Media Relations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Media Relations - Essay Example Banks have to target the young generation via such social sites. The success of any business lies under one core fundamental factor: being available where the target clients are. It has not been different for Barclays, which boasts of its great success and a huge number of clients in United Kingdom. The bank has been at the forefront in close relation with media, ensuring that it utilizes social media to reach out to its loyal customer base and tap its potential. Depending on its diverse departments, Barclays has a number of Twitter accounts all branded differently. They are quite active, with the most active being @ BarclaysFooty, an account linked to the sponsored Barclays Premier League. The site has over 159, 000 followers, which is a huge number for a bank twitter account. Most of the times, the posts are often related to football updates and other competitions with the intentions of targeting the football fans. Barclay’s wealth and investment team also have a twitter account labelled @Barclayswealth, which has over 73,000 followers. It does posts financial investment updates and other banking services offered. The customers’ service twitter account is nabbed @BarclaysOnline, having over 48,000 users. It does receive the highest number of interaction with its clients. Its website does grant its clients the link to accessing twitter. During its working hours, the twitter services and responses are quite fast and timely. All potential queries responses are dealt with from Monday to Friday, between 8am to 8pm. The clients have reported satisfaction with the social systems, with the support team responding to a good number of queries, an element that does improve their customer care and public relations with the clients (barclays.co.uk). With over half a million likes, Barclays Facebook wall has maintained a constant service to its clients, similarly to its Twitter account. It does engage its clients all through the whole day, answering all

Eastern Religion Hinduism Essay Example for Free

Eastern Religion Hinduism Essay Hinduism:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Hinduism has no single prophet nor one god to worship; rather they have many metaphors for the gods. Hinduism has no beginning, founder, no central authority, and no organization. Hindus believe in one supreme being who has unlimited forms. Some of the central beliefs of the Hindus is the idea of reincarnation, in which, is the doctrine of transmigration and rebirth the idea is universal in India. The other two beliefs are the spiritual goal and the caste system. The holy texts are the Veda, the Upanishads and the Bhagavad-Grita The practices of the Hindus are the Puja in which is the prayer in the home or in the temple but it is mostly in home since the religion is very much concern with everything around life. The ceremonial practices usually take in community centers. There are three important events in ones life according to the Hindus, birth, marriage and death. Buddhism:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Buddhism was born in the Kingdom of Sakyas, which is now the border between India and Nepal. Scholars disagree on the age of birth in which it is between 563 – 368 B.C.E. Some of the beliefs of Hindus and Buddhism interact such as the idea of reincarnation both agree with the idea of rebirth but Buddhism rejects the caste system and the Veda. Buddha means the â€Å"enlightened one† and it was a title given to the Siddhartha Gautama the founder of Buddhism. Buddha is accepted like the existence of Jesus Christ that it is accepted through faith and the disciples. It is said that Jesus might have used some of the Buddha ideas into his. The central beliefs are the four truths and the eightfold path. The teachings are in the Dhammapada, in English know as â€Å"words of doctrine†, â€Å"way of truth† or â€Å"the path of truth† The practices of Buddhism is a part of life including diet, the job, trade or profession, daily meditation and giving offerings at a shrine, temples, or monasteries. Confucianism:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The belief was started in China around the sixth or fifth century B.C.E by Confucius; a major part of the belief is it emphasis on learning and the source of values. The religion has two sets of books; the major five classics including I Ching, Shu Chang, Shih Ching, LiChi, and Ch’un-Ch’iu.. This religion is more of an ethical movement because it lacks sacraments and liturgy. There are four types of Confucianism schools and marriage and funeral could be done though other religious ministers or priests. Taoism:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The foundation of Taoism is attributed to Lao Tzu and his writings called the â€Å"Classic Way of Power† Taoism is based on the individual and tended to reject the organized society. The key concept is that of non-action or the natural course of things. It is a direct link to yin and yang. It also obtained many things from the Buddhist perspectives. The central beliefs they don’t have prayers because it beliefs in the natural things and that there is no god. They are compassionate people and is more about a philosophical movement instead of a religion.   The purpose of the rituals is the concern of having immortality and the purpose was to live longer. It is believed that elements of Shamanism, which it is more related. Taoism is based on energy.

effect of media on sports :: essays research papers

influence of mass media on sport : Influences of Mass Media in Sport When communication is spread not just between two individuals but rather between tens of millions of people it is known as mass media. Mass media is known as the central nervous system of society. "Mass media has many different purposes, such as providing information, entertaining, persuading and also by carrying a vague general function of culture to millions of people."(Frederick 18). In order for mass media to exist, there must be an audience. Today's society is very selective; each receiver reacts differently through his or her own experience and orientation according to mass media. Therefore, mass media exists in many different forms such as magazines, television, newspapers, internet, motion pictures, and even plays. Some examples of these forms of mass media are cosmopolitan magazine for young modern women and TSN television network for sports fans. With such extreme varieties of mass media existing in today's societies there are three major constraints that seem to have an impressionable impact. These constraints can keep mass media very restricted. The major constraint of mass media is competition. Each form of mass media wants to be the one to target the audience, so therefore competition between mass media is very strong, because capturing the inside of the sports world is critical. Apart from the competition among the various forms of media there is also competition among each form of the media example Fox network competes with all television networks for a market share of the audience. Network companies such as Fox buy the contracts to show American football games for millions of dollars, which they in turn make their money back through companies wanting to advertize on their network during these football games. The audience Fox attracts by showing these games also provides an audience for companies wanting to advertise their products and provides potential customers for their products. This life cycle exists in all forms of media apart from just television, newspapers try to cover the best stories in all areas of life from tradegy to sports and entertainment. From a sociological stand point in today's society sex and violence attracts audiences. By examining the internet, which is the newest form of mass media internet companies that provide the most outrageous websites with sex and violence are the most watched websites. Media Companies compete with each other on those levels by looking at what attracts the most attention and trying to provide it.

The Suffragettes

What was the aim of the suffragettes? The suffrage movement was mainly women from middle class backgrounds. These women were frustrated by their social and economic situation and wanted an outlet through which to initiate change. The word suffrage comes form French and means being allowed to vote. They were fighting for their legal right to vote and the injustice of the women situation of not having equal rights as men in the early 20th century. But men in power denied it, so they resorted to violence. They started to fire mailboxes, smashing windows and blowing bombs.Tactics how did they get their point across? This group of women, the suffragettes, used a variety of tactics during their fight for equal rights as men. Tactics varied from passive such as using uniforms in order to attract publicity or staging marches, public meetings even printing their own newspaper. They also visited factories aiming to convince workingwomen to join their cause. They indeed got noticed; all kinds o f women joined the movement. Nevertheless, the parliament didn’t grant them the right to vote.As a reaction to this denial, they responded with more destructive tactics like smashing shop windows, setting fire and bombs in buildings. They purposely tried to get arrested in order to shock people and make them realize that they were being treated like criminals. When they were in prison suffragettes went on hunger strike. Eventually the women were forced-fed. A tube was forced down their throat and liquid was poured down. It was very painful. After this violent strategy, some participants thought they had gone to far and resigned.Leadership: Emily Davidson an English women from a modest background who struggled her way through college, was a well-known participant of the suffragettes movement. She is a great example of their determination and perseverance. During her years as a suffragette, she was arrested for various offences, including a violet attack on a man. During these arrests, she was tortured and force fed after a hunger strike, and suffered from severe spinal damage when throwing herself down an iron staircase as a protest.Her tactics became more and more extreme as planting bombs. Her motto was â€Å"Rebellion against tyrants is obedience to God. † The final act that earned her eternal fame as suffragette and demonstrated her strong will power and bravery was when she threw herself under the King's horse, Anmer, as it rounded Tattenham Corner becoming like this the first martyr of the suffragette cause. Success of the cause: With the outbreak of the war in 1914, the WSPU ended their political activities.All suffragettes were released from prison and they focused on supporting the war. Many women worked very hard during the war, they took jobs normally reserved for men. The huge numbers of men needed to fight the war and the high numbers of wounded amongst the soldiers, forced men to employ women as gas workers, coal heavers, transport w orkers, and ambulance drivers. When the war ended, these female workers were rewarded with a law that allowed women over 30 years of age with property, to vote in parliamentary elections and even become Members of Parliament.Finally in 1928 all women over the age of 21 were given the right to vote. Relevance of the suffragette movement: The suffragettes confronted, for the first time, the prejudice against women that has always existed throughout history. They attacked it both political and culturally, and they realized that they needed to win the right to vote because without political power they didn’t have a chance to change their position in society. The belief of the time was that women were not competent enough to compete with men and to participate in politics.They had nothing to loose in the beginning and their ideas of how far they could take their actions in the name of their principles had no limits. They would do anything that was needed to change the future of th e women who would follow them. Still this political movement remains very important for modern society today, there are still many challenges limiting the rights of women. Even though the suffragettes accomplished quite a lot, equality between men and women has yet to be achieved. Their example teaches us perseverance and commitment to a cause even when there seems to be no hope of winning.

Albatross Anchor Proposal

Introduction Processes and technologies have many variables; planning, analysis, designing and innovations. Albatross Anchor needs to become more effective with the opportunities and challenges in its operating environment. Albatross’ operating system must be capable of producing quality products (anchors) that are n demand within a time frame that is acceptable to the industry. Question One Based on the information presented in the scenario/case study discuss Albatross Anchor’s competitiveness in relation to (please address all items in the below list and provide support for your conclusions): 1. Cost a) Cost or Production: The first issue that needs to be addressed is; how much of the fabricating of the anchors could be outsourced? Albatross, a vertically integrated company has an antiquated and technology-deprived plant as well as non-compliant on safety and environmental issues. The factors that can make outsourcing desirable to Albatross Anchors are quality and speed. Quality, which is â€Å"standardization of parts, supplier certification, and supplier involvement in design can improve the quality of supplied parts. † (www. allbusiness. om) Speed of the supplier can produce the components quicker, with adaptability, flexibility and reliability then this is a time benefit for outsourcing. Albatross Anchors is lacking the production capabilities to output products in relation to the industry and customers demands. Outsourcing would be a benefit to the production of the customized and specific anchors and a valuable asset to put into action and still be able to keep the competitive edge. Albatross’ ability to produce the anchors on a larger scale with fewer, less expensive costs needs to be implemented. Technology, specialized trained employees and bulk purchasing are factors that contribute to the economic scale. An investment in specific technological production techniques would give Albatross more of a competitive advantage over other â€Å"anchor† companies. Increasing production efficiency would allow Albatross to reduce the company’s expenses. Reduced expenses means more cash to spend on operational expansion. Experienced and a specialized skilled labor force would improve Albatross Anchor because the ore skilled workforce the more capable workers would be to complete complex tasks. Albatross could hire more skilled labor force to reduce the workforce for their competitors. The advantage of a more highly skilled workforce is to improve the economies of scales because they could produce more anchors in less time. b) Economies of Scale: The ability to grow and expand would lead Albatross to purchase materials in bulk. Bulk purchasing would allow Albatross Anchor to benefit from a reduced average cost per unit. Economies of scale refers to the decreased per unit cost as output increases. More clearly, the initial investment of capital is diffused (spread) over an increasing number of units of output, and therefore, the marginal cost of producing a good or service decreases as production increases. )† (www. uslaw. com) c) Cost of Raw Materials Sitting Idle in the Warehouse: d) Cost of Finished Goods Sitting Idle in the Warehouse: To stay competitive, Albatross needs to implement the â€Å"Just-in-time† inventory control system. This system identifies that a â€Å"finished product should be produced just in time for delivery and the raw materials should be delivered just in time for production. † (www. referenceforbusiness. com) The â€Å"Just-in-time† system is used so materials and goods never sit idle for extended periods of time. If products or materials sit for long periods of time in warehouses, Albatross is wasting money and valuable space. Inventory management is another key factor for the success of Albatross Anchors. If Albatross wants to maintain an effective inventory of their materials, regular maintenance needs to be a priority. Inventory maintenance on a regular basis needs to 1) review all transportation alternatives and how this affects inventory and warehouse issues, 2) do periodic reviews of inventory, especially raw materials and finished products to ensure that customers orders are filled in a timely fashion and 3) establish a review system for managing inventory to ensure that obsolete materials are disposed of properly. Success of Albatross Anchors depends on a successful inventory management system. 2. Speed of manufacturing process from order to finished product. Albatross’ manufacturing speed needs to be improved in order to stay competitive in the industry. Albatross Anchors would benefit from the use of a computerized production scheduler, this scheduler creates schedules for the production down to the very second. Using flowcharts as well as a computer-based scheduler will take the guess work out of production and increase speed so to improve the lead time, reduce inventories, satisfy customers and still stay competitive. 3. Flexibility in filling order(s): Implementing a flexible manufacturing system would enhance and increase the speed of fulfilling the anchor orders of Albatross. The ability to easily make changes in the production of anchors would be a major strength for flexibility in volume and product. The manufacturing flexibility has three components: 1) the flexibility to produce varieties of different sizes of anchors by using the same machines and producing the same anchors on different machines, 2) the ability to produce new sizes of anchors on the existing machines and 3) using the flexibility of the current machines to design changes in the anchors. The present time, Albatross has dedicated machinery which lacks flexibility. Utilizing an FMS would produce benefit as less waste, quicker tool change, better control of quality, efficient uses of machinery and labor force, reduction in inventory, faster shipping and receiving as well as reduction in expenses. 4. Technology Technology in manufacturing operations is a vital part of the success of Albatross Anchors. Implementing automated and flexible manufacturing systems can aid the company to make collaborative decisions about the production of specific and different anchors. Applying current process, manufacturing, product and information technologies will benefit Albatross to supply employees, suppliers and customers with the best output for their marine craft, whether large or small. 5. Capacity and facilities The current facility layout for Albatross is inefficient for several reasons. The current flows of work, materials, receiving/shipping are not grouped together. Albatross can reduce manufacturing costs and improve profitability by improving the plant layout. Product layout would be the most beneficial for Albatross Anchors. This type of layout is an assembly line and workers have their stations with tools, materials to complete the manufacturing process for the anchors. Once the anchors have been manufactured, shipping them to a warehouse for storage is the most effective way. Product layout has a sequential arrangement of manufacturing processes, a continuous mass production and assembly, special equipment, a fixed path for material handling, balance for scheduling and efficiency. Implementing the product layout for Albatross will; 1) minimize material movement, 2) minimize the cost of handling materials, 3) provide work flow in an orderly and efficient manner suitable for the repetitive operations of manufacturing anchors. 6. Service to customers (what types of services would an anchor company provide to marine wholesalers? In any organization, service that is provided to customers must be held at a high standard. Exceptional service will generate a return of customer and profitability. Services that a marine wholesaler would look for would be; databases for products and manufacturers, on-time delivery, cost effective and efficient supply solutions as well as understanding customer’s requirements. â€Å"Technical expertise, alliances with strategic partners, logistics, supply chain management and specialized outsourcing provides strength to customer base. † (www. anchormarinesupplies. com) Question Two There are many ways that mushroom/bell anchors may be manufactured. Albatross Anchor is considering two new manufacturing processes (Process A and Process B) to reduce costs. Analysis of the information below will help determine which process has the lowest breakeven point (this validates the process is more cost effective). For each process the following fixed costs and variable costs are identified below: |Anchor and Process |Process A |Process B | |Sale price per anchor |$ 42. 0 |$ 42. 00 | |Total Fixed cost |$ 650,000. 00 |$950,000. 00 | |Variable cost per anchor |$ 36. 00 |$ 29. 99 | Based on the information in the table above complete the table below: Anchor and Process |Process A |Process B | |(a) Fixed costs per anchor |3,900,000   |11,409,500   | |(b) The total number of anchors to attain |108,334   |79,101   | |break–even point for Process A and Process B | | | c) Based on your calculations which Process (A or B) that you would recommend for adoption (you can select only one). Please make sure to explain how you arrived a t your conclusion. I would recommend Process A for Albatross Anchors. The fixed costs per anchor are lower than the total fixed costs which would generate a profit for the company but, the number of anchors to manufacturer is greater. Producing a larger number of anchors is a benefit when Albatross purchases bulk materials for process A. If Albatross can produce a large number of anchors on a monthly basis with lower production expenses then the company will turn a profit. Process A has the factors that all management supervisors want, low costs with a high number of products coming off of the production floor. Conclusion Albatross Anchors has the abilities to mass produce anchors for small, medium and large marine vessels. Albatross Anchors is a company that began in 1976 and has grown rapidly. In order for the company to make a large profit, the plant needs to be updated with technology, expand the production of the anchors and be a more friendly manufacturing environment. Providing exceptional service to customers, updating the facility, technology, flexibility with fulfillment of orders, speed of the manufacturing process, cost of production and materials as well as utilizing inventory, Albatross can become competitive once again. Through enhancing the manufacturing processes, Albatross Anchors will be the leader in the manufacturing of anchors in the future. References Evans, J. (2005). Total Quality Management, Organization, and Strategy, (4th Ed. ). Thomson, South-Western. Wilson, Dennis R (2004, March 22). Outsourcing Production and Jobs: Cost and benefits.. Retrieved May 10, 2011, from http://www. allbusiness. com www. uslaw. com www. anchormarinesupplies. com www. referenceforbusiness. com

MBA Salary Guide for Business Majors

MBA Salary Guide for Business Majors Applicants rarely mention money when they tell admissions boards why they want an MBA, but salary expectations are often a huge draw when it comes to getting a business degree.  Business school tuition is notoriously expensive, and most applicants want to see a return on their investment. Factors That Influence MBA Salaries There are a lot of different factors that can influence the amount of money MBA grads earn. For example, the industry that students work in after graduation has a significant impact on salaries. MBA grads tend to earn the most in consulting, marketing, operations, general management, and finance industries. However, salaries can vary wildly within a single industry. On the low end, marketing professionals can earn about $50,000, and on the high end, they can earn $200,000. The company that you choose to work for has an impact on salary as well. For example, the salary offer you get from a modest start-up on a shoestring budget is going to be much smaller than a salary offer that you get from Goldman Sachs or another company known for offering high starting salaries to MBA grads. If you want a big salary, you may have to consider applying to a big company. Taking a job overseas can also be lucrative. Job level can have just as much of an impact as the industry and company you choose to work for. For example, an entry-level position is going to pay less than a C-level position. Entry-level positions fall on the lowest level in the workplace hierarchy. C-level, also known as C-suite, positions fall on the upper level in the workplace hierarchy and include chief executive positions like chief executive officer (CEO), chief financial officer (CFO), chief operating officer (COO), and chief information officer (CIO). Median MBA Salary The Graduate Management Admission Council conducts an annual survey of corporate recruiters, who share information about starting salary offers for new MBA grads. According to the most recent survey, the median starting salary for MBA grads is $100,000. This is a nice round number that reflects base salary. In other words, it does not take other perks like sign-on bonuses, year-end bonuses, and stock options into account. These perks can add up to big money for MBAs. One MBA who graduated recently from Stanford, reported to Poets Quants that he expected to see a year-end bonus worth more than $500,000. If you are wondering whether or not an MBA will really help you to improve your salary, you may be interested to know that the $100,000 figure reported by corporate recruiters to the Graduate Management Admission Council is almost double the $55,000 median annual starting salary that corporate recruiters report for grads with a bachelors degree. MBA Cost vs. Projected Salary The school that you graduate from can also have an impact on your salary. For example, students who graduate with an MBA degree from Harvard Business School are able to command a much higher salary that students who graduate with an MBA degree from the University of Phoenix. The reputation of the school matters; recruiters take notice of schools that are known for providing a quality education and turn their nose up at schools that do not share that reputation. In general, the higher ranked a school is, the higher the salary expectations are for grads. Of course, that rule doesn’t always hold among business schools with the most stellar rankings. For example, it is possible for a grad from a #20 school to receive a better offer that a grad from a #5 school. It is important to keep in mind that higher-ranked business schools often come with higher tuition tags. Cost is a factor for most MBA applicants. You will have to determine what you can afford and consider the return on investment to determine if it is worth it to get an MBA from a high-priced school. To kick start your research, lets compare the average student debt at some of the countrys top-ranked business schools with the average starting salary for MBAs who graduate from those schools (as reported to U.S. News). U.S. News Ranking School Name Average Student Debt Average Starting Salary #1 Harvard Business School $86,375 $134,701 #4 Stanford Graduate School of Business $80,091 $140,553 #7 University of California - Berkeley (Haas) $87,546 $122,488 #12 New York University (Stern) $120,924 $120,924 #17 University of Texas - Austin (McCombs) $59,860 $113,481 #20 Emory University (Goizueta) $73,178 $116,658 Source: U.S. News

Therapeutic Cloning essays

Therapeutic Cloning essays Cloning is to make an exact duplicate of something or someone. It is unfortunate that when most people think of the word clone they immediately think of horror movies and the cloning of human monsters, well thats not the case in reality. Cloning is actually very different from that point of view. There are three types of human cloning, all three with very different procedures and goals: embryo cloning, adult DNA cloning, and therapeutic cloning. Therapeutic cloning involves growing replacement organs such as a heart, liver, pancreas, or skin from a sample of a persons DNA. The procedure that would have to be done to accomplish this would involve the use of a human embryo that has been modified by cell nuclear replacement, and the extraction of the embryos stem cells. Therapeutic cloning has not yet been accomplished in a laboratory or clinic. However, a general approach in the future has been put together. It would involve a multiple step process: A DNA sample would be taken from a sick patient; the sample would be inserted into an embryo in place of the original DNA the embryo would be allowed to grow for around two weeks; the stem cells would be removed from the embryo (this is the destructive and controversial step, the embryo would be killed in the process); the stem cells would be encouraged to grow in different ways into whatever tissue or organ is needed by the patient. The stem cells are a unique form of a human ce ll that can theoretically develop into any organ or body parts of the body; then the tissue or organ would be transplanted into the patient. This sounds like the answere to many problems but there are still four major hurdles to overcome before the first useful results may be obtained, those being: stem cells must be successfully isolated and grown in a laboratory; They have to be encouraged to grow into specific cells types (which has been done for most of the 220 possible cell ty...

German Story Sandskulpturen Is Great Language Prep

German Story 'Sandskulpturen' Is Great Language Prep One of the best ways to study German- or any foreign language for that matter- is to simply wade into a story and try to translate it. So, grab a good German dictionary, a strong Tasse Kaffee (cup of coffee) and a pencil and paper, and situate yourself in a quiet spot, such as your Kà ¼chentisch (kitchen table) or a Bibliothek (library). Then try your hand at translating this brief story. First, read this short story in German, about a trip to the beach and sandcastles, and then check your comprehension against the English translation that follows.   Sandskulpturen Story Text This brief story is from Quizlet, a student-and-teacher online learning community that provides free and fee-based learning tools and information. Es war ein super-schwà ¼ler Tag. Wir konnten die Hitze kaum ertragen und entschlossen uns deshalb zum Strand zu gehen. Wir haben den richtigen Samstag gewhlt, denn es gab ein Sandskulpturen-Wettbewerb bei dem Strand. Was fà ¼r tolle Kreationen! Das linke Foto ist eine Sandskulptur von einem Amateur und das rechte von einem Profi. Diese Skulpturen waren so unheimlich detailliert und haben zirka vier Tage gedauert zu bauen. Ich habe auch probiert etwas aus dem Sand zu schaffen, aber anstatt ein Kunstwerk, sah meine Skulptur mehr wie einen Sandberg aus. Wenn ihr wirklich Sandmeisterwerke sehen wollt, dann besucht diese Webseite, Wenn Profis Sandburgen bauen, die das grà ¶ÃƒÅ¸te Sandskulpturenfestival in Deutschland beschreibt. English Translation   Some of the translation of the above story is not literal. The phrasing has been changed where needed to enhance the flow of these passages. It was a super-sultry day. We could barely stand the heat and decided to go to the beach. We chose the right Saturday because there was a sand sculpture contest at the beach. What great creations! The photo to the left is a sand sculpture made by an amateur and to the right by a professional. These sculptures were so incredibly detailed and took around four days to build. I also tried to make something out of sand  but instead of a piece of art, but my sculpture looked like nothing more than a mountain of sand. If you really want to see sand masterpieces, visit this website, Wenn Profis Sandburgen bauen (When Professionals Build Sandcastles),  which describe the largest sand sculpture festival in Germany.

Ethics at the Top Two Auction Houses Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5750 words

Ethics at the Top Two Auction Houses - Essay Example The value for money stretches from a few hundred dollars (e.g., wine) to millions in expensive paintings. (CEC 7) The auction sale of private collections may be held either with a certain motif, under a class of the commodity, or the art's genre or given time period. In 1996, Sotheby's sold at auction the estate of Jacqueline Kennedy-Onassis as a collection, while other public dealings were categorized in 'Old Master Paintings' or 'Jewellery'. Sotheby's fiercest competitor, Christie's also hold such glamorous, multi-million-dollar auction events, as the richest of richest of men grace such occasions. (CEC 7) Although both auction houses hold 'regular' auctions at their subsidiaries throughout the world (Rome, Geneva, Zurich, Amsterdam, Milan, Melbourne and Hong Kong), high-profile auction events are generally held at their London and New York headquarters. (Ashenfelter & Graddy 3-25) The auction houses, which accept items to be auctioned (on a consignment basis), handle each necessary arrangement for the event, including planning, design and distribution of high-class brochures, advanced publicity as well as viewing opportunities. To facilitate sales, merchandise are sold individually (called 'lots'), even large collections are separated and auctioned as a single item. As seller of the consignor's items, the auction house manages all the account procedures: bills the buyer, remits the consignor the money after the purchase of the merchandise, minus the commission, taxes and other expenses. The commission is computed within the 'hammer price,' when the item is settled to the winning bidder. Regarded as 'seller's commission' or 'vendor's' commission, a certain percentage is taken from the consignor. The 'buyer's premium,' or a percentage from the hammer price is also charged to the buying public at the auctions (CEC 8). A percentage of the hammer price, called the buyer's premium, is also charged to people making purchases at auctions. This practice was initially introduced in the main auction rooms of these two auctions giants, sometime in 1975-only a few weeks from each other. Both firms made several changes on this practice through the years (independently from each other), but eventually both of their practices became similar. Auctioneering is not the only source of income of these two firms as both are engaged in other commercial activities, such as offering loans against the security of works of art. Nonetheless, the main sources of revenues remain the buyer's premium and vendor's commission. (CEC 8) The turgid exercise of auctioning fine arts produce a discriminating product market effect other than conventional ventures of selling or buying the items that serves the purpose of assessment value, based on the following (CEC 8). Firstly, clients consider the great importance of consigning their items at auctions due to the high standard of publicity for the merchandise. Likewise, consignors achieve the highest possible

Effects of colonization on aboriginal peoples of North America Essay

Effects of colonization on aboriginal peoples of North America - Essay Example The history of Canada shows that it might have had different geographic divisions if it were not for the influence and roles played by its aboriginal people on the land. As an example, Canada would not have existed and would have been part of the United States were it not for the crucial military role played by aboriginal populations in at least two significant historical events 2006). The aboriginal people formerly held sway and ownership over what we know today as Canada. This is an historical fact which is recognized by the Royal Proclamation of 1763 and other treaties between three British governments and the Sovereign Aboriginal nation. These served as the basis for succeeding treaties. Ironically, it also gave the means by which Aboriginal land titles could be extinguished 2006). The Royal Proclamation of 1763 marked the beginning of efforts to remove the entire aboriginal peoples from their lands, resources and undermine their rights. This effort succeeded partly with military interventions but these armed conflicts were minimal compared to those waged in the United States. In contrast, American government efforts against aboriginal peoples policies and actions which were more militaristic. In Canada, the government approach was characterized by the political process of assimilation 2006). Although it may seem that the aboriginal population of Canada were peacefully cooperating as allies and business partners, underneath the surface was a prevalence of apartheid, assimilation, ethnic cleansing, infractions on human rights, racism, and oppression, which marked the last 350 years of Canadian aboriginal history. Though on the receiving end of much suffering and prejudice, the aboriginal population played a crucial role in the establishment and confederation of Canada. Aborigines were employed in military roles and their involvement during the attempts of the United States to annex Canada helped keep the balance in favor of the British. The Indian forces were also responsible for keeping Americans from succeeding in their persistent encroachments into Canada ( 2006). A modern society with a federal structure was established with the confederation of Canada in 1867. The initiative towards confederation began as early as 1858 and increased in pace in 1864 and 1866. Although the confederation delegates went into extensive discussions to hammer out the details of confederation, there was no time when the First Nations were included in the talks. Neither were they consulted nor their future roles in the federation publicly acknowledged. Their future was determined unilaterally and as the first prime minister, Sir John MacDonald said, "to do away with the tribal system and assimilate the Indian people in all respects with the inhabitants of the Dominion" (GENOCIDE & ASSIMILATION: Canada's Aboriginal People experience "Ethnic cleansing - Canadian-Style !" http://offreserve.tripod.com/articles.html). This was consistent with the British Empire's task of carrying the "white man's burden". This is to mean the civilizing of indigenous peoples within the empire, may they be Indian, Maori, Zulu, etc. The "white man's burden" also serves as the justification for the annexation of the lands and resources of these indigenous populations. For Victorian

4What do you consider are the main problems with the royal prerogative Essay

4What do you consider are the main problems with the royal prerogative Explain the extent to which you would reform the royal prerogative and why - Essay Example ?, the name for the residue of discretionary power left at any moment in the hands of the crown, whether such power be in fact exercised by the King himself or by his ministers†. Wikipedia describes the Royal Prerogative â€Å"as a body of customary authority, privilege, and immunity, recognised in common law jurisdictions possessing a monarchy as belonging to the Crown alone. It is the means by which some of the executive powers of government are possessed by and vested in a monarch with regard to the process of governance of their state are carried out. It is not subject to parliamentary scrutiny but an individual prerogative can be abolished by legislative enactment† 2 . Practically speaking, Royal Prerogative is the usage accorded to the formal powers of the Crown within the executive process of the British politics. As part of the common law, the Queen represents the British constitutional monarchy that is apolitical, symbolic and impartial. The Queen exercises the Royal Prerogative on behalf of the elected ministers. As per the Royal Prerogative vested on the Monarchy, the Queen has the right to appoint and dismiss a prime minister.3 The Queen has the powers to appoint ministers, peers, senior C of E officials, head of BBC and senior civil servants. But, in reality, the Prime Minister exercises these powers. Only the Order of the Garter and the Order of Merit are at the personal disposal of the Queen indicating that vast powers in senior appointments rest with the Prime Minister. Under the Royal Prerogative, the Queen has the right to grant pardons and input some sentences but this has mostly remained a theoretical power with the Home Secretary retaining this power in practice. The Monarch has the power to declare war or treaties internationally but the Prime Minister has been exercising these powers on behalf of the Crown as we have seen in case of war on Iraq in 2003. Also, the Monarch is above the law and has immuni ty from law. In fact, it is commonly

The Singapore's Economic Model Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Singapore's Economic Model - Essay Example Upon receipt of independence from Malaysia, another main task of the government was to show foreign investors that at the moment new-independent state is a safe place to invest and storage their capital. The government not only introduced changes to the laws of their country but also showed a willingness to destroy corruption and worker unrest. Thus, it guarantees complete safety of the property of investors that are attracted spiritual prosperity of capitalism.Further, a small country that can offer only the hard-working people, has developed a plan to win the confidence of international partners. While Singapore cannot take a certain place in the international market such as Hong Kong, which relied on the support of the Bank of England. To avoid the risk of devaluation and inflation, the government carefully defines the priorities of implementation of each economic plan. It has conducted a number of economic disciplines, thanks to which in 1997 (during the crisis) Singapore can sta nd out as an island of stability in a sea of inequality.The Singapore government stubbornly fought against corruption, from which the country suffered from the acquisition of independence. While it could be said that corruption was practically part of the lifestyle of Asian people and they openly took bribes and various fees. To prevent corruption, the government has chosen a way to simplify the various procedures for decision-making and create new simple laws and rules that had no ambiguity.

Black community of America Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Black community of America - Essay Example Same applies to the political system. According to Professor Greenburg, there is a slight difference between white and black children, when it comes to political system, because the black children a they grow older become less supportive. The blacks are really 'invisible men' when it comes to political region. Possible racial differences in political socialization are persisting. Meredith v Jefferson had been an interesting case showing a small flaw in the policy of modern schooling. Education system in America over the years had been painstakingly non-racial. Americans have been happy over the education policies that treated the children equally, irrespective of class, region, creed and race. Minority children had not been marginalized in any way. Still, in Kentucky's Jefferson County, some Black children were subjected to long journeys up to three hours to reach schools and return, for the simple reason, because there existed a law saying that every public school should not have more than 50% black student population, but not less than 15%. The law existed not due to racial discrimination, but only because it was thought not to have too overwhelming a majority of any race. Only a minority number of students were affected due to this law, resulting in long journeys spending more time than they should to reach school and back home. It was also argued that ch ildren and their parents were kept out of the entire community because they go to a far off schools and that community could not belong to them as they were not part of it. "The current arrangement, instituted in 2001, has some students being bused cross-county, taking up more time per day than most students spend in transit in several weeks. It poses obvious logistical issues and detaches children and their parents from the communities they call home, parents say" http://docket.medill.northwestern.edu/archives/003698.php Parents were also upset about the long process of annual admissions to magnet and non-magnet schools, and brought a civil suit against the county in the US District Court for the Western District of Kentucky. The claim was that their children's equality rights have been violated, and this particular act was against the 14th Amendment on the Equal Protection Clause and the District Court upheld this claim and gave the following ruling:"The 2001 Plan is a proper 'fit' because it is sufficiently flexible to determine school assignments for all students by a host of factors, such as residence, student choice, capacity, school and program popularity, pure chance and race." (ibid). It also opined that the plan was 'narrowly tailored' and should not have been based on race alone, which could give a discriminatory color to it, because America is not a separated society any more, like it was in the 1950s. The attorney representing the county argued that a small amount of inconvenience is negligible while comparing to the diversity that prevailed due to the plan in educational institutions. The plan came into existence in 1975 and under this plan, the Board maintained the same system for 25 years. POLITICAL

Critical thinking- Critically discuss whether slum-upgrading projects Essay

Critical thinking- Critically discuss whether slum-upgrading projects have been a success or failure - Essay Example aces, health problems have led to the emergence of water borne diseases that have claimed the lives of many who resides in these areas (Katukiza 2014 Pg. 17). Poor sanitary services that cause the epidemic of diseases crops in when absentee tenants build overcrowded semi-permanent houses with a single toilet to be shared by a multitude. The slum- upgrading projects in many parts of the world face various set- backs such as lack of affordability to the poor to build better and many toilets. In addition, the slum- upgrading projects intended to relocate the displaced poor people to their own land found their way to the exploitative political figures. Since 2000, the government of many countries harboring slum dwellers and UNCHS (Habitat) has worked closely to help resolve the sanitary dilemma that has affected the health of many residents. Informal settlement has greatly affected the environment in substantial levels through its dense populated nature. Slum dwellers may engage in sporadic dumping tendencies that affect the environment. Slum- upgrading projects works towards identifying the best localities to build toilets and dumping sites. In its effort to locate these environments, the programs face challenges from the local authorities and political figures that may interfere with land tenure. When the slum- upgrading projects fails to secure land that it can build toilets and dumping site, residents of the slum engages in toilet and dumping behaviors that destroy the environment, which may cause health related issues to crop up. Slum- upgrading projects embarks on soliciting government figures and donors to facilitate the conservation of the environment (Snell- Rood 2013 Pg. 21). Its failure may arise when the project lacks a formidable source of the donation to take it through the entire program. Environmental challenges that face slum- upgrading projects in some slums involve steep terrain and rivers that borders the slum. The problem hinders the slum from

Black community of America Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Black community of America - Essay Example Same applies to the political system. According to Professor Greenburg, there is a slight difference between white and black children, when it comes to political system, because the black children a they grow older become less supportive. The blacks are really 'invisible men' when it comes to political region. Possible racial differences in political socialization are persisting. Meredith v Jefferson had been an interesting case showing a small flaw in the policy of modern schooling. Education system in America over the years had been painstakingly non-racial. Americans have been happy over the education policies that treated the children equally, irrespective of class, region, creed and race. Minority children had not been marginalized in any way. Still, in Kentucky's Jefferson County, some Black children were subjected to long journeys up to three hours to reach schools and return, for the simple reason, because there existed a law saying that every public school should not have more than 50% black student population, but not less than 15%. The law existed not due to racial discrimination, but only because it was thought not to have too overwhelming a majority of any race. Only a minority number of students were affected due to this law, resulting in long journeys spending more time than they should to reach school and back home. It was also argued that ch ildren and their parents were kept out of the entire community because they go to a far off schools and that community could not belong to them as they were not part of it. "The current arrangement, instituted in 2001, has some students being bused cross-county, taking up more time per day than most students spend in transit in several weeks. It poses obvious logistical issues and detaches children and their parents from the communities they call home, parents say" http://docket.medill.northwestern.edu/archives/003698.php Parents were also upset about the long process of annual admissions to magnet and non-magnet schools, and brought a civil suit against the county in the US District Court for the Western District of Kentucky. The claim was that their children's equality rights have been violated, and this particular act was against the 14th Amendment on the Equal Protection Clause and the District Court upheld this claim and gave the following ruling:"The 2001 Plan is a proper 'fit' because it is sufficiently flexible to determine school assignments for all students by a host of factors, such as residence, student choice, capacity, school and program popularity, pure chance and race." (ibid). It also opined that the plan was 'narrowly tailored' and should not have been based on race alone, which could give a discriminatory color to it, because America is not a separated society any more, like it was in the 1950s. The attorney representing the county argued that a small amount of inconvenience is negligible while comparing to the diversity that prevailed due to the plan in educational institutions. The plan came into existence in 1975 and under this plan, the Board maintained the same system for 25 years. POLITICAL

Google's Prospects in Terms of the Criteria 'Suitability, Essay

Google's Prospects in Terms of the Criteria 'Suitability, Acceptability and Feasibility' (FSA) - Essay Example would be embarked on to understand its strategic position based on the feasibility, acceptability and suitability of its present strategy. Evaluation would be helpful to determine if â€Å"Google Inc.: Running Amuck?† as stated by many, is true or to what extent the company is exposing itself to risks by expanding and diversifying? This report attempts to clearly understand Google Inc.’s strategic position with its innovative product and service launches in the recent past. Products and services Google has products and services for both online internet users and the mobile users. The company has products and services based on three types of technologies: web search technology, advertising technology and large-scale systems technology (shown in Appendix A). It has a large portfolio of products and services with a core product: web search, as its major revenue generating service. It has various different classifications of its products based on the kind of service it prov ides. â€Å"Google.com, web and content search, communication and collaboration, downloadable applications, mobile, labs, Google AdWords, Google AdSense and Google Enterprise, all of which are nevertheless marketed as categories of products relevant to: search, explore and innovate, communicate, show and share, go mobile and make your computer work better† (Case study- Google Inc., 2011). The company also is committed to always giving users an experience that they would vouch for, and its motto is the guiding force. The company has a strategy for investment where it invests in three different levels, popularly known as 70-20-10 investment strategy. It invests in three kinds of product markets: core search and advertising products, products related to core products and experimental products (Case study- Google Inc., 2011). It also has a product serving according to the specific region or country laws as witnessed in EU and China where the company has adapted to the legal requi rements of serving restricted or customized services through locally located servers delivering filtered web pages (Martin, 2006). A list of patents for Google is shown in Appendix B. Appendix C and Appendix D list the free and for profit products offered by Google. Opportunities Google provides search engine web content services through simple user interfaces and uses low cost web servers. It provides content in about 88 languages and is an established brand which has gained users trust. Leveraging on this end user trust, the company has the potential to build on its sponsored advertisement links by tracking user searches and providing relevant and updated content with user permissions (Google Inc.: SWOT analysis, 2008). As the sponsored links are relegated to a corner of the page at the moment, it can nevertheless be moved to a full-fledged revenue generating service offering like AdSense and AdWords. The company’s product offering, Google Video is another link that provide s

Teacher As A Resource For Students Essay Example for Free

Teacher As A Resource For Students Essay The boy came from The Dominican Republic and did not speak English. This proved to be a problem not just for the young student but his teacher, classmates, and school as well. How would he learn, cope and thrive is his new environment? How would his new surrounding help him adjust? These were the questions that, after a few interventions, were resolved successfully. The intervention began when an aide was appointed to help the boy by serving as his translator. It helped for a while until lessons were starting to get progress. To facilitate learning, I provided supplementary books for the boy’s teacher to equip her in helping the student. Concurrently, the student was given worksheets. With his aide and teacher by his side, the boy started adjusting to his new environment and was learning. He could speak little English and was able to interact with other children. This is a perfect example of what successful teaching is. Successful teaching is a fusion of personal and interpersonal skills and personal and professional commitment (Day, 1999). They act as resources for students. They are the agents of transferring knowledge, skills and values. In this case, employing an aide was a way of capturing and transferring knowledge. Doing one-on-one with the child was also advantageous for it broke the barrier of transmitting information. The aide, in her own way, became an important resource for the student. The teacher also acted as a vital resource. A teacher’s task is to teach but in this case, the teacher also had to learn. She was willing to learn to be able to teach. That is a marking of successful teaching, if a teacher can be a good source for a holistic development of a student. Continued one-on-one guidance with the boy should be encouraged until the boy has completely managed on his own. It is also favorable to continue exposing the boy to his new environment, allowing him to mingle with others and explore. Field trips and activities that foster cooperation may help.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Outsourcing

Advantages and Disadvantages of Outsourcing Outsourcing Robert and Gordon (1996) claims that outsourcing has expanded considerably over the last two decades. The reason behind this expansion is that economies of scale became more apparent in the recent years than it was earlier. Outsourcing is a management approach that involves delegation of an activity to an external service provider which was previously performed internally (Lankford and Parsa, 1999). The activity must have been performed internally before outsourcing to third party. If the activity is delegated to another vendor without performing internally then it would be ‘externalization’ rather than outsourcing. The term outsourcing itself shows from ‘out’ ‘source’ (i.e. external source). In the earlier phase of 1960, outsourcing was merely considered as contractual agreements wherein a supplier does processing or is providing services for another company. But, it is different from regular purchasing agreement as outsourcing is not selling o ff a part of the business. The Out-contracted services or processes must be replaced by the supplier in outsourcing. This is the basic difference between regular purchasing agreement and outsourcing. Outsourcing is not simply a make it or buy it decision, the activities outsourced must be of significant interest for the company (Bryce and Useem, 1998). The term outsourcing often leads to confusion in what is meant by outsourcing, when used in place of a more specific term (Andrade and Chapman, 1998). According to Johnson (1997): Contracting-out, contract manufacturing, employee leasing, sub-contracting, consulting, contract services and contract programming, are often mistaken as mere outsourcing as all of these items are similar to outsourcing. But, on the other hand these items bear different characteristics as well which differentiates them from outsourcing. 3.1.1 Motives for outsourcing A company will decide to outsource an activity when such an activity can be performed by other companies at a lower cost by using economies of scale (Kakabadse Kakabadse, 2002). Nowadays, companies use common sourcing strategy of outsourcing as a tactical quick fix at the times of financial difficulty and rely on outsourcing strategy to come out of financial crisis or provide cash infusions (Johnson, 1997). Outsourcing decision also erupts from the search for competitive advantage. Porter (1980) views that a company needs to identify its competitive advantage. Once the company identifies its core business activities then it can outsource other non-core activities to focus more on core businesses. According to Juma’h and Wood (2000), smaller companies are likely to gain the best results from outsourcing. Their main motive is to prosper from the advantage of economies of scale. Smaller companies often find it difficult to achieve economies of scale within their internal activities and functions as they lack the ability. But, they are more flexible in absorbing change and innovations into their organisation. Thus outsourcing may come as a saviour for small companies to achieve functional efficiency similar to those of large companies (Juma’h and Wood, 2000). Juma’h and Wood (2000) argue that larger companies theoretically benefit less from outsourcing as compared to smaller companies in terms of cost reduction as large companies already enjoy the benefits of economies of scale in many cases or at least possess the capability or expertise to achieve it internally. In despite of this, the most frequent users of outsourcing are larger companies. There are apparently other reasons underlying for outsourcing other than realizing benefits of economies of scale from competitive advantage. According to Fan (2000) the other motives to outsource are: reduced costs, improved managerial focus, improvised quality, enhanced flexibility to facilitate change. Fill and Visser (2000) identifies the same drivers with some additions such as: increased knowledge and capacity, potential for creating strategic business alliance, reduction of investment, technical considerations, increased access to functional capacity, and fewer internal administrative problems. Outsourcing is generally accepted as a view of contracting out or disposing parts of business to achieve tactical benefits. However, Johnson (1997) in contrast cited a new view on outsourcing: viewing outsourcing as a way to offer structural change. According to the new approach, the company undertaking the activity (outsourcee) is viewed as being brought in by the outsourcer rather than contracted out. The author further developed these views and classified reasons to outsource into tactical and strategic reasons. Both these reasons differ from each other on the basis of their focus on short-term (tactical) and long-term (strategic) benefits. The tactical reasons for outsourcing comes from the functions outsourced which are beyond the control of the company and difficult to manage. Smaller companies generally go for outsourcing with the view of achieving economies of scale while large companies often benefit from outsourcing activities which are out of their control. Another reason of this category may be that the company outsource activity at times of financial distress to obtain capital funds for core activities. But, these tactical reasons to outsource are of short term nature (Douglas and Meehan, 2001). Apart from tactical reasons, there are other strategic reasons to outsource which focuses on longer term and are associated with gaining access to world-class knowledge and expertise, the risk sharing and the focus on core competencies. An organisation can reduce its risk significantly by means of outsourcing. The foremost strategic reason for outsourcing is to increase company focus on core competencies of the organization (Douglas and Meehan, 2001). Problems with outsourcing Outsourcing poses a number of rewards to an organisation such as cost reduction, focus on core competencies, improved quality. But, there are number of disadvantages also underlying to outsourcing namely enhanced dependency on supplier, employee redundancy, loss of control, increased expenditure due to ‘hidden’ outsourcing costs (Douglas and Meehan, 2001). According to Prahalad and Hamel (1990) every organization needs to identify, cultivate and exploit their core competencies in order to grow. Competitive advantage might be lost if core business are outsourced. Therefore, it should be seen by the company that no mistakes are made in identifying core competence. Significant Knowledge of the company will fade off if core activities are outsourced which is difficult to rebuild once lost. Bonifazi  et al.  (2004) views ten traps in an outsourcing project that should be taken into consideration during the implementation of the project. To begin with, lack of management commitment; lack of communication plan; minimal knowledge and experience of supplier; failure to recognize outsourcing risks by companies; failure to obtain outside outsourcing professionals; failure to utilize internal resources by organizations; rushing through vendor selection; ignoring cultural differences; minimizing vendor productivity; the last trap described is the failure caused by not understanding the ongoing outsourcing relationship with the vendor. Diminishing quality service and insufficient flexibility in achieving the desired results also contributes towards outsourcing risks. All these risks should be considered at the time of contract formulation. By designing a proper contract outsourcing risks may be well protected (Andrade Chapman, 1998). The whole structure of the organization can be affected by a single outsourcing agreement. 3.1.3 Common Outcomes Outsourcing is a powerful corporate strategy that requires flexibility in the sense global business takes place. Used effectively, outsourcing can very well live up to the standards set in the beginning of the agreement (Bonifazi  et al.,  2004). But, if used ineffectively the agreement may culminate in search of another vendor or by bringing the outsourced activity back ‘in-house’ (Andrade Chapman, 1998). Backsourcing Backsourcing currently lacks a common definition. However, Andrade Chapman (1998) gives a definition which is easier to understand once the term outsourcing is understood. He defines backsourcing as process of bringing back outsourced functions in-house. When an activity originally performed internally by the company and then contracted out to a vendor, is brought back in-house is referred to as ‘backsourcing’ (Andrade Chapman, 1998). Backsourcing is often mistaken as insourcing. But, both of them deviate on the aspect that insourcing is bringing back the functions in-house that were never outsourced but initially contracted out while in backsourcing the functions that were outsourced is brought back home. In other words, in backsourcing the activities must have been previously outsourced. 3.2.1 Motives  for Backsourcing A company may end an outsourcing contract even if everything was all right. The reasons being behind this may be that the company would have restructured its organization, might have entered a new market or would have been affected by law changes (Andrade Chapman, 1998). Some companies solve the problem of poor outsourcing results by bringing the outsourced function back home. Kakabadse Kakabadse (2002) points out that such a remedy is often costlier to the outsourcer and discomfit to the vendor. Despite, of heavy costs for reabsorbing many companies still choose to undergo for backsourcing. Reverting back the outsourced functions also raises finger on the organizations’ previous decision and judgement. However, press reports show that backsourcing is becoming common now-a-days (Wong, 2008). The various risks and problems associated with outsourcing explode motives for undertaking backsourcing. Deteriorating quality service and minimal elasticity in the agreement to respond to such deterioration is the single most common motive for backsourcing (Andrade Chapman, 1998). Loss of control, increased cost and trustworthiness are also drivers of backsourcing (Wong, 2008). According to Wong (2008) power and politics may also be a motive for backsourcing. He explains that power and politics among senior executives of the organization might play an important role at the time of outsourcing. When this set of executives are replaced by new executives who believe in internal development of an activity previously outsourced, then the strategy inside the company will change once again from outsourcing to backsourcing. In other words, embedding of knowledge about the outsourced function within the company may lead to backsourcing. Changes in vendor organization may also trigger backso urcing. If the vendor organization merges with other organization to form a new entity, then there is a possibility of change in perception of new entity. The changed perception of the new entity on ongoing outsourcing contract may create disputes between the parties leading towards backsourcing (Wong, 2008). Table 1.1 Illustration of Backsourcing cases 3.2.2 Backsourcing Implications The process of backsourcing can be a significant endeavour, but its activities are very intricate and require lot of attention together with hard work. If backsourcing plans are not formulated diligently, then it can easily cause employee fatigue (Azzouqa, 2008). According to Andrade Chapman (1998) staffing is the main issue since competence can rarely be found back-home. This is because at the time of outsourcing an activity, the staffs related to the activity is often either transferred to the vendor company or is resigned from the company. Therefore, one implication of backsourcing is to hire staff from the contractor or from the market. The process of hiring might not be successful as the personnel might not have preferred competence as required by backsourcing company (Andrade Chapman, 1998). As a result of backsourcing, companies have to pay huge compensation to the vendor company to reabsorb the outsourced activities back into the organization, if the contract is terminated before its expiry. The strategy of backsourcing can also be adopted after the expiry of contract. However, in this situation also the company has to bear high cost for re-insourcing (Wong, 2008). Thus, in the both the circumstances organizations have to incur huge expenses. For example, Farmers group paid $4 million as termination fees to IBM to extricate itself from its agreement (Overby, 2003 cited by Wong, 2008). Technology procurement is also a significant matter that should be addressed at the time of backsourcing an activity. When the activity is outsourced, the technology used to perform those activities is often sold since it is rarely of any use to company after discontinuation of activity. Therefore, bringing an activity back in-house whether in terms of backsourcing or insourcing would almost require acquiring new technology. This may again be a costlier practice for the company and can take long time to internalize technology within the organization (Andrade Chapman, 1998). However, reducing costs and control of operating costs are considered as most significant drivers of outsourcing (Fan, 2000).

About Steroids :: essays research papers

Many people have had their lives ruined by the use of illegal steroids, yet the desired effects are so overwhelming that people tend to overlook the consequences. Steroid users believe taking anabolic steroids will enhance their performance, strength, size,etc. They regard the use of them as legitimate as any other aspect of training. To begin with, the term "anabolic " means "to build tissue," therefore anabolic steroids tend to increase constructive metabolic pathways within the body. Also, anabolic steroids are synthetic derivatives of the natural male sex hormone, testosterone. Testosterone was the first steroid developed, a natural occuring hormone in many plants and animals. The first clinical use of testosterone occured in 1958 when physicians injected it into underweight and ill patients to simualte weight gain. The first reported use of steroids in a non-medical setting occured during World War II. Steroids were adminstered by Nazi doctors into German soldiers to enhance their aggressiveness. The Soviet Union noted the Nazis' use of the drug and recognized that enhanced aggressiveness, increasing in strength, and size could be desirable in athletic competition. The Soviets experimented with steroids in the early 1950's and it is believed that they were used in the 1952 Olympic games. The introduction of steroids into the United States is often attributed to the late Dr. John Ziegler, the team physician for the United States weightlifting team at the last Vienna World Power lifting championships. A Soviet physician told Ziegler that some of the members fo the Soviet team were using testosterone as an aid to enhance their strength. Ziegler was impressed with the results and began conducting some studies on American lifters. The results were the development and introduction of the steroid Dianobol, an anabolic steroid with fewer masculinizing properties than testosterone. Dianobol became well known in the athletic world. By the 1956 Melbourne Olympic games, steroid use had escalated to the point that many Olympic competetors in the strength events were either using them or were aware of their performance ehancing abilties. Anabolic steroids are all derivatives of the male sex hormone testosterone. With the use of steroids a person will receive two types of effects from the use. The first is the androgenic effects or masculinizing. These are the unwanted effects such as the enlarging of the prostate, growth of male sex glands, deepening of the voice, and increased facial hair(other steroids were developed in an attempt

Psychological Interventions for Schizophrenia Essay

This article surveys three types of psychological interventions (i.e. individual psychotherapies, group psychotherapies, and psychosocial skills training) for people with schizophrenia regarding their degree of effectiveness. Assuming patients are receiving adequate therapy, this article poses the following questions: 1. Do any of these interventions reduce relapse or psychopathology in persons with schizophrenia? 2. Do any of these interventions improve social or vocational functioning in persons with schizophrenia? 3. For psychosocial skills training, is there evidence that:  · this intervention results in skill acquisition by persons with schizophrenia?  · the effects persist over time?  · the effects generalize from the training setting into â€Å"real life†? As part of their cases studies, the authors used their own patients. But they used more from cases they have unearthed from Psyclit  and Medline  databases. They discovered that the research literature and case studies on individual and group psychotherapies are outdated (i.e. at least 10 years old) and methodologically flawed. However, those papers on psychosocial skills training are more acceptable. They are very recent and had more â€Å"controlled trials.† Accordingly, individual therapies do not really reduce symptoms, rates of relapse and hospitalization, nor do they help the patient adjust socially (Gomes-Schwartz 1984). Some studies suggest that group psychotherapy may be harmful (Schooler and Keith 1993). Despite the fact that psychosocial skills training appears to be the best of the three types of interventions, studies indicate that this type of therapy at best is limited in terms of the results. The authors admit that the research methodologies of many of their cited researches and studies are limited or ineffective, so future studies must be made. However, some conclusions can be made: First, individual or group psychotherapies are ineffective at best and harmful at worst. Second, psychosocial skills training are effective up to a certain extend but better models must be created to improve outcomes. Analysis Notice that the authors admit that there is a relative lack of merit of for many available literature or studies. This begs the question. Suppose that the research literature and studies available were closer to the ideal, and that the methodologies used by those studies were more sound and credible. Would the conclusions provided by the authors remain the same? The authors desire more reliable and valid studies, so different possible outcomes are likely. If, however, the same conclusions appeared despite better research findings were available, then the conclusions made by the authors would be placed on a more solid footing. Interpretation Therefore, in the same way that the concept of schizophrenia is still ill-defined, there exists no totally effective psychological treatment for schizophrenia (or to be more politically correct, to the symptoms which characterize â€Å"schizophrenia†). Integration According to p. 497 of our textbook: Historically, a number of psychosocial treatments have been tried for schizophrenia, reflecting the belief that the disorder results from problems in adapting to the world because of early experiences (Nagel, 1991). Many therapists have thought that individuals who could achieve insight into the presumed role of their personal histories could be safely led to deal with their current situations. Although clinicians who take a psychodynamic or psychoanalytic approach to therapy continue to use this type of treatment, research suggests that their efforts at best may not be beneficial and at worst may be harmful (Mueser & Berenbaum, 1990; Scott & Dixon, 1995b) The concept of mental illness including schizophrenia is questioned by many psychiatrists from the Anti-psychiatry Movement. The corresponding concept of normality is also an open question. Perhaps, a major overhaul of our conceptions of abnormality may be needed in order to produce more valid and desirable results. Conclusion Schizophrenia is a debilitating mental disorder. Its accompanying symptoms render many afflicted people unproductive. So, effective therapy is needed. Even though the concept of schizophrenia (ill-defined to some extent) has been around for a hundred years, no effective and final form of treatment is available. Therefore, research in schizophrenia is a vast and open field. Researchers, from those who have faith in Psychiatry and those from Anti-Psychiatry, are welcome to conduct research and contribute to existing knowledge in search for that holy grail of finding a perfect cure or treatment for schizophrenia, even though schizophrenia (by current convention) has no cure. It is also the job of students of Abnormal Psychology or Psychiatry to be more aware of current research in schizophrenia. They have to decide as early as possible whether they would want to contribute in future research, since a breakthrough would greatly help many people afflicted with schizophrenia.

1. Analysis of the Knowledge Management at Tcs Using the Knowledge Management Value Chain Model.

1. Analysis of the knowledge management at TCS using the knowledge management value chain model. *Knowledge acquire -TCS has created communities of practices (CoPs) with an animator expert in an area of knowledge to gather best practice on different area of expertise using business case documenting problem and solution. -Then TCS tried to capture technology, processes and case studies called Process Asset Libraries. So their intent was more on capturing structure data in the first wave. In the implementation of Ultimatix, TCS tried to use captures of intelligent technics or knowledge work system meaning knowledge tools like wizard, templates for software productivity improvement, knowledge training modules and information on tools. *Â  Knowledge storage -Business cases with solutions. For example on mainframe around 1500 business cases. -Process Asset library permit exchanges of around 10000 documents on industry practices and 21000 services practices in six month during 2003. -Line of businesses, line of technology, and projectsTCS has disseminated knowledge by: -Customizing for each are of practice/technology, customer and industries. -Creating an initial training program and a continuous learning program for experience employees based on role and competence definition. -Encouraging people to move and go outside TCS to learn and bring back knowledge. -Using information letter per expert area and tip of day are used. *Marketing knowledge -To create business related document. It can be retrieved by searching similar business case. -To innovate and decide with a tool called TIP and IdeaStorm.The IdeaStorm process is in three steps one idea / question are submitted, people can brain storm on it and after vote. -Just ask process to get direct access to experts TCS has various Portals which permit a uniform access to knowledge. It can be accessed through queries or using taxonomies created by CoPs. Tools and activities were used for managing tacit knowledge: TCS h as created communities of practices (CoPs) with an animator expert in an area of knowledge to gather best practice on different area of expertise using business case documenting problem and solution. -Just ask process to get direct access to experts Encouraging people to move and go outside TCS to learn and bring back knowledge. -Using information letter per expert area and tip of day are used. Tools and acticities used for managing explicit knowledge: -Process Asset library permit exchanges of around 10000 documents on industry practices and 21000 services practices in six month during 2003. -To create business related document. It can be retrieved by searching similar business case. -To innovate and decide with a tool called TIP and IdeaStorm. The IdeaStorm process is in three steps one idea / question are submitted, people can brain storm on it and after vote. Then TCS tried to capture technology, processes and case studies called Process Asset Libraries. So their intent was more on capturing structure data in the first wave. -In the implementation of Ultimatix, TCS tried to use captures of intelligent technics or knowledge work system meaning knowledge tools like wizard, templates for software productivity improvement, knowledge training modules and information on tools LiveMeeting sessions during project for status meeting and after project lesson learned are recorded in the knowledge database 2.Some of the growth of knowledge management systems in TCS and how the sytems helped its business are listed as below KBASES AND GROUPWARE It is a knowledge repository in the corporate and branch servers accessible to all employees through the intranet. It contained wide range of information regarding processes, line of technology and the line of business. The groupware was a body which automated various in house systems such as training and many other functions. CLOSELY KNITS COMMUNITIES OF PRACTICES (COPS)Community of practices was a forum of organizational memor y where teams all over the organization at different times zones communicated and documented the best practices. PROCESS ASSET LIBRARIES (PALS) Process asset libraries was an information database related to technology, processes and case studies. These were made available to all development centers of TCS through the intranet. WEB-BASED ELECTRONIC KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT PORTAL (EKM) Knowledge was made globally available. The PAL library, and Kbases hosted on the intranet were merged with Ultimatix.Sub-portals of quality management system, software productivity improvement, training materials and tools information were shared and easily accessed via EKM. COP members widely shared and exchanges industry and service practices. INTEGRATED COMPETENCY AND LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS (ICALMS) The system was deployed globally across all offices to promote a culture of learning and growth in the organization. Employees could enhance their skills in many areas. KNOWMAX Developed using Microsoft sharepoint portal server. It supported more than 60 knowledge assets and was accessible via Ultimatix to all TCS associates.Any associate could contribute their knowledge and information for sharing with employees. 3. Some collaboration tools which are need at TCS: IBM same time: client-server application on window that provide real-time, unified communications and collaboration for enterprise. IBM quick place: self-service for non-technical users to easily create a browser-accessible web-workspace to support a task, project. When TCS combine same time with quick place, it took easyly to exchange information on project, technlogy and preparation.Lotus: domino collaboration tools can provide multiple service: Thanks to use these tools, TCS can unprove collabaration among employees and collaboration of overseas and local office 4. Web 2. 0 tools help TCS to manage knowleadge and collaboration among it employees TCS used a wide variety of collaboration tools from taking on account arc hitectural aspects to the usage of Web 2. 0 tools. TCS's development centers have had a special attention to its architecture so that they could be divided into modules of a common area each with its own garden in order for the employees to have informal conversations during their breaks.Naturally TCS could also profit by the fact that many of those conversations were about their employees’ business problems. Propel sessions also brought together employees with similar interests so that they could balance their work and their life and hopefully integrate both as one. Aside from taking into account the employee's personal life TCS also implemented another methods to share knowledge. By recording all of their meetings with LiveMeeting application TCS could arrange a team where all the members knew what was discussed.Knowledge could also be shared directly from their experts by Knowledge Transition sessions and a Tip of the Day mail system. This way knowledge could flow from the ir experts to their beginner workers who in fact need to learn in order perform better for TCS. The implementation of Project Infinity brought alongside VOIP and video conference tools. Using these tools all TCS's branches could communicate and collaborate in realtime keeping focus to the same objective. However Project Infinity also brought along other tools such as Instant Messaging and a news broadcast system.Using these tools TCS could communicate in real time with all of TCS's offices in the world sharing data and knowledge other than using voice or video systems. TCS also used Web 2. 0 tools integrated in their own website such as a Just Ask system, a Blog Platform, TIP and MySite. As in one side The Just Ask system would directly be connected to TCS's business, on the other side The My site would be more related to one's personal life. 5. How do you think KM tools have changed some key operational processes at TCS, such as bidding for new projects, project development and imp lementation, customer service, and so on?TCS core business is to produce project in India to be delivered all around the world. TCS processes have been simplified and communication has been streamed with those KM tools. Three bricks are missing for a 100% effective knowledge sharing: -The collaboration inside a document. For example, during an offering, it is frequent that many people are working on the same document. -The search engine technology. Having Tera’s of document emphasize the need to have a good search engine in order to find relevant document. -The document life-cycle would permit to exclude outdated document.

Nigerian government Essay

1: Could the alleged payment of bribes to Nigerian government officials by Jeffrey Tesler be considered â€Å"facilitating payments† or â€Å"speed money† under the terms of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act? Answer: After this all came out in June 2004, Halliburton promptly fired Jack Stanley and severed its long-standing relationship with Jeffrey Tesler, asking its three partners in the Nigeria consortium to do the same. The United States Justice Department took things further, establishing a grand jury investigation to determine if Halliburton, through its KBR subsidiary, had been in violation of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. In November 2004 the Justice Department widened its investigation to include payments in connection with the Nigeria fertilizer plant that Kellogg had been involved with during the 1980s under the leadership of Jack Stanley. In March 2005, the Justice Department also stated that it was looking at whether Jack Stanley had tried to coordinate bidding with rivals and fix prices on certain foreign construction projects. As of mid 2007, the U.S. investigation was still ongoing. 2: Irrespective of the legality of any payments that may have been made by Tesler, do you think it is was reasonable for KBR to hire him as anintermediary? Answer: Tesler’s involvement in the project might have remained unknown were it not for an unrelated event. Georges Krammer, an employee of the French company Technip, which along with KBR was a member of the consortium, was charged by the French government for embezzlement. When Technip refused to defend Krammer, he turned around and aired what he perceived to be Technip’s dirty linen. This included the payments to Tesler to secure the Nigeria LNG contracts. 3. Given the known corruption of the Abacha government in Nigeria, should Kellogg and its successor, KBR, have had a policy in place to deal with bribery and corruption? What might that policy have looked like?Answer: It is not known whether a bribe was actually paid. What is known is that in December 1995, Nigeria awarded the $2 billion contract to the KBR consortium. The LNG plant soon became a success. Nigeria contracted to build a second plant in 1999, two more in 2002, and a sixth in July 2004. KBR rehired Jeffrey Tesler in 1999 and again in 2001 to help secure the new contracts, all of which it won. In total, Tesler was paid some $132.3 million from 1994 through to early 2004 by the KBR consortium. 4. Should Kellogg have walked away from the Nigerian LNG project once it became clear that the payment of bribes might be required to secure the contract? Answer: The KBR consortium was one of two to submit a bid on the initial contract, and its bid was the lower of the two. By early 1995 the KBR consortium was deep in final negotiations on the contract. It was at this point that Nigeria’s oil minister had a falling out with the country’s military dictator, General Abacha, and was replaced by Dan Etete. Etete proved to be far less accommodating to the KBR consortium, and suddenly the entire deal looked to be in jeopardy. According to some observers, Dan Etete was a tough customer who immediately began to use his influence over the LNG project for personal gain. Whether this is true or not, what is known is that the KBR consortium quickly entered into a contract with the British lawyer, Jeffrey Tesler. The contract, signed by a Kellogg executive, called on Tesler to obta in government permits for the LGN project, maintain good relations with government officials, and provide advice on sales strategy. Tesler’s fee for these services was $60 million. 5. There is evidence that Jack Stanley, the former head of M.W. Kellogg and KBR, may have taken kickback payments from Tesler. At least one other former Kellogg employee, Wojciech Chodan, may have taken kickback payments. What does this tell you about the possible nature of the ethical climate at Kellogg and then KBR? Answer: This turn of events led French and Swiss officials to investigate Tesler’s Swiss bank accounts. They discovered that Tesler was â€Å"kicking back† some of the funds he received to executives in the consortium and subcon-tractors. One of the alleged kickbacks was a transfer of $5 million from Tesler’s account to that of Albert J. â€Å"Jack† Stanley, who was head of M.W. Kellogg and then Halliburton’s KBR unit. Tesler also transferred some $2.5 million into Swiss bank accounts held under a false name by the Nigerian oil minister, Dan Etete. Other payments included a $1 million transfer into an account controlled by Wojciech Cho dan, the former Kellogg executive whose extensive hand-written notes suggest the payment of a bribe to General Abacha and payment of $5 million to a German subcontractor on the LNG project in exchange for â€Å"information and advice.† 6. Should Halliburton be called into account if it is shown that its KBR unit used bribery to gain business in Nigeria? To what extent should a corporation and its officers be held accountable for ethically suspect activities by the managers in one of its subsidiaries, particularly given that many of those activities were initiated before the subsidiary was owned by Halliburton? Answer: In early 2005, however, Halliburton put KBR up for sale. The sale was seen as an attempt by Halliburton to distance itself from several scandals that had engulfed KBR. One of these concerned allegations that KBR had systematically overcharged the Pentagon for services it provided to the U.S. military in Iraq. Another scandal centered on the Nigerian LNG plants and involved KBR employees, several former officials of the Nigeria government, and a mysterious British lawyer called Jeffrey Tesler. The roots of the Nigerian scandal date back to 1994 when Kellogg and its consortium partners were trying to win an initial contract from the Nigerian government to build two LNG plants. The contract was valued at around $2 billion. Each of the four firms held a 25 percent stake in the consortium, and each had veto power over its decisions. Kellogg employees held many of the top positions at the consortium, and two of the other members, Technip of France and JGC of Japan, have claimed that Kellogg managed the consortium (the fourth member, ENI of Italy, has not made any statement regarding management).

Leadership and managment Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Leadership and managment - Assignment Example Being prepared to deal with conflicting staff allows management to implement several strategic tactics to dissolve conflict resolution and restore solace to the workplace. Diversity has emerged in the hiring practices of the work place in the areas of race, age, gender, religion and most recently culture. The globalization of the business world has jolted corporations to embrace diversity in order to maximize competitiveness and optimize human resources. However, the array of differences can lead to misunderstandings and unfortunately workplace contention. Supervision has to be well prepared to counteract confusion. Both authors Craig E. Runde and Tim A. Flanagan (2008: 92), authors of the book Effective Leadership Stems from Ability to Handle Conflict, believe that â€Å"most effective leaders are extraordinarily competent at handling conflict.† An example of such an experience is the feel-good movie Glory Road. The movie is based on The Texas Westerns college basketball team in 1966 who won the NCAA championship while promoting diversity. The coach of the team, Don Haskins, pioneered diversity by recruiting players deemed best for the positions and sidestepping traditional hiring practices. The hiring of the new folks in nontraditional roles is an exemplary example of effective leadership. These are attributes of a true leader as the attainment of the desired result outweighs skepticism and cynicism. Peter F. Drucker (1994: 100) article â€Å"The Theory of the Business† reveals that a valid theory of business suggests that the assumptions about environment, mission and core competencies must fit reality. The example of coach Haskin has to be the pinnacle of addressing conflict. Throughout the movie, strong interpersonal attitudes clashed among team members. Fights erupted and tempers boiled. In one particular scene, teammates squared off and the season

What is life Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

What is life - Assignment Example It is the relationships that we maintain that makes us social beings. But it is the quality of the relationships that we build up in our life time that makes us worthy, be it family, friends or colleagues. In order to feel ourselves worthy of our lives, we need to achieve happiness. Happiness cannot be perceived by all those who are wealthy and honorable and are indulging in the pleasures of life. Instead, happiness can be achieved by only those who are equipped with all these 'external goods of life' and are highly virtuous in their deeds as well as their thoughts. I agree with Plato, the ancient Greek philosopher, who describes that life will be meaningful only when we are able to distinguish the Good, by the pursuit of knowledge. As per Platonic epistemology, the idea of Goodness is innate and it is buried deep in our souls. This goodness, which exists in us even before our birth, is recalled in to our memory through learning. Learning helps to reflect this goodness in our actions and behavior. I also agree with Plato and his apprentice Aristotle in that the goodness of some people may outweigh others. It is this uncovered knowledge of goodness that inspire us to question the conventional wisdom if it seems contradictory to morals and human existence as life is made meaningful by revealing the ultimate truth of life, which can be revealed only by observing, interpreting and questioning the existing facts. For Epicurus, a worthy life denotes that one is essentially 'good' in nature, self-sufficient and enjoys a happy and tranquil life. He will be free of pain and fear, which are the indications of evil. As in the view of Augustine, the goodness in men is an indication that they are of the substance of God. It hence also means that everything that exists is ‘good’ and to lose goodness or to sin indicates that a man becomes unworthy of life. I also agree to the view of Tolstoy who exclaimed that life is impossible without the knowledge of oneself a nd one's purpose. The ideal purpose of life, according to Tolstoy, is to love and to serve humanity as we are the particles of the 'eternal source' and our life becomes meaningful when we become successful in making tiny changes to happen for the sake of humanity. I however object to the pessimistic view of Sartre who proclaimed that life is meaningless and that it ceases to be of worth once the illusion of being eternal is lost. Human life is and should be a representation of moral and intellectual righteousness and the feeling of being worthy to live is the end result of achieving the virtuous desires of life. 2] Our sensory perceptions are too limited that we cannot perceive the knowledge related to those things or concepts that go beyond our sensory capacities. Our knowledge as well as the concepts of the world will be limited if we are to rely on the knowledge gathered by mere sensory perceptions. Human beings are valued and considered superior to other life forms by their shee r ability to construct, receive and evaluate new perceptions, concepts and representations in the brain which are above the limits of senses.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Gathering of knowledge refers to its learning from experience, which was defined by Aristotle as the unorganized product of sense perceptions and memory. Experiences derived by the use of senses provide us with knowledge. Sensory perceptions that consist of sensations, feelings etc. are also experiences and they provide us with some knowledge. Here, we can indeed say that sensory perceptions do provide us with awareness and knowledge. But, based on the above refinements, it will be inappropriate to state that knowledge derives solely by sensory perceptions. In the view of the ancient Greek philosopher Plato, knowledge derived from sensory perceptio

Cultural Makeup of Early Civilizations Assignment

Cultural Makeup of Early Civilizations - Assignment Example Religion and worship provided a means by which early civilizations could give explanations of mysterious issues in their existence (Chisholm & Millard, 1991). These forces played a part because a unit’s culture is highlighted as a demonstration that is present in religion, art, and customs.   Several social issues occurred as a result of the cultural makeup. They include invasions, conquests, and wars. A civilization’s religious and spiritual convictions, forms of occupation, artifacts, literacy, and political activities may cause those social issues. In addition, social concerns also entailed the economic difficulties that were a threat to the early civilizations. Moreover, there was a development of ethnocentrism. Ethnocentrism arose because of the emergence of social class. Ethnocentrism may include small units of people between civilizations and societies and within a community. For instance, a number of groups in the history of Iraq, going back to the period of Mesopotamia, have created autonomous social groups (Fernà ¡ndez-Armesto, 2000). Moreover, invasions resulted in the production of more food and development of armies. Weapons were also developed due to the development of tools.   Cultural influences may be closely associated with the forces that played a part to the cultural structure of early civilizations. In the initial stages, the foremost cultural influences entailed the need for shelter for their household, food, warmth, and clothing. Later, security, food, region, and housing became cultural influences. Nonetheless, the foremost cultural inspirations on early civilizations include ritual behavior, religious and spiritual beliefs, and art. These cultural influences are popular to the civilization or group and are moved on from one generation to another (Chisholm & Millard, 1991).