Analects of Confucius – Analects of Life

Analects of life As â€Å"the greatest single force† in a fifth of the worlds population, Kong Fuzi or Confucius, spread his intelligence on philosophies to try and better the world (pg. 4). The Analects of Confucius is a book that essentially supplies the people of the west with the Chinese code of life in the words of Kong Fuzi. His words and beliefs helped shape Chinese civilization and spread father throughout the west, making Confucius one of the most profound scholars in western history. The book The Analects of Confucius written by Chichung Huang is a translation of the word of the words and beliefs of Confucius.The book focuses on many different themes of life in Chinese culture. Filial piety and good behavior are two major themes in the book that go hand in hand. Family is an extremely important part of Chinese culture. Relationships, loyalty and the institution of family as a whole is one of the highest points of significance of society and in china and throughout th e west family bonds are very sacred and respected. In this culture and throughout The Analects there was especially a great influence and demonstration of a â€Å"son’s love for his parents† (pg. 28). Confucius wrote, â€Å"In serving your parents, be gentle in remonstration.Seeing that they are not inclined to comply, remain reverent, and do not disobey them. Though weary, do not feel resentful,† (pg. 70, 4. 18). A son’s job was to serve his parents at any moment and he was only considered filial after he served his parents in the correct ways, â€Å"When his father was alive, he observed his aspirations, when his father died, he observed his deeds. If, for three years he does not change his father’s Way, he may be said to be filial† (pg. 49, 1. 11). Filial piety was said to be the â€Å"first and foremost of all virtues,† and honoring ones family went much farther than daily life (pg. 8). There was also a big emphasis on respecting parents after they had passed away.Confucius said, â€Å"When your parents are alive, serve them in accordance with the rituals; when they die, bury them in accordance with the rituals; offer sacrifices to them in accordance with the rituals† (pg. 53, 2. 5). Chinese cultures portrayed that for a son to be filial he had to â€Å"serve his parents in three ways: to feed them when they are alive, to morn them when they die and to offer sacrifices to them when mourning is over,† (pg. 28). It was so much of n importance to serve ones parents after death that Confucius himself said, â€Å"There is hardly anything that can make a man spontaneously exhaust his grief. If an exception must be made, it is perhaps a parent’s death,† (pg. 181, 19. 17). By instituting these analects of filial piety so intensely into the west and having them obeyed helped establish good behavior and put an emphasis on roles of the people. Since filial piety was such an essential virtue it was known for helping to â€Å"shape young people into loyal law-abiding subjects† (pg. 29).Social order and good behavior was a prominent throughout the west and taught through Confucianism. In Chinese culture reverence and respect was key and went along with good behavior. Confucius said, â€Å"nowadays filial piety merely means being able to feed ones parents. Even dogs and horses are being fed. Without reverence, how can you tell the difference,† (pg. 53, 2. 7). He was essentially trying to say that if respect isn’t important than what’s the difference between a parent and a dog. Through reverence and family relationships it helped shape young people and instate good behavior.The analects went into great depth of illustrating being an ethical and good citizen. Confucius said, â€Å"Keep wholehearted sincerity and truthfulness as your major principles. Do not befriend those beneath you. When you make a mistake, do not be afraid to correct it,† (pg. 106, 9. 25). He believed it was better to admit you mistakes than try and cover them up. The Chinese culture did not promote negative behavior or disobedience what so ever. They focused on ‘the gentleman’, the most virtuous and talented man, the role model for everyone else.Confucius stated, â€Å"the gentleman helps others achieve their good ends; he does not help them achieve their evil ends. The small man does the opposite,† (pg. 129, 12. 16). The gentleman was essentially the perfect man and promoted good behavior. Having the gentleman in Chinese culture helped uphold and spread the analects and good behavior. Overtime Confucianism and Confucius’ philosophies spread throughout Chinese civilization and the west and became very popular. Even after Confucius’ time his students and followers spread his beliefs.His moral codes and ideals were accepted grew more prominent overtime by Chinese civilizations and were adopted by neighboring countri es. Although his ideals not always followed in every dynasty and period of time they came back in the time of the Han Dynasty and the civil service exam is an example of how the teachings of Confucius was later intertwined with society. Confucius is a critical scholar and philosopher in western history and for the rest of the world. His teachings will never be forgotten and his analects will always be referred to.

Semiotic Analysis

2012 Unit Profile Unit Code Unit Title Provider Unit Type Level of Study EFTSL Delivery Method SGY110 Australian and Global Society Macquarie University UGRD Undergraduate Level 1 0. 125 Fully Online Unit Overview Commence your studies of society by learning about the sociological framework and establish skills for life. You will be introduced to many of the ways in which sociologists think about the most intimate aspects of life – such as sexuality, the family and gender – as well as to larger and often impersonal structural features, such as social class, the labour market and social policy.You will also have the opportunity to use social research techniques such as interviews and observation in the real world, as well as to uncover the secrets often hidden in other sources of information and data. Topics 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. What is sociology? History of sociology and key ideas What is a social fact?Australian families Gender, language and dominatio n The life course – growing up in the 21st century Religion and social change Media, race and ethnicity Class and inequality Work, employment and society Crime and society Globalisation: the world as social context Learning Outcomes At the completion of this unit students will: 1. be familiar with the key sociological concepts as they are applied to the study of Australian society 2. be aware of existing patterns of social structure and the processes and nature of change currently taking place 3. ave developed a broad understanding of the nature and methods of social science 4. be able to use basic social research skills to undertake some types of original, primary research under supervision. Page 1 2012 Unit Profile Assessment – Non-Invigilated Exam – Take Home Exam (30%) Online Discussion (15%) Report1 – Investigative Report (40%) Report2 – Thematic Activity Report (15%) Textbooks Prerequisites Special Requirements This unit does not have a presc ribed textbook(s). – Broadband access Page 2

Evaluation of factors determining the setting of wages for British Essay

Evaluation of factors determining the setting of wages for British expatriates - Essay Example Human resources can be termed as a critical concern to all managers. It is a crucial resource that exploits all the other resources to produce the desired result in the organization. Thus, the accurate placement of employees is a key element of any organization, which makes the firm to have a competitive edge. The application of the human resource function in multinational companies becomes controversial due to the need to formulate human resource guidelines and structures. The dissimilarity among the nations where branch is located complicates the process of hiring both local and expatriate employees (Baruch 2002, p. 239). This paper will discuss the factors that a human resource director should consider while setting wages for local and expatriate employees working in a multinational corporation. Evaluation of factors to be considered in setting the wages for British expatriate managers and engineers Many Multinational Companies desire to send their current employees to work in a d ifferent nation for a number of factors. First, the citizens in the new nation may not have the knowledge and expertise required in the job. In addition, the expatriate, being a present employee of the organization, has vast skills of the company for organizing all the company’s businesses in the new branch with the mother company (Thite 2009, p. 269). Thirdly, it helps offer the supervisors and senior management with the image needed to be a key decision maker in this global economy. As a human resource director, determining the wages to be paid to expatriates is not an easy task as it incorporates many factors to be considered (Baruch (2002, p. 240). As Caligiuri (2007, p. 294) notes, the calculation of the wages of any expatriate need a careful thought of many factors before one arrives at a wage structure that incorporates all factors. As the human resource of this British Multinational, I will distinguish between the internal and external influences of these wage determi nation strategies. The internal determinants include the rank of employee in the organization, the stage of the family development and the labour category of the employee. Regarding the first factor, I will develop expatriates wages with regard to their ranks in the organization. For instance, I would set different wages for senior managers, middle-level managers and supervisors. Secondly, I would develop a good strategy to categorise wages based on the marital status of the expatriate. I would also consider the nationality of the employee in developing different remuneration structures. The background of the expatriate will also be a significant factor in setting the wages; it would help me come up with the appropriate wage structures. I would highly insist that the young and new expatriates be remunerated like employees of the host country. The highly skilled and experienced expatriates can be remunerated with add-ons, adjustments and incentives, as well as bonuses to their wages. The characteristics of the work assigned can also be the foundation for the wage setting. On this regard, those given complex tasks should earn higher wages than those whose duties are not complex (Friedman 2009, p. 252). The social factors are also remarkable in influencing the wages to be paid to expatriates; these include the society and present discussion structures, for instance, state or industry-broad, local or company. The latter can often tremendously affect the degree of pay diversity and distinct kinds of remuneration and appraisal are satisfactory. Regarding expatriate remuneration, the origin of the company is not likely to have an impact on the wage calculation (Van Der Heijden, 2009 p. 831). Globalization makes

Case study of family involvement in a school or childcare center Essay

Case study of family involvement in a school or childcare center - Essay Example Despite of several remarks about Dev’s performance in the school diary from the class teacher Miss Melina, there was no sign of any response from Dev’s parent. Dev’s parent had always been in a row which is intolerable for him. Most of the time, Dev runs away from home to a lonely place to avoid his parents piercing quarreling sound. He hates the masculinity of his father torturing his mother whom he loves the most in this world. Dev’s teachers are also not aware that how the boy got to such a critical stage. Mostly, he remains in despair, fearful to the authority and unable to cope with his friend’s reaction. He is lacking confidence day by day. Resultantly, Dev is not even able to do his homework properly; along with that, he is ashamed of presenting his degrading handwriting to anyone. Besides their disparities, Dev’s parents are worried about Dev’s increasing critical personality. As they were noticing Dev’s declining mental condition, which resulted in worst annual assessment of Dev in the 3rd standard. The issue came to the focus of the administration when Dev’s parents reported the school administration. When asked, they blame for the carelessness of teachers and administration. Now we discuss the case of inferior complexion in Dev in a categorical pattern. 1. Background Information At the age of seven, children are usually preparing themselves towards facing the situations around them; and try to be more responsible. In Dev’s case, he is going through an immense psychological torment which nobody is aware of. Being a boy he thinks of shaping himself as his masculine father and thinks to save his mother from pain she is facing. Dev is embarrassed with his mother, for his incapability to rescue her and he has no guts to tell his father not to be so barbarous. All his feelings are unexpressed; they are blocked inside his mind like the air in a soccer ball. So far in his life, Dev has nev er been close to his parents, and has not felt affectionate ever, which are the most important factor for a child to develop both physically and mentally. Dev felt himself as a deprived child, with no one to support him in his studies. His psychological pain has now started showing up symptoms in his physical health too. Dev’s psychic father’s inherited behaviors, from his grandfather have also come to Dev hereditarily in form of intolerable weakening of his mind, which resulted as an inferiority complexion. It is usually said, 70% of education of a child is accomplished from their parents and 30% at the school whereas in case of Dev, it is null at home. And in the other hand, has an adverse affect of it in school too. Other than Home and school, society and environment also play key role in development of a child’s personality. As learned from Dev’s neighbor Mr Amit Singh, due to the non-social and inhuman nature of Dev’s father their family is is olated in the society, as a result Dev never got chance to socialize in public, e.g. in parties and ceremonies etc. So far he has confined himself at his house only. He lived a very critical and isolated life. Every one has shadow side of which he is more or less ashamed. When it goes up to extreme, and if he is confined with idea, that he is the only victim of this kind than it becomes a serious problem. (Douglas) 2. Description of the Presenting Problem Now we discuss about Dev’s present problem which is most crucial and difficult for him to overcome. Normally children are playful. They remain happy even with a small piece of

Impact of the teacher PowerPoint Presentation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Impact of the teacher - PowerPoint Presentation Example This security came in the form of learning and in one’s own growth levels as well as the aspects related with fears of speaking out in class and deep down knowing that any answer given out loud was at very least an answer to the call for courage. Most of the students were safe and secure from their own mind that ridiculed them time and again. This was the essence of her teaching that the students stayed up late at night to complete their homework because every letter that looked back at them suggested who they were and what they had done. These letters looked deceiving one’s own self just like one’s brain. These swirled with doubt and self-loathing in a constant dazzling confusion, locked in an eternal uncertainty. Mrs. Martin was able to change all that. While it was not until fourth grade that Mrs. Martin showed me that there was nothing wrong with my mind, I had been battling with dyslexia ever since. I had to re-learn how to learn and find the shrewdest of tr icks just to get by. Mrs. Martin showed me and countless other students that while we might fail to accomplish our goal in some areas, it would certainly not mean we had failed as humans. To a dyslexic patient, the world can be easily learned and absorbed in a multitude of ways, sometimes not always through the most traditional means and ways. Books on tape, lectures, hands on, and kinesthetic learning in general became the savior of my academic career. Struggling to learn how to read and write allowed me to understand alternatives as well.

Taking a degree on Educational Technology Assignment

Taking a degree on Educational Technology - Assignment Example With a degree in the subject, I would be able to benefit from different opportunities because facilities such as universities, libraries, and schools in my country are constantly searching for members who are qualified in this particular field (Reisner & Dempsey, 2012). How will you prepare for the interview? What will you present to the interviewer in order to get this position? What is your confidence level about getting this job? How will you do to convince the interviewer that you will be able compete with those who also apply for this position? Discuss in depth. In the event that I was informed about a vacancy, I would first research into the company or firm offering the job. I would then come up with a format which would allow me to stand out among other candidates in the forthcoming interview. I would also study my body language, in order to correct any unintentional postures that do not convey confidence. During the interview, I would also ask a few questions of my own in order to signify interest in the job available while also learning more about what my responsibilities would be. To gain the attention of the interviewer, I would seek to demonstrate my understanding of the job’s requirements as well as my knowledge of the company to the interviewer. I would also provide practical examples of how I would undertake different responsibilities in order to meet the organization’s objectives. If there were any duties of the job I was applying for that I did not understand, I would seek to discuss with an interviewer a task that is similar to that I do not well understand which I had performed in the recent past, and stress on my tendency to be able to learn things quickly and on the job. I would seek to demonstrate my understanding of the tasks that the job requires instead of talking about how much I know. As I am well able to multitask, I would seek to demonstrate this to the interviewer

Addition to the research proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Addition to the - Research Proposal Example tings where there are clear distinctions in the cultures of teachers from the students, Sendall, Ceccucci, and Peslak (2008) stressed that it is important to have structures put in place that eases up the intercultural friction that may possibly exist between teachers and students. It was based on this that EVA3 was selected as it allows a unique interactive online video-based teaching and learning environment (Educational Video Environment, 2014). Nagy (2005) stressed that such video-based interactions reduces the density of differences that is normally experienced between teachers and learners. More specifically on the EVA3, it will be used in the study to achieve two major goals. In the first place, it will be used as a platform that provides powerful authentic and evidence based online learning. What this means is that there will be a very valid means by which the type of learning that takes place will be evidently witnessed. In most of the case, it is very difficult to judge the level of learning that has taken place between there is very little evidence to this effect. But with the property of educational video being audio-visual, it will be possible to both hear and see what takes place as far as the classroom environment is concerned (Trentin, 2010). Indeed, there is greater benefit for the researcher in using the EVA3 as authentic evidence for learning. This is because it will be possible to always make reference to the learning that took place since the online stage supports the storage of data for future retrieval and evaluation. The second goal for using EVA3 is to ensure that there is the promotion of collaborative and positive peer based learning. As depicted in figure 2 below, there are several components of EVA3 that allows for interactivity between learners and teachers. It also has a feedback and comments section where learners can interact with each other, as well as teachers. With these, collaboration is enhanced because learning no longer

How convincing is Porter's model of national competitive advantage in Essay - 2

How convincing is Porter's model of national competitive advantage in explaining the workings and achievements of major nation - Essay Example Chief activities are held up by the infrastructure of the organisation, personnel management, technology growth and procurement. Nevertheless, the Porter’s model has its weak point. In the fiscal sense, the model assumes a traditional market. The more the production is regulated, the less significant insights the model can offer. Porter’s model is appropriate for analysis of an uncomplicated market structure. The model is founded on the idea of competition. The fresh interest in state competitiveness has unlocked up the debate on the factual meaning and understanding of global competitiveness of countries. The management theories that organisation competitiveness can expand to country competitiveness as explained by Porter in his diamond work frame and the globe competitiveness reports. To comprehend why so much stress is placed on the diamond framework in the organisation literature, a distinction has to be haggard between the sense of competitiveness at a nation level and global competitiveness. National competitiveness and national diamond Conventional theories of international deal propose that comparative advantage lives in the factor endowment with the intention of a country to inherit. Factor endowments comprise land, natural reserves, labour and the dimension of the local population. Gladwell (2000) argues that a country can create novel advanced issue endowment such as accomplished labour, a strong expertise and knowledge base, administration support and culture. Porter used a diamond shaped drawing as the basis of framework to exemplify the determinants of national advantage. This diamond represents the national playing field that countries establish industries. There are critiques attached to competitive benefit of a national diamond. The inventory of factors at a given period is less significant than the degree that they are improved and deployed. Infrequent disadvantages in factor of production compel innovation. Adverse stipulations such as labour and scarcity of scarce raw materials compel firms to come up new methods and this novelty often leads to a nationwide competitive advantage. Whilst the market of a particular product is well-built locally than in overseas markets the local organisations devote more concentration to that product than to overseas firms. This leads to a competitive benefit when the local organisations are exporting the product. An illustration of how an industry can give a competitive advantage is extracted from Japan .The Japanese facsimile industry exemplifies the diamond of national gain. Japanese attained dominance in this industry for various causes. Japanese factor conditions: Japan has a comparatively high number of electrical wangles per capita. Japanese demand conditions: The Japanese marketplace was very demanding for the reason of the written language. There was sizeable number of related and following industries with good technology. For instance good miniaturized components as there is less space in Japan. Domestic competition in the Japanese fax machine industry encouraged innovation and resulted to swift cost reductions. Administration support- the state owned telecom company (NTT) distorted its cumbersome approval necessities from each installation to an additional general type

Strategic Plan of WalMart Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Strategic Plan of WalMart - Case Study Example Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. is both a domestic enterprise, as well as a national discount retailer. They operate retail stores domestically in the US and various international markets. Wal-Mart operates on an "Every Day Low Price" philosophy because they are able to maintain their low price structure through complete expense control. With this philosophy they have proven to be extremely profitable domestically. Their primary task is buying from suppliers at a low cost and then reselling the goods to customers at a low price, to achieve their company philosophy of low prices and great customer service (Nelson Lichtenstein, 2006). Being in the retail industry, Wal-Mart can choose from many suppliers that provide its various stores with inventory, general buyers, and competition; including Kmart, Sears, Target, Costco discount stores also the local mom and pop stores in various neighborhoods. Wal-Mart is spread all over the Europe and this chain running successfully. But Wal-Mart in the city of Bentonville facing is some problems. Although it has many strengths but it has been facing many threats. Evaluating Wal-Marts situation in terms of the SWOT Analysis, where we will view where its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats in terms of its place in the retail industry. Let’s look at what makes Wal-Mart such a dominant force and would break Wal-marts dominance both here and globally by analyzing its position in terms of the SWOT; let’s start by looking at the first part of the SWOT analysis which is the strength of the company. Strengths The strengths of their existing circulation patterns and linkages are good pedestrian orientation around the square and accessibility from other areas of the city. The buildings on the Square are built up to the sidewalk which enhance the pedestrian character. Several entries into downtown help reduce congestion. Also, the schools downtown are within walking distance of a large number of residential areas and walking to school is an option. The redevelopment of the square has provided a central place for community gatherings. The fountain, the confederate soldier statue, the benches, and traditional street lights add to downtown's identity. The statue is a part of the heritage and culture and has been stated as being "a conversational piece". The square is the center for several community activities, such as the Farmer's Market, Pickin' on the Square, and the Art Walk (Weldon Nicholson, 2006). The Wal-Mart General Office brings thousands of people downtown during the week. The Wal-Mart Visitors Center serves to bring people, (approximately 80,000 annually) especially tourists, downtown. Also, Wal-Mart Shareholder's Week provides an economic surge in the spring. Another economic strength is the presence of public services and facilities. The county and city administration offices, especially the courthouse and Bentonville being the county seat serve to anchor the downtown as a place to conduct business. Also, quasi-public businesses, such as Main Street Bentonville, the Chamber of Commerce and the Bentonville Advertising and Promotion Commission have all selected a downtown location. There are also several personal services that are beneficial to the downtown economy, such as the bank, grocery store, and dry cleaners. They serve area residents as well as the thousands of employees working downtown. Recent development activity has sparked an interest in development and location downtown. Two new brick two and three story buildings at SW A Street and SW 8th Street offer office, retail and residential space. The Bentonville Plaza, just south of the Wal-Mart Genera

Integrated Marketing Communications Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Integrated Marketing Communications - Essay Example Exchange of information forms a vital element, in marketing, besides nurturing and maintaining a sustainable relationship between an organization and its customers or the market. The high competition in the marketing industry calls for elaborative actions by organizations to adapt holistic marketing strategies that can satisfy the existing market demands. The advancements in technology and the ever-increasing ease of information access by customers make it inevitable for organizations to adopt strategies with high impact on the targeted market audience in the open economy. Integrated marketing communications (IMC) is among various globally adopted trends of communication by organizations and companies, as a landmark advancement in marketing, to cope with the competition. It entails the use of a blend of promotional methods that complement each other to achieve the objectives of marketing. The plan applied in IMC appreciates the role of communication in advertising and promotion among other objectives of marketing. IMC utilizes the role of public relations, sales promotion and personal selling to create profound impact through communication, which is clear and consistent, as a marketing strategy. It also entails that use of other strategies as direct marketing and brand marketing coupled with distinct management of customer relationship (Yeshi 2012, p.220). IMC ensures that consumers have a consistent image of the marketplace using plans that promotes and markets the organization or the brands (Kitchen 2004, p.21). It achieves this objective by employing a central messaging function that ensures that all information passes a common theme and hold a common position. The evolution of IMC is traceable from the 1990s (Sisodia & Telrandhe 2010, p.136) and overdid the traditional advertising method that prevailed in the market, notably in the 1980s. Organizations, however, broadened their perspective of marketing communication by integrating a number of factors in mar keting. Given the various challenges faced by organizations, organizations adopted promotional tools that blended the traditional methods of advertisement. Sales promotion, public relations as well as the use of direct marketing were among the developments adopted by organizations as parts of reforms in marketing. The progress toward IMC involves efforts by firms to coordinate various elements aimed at promotion of their products while maintaining communication with customers. They abandoned the prior situation where organizations and firm depended primarily on media advertising. Involvement in non-advertising areas enabled the agencies to gain control of their clients was a key change in the marketing, under IMC. The major focus of IMC was to maximize on the impact of communication as a tool in marketing. The use of maximum communication impact emanates from the fact that consumer’ sensitivity or awareness of organization or products is a factor of the messages they get or t he extent of contact that they have. IMC is a sophisticated marketing strategy that differs from the traditional methods of advertising from a number of considerations. The traditional advertising and promotion

Listening To Music And Composing Essay Example for Free

Listening To Music And Composing Essay Listening to music and composing my own digital music is my favorite extra-curricular activity. Music makes me feel refreshed and even after a hectic day at work, five minutes of good music helps me relax my nerves instantly. The routine lifestyle rarely leaves much time for my extra-curricular activity. However, I always make sure to maintain a rich music library on my laptop as well as handheld devices so that I can listen to it whenever I feel. Moreover, I am also into composing music. I am a vocalist, I play the piano and I have a digital mixing console also. My room is a mini studio where I can record my own music. Composing new music or mixing up tracks requires utmost creativity and imagination. In a month, I make sure to publish three mixes after recording and digital reworking. When music is your extracurricular activity, the best part about it is that you can enjoy it indoors. Whatever the weather and climate outside, you can always be comfortable and enjoy it in your room. If you have a dolby surround system in your home, it would serve as the best way to listen to music. Playing a musical instrument is a bliss in itself. Whenever I play the piano, I feel connected to the nature and its energies. That is when your creativity blossoms and you can use your imagination to the fullest in composing new tunes. The best way to enjoy music is to relax on a couch or the bed with the earphones plugged in your ears and listening to it with closed eyes. You can then feel each instrument as it plays. Some people prefer loud music, but it isn’t always enjoyable. Dance music is ok when it comes to parties but it cannot be enjoyed always and when one is seeking relaxation.

Equality and Diversity in Employment

Equality and Diversity in Employment Equality and Diversity in Employment. (1) In analysis of the ‘Thirst Burst’ case study there are a number of different issues facing the company. First, Thirst Burst as a company, is in a high-pressure setting in trying to achieve its vision of becoming the UK’s largest retail juice outlet. This vision creates great stress not only for the upper management but for all employees as well. This pressure stems from the competitive nature needed to achieve such results along with the uncertainties that are involved whenever a company searches to expand. In acquiring a new distribution plant, Thirst Burst also faced the challenge of assimilating the plant to work under the production standards and guidelines of its existing plants. Along with the acquisition of the brick and mortar, Thirst Burst also acquired the previous employees of this company. This led Thirst burst to have to educate the new employees on how business is handled under Thirst Burst and also the employee dynamic of these new employees were different from the usual makeup of Thirst Employees. This caused Thirst Burst to have to change its ways to accommodate the diversity of the employees. In efforts to increase the managerial staff Thirst Burst chose to keep costs down and promote from within. However, with the changing dynamics of the Thirst Burst employees, this is counter productive in that the great deal of existing employees fell under the general makeup of being white and male. Thereby deterring efforts to diversify all aspects of its business.The creation of a training and development program also slowed the need for diversity, as it gave managers the ability to recruit based on the guidance of, â€Å"ask anyone you regard as suitable and whom you think would fit in.† Since white male largely held management positions, the recruitment was largely steered in that direction and also discouraged other groups from taking part, for example females. Uncertainties in management led to high employee turnover rates and even to claims of discrimination by some employees when faced with tests that were only set in English, a language that was not the employees’ first spoken. Also, the newly integrated employees who were of different racial makeup created turmoil among existing employees who claimed that these employees did not integrate with the existing employees. The offset in employee satisfaction was even more evident after the October 2001 food scare, which caused a decline in sales along with the number of new job applicants. The food scare also created great tension within Thirst Burst, especially in health and safety procedures. This led to bias and irrational decisions made by management to create a controlled atmosphere among employees. However the choices made by management were focused more on individuals than on the entire field of employees and thus created a great level of unnecessary disdain between management and individual employees. The turn of events that followed led management to give this employee great warning about her apparel and when the employee refused to heed to these warnings citing religious belief and that other employees wore similar apparel that went without scrutiny by management. What followed were efforts to single out this employee for her action and management forced a ring of solidarity upon her, which e ventually tied into her becoming ill and led her to take a case to tribunal claiming discrimination. (2) The use of an equality and diversity oriented approach can ease some of the problems facing Thirst Burst. First, the more diverse an organization is facilitates its ability to attract, retain and maximize the utilization of the people from those diverse backgrounds. (Hollinshead, Nicholls, Tailby; 1999) Foreign employees are best understood in light of a diverse organization, also the diverse organization is best equipped to serve a diverse external clientele. Next, creativity thrives on diversity as a multicultural organization displays higher creativity and innovation. Another resource in diverse organizations is the ability to problem solve at a greater rate of resolution, which would have had a desirable effect in calming the food scare and the handling of individual employees afterwards. Research shows that such catastrophic disasters as the Bay of Pigs fiasco, the Challenger Explosion, and the My Lai Massacre are all examples of extreme consequences of groupthink that occurred in highly cohesive, homogenous groups. (Kandola, Fullerton; 1998) For example the homogenous group of white males that dominate the management positions at Thirst Burst. The promotion of diversity at Thirst Burst is not just about dealing with different races and nationalities working together but instead is about celebrating and promoting the differences brought to the workplace by each individual. This requires organizations to adapt to the cultural differences and sociological changes. This carries two-fold for an organization. It places an internal need to make everyone feel comfortable and valued, to where everyone is fully supported to contribute and develop within the organization. On the other side, it is necessary for the organization to adapt to the changing marketplace as diversity becomes more widely dispersed and the homogeneity declines. (Bingham; 2000) (3) In terms of legal and ethical considerations Thirst Burst can be faced with a number of potential problems. One problem that Thirst Burst may face as a largely dominant white male workplace as diversity is integrated is ethnocentricity. Which causes majority group members to view their own group as the right and best group and to evaluate the majorities beliefs, behaviors and values as more positive and correct over those of minorities. Also under such factors the minority groups are more prone to place complaints and grievances that will take time and costs by the company to resolve and counteract the productivity within the company. Diversity can also produce cultural clashes and stereotyping among the different groups of workers. A movement towards diversity may potentially polarize different social groups, harming productivity, while breeding cynicism and resentment. However if management can correctly correlate the different working cultures the result should be the enhancement of work relationships and work team effectiveness. However, the lack of effective diversity management may have diverse setbacks among diverse workgroups creating miscommunications, longer decision times, lower member morale and lower team cohesiveness, which will adversely reduce creativity, innovation, and problem solving. Conflict also results more frequently among diverse groups than in homogenous groups and when conflict does arise, majority group members see an incident of racioethnic injustice as isolated, while minorities view the event as part of a pattern of oppression that is imbedded in the social system. (Wirth, 2001) Problems that specifically effect Thirst Burst are its dominant white male workforce and the problems that entails in taken on a family based Asian company with a different ethical makeup. Also in its recruitment process it is not diversifying but rather recruiting from the same homogenous pool that already largely makes up the company. Also when promoting managerial staff the decisions were left to the managers that were already in place and research shows that majority parties are strongly tiered to promote sameness in the workplace. Thirst Burst also must now face discrimination suits for being partial to certain groups and their religious and ethical beliefs. Largely trying to make an example of the woman wearing the Kara, she refused and pointed out that many other employees wore rings but these employees were not told to remove their jewelry and the women was transferred to the packaging department. This department is extremely cold and she was the employee required to work there for entire shifts. The result, the woman fell to illness and was signed off sick. (4) The actions and approaches that Thirst Burst should make in context of equality and diversity are as follows. First Thirst Burst must define what is the point of view from both parties. This will allow for the identification of what particular behaviors are creating the conflict, how each party feels about the conflict, and what messages are being given. Next Thirst Burst must be considerate of the cultural influences that are pressuring each party to act in a certain way. From this Thirst Burst must evaluate approaches that will enable the company to accommodate the set of values bestowed by each party and not be deterred by the set of values that are most present from the majority group. From this Thirst Burst must find a solution that benefits both parties. This can occur when the company recognizes and accepts each side’s cultural values and is willing to explore different sets of ideals that will benefit all parties within the company. (Bingham; 2000b.) The goal of Thirst Burst must be to treat people as individuals and not paying attention solely to the differences among the groups. The problem with noting the differences is that largely the group in the minority is made to assimilate into the ideals of that of the majority with very few exceptions. A key factor to promoting diversity in the workforce is also to diversify upper management as well. Where tendencies hold to absorb new members and encourage them to adopt and adapt to the central culture of upper management. (Kandola, Fullerton; 1998b.) In all, Thirst Burst must value diversity by not trying to eliminate cultural differences, for example taking heed to the various religious holidays different groups are witness to. (Bingham; 2000c.) Diversity must play a role in the overall strategic business objective of Thirst Burst, where such a program can become lost in the mix if it is a separate strategy away from the core objectives of the company. Therefore, diversity goals mu st be linked to business goals and be a trait that is taken serious and not just matching the requirements of Affirmative Action and EEO programs. (5) â€Å"Managing Diversity† simply put means the effort and attention put forth by managers and other employees upon the diversity among the workforce and how each efficiently and effectively responds towards the challenges created by this diversity. There are key goals that any organization choosing to commit to the concept of managing diversity must adhere to. First, the workplace must contain an atmosphere that allows each individual can feel comfortable working effectively despite one’s cultural differences. Next, have an organization where each member can have a sense of personal achievement and are allowed to use their full potential to contribute towards the organization. Finally, making the most of the benefits of diversification including attracting the best available human talent, the penetration of more enhanced marketplaces and the workforce is better suited to serve a more diverse external clientele. Beyond that a diverse organization has a better underst anding of the political, social, legal, economic and cultural environment of foreign countries. Internally, a diverse workforce displays higher levels of creativity and innovation as ‘creativity thrives on diversity’. Research has shown that organizations that diversify their workforce are more adept at problem solving. Lastly, these same organizations are much better suited at adapting to change and consequently handle more organizational flexibility. (Kirton, Greene; 2000) In search of creating a work environment that best suits managers and employees as individuals a number of key pieces of legislation have been created in the UK over the last 35 years: In 1970, the Equal Pay Act gave individuals a right to the same contractual pay and benefits as a person of the opposite sex in the same employment, where the work duties shared are the same. In 1975, the Sex Discrimination Act prohibits sex discrimination against individuals in the areas of employment and education and in the disposal of management of premises. The 1976 Race Relations Act made it unlawful to treat a person less favorably than another on racial grounds, covering the areas of race, color, nationality, and origin. The 1995 Disability Discrimination Act prohibits discrimination against the disabled in areas of employment, the provision of goods, facilities, services and premises, education; and provides for regulations to improve access to public transport to be made. In 1999 the Sex Discrimination Regulations became a measure to prevent discrimination against transsexual people on the grounds of sex in pay and treatment in employment and vocational training. An amendment was made in 2000 to the Race Relations Act, outlawing discrimination and victimization in all public authority functions not previously covered by the Act. Another amendment was made in 2003 to the 1976 Race Relations Act. The new regulations extend protection from discrimination on the grounds of race and ethnic or national origins. These apply in the fields of employment and training, social protection and social advantage, education, the provision of goods, facilities and services, and housing.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   These pieces of legislature are vital to the success of organizational diversity as each plays a role in creating an element that values the individual and the individual’s values. Thirst Burst is committed to surpassing all levels of diversity awareness by providing a workplace that cherishes the differences each individual provides. These differences will become the new image of Thirst Burst providing a workplace where many different people will be able to provide many different ideas, with idea follows innovation and with innovation comes the success of this organization. Our goals are to expand into a broader market with a more diverse clientele and to meet diversity with our own sophistication of diversity within our organization. Thirst Burst will seek to accomplish this â€Å"Management of Diversity† through a number of various resources. Thirst Burst will place a great emphasis in HR to impartial recruiting, training and development, and performance appraisal. We will seek to create a more heterogeneous environment in race, ethnicity, and nationality. Establish accountability and measurement systems. Improve education, especially among management in valuing differences. Promote knowledge and acceptance of cultural differences and take advantage of the opportunities that management provides. Lastly, to creative a very positive mindset internally and externally about diversity. As Thirst Burst employees, know you comfort and achievement is our success! We look forward to a continually progressive relationship with each and every one of you on into the future!   Bibliography Kirton, G. and Greene, A-M. (2000) The Dynamics of Managing Diversity: a critical approach. Oxford, Butterworth-Heinemann Kandola, A. and Fullertonj, J. (1998) Managing the Mosaic: Diversity in Action. 2nd Edition. London, Institute of Personnel and Development Bingham C (ed) (2000) Valuing Diversity Management Best Practice: No 78 The Industrial Society Hollinshead G., Nicholls P., Tailby S., (1999) Employee Relations, Financial Times, Pitman Publishing Wirth L., (2001) Breaking Through the Glass Ceiling: Women In Management. Geneva, International Labour Office Internet Sites www.law.cam.ac.uk www.disability.gov.uk/legislation www.people.hbs.edu/dthomas/diversity.html

Fiduciary Duties

Fiduciary Duties 1.0 Introduction Fiduciary duty refers to a legal duty for an individual to act on behalf of another particular in order to make a relationship of confidence and trust (Davies, 2007). It consists of the set of moral value such as trust, honesty and confidence; fiduciary duty can be obviously seen in the relationship between the shareholders and the board of directors as the BOD are managing the company’s affairs on behalf of the shareholders. However, there is no legal duty between the relationship of individual shareholders and board of directors. Individual shareholders are unable to against the board of directors if the BOD causes any damage unless the company give permission to sue them on behalf of shareholders as BOD and shareholders are separate legal entity. Fiduciary duty is a common law however due to some unethically act of directors, government codified the directors’ duties under section 171 to 177 of Companies Act 2006 so that directors will act in good faith and best inte rest of the company. As these duties had been legalized under Companies Act 2006, the board of directors of every company are binding to these duties as the role of directors. Example of the role of directors are acting within the powers, promoting the success of the company, exercising independent judgement, exercising reasonable care, skill and diligence, avoiding conflict and declaring interest in proposed transactions or arrangement (Davies, 2007). It is very crucial for the BOD to abide the duties as they are managing the company’s affairs. 2.0 Duty to act within powers (Section 171 of Companies Act 2006) In this section directors are required to exercise their power in the company’s constitution. Besides, they are not allows to use their power for any improper purposes such as issue shares for purpose of creating new majority within the company to gain control even though directors honestly believe their act is in the best interest of company; directors can only use their power for purposes which they were conferred or given. It is stated clearly in Section 171 of Companies Act 2006: â€Å"(a) directors are required to act in accordance with the company’s constitution (b) exercise power for purposes for which they are conferred†. This principle implemented in Hogg v Cramphorn in UK. In this case, Colonel Cramphorn has abused his powers by issuing shares to stop Baxter from taking over the company. He also convinced other directors to vote against the takeover by issuing share capital. Although he believes that this action was the bona fide for the company’s interest, this case was held as breach of directors’ duties due to exercise power for an improper motive and it is considered as ultra vires (Mantysaari, 2005). However, this principle does not consider as a breach of duty in Teck Corporation Ltd v Millar in Canada. This is because directors have to consider the reputation, experience and policies of people who are willing to take over the company before the new shares issued. Besides, they are also allowed to use their powers to protect the company if the takeover may cause significant damage to the interest of company (Kershaw, 2012). 2.1Duty to Promote the Success of the Company (Section 172 of Companies Act 2006) Under this statutory, directors are obligated to this duty to act in good faith and act in the way that they consider to enhance the development of the company and get benefits for all members in the company. Moreover, in this section government also requires directors to take account of six factors in the decision making process. Consequently, Section 172 of CA 2006 provides that: â€Å"(1)A director of a company must act in the way he considers, in good faith, would be most likely to promote the success of the company for the benefit of its members as a whole, and in doing so have regard (amongst other matters) to— (a)the likely consequences of any decision in the long term, (b)the interests of the companys employees, (c)the need to foster the companys business relationships with suppliers, customers and others, (d)the impact of the companys operations on the community and the environment, (e)the desirability of the company maintaining a reputation for high standards of business conduct, and (f)the need to act fairly as between members of the company.† The term â€Å"have regard† in section 172(1) indicates that government leave the decisions of how they implement the individual factors to directors. Furthermore, it is also no requirement for directors to give precedence of any factors; as directors take account of any listed factors or any relevant factors in the decision making process they are considered already fulfilled their duties in this section. The case law in this statutory concerned about the directors should exercise in best interest of the company rather than the principle of promoting the success of the company directly. For example the case of Hogg v Cramphorn, in order to take over the company, directors abused their power by issuing shares to create new majority within the company (Mantysaari, 2005). Under this section, directors must use their powers for intended purposes not collateral purposes and always act in the best interest of company. 2.2 Duty Not to Accept Benefits from Third Parties (Section 176 of Companies Act 2006) The principle of this duty is stated clearly in the statutory. The benefits that accepted from third parties[1] by the directors are considered as breach of directors reason being provided in s.176(1) is because of theirs’ position or directors may do or not do as a director. This statutory also states that directors can only accept the benefits that paid by someone’s services as a director or otherwise to the company and benefits that will not affect the conflict of interest. Section 176 of the Companies Act 2006 provides that: â€Å"(1)A director of a company must not accept a benefit from a third party conferred by reason of— (a)his being a director, or (b)his doing (or not doing) anything as director. (2)A â€Å"third party† means a person other than the company, an associated body corporate or a person acting on behalf of the company or an associated body corporate. (3)Benefits received by a director from a person by whom his services (as a director or otherwise) are provided to the company are not regarded as conferred by a third party. (4)This duty is not infringed if the acceptance of the benefit cannot reasonably be regarded as likely to give rise to a conflict of interest. (5)Any reference in this section to a conflict of interest includes a conflict of interest and duty and a conflict of duties.† One of the examples that breach the duty not to accept benefits from third parties is Tesco Stores v Pook. In this case, Mr Pook, the senior employee, fabricated false invoices about  £500,000 and accepted a bribe of total  £323,749 from third parties. He also denied that the payment is not a bribe but it is a start up loan for his business. However, Judge Peter Smith held that the money is a bribe as the means of false invoices and fraudulent value added tax had documented by the payers. Judge Peter Smith held that the bribe will be accounted on constructive trust based on the case of Attorney-General for Hong Kong v Reid[2] (Fisher, 2003). 2.3 Duty to Exercise Reasonable Care, Skill and Diligence (Section 174 of Companies Act 2006) Generally, this duty was a common law duty which required directors to act with reasonable care, and skill; yet, government codified it under section 174 of Companies Act 2006 by imposing the objective and subjective of standards of care to directors. Directors are obligated to act reasonable care, skill and diligence which indicated by the term of â€Å"must† under s.174(1). â€Å"(1)A director of a company must exercise reasonable care, skill and diligence.† Also, directors are required to follow the subjective and objective standards of care that states in section 174(2) in order to fulfil the standard of competence given. Section 174(2) of Companies Act 2006 provides that: (2)This means the care, skill and diligence that would be exercised by a reasonably diligent person with— (a)the general knowledge, skill and experience that may reasonably be expected of a person carrying out the functions carried out by the director in relation to the company, and (b)the general knowledge, skill and experience that the director has. Under this section, directors are not liable if the negligence found to be honest ought to be excused. It can be seen in the case of Re City Equitable Insurance Co Ltd that held by Romer J where the chairman of the company, Mr Bevan had committed fraud which caused the company loss of  £1,200,000 in the investments. Romer J held that even other directors and auditors involved in this case due to negligence as overlooked the fraud and signed a blank cheque for Bevan, they were honest and still acting in the degree of both still and diligence. Therefore, they’re not suspicious and not liable (Chan, 2009). 3.0 Conclusion In conclusion, there is no effective control on the board of directors even there is statutes as the relationship between board of directors and shareholders are based on fiduciary duty (trust) not legal duty. Therefore, there is no direct remedy for shareholders to against the board of directors as the board of directors only represented shareholders fiduciary. If board of directors had breached their duties, individual shareholders are not allowed to sue the board of directors because shareholders and the board of directors are two separate entities. Besides, when the board of directors breach their duties, the â€Å"victim† is the company not the shareholders. Hence, only the company can sue the board of directors only if the board of directors agrees to sue. Individual shareholders can only against the board of directors if the company accept or individual shareholders are able to raise the issue of minority protection. However, there are remedies to against the board of d irectors due to breach of director duties. The company allows to against the directors who make a mistake at their duties that causes loss in the company. Additionally, directors who make a mistake at their duties can be asked for compensation by the company due to their negligence. Moreover, company can also void the contract that director has an undisclosed interest (Davies, 2007). Parmalat Scandal (2003) Parmalat is an international corporate that produces dairy products which based in Italy. As this company is owned by family members, it causes the lack of transparency of the company which may not only harm the company but also the shareholders. This had led to the scandal of breach of director duties on financial fraud and money laundering in year 2003 by the senior executives of the company and causes 15,000 employees loss their jobs. In December 2003, Parmalat declared bankrupt as the company has a huge debt about â‚ ¬14 billion excluding the â‚ ¬4 billion hole in the company’s accounts due to financial fraud and money laundering (Chalkidou, 2011). This scandal also known as â€Å"brazen fraud†; it was started in mid-November where auditors and banks look into Parmalat’s accounts when the company defaulted on a bond payment which cost â‚ ¬185 million. They realized that one of bank accounts in Cayman Island which holding â‚ ¬4 billion did not exis t (Chalkidou, 2011). The company also fake the statement of financial position by overstated the assets in order to hide the liabilities of â‚ ¬16.2 billion over a fifteen-year period. Moreover, Parmalats CEO also embezzled about â‚ ¬620 million to cover losses of other family-owned corporate (Chalkidou, 2011). There are about 20 individuals that involved in this scandal were sentence in jail included Calisto Tanzi, the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Parmalat and Fausto Tonna, the Chief Financial Officer of company (Tanner, 2010). Both of them where sentence in jail for 18 years and 14 years respectively; whereas, Giovanni Tanzi, Calisto’s brother where sentence 10 years in jail. Other former directors were also sentence in jail for less than 10 years. [1] Third parties refer to company or individual who acting on behalf of an associated body corporation. [2] In the case of Attorney-General for Hong Kong v Reid, it is held that the bribes should consider as constructive trust so that fiduciaries will not have gain any benefits from their illegal behaviour.

The True Meaning of Terrorism Essay examples -- Terrorism Terrorist De

The True Meaning of Terrorism Think of the word terrorism. What is the first thing that comes to mind? One might think of kidnapping, assassination, bombing, or even genocide and guerrilla warfare. Because it is such a broad and complex issue, an all-encompassing definition is hard to formulate. The United States Department of Defence defines terrorism as†¦ The calculated use of violence or the threat of violence to inculcate fear; intended to coerce or to intimidate governments or societies in the pursuit of goals that are generally political, religious or ideological. Terrorism, then, is a type of political crime that makes use of murder and destruction or the threat of such violence in order to promote change. It is a specific kind of calculated violence with a selected target. Targets can include individuals, groups, communities, or governments. In most cases, excessive violence is used against innocent people which creates a fear that the terrorist can use for coercive purposes. This "fear" is usually directed at someone other than the victim. "In other words, terrorism is a psychological act conducted for its impact on an audience."(1) Since terrorists need publicity to inspire fear, they often seek more unusual events that capture and hold public attention. Terrorism can be broken down into five main categories; Revolutionary, Political, Nationalistic, Nonpolitical, and State-Sponsored. "Revolutionary terrorists use violence as a tool to invoke fear in those in power and their supporters."(2) The goal for these terrorists is to implicate a government that would be more compliant to their needs. By using methods such as kidnapping, assassination, and bombing, revolutionary terrorists hope to provoke in... ...rrorism of genocide. Although the definition of terrorism is hard to pinpoint, I have outlined a general working definition for the purposes of the essay. As outlined, the forms of terrorism are extreme and varied. It is hoped that one day other forms of mediation and political resources will be more widely used and accepted in problem-solving so that acts of terrorism can be prevented and avoided. Bibliography Dabrowski, Mariusz, A Comprehensive Introduction To The Phenomenon Of Terrorism http://saber.towson.edu/polsci/ppp/sp97/terror/intro.html 1997. Distinctions and Varieties of Terrorism http://saber.towson.edu/polsci/ppp/sp97/terror/variety.html Siegel, Lany & McCormick, Chris. Criminology in Canada Toronto: Nelson 1999. The Basics of Terrorism, http://www.terrorism.com/terrorism/bpart6.html, Copyright Terrorism Research Center, Inc. 1997

Alzheimers Disease Essay -- Alzheimers Disease Essays

In this day and age, it seems as though almost everyone has experience a loved one taken away form a very serious disease known as Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s disease is unbelievably devastating for everyone affected by it. This disease is causing major economical problems such as less occupancy in the nursing homes, and hospitals due to the rising population of elderly men and women being diagnosed with it everyday. Because there is not yet a cure for this disease and the percent of the population being diagnosed keeps rapidly rising, more time and money needs to go towards Alzheimer’s research. Alzheimer’s disease is a form of dementia which is a brain disorder that impairs mental functioning. Dementia attacks the part of the brain which controls memory, language, and thought. It makes everyday tasks like remembering to brushing your teeth, or to pay your bills next to impossible to do, which is why so many people who are diagnosed with this disease are in complete care. This disease has different phases, the first being slight forgetfulness and then the persons emotions may heighten as well as language impairment, violent outbursts, loss of bladder control and from there it keeps getting worse until complete dysfunction of the brain occurs and eventually death, which most of the time is the result of infection. Alzheimer’s disease got its name from the German doctor, Dr. Alois Alzheimer. In 1906, he noticed that there were abnormal clumps and bundles of fibers i...

The Women of Umuofia in Chinua Achebes Things Fall Apart Essay

The Women of Umuofia in Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart    The only women respected in Umuofia are those like Chielo, the priestess of the Oracle of the Hills and Caves, who is removed from the pale of normalcy. Clothed in the mystic mantle of the divinity she serves, Chielo transforms from the ordinary; she can reprimand Okonkwo and even scream curses at him: "Beware of exchanging words with Agbala [the name of the Oracle of the Hills and Caves]. Does a man speak when a God speaks? Beware!" (95). Yet if Okonkwo is powerless before a goddess's priestess, he can, at least, control his own women. So, when Nwoye's mother asks if Ikemefuna will be staying long with them, Okonkwo bellows to her: "Do what you are told woman. When did you become one of the ndichie [clan elders]?" (18).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Perhaps Umuofia's shabby and degrading treatment of women and wives stems from unconscious fear of, rather than reverence for, the ubiquitous and capricious Earth goddess Ani or Ala, who wreaks such havoc on the townspeople s lives. She is the goddess of fertility. She also gives or withholds children; she spurns twin children who must be thrown away; she prohibits anyone inflicted with shameful diseases from burial in her soil. To the men of Umuofia, she must seem the embodiment of the two-faced Greek furies and Scylla and Charybdis joined together -- vengeful, unavoidable, and incomprehensible. Umuofia s men can compare to the ancient Greeks who were noted for similar female images such as Pandora, Circe, Medea, and Clytemnestra. In helpless, mortal dread of a fearsome divine female principle, they come down heavily indeed on ordinary women whose lives they can control as they like.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A cursory look at the place o... ...e African Novel: Essays in Analysis. London: Saros International, 1992. pages Nwapa, Flora.   Efuru.   London: Heinemann, 1966. ---.   Idu.   London: Heinemann, 1970. Ogunyemi, Chikwenye Okonjo.   "Women and Nigerian Literature." Perspectives on Nigerian Literature. Vol. 1.   Lagos, Nigeria: Guardian Books, 1988.   pages Okonkwo, Juliet.   "The Talented Woman in African Literature." African Quarterly 15.1-2: pages. Rich, Adrienne.   Of Woman Born: Motherhood as Experience and Institution.   New York: Norton, 1976. Thiong o, Ngugi   wa.   Petals of Blood.   London: Heinemann, 1977. ---.   Devil on the Cross.   London: Heinemann, 1982.   Walker, Alice.   "In Search of Our Mothers' Gardens." In Search of Our Mothers   Gardens: Womanist Prose. New York: Harcourt  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Brace, 1983.   231-243. Weinstock, Donald, and Cathy Ramadan.  

Meditation on Yellow by Olive Senior Essay

Olive Senior is a Jamaican poet who explores Caribbean history. Her poetry often conveys her displeasure of colonization and the suffering Caribbean people endured. Meditation on Yellow explores the colonization and exploitation process carried out by the Europeans. This poem strong conveys Senior discontentment as it relates to the exploitation of the land and the Amerindian tribe. It through the use of symbolism, language and repetition the brutality of colonization is conveyed. Symbolism is used to portray the harsh reality of colonization. In Meditation on Yellow â€Å"yellow† is symbolic of the innocence of the Amerindians and the purity in their mind and soul upon encountering the Whites. This is noted in the phrase † but we were peaceful then child-like in the yellow dawn of our innocence.† The fact that these Amerindians had no idea of what was to come their way and that they offered the best of what they had to the Europeans makes this encounter even more sad and advantageous. Furthermore, yellow is symbolic of sickness and infection. This is reflect in the minds of the Europeans as it was infected with the yearning for wealth and power. Due to this â€Å"infection† the Amerindian we turned into slaves, the land was exploited and the Europeans began colonization. The use of symbolism conveys the extremes which these two set of people existed, the Amerindian being kind and pure and the Europeans being cold-hearted and greedy. Senior’s use of language is certainly a powerful tool in expressing her displeasure as it relates to the enslavement of the Amerindians. Throughout the poem she uses sarcasm and humor which highlights her mocking and belittling of the Europeans. The phrase † had I known I would have brewed up some yellow fever grass and arsenic† is an example of sarcasm. In this phrase there is a contrast between the gesture of hospitality of ethnic which is the â€Å"fever grass† and the bitter sinister intentions of k illing the Europeans with the † arsenic poison.† The sarcasm continues in the phrase † despite the differences in our skins, our piss was exactly the same shade of yellow.† This highlights that regardless of ethnic and racial differences we are all the same. The striking, crude comparison stresses the need for equality and for readers to take note. Furthermore Olive Senior educates us that these Amerindian displayed passive resistance as they deliberately burnt the bread of the Europeans since they we treated badly. The phrase † for which management apologizes† certainly indicates they there was no remorse or sorry for these actions. The use of sarcasm highlight Senior’s hatred towards the colonization process and her view on the Europeans. Repetition is also used to place emphasis on the greedy and materialistic nature of the Europeans. This type of repetition is known as anaphora. The line † but it was gold in your mind gold in your eyes gold in the crown .. gold the prize † highlights the obsession these Europeans had with gold and their gluttonous nature. Moreover, their unreasonable wants and desires are also highlighted through repetition. This is noted in the line † want it strong wan it long want it black want it black want it green want it dread.† Additionally there was repetition in the in line † silver was you armor silver the cross of your Lord †¦ silver the bullet I bite†¦Ã¢â‚¬  This repetition emphasizes the many different forms of silver and the destruction that the silver symbolizes . The silver was representative of Iron Age Technology and represents the European’s military superiority over the stone age Amerindians. Collectively the repetition of these lines alerts readers of the suffering these Amerindians endured to please the cold hearted Europeans. The use of these techniques clearly depicts Senior’s displeasure and the unfortunate struggles of colonization.

Qing China and the consequences of the golden age Essay

Introduction The â€Å"Prosperous Age† was a period where Qing China experienced a drastic increase in population, flourishing trade and commerce, and a remarkable level of social and political stability during the reign of Emperor Kangxi, Yongzheng and Qianlong. However, its brilliance was overshadowed by its subsequent consequences and China was soon at its breaking point in the 19th century. This essay would then evaluate on the implications of the â€Å"Prosperous Age† and how the long-term consequences proved to be more negative in the 19th century due to a string of crisis, and subsequent problems that continued even in modern China of the 20th century. Negative Unanticipated Long Term Consequences Reversal of Trade Fortunes with Britain During the 18th century, there was mounting European demand for Chinese goods (Hung, 2011). Britain in particular, had strong liking and demand for Chinese goods especially tea. Hence, it led to the outflow of British silver into China, but little inflow of silver back into the British economy resulted in China enjoying a trade surplus (City University HK, 2007) while Britain suffered from a trade deficit. To redress this deficit, Britain began to smuggle and sell opium in China (City University HK, 2007). China’s attempt to prohibit opium then resulted in the Opium Wars and suffered a tragic defeat. The defeat in the Opium War led to the signings of unequal treaties . Upon signing of the unequal treaties, much Chinese marked it as the beginning of a century of shame and humiliation. Although China was never formally colonized, the lack of ability to defend its basic sovereign rights and ability to govern its own country made it look like a like semi-colonized state of Britain. Consequently, the Qing government was seen as weak and inefficient to combat against the foreigners and much Chinese lost faith in the Manchurian Qing government. As a result, this gave rise to the Boxer Rebellion (1899-1901) where violent revolts and attacks were targeted against foreigners as a sign to resist their influence. Boxers,  supported by China, suffered a yet another defeat and were forced to sign yet another unequal treaty: Boxer Protocol, where the reparations drastically crippled the Chinese economy till the mid 20th century (Zheng, 2009). Thus, we can see that the initial trade surplus, a sign of â€Å"Prosperous Age† resulted in British to redress the situation by selling opium to the Chinese led to the Opium Wars and the unequal treaties which greatly weakened Qing China internally and externally in the 19th century. China’s failure to counter foreign influence led to their continued defeat in the Boxer Rebellion at the end of 19th century, where another unequal treaty continued to cripple her till mid 20th century , thereby demonstrating the long term consequence of the â€Å"Prosperous Age† was indeed negative in the long run, especially since the consequences did not confine just to the 19th century but even stretched to the 20th century. Reforms did not keep up with population boom During the â€Å"Prosperous Age†, China’s population tripled from less than 150 million to over 400 million (Perkins, 1969). Civil Service Exam however continued its strict quota for passing (Bentley & Ziegler, 2003) and that meant a lower ratio of scholar to population passes. The frustration of students led to the rise of influential leaders like Hong Xiuquan who sought for reforms which led to the Taiping Rebellion . Coincidentally, the backbone of his rebels were the poor peasants who were forced out of arable lands and were socially upset and frustrated, which was also due to the consequence of the population boom. The consequence of the Taiping Rebellion led to a weakened Qing as they were forced to decentralize power to provincial elites to deal with the crisis and this power was never fully recovered even after the rebellion was suppressed (Sng, 2011). Provincial elites who did not return the power were a growing sign of defiance and could have the possibility of rising up against the imperial court. The unneeded civil unrest caused by Taiping Rebellion also served to exacerbate subsequent crisis like the Northern Chinese Famine (1876-1879) where the government was severely blamed for not providing sufficient aid. The excess unrest and loss of power proved to be detrimental in the 19th century as it  crippled China and the country with no official political bloc stepping up to assist with the problems and crisis. In short, China was in a total disarray and chaotic. Lack of technological advancement Qing China favoured political and social stability over technological innovation which they feared would lead to unsettling changes. Furthermore, the vast population available to firms was a cheaper alternative to increase output, rather than investment of new technologies which was costly (Bentley & Ziegler, 2003). This proved to be adverse in the 19th century when China engaged in wars. In the Opium Wars, the Qing military was no match against the British who utilized better technology to triumph (Tanner, 2010). The first defeat resulted in Treaty of Nanjing which ceded Hong Kong to Britain. Subsequent wars like the First Sino-Japanese War (1894-1985) had China suffering a crushing defeat against a more superior and modernized Japanese army. China then ceded Taiwan, Penghu and the Liaodong peninsular to the Japanese. It clearly implied that China could not defend its own sovereign ground and indicated how backward the Chinese army. It questions the right of China to even claim rights over those territories if she could not even defend it properly. The problem gets exemplified into the 20th century when China continued to suffer several defeats to the Japanese in the Second Sino-Japanese War . Even with the Self-Strengthening Movement (1861-1895) which was embraced to modernize China was insufficient. The subsequent defeats to Allied forces in the Boxer Rebellion and Japanese in the Sino-Japanese Wars marred the success of the movement. Especially significant was the defeat in First Sino-Japanese war as for the first time in over 2000 years of history, regional dominance in East Asia shifted from China to Japan (Johnson, 2010). Coupled with the defeat, China’s international and regional standings were challenged and staged subsequent revolutions that led to other problems and the eventual demise of Qing. Positive Long Term Unanticipated Consequences Building a new foundation based on common people The end of Taiping Rebellion inspired nationalists (Del Testa & Lemoine & Strickland, 2001) to fight for the betterment of Chinese. It was because of the consequence of the â€Å"Prosperous Age† that led to the decisive rise of nationalist to seek for reforms. An example would be the decentralizing of power, which meant many parties would be involved in decision-making process, rather than just the monarch government. This would ensure that concerns are taken into deliberation before decision-making that will benefit majority of the Chinese, rather than the imperial court only. The nationalist dream then culminated in the 1911 Revolution in the early 20th century, where the Qing was overthrown and the Republic of China was established. Nevertheless, the dream of the nationalist was short-lived due to a power struggle within. Even though election was scheduled for 1913, but it soon became clear than Yuan Shikai wanted to establish his own power base. Sun Yat Sen was then forced into exile after he stepped down as head of the newly formed Kuomintang (Foster, 2007). The new government was then monopolized by Yuan and led to decades of political division and warlordism, including monarchy restoration (Blecher, 2010). Therefore we can see that the perceived benefits from the consequence of â€Å"Prosperous Age† in the 19th century did not fully materialize in the 20th century. Monarchy restoration was attempted and defeats the purpose of the promised sharing of power with the people initially. Political and social unrest persisted even with the new government which culminated in the May Fourth Movement (1919). Hence, we can see that China did not become better even with the end of Qing. It would be judgmental to argue that the initial rise of nationalists had resulted in a better China. It would be fairer to argue that the initial rise of nationalists led to more power struggle and dissident movements like the Chinese Warlord Era (1916-1928) as there were no strong political forces to enforce stability and order until the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) came in 1949. Conclusion Hence, we can see that the consequences of the â€Å"Prosperous Age† proved to be more negative. The severity of the negative consequences shed light on the  crises in the 19th century which crippled China internally and externally. The impact of the consequences was so overwhelming that it even snowballed to the 20th century and further crippled modern China. In contrast, the perceived positive consequences was that it built the foundation but the problem was that the foundation was weak and unstable which in turn led to more problems which culminated in more movements and revolutions. Furthermore, problems like sovereign issues were not solved by reforms or China’s surge in military strength but rather treaties that returned territories to her under imminent conditions . Thus, we can see that the long term consequences were more negative in the 19th century as it continued the crippling of China economically, socially and militarily and as well as set the stage for the movements and revolutions in the 20th century which did not necessary bring about stability and communal power amongst its people until the CCP came into power in 1949. References – Hung, H.F. (2011), Protest with Chinese characteristics: demonstrations, riots, and petitions (p24-26). USA: Columbia University Press – Qian Long Emperor’s Letter to George III, 1793, retrieved from Sanders & Morillo & Nelson & Elleberger (2005), Encounters in World History: Sources and Themes from the Global Past, Volume 2 (p289). McGraw-Hill – Sng, T.H (2011, Oct 4). Size and Dynastic Decline: The Principal-Agent Problem in Late Imperial China 1700-1850. –  City University of HK Press (2007), China: Five thousand years of history and civilization (p109). Hong Kong: City University of HK Press – Perkins, D.H. (1969). Agricultural development in China, 1369-1968. Chicago: Aldine – Bentley & Ziegler (2003). Traditions and Encounters (p724-740). New York: McGraw-Hill – Tanner, H.M. (2010), China: From the Great Qing Empire through the People’s Republic of China 1644-2009 (p77). USA: Hackett Publishing Company, Inc. – Del Testa & Lemoine & Strickland (2001). Government leaders, military rulers and political activist (p86). Greenwood Publishing Group – Foster, S (2007). Adventure Guide China (p18-19). Hunter Publishing, Inc. – Blecher, M.J. (2010). China against the tides: restructuring through revolution, radicalism, and reform (p205). Continuum International Publishing Group – Johnson, R.E. (2010). A Global Introduction to Baptist Churches (p267). Cambridge University Press – Zheng, J.G. (2009). Historical dictionary of modern China 1800-1949 (p32). USA: Scarecrow Press

Maslow’s Theory of Personality

Maslow’s served as one of the most influential theorists in his field. He proposed a more simple and appealing theory wchich acted against reductionism and instead proposed a more holistic approach for personality research. Maslow’s theory of personality is based on a theory of motivation, characterized by a particular hierarchy of need and an end product of self-actualization which follows after all the needs have been satisfied. The Theory of Motivation, human behavior is influenced by basic needs. These needs are   ordered in a hierarchy which indicates which of these needs is the most urgent and accordingly which has to be satisfied before a higher need can be catered to. These needs are (1) physiological needs; (2) safety needs; (3) belonging needs; (4) esteem needs; and (5) self-actualization. Consequently, self-actualization, being the last of the stages is reached when all needs are fulfilled. However, achievement of this state is not fixed, it is still a process of development which is always continuous. Self-actualization signifies that the individual has reached and fulfilled all of his potentials, talents and competencies (Boeree). In line with this, the subject for this topic would be Oprah Winfrey. Oprah Winfrey came from an extremely poor family, daughter of a housemaid and a soldier. She lived her childhood in extreme poverty and was often teased by other children due to poverty and her racial background. First, her basic physiological needs, were poorly catered to because of extreme poverty. However, her strong will and character enabled her to attain her safety, belonging and esteem needs. And her status right now as one of the most successful women in the world is a manifestation of a successful self-actualization (A Biography). In self-actualizing an individual, there are three character traits that together shall define a new personality type. First, perception and experience is an integral part of molding a person. His eagerness to discover new things and learn new ideas shall contribute largely to the development of his personality and potentials. Another, in self-actualization, an individual must have a spontaneous attitude in expressing their thoughts and ideas. He must be natural and must have an attitude of general acceptance towards other people and to himself. And lastly, to fully attain self-actualization, individuals must have a sense of belongingness towards the whole society. They should be able to become friendly and empathic to other people’s feelings and idea and capable of creating harmonious interpersonal relationship to people outside his intimate friends. Oprah Winfrey, in her own way had undergone her own self-actualizing process. Her life experiences were manifestations of her successful attainment of her potentials and competencies. First, she was always open to changes, new ideas and experiences. Since her childhood, she had welcomed her potentials and worked hard to develop it. Further, she has always been liberal minded and true to her opinions and thoughts. She was one of the strongest individuals who weren’t afraid to voice out their opinion. And lastly, her commitment to the community and her developed empathy towards other people equipped her to become attached to the community. Thus, personality development is a holistic process. It takes into account physical, mental and emotional needs. And it encompasses personal growth, and goes beyond growth that is attributed with an individual’s ability to reach out to the society in general. References Boeree, C. George. Abraham Maslow. Retrieved November 8, 2007 from http://webspace.ship.edu/cgboer/maslow.html Heylighen, Francis. A Cognitive-Systematic Reconstruction of Maslow’s Theory of Self-Actualization. Retrieved November 8, 2007 A Biography: Oprah Winfrey. Retrieved November 8, 207 from http://oprah.urbanhustler.com/biography/   

Introduction to Forensic Science

1. What is the NIBIN? NIBIN is the National Integrated Ballistic Identification Network that was created by the FBI and the ATF in 1999. 2. What is rifling? What two types of markings does this produce? Rifling is when each gun is given spiral grooves by the manufacturer. The spiral grooves are cut into the barrel of a gun in order to make a bullet spin as it is fired. Rifling produces grooves and lands. 3. What is a distance determination? How is this done? A distance determination is the process of estimating the distance between where a shot is fired and its target.This is often done by looking at the patterns of powder residue and the shot pattern. 4. What is the Greiss Test? The Greiss Test uses chemicals to develop gunpowder residue patterns, particularly around bullet holes. 5. When a bullet is retrieved, how is it marked for identification purposes? What should be avoided? Once a bullet has been retrieved, it is usually marked with the investigator's initials, often at the ti p or base of the bullet. The sides of the bullet should not be marked.Care has to be taken that this mark does not cover or obscure any striations or markings on the bullet. Critical Thinking Questions 1. If you found a firearm at a crime scene, what steps would you take in order to transport the weapon to the lab? First, I would make a note about the position of the gun’s safety and hammer. Then, I would need to unload the gun before it is transported or handled in analysis. Finally, I would take each round from the firearm and place it in a separate envelope. 2. Why do you think it might be useful to know the distance between a gun fired and its target?It would be useful to know the distance because if you know the distance, you might be able to find more clues as to who committed the crime based on where they shot the victim. 3. If you were in charge of retrieving bullets at a crime scene, what steps would you take to retrieve a bullet and take it to the crime lab? If I we re in charge of retrieving bullets at a crime scene I would first have to find a way to remove the bullet out while preserving any possible markings on the bullet. Then the bullets can be placed into a marked container for identification purposes.Then to transport the bullet to the crime laboratory, I’d wrap the bullet in tissue paper and placed in an envelope or pillbox. I would have to be careful with the handling and packaging of the bullet, because I would have to be careful to preserve any trace evidence that might be present on the bullet. 4. What are some of the challenges in analyzing tool marks? Some of the challenges in analyzing tool marks is it is difficult to duplicate the mark left by tools through tests in the laboratory and tool marks may not always give individual characteristics. 5. What is the Doppler Effect?How can the Doppler Effect be useful for a forensic investigation involving a shooting? It is important for a forensic scientist to determine the dista nce from a gun to a shooter because in some cases a defendant accused of murder may say that the shooting happened in self-defense. Figuring out the distance between the two individuals may give an indication of whether the defendant is telling the truth or not. Similarly, knowing an approximate distance of a shot can help forensic scientists determine if a death was a suicide or a homicide made to look like a suicide. Introduction to Forensic Science 1. What is the NIBIN? NIBIN is the National Integrated Ballistic Identification Network that was created by the FBI and the ATF in 1999.2. What is rifling? What two types of markings does this produce? Rifling is when each gun is given spiral grooves by the manufacturer. The spiral grooves are cut into the barrel of a gun in order to make a bullet spin as it is fired. Rifling produces grooves and lands.3. What is a distance determination? How is this done? A distance determination is the process of estimating the distance between where a shot is fired and its target. This is often done by looking at the patterns of powder residue and the shot pattern.4. What is the Greiss Test? The Greiss Test uses chemicals to develop gunpowder residue patterns, particularly around bullet holes.5. When a bullet is retrieved, how is it marked for identification purposes? What should be avoided? Once a bullet has been retrieved, it is usually marked with the investigator's initials, often at the tip o r base of the bullet. The sides of the bullet should not be marked. Care has to be taken that this mark does not cover or obscure any striations or markings on the bullet. Critical Thinking Questions1. If you found a firearm at a crime scene, what steps would you take in order to transport the weapon to the lab? First, I would make a note about the position of the gun’s safety and hammer. Then, I would need to unload the gun before it is transported or handled in analysis. Finally, I would take each round from the firearm and place it in a separate envelope.2. Why do you think it might be useful to know the distance between a gun fired and its target? It would be useful to know the distance because if you know the distance, you might be able to find more clues as to who committed the crime based on where they shot the victim.3. If you were in charge of retrieving bullets at a crime scene, what steps would you take to retrieve a bullet and take it to the crime lab? If I were i n charge of retrieving bullets at a crime scene I would first have to find a way to remove the bullet out while preserving any possible markings on the bullet. Then the bullets can be placed into a marked container for identification purposes. Then to transport the bullet to the crime laboratory, I’d wrap the bullet in tissue  paper and placed in an envelope or pillbox. I would have to be careful with the handling and packaging of the bullet, because I would have to be careful to preserve any trace evidence that might be present on the bullet.4. What are some of the challenges in analyzing tool marks?  Some of the challenges in analyzing tool marks is it is difficult to duplicate the mark left by tools through tests in the laboratory and tool marks may not always give individual characteristics.5. What is the Doppler Effect? How can the Doppler Effect be useful for a forensic investigation involving a shooting? It is important for a forensic scientist to determine the dis tance from a gun to a shooter because in some cases a defendant accused of murder may say that the shooting happened in self-defense. Figuring out the distance between the two individuals may give an indication of whether the defendant is telling the truth or not. Similarly, knowing an approximate distance of a shot can help forensic scientists determine if a death was a suicide or a homicide made to look like a suicide.

Politics and Beliefs Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Politics and Beliefs - Term Paper Example This essay discusses that according to Cloninger, for a certain group of people, ideology is important and performs four functions. The first function is it describes the surroundings and answers question why things go as they are. The second of these functions is the evaluation of the surrounding whether good or bad. The third of the functions of ideology is to give the person or group of people a sense of identity. The most important of the functions is the programmatic aspect where ideas are applied into actions. Political ideology is therefore a very important aspect of human nature. A political ideology according to Cloninger is like a revolutionary movement at first that will try to create change according to the goals in life as they wish. Gerring in Chris Livesey’s work entitled Power and Politics defined â€Å"Ideologies† (a set of related beliefs and values) become political ideologies when they â€Å"specify a concrete programme of actions† (such as pa rty manifesto). Mullins described political ideologies as a program of collective action for the maintenance , alteration and transformation of society†. Livesey stated that a conventional way to classify political ideologies is to view them as a continuous line (the continuum) with two ends: â€Å"left wing† parties including Communist and Socialist and â€Å"right wing† parties such Conservative and Fascist. Rummel also identified major political ideologies by illustrating a political triangle. ... They advocate the view that capitalism is a form of exploitation which unfairly concentrates powers and wealth among the few people only. Socialists believe that capitalism creates inequality in a society and does not work in the interest of the majority. According to Rummel (n.d.), libertarianism is the â€Å"political formula for those who opposed to state power.† Thus these are people who wanted to do as things their own way and support basic civil freedoms. Authoritarianism leans more on â€Å"the traditions and customs and central power lies in the hands of a leader who maintains such tradition and policies (Rummel, n.d.). Political Socialization Political socialization is defined as â€Å"the process by which political culture is transmitted in a given society. It occurs at both the individual and community level, and it extends beyond the acquisition of political culture to encompass the learning of more sophisticated political ideas and orientations. Political social ization is a lifelong process and a variety of individuals and institutions contribute to its shaping effect†(http://imej.wfu.edu, Political Socialization). This process of transmission is carried through the agents of socialization which include family, schools, church, friends and media. Family is considered to be the most important agent of socialization. Most likely, children will have the same political affiliation as their parents. Schools on the other hand also have vital effect on students’ political values through peer groups. Religion also affects a person’s values and ideologies through their moral teachings. Friends also influence a person’s value through sharing of thoughts and constant communication. Media

Walmart Just In Time focus on procurement and distribution, logistics Research Paper

Walmart Just In Time focus on procurement and distribution, logistics management processes and benefits of process for Walmart - Research Paper Example In this context, this study focuses on the Just in time inventory system and the logistics management Wal-Mart is using. Just-in-Time Concept of Inventory Many authors defined just in time inventory (JIT) system differently, but it all refers to a system wherein materials are delivered just in time for its use whether in manufacturing or selling. In JIT system, it has been the practice of companies like Wal-Mart to schedule purchases and production only as needed to meet actual consumers’ demand. The purpose of this system is to reduce inventories to a minimum level, or wherever possible to a â€Å"zero level† (Accounting for Management, n.d.). As the concept would suggest, JIT for Wal-Mart is a cycle that means products for sale are received from supplier just in time to replenish the stocks on the shelves, thereby reducing inventories from their previous level. The Just in time inventory system has been applied at every stores of Wal-Mart, and as observed, the secret lies in its sophisticated just in time logistics system found in the RFID technology. The system has provided Wal-Mart a continuous tracking, real-time sales feedback from every store and plot stock depletion rates so they can arrange new deliveries just as existing supplies are about to run out. The illustration below depicts a Just in-time system inventory management that begins with the order of the customer, and the processes that channels the ordering system. JIT system is ideal for manufacturing and merchandising concerns that tends to eliminate too much inventories which are not needed in the manufacturing or sale immediately. Source of diagram: (Accounting for Management.com) The logistics management of Wal-Mart, an introduction to RFID In order to understand the complexity of Wal-Mart operations and why there is a need for a logistics management process, an insight to its structure is presented. Wal-Mart manages retail stores worldwide in a range of set-up. Its segments inc lude US market, International market and the on line ordering system. The US segment carries almost all items ordinarily found in a supermarket store, or may be easier said, â€Å"ask it, Wal-Mart has it† (WMT Profile). The international segment has various formats of stores and restaurants that include a combination of discount and grocery stores, supermarkets, supercenters, cash and carry stores, hypermarkets, general merchandise stores and the Sam Clubs. The Sam Club segment, which is available thru membership, carries merchandise, hard and soft goods and selected private-label items. Profile of Wal-Mart stores showed the following number of stores as of January 31, 2010 (Table1). Table 1 Number of Wal-Mart Retail Stores as of January 31, 2010 Number of stores Location Number of stores Location 803 discount stores United States 43 Argentina 2,747 supercenters United States 434 Brazil 1158 neighborhood markets United States 317 Canada 596 Sam Clubs United States 252 Chile 1 70 Costa Rica 77 El Salvador 164 Guatemala 53 Honduras 1 India 371 Mexico 55 Nicaragua 56 Puerto Rico 371 United Kingdom 279 Peoples Rep. of China Source: Yahoo Finance, 2010. Wal-Mart Stores Profile Logistics management process of Wal-Mart In the above scenario of retail stores, tracking of individual products in its different chains and warehouses is a difficult task. This would need an efficient system of monitoring and control such that Wal-Mart saw a need for a