout Page Setup Columns on the ribbon Pick the number and style of columns required If you do not select any text first, the column formatting will be applied to the entire document. Custom Column Formatting You can also create custom columns for more control over how text is presented. To do this: Go to Layout Page Setup Columns and click More Columns†¦ In the new window, select: The number per page Whether to use a line between columns The width of each column Which parts of the document to format (selecting This point forward will apply a section break at the cursor position) Additional column options. When you are done, click OK to apply the selected options. This will format all selected text (or the entire document) according to your preferences. Adding a Column Break You can also add a â€Å"column break.† This is useful if you want to end one column part way down and start a new one at the top of the page. To do this, place the cursor where you want a column to end and go to Layout Page Setup Breaks Column. This will add a column break in the place selected. Adding a column break. When to Use Columns Finally, a brief word on when to use this formatting style. It would be unusual in most documents printed at portrait A4 size, such as college essays or business reports. Typically, you would only do so if a style guide requested that you format part or all of a document in this way. However, for anything that will be printed or displayed in a wider format (e.g., on landscape A4 or larger paper), column formatting can make text easier to read by reducing the line length.

Famous Scarface Movie Quotes

Famous Scarface Movie Quotes Quotes from the 1983 film Scarface are by far some of the most popular movie quotes. Devout fans of the legendary gangster film  will always rate  quotes by the infamous protagonist, Tony Montana, as the best among the movie quotes category. How many of them do you know offhand? Test your memory skills with this collection of the best of Scarface quotes. I always tell the truth. Even when I lie.Every day above ground is a good day.In this country, you gotta make the money first. Then when you get the money, you get the power. Then when you get the power, then you get the women.Tony Montana: Me, I want whats coming to me.Manny: Oh, well... whats coming to you?Tony Montana: The world, Chico, and everything in it.You wanna waste my time? Okay. I call my lawyer. Hes the best lawyer in Miami. Hes such a good lawyer, that by tomorrow morning, you gonna be working in Alaska. So dress warm.Why dont you try stickin jou head up jour ass – see if it fits.Say goodnight to the bad guy.Dat chick hes with   she like me.I like you, Tony. Theres no lying in you.Amigo, the only thing in this world that gives orders is balls. Balls. You got that?So you wanna dance, Frank, or do you wanna sit here and have a heart attack?I got ears, ya know. I hear things.

Exchange Traded Option Markets Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Exchange Traded Option Markets - Essay Example (Christopher, 2001; 45-57) However, most exchange-traded options are standardized. There are a set number of strikes and expiry dates available, and it is not generally possible to trade options on the shares of smaller companies. By contrast, in the OTC market dealers will sell and buy options on a wide range of shares, as long as they can find a way to manage the risks associated with such deals. Also, dealers offer a huge variety of non-standard contracts known collectively as exotic options. (John, 2002: 110-118) On some exchanges and with some contracts the buyer of an option is not required to pay the full premium at the outset. Instead, the purchaser deposits initial margin that is a proportion of the premium due on the contract. In the case of the individual stock options traded on LIFFE, the full premium is payable upfront. (Zuhayr, 2001, 63-70) However, the writers of options are subject to margin procedures. They must deposit initial margin at the outset, and will be required to make additional variation margin payments via their brokers to the clearing house if the position moves into loss. (Gordon, 2001: 121-129) The initial margin depends on the degree of risk involved, calculated according to factors such as the price and volatility of the underlying and the time to expiry of the contract. In practice, in order to cover margin calls, brokers often ask for more than the minimum initial margin figure stipulated by the clearing house. The derivatives exchanges also offer listed option contracts on major equity indices such as the S&P 500, the FT-SE 100 and the DAX. Contracts are of two main kinds. Some are options on equity index futures, and exercise results in a long or short futures position. Other contracts are settled in cash against the spot price of the underlying index. If a call is exercised the payout is based on the spot index level less the strike. If a put is exercised the payout is based on the strike less the spot index level. Options on indices and other baskets of shares can also be purchased directly from dealers in the OTC market. (Dimitris, 2000: 90-102) Some dealing houses issue securities called covered warrants which are longer-dated options on shares other than those of the issuer. Warrants are usually listed and trade on a stock market such as the London Stock Exchange. The term 'covered' means that the issuer is writing an option and hedges or covers the risks involved, often by trading in the underlying shares. (Austin, 2000: 73-81) Warrants are purchased by both institutional and retail investors (historically the retail market has been more active in Germany than in the UK). (Christopher, 2001; 45-57) Warrants can be calls or puts and written on an individual share or a basket of shares. They are sometimes settled in cash, and sometimes through the physical delivery of shares. UK Stock Options on LIFFE Table 1 shows some recent prices for stock options on Royal Bank of Scotland Group plc (RBOS) traded on LIFFE. These are the offer or sale prices for contracts posted by dealers placed on the exchange's electronic dealing system, LIFFE Connect. At the time the quotations were taken the options had just over two weeks remaining until expiry and the underlying RBOS share price was 1781

Baldrige Award Criteria Analysis Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Baldrige Award Criteria Analysis - Assignment Example 5). The global presence of Airbus encompasses strategic locations in Europe, the Americas, Asia Pacific, Africa and the Middle East servicing more than fifty percent of commercial and military transport aircraft orders all over the world. 1. Leadership Heading the EADS consortium is Thomas Enders, the President and CEO of Airbus since 2007 (Airbus: Management, 2011, par. 1). Together with eight members of the executive committee, Enders has been committed to practicing its core tenets, focusing on enjoining other members of the management team and various personnel of the organization to â€Å"generate customer value, act with courage in all situations, practice teamwork and global integration, face reality and act with integrity, drive innovation and deliver reliably, and develop oneself and others† (Airbus: Company culture, 2011, par. 4). As a global organization entrenched in diverse geographical locations, managing and leading more than 50,000 employees from different cult ures is a tremendous challenge. It takes innate skills, knowledge, abilities and genuine interest on the endeavor to steer the organization into weathering the changes in the external environment. As revealed, the organization has employed a unified management and leadership strategy to ensure that standards are imposed and adhered to in all locations where Airbus operates. The following crucial elements of the strategy align leadership policies and practices at Airbus, to wit: (1) leading by example; (2) equipped to perform, and (3) management expertise (Airbus: Management, 2011, pars. 5 – 7). By manifesting leadership through exemplifying the role of models in leading, each and every personnel are encouraged to embody the standards of excellence expected from everyone. The qualifications and competencies of each manager and leader are consistent with the demands of their jobs. There is continuous training and development to ensure that expertise is honed through time. Final ly, programs are set to further develop and train global managers to be experts in technical and managerial skills. Aside from taking pride in incorporating cultural diversity in global operations, Airbus’ leadership is likewise committed to social responsibility through active support and development of various stakeholders. Employees, particularly, are given priority in terms of personal and professional development, affiliations with community programs through their Corporate Foundation, establishing strong partnerships with various suppliers, being actively involved in charitable endeavors, and ensuring the protection and safety of the environment (Airbus: Corporate Social Responsibility, 2011). In its official website, Airbus boasts of indicating that â€Å"as a responsible corporate citizen and industry leader, Airbus’ day-to-day operations are guided by a strong commitment to the highest ethical standards – ensuring integrity, transparency and profession alism across its operation† (ibid, par. 1). 2. Strategic Planning The process of strategic planning necessitates the identification of opportunities and risks in an organization’s external environment. As Lynch & Williamson (2006) averred, â€Å"strategic planning is long range in perspective and should be