Anaximander Essay Example

Anaximander Essay Anaximander, a Milesian philosopher, was the first great influencer of Greek thought. He traveled, and presented his discoveries from the outside world to Greece. He is sometimes credited with the discovery of the gnomon, a type of sundial telling hours of the day, equinoxes, and solstices; however, it was most likely a transplanted invention from the Babylonians. He is also said to have constructed a celestial globe mapping the heavens. Anaximander can be considered the first geographer and although his maps suffered massive criticism from later philosophers, he completed a map of the world based on his own travels to Sparta and the Black Sea, and upon conversations with merchants and travelers. Anaximander also created a model of the universe using a geometric structure and basing measurements on multiples of three. He conjectured that the heavenly bodies were seen when fire showed through vents in the heavens. By using this single supposition, he was able to explain phenomena such as eclipses by a single occurrence: the blockage of heavenly vents. He can be considered the first metaphysician because he rationalized and hypothesized about the Aperion as the Arche. Unlike Thales, Anaximander speculated that the Aperion differed from the elementals and reasoned instead that since it was the fundamental source of all things and surrounded the heavens and worlds, it could not be any one of those things or possess their characteristics. This is why the earth does not move in space, because the Aperion has an equal relation to the extremes and there is no reason for it to move. According to Anaximander, the Aperion must be spatially unlimited because it environs the universe. As an unlimited material, if the Aperion possessed a definite set of characteristics, it would obliterate everything with opposing characteristics. It must perpetually be in motion for change to occur in the world. It is ageless and eternal, because if there was a time when the Aperion was not, then it must have come from something other than itself, and as the inspiration for the creation of all things, this would be impossible. We will write a custom essay sample on Anaximander specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Anaximander specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Anaximander specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Anaximander explains the existence of the world not through traditional divinities and mythology, but rather by elements separating off from the Aperion. He found explanations for the world that were logical and uncomplicated. Anaximander taught that either of any two opposites can overwhelm the other, but share equal influence, although they are constantly in conflict. When one gains greater power, it will eventually pay the penalty to the other, keeping the world in balance. Heraclitus was the dark, riddling philosopher who expounded the theories of eternal change. Heraclitus was very critical of past philosophers and peers. The former he condemned for valuing learning over insight, while the latter he denounced for being unreceptive to unfamiliar concepts, not caring for truth, misusing their senses and intelligence, and erratically following tradition and authority. Heraclitus was the first philosopher to connect human values to philosophy. He transcended physical theories in order to discover principled appliances and metaphysical fundamentals. He went beyond the Milesian philosophers study of the material foundation of the world to the rhythm of nature affecting the Logos. However, he did not believe, as Anaximander did, that opposites were in a universal unrest, but rather that they existed in a law like flux and transformational uniformity. For example, the sea water, which is most polluted for humans, but most pure for the sea creatures; it gives both death and life in different respects. He viewed conflict as a necessity in life, but not as an impediment to living. He stated that it is the inevitable law of nature for things that are hot to become cold and that since they are already hot, they cannot become hot. The potential for both extremes always exists within the same object. Heraclitus associated Logos with fire, the dramatic, violent, hot element of gradual change. However he also believed that fire, water, and earth were constantly changing into one another. This idea of constant motion of the elements reflects Anaximanders. He uses the example of a river: if the river stops flowing and changing it fails to remain a river, and becomes a lake. Just so, if the Kosmos ever stopped changing it would lose its identity and fail to exist as we know it. The existence of Logos keeps the world in order. Thus, he presents his idea of the Logos not only as elemental, but also relating to justice, law, and God. He criticized people for looking at the world as made of individual parts instead of looking at all the separate parts as they relate to the whole which they all come from. By fully grasping what the whole is, we can see the way individual things interact within it. Heraclitus put much emphasis on logic and relying upon the senses. He said that most people live in a private dream world, and while they are physically all in the same reality, they are not conscious of it. He disvalues things taught in favor of things learned for oneself through experience. He particularly valued knowledge gained through sight, but he warned that when the soul is barbaric, the persons reception will be skewed. The highest virtue that Heraclitus extols is that of understanding. Although only divinities can have complete insight into nature, is a virtue humans must work toward. He uses the Logos as fire to argue morals. Souls are made of fire, and to die is to be extinguished or become wet. He warns against drinking to excess because it moistens the soul; much the same, when a person is sick, it indicates that their soul is moist. Greeks believed it valiant to die in battle, with a fiery soul. Thus it was shameful to die of disease because the soul would remain impure. Heraclitus stated that the Logos was a wholesome cosmic fire and the fieriest soul was the wise soul. He warned that it was the individuals character and actions that determined his or her fate, rather than gods from any mystery religion. Parmenides was the first philosopher to combine the analytical logic with philosophy. He branched off from the theories of Anaximander, Heraclitus, and Pythagoras. Like Heraclitus, he emphasized the importance of learning the truth about existence and nature, except he believed the way to reach that understanding was through reason separate from the senses, because humans tend to deem whatever seems to be as unconditional reality. This principle led to forms of rationalism and influenced Platos writing. Expounding upon Pythagorean thought, Parmenides found explanations for the universe that were mathematical and logical. He also uses verse to present his philosophy, reiterating Greek tradition and thought. He plays up the images of chariots and wise steeds, referencing Achilles in Homers Iliad, he alludes to Hesiods work when describing Chaos, and although he doesnt use the term god, Parmenides employs Anaximanders Justice and opposition in his tale. In the poem, Parmenides presents three possibilities for reality and the state of the universe. The first way is to believe that everything is, the second is to believe that nothing is, and the third is to believe that everything is and is not. The way of Objective Truth is both unswerving and coherent, the Unthinkable Way is consistent but incoherent, and the way of Subjective Belief is incomprehensible and incoherent. (The first and second ways are both enlightened, but should not carry the same merit. ) Humans often fail to see the first way as feasible because they rely upon their senses. Parmenides argued that if something can be conceived, that on some level of existence it exists because it has properties that can be described. This is why the second way is incorrect. By talking about nothing, it is described with certain attributes and, itself, becomes something. There are benefits to the way of Subjective Belief, in looking at the universe and truth objectively. The fallacy comes when people on this path try to understand themselves or their immediate surroundings. The Kosmos does exist independently, but not to the omission of all other potential Kosmoi. The objective truth is that conceivably all Kosmoi are similarly existent, therefore Parmenides concludes that the Plenum is continuous, undivided, imperishable, timeless, motionless, and unchanging, which is utterly divergent from Heraclitus view of an ever-changing Aperion. Parmenides view of the world can be compared to a block of marble. It is possible to create anything out of that block until it is changed and one chunk is carved off. The possibility to create any number of designs is immediately eliminated. Therefore, since it is possible for every imaginable universe to exist, the Plenum can never change. It is also contingent on properties of time rather than space. Parmenides Plenum was made up from two opposites: fire which gives light and translucent, and night which is dark and dense. Much as Anaximander described it, Parmenides world was made from these two elements separating off in a type of vortex, and combining with each other; however they can never become one another. In Platos Meno, Socrates shows his idea of virtue and knowledge by questioning Meno, a high-class, educated man, and an uneducated slave. He begins speaking as if he knows nothing about virtue, and asks Meno to explain it to him. However, he quickly tears apart Menos confidence. He tries to discover what virtue is, because until one knows what something is, one cannot know its qualities, and it cannot be taught. Socrates eventually brings Meno to the conclusion that virtue is knowledge or temperance. Then Socrates defines teaching as remembering knowledge from previous lives. He questions a slave-boy in geometry much in the same style that he questioned Meno, first utterly bewildering him before leading him to the answer. The slave would have had no education, but was able to discover the truth by answering questions, and thus must have been remembering that particular truth. They determine that virtue is knowledge, and knowledge can be taught. Thus, divulging knowledge to a person is the same as divulging virtue. By teaching that virtue is beneficial, and supposing that a person would not choose to do something detrimental to them, then knowing that something is a virtue they will choose it, and since they are choosing virtue, they must be virtuous. Consequently, to teach virtue is simply to teach that virtue is knowledge. Therefore, Socrates teaches Meno virtue in the dialogue. However he contradicts this by saying that the slave discovered some true opinion, not knowledge, and Socrates did not teach him because he was not paid as teachers must be. Therefore virtue cannot be knowledge because virtue cannot be taught. He offers four ways in which humans may acquire virtue: teaching, practice, nature, or some alternative way. An alternative to virtue being knowledge is that it is true opinion, which cannot be taught. If it is not taught then it must be a divine gift.

Napleon and Wellington essays

Napleon and Wellington essays Napoleon Bonaparte and Arthur, Duke of Wellington The careers of Napoleon Bonaparte and Arthur Wellesley, 1st duke of Wellington, contrasted in many different ways. The manner in which both rose to glory was quite dissimilar. Napoleon Bonaparte was born in Corsica on August 15, 1769 and was thought to be the most formidable military commander since Alexander the great. He was a bright, charismatic child of noble background. As a boy, he was described as good willed and generous. At nine, through his fathers influence, Napoleon went off to military school in Paris at the expense of King Louis XVI. It was here that it was discovered that he had and amazing brain capacity and was considered a genius, yet nobody could imagine his success and all of the dead bodies he left in his wake for the sake of peace. Wellesley, on the other hand, was born on May 1, 1769, in Dublin and was also of noble background. As an adult, Wellesley would rise to rule the British empire, but as a schoolboy his future looked grim and lacked the genius that Napoleon possessed. His situation became so desperate that he was sent to military school, where his metamorphosis was astonishing. He found that he enjoyed the army and needed it to establish a career in life. He was given the title 1st Duke of Wellington due to his military successes. In school, Napoleon was always the leader and could always win at games due to his strategies and his impeccability at outwitting the other team. He was attracted to the military for a number of reasons and he had secret weapons such as his extraordinary intelligence. The military schools of Napoleon and Wellesley never engaged in competition so they never met. Napoleon graduated military school in 1785, at the age of 16, and joined the artillery as a second lieutenant. He studied firepower and trained in the artillery, which would help Napoleon become a genius in this field. Meanwhile, in 1787,...

Learning English Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Learning English - Essay Example It is necessary for English learners to become perfect speakers of the language. Regardless of the fact that majority of these learners would be interacting with other second language speakers, learning perfect English is still a crucial aspect of the general learning process. It is necessary for English learners to learn perfect English in order to establish a strong baseline for their English learning, including the grammar, spelling, pronunciation, syntax, and proper usage of the words in a sentence (Sweeney, 2003). Knowing the proper usages of English in a sentence helps reduce communication barriers among speakers and learners (Seagert, 2007). In the current age of cell phones and short messaging services where words are often shortened to fit limited characters in text messages, the importance of learning perfect English has become more important than ever. Without instructions for learning perfect English, improper grammar and spelling would likely become the norm which would cause the deterioration of the English language (Freudenberg, 2009). Moreover, this improper English language would also infiltrate the English of secondary speakers. As their English-speaking counterparts are learning imperfect English, they too would be learning imperfect English. In the end, the quality of the language would be reduced. With more transactions being carried out with secondary English speakers, the burden of learning how to speak perfect English must not be eased or reduced. (Segaert, 2007). The importance of learning perfect English is based on the demands of the English language itself, not with those who would eventually use it (Pakenham, 2004). Moreover, secondary English speakers would also benefit well from the perfect English which is used in communicating with them. The foundation of their English communication has to hinge on the proper application of the English language. Adjustments made on the English language can then be made to incorporate the usage of other foreign words (Cleary, 2004). Throughout the years, the English language has adapted these foreign words into its vocabulary, but the essence and the structure of the English language has not been changed to accommodate a structure more appealing to the secondary English speaker. And this has helped preserve the structure and form of the English language (Cleary, 2004). It is easy to argue that it is unnecessary to learn perfect English because many people speak it only as a secondary language (Kubota, 2009). They point out that not learning perfect English would make the language more relatable to the secondary English speakers; in other words, English would have a more universal appeal if people would not have to pay attention to speaking it perfectly (Kubotam 2009). It may also be important to note that the pressure of knowing and learning perfect English may discriminate against the secondary English speakers who often speak heavily-accented imperfect English (Hojena and Flege, 2006). These arguments however cannot be used as an excuse not to learn perfect

Effective communications with people from diverse backgrounds .Discuss Term Paper

Effective communications with people from diverse backgrounds .Discuss - Term Paper Example In this paper, I will be sharing my personal clinical experience that involved initiating assertive and therapeutic communication to a 35-year-old female patient with Down syndrome. To start with, it shall be emphasized that diversity does not just focuses on the racial or cultural background of individuals. Diversity is â€Å"a condition of having or being composed of differing elements (variety); especially the inclusion of different types of people in a group or organization† (Merriam-Webster 2011). Hence, patient diversity is the full range of human similarities and differences in group affiliation including gender, race/ethnicity, social class, role within an organization, age, religion, sexual orientation, physical ability, and other group identities (Borkowski 2011, p. 15). Good communication skills among nurses in dealing with diversity is a big factor for effective management. In the cycle of effective management that includes planning and preparing, listening and obs erving, assessment and decision making, questioning and probing, giving feedback, and reflection and evaluation, the nurse, oftentimes, experiences vulnerability, criticism, hostility and success which calls for assertive sense to meet all these challenges (Darley 2002, p. 4). Assertiveness comprises respect for other people, self-respect or self-esteem, self-awareness, and effective, clear and consistent communication. Assertive communication is the key to communicating important messages to others that helps individuals to stand up for their rights, and when appropriate, the rights of others (the patient’s rights with the nurse acting as the patient advocate) (Sully & Dallas 2005, p. 94). Being assertive helps a person to avoid the feeling of guilt, anger, resentment, confusion, and loneliness, which leads to a more satisfying life (Zerwekh & Claborn 2006, p. 264). It is also important to note that assertiveness can also be projected through nonverbal communication. Accordi ng to Videbeck (2010, p. 107) nonverbal communication is the behavior a person exhibits while delivering verbal content which includes facial expression, eye contact, space, time, boundaries, and body movements. It conveys truthfulness because it involves the unconscious mind acting out emotions related to the verbal content, the situation, the environment, and the relationship between the speaker and the listener (Videbeck 2010, p. 108). In addition to effective communication, the nurse-patient relationship in health care setting is often at the interpersonal level, between two people only, in order to establish a therapeutic relationship that will benefit the client, even when the contact is brief. A communication can be therapeutic if it is client-focused, purposeful, and time limited, where the nurse comes to know and respond to the client as a unique person and the client comes to trust the nurse. In this therapeutic relationship, the nurse is sensitive to the client’s f eelings and needs, where both of them communicate comfortably with each other in times of intimate/sensitive nursing care or emotional significance (Funnell, Koutoukidis, & Lawrence 2009, p. 446). The nurse utilizes the â€Å"use of self† where he or she consciously and in full awareness uses his or her own self to establish relatedness and to structure nursing interventions. Because of the nature of nurse-patient interaction in the course of nursing care

Consciousness Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Consciousness - Essay Example This is disturbing only if we assume that states of consciousness are mutually exclusive. Insofar as the same subject can experience different forms of consciousness (dreams and waking reality) they need not be mutually exclusive; rather, the fear is that a totally different worldview, and therefore a totally different mode of operating in the world, may be appropriate. For example, it would be unsettling if someone managed to convince us that feudalism is the correct worldview and therefore the correct modus operandi. Our defence of the current worldview (industrial capitalism) would be motivated not only by apprehensions of the alteration in our individual condition (from factory-owner to serf) but perhaps even more by our belief in the props (e.g. belief in free speech and free enterprise) of the current worldview. Our values and beliefs are ultimately determined by our social existence; our knowledge of the world is based on our social relations and conditions. The thesis he posited in contradistinction to Rene Descartes' "Cogito ergo sum" and which is central to Karl Marx's body of work is that "It is not the consciousness of men that determines their existence, but their social existence that determines their consciousness" (Critique of Political Economy 2). Existence itself does not depend on consciousness, much less on meta- consciousness; neither does life or productivity depend on consciousness. Rather, given a certain social structure and an individual's relations to it, subjective consciousness arises from physical reality. Physical reality encompasses everyday material activity (Burke 3), which is determined by the configuration of the individual or socioeconomic class in the current relations of production. An early 21st century American farmer's consciousness arises from the sum of all the activities and relationships he enters as a farmer (planting with a seed-drill, selling his grain to a corporate miller, buying seeds from a transnational biotechnology giant); it is different from the consciousness of the miller or the biotech company, and also from that of a farmer in Soviet Russia. It is different and unique not only because of his position in a salient mode of production (industrial capitalism versus socialism), but also, and equally importantly, because of the non-economic institutions that reflect and propagate that mode of production. Thus the early 21st century American farmer's consciousness is determined also by the media, the church, the system of education, the family - in short, by all that can be summed up as 'culture.' Althusser calls these cultural institutions the Ideological State Apparatuses (ISAs) - in contrast to the Repressive State Apparatuses (Althusser 3) which operate by direct force (law, police, army). The ISAs grow up on the base of the mode of production, reflect it, and reinforce it; they represent the ideology of the dominant mode of production. This is true of every human society under every mode or production: it can be understood, not as a conspiracy (Burke 4), but as reflections in ideology of the mode of production. By reflecting the mode of production, ideology also propagates it: every time the status quo is mirrored in culture (e.g. in advertisements or

Importance of Expenditure on Education for Economic Growth

Importance of Expenditure on Education for Economic Growth REVIEW OF LITERATURE THEORETICAL AND EMPIRICAL PERSPECTIVE Introduction Education is recognized as a critical input for the holistic development of the economy. Further, the elementary education plays a very leading role in acquiring larger positive externalities to the society. The provision of elementary education is one of the central responsibilities of the government. Many economic theories also suggest substantial role for the government in providing of basic education. All states in India have undertaken the responsibility of providing elementary education to their citizens. Voluminous government expenditure was increased on education across the states, but there is no significant achievement among the states in terms of educational outcomes. This chapter makes an attempt to review the available literature to understand the theoretical linkages of development and problems involved. The review of literature very helpful in understanding the research problems and explore the research gap and identify the ways that lead to solve the problem. A: Theoretical Models of Public Expenditure on Education Review of literature is divided into two parts. The first part represents the theoretical literature on financing of education, public good discussion, externalities involved with education and government intervention in the provision of education in the system. The role of education in economic development and important factors influencing on productivity and externalities involved also discussed here. The second part describes empirical studies on relationship between education and economic growth, inter-state variation in educational performance, efficiency of education system and factors influencing educational expenditure. Finance is commonly referred as providing funds for commercial activities. Public finance includes both public revenue and public expenditure, which plays an important role in influencing the other variables in an economy. Public expenditure is referred as the expenses incurred by the Government for the maintenance of the government responsibility and to stimulate the welfare of the society. Financing is an economic activity of the government to provide and manage necessary resources for satisfying the needs of the people. Education is not a pure public good, because in certain situations education might violate the principle characteristics of the public good such as non-rival and non-excludability. But education in general or elementary education in particular is considered as social good or collective good, which produces various positive externalities and social advantages to the society. Several economists have supported public expenditure on education for providing better educational opportunities in the society based on the argument that expenditure on education impacts economic development positively. During the ancient period most of the countries were following the laissez faire policy, where market forces play dominant role in adjustment of the economy. The role of the state was limited. Even under laissez-faire policy, the Government was expected to perform certain functions. According to the father of economics, Adam Smith (1937)[1] who provided a broad platform to laissez faire policy, the government has three important functions. They are Protection of society from foreign invasion. Maintenance of law and order and justice in society. The correction and maintains of public works such as educational institutions for the instructions of the people. Smith greatly emphasized the role of public finance and emphasized the need for providing public services to the poor to live and maintain their human dignity. J.S. Mill (1848) is another well known classical economist supported Adam Smiths laissez faire policy in administration of the government. He purposefully divided the functions of the government in laissez faire into Ordinary and Optional functions. The ordinary functions are defence, maintenance of law and order and other functions essential for the maintenance of the system. On the other hand the Optional functions such as education, health, family welfare and others have positive impact on economic growth the long run. In his argument he also encourage government role in advancement of public expenditure because Individuals are unable to evaluate the utility of certain goods, Lack of foresight may prevent individuals from consuming the valuable goods. Monopoly power or high prices necessitate government intervention in the provision of primary education. For the first time Adolph Wagner[2] (1835–1917) has commented on increasing state activities and through his experiment he found a positive relationship between public expenditure and economic growth among the selected countries. He postulated that when economy moves towards higher economic development path, public expenditure of the state also increases. The increasing public expenditure contributes to economic growth in various ways. In contrary, Peacock and Wiseman[3] (1967) argued that the natural course of advancement and structural change in the economy, leads to constant and systematic expansion in the public expenditure. According to them public expenditure in the system will not continuously increase. It depends on the shocks and stimulus response in the society. The Voluntary Exchange Theory was developed by Knut Wicksell (1896), Eric Lindahl ( ), Howard Bowen (1948)[4] and Musgrave (1939)[5]. It suggests that the resources in public sector should also allocate in the same manner as in such a manner to their allocation in the market with its price system. Through this theory they argued for tax collection and public spending for improving the welfare of the people. Dalton[6] postulated the public expenditure theory (1967) and according to him maximum satisfaction can be yield by striking a balance between public revenue and public expenditure by the government. According to him economic welfare is achieved when Marginal Social Sacrifices (MSS) due to imposition of taxes is equal to Marginal Social Benefit (MSB) due to government spending. Prof. Pigou argued that net social benefit (NSB) is maximized in the equilibrium condition of MSS = MSB. Public Expenditure and Decentralization Since the SSA adopted decentralized model in government spending on education, theories relating to the public expenditure, decentralization and governance are reviewed. Fiscal decentralization theorem (Oates, 1972) states that sub central governments have a comparative advantage in providing public services due to heterogeneity preferences of the people residing in different jurisdiction. He strongly argued for the decentralization in the administration and performing the functions. According to him decentralization will bring good governance at the local level and satisfy more human wants through effective public expenditure. Public expenditure and Distribution Dreze and Sen (1989) propounded public support led strategies. According to them the holistic development of the system is possible only where each and every individual has a good standard of living. For better standard of living and for tracing number of activities, they strongly argued for the educational attainment. Apart from its intrinsic importance, education serves certain instrumental roles in ensuring the freedom of a person, which not only guarantees personal gains but also possesses social ramifications including empowering the disadvantaged and reducing inequality. Certain public service such as education, health, sanitation, family welfare, rural development and others are required particularly for the development of marginalized sections. In this regard, the government investment on social sector is essential for receiving the double benefit to the economy. Samuelsons Theory of Public good The first place in defining the concept of public good belongs to Paul A. Samuelson (1955)[7]. Samuelson consider as the establisher of theory of public good. He made distinguish between public good and private good. The public good as the good, which brings benefits for members of the society as a whole and the consumption of the Public good doesnt proclaim the consumption of the other person. In Indian context provision of elementary education is a right of children between the age group of six to fourteen years, therefore elementary education consider as public good. In this regard Samuelsons argument in the provision of public good (elementary education) is justifiable. Non-rivalry and non-exclusion are two important characteristics of public good; education in general a good only obligatory education can meet the characteristics of public good. The elementary education is fulfilled the characteristics of public good and the consumption of this good does not reduce the consumptio n of other good. All these reasons emphasized the government role in public expenditure in the system. Milton Freidman (1995) published his book entitled The role of government; in that book he postulated the role of government intervention in the provision of education. He positively argued that the government intervention in public good based on strong following reasons; Capital market imperfection Incomplete infrastructure Possibility to create a monopoly Existence of positive externalities Friedman, M. (1955): The Role of Government. In: Solo, R.A, Economics and the public interest. New Brunswick: Rutgers University Press, 1955, 123-144. He propounded and accepted the approach of efficiency in the allocation of public goods. It shows fundamental difference between the allocation of public and private good based on micro economic principle. Prof. A.C. Pigou established the ability to pay theory for the determination of optimum level of public expenditure. He explained that the resources should be allocated among different uses and expenditure should be incurred in different uses in such a form that the marginal utility obtained from each different use is same. The government sector would grow with increasing level of National income. According to him if a community were literally a unitary being, with the government as its brain, expenditure should be pushed in all direction as increases of the National income. Further Prof. Pigou observed that simple marginal rule of optimization implied on increasing public sector with increasing wealth, the optimum amount of public goods is likely to raise. Justification for State Intervention in Education Some of the justifications for state intervention in education sector are as follows Education is recognized as a social good, but through the Right to Education Act (RtE) Elementary education is recognized as a public good, where it is the responsibility of government and parents to provide certain level of education. People could ignorant about the advantages/benefits/values of the education, so they have no concern in educating their pupils. The imperfect market and asymmetric information in developing and developed economies make poor people to still consider education expenditure as a consumption rather than investment expenditure. Market mechanism is mainly determined by the demand for and supply of the product. But in the case of education which is a social good, the marginal cost of additional education unit is zero and its consumption is indivisible in nature. These factor causes market failure in the market for investment in Education. Scholars like (Vaizy 1962; Blaug 1965; Levin 1987; Tomilnson1986; Musgrave 1959; Tilak 1999 and others) have strongly supported the state intervention in provision of elementary education. Contribution of Education to Economic Growth: Theoretical perspective The role of education in development has been recognized since the days of Plato. He argued that the education has high economic value; therefore a huge part of communitys wealth must be invested on education. Education helps the society by enabling them to participate actively in the development process. But, a major contribution to the discussion on relationship between education and economic growth was first made by Adam Smith (1776), followed by the subsequent contributions by the classical and neo-classical economists until Alfred Marshall. Marshall (1890) emphasized that, â€Å"The most valuable of all capital is that invested in human beings’. Further he also states that, Knowledge is our most powerful engine of production. It enables us to moderate nature and force her to satisfy our wants†. Education is one of the most important components in capacity building. It provides a base for making a person capable of acquiring skills and becoming self-sustainable. Kuznets’s study of American economy (Kuznets, 1955) shows the significant contribution of ‘residual factor’ to economic growth. A study on agriculture of 31 countries shows that four years of elementary education makes a farmer more productive than the farmer who has no education at all. I n another study of 88 countries for the period 1960-63 and 1970-73, it was found that an increase in literacy rates from 20 to 30 per cent contributed to increase in real GDP between eight to sixteen per cent. Personal earning and education have also been found correlated (UNDP, 1992). The significance of an adequately educated and technically trained manpower has been specifically recognized in economic literature since the middle of fifties when research studies in the economics of education and growth, pioneered by endogenous growth models propounded by Solow (1957), Schultz (1961) and Denison (1962). They highlighted the role of the ‘residual factor’, which mainly implied technology, learning, education and health. in contributing to economic growth (OECD, 1963). For many years, the proposition that educational expansion promotes and in some cases even determines the rate of growth of overall Gross National Product (GNP) remained unquestioned. Amazing statistics and numerous studies in the World has revealed that the growth of the nation was not due to the growth of physical capital but that of human capital that was the principal source of economic progress (Denison, 1962). In the classical school of economic doctrine, later economists considered education as an effective tool measure for population control (Malthus, 1966), achieving social justice (Ricardo, 1971) and civilized development of the society (Senior, 1939). Thus in eighteenth and beginning of the nineteenth century, education considered as a means for bringing about improvement in purchasing power of labour force, economic welfare and social peace (Mill, 1909). In the Neo-Classical school of economic thought, education was considered as a strong source of human capital formation and an effective source to increase the income stream (Fisher, 1929). Tilak (1989) argued that Education not only ensures economic growth with equity but also has positive externalities associated with it, which make the public financing of education imperative. There are some arguments for the complementarity in public and private expenditure on the grounds of equity. The benefits that accrue to the individual in terms of higher earnings are a reason why the individual should pick up a part of the cost. If we look at the state as a supplier of education and the individual as a buyer of it, then investments by both appear to be complementary; and this may be the best model on grounds of equity. Hence, the right balance between public and private expenditures is crucial to the success of any educational policy or programme (Psacharapoulos and Woodhall 1985; Majumdar 1983). Conclusion The above discussion reveals the importance of expenditure on education for the growth of the economy and also noted the growing perception that the greater relevance to the developing countries. But in the current atmosphere of growing scrutiny of the nature of state expenditures, whether education is to be treated as a public or a private good, and whether expenditure on education is to be treated as consumption or investment need to be understood correctly. If it is seen as consumption good, that is, private in nature, then the market mechanism may be regarded as the most effective means of ensuring its adequate supply. On the other hand the state expenditure on education must be reduced to increase investment in other areas of greater importance. However, education not only offers private monetary as well as non-monetary benefits to its consumers but also has externalities associated with it, which confer benefits to society at large, even to those who have not had any education. Therefore the government should take major responsibility in providing education opportunities of its citizens. [1] Smith, Adam (1937): An enquiry in to the Nature and Causes of Wealth of Nations, (Edwin Cannan eds.), The Modem Library, New York, 1937, P. 423 [2] Wagner, Adolph (1958): Three Extracts on Public Finance in R. A Musgrave and Allen Peacock eds., Classics in the Theory ofpublic Finance, Mcmillan, New York, 1958, PP. 1-16. [3] Peacock, T. Alan and Jack Wiseman (1967): The Growth of Public Expenditure in the Untied Kingdom, Allen and Urwin, London, (llnd Edition) 1967. [4] Bowen, R. Howard (1948): Toward Social Economy, New York, Rinehart (1948) [5] Musgrave, R.A (1938): The Voluntary Exchange Theory of Public Economy. The Quarterly Journal of EconomicsFebruary (1938)53(2):213-237. [6] Dalton, Hugh (1967): Principles of Public Finance, Augustus M. Kelley Publishers, New York, 1967, PP. 5-7 [7] Samuelson, A. Paul (1954): The Pure Theory of Public Expenditure. Review of Economics and Statistics, November 1954, pp. 387-389.

The Most Suitable Material for a Backpackers Towel :: Backpacking Towels Essays

The Most Suitable Material for a Backpacker's Towel Chemistry: Data Analysis for the most suitable material for a backpacker’s towel. Method ====== In groups, we tested three different types of material (named pale blue, dark blue and brown) to find out which one would be more suitable as a backpacker’s towel. The criteria that would make a good backpacker’s towel would be aspects such as a low density, high absorpancy, rapid drying etc. We weighed the fabric before wetting it and weighing it again. We then hung it on some suspended string and let a rotating fan dry them for fifteen minutes. After this time was up, we weighed the materials again in order to work out the drying rate, the absorpancy and the amount of water lost. We then recorded our results in a table (displayed further on) and analysed these to come to a conclusion. The formulas I used were as follows: Absorbency – wet towel mass – dry towel mass/dry towel mass Water Lost – Wet mass – Dry mass Drying Rate – (Water Lost/Time [15]) x 60 to give [g/hr] Density – Mass Dry/Area to give [g/cm squared] Interpretation ============== Part of the criteria that adds to what makes a backpacker’s towel is a high absorbency. The graph shows that the Pale Blue fabric had the highest absorbency and no anomalies, indicating accurate results. The least absorbent fabric is the brown. The Pale blue fabric absorbency ranges from 2.1 to 4.2. The Dark Blue fabric’s absorbency ranges from 1.7 to 3.2 with one higher anomaly and the brown fabric’s absorbency ranges from 1 to 2.9, with one higher anomaly. What also makes a good backpacker’s towel is rapid drying, i.e. a high drying rate. The fabric with the highest drying rate is, again, the pale blue one. The ranges I have devised on both graphs do not include the anomalies, and I will go further into this in my evaluation. The pale blue data for drying rate shows a very high anomaly and a very low one, with the data taken into consideration ranging from 14 to 52.5. The Dark Blue fabric ranges from 12.5 to 39.5, with two higher anomalies and the brown fabric ranges from 18.5 to 42.5 with 1 anomaly. To summarise, the brown fabric had the lowest absorbency, then the dark blue and then the pale blue. The dark blue fabric had the lowest drying rate, then the brown fabric and then the pale blue fabric. To conclude, the pale blue fabric was identified, from interpreting my graphs, as the best fabric for a backpacker’s towel, so at this point the pale blue fabric would probably be better that the dark blue and

The Methods of American Business in Early 20th Century

A little more than a hundred years earlier, United States was an isolated country and the attitude kept developing during that period. The Senate did not want to ratify the Versailles Peace Treaty that ended the First World War and went to an extent that the country did not even join the League of Nations. Free migration into the country that existed earlier was stopped, business tariffs for imports were increased, and migration from Asia was practically stopped. Yet, the country had some special capabilities and one of that were the regularities in the modes of production in the country. The production in America made simpler and rougher goods, used much less of skilled labor since machines and organizations succeeded in taking over a lot of their responsibilities. (Delong 1997) Thus some methods of American business had been developed even before the start of the twentieth century and this may have given the country the lead. It is difficult to ascribe to any particular reason the changes that took place in the American economy during the period before the Second World War America was not one of the leaders of the Western World then as can be seen from the fact that both the World Wars were started by European countries and fought for quite some time by those countries, and America only entered the conflict when it was felt that the tradition of democracy was about to be lost. Yet, there were presidents like Hoover who felt that decline of economy was hurting the American labor. This view had also been taken in 1917 when the government had decided to nationalize the single largest of American industries at that time – the railroads. (Vedder 1997) To a certain extent, the matters of politics and industrial changes were related and the biggest amount of relationship is found in the case of election of one of the most charismatic of American presidents, Frederick D Roosevelt. One of the reasons for his victory at the elections in 1936 is said to be the support given to him by the American Labor. This encouraged the labor union in the hands of CIO to seek more power and even challenge the authority of one of the country's most powerful companies, General Motors. During this period, the company was one of the most profitable and probably the largest organization in the country. This was recognized by the magazines of the time also. The company had 110 manufacturing plants situated all across the country, employed over 250,000 people and was owned by more than 500,000 shareholders. Yet, the attitude of the labor unions irritated the management and made them hostile to both the unions and the New Deal. At the same time, there was the Second World War in progress. (Lichtenstein 2003) Thus to an extent, the development of industry was being hindered through political ideas, but it is difficult to say who won. After the passing away of Roosevelt, the attitudes changed and the unions ended up loosing most of their power. That was also probably due to the conflict of the American system with the Russians who had come up as the most powerful country in the continent of Europe. The growth of the industries of the country was of industrial products and the chief among them was the automobiles followed closely by radios, consumer appliances and development of suburbs. The situation can be understood when we understand that the country had enough vehicles on the road to say that it had more than one vehicle for every five in the population. This is an achievement which many countries cannot state even today. The reason for the development of the country was mass production and that also made it the richest society existing in the world. (Delong 1997) Though all the inventions were not made in the country, but it made sure that large numbers were produced here as it had both the capacity to produce and the purchasers for the goods. It would be wrong to say that there was importance only of production for the War, but production had started earlier. The thought behind this development was the thinking of the major leaders of American business like Henry Ford, Thomas A. Edison, Edward Filenes, and George Swope of General Electric among others. The depression due to the stock market crash in 1929 was hurting people of the country and the president was viewed as a successful business person and he was trying to persuade business to provide help to the people of the country through more employment. (Vedder 1997) Thus it is difficult to say that production for war had any major impact on development of business prior to the start of the War. At the same time, after the production capacities were built up for the war, then one of the major questions was the utilization for utilization of this capacity after the War. This problem had also been seen in 1929 when part of the reasons for the crash was a drop of requirement of goods and services apart from the rather insane growth of the stock market. This was solved through the Marshall Plan and other methods. It helped America to keep on producing against loans to be repaid by much poorer countries, some of whom were never able to repay. The changes in domestic economy over the century have not been remarkable and practices of American consumers have not changed much. There are a lot of realistic impulses within the American consumer which is tied up with the idealism that is sought to be promoted. It contains emotions for freedom and self-fulfillment as the country started with that dream, but, at the same time, many Americans found it difficult to pay for those dreams from their savings and yet required the items as they were felt to be the basis for their identity. This was not accepted in many of the religions that the country started with, but even before the start of the twentieth century it was estimated that the domestic citizens of the country had an eleven trillion dollar of loans in private debt. (Horowitz 2003) This was spread among different people like the urban working class having loans with pawnbrokers, agencies providing small loans and retailers selling goods on installments. Even for building houses, loans were taken from building and loan associations which had to be paid over a period of five years. In spite of the fact that this facility of loans provided a lot of help to individuals in purchases, yet many traditional social workers, economists, clergy, bankers, retailers and newspapers did not like them. (Horowitz 2003) The tradition continues and people still keep taking loans through credit cards and many other methods. Houses are pledged repeatedly so that increase in prices can be taken advantage of. The tradition continues. Post WWI Business (New Industries): This is very difficult to say as many industries are now produced in small parts. On the other hand, in America the individuals decided to concentrate on their private life. The efforts were to separate their lives from others through building up of walls, more prestigious houses with lawns and have a large number of machines – washing machines for clothes, refrigerators to store food and a number of stoves which could be used only for individual dishes. (Delong 1997) Thus one would say that efforts were more on showing off individuality than on development as a social group. It is clear that after the Second World War, the International position of the American economy was viewed differently by the powerful bureaucrats and politicians within the country. There was the history of two major wars, stated by other countries, which were not resolved without the interference of America, though the entire course of wars was fought on other continents. This helped America as her countryside and people were not directly ravaged. The situation was seen clearly in Germany which had lost a lot of its able-bodied men as did France. This had led to those countries allowing a large number of immigrants to come in and some problems for this are being seen in France today. Even during the balance of the twentieth century when Soviet Union collapsed, the sufferings were more directly seen in Russia and other countries. The entire planning of America also reflected this attitude and new organizations like CIA were developed to deal with educationists and others. (Arndt 2005) This shows clearly a feeling that mistakes in the area of political and social thoughts were felt to be possible to resolve through plans. Thus when America got into some wars like those in Vietnam, Korea and Iraq; the people and the culture of the country could not adjust to the losses for a long time. The realization of the fact that the war was lost took some time to sink in. At the same time, it should also be understood that for all these wars, there have been allegations that business was interested in starting some of them. As the country has changed, the policies have also changed and one of the biggest trends is now to have very large corporations. It even exists in the field of health care where there have been mergers of Hospital Corporation of America which had the highest turnover with American Hospital Supply which was the biggest supplier of goods to the hospital industry. When this took place in 1985, this was the largest merger in America by organizations outside the oil industry. (Time1985) The point to consider here is that forming of companies leads to increase in profits so that additional benefits can be paid to shareholders, but at the same time, this leads to increase in costs for the patients. Does it serve the average citizen of the country? Some other difficulties are developed by the systems within the country like requirement of governmental licenses, privileges, subsidy, law and other such advantages. On top of that, there are laws which hinder free trade like the anti-trust cases. (Wright 2002) Yet, the greed among the businessmen does not seem to stop and one of the famous cases was with regard to stock speculator, Ivan Boesky who had stated that â€Å"greed is healthy† in 1985. (James 2002) Are the many changes in the attitudes of businessmen in this regard correct?

Hi: Strategic Management Essay

1. Company background and purpose a. General background of the company The HSBC Group is regarded as one of the largest financial and banking corporation in the global market. The Group has around 10,000 offices in 83 nations and territories in Asia-Pacific Refion, Europe, United States of America, the Middle East and Africa and the serves over 130 million customers with assets of US$ 2,354 billion as of December 2007. The Hong Kong ad Shanghai Banking Corporation Group was established in 1865 to finance the growing trade between China and Europe, and is one of the largest banking and financial services organizations in the world. Its international network comprises over 9,500 offices in 76 countries and territories in Europe, the Asia-Pacific region, the Americas, the Middle East, and Africa (‘Who is HSBC?’ 2006). Through an international network linked by advanced technology, including a rapidly growing e-commerce capability, HSBC provides a comprehensive range of financial services, including personal financial services, commercial banking corporate, investment banking and markets, private banking, and other activities (‘Who is HSBC?’ 2006). b. Clear purposes of the case HSBC emphasizes the importance of building shareholders’ value, and believes in the values and talents of its own employees, which are employed and spread all over the world. HSBC wishes to stay ahead in a very competitive global financial market, and by maintaining a great brand name, an established customer base, good and loyal employees, tight control over operating costs and constant adjustment of business strategy to cater to customers’ needs, it maintains its success in its leadership position in Hong Kong’s highly competitive banking industry. With this success, this paper studies the strategic management of HSBC. 2. Industry and general environment a. General information on industry environment (Five-forces The state of competition in an industry depends on five basic competitive forces. With this, Porter’s 5-Forces Model is useful for understanding the context of the  industry, in which the firm operates (Porter, 1998). Rivalry In HSBC, this is caused by several factors, such as the presence of a larger number of firms that compete for the same customers and resources; low switching costs for a consumer can switch from one product to another; strategic stakes are high when a company is losing market position; a diversity of rivals with different histories, cultures, and philosophies; and industry shakeout. Similarly, HSBC also faces this factor since they have a lot of competitors in the banking and financial industry. In order to gain an advantage the company has to do some competitive moves. Threat of Substitutes Substitute products refer to products in other industries (Porter, 1998). The threat to HSBC is the emergence of competent rivals that provides the needs of the target market. In accordance to the threat of substitutes in HSBC, HSBC completely manages this factor to attain business success. HSBC, in its commitment to customers in the banking and financial industry, demonstrates value and return on investment. Buyer Power This refers to the impact that customers have on a producing industry. In HSBC’s customers, buyer power is strong, such that this could provide HSBC’s rivals with a strong and efficient business. In HSBC environment, the buyer power is the impact that customers have on a producing industry. As there are still only a few banking and financial industry who can compare to what the company has managed to achieve, the bargaining power of buyers is not as great compared to the following epoch, and, coupled with the industry being a key supplying group for the buyers, which in this case, are large companies and several high end individual customers, the bargaining power of buyers have notably not budged. Supplier Power The power of suppliers over HSBC is also strong, as it also contributes to the decline of the business of the company. Due to the increase of prices in the market, prices of raw materials also increases, thus, give additional  costs for the company. In this regard, some of HSBC’s suppliers of banking and financial industry components can possibly control their business operation. Barriers or Threat to Entry The economies of scale play a significant role in the cost of produce the product and service. Companies in the banking and financial industry have competitive fixed costs and spend relatively large on plant and equipment. Moreover, competitors in the industry are not likely to cut their price to defend their market position. In an industry experiencing fast market growth, patents, proprietary knowledge, and brand reputation are also considered as barriers for companies entering the industry. b. Any opportunities & threats? Opportunities – Sustainability reporting requirement by government to companies thus increasing opportunity of banking institutions. -Growth by increasing market share through mergers and acquisitions within the industry. -Develop new products and services which link to changing people’s needs and services -Incorporate new technologies in production to stay ahead of the competition Threats The following are the threats of the company: -Economy – due to Expensive borrowing -Expansion, Mergers and Acquisitions of HSBC may lead to failure -Competition – other major companies entering the market could affect their revenue -Rules and Regulations of different countries 3. Internal activities a. What are primary & support activities within the firm? In HSBC, their strategic management can be analysed through the management program that they implement in the latter part of 2003, which is the Managing for Growth programme. Managing Program is a strategic plan that provides the company with a blueprint for growth and development from 2003 to 2008 (‘Strategy’  2006). This strategy builds on the company’s strengths and addresses the areas where further improvement is considered both desirable and attainable. HSBC’s core values are integral to its strategy, in communicating them to their clients and other stakeholders comprise an emphasis on long-term, high productivity through teamwork, ethical client relationships, an ambitious and confident sense of excellence, being international in its image, prudence, creativity and customer-oriented marketing HSBC, 2008). In addition, there are various elements in attaining HSBC objectives, and these involve accelerating the growth rate of revenue, enhancing brand strategy further, developing productivity, and maintaining the industry’s prudent risk management and strong financial advantage. Developing the skills of their employees is also given emphasis to ensure that all employees understand how they can contribute to the successful achievement of HSBC’s objectives (‘Strategy’ 2006). b. Any strengths and weaknesses? Strengths: – ensure corporate responsibility and business ethics therefore customer confidence is high -Highly experienced management and staff available in the market -Growth by increasing market share through diversification of products that supports sustainable development -Able to promote several products and services that meet the needs of the customers Weaknesses -Barriers to expansion due to environmental regulations by governments -Licensing problems -Highly competitive market -Raising money from banks rather than shareholders. Banking and financial products and services have become an important industry player by investing in diversified products and services, 4. Competitive Environment a. How do the firms compete/take competitive actions/responses? The company is experiencing different problems with competitors and its standing in the industry is down. But given the proper use of their strategic management they have, the company are able to stay in the competitive market. The company has competitive advantage over banking and financial  industries. One of the aspects of strategic management of HSBC is its brand name. The competitors i The company is known as one of the established baking and financial industry in the global market. People easily recognise the company and the different products and services that they provide. They can easily think about the company when banking and financial matters are mentioned. Another strategic approach of the company is its image with the clients. The company is known as a banking industry that provides excellent service to the clients. This can be proven by the frequency of visit clients do to the company’s branches and other marketing venues. Moreover, strategic management of the company is its increasing venue of marketing their products and their services. The company is taking steps to ensure that their products and services can reach more people at more locations, hence company engaged in having more branches at different places. The company also made use of the internet and created a website that more people in the world can use to transact with the company. Lastly, a strategic approach of HSBC is the wide range of business venture they are engaging in. The company is currently engaging not only in banking and financial aspects but in other relevant industry 5. Strategic intent and mission/vision a. Purposes of the firm Based on the given case, the strategic intent of HSBC is to become the number one choice of the customers for the banking and financial services needs. The company’ products and services have been made to provide more convenience for customers. b. What goals to be achieved? The goal of the company is to provide quality banking and financial products to their target market while providing values to their employees, management and shareholders. Their goal is to reach more customers all over the globe through their online transactions and website. c. Any formal mission/vision statement? The company’s mission statement is to be one of the globe’s great specialist banking groups that is driven by commitment with their values and philosophies. The company envision to lead in the global market and deliver  an excellent client experience based on their outstanding sales, services and solutions. In addition, the company aims on achieving superior, long-term and ethically based return for their shareholders and building highly motivated high performance teams and creating challenging, rewarding and convenient environment for their employees. 6. Strategy formulation a. Ask the following questions: i. Business-level strategy In terms of business-level strategy, it is said that HSBC is keen on expanding their business portfolio to small and medium-sized enterprises which they considered as an essential market segment to HSBC groups. In addition, their business level strategy is to provide value to internal stakeholders of the company such as employees and shareholders. ii. Corporate level strategy HSBC Holdings complied with the entire applicable code provisions of the host country regulations on their corporate governments. In terms of corporate level strategy, the management see to it that they adhere to their corporate responsibility to the community and that they are able to adhere to their corporate governance policies. iii. Cooperative strategy In terms of cooperative approach, it can be said that the entire management have a good relation with shareholders and their customers. They also cooperate with government institutions to ensure that they always adhere to the needs and demands of their clients. iv. Others i.e. acquisition, joint venture etc To expand their business portfolio, HSBC attempts to acquire various industries in different country. Merging and acquisition to existing industries in a specific nation is the approach use by the company to enter the foreign market. In addition, merging and acquisition enables the company to expand their groups and provide more diversified financial products and services. 7. Strategy implementation a. How does the firm implement the chosen strategies? The firm implements their chosen strategies by using an intensive strategic planning. In addition, the firm also implements their chose strategies  through their management team and leaders. Accordingly, the presence effective and efficient leadership in today’s organization imposes a great responsibility to the organization’s team and management networks as leadership implies the overall capacity of the organization’s performance like for instance, in terms of operations and research development. b. How effective? Based on the given analysis, it can be said that the implementation of the business approach of HSBC has been effective because of its strong competitive advantage and position in the marketplace today. The use of strategic planning helps them to monitor their strategic implementation. c. Evaluation of action plans/tactics (key actions) The action plan of the company has been able to lead them in having competitive advantage in the global market. With this information, the company must continue to find innovative strategic programs and relate effectively to other companies in the global market. The company must efficiently and effectively create a good relationship with their customers and shareholders, to continually operate. HSBC must continually conceptualize and implement strategic management approach to be able to set trends in the banking industry. Aside from developing marketing strategies, the company must focus on building employee and customer relationships, in accordance to strategic marketing concepts, for it is essential to determine and focus on the needs of the customers, as customers are the reason for being alive in the business and marketing industry. 8. Summary a. Key current situations The current situation of the banking industry can be considered to be impacted by the growing issues in the global market, such as the sub-prime crisis. The global presence of an organisation, in this case, the HSBC Bank, has been due to the strategic management and business approaches of the company. It is important to note that with globalisation and with the current rate of advancement in technology, there is an increasingly bigger chance of getting the entire firm’s marketing message through to the target  markets with the utilisation effective strategic management. As discussed, the wise use of a strategic management as well as information technology could either attract or lose existing and potential customers. The strategic marketing and management approach of the firm, therefore, need to be consistent with what was preset as marketing objective of the firm and in an industry as provision where innovations are an edge, this is very vital. b. Future of the firm It can be said that the global market provides opportunities for the baking industries to develop relationships with their stakeholders it has been found that the number of competitive moves increased as issues and problems in the global market arise. It becomes more important to manage relationships as competition increases through the use of e-commerce. It can be stated that the most effective strategy for HSBC can use in the future is a collaborative one with their channel partners. In addition, another future strategy of the company is to use integrated marketing communication to reach more clients in the global market. Reference David, F.R. (1999). â€Å"Strategic Management, Concepts and Cases,† 3rd ed. Prentice-Hall, Inc. David, F.R. (2001). Strategic Management: Concepts and Cases. 8th ed. Prentice Hall, Inc: Upper Saddle River, NJ Drejer, A. (2002). Strategic Management and Core Competencies: Theory and Application. Westport, CT: Quorum Books. Elkin, P. (1998). Mastering Business Planning and Strategy: The Power of Strategic Thinking. Knod, E. & Schonberger, R. (2001). Operations Management: Meeting Customers’ Demands. 7th Edition. Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill Irwin. Neumann, E. & Sumser, R. 2002, Marketing Communications: A Vital Element of Achieving Change. The Public Manager, 31 (4), 9+. Proctor, T 2000, Strategic Marketing: Case Questions 1. What is the firm’s competitive strategy? 1. In accordance with the case study to the business approach and strategies of HSBC it can be said that the company has been able to continue to grow and expand their business in the global market. It can be said that HSBC has been able to use various strategies which enable them to sustain their competitive position in the global market. Based on the conducted reviewed in the previous section, it can be said that HSBC strategy includes differentiation approach and innovative approach. 2. The company has been able to have a sustainable focus on their core business values ensuring that their goals, objectives and mission are achieved. In addition, the company has been able to sustain good relationship with its target market and all other stakeholders and the company focuses itself on satisfying the costumers by providing them quality products and services in the online. The ability of the management to manage their financial resources and limit their expenses to sustain their needs f or expansion has also been considered as one of the capabilities that sustain their competitive advantage. The strategies used by the HSBC include Intensive strategy, which aims to competently position and promote their products and services in the global market. The industry has also utilized the Integration strategy and forward integration in order to promote and closely manipulate where all the HSBC products and services are being sold. To improve financial performance, the company sees to it that they utilise all their resources in a manner that  will be beneficial to enhance the performance of the company. 3. Based on the given case, it can be said that the two resources and capabilities of HSBC includes their flexibility and innovation strategy. It can be said that the ability of the company to expand their business is through their ‘flexibility and innovation’ which enable HSBC to counter the risks of erosion and losing of their competitive advantage. In order to cope with the various influences and effects of market environment changes, and to sustain their competitive advantage, the management of HSBC has been able to improve and expand its organisation so as to conduct business operations and activities on a global sc ale which include the expansion of HSBC through the online presence of the brand in different parts of the world. Herein, the management of the company has been able to improve their organization structure its organisational structure to achieve their organisational objectives. In addition, the improved organisational structure is done in order to initiate speedy and flexible measures in managing their internationally diverse employees. 4. The management of HSBC has also been able to focus on their research and development department and to initiate innovative strategies designed to provide a competitive advantage and edge in the marketplace. As business gravitates towards a global scale, entrepreneurs find themselves faced with the challenge of producing new and better products at reduced cost and market price. Daft (2003) pointed out that in managing a global environment, managers of HSBC must be characterised by the ability to bring about change through innovation and creativity. Further according to Daft, a revolutionised manager sees change, rather than stability, as the nature of things (2003). Innovation as a ground for doing business in the 21st century will be the consistent tugging force that the organisation must either strive to adopt or suffer the consequences of being left behind by competitors. In addition diversification approach is also considered by HSBC to ensure having sustainable competitive advantage. Part of the diversification is to generate new coffee products that would meet the needs of the consumers in various parts of the world 2. What is the Strategic intent of the company? 1. HSBC strategic intent is to provide more options for their clients  by partnering with other international and local banking and financial industries. The company also diversified their offerings to different products, services, categories and other physical assets. Furthermore, based on the given case, the company’s strategic intent is to sustain their competitive advantage by compelling what the needs and demands of their target market and expanding their business portfolio in the global market. The company’s strategic intent is to do their business in a slow but sure manner by becoming innovative in what they are offering for the customers. 2. Another strategic intent of HSBC based in case is its goal to be recognised and respected as a global banking and financial institution and brand and to dominate the global market through their high quality product and service offerings. As discussed in the case study, the strategic management of HSBC have been focusing on how the products would gain interest from their target market and how they can be able to generate sales with their products. This is HSBC’s stronghold where it continues to yield strong sales revenue by leveraging off its excellent branches in different locations. strong brand name and excellent reputation among customers. HSBC has also been continuing to create affiliate websites to expand their business market among various consumers. 3. Another strategic intent is with regards to the achievement of their mission and vision by giving priority and values to their shareholders and customers. Based in the case, HSBC is committed to their mission of being the number one choice of the customers in their banking and financial needs. With custsomers increasingly willing to switch banking companies because of the wide variety of choice available, it is of paramount importance that the company would stick to their strategic intent and used effective approach o promote excellent marketing strategies. Its importance as possibly a bank interface could also be exploited by the industry. Since the homepage is the first thing that the users saw upon entering the website, it also was the most critical aspect on the site, where the customer should get an idea of what the site is an about and where to go within the site. All the graphic elements noticeable in most all of the reviewed websites apparently serve a purpose–to solidify the direct relationship between the customer and the brand and to make use of the visual attraction vital to clients’ decisions.

ROSE FOR EMILY-PSYCHOLOGICAL INTERPRETATION essays

ROSE FOR EMILY-PSYCHOLOGICAL INTERPRETATION essays William Faulkner (1897-1962) is known in the world of literature as the "historian of the negative" and narrator of the dark. In other words, Faulkner was obsessed with the dark side of human mind and in his in-depth psychological exploration of such areas; he would produce stories that were often violent and negative. While his celebrated contemporary, Ernest Hemingway would also focus on psychoanalysis of characters; his stories were closer to reality unlike Faulkner's who believed in shocking his readers and taking them by complete surprise. Most of his works have a sinister air about them as if the author is foreshadowing a really dark and appalling ending. In this paper, we shall study three different pieces of writing by William Faulkner to comment on the writer's style and explain the use of common themes and devices. Faulkner has been associated with thrilling mysteries where he would bring out something evil in the characters. His fascination with the darker side of human mind is evident from his works including his most famous short story, A Rose for Emily. Here Emily stood for twisted human psyche, which leads to bizarre happenings. The author's style is mysterious as if he is trying to hide something all the time, only to take his readers by complete surprise in the end. Faulkner would often keep his work deceptively simple just to maximize the impact of the last twist in the plot. This is exactly what happens in A Rose for Emily where Emily is shown as a simple mysterious woman who didn't like intrusion or interference in her life. However her unusual existence is quite intriguing and give birth to various stories about her. The author in all his works tries to create an unreal world with the help of weird characters, whose actions cannot be justified by anyone but themselves and who are real enemies of natural order'. In Rose for Emily, it is Emily who suppresses her d...

Journey of a Man Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Journey of a Man - Essay Example Moreover, I was greatly intrigued by the way physical features of different groups evolved, and flattered that the male sex chromosome played an important part in this research. However, some of Wells’s sayings seemed contradictory to his views. Moreover, I did not like the way the host acted sometimes while conducting the research. Therefore, after watching this documentary, I had mixed opinions about it. During the beginning of the documentary, an explanation is given on Wells’s theory that the birthplace of all humans alive on this planet is the same-Africa. The pride I felt in my ethnicity after discovering this was immense. True, I do not completely associate myself with Africa as my nationality is ‘American’, but I am after all an ‘African American’. This realization also instilled a sense of shame in me due to not having even a bit of patriotism in me for the country where we African Americans are originally from; early in Americaâ€℠¢s history, Africans were brought to America from Africa as slaves but were later given freedom and equality, due to which we are now African Americans. This documentary has made me accept the fact that it does not matter which country I was born in or which country’s nationality I assume. What really matters is that all African Americans know that their great great grandfathers directly originated from Africa, but majority of them forget about this origin. I myself had forgotten this origin until I watched this documentary. This is not the only reason why I am so grateful to this documentary. Thanks to the ground-breaking discoveries made by Spencer Wells, one develops a new perspective of the concept of race. By stating that â€Å"we are all African under the skin†, Wells’s disregards all the old-fashioned concepts of race, such as thinking that people with the same color of skin or language are the same. Spencer puts this point across by exploring how African s migrated to different parts of the world and evolved in different ways, which is why people with similar physical characteristics started to associate themselves with one of these ‘different races’. The documentary disagrees with such associations and I highly agree with this point. I believe that by seeing an individual through ‘racial lenses’, assumptions about that individual would definitely be made according to his/her ‘race’. According to me, this is termed as a kind of discrimination. Being an African American, I myself have been a victim of having assumptions being made about me, such as the time when a grocery owner kept a watchful eye on me while I was buying groceries (just because majority of the shoplifters in that neighborhood are African American). Therefore I really approved of Wells’s opinion that everyone is the same, and not part of ‘different races’. As he says in his documentary, we have the same desce ndant, who was from Africa. However, something about this statement of his made me doubt his personal opinions a bit. By terming us all as ‘Africans’, Wells is in fact calling us a race-something which is contradictory to what his views throughout the documentary are. According to Wells, there is no such thing as a race, but implying that we are

Factors that affect Foreign Direct Investment Essay

Factors that affect Foreign Direct Investment - Essay Example From the investor’s point of view expansion to increase earnings by exploiting the resources available at a foreign location is the one of the main reason and objective of foreign direct investments. From the point of view of host and the source countries, the attaining and. Or sustaining the economic growth and society welfare are factors that induce foreign direct investments. Other factors that might impact the growth of foreign direct investments include changes in exchange rates, political regime/ development/ considerations, taxation rates and considerations in host country, macroeconomic variables, and the comparative advantages of an economy. FDIs are attracted basically induced when rate of return on the investment is at least more than internal rate of return. Exchange rate changes between the countries affect costs of productions and also the costs of assets to be acquired or installed using foreign investments. Economic growth and welfare considerations affect FDIs not only directly but also through other factors, as these considerations become the objectives to be attained through foreign direct investments. Politics intrudes in almost every business and social activity, and sometime political risks prove fatal for foreign direct investments. That is the reason foreign investors prefer democratic regimes in comparison with authoritarian administrations. Taxation rates of host country are often used as tools to promote considerations that affect inflow and outflow of foreign capital. Macroeconomic factors’ impacts bring direct affects on FDIs and include inflationary factors, stabilized exchange rates, GDP generation, availability of skilled labour, and the size of available market. Location advantages are so important that FDI decisions are often termed as location decisions. This paper studies the impacts and affects of these