A Place You Would Like to Visit or to Live in

There are beautiful places all around the world. We all enjoy the Mother Nature. It is a gift to us. I would like to visit and travel all around the world, but the place which is most appealing to me personally is Coimbatore, which is in southern India. It is a beautiful place with scenic views. It is famous for textiles and textile machineries, so it is called the Manchester of South India.The reason I like Coimbatore is for its educational institutions, industries and climate.Firstly, the educational system is one of the best in the country. There are over 63 colleges and universities in and around Coimbatore. For example: Some of them including PSG group of institutions, Avinashilingam university are really good in imparting good education and offer various branches in the field of arts, engineering, medicine etc. To settle down in a place like this, we don’t have to be worried about my family’s education.Secondly, Coimbatore is a place with black soil on earth; cott on grows well in this soil. So the industries are based on this. Coimbatore is one of the largest producers of textiles. Business is done in small and large scale industries, this gives job opportunities for many people around the place.Thirdly, the weather in this place is awesome and satisfying experience. For example: for the most part of the year it is cool and pleasant. Unlike other parts of India this is bordered by western Ghats on the western side, which is one of the vital reason for this climate.

Competence and Career Interests Profiler Paper

I was very surprised when I took the Career Profiler; I had taken something like this when I was a senior in high school. In high school my results suggested that I should do something in agriculture, and now 11 years later it suggests that I should do something in Business, Finance or Law. These results were not surprising to me. These are things that I have actually always been interested in. I think that knowing my competencies is really going to help me with my critical thinking in the future. I had never really considered myself someone who thought logically, but according to my results I do. Knowing this will help me to stop second guessing myself whenever I think I am way off from the mark. I already knew that I am a researcher, because I love knowing everything about everything, I love to investigate topics and see where things started. Having this confirmed will give me the confidence to trust my instincts about myself. I have always loved writing and I already use it to my benefit. So researching and writing are competencies that I already knew that I possessed and having them confirmed was nice. I have already used some of the competencies that I knew I had to help me evaluate arguments. Because I love to research and to write I would already use these to my benefit when it came to arguments or discussions. Before I start any kind of argument or discussion with anyone I always make sure that I know what I am talking about. I try to have as much information as possible, so that way when I am faced with a rebuttal, I have factual information. I don’t like entering something without knowing that I have facts to back me up. It is always good to know what you succeed in so you can draw from those strengths and then you can work on your weaknesses.

Understand health and safety in social care setting Essay

According to the health and safety authority a hazard is defined as ‘a potential source of harm or adverse health effect on a person or persons and a risk is defined as ‘. The likelihood that a person may be harmed or  suffers adverse health effects if exposed to a hazard The example they use to contextualise the two is very clear and very helpful. ‘ If there was a spill of water in a room then that water would present a slipping hazard to persons passing through it. If access to that area was prevented by a physical barrier then the hazard would remain though the risk would be minimised. To be able to use a health and safety risk assessment you must be able to spot hazards and evaluate what the hazard poses, for example you see in the clients home that there is an obstacle in the way of an entrance restricting the space so some walkers wouldn’t be able to get past safely this would be a high risk of falling Afterwards the risk assessment should have been reviewed and any findings that you make should be recorded appropriately, and changes made to further ensure that persons health and safety, perhaps by amending the work you have already done with the risk assessment and it should be reported to either your senior or manager that risk assessment is complete. Reporting health and safety risks that have been identified. It is important for all staff to be able to report any possible identified health and safety risks. They should be confident in knowing how and when to act upon it. In the care working environment the employer must make their employees know that it is of the upmost importance that they are to act upon and report any possible health and safety risks that could potentially put others in a place of harm or injury in the work place. They must be aware that even if the recognised problem has already been flagged and documented they are still responsible in reporting it to ensure the correct procedures can be put into place. This will aid in the help of rectifying the hazard that has been reported. There will already be the properly implemented measures to reduce any possible health and safety risks. But the action and knowledge of the procedure of reporting and documenting all occurrences of physical, viral, injuries and sicknes s and also any potential risks of accidents is still a vital procedure that must never be ignored. Within all Framework services they have policies and procedures in regard of reporting  all health and safety incidents and accidents in place. They outline the importance of documenting and reporting in writing and also speaking of any possible preventable accidents no matter how large and small they may seem. In all any recognised health and safety issues the Framework is that they are reported to the line manager who is in the position of acting on the assessment of the hazard. All accidents and risks must always be clearly documented and reported with the correct time and date accordingly to give a true and accurate account of the incident. An on-going assessment of the health and safety in the workplace is vital to prevent any dangers occurring or being missed. How a risk assessment can help address dilemmas between an individual’s rights and health and safety concern. Risks are an important part of our everyday lives we are encouraged to take them to possibly reach our set goals whether it will be for our working life or personal achievement’s. For others who may need special needs support they may be actively deterred from taking such risks. This could be due to a fear of them coming to harm or they may not be able to cope with the results of their actions. This could result in them becoming less confident with the purpose of their life and their right to be an independent individual. Legislation and workplace policies have been implemented to support such problems occurring. They enable these individuals to be given the appropriate support and help that they require to be able to live in society as independent as possible without the fear of being a health and safety risk to themselves or others. Health and training for the support workers will help them with confronting any possible problems that could arise whilst helping the person who requires their help in becoming more independent. Continuous observation and of reviewing practice and procedures are put into place to ensure that the individual in their care is least likely to be confronted with any hazards or sociable obstacles that could lead them to suffer any further emotional or physical harm. The fact that the person in your care requires a risk assessment or a plan management this should not mean they are restricted in what they want to do or the person they want to be Understanding of procedures for responding to accidents and sudden illness. Different types of accidents and sudden illness that may occur in a social care setting. There are a wide variety of sudden illnesses and accidents that can occur and put the individual in immediate danger. These could be caused by everyday objects such as a loose rug or even a wet floor. If these hazards are not pointed out or left unchanged they could lead to the person suffering a fall or breaking of bones. The individual could be burnt or scarred if items such as an iron or cooker are left on. They should be monitored carefully with any hot appliances in the prevention of injuries. They could also suffer from poisoning and overdosing if chemicals or medicine is not correctly stored away from the vulnerable person. Sudden illnesses Illnesses that are brought on suddenly are medical conditions such as a stroke which is where the brain cells die suddenly through the lack of oxygen. This is when there is a blockage in the blood flow and or the rupture of a artery that connects to the brain. Asthma is a dangerous medical condition which causes difficulty in breathing, breathing difficulties can also be caused by allergic reactions to substances or items. Hypoglycaemia is a medical condition brought about by the drop of glucose [sugar]. Choking is a hazard brought about by the airway is blocked commonly by food. Seizures can cause spasms of muscles and or unconsciousness this is caused by the electrical workings of the brain fails to work correctly. A fall could lead to the person losing consciousness or temporary fainting. A person who develops food poisoning from contaminated water or ill prepared or stored food will suffer from sickness and diarrhoea. A heart attack is known as a cardiac arrest this is where the heart fails to pump blood around the body leading to heart failure. Chest pain which is felt around the shoulders around the ribs and generally in the upper torso could imply a large amount of conditions. These symptoms should never be ignored and always be checked by the medical profession. Procedures that are followed if an accident or sudden illness should occur. The first important thing that all staff must adhere to is the policies and procedures that have been implemented by their workplace. They  must be always ready and aware of what action to take in the possible case of illness or accident. They should behave in a professional manner and that their actions and behaviour do not create any hindrance to their client’s recovery. You should remove any persons who are not directly involved in the aid of the client and keep the entrance safely clear to allow the medical staff a clear admittance. The client should be treated with respect at all times and not left to feel like a second rate citizen. The surrounding environment should be made safe and private. You can do this by. Disabling the power supply in the prospect of electrical shock. Move the patient to a safe area in the case of risk of fire or an unstable building. Clear the surrounding area of any unwanted obstacles i.e.: furniture. You should make the person feel comfortable and dignified. The correct way to handle emergencies and dealing with the medically trained professionals are: For emergencies only you should ring 999. Clear the area and make it a safe place. Keep the person conscious by talking to them loudly or if they do not make a clear response check their [ABC] Airway Breathing and Circulation. You should call for help as soon as possible. Tilt their head and check for an airway, if there is not a clear one give 2 deep breaths. Check to see if there is pulses if none is felt on the main arteries in the neck begin the [BLS] Basic Life Support. This consists of 15 chest compressions and 2 breaths. Carry on with the BLS until the medical professionals arrive or the patients symptoms improve. Do not stop the BLS unless you are told to or a professional takes over. When medical help arrives you must give them a clear and true account of the symptoms the patient’s medical history and of any treatment that they may have received. The line manager must be given a report on the circumstances of the accident or injury stating clearly the names of all the people who were involved in the incident, what the cause of the accident was or what medical condition brought about the incident. The report must be clearly documented giving a true and detailed account of all that occurred and naming all of who was involved and how the incident or accident was dealt with and the outcome of the event. The report should be signed and dated. The importance of emergency first aid tasks to be carried out by qualified first aiders. The intention of First Aid is to aid a person with recovering from a suffered accident/medical condition. The act of First Aid is covered by the Health and Safety regulations and under your employees set of policies and procedures. The act of First Aid should be carried out to give the patient a better chance of recovery and reduce the possibility of further health problems. The only staff members that are allowed to carry out the act of First Aid are ones who have been legally and qualified. This is to stop the chance of any unqualified persons giving aid that could cause the patient harm and with less chance of recovery. This could lead to legal charges being brought against the company. In the case of a qualified person in First Aid having doubts about what action they need to give the patient they should not carry out aid and contact their manager with the intent of asking for help to what they should do. If they do not ask for help and guess what they need to do this could end in serious consciences for the patient. This is clearly set out by the companies Frame work and should be adhered to at all times. 4 Reducing the spread of infection 4.1 Routes by which an infection can get into the body. There are a variety of infections people can suffer from. The infections can enter the body come from four different ways. .Colds and other air born infections can enter the body in the respiratory tract go through the lungs. .Infection is also contracted through the skin. This could be from a sore or broken skin which allows the infection to break through the normally safe armour of the skin. .The digestive tract is the opening for infection to the stomach and bowels. This occurs when infected food or water is digested and this leads to stomach ache vomiting and diarrhoea. .The fourth entry of infection is through urinary and reproductive system. This is where the infection is contracted through the blood. .Infection is also carried through bodily fluids such as semen, saliva and the blood system. This can develop into sexually contracted disease and the AIDS virus. 4.2 Ways in which your own health or hygiene might pose a risk to an individual or others at work. It is important to keep yourself clean and tidy because if your own health and hygiene is left to deteriorate this can lead to the possibility of causing a risk to others. There are policies in the work place that are put into place to help with reducing the risk of infection. .Always wash hands before touching and preparing food. .After using the toilet wash hands thourally. .Cover your mouth when coughing and look away from others to prevent the spread of infection. .When changing or applying plasters always wash your hands. .Always throw away used tissues properly. .Protect yourself with the PPE provided. .If unwell stay away from work to help with stopping the spread of infection. In the health and social care environment employees must be always well enough to perform their work safely. This is to maintain a high standard of health and safety which reduces the risks of patients and others being susceptible to infections. The work places set policies must be always followed to provide good practice. If you or family members are unwell and you are unsure of whether you will pose a risk to others you must consulate with your own doctor about going to work. Most practices have the guideline of not returning to work if unwell until you have being ill for 48 hours. Because some infections can be carried in the body for weeks your employer can request that you take further investigations from medical professionals to confirm you no longer cause a risk of infection too patients or other staff members. PPE with self-protection amongst the staff members and clients is important to reduce them contracting illness and infections. They must ensure no possible infected materials and their own personal health is left or ignored to make the working environment is as infection free as possible and others are not put at risk. The most thorough method of hand washing. Hand washing i probably the most common of all of the hygienic operations in the care work place. Even when gloves have been worn this should not stop you from washing your hands. This is due to possible contamination when  removing them or maybe tearing of the gloves may occur in the process of possible contamination. The technique of hand washing and engraining the act of hand washing is important to keep your hands with a high level of cleanliness. Particular attention to the back of your hands and finger tips as these areas are mostly missed. You should wet your hands first and then lather with soap. You may need to use a specialist type of soap if your hands are particularly dirty. This type of cleaning requires you to apply the soap first and then proceed with the hand washing taking care to follow the manufactures instructions. To ensure the stopping of passing on infections you should follow the steps of hand washing after you have wet your hands- 1. Rub your palms together 2. With your finger entwined rub back of hands. 3. Then with fingers still entwined rub palms of hands. 4. With fingers locked together rub the back of your fingers against your opposite palms. 5. Rotate your thumbs and rub the back of them within your palms. 6. Keep rubbing your fingers against your palm whilst turning your hands back and forward. To dry your hands thoroughly you must use a clean towel or disposable paper which you must wash or throw away to reduce to spread of infection and never reuse. 4.4When different types of personal protective equipment should be used;- The (PPE) which stands for Personal Protective Equipment refers to the clothing and equipment that is provided to reduce the possibility of the spread of infections. It is the duty of your employer to provide these items to ensure yours and others health and safety is never put at risk. You must follow their health and safety policies as set by your employers. If you ignore the health and safety policies and do not use or wear the provided garments you will be in breach of the health and safety laws that have been set for your own benefit and others. If somebody is dealing with the risk of infection through bodily fluids or maybe using cleaning fluids you must wear disposable gloves. The gloves should fit the person and not hang off your hands as this will hamper the safety of how you do your job. Never reuse these gloves or touch areas that could be contaminated and then your client as this will put at risk of infection. You must discard the gloves correctly  after use and then wash your hands thoroughly. Support workers should be aware that some people are allergic to the latex which is what the gloves are made from or maybe they themselves could suffer from allergies from these gloves. If this is the case their employers will supply them gloves made from a different material. If you are in a procedure that could lead to have some form of bodily fluids splash onto you, you are required to wear the plastic disposable apron that will be provided. Remember that you need to be aware of your hand hygiene when removing the apron as this could result in a contamination of the health and safety process. You must dispose of the disposable gloves and aprons correctly when you have finished with them; this should be in the provided clinical waste bin that is provided. When handling food the apron that is provided will be a washable one that can be used again when washed.

Network and Internet Security Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Network and Internet Security - Essay Example On the other hand, the single key encryption only uses a single secret key for both encryption and decryption of messages. A hybrid of the two that is single key and public key encryption is what the modern encryption model entails to help establish reliable secure sessions. According to De & Yung (2006, 127), session keys help enhance security of a system in cases where two parties have an encrypted connections to third party. By use of these session keys, the third party can deliver keys the other two parties on the encrypted links. Session keys are established by use of Diffie-Hellman key exchange which enables the secret exchange of keys between two users on a communication channel by the use of exchange algorithms. This way of key generation does not required the presence of a central authentication server or any key distribution center. These two users maintain a secured encrypted message through a partial share of information. Some data is privately stored while some is publicly given for the other party to use. Using exchange algorithms, the two parties can use the publicly aired data to encrypt hidden messages from senders on a crowded communication channel (De & Yung 2006, 127). User 1 computes the key using the public data given by user 2 and viceviser. Both calculations will eventually yield similar results indicating a common interpretation. Kerberos V4 uses session keys to help maintain a secured communication protocol (Bao, Deng & Zhou 2004, 30). Kerberos v4 are useful in verifying users at work places who would wish to access services within a network. Session keys use in Kerberos would restrict access only to identified and authorized users and would accurately authenticate requests for uses. These authentication procedures make the use of session keys become very relevant in Kerberos. It will be almost impossible for another side user to communicate with the server since the given session key is

Michael Phelps Bong Incident Personal Statement

Michael Phelps Bong Incident - Personal Statement Example This is what I enjoyed the most about David Harsanyi's article - that it offers a broad view on both the Michael Phelps scandal and the contemporary repression of Cannabis. In my reply to the article, I aimed to express my opinion concerning the real issues that oftentimes get concealed behind the shiny, hyped up issues the mass media seem to consistently adopt. I very much agree with the author's overall opinion on the subject matter, so essentially this letter was written as an elaboration of the theme of stupidity: that expressed by Phelps himself, and that which sometimes looks inextricable in our modern society. After reading on "Michael Phelps' public stoning", I was compelled to express how I wholeheartedly agree with your central point: Phelps is an idiot; but then again, so is the war on cannabis. It's discomforting to realize how in full on XXI century, our society is still so easily deceived into supporting the enforcement of such blatant and outrageous witch hunts. In this day and age we're living, one might have supposed that the news a 14-times gold medalist is also a pot smoker could help people realize how the rumors concerning the dangers of marijuana might have been grossly exaggerated; but no, as it turns out all that conservative people focused on was how Michael Phelps no longer had a place among the pantheon of positive role models their children should strive towards. Just goes to show how our opinions are so heavily influenced, and our perspectives so easily shifted. I think you said it best when you stated how "In reality, the most startling aspect of the Michael Phelps incident is that we produced an Olympic superstar dumb enough to place his gargantuan paws around a bong in full view of dozens of partygoers equipped with cell phone cameras." Granted, most pot smokers understand the aggressive prejudice they're still subject to in our society, and some of them choose to keep their smoking habits in private. But not many of them have such high stakes as Phelps, and still he went ahead and exposed himself like that. He should have known better, and he should have thought before grabbing a bong in a college party (where someone was bound to snap a picture), but then - well, then he got high... and the rest is history. In my opinion, Phelps committed two coarse errors: the first one was getting caught in public with a bong, and the second (possibly worse) was making a public statement telling how much he was sorry for his reckless, juvenile behavior. As you've written in the final portion of your article, most Americans who have smoked marijuana are unlikely to feel regrets about doing so - and Phelps himself, there's a good chance he's actually sorry only of getting caught. His judgment failed, all right: not necessarily by smoking pot, but absolutely by doing so in a scenario that would be likely to bring about repercussions that might compromise his career. All in all, it goes without saying: Michael Phelps is an idiot. But all the while, he's also a prodigious swimmer who has consistently displayed off-the-charts skill and capacity. So what if he smokes pot If nothing else, that just goes to show that pot smokers can become something other than slackers and parasites, as maintained by our dearly uptight cultural stereotypes. Regardless (and as far as I'm aware)- marijuana isn't

Should American Football be banned from Highschool Research Paper

Should American Football be banned from Highschool - Research Paper Example The issue has been met with opposing opinions from those who support the sport and want such an activity to continue, while there are those that strongly oppose the same. In this section, I shall discuss why school administration boards across the country have been considering the prohibition of the sport on their grounds. Unsurprisingly, supporters of the stand that American football should be banned come from adults who are mostly parents of the students. American Football as a Discriminating Sport According to David (105), American football is a gender discriminating sport. The parties particularly interested in playing the sport and those who enjoy the same the most are the males. The sport has been described as a â€Å"masculine† activity and female students are not likely to benefit from the sport in the same way that their male counterparts can. It is also thought that female students are not likely to benefit from the sport. They are not likely to hone any beneficial s kills from playing the game, at least not physically. The Injuries Suffered by Football Players One of the obvious injuries that may be suffered by American footballers would be head injuries. The seriousness of the risk faced by these players has lead the District of Columbia to ban sports that result in concussions, or at the very least, expose the youth to such threats (between 2009 and 2011). While suffering concussions may not seem to be that serious to some, because head bumps can be helped with a pack of ice, the threat of head injuries can definitely lead to really serious health conditions that can affect a player for life. The trauma however, can manifest later on in the life of the injured player and can be the explanation of â€Å"neurodegenerative disease similar to Alzheimer’s† (Trotta and Ingles). Health conditions related to head injuries include dementia and Alzheimer’s itself. Problems such as fractures to the skull are also highly likely and t he presence of the skull itself and its ability to cushion the brain from injury is not enough. Serious brain damage is possible (Reed). There has also been research to suggest that the more concussions a player suffers, the more likely would depression kick in. Other injuries to be suffered by such football players include â€Å"cervical spinal cord injuries.† It has been known that in the United States, players from Louisiana suffer mainly from this kind of injury (Lawrence et al) Because of the alarming health risks that football may bring, fifteen states have issued laws banning such dangerous sports (Trotta and Ingles). It has been suggested that the best way to deal with preventing such serious injuries would be to invest in the sports equipment. Supporters of the sport should look into providing improved designs of head and mouth gear for the players, to ensure that the players’ gear could withstand injuries to be encountered on the field (Trotta and Ingles). An other solution to the problem would be to educate the players themselves on â€Å"safe tackling† methods in order to prevent injury and how these players can best use their head gear in the safest way possible. Unfortunately, according to a study by Lawrence et al., a significant number of players use the top of their helmets in tackling their opponents. This is one of the most dangerous tackling methods, and is actually illegal. However, an alarming majority of player participants in the

Financial Management Principles And Applications Essay

Financial Management Principles And Applications - Essay Example Long-term liability requires the payment of interest in pre-agreed periods which requires Beta to have enough liquidity to cover immediate payment of interest when it becomes due. Capital from shareholders can also be considered. This is advantageous since Beta will not be required to pay any dividends. However, issuing new shares require the company to undergo certain processes which can delay acquisition. After analyzing the advantages and disadvantages of utilizing different financing schemes, it is recommended that Beta raises fund through long-term debt. This is in consideration of the above discussion in addition to the fact that it already has a quite high level of funds from shareholders. b. An organization's trading profit and loss account showing the revenues or funds generated the entity compared to the costs and expenses incurred in its operation. In most companies, it starts with the revenue generated where the expenses are subtracted. The last line shows its net profit for the fiscal period or for listed ones, the return to its stockholders. This financial statement is often the most popular one as it is used by creditors, stockholders, and even ordinary consumers. Entities considering to provide financing for the company also often gauged profitability and ability to pay based on profit and loss account. The balance sheet shows an entity's resources and how they are financed. The organization's assets and liabilities are often listed based on their liquidity, that is, on their capacity to be converted to cash easily. Balance sheets are often scrutinized by creditors and stockholders, the major sources of financing for the company. Balance sheets provide information about the company's level of leverage which informs stockholders and creditors about their share in the company's resources and the riskiness of investing in the company.

How could television be used to improve social and political life in Essay

How could television be used to improve social and political life in the United States - Essay Example Public Service Announcements (PSAs) are the leading methods of getting social and political information to a massive audience. These announcements exist on channels that are usually controlled by the city, and they cover current political information and other goings-on throughout America. â€Å"The best way to improve social life in the United States is to let the vast majority of the population know what is going on in America’s social life (Womack, 2009).† Most of these channels run 24/7, always updating their information so that those that watch these announcements stay up to date. While these announcements usually have their own designated television stations, there are some counties that prefer to air the announcements during news broadcasts or popular television shows - times when there is a good chance that there are already a massive number of people sitting in front of their televisions. Similarly, another popular method of using the television to improve social and political life is the news. A little more formal than Public Service Announcements, the news informs people of numerous goings-on in the world, influencing the social and political side of television viewers, especially the political side. People are able to view the different debates going on in politics and decide for themselves which side of the argument they are more in agreement with. They can also conclude their own argument if the ones on television do not please them. They are able to build a political opinion by watching the news on television. As a large majority of people do watch the news, many news companies make sure to feed the important, need-to-know information in the first half-hour (Calavita, 2005). A method that is used to guarantee a large audience when it comes to viewing either Public Service Announcements or a news broadcast is by placing the program immediately after a popular television show. This method is implemented with the belief that

Human resource management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Human resource management - Essay Example Strategic human resource management is representative of a new transformation in human resource management field. The management is a shift from transactional and tactical duties in the traditional human resource management. This transformation has had major impacts in organizational management. The concept of SHRM has evolved as a bridge between the management of organizational human resource and business strategies. The major impact has been seen through the alignment of the human resources to the performance of the firm to give it a competitive advantage. Modern organizations are increasingly becoming sensitive to productive human resource practices and policies. Strategic human resource management leads to increased productivity and better financial performance. One of the major impacts of strategic management of human resources is the sustained competitive advantage through increased form specific competencies. Strategic human resource management has led to mobilization of new c ompetencies. It has also led to destruction of attributed that cause vulnerability and competitive disadvantage (Gilley & Gilley, 2000). The new strategy places emphasis on people as being the actual resource and critical differentiators in the building of business enterprise. The strategy has led to increased human application resulting to better generation of values. Success comes from managing people effectively (Schuler & Jackson, 2000). The new strategy in human resource management insists that employees must internalize the goals and missions of an organization. This enhances their responsiveness and performance. The new strategy in HRM has had a major effect through introduction of learning processes that enhance the capacity of the organizational needs (Salaman et al, 2005). This has led to identification of knowledge and competencies that are necessary to meet the organizational goals and consumer satisfaction. Strategic human resource management

Temple of Doom Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Temple of Doom - Essay Example and only growing only as much crops as necessary to feed the people, the surrounding vegetation was preserved and even maintained even when constantly growing crops (Thomas and Kelly 186). Following the collapse of the large civilizations into smaller tribes or groups as the result of people leaving and forming smaller communities, because these people were able to live and cultivate land without affecting the surrounding natural vegetation and untouched forests, it became possible for these tribes to produce food enough to feed the communities while keeping the rainforests intact. Wars or uprisings within the Amazon civilizations often happen as the result of powerful influences of persons of authority such as priests or members of royalty. What makes these people influential is because of their strong ties to the supernatural, wherein priests or religious shamans invoke the power of spirits to cast boon or bane, while members of the royal family claim to be descendants of the gods (Thomas and Kelly 35). Due to such claims cults or large groups of followers affect political or economic influence by making people believe that they are in the winning or the upright side, and making them act in accordance to the wishes of the cult leaders. This was also shown in the story of the Temple of Doom, when the Thuggee cult members were persuaded by the high priest to perform human sacrifices and use children to dig mines in finding rocks that can help them conquer the world (â€Å"Temple of Doom†). The strong influence of the divine and the belief in the superna tural helps convince cult followers to blindly follow what the leaders ask, even going to wars solely to serve their â€Å"divine leaders†. It also affects how people see their leaders, wherein those who have strong claims of supernatural or divine descent were given more special treatment over those who do not have these claims, in which those that have supernatural or divine claims can influence more people than

Business plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Business plan - Essay Example There are several reasons for the prospective success of this venture. The most important factor is that the current Korean market is undergoing a period of transition from analog to HD video and IPTV. Therefore, demand for HD related products will be higher at this time than at any earlier period. Also, we believe that selling items online has its advantages over selling in person; specialists, enthusiasts and well-informed customers can access the products’ specifications and research them easily through corresponding company websites. In the Korean market, there are very few companies which sell audio/video equipment online, and most of these remain financially weak with low market credibility. Since the market lacks a leading enterprise that can supply both goods and services related to professional audio/video equipment, there is presently a great opportunity for DBS and B&H to secure the premier position through demonstrated high quality services and supply abilities. Finally, DBS’ past experience in the TV and radio industries prepares it well for a long-term role in this new endeavor, while its knowledge of Korean markets can facilitate the formation of well trained human resources for product services. Total sales of Korean broadcasting market including non-profit earnings have increased from $7,700,000,000 in 2004 to $8,635,200,000 in 2005. Moreover, in 2006, it increased by 12.6 % ($9,719,900,000) from 2005. In consideration of the above factors, it can be said that the Korean markets for professional audio/video equipment shall expand and the demands of regular consumer will also increase. At this opportune moment, cooperation between B&H and DBS not only bears the promise of vast earnings but holds the potential of spreading out to other developing Asian countries. We are convinced our proposed plan shall prove mutually beneficial and

Main Character Of The Novel Essay Example for Free

Main Character Of The Novel Essay Throughout the book, we see that George Elliot has a distinct pre-occupation and interest with presenting the working class rural community in an authentic light. She writes the book as a social anthropologist, studying the more primitive community of the time. She has a large amount of sympathy towards the poor, although she herself was not a member of the working class. Using the story as a vehicle she aims to expose the plight and indignity of the poor in Victorian England, it was her main motive. Therefore, her focus throughout the book is in fact village life; in this case a fictional village named Raveloe. Focusing on the villagers, their attitudes and their way of life acts as a way of also commenting socially and politically on the injustices they face. Raveloe can easily be regarded as the main character as without it, the narrative following Silas has little significance. The village shapes the narrative, being responsible for most of the major areas of interest in the tale. All the individual characters provide interest and together form the character of the town, from characters such as Dunsey to Dolly. The story begins with a sympathetic description of the honest folk of Raveloe. Our first real source of interest in the novel comes from the villagers hostile reaction to Silas. We are initially told about Silas through the eyes of the villagers. Elliot echoes the villagers process of thought and way of speech throughout the novel, namely at the beginning. The sound of Silas loom is described as questionable and he is said to have a dreadful stare. She is mimicking the mannerisms and phraseology of Raveloe as a whole and its reaction to the unknown. Silas mechanical method of working on the loom is seen as un-natural by the villagers, who can only judge him on their own experiences, centred round farming and agriculture. Due to this unfamiliarity, they see even pitiful attributes as sinister. His bad eyesight is thought of as a stare. This reaction of the village acts just as a reaction of a human character. It is typical of the village to think this way. In this respect then, the village can be regarded as any other character would. It has attributes and a predictable nature. It is these collective attributes of the community that make Raveloe one character, with which Silas relationships revolve. His relationships and connections with the characters of the community provide the most significant points of interest in the novel. Initially, there is the theft of his gold by Dunsey, then his integration into the community with the help of Dolly and later his confrontation with Godfrey over the fate of Eppie. Dolly represents the warmer, caring part of the Raveloe community, opposite to William Dane, the bitter symbol of Silas past. She is described to seek the sadder and more serious elements of life and pasture her mind upon them. Dolly seems to almost gain sustenance from helping those in need, in this case Silas. She helps him with the upbringing of Eppie, offering clothes and her own time. She fulfils her found role in the community. Although she can be seen as the prime example of the villages moral capability, such sentiments are seen universally. When Silas informs the villagers of his lost gold, the villagers group together in order to help him. By entering The Rainbow, Silas enters the hub of the village community, beginning the process of his integration. After seeing the authenticity and depth of Silas grief, any former rumours disappear as the villagers begin to relate him to themselves, seeming anxious to help. The event acts as a rare source of excitement, as the villagers become incapable of distinguishing reality from imagination, fabricating information concerning a pedlar with ear-rings. However this all represents a symptomatic characteristic of the village a concern to help others. The villagers reaction concerning the pedlar, is an indication of another key characteristic of Raveloe a belief in superstition. Although the villagers provide lengthy descriptions of this so called thief, we know that no such character even exists. It is an example of how, in such close cut communities, little matters, true or false, can be embellished, escalating into common belief, leading to the creation of new superstitions. Silas is initially associated with the devil and spirit worship. These suspicions are only heightened by his apparent skill with herbal remedies, his strange cataleptic fits, as well as his past home, Northard, where wizards, magic and folklore were associated. However his evident massive bereavement following the loss of his gold dispels any former rumours. Much of this superstition originates from the villagers discussions in the Rainbow, an important focus of the novel. This can be seen in the tale of Cliffs Holiday, a well known rehearsed tale. Mr Macey, the apparent head of this specific social community, describes how a tailor, known as Cliff, had tried to ride the tailor out of his son, attempting rising up the class system by making a gentleman out of his son. The story however ends with the son dying, and Cliff following him soon after. The story entails much superstition, mentioning old Harry, a euphemism for the devil, suggesting this unnatural desire to climb the class system was responsible for the death of the boy. The villagers, opposite to Cliff, are in fact very accepting of what they have been given. They feel content with what God has given them. Their pre-occupation is not to rise out of poverty but to merely co-operate with each other in order to make it bearable. This is seen in Dollys clear desire to help anyone in need, or at least to do the best she can. None of the villagers seem to complain about their conditions. They support Silas and each other. Another example of this is in Aarons desire to help Silas later on in the novel with his garden. He has no qualms about working in his spare time, he sees it as simply a decent thing to do. These sentiments would largely be a result of his mother, Dolly, and the way she brought him up. The meetings in the Rainbow are an important aspect of the social nature of Raveloe. Like going to Church, it is a social function. This religious aspect of Raveloe is alien to Silas due to his origins of the non-conformist Lantern Yard. He knows nothing of churches, only chapels. This complete lack of knowledge somewhat isolates him from the community; he does not go to church. However Dolly, is adamant that Eppie shall be brought up in the Raveloe faith and at the same time, introduces Silas back into religion. Both the working class are present in such functions as well as the gentry. The gentry are represented by the Cass family. The squire sees himself above the other members of the community, only becoming involved with them at festive, social occasions, such as the new-year party at the Red House. They are differentiated from the poor and, unlike Dolly, Mr Macey or any other members of the lower class community, represent little more than themselves. The Cass family are one of the villagers topics of discussion. They perceptively see the faults of the upper class just as they see faults in the lower classes. They take a specific disliking to Dunstan, due to his lack of respect of anyone, especially those below him. Godfrey is also seen as weak, Mr Macey describing him as a slack baked pie, commenting on his moral flaws. The primitive but nevertheless logical philosophy of, those who do well are rewarded while those who dont suffer, is apparently proven in both cases. Dunstan ends up dying due his greed, while, although it is unknown to them, because of his rejection of Eppie, Godfrey is seemingly punished by Nancy being unable to conceive. Silas innocence on the other hand, is eventually rewarded. He is blessed with Eppie, who changes his life. These conclusions follow the villagers moral code, maintaining justice. Categorically speaking, the village has a variety of overall attributes and a predictable nature so therefore can be described as a character. Furthermore, being the main focus of the novel, we can go on to suggest it is the main character. We are more aware of the values and nature of Raveloe as a whole than any specific character even Silas. All the main events of the novel are shaped by the village. Each personality of each character represents a different aspect of the village as a whole. These individual characters amount to create one, main character which dictates the narrative and plot of the novel. Elliots concentration on her depictions of the village, indicate that she desired it to be the main focus. Obviously Silas is important, however, it is the events that unfold around him in Raveloe that really influence the direction of the novel.

Social Constructivism and the Cold War

Social Constructivism and the Cold War Introduction This essay will answer the question on how the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has changed its operations to tackle with the changing world landscape, especially after the end of the Cold War, by holding the concept from Constructivism (Social Constructivism) as a key theoretical framework. Generally, Constructivism is a social theory which is concerned about the relationship and process between agents and structures (Barnett, 2008; Jackson Sorensen, 2007). Therefore, the essay will argue that, in response to the shifts in world politics, the UNSC (noted as an actor) accordingly has changed its operations by constructing norms or so called, international norms, (noted as a structure), in collaboration with other actors, as preconditions in order to be legitimizing and supportive tools for any changing operations. To develop my argument, the essay will be structured into three sections. Firstly, the background of the question, the snapshot of the shifts in world politics and t he main objective of UNSC including its operations will be provided briefly in the first section as a platform for the analytical section. In the second part, the ideas of Constructivism which will be taken into account for the explanation of how the UNSC has changed its tasks, especially with the Finnemore and Sikkinks concept of the life-cycle of norms (1998, pp. 894-905), will be elaborated here. The third section will follow up by using the case study of humanitarian intervention as one of the UNSCs contemporary operations to demonstrate the insights provided by the Constructivists framework. The Shifts in World Politics and the UNSCs Operations When or which period can be defined as a turning point of the shifts in world politics is the first question I have to address in order to make the argument clearer in terms of period of time. To do so in this essay, I will take opinions of many political scientists (Taylor Curtis, 2008; Weiss Daws, 2007) who have commonly spotted the turning point of the changes in world politics to the end of the Cold War. Then, what are the changes of the UNSCs operations correlating with the changes in world politics will be explained in a snapshot here. After the end of the World War II, the United Nations (UN) and The UNSC were established in 1945. The UNSC was reinvented not only to solve the problems of the League of Nations Council but also intentionally to maintain international peace and security as the main responsibility (Taylor Curtis, 2008, p. 315). That is the goal the UNSC has not changed until nowadays even though its operations have changed significantly after the end of the Cold War. During the Cold War period, which Realists had seen as the bipolar system, the world addressed themselves to issues and problems regarding with state-centric notion. The role of sovereignty and the principle of self-determination had been actively mobilized throughout the world. Therefore, most of issues and operations of the UNSC at that time totally related to those ideas. The operation about decolonization and inter-state conflicts are explicit examples. Cameron R. Hume (2004, p. 607) also reiterated that the era of decolonization was coincident with the Cold War. Additionally, the Cold War thwarted the functioning of the UNSC, especially with the vetoes of the two majors (Taylor Curtis, 2008, p. 319). The veto game between the US and the USSR produced an inefficiency of the UNSCs function particularly on the use of force in relevant to Chapter VII (Ibid.). There were a few cases that the Council passed the resolution to call up the use of force and the first one has to wait until 1966 in the case of Rhodesia (Boyd, 1971, p. 223). These are the situation in brief before the end of the Cold War. After the end of the Cold War, world politics has shifted precisely out of the state-centric debates and issues as stated. It is the beginning of the decrease of the role of state sovereignty in many ways. As same as Weiss Daws (2007), they concluded that even there is no refusal about the sacred of borders in international relations but their importance is less than in 1945. Reversely, the world stage has welcomed some trends ignoring to the notion of state sovereignty, which also affected to the role of the UNSC and its operations. According to Hume (2004, pp. 609-610), there are three important trends in the world politics that have been changing the work of the UNSC since the early 1990s. Firstly, regarding the type of conflict, there was a shift from the inter-state conflicts to intra-state conflicts, and leading to the problem of failing states. The second trend is the more regional initiatives and cooperation and their role to resolve conflicts within particular regions. And the last one is the arrival of transnational issues such as environmental issues, climate change, and terrorism. In the aspect of the UN Secretary-Generals High-level Panel on Threats, Challenges and Change, there are six categories of the new emerging threats in world affairs: the economics and social threats such as poverty and climate change; inter-state conflict; intra-state conflict such as civil war; nuclear, radiological, chemical and biological weapons; terrorism; and transnational organized crime (The Secretary-Generals High-level Panel on Threats, Challenges and Change, 2004). From all above mentioned changes, it can be conceptualized into one grand trend emerging after the collapse of the Cold War. It is the individual consciousness or so-called, the humanitarian impulse, (Weiss, The Humanitarian Impulse, 2004). In accordance to Weiss (2004, pp. 48-49) and David M. Malone (Security Council, 2007), the dominance of the humanitarian impulse has changed the decision-making p rocess of the UNSC since the end of the Cold War. Also, the range of its operations has to take increasingly the relevance of humanitarian values and individual consciousness into account. To be specific, it appears that human rights are no longer likely to disappear from the Councils radar screen anytime soon (Weschler, 2004, p. 67). To sum up, it is the shift of world politics from state-centric notion to individual consciousness or humanitarian notion. Consequently, the UNSC must change many of its operations accordingly to tackle this main shift which particularly by taking into account the notion of humanitarianism. However, my argument is to answer the question of how its operations has changed by applying the Constructivists ideas which logically can be applied and generalized to those of many changing operations. Therefore, I firstly will ignore the question of what those changing operations look like, when and where the changing occurs. Secondly, I will focus only on the UNSCs operation on the use of force, not all its operations. Lastly, I will use humanitarian intervention, as one of the operation on the use of force, to be my case study because it is emerged directly in response to humanitarian impulse (Weiss, The Humanitarian Impulse, 2004). Theoretical Framework: Constructivism and the Life-Cycle of Norms This section will provide a brief general concept of Constructivism and the Life-Cycle of Norms as a theoretical framework of the essay. Constructivism is the school of thought that has been recently put in place more significantly in describing the international relations since the beginning of the 1980s or almost the end of the Cold War (Jackson Sorensen, 2007, p. 162). Broadly, constructivism is a social theory dealt with the relationship between actors/agents and structures. According to Michael Barnett (2008, p. 162), Constructivism in the context of international relations commonly concerns with how ideas define the international structure; how this structure shapes the identities, interests, and foreign policies of states; and how state and non-state actors reproduce or transform that structure. International structure is seen as a group of thought and ideas, including a set of norms, which has been constituted by the process of intersubjective awareness among actors at speci fic time and place (Jackson Sorensen, 2007). Together with, Constructivism emphasized on the process of understanding things or actions and assigning meaning to them (Ibid.). Besides, Constructivists also mentioned about the concept of social construction of reality which is the operation to produce social facts such as norms. Social facts will be constructed by human agreement and at the same time will provide the legitimization of those facts like some universal norms such as jus in bello (Barnett, Social Constructivism, 2008). Then, these social facts can also constrain and shape the behavior of actors. Noticeably, the main characteristic of Constructivism is a cyclical process. This is similar to Finnemore and Sikkinks (1998) concept of the Life-Cycle of Norm which is a theoretical tool to explain in the later section how the UNSC has changed its operation as argued before. This concept explained how norm as a structure is institutionalised or internationalized before diffusing and constraining actors behaviour which reversely can affect to the status of such norm in terms of reproducing, reforming or even constructing new norm. This cycle consists of three stages; norm emergence, norm cascade and norm internalization. In order to make clearer understanding of this concept in conjunction with the argument, I will give details of each stage in parallel with the case study of humanitarian intervention in the last following section. Case Study: Humanitarian Intervention However, before taking the concept of the Life-Cycle of Norm in hand to explain and analyze how the UNSC has changed its operations by using the case study of humanitarian intervention, the very brief background of the UNSCs operations on the use of force should be described here. In reference to UN Charter, there are only two legally-accepted categories for the use of force as an operation of the UNSC; self-defence and authorization by the UNSC relating to Chapter VII (Roberts, 2004). Nevertheless, after the end of the Cold War, there are two more emerging doctrines of the use of force which importantly differ from the two traditional and legal ones. Both debated doctrines are humanitarian intervention and preemtive measures against emerging threats. These two new doctrines not only were seen as the challenge to principles of state sovereignty and non-intervention in Article 2(4) of the UN Chater (Ibid.) but also unavoidably as pending-to-be new operations of the UNSC. Later on, I w ill apply the concept of the Life-Cycle of Norm in details to explain the process that the UNSC constructs a norm as a precondition in order to legitimize humanitarian interventionas as as its new operation. Now, bringing back the Life-Cycle of Norm concept, the first stage, Norm emergence, is the stage that the norm entrepreneurs try to convince flock of actors to welcome their new norms until reaching the critical or tipping point (Finnemore Sikkink, 1998). Normally, at the first period, there will be a nature of competition between norms including the old and the other new ones. The entrepreneurs can be state, non-state actor, individual or international organizations and they need launching platforms to start promoting their norms which usually are international organizations (Finnemore Sikkink, 1998). At this point, according to Finnemore (Finnemore M. , 1993), she reiterated that international organizations are able to be tools to promote and diseminate emerging norms. Besides, in terms of methods, the entrepreneurs will use many ways such as speeches, conferences, and advertisements to promote the new way of thinking about and understanding issues or new norms. Considering the c ase of humanitarian intervention which has been brought into the focus of world community since the end of the Cold War, we can see the process of norm emergence from the following details. In terms of the constellation of emerging norms, there were many competing meaning and debates about humanitarian intervention in the UNSC and outsides like Joanna Weschler (2004, p. 66) mentioned that the attitude of the UNSC regarding to humanitarian intervention has been spasmodic which is covered with series of progress and decline. For instance, as identified by Ramesh Thakur (2007, p. 388), humanitarian Intervention is the use of military force on the territory of a state without its consent with the goal of protecting innocent victims of large-scale atrocities. On the contrary, humanitarian Intervention has been criticized by the Realists as a legitimization of new interventionist norms of Western states and for serving their benefits from the intervention (Chandler, 2004). Also, some of t raditional security analysts may argue about the intervention, especially in Bosnia and Kosovo, since the end of the Cold War that such actions were aimed to protect the credibility of NATO and its presence in Europe. However, in the eyes of Constructivists, it is the ignorance of the occurance of humanitarian value as a constructed interest of actors like states (Glanville, 2006, p. 163). Moreover, according to the report of the International Commission on Intervention and State Sovereignty (ICISS), invented by Canadian Government, it proposed another competing idea which is called, the responsibility to protect, into the discussion in The UN and the UNSC and now has been accepted by the General Assembly during the 2005 World Summit (Glanville, 2006). Then, in terms of who are norm entreprenours and their strategies, the key entreprenour for promote the issue of humanitarian intervention are international organizations like the UNSC itself and the UN. Alike the ICISS concluded that the most suitable organ to authorize intervention in the case of immense human rights violations is the UNSC (Weschler, 2004, p. 66). However, there are not only the UNSC as an organizations in the construction of norm but also individuals, states, public and media which has been collaboratively promoting humanitarian intervention to be constructed as a new norm. Individually, the role of the UN Secretary-General (UNSG) is a good instance. The first UNSG after the end of the Cold War, Boutros Boutros-Ghali and his work, Agenda for Peace, written in early 1992, are examples supporting a more role of the UNSC and the UNSG in coping with armed conflict and humanitarian crisis (Weschler, 2004, p. 63). Together with, in the General Assembly on September 20, 1999, the next UNSG Kofi Annan urged international community to support the principle that massive and structured violations of human rights should not be allowed to occur and ignited the issue of humanitarian intervention (Weschler, 2004, p. 65). The state-actors which have been always supporting this norm in the UNSC are explicitly the US and the UK. Regarding to the role of public and media, in the early 1990s, it is the climax of their enthusiam for humanitarian issues. They have used a number of their sources, platforms and instruments to provide fruitful debates about not only the international right for humanitarian intervention but also the need to do it (Malone, Conclusion, 2004, p. 627). Briefly, it is clear with these empirical evidence that the norm of humanitarian intervention has emerged by the interactive process between diverse actors, with the leading of the UNSC itself. Continually, the second stage is Norm cascade. This stage there will be norm leaders who promoted their norms until gaining the most support and acceptance from other actors. The leaders will try to make other actors to adopt and imitate those norms through a process of socialization (Finnemore Sikkink, 1998). Also, the leaders or actors who are capable of socializing still can be state, non-state and international organizations. In this stage, the norm leader which is still the UNSC will try to mobilize intersubjective beliefs of the concept of humanitarian intervention among other actors by the process of socialization in order to gain human agreement; then, the idea of humanitarian intervention will be agreed to be a social fact, norm or so-called a structure. On the other hand, international organization, like the UNSC, also serves to legitimize the emerging international norms (Barnett Finnemore, 2007). So, when humanitarian intervention is constructed as a social fact, it also means that it is one of legitimized norms as well. However, at present, the UNSCs construction of humanitarian intervention to be a norm is still in this process because some are still not agree to this idea. For example, in the case of Somalia and Haiti, its legality seems to be supported by most states but in the case of Kosovo 1999, it was criticized by many states (Roberts, 2004, p. 147). Also, it can be seen from debates suc h as about the Iraq War 2003. Likewise, Adam Roberts (Roberts, 2004, p. 146) mentioned radically that all attempts since the early 1990s to legitimize humanitarian intervention have failed. In the third stage which is called, Norm internalization, norms will be automatically adopted by actors and have a quality of taken-for-granted. It is no debate on those institutionalized norms anymore and such norms will be powerful and cannot be ignored (Finnemore Sikkink, 1998). In the last stage, the UNSC will be a key player in the process of trasmitting and diffusing the norm of humanitarian intervention, if it passes the second stage in the future. Last but not least, after the third stage, the constituted norm of humanitarian intervention will legitimize the use of force with reference to humanitarian intervention and can constrain the behavior of actors like states. It is similar to what Thakur (2004) has said that the international organization can be the hub for the interplay between changing norms and constraining states behaviour. Nontheless, actors behavior and their interaction will affect cyclically to the constructed norms and restart the process from the first stag e. Conclusion Since the end of the Cold War, the traditional state-centric theme of world politics has been gradually replaced by humanitarian value and individual consciousness. The UNSC, consequently, has to change its operations to control and manage the challenges coming from that shift in world affairs. In order to make such changes accomplished, the UNSC will have to meet preconditions by inventing, promoting, cascading and internalizing international norms to legitimize those changes in its operation. Like Luke Glanville (2006, p. 162) said about humanitarian intervention that the refusal to acknowledge the role of norms will make scholar cannot explain the increment of the cases relating to humanitarian intervention after the end of the Cold War. More importantly, this process of creating norms, according to Barnett Finnemore (2007), has to incorporate the role of states, non-state actors, individuals and media in order to provide more effectiveness.

Role Of The Women Of Hamlet English Literature Essay

Role Of The Women Of Hamlet English Literature Essay The women of William Shakespeares Hamlet appear to be frail, passive figures used as pawns and dying prematurely after the mistreatment of men. However, there is more to Gertrude and Ophelia than meets the eye. Even though Hamlet is certainly not a play based on women, both female characters are more active than their vices and virtues previously lead us to believe. A closer inspection reveals that the true roles these female characters took on had purpose; these women were not as passive as they seem at first glance. Our first perception of Gertrude is  influenced by Hamlets response to learning she has married her brother-in-law after he has murdered her husband.  Hamlet shows anger and disillusionment toward her, believing that she should remain loyal to the memory of his father the king. Yet, there is no evidence that she knows of the murder Claudius has committed. It appears she has allowed herself to be seduced by Claudius, but once again there is no evidence of whether the seduction has taken place before the death of King Hamlet or afterwards. Gertrude finds herself in a position where she is conflicted by the roles different men wish her to play. She feels somewhat guilty about her sons disappointment in her, but feels that she can do nothing about the situation due to her relationship with Claudius. Claudius also has expectations of her, including his wish that she disregard Hamlet and remain loyal only to him. It could be said Gertrude is so fickle she lacks virtue, however, in Act II, scene IV, she shows motherly concern for Hamlets welfare and makes plans to speak with him in her chamber.   After Hamlet accuses her of lust, she does not make excuses for herself; she openly  admits her shortcoming.   What redeems Gertrude is her final act of loyalty to her son.   In the final act, when Claudius pours the poisoned wine, Gertrude claims thirst while reaching for the goblet.   Claudius warns her not to drink; nevertheless, she does, knowing it was poured for Hamlet, and as she dies, she tells  her son  that the drink is poison for him.   In her sacrifice of herself for her son, there is redemption for Gertrudes lust, immaturity, and fickleness.   She has now shown, not passivity, but strength and loyalty. The role of Ophelia is presented as a gentle, loyal, obedient, and young woman who is meant to be the love of Hamlets life, even though he rarely thinks of her or considers her in his plans. Most of the time Hamlet just appears to be cruel to her, as if he is just using her as a pawn, as is so when Ophelia tells her father that Hamlet appears to her to be looking and acting like a crazy man. It seems very likely he is just using Ophelia as part of his plot to get the word out that he is insane. Ophelia is an example of a perfect daughter who obeys her father without argument. Even when she is asked to reject Hamlet whom she believes is the love of her life, she responds subserviently that she will obey, and meets with Hamlet to deceive him. Polonius also uses his daughter for his own reasons, which in this case, is to spy on Hamlet. This actually becomes a turning point in the play. Hamlet reveals his complicated feelings for Ophelia as well as the depth by which he is hurt and betrayed by her. As Ophelia tries to return his gifts his feelings become evident. Hamlet becomes defensive refusing to accept the return, and responds with, I never gave you aught. He then continues to express his anger and disgust with women and humanity as he tells her, Get thee to a nunnery: why wouldst thou be a breeder of sinners? This hurts Ophelia mentally as well as physically since he has thrown her around a bit and she expresses this with her own thoughts. Oh, what a noble mind is here oerthrown. The courtiers, soldiers, scholars, eye, tongue, sword; The expectancy and rose of the fair state, The glass of fashion and the mold of form, The observed of all observers, quite, quite down! And I, of ladies most deject and wretched, That sucked the honey of his music vows, Now see that noble and most sovereign reason, Like sweet bells jangled, out of tune and harsh; That unmatchd form and feature of blown youth Blasted with ecstasy: O, woe is me, To have seen what I have seen, see what I see! Basically, Ophelia is saying, Wow, he seemed like such a wonderful guy; before his words to me were so sweet and I let myself fall for him, and now hes gone totally gone around the bend.   Ophelias perfection also becomes her downfall, unfortunately she has no voice nor does she seem to have any obvious heroine qualities; and one thing of interest that comes to mind is her lack of desire to defend herself. Even with all this being said, Ophelias life and death have a profound influence on some of the most important characters in the play, including Hamlet. Her own madness has importance in the play. It gives Ophelia the freedom to do and say what she could not before. She passes out flowers to the court and gives columbine and fennel to Claudius, this is a jab at the king since these flowers were representative of ingratitude and infidelity at the time. This is where she loses her innocence, and this loss of innocence finishes with her eventual suicide. At the time, suicide was a sin against God and people that committed suicide were not allowed a proper funeral. Ophelias innocence is somewhat preserved by allowing her a funeral even though her death was at her own hand. Looking closely, Ophelias role appears to be a precursor for Shakespeare to foreshadow future events. In her opening scene, her brother and father warn her to stop seeing Hamlet. This warning could be said to foretell her future conflict with Hamlet. At the beginning of Act II, when Ophelia rejects Hamlets advances he goes off-the-wall, there are two ways to interpret the scene, one possibility being that after Hamlet warns Horatio and Marcellus that he will put an antic disposition on he acts crazy when meeting with Ophelia to get the word out there that he is mad. Another possibility is that Hamlet was genuinely distraught by Ophelias recent rejection. Anyway you look at it these scenes with Ophelia seem to foreshadow things to come. We begin to realize also that Ophelia is not as passive of a character as originally thought. She is obviously a tool for Shakespeare, but also for Hamlet and Polonius, as the plot thickens around her. After Ophelias death Hamlet is reminded of his deep feelings for her, which had been hidden due to his obsession with vengeance and his lack of trust in women. Ophelias death also deepens Laertes need for vengeance. He already has much reason to kill Hamlet, since Hamlet had murdered his father and driven his sister mad, but Opherlias suicide is that last little push over the edge; that drives and justifies Laertes revenge. As it turns out Ophelia is the common factor that brings together Hamlet and Laertes. She is the reason for their irrational actions, and in a twist of fate, the being that brings them great emotional turmoil. None of this has she done intentionally, yet she becomes her own play within a play. Our focus on Hamlet and his sufferings are set aside, as Ophelias story shocks us when she suddenly breaks, is driven mad, and then commits suicide. To one that simply reads the play and thinks nothing more about it, these women may seem trivial. However, those taking the time to think about Gertrude and Ophelia are rewarded with the knowledge that each of these characters is woven into a role that affects and motivates a main character. They are the characters that passive, as they may seem, actually spur the men in the play to further advance the plays central action. Clearly the roles Gertrude and Ophelia take on are a contribution to the terrible events that occur in Hamlet, making for a perfect dramatic tragedy. Work CitedShakespeare, William. Hamlet, Literature and Its Writers: A Compact Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama. 4th ed. Ed. Ann Charters and Samuel Charters. Boston: Bedford/St. Martins, 2007 1252-1354.

John Steinbecks “The Chrysanthemums” Essay -- Steinbeck Chrysanthemum

John Steinbeck's â€Å"The Chrysanthemums† John Steinbeck's "The Chrysanthemums" shows the true feelings of the main character, Elisa Allen, through the use of setting and her interactions with other characters in the story. By way of vivid descriptions, Elisa's feelings of dissatisfaction over the lack of excitement in her life are portrayed. Her role as a mere housewife and then the subsequent change to feelings of a self-assured woman are clearly seen. These inner feelings are most apparent with the portrayal of Elisa working in the garden with the chrysanthemums, the conversation she has with the man passing through, and finally, when she and her husband are going out to dinner. Steinbeck's strong and somewhat manly description of Elisa while working in the garden, gives the distinct impression that she is not as weak as a stereotypical housewife would be. He writes that "Her face was lean and strong and her eyes were as clear as water. Her figure looked blocked and heavy in her gardening costume, a man's black hat pulled low down over her eyes, clodhopper shoes, a figured print dress almost completely covered by a big corduroy apron with four big pockets to hold the snips, the trowel and scratcher, the seeds and the knife she worked with." As evidenced by this excerpt you can see that she has covered up her hair with a "man's hat" and has thrown an apron over her dress in attempts to cover up her femininity. This apron also takes on a similar role as a man's tool belt as he works the land. This initial description lends to the notion that Elisa wants to be stronger as a woman, to stand beyond the stereotype of a housewife. Other phrases used by Steinbeck fu rther the above points. The author mentions that her face was "handsome," her work with the scissors was "over-powerful," and her fingers "destroyed such pests." This description shows an inner strength that Elisa possesses; yet she is unable to bring this out. She also hints to the reader that she would like to take on more masculine responsibilities after her husband Henry comments on the size and beauty of her chrysanthemums. He says that he wishes she'd work out in the orchard and "raise some apples that big." She reacts to this by saying "Maybe I could do it too. I've got a gift with things, all right. My mother had it. She could stick anything in the ground and make it grow.† All of these de... ...sion of Steinbeck's short story, Steinbeck has her fall right back into the rut she so despised. She comes back to reality and "turned up her coat collar so he could not see that she was crying weakly-like an old woman."   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Elisa’s inner feelings are most apparent with the portrayal of her working in the garden, the conversation she has with the â€Å"Fixer-Guy†, and finally, when she and her husband are going out to dinner. Steinbeck offers an array of different details concerning the character of Elisa Allen. The main detail being that she is a strong woman on the inside although she seems to struggle in showing it throughout the story. Because of the "Pot Fixer," she is able to act, although for a short time, like that strong woman. Steinbeck unfortunately brings Elisa full-circle, back to where she started. She notices on the way to dinner her chrysanthemum sprouts at the roadside. This, along with her husband’s hesitation to allow her curiosity, puts her back where she started, canceling her emergence. One must ask after reading this short story if Elisa will continue this discontented lifestyle. Or will she be able to blossom beautifully for good, as do her chrysanthemums?

The World Doesn’t Need Religion :: Free Argumentative Essays

The World Doesn’t Need Religion Religion has screwed us up for a long time and we'd be better off without it. By "us" I mean Americans living in the 21st century. Without religions we would have fewer labels separating us from each other and we wouldn't hate Jews or Catholics or Muslims. If we didn't have religions, we wouldn't have to convert anyone or "save" anyone. If we didn't have religions, people could no longer get caught up in the fine lines of religious rightousness or be trapped in a double-standard morality. And most importantly, we would be truly free of religious engendered guilt that never quite goes away. In America, people are less tolerant than before and words like Jew, Muslim, and Christian set us off and make us mad because we connect these labels with violence and war. We are planning to attack the "axis of evil" and in giving Iraq this label, we assume a moral duty on our part and the devil on theirs. There is no simple answer to the problems in the Middle East which are daily getting more and more out of control. But adding quasi-religious labels pushes us farther apart and increases the tension and opposition on all sides. I grew up in a Catholic family and went to Catholic grade school and high school and I don't regret it. It was an interesting experience and surely formed a great part of my character. But looking back, I see that the system of organized religion is rigged and the deck is stacked more in favor of the church than it is in favor of the faithful. Consider for a moment the Christian need to convert and save people, two more activities that could be done away with if we didn't have religion. Converting more followers keeps the organized religion afloat and promising salvation is the hook that gets people's attention. No one knows what happens after death. But some religions offer a promise of heaven or hell and, like children, we willing believe in this fantastic fairy tale. On another note, the church introduces us to the concept of guilt and tells us we are guilty even before we are born. This is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard. Nontheless, if we find God, or Jesus, or convert, or confess before we die, we're saved.

College Admissions Essays: An Influential Person or Event :: College Admissions Essays

An influential Person/event It seemed like it would make her die, just speaking it. So I didn't tell anyone, not even my best friends. At school I would slip into a fantastical dreamland, nobody there knew that I should be troubled, pensive. I put on my best front and paraded around the school halls with some sort of smile plastered on my face. At lunchtime I'd stare at my food thinking that my friends should know. I thought of a million different ways to tell them. Each time that I came close to telling them, I would think about their potential reactions. There would be the normal lunchtime banter going on, complaints about the ranch dressing, and I would blurt out, "Hey guys, my mom has breast cancer." The whole cafeteria would turn silent and the plastic forks would drop from their hands, making a sad little clinking noise. Then I would stare at my food mentally kicking myself for having opened my mouth. I chose to say nothing. I remember very clearly the day that I went to go sit with her while she got her chemotherapy. I only did this once because it was too hard for me. I walked down an overly-lit sterile hallway trailing behind my dad. When we reached her room I wished that I could just keep walking, pretend I hadn't seen her. I went in and sat down. Her shirt was partially unbuttoned so that the IV could be inserted into the porto-cath surgically implanted under her collarbone. She was hooked up to three different kinds of poisons, and one normal IV. There were some knitting things spread across her lap and the ever present bag of lemon drops was faithfully at her side. Her head was laid back in the chair, she was tired. She and my dad tried to involve me in some nice chit-chat, I met and shook hands with the doctors and nurses, "It's nice to meet you Dr. McCoy." Yeah right. They complimented her on what a beautiful daughter she had. I blushed, smiled politely then excused myself to the bathroom. I wiped away my forming tears and gave myself a mental pep talk to be cheery. As long as I didn't look at her tired eyes I was OK. Half an hour later, she was done and we got to go home. College Admissions Essays: An Influential Person or Event :: College Admissions Essays An influential Person/event It seemed like it would make her die, just speaking it. So I didn't tell anyone, not even my best friends. At school I would slip into a fantastical dreamland, nobody there knew that I should be troubled, pensive. I put on my best front and paraded around the school halls with some sort of smile plastered on my face. At lunchtime I'd stare at my food thinking that my friends should know. I thought of a million different ways to tell them. Each time that I came close to telling them, I would think about their potential reactions. There would be the normal lunchtime banter going on, complaints about the ranch dressing, and I would blurt out, "Hey guys, my mom has breast cancer." The whole cafeteria would turn silent and the plastic forks would drop from their hands, making a sad little clinking noise. Then I would stare at my food mentally kicking myself for having opened my mouth. I chose to say nothing. I remember very clearly the day that I went to go sit with her while she got her chemotherapy. I only did this once because it was too hard for me. I walked down an overly-lit sterile hallway trailing behind my dad. When we reached her room I wished that I could just keep walking, pretend I hadn't seen her. I went in and sat down. Her shirt was partially unbuttoned so that the IV could be inserted into the porto-cath surgically implanted under her collarbone. She was hooked up to three different kinds of poisons, and one normal IV. There were some knitting things spread across her lap and the ever present bag of lemon drops was faithfully at her side. Her head was laid back in the chair, she was tired. She and my dad tried to involve me in some nice chit-chat, I met and shook hands with the doctors and nurses, "It's nice to meet you Dr. McCoy." Yeah right. They complimented her on what a beautiful daughter she had. I blushed, smiled politely then excused myself to the bathroom. I wiped away my forming tears and gave myself a mental pep talk to be cheery. As long as I didn't look at her tired eyes I was OK. Half an hour later, she was done and we got to go home.

Vertical Boundaries

Chapter 10: Vertical boundaries Chapter 10: Vertical boundaries Aim of the chapter To understand the factors that influence the ways in which transactions on a vertical chain (value chain) should be/are located on the market–organisation continuum. Learning objectives On completion of this chapter and the essential reading, you should have a good understanding of the following terms and concepts: †¢ transaction cost economics †¢ strategic calculation. Essential reading Buchanan, D. and A. Huczynski Organizational behaviour: an introductory text. (London: Prentice Hall, 2008) Chapter 18. Douma, S. nd H. Schreuder Economic approaches to organisations. (London: Prentice Hall, 2008). Further reading Besanko, D. , D. Dranove and M. Shanley Economics of strategy. (New York: Wiley, 1996). Coase, R. H. ‘The problem of social cost’, Journal of Law and Economics 3 1960, pp. 1–44. Grossman, S. and O. Hart ‘The costs and benefits of ownership: a theory of vertical and lateral integration’, Journal of Political Economy 94(4) 1986, pp. 691–719. Williamson, O. E. ‘The economics of organization: the transaction cost approach’, American Journal of Sociology 87(3) 1981, pp. 548–77. 10. 1 IntroductionAs noted in Chapter 1, we may regard the basic unit in organisational analysis as an exchange or transaction generated in the division of labour. The division of labour (exogenous/endogenous – Chapter 3) creates value or vertical chains; for example as shown in Figure 10. 1(a) running from crude oil extraction to the retailing of petroleum products. We now operate at the level of organisations or firms (recognising that at a greater level of disaggregation the points in the chain are also based on chains of the division of labour) and pose the question as to where their boundaries should be located on the value chain.In fact the picture is usually more complex than the one depicted in Figure 10. 1(a). Activities usually depend on inputs at all points down the vertical chain, as depicted in Figure 10. 1(b). So organisations or market exchanges could control and coordinate each of these transactions. Furthermore, some of these inputs may be common to the points on the main chain (see Appendix 1. 2 in this guide), like accounting services, in which case the picture looks more like Figure 10. 1(c). Note the use of di-graphs once again. 91 Organisation theory: an interdisciplinary approach a) Oil extraction Refining Retailing †¢ (b) Shipping or pipe †¢ †¢ †¢ Distribution †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ (c) †¢ †¢ †¢ Accounting †¢ Figure 10. 1 †¢ †¢ †¢ In general we are asking the question as to whether a particular transaction should be internalised (make) or left in the market (buy), as depicted in Figure 10. 2; that is, whether a point on the chain should be a department/ function or division or remain independent. For the momen t we restrict our attention to this simple choice rather than the more elaborate positioning on the market–organisation continuum.We shall return to the more elaborate issue later on. †¢ †¢ Market (Price mechanism) Figure 10. 2 Start by asking what the benefits and costs of using the market might be. The benefits could include the following: †¢ Independent firms may be able to reap the benefits of economies of scale (i. e. operate at an output that minimises unit costs) whereas internal departments may not. Unless the firm itself can absorb all the efficient output of the department, it must either operate below the optimal output level or sell on to another firm.This might compromise any information advantages of the purchasing firm (see below). †¢ Independent firms are more subject to market disciplines than departments and may hold down costs they can control more effectively. Costs may be difficult to identify in departments. Firms might, though, attem pt to replicate market incentives inside organisations. Tapered integration refers to a situation where a firm is supplied partially by an independent firm and partially by its own department. This allows their relative cost structures to be compared. Independent firms (i. e. their managers) may have stronger incentives to innovate when compared with managers of departments. †¢ †¢ Organisation †¢ 92 Chapter 10: Vertical boundaries The costs of using the market might include the following: †¢ Private information may be leaked to independent firms – particularly if there is a need to share technical information. †¢ The focal firm becomes to a degree dependent upon an independent supplier (depending upon switching costs).Thus the latter has a power resource (see Chapter 6) and may use it to hold up the focal firm. It may prove difficult to control and co-ordinate flows of goods and services down a vertical chain of independent firms. This may be particul arly so where there is a need to fit the products closely. ‘Just-intime’ methods seek to overcome this problem and permit independent firms often with long-term relational contracts (see below). The way most economists (following Coase and Williamson) think about the choice between a market and organisational exchange/transaction is entirely predictable – choose the arrangement that minimises costs. The innovation here is to ntroduce the idea of transaction costs – the costs involved in making (controlling and co-ordinating) the transaction. They are sometimes referred to as agency costs, and agency efficiency is found where they are minimised.So, if both production costs (which relate to technical efficiency) and transaction costs vary between organisational transactions and market transactions, then the total costs should be minimised. Activity Now read Sections 8. 1 and 8. 2 in D and S. If you would like to read a slightly more comprehensive economic ap proach to vertical integration, then read Besanko et al. 1996). In a world of fully informed, rational actors where contracting is complete, there are no transaction costs and the choice between market and organisational exchange is of no consequence (at least as conceived within this framework) unless production costs vary (which, again, they should not under the same assumptions). It is because we relax both the assumptions of full rationality and full information in the context of ‘real markets’ that transaction costs arise and the choice between market and organisational transaction is pertinent.Transaction costs theory is used both in a normative and positive sense. The new assumptions are as follows: †¢ Individual bounded rationality: people are intentionally rational but limitedly so. Individuals are neither able to make very complex calculations nor to assimilate large amounts of information. As you might expect, sociologists tend to like this assumption; t hey see it as more realistic than the full assumptions of rationality. †¢ Opportunism: individuals are not only self-interested but behave with guile.For example, in the context of game theory, individuals will issue promises which are not credible, make use of asymmetric information and they cannot be trusted. †¢ Contracting about transactions is incomplete because of inherent uncertainty and incomplete information. †¢ Contracting can thus lead to ex ante opportunism (namely, adverse selection) and ex post opportunism (namely, moral hazard). †¢ These hazards will be exacerbated to the degree that there is little choice of transacting partners and therefore reputations (see Chapter 7) in respect of third parties will not constrain opportunism – small numbers exchange. 3 Organisation theory: an interdisciplinary approach †¢ Anticipated repeated interaction will make reputations important to both parties but if in the process there is learning by doing, it is then costly to later switch exchange partner. Williamson (1981) calls this the ‘fundamental transformation’ – it ties the parties into the relationship. †¢ Williamson also observes that parties to a transaction might have a preference for a certain type of transaction in addition to the costs and benefits. He calls this ‘atmosphere’. In effect Williamson is introducing wider motives/utilities.Although the vocabulary introduced by Williamson is rather daunting at first sight, it has the advantage that it should link your thoughts into many of the ideas you have already encountered. Activity Think of transactions as a prisoner’s dilemma or trust game. Both parties would like to contract to achieve Pareto efficiency but each is wary of the other and in the absence of some mechanism to offset this wariness, the exchange does not materialise – the Nash equilibrium. So what mechanisms are available? You should be able to list the mechanisms.They can be derived as follows. Competitive market – the price as a sufficient statistic; here the prisoner’s dilemma does not model the situation. Organisation – three possible mechanisms which can produce the Pareto-efficient outcome rather than the Nash equilibrium are: 1. Authority and power. 2. Trust (cultural mechanisms). 3. Repeated transaction and reputation effects. As we have seen in earlier chapters, alongside monitoring and employment contracts (incentives), we expect organisations to avail themselves of a mixture of these mechanisms.But note, if we think in terms of ‘real markets’ rather than the ideal type of perfect markets, then the price mechanism is not sufficient and perhaps these mechanisms might also apply at different positions on the market–organisation continuum. We shall return to these matters later. Transaction cost economics embraces not only an unorthodox model of the individual but characterises aspect s (‘dimensions’, to use D and S’s terminology) of transactions that impact upon the transaction costs.Activity Now read Section 8. 3 in D and S. The argument is that asset specificity (sometimes called ‘relation-specific assets’), uncertainty/complexity and frequency of exchange all increase the likelihood that a transaction will be placed (governed) inside an organisation (that is, make) rather than left to the market (that is, buy). Asset specificity comes in different forms: †¢ site specificity – adjacent sites, usually to economise on transport and communication costs †¢ physical asset specificity – e. g. pipeline delivering crude oil †¢ dedicated assets – assets of a particular buyer dedicated to a particular relationship †¢ human asset specificity – skills dedicated to a particular relationship which would be less valuable elsewhere. 94 Chapter 10: Vertical boundaries So we now have a predictive t heory about vertical integration and, incidentally, contracting out. By and large, empirical evidence has supported transaction cost theory – particularly the impact of complexity in the context of uncertainty – though one should bear in mind what Williamson terms ‘atmosphere’.If there are widespread specific preferences – for instance, managers might prefer the power implied by organisation – this would complicate the picture. Furthermore, other factors might influence the choice between market and organisation. Regulation and taxation can confer advantages in deciding where profits are generated. For instance, taxation might favour small firms, and firms operating across different national tax regimes may find it an advantage to contract out. An organisation might vertically integrate to gain a monopoly or acquire information or to limit the flow of information to competitors (see below).Given all these possibilities, it is perhaps surprisi ng that such strong empirical support for transaction cost theory is found. Appendix 10. 1 in this guide gives a slightly more formal approach to Williamson’s reasoning. The transaction costs approach still leaves open two questions: 1. Will the integration, if appropriate, be backwards or forwards? 2. What type of organisation – e. g. centralised or decentralised hierarchy? (I leave an answer to this question to Chapter 12. ) An extension of transaction costs theory called property rights theory (which is not covered in D and S) provides an answer to the first question.When a transaction is internalised within an organisation, then ownership should (note the normative word) go to the party with the greatest impact upon the post-contractual rents. Activity Although this theory falls beyond this course, you might like to read Grossman and Hart (1986). Property rights theory is essentially a theory of bargaining power. Incomplete contracts mean that residual extra-contra ctual control of assets is important. Ownership confers bargaining power over operational decisions when enforceable contracts break down.Anticipation of post-contractual hazards determines earlier investment decisions. We now need to complicate the picture by reintroducing the market–organisation continuum, as in Figure 10. 3. I use the term ‘continuum’ with a certain amount of licence as the alternative positions on it vary in a number of respects and could be reordered. The continuum runs from perfect competition, at one end, to integration or organisation, at the other. The question now is: where should a transaction be placed on the continuum?Before answering this, let us look at what B and H have to say about the issues we have been discussing. 95 Organisation theory: an interdisciplinary approach Spot markets (perfect competition) Real markets Bargaining Franchising Long term contracts (network organisations) Tapered organisations Virtual organisations All iances Joint venture Monopoly (small numbers) Externalities Asymmetric information Fixed cost (risk to supplier) Risk sharing Cost plus (risk to buyer) Decentralised Integration (up/down) organisation Figure 10. Activity Now read Chapter 18 in B and H. Again, this chapter in B and H is extremely detailed; you need to master the main ideas running down the left-hand margin. None of them is inconsistent with anything you have learned from D and S; though note that the definition of vertical integration is in fact backwards vertical integration. Table 16. 3 in B and H gives a good overview of what I have termed the organisation–market continuum. So let us now return to the continuum – see Figure 10. 3 – keeping the rich descriptions in B and H’s chapter in mind.First, look at what I have termed ‘real markets’. Here we recognise that in the real world the market environment is often far from perfectly competitive. If the transaction is left to th e price mechanism, then various market distortions may undermine the price as a sufficient statistic. If, for instance, a supplier holds a monopoly, then backwards vertical integration may look attractive to a buyer. Likewise, a buyer might be tempted to vertically integrate backwards in order to acquire information or to reap benefits of vertical synergies (externalities).Long-term contracts (which will inevitably be incomplete) enable organisations to engage in a protracted relationship. They often occur between buyers and suppliers in a vertical chain. D and S introduced the idea of ‘relational contracting’ (an equivalent term). Remember, whenever you think in terms of contracts you need to think of the incentive, risksharing and information aspects. Fixed-term contracts put the risk of, say, increases in input prices to the supplier on the supplier’s back. Cost plus contracts reverse the situation. Between these two extremes, risk-sharing contracts can be des igned.If the buyer and supplier have differing risk preferences then, other things being equal, an optimal contract can be found. Network and virtual organisations (see B and H) are usually based upon long-term relational contracts, as are alliances. Joint ventures imply equity contribution from both the supplier and buyer. Centralised 96 Chapter 10: Vertical boundaries So the question now is: where should a particular exogenously generated (by the division of labour) transaction be placed on the market–organisation continuum? (The normative question. Alternatively, where is it placed and why? (The positive questions. ) Transaction cost economics claims to be both normative and positive and answers both questions – minimise transaction and production costs! But as we have seen, this is only part of the story. Activity Now read Section 9. 8 in D and S. In summary, the choice of the position of any vertical transaction on the market–organisation continuum may be s haped by: †¢ economies of scale †¢ anticipated information leakage †¢ acquiring information †¢ transaction costs †¢ residual property rights †¢ market imperfections †¢ regulation.But how are these various strands to be woven together? Unfortunately there is, as far as I am aware, no embracing theory. B and H introduce you to the concept of corporate strategy and to what many organisation theorists term strategic choice. Although the idea that organisational arrangements designed to control and co-ordinate activities are a matter of choice was first introduced by sociologists in reaction to an earlier tradition that spoke of ‘determinism’ – often technological determinism – we can now see this as an unhelpful distinction.Economists will always speak of choice where changing technology might either enhance or restrict the opportunity set which rational decision-takers face. We might then like to think of technological deter minism when for whatever reason, the opportunity comprises a single option. I encourage you to think in these terms even if you want to question the restrictive notion of rationality (see Chapter 1). Activity Now read Chapter 9, particularly Sections 9. 1–9. 7, in D and S. Sections 9. 1 to 9. 6 of D and S cover issues of strategic planning that impinge upon organisation theory but are more often encountered in courses on management theory.You will benefit from reading them but they are not central to this unit. The central idea in management theory concerns the sources of what is termed sustained competitive advantage (SCA). Why do some firms/organisations manage to sustain a better performance than their competitors, while operating in the same markets? Statistics tend to suggest that this is a common experience in many markets. Firms often earn above-average returns (loosely rents) on their assets over relatively extended periods of time. The assumption is that they have so me characteristics (but which? that their competitors find it difficult to replicate or improve upon, at least during the time in which the advantage is sustained. From an organisational theory point of view the question to ask is – are there ways of organising which can confer SCA? Notice that when an organisation possesses a competitive advantage, for whatever reason, then this implies that perfect competition is not operating. In so far as those running organisations seek SCA, they are trying to undermine 97 Organisation theory: an interdisciplinary approach competitive forces.The early sections of D and S’s chapter show how game theory is an indispensable tool in studying competitive strategies. 10. 2 Vertical contracting and strategic choice Consider a transaction between B and S, as in Figure 10. 4. The problem is to design a contractual relationship to gain any possible rents. In terms of competitive advantage this amounts to placing the transaction on the marke t–organisation continuum more effectively than the competition. Assume that there is need for relation-specific assets and a complete contract cannot be signed because of inherent uncertainties.Suppose now that B would like to persuade S to make the relation-specific investment. S’s ex ante problem is that in the absence of trust and credible promises, s/he anticipates that, once the investment is made, B will take advantage of the situation. S anticipates that B will always be able, once the contract is entered into, to find contingencies not covered by the contract. By making the investment, S in effect confers bargaining power upon B – who may even use this power to renegotiate the original contract (attempt to reduce the price of the good or service exchanged).S will then anticipate these moral hazards and accordingly not invest; the transaction will fail and both S and B will be less well off than they could be. Thinking in terms of the (for the moment, one -shot) prisoner’s dilemma, S and B find a Nash equilibrium rather than the Pareto-efficient outcome. So what can be done to achieve the Pareto superior outcome? S Figure 10. 4 B Some possibilities (neither exclusive nor exhaustive) are: †¢ B makes the relation-specific investment (but then B confers bargaining power to S) †¢ B nd S make a joint investment – an alliance or joint venture †¢ S continues to make the investment but enters into a long-term contract with B (note that relation-specific investments tend to imply long-term relationships in the first place) †¢ forward or backward integration (here non-market incentives/ monitoring/authority/power/culture achieve the move from the Nash equilibrium to the Pareto outcome). But let us continue to assume that B wants to find a non-integration solution and still to encourage S to make the costly upfront relation-specific investment.S/he might do this in the recognition that S, as an independent orga nisation, may be relatively small, flexible and focused. S, furthermore, may be driven by a more entrepreneurial spirit than if it were to be a division or department in B’s ‘bureaucracy’. An independent S may be more innovative. Also small organisations tend to have lower labour costs (production costs). If so, then both S and B can benefit. The strategic problem is whether or not the transaction costs (ex ante and ex post) can be kept down while reaping these potential advantages.To offset S’s anticipated moral hazard problems, B needs to search for ways of reducing her/his own and increasing S’s relative bargaining power. To the degree that this proves possible, the strategy will offset S’s anticipated moral hazards. B needs to make her/himself more dependent upon S before the contract is signed. One notable way s/he can secure this is to decentralise some design and innovation responsibilities to S. B now becomes partially dependent 98 Ch apter 10: Vertical boundaries upon S. Furthermore, B can commit not only to a long-term contract but also to relatively unconditional contract renewal.These strategies do of course put B at some risk. But since we are thinking in terms of incentives to transact, you should by now recognise that risk-sharing is another aspect of the possible contracts between S and B that can be subjected to strategic reasoning. Not unreasonably, I think, assume that S is risk-averse and B is risk-neutral. So S will accept a reduction in rent in order to reduce his/her risk and, relatively speaking, B will be prepared to shoulder more risk. So, a risksharing, long-term contract can conceivably lead to a Pareto improvement. Think in terms of post-contractual price negotiation.With a fixed-cost contract any increase in S’s costs will have to be borne by S. S will be reluctant to sign such a contract. With a cost-plus contract, on the other hand, B will bear all the risks of S’s cost incre ases. Furthermore, S will have no incentives to hold costs down nor, perhaps more importantly, to innovate in order to reduce costs. Clearly, B wants S both to innovate and, where possible, to hold down costs. It is not in B’s interests to take the risk from S and undermine these incentives. How can s/he provide appropriate incentives while reducing S’s risks and in so doing make the contract interesting to S?What B needs to do is to accept those risks of cost increases which S cannot control while making S responsible for those s/he can control – a tricky business. B needs to know the nature of S’s cost structure (an information problem – no problem with full information but with information asymmetry it is another story) before s/he can achieve this. Of course, integration might dispel this problem but then we encounter the bureaucratic losses mentioned above. What can B do? Go back to your principal–agent model (see Chapter 4). We can reg ard B as a principal and S as an agent.P (B) can acquire information by having more than one agent (S) operating in the same environment (in practice this is not easy). This is called multiple sourcing. It could be achieved by either multiple external sourcing or having an in-house comparator (tapered sourcing). But, of course, one needs to ask whether B’s sourcing requirements are of sufficient magnitude to reap any economies of scale across the multiple sources. If not, would it be sensible – from an information leakage point of view – to allow the sourcing organisation to sell to other organisations on the open market?If B has decentralised design to S then this might prove hazardous. As we have observed, long-term relationships (see Chapter 8) can invoke trust and reputation effects. Traditionally it was assumed that one of the advantages of integration into an organisation derives from the repeated interaction effects. B and S being in the same organisation , they repeatedly interact and, indeed, they will assume that there is a high enough probability that they will once again interact in the future. Thus prudent calculation can overcome the moral hazards in incomplete contracting.In game-theoretic terms B and S may play TFT (the folk theorem). B may also wish to protect her/his reputation for fair play. In short, an organisation can control and co-ordinate vertical relations by cultural means. However, long-term contracts with a continuation clause also produce repeated interaction (the Japanese were largely responsible, in the 1980s, for recognising this) and, thus, reputation and trust can be generated at other points on the market–organisation continuum. Cultural mechanisms can operate outside formal organisations.If B and S can trust each other not to behave opportunistically, then the advantages of S’s independence and reduced transaction costs can be realised. 99 Organisation theory: an interdisciplinary approach Finally, reverting to an extended value chain where S’s suppliers are also brought into the picture, we obtain the situation as in Figure 10. 5. †¢ †¢ R S B Price and market > †¢ > †¢ †¢ R S B Long-term contracts > †¢ > †¢ †¢ R S B Organisation span of co-ordination = 3 > †¢ > †¢ Figure 10. Should the whole chain be co-ordinated by integration (span of coordination) or perhaps co-ordinated by long-term contracts, etc.? If the latter, should B contract with S and R or should B contract with S and S with R? In either case we have examples of network organisation and even virtual organisation if the relationships are mediated by modern information technology. The strategic complexion of these sorts of organisation is little understood. Why don’t you have a go! I hope this section has given you some appreciation of how to analyse organisation choices from a genuinely strategic point of view.Much of the abo ve reasoning can be underpinned from a game-theoretic standpoint. This further supports my earlier contention that modern organisation theory often requires a knowledge of strategic thinking and game theory. A reminder of your learning outcomes On completion of this chapter and the essential reading, you should have a good understanding of the following terms and concepts: transaction cost economics strategic calculation. Sample examination question 1. Explain why a transaction should be placed in a market or an organisation. 100