Monday, September 30, 2019

Faith and Greer

As Faith and Greer grow closer, Faith wants to know what Greer truly thinks. As Greer starts talking, she gives all these suggests which never felt like she could do, and someone actually listen. â€Å"Tell me your impressions about what we're doing here,† Faith said. â€Å"Be honest. Don't worry about my ego. I'm curious how it seems to you so far.† (Wolitzer 201). The thing about activism is to she what you think is right and will help. Faith pressures Greer to speak her mind but in a good that will help the company rise. She want to makes sure that she does her part to Faith's grand venture. Greer want to experience the success that Faith does. Now that Faith tooken the suggests of Greer it, they both demonstrate the truths of activism. Greer realizes the she values her individualism more that sisterhood, she wants to ensure her own success, even though she would be keeping Zee from success, now that is little selfish. At this point Faith is reflecting back to the past, and she recalls supporting Greer over the years. Faith sees a lot of herself in Greer, they have reflected upon how they share a sense of disappointment in their parents and that is what has bond them together. â€Å"Greer had been so bright and filled with feeling, but beyond that she had also been upset with her parents. Of course Faith had been reminded of being upset with her own parents at that age. Both sets of parents had held their daughters back, even as they loved them.†(Wolitzer 442). Faith feels for what Greer had to go through, and now Faith wants to see Greer be successful. Faith can see Greer's potential as an activist, a feminist, and a leader. Faith is using her power to help other women find their own. Greer and Faith are a lot alike and they deeply bond over that, because of that demonstration of the disappointment of both their parents. When Faith talks to Greer about the mentorship program, Greer tells Faith that it does not exist. So Faith asks if the rescue was at least real and Greer responses that yes it was. Faith's realization that the mentorship program was not real made her wonder what was actually going on at the ShraderCapital. â€Å"Exactly what isn't true?† Greer managed to say. â€Å"The whole thing?† â€Å"The rescue was real. The security group apparently went in and saved those girls.† â€Å"Well, good. That's a relief.† â€Å"But the mentor part never happened. They just pretend it did.† (Wolitzer 464). The whole thing is messed up what they are doing is wrong, but Faith is so caught up in being preoccupied with the public's perception of her than in make sure that everything in her organization is running smoothly. Although Faith would have lived with ignoring the whole situation and now even though she knows what is going on Faith is not planning to take any action. Knowing Faith that is just not how she does things, but she seem that she just have no idea of how to handle it. Now Faith has confronted Emmett Shrader which has been long overdue. Emmett have not a very good excuse of the whole thing. â€Å"So the mentor program really doesn't exist?† He paused, thrown, trying to be careful. â€Å"It was supposed to have existed,† he tried. â€Å"We had every intention. Does that count for anything?† (Wolitzer 523). Emmett had totally ignored the thing of the mentorship program as well of the severity of Faith's struggle. Faith couldn't afford to tune out of her own life, and she could afford to make mistakes. Where Emmet just goes through life with not a thought to what consequences his actions could have. This just shows the contrast between the power of men and women. Although Emmett had claimed to of had a hazy memory of what was actually discussed that day of what happened to the mentorship program. What he actually remembers shows his total lack of interest in an important contribution of time, and resources. Emmett is clearly not an activist and putting his name on an activist company has definitely not made him a better feminist or a better member of the community. Even though the severity of the situation or even perhaps, because of it Emmett didn't think that it was important enough to solve the Ecuador crisis. â€Å"I should have listened better in that meeting, and I shouldn't have let them switch out that woman you liked, and I should have shut down the fund and announced the whole thing publicly.† (Wolitzer 550) Emmett now longing for the simpler times of the earlier days of Loci of when he connected with Faith Frank with any of the damage of this sandal between them. Though Emmett doesn't remember what happened, he knew that there were strings being pulled and people were urged to keep the truth of the whole thing quiet. During that time he tried to convince himself that he was doing the right things to make Faith happy even when it was a bad situation by keeping the money for Faith to use on another project. The realization sets in that Faith Frank is an activist and mentor a lot of reasons. Some were more selfish than others, but Faith felt rewarded and loved by receiving gifts and notes from people she had mentored. â€Å"Dear Faith, This book was my favorite when I was a little girl, and I wanted you to have it. Love, Denise Manguso (from that dinner in Chicago!)† (Wolitzer 555). Her importance has been threatened many time throughout the year, but it is her fans that keep her going not her work, and that keep her in the world. That is Faith's rensurence that she will remain adored and relevant as she once was at the start of her career. Although Emmett had messed up, he feels awful about how things went between him and Faith. He realizes that things haven't been all that bad and that he has given Faith that greatest gift of all, and influential platform. He has done perhaps more of the work than anyone else in Faith's life. Greer is now at a point in her life where her career has taken off, her career is almost a direct mirror of Faith's. â€Å"Tonight they were celebrating the fact that Greer Kadetsky's book Outside Voices had just spent one full year on the bestseller list.† (Wolitzer 602). Greer finally got the success she has been looking for. Greer has manifested so much attention, but she still gets criticized and often publicly. She gets criticized for her privileged idealism and inattention to worse issues that face the modern of feminism. It seems like Greer gets the same kind of adoration, attention, and praise as Faith Frank once did. This fills Greer with a sense of personal fortitude and socio political power. This all of what Greer wanted she worked hard for it and success found its way to her. Now that Greer is marry to Cory, has a baby named Emilia, and a babysitter name Kay. Greer finds that she sees a lot of herself in Kay, it seems that she sees a similar dynamic blossoming between her and Kay, like what she once had with Faith. â€Å"I want you to know I think you're great, Greer. I totally do. My friends and I have read all your book and they're impressed that I sit for you,† said benevolently† (Wolitzer 607). Although Kay is unlike the shy Greer who was willing to change her personality and opinions to better align with Faith. Kay has her own independent thoughts about feminism and is not afraid to express herself. With that Greer often wishes that she could contact her former mentor, but with things that ended badly between them. â€Å"But lately, Greer had been wishing she could say something different to Faith.† (Wolitzer 623). Greer still deeply admires Faith, and with the realization that her hero was just an ordinary person like the rest of us with flaws too. Greer realizes that even with the complicated or with the moments that were upsetting with Faith were ultimately a service of goodness and advancement. Greer's ability to be grateful for the way Faith had called her out on things has shown Greer that she has matured considerably and is able to see her past mistake a lot more cleary . Greer now wonders if Kay will one day take her place as the mentor, that Kay will be the mentor to her daughter Emila. â€Å"Who is going to replace me? She though, shocked at first at the idea, and the finding it kind of funny, and relaxing into it.† (Wolitzer 624). By wondering, Greer wonders if she will slowly out live them all, Greer shows that the power dynamics and politics are constantly shifting. Impling that even as Greer has risen to fame, she will always feel a deep sense of loss for Faith. The cycle continues of mentors, because it is destined to repeat it, with Greer's daughter Emilia most likely to be mentor by Kay.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Domin Sizzles with Pizza Tracker Essay

This paper explores the different kind of Information System, Domino’s Sizzles used to avoid losing its market share. The Transaction Processing System, Management Information System, and the Decision Support System. Each of this Information System has been proved very useful in increasing the customer’s satisfaction towards Domino’s Sizzles service. Along with these systems, they also have software named â€Å"Pulse† which helps them to increase their sales. This software maintains and manages functions in each of the restaurant of the Domino. Another strategy Domino did is by developing Online Tracking System with an Online Ordering System in it. DOMINO’S SIZZLES WITH PIZZA TRACKER 3 DOMINO’S SIZZLES WITH PIZZA TRACKER This case study discuss about Domino’s pizza and how information systems have helped in development of its business. Many pizza shops have introduced home  delivery system and Domino’s pizza. When a survey was conducted about home delivery system, Domino’s pizza home delivery was considered the worst among all others. Domino has had the largest market share of pizza in any U.S chains, so it was worried about losing its market share due to its competitors. Therefore, it has planned various strategies to improve its business. It has used different kinds of information systems as follows:- 1) Transaction processing system: †¢The point of sales system captures purchases and payment at a location where goods and services are bought and sold using computers and other digital devices. The customers’ order is the input, it is stored in the database, and size, order of pizza, and delivery information and customer information are the outputs. 2) Management information system:- †¢Input is from TPS and its processed and the output is amount of ingredients used, time taken to make a pizza, delivery distances, customer demographic data and employee performance etc. DOMINO’S SIZZLES WITH PIZZA TRACKER 4 3) Decision support system †¢Input is from TPS and external sources, it analyzed, and output is sales data per menu item and analyzing the past sales data to the present one. OBJECTIVES AND ITS USES These systems have helped Dominos in increasing its sales. Pulse is software developed for this purpose was an important asset in maintaining consistent and efficient management functions in each of its restaurants. It has proved clear and analysts’ accept the fact that technology is working to cut costs and improve customers’ satisfaction. Dominos’ has also developed online tracking system, which also includes an online ordering system in it. The system allows customers to watch a stimulated photographic version (graphically also) of pizza with size and toppings and sauces used of their desire. Once customer places an order, he can track its delivery using online tracker. As dominos’ completes each step of its order fulfillment a section of its bar becomes red. Even customers who placed order through can track their pizza using the tracker online. In 2010 dominos’ has introduced  an online polling system to get feedback from its customers regarding pizza and employee services provided and many other things from its stores. DOMINO’S SIZZLES WITH PIZZA TRACKER 5 CONCLUSION Finally, these systems have proven to be useful in increasing customer’s satisfaction and business too. These systems have improved to execute its operations faster than its rivals in the market. Even though pizza hut and papa johns have online ordering system they lack in online pizza trackers and simulated pizza tracker system which dominos’ has implemented successfully. Today online ordering in dominos account for 20% which shows an increase compared to less than 15% in 2008. This shows that the information systems implanted in dominos has led to development and sustainability among its rivals in the market. DOMINO’S SIZZLES WITH PIZZA TRACKER 6 References †¢http://www.google.com.ph/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=3&ved=0CEEQFjAC&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww2.sta.uwi.edu%2F~anikov%2Finfo1500%2Ftutorials%2F02-IITF-interactive-session-Domino%27s-Sizzles-with-Pizza-Tracker.pdf&ei=da4QUq_kEMiHrgf9o4DABQ&usg=AFQjCNE4RLiUp__XKUY2VNACrnRABuTwdg&sig2=lMglI0CO8OZo671hwB2T_w †¢http://share.pdfonline.com/025da56a16c44e53a700535781d1fced/ISM%20CASE%20STUDY%28DOMINOS%20AND%20MERU%29%20SUMMARY.htm †¢http://www.sefmd.org/Abstracts/SampleAbstracts.htm †¢http://writing.wisc.edu/Handbook/presentations_abstracts_examples.html DOMINO’S SIZZLES WITH PIZZA TRACKER 7 Appendix Founded in 1960, Tom Monaghan together with his brother started the company by purchasing a single store in Ypsilanti Michigan. The company slowly grow,  and by 1978, Domino’s had 200 stores. Today, the company is headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and operates almost 9,000 stores located in all 50 U.S states and across the world in 60 international markets. In 2009, Domino’s had $1.5 billion in sales and earned $80 million in profit. With its great progress, Domino’s was involved in a heated battle among prominent pizza chains, including Pizza Hut, Papa John’s, and Little Caesar. Pizza Hut is the only chain larger than Domino’s in the U.S., but each of the four has significant market share. Domino’s also competes with local pizza stores throughout the U.S. To gain a competitive advantage, Domino’s needs to deliver excellent customer service, and most importantly, good pizza.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

A Discussion on Moral Issues of Cosmetic Surgery

A Discussion on Moral Issues of Cosmetic Surgery Cosmetic Surgery Cosmetic surgery is a surgical procedure that is done on body parts that are healthy, and has the purpose of improving appearance. Cosmetic surgery has become more common over the years, especially in the United States. However, many are bringing to attention ethical problems related to the increasing percentage of people who have undergone this procedure. While some critics make a few good points about moral issues of cosmetic surgery, many who bring up the ethical issues of the procedure do not make strong enough arguments. Just like any other surgery, cosmetic surgery is a procedure that comes with many risks, but it is still an important one that should continue to be taught to and performed by physicians. Stephen Coleman writes a great defensive argument for cosmetic surgery in his â€Å"A Defense of Cosmetic Surgery†, which specifically excludes reconstructive surgery. Coleman makes an accurate point by stating that cosmetic surgery can be morally justifiable for actors and actresses because the want for these surgeries are based off of their desire to sustain their jobs. (176) People on television are often critiqued on their physical appearance, and this can skew the hiring process for actresses and actors to role in movies and television shows. This especially affects women in the Hollywood industry. Women are strongly pressured to have certain physical features, and to display those features while playing their roles for media. This leads many actresses, female singers, and female models to undergo breast augmentation, breast reduction, abdominoplasty, and many other cosmetic surgeries to look appealing for the general audience and for directors to hire them for media role s. Even though it is sexist and unfair to hire women solely based on their looks, it is the reality of the world we live in today and many women in the media industry are forced to look a certain way to keep their jobs. This suggestion that is reasonable for women in Hollywood to undergo cosmetic surgery can be further expanded to any person looking for a job, seeking a job, or looking to get a better job. Several studies have come to the conclusion that attractive people are more likely to be get call backs for job interviews, get promoted, and get paid more compared to unattractive people. While attractiveness can be seen as subjective, there are certain beauty standards that people are held to such as facial symmetry, a youthful appearance, and large sexual body parts. Since having certain physical features would make a person more successful in terms of careers, it would be ethical for a person to seek to attain those features. However, not every person who wants cosmetic surgery is doing so to have a successful career. As Coleman states in his argument, many of the first plastic surgeons performed plastic surgeries to alleviate problems that other people had on a person’s appearance. He gives a great example saying that many Jewish, Black, and Asian people underwent the surgery to avoid prejudice. These minorities had cosmetic surgery done in order to fight against stereotypes and to conform to the standards of beauty at that time. (Coleman 177). However, Coleman is not seeking to defend these types of surgeries. I disagree with Coleman when he states that surgeries of these circumstances do not fit his definition of cosmetic surgery. Coleman states that surgeries that are performed to relieve serve psychological stress, decrease functional disturbances, and increase physical appearance outside a normal variation should really be considered reconstructive surgery. (173) I argue that surgeries performed to have a more successful career and to decrease stereotypical features of a certain race are definitely cosmetic. They are not medically necessary and some are only performed to fit within Caucasian physical appearance norms, which should not be the standard of attractiveness. Despite my disagreement with Coleman on these issues, I agree with his main argument, which brings the topic of autonomy into the picture. Coleman argues that since autonomy is a basic human right, then people should be allowed to get surgery solely for the purpose of increasing their physical appearance. It would be unethical to shame people into not getting cosmetic surgery or to ban cosmetic surgery. This would be a violation of patient autonomy. Even though there may be risks associated with cosmetic surgeries, just like any other surgery, it does not cause any direct harm. Therefore it could also be argued that beneficence is also a factor that could come to play, because cosmetic surgery increases physical appearance and does not inflict intentional harm. (Coleman 178-180). While Coleman makes the argument that cosmetic surgery is ethical because it respects patient autonomy, Franklin Miller suggests patient sovereignty is a topic that should as be discussed in regards to cosmetic surgery. Miller argues that some physicians and medical companies promote cosmetic surgeries by planting subliminal messages in advertisements for men and women by suggesting that they would look better if they undergo cosmetic surgery. He argues that the field of cosmetic surgery is more business than it is medical. While Miller does raise good points, I believe that these advertisements do not increase the likelihood of people undergoing cosmetic surgeries. Miller suggests that physicians are planting the idea in people’s minds that their bodies should be modified. (Miller 355) However, people are fed these ideas everyday. From actresses to models, people are constantly shown what makes someone physically attractive. People always look up to those in the media, and wa nt to look like those actresses and models. Therefore it would not be accurate in suggesting that physicians are the ones planting these new ideas that our bodies are not perfect. Many physicians are capitalizing on Hollywood’s portrayal of perfect looking people, but it is not an idea that they made themselves. I also argue that not all cosmetic surgeons are doing their jobs simply for the money. Many physicians perform cosmetic surgeries because they actually care about the well being of people and want to help patients in whatever way they can. If a patient would feel better in undergoing cosmetic surgery, then it would be ethical for a doctor to perform the surgery. Also, if one were not thinking about getting cosmetic surgery, advertisements would not suddenly make them believe that they would need the surgery. Advertisements for cosmetic surgeries simply make it more accessible for those seeking to get the surgery. Overall cosmetic surgery should not be an ethical problem. The two main ethical theories that are upheld through cosmetic surgery are nonmaleficence and autonomy. Physicians are doing no harm to the patients that they perform the surgery on, and performing the surgery would be respecting patients’ autonomy for those who want to enhance their physical appearance. Cosmetic surgeries are also beneficial because they can increase one’s self-esteem, increase likelihood of a successful career, and can help people avoid discrimination due to physical features, thereby avoiding psychological harm. In conclusion, cosmetic surgery is a procedure that should be treated like any other surgery, as it causes no direct or intentional harm, and can increase the overall mental health of a patient.

Friday, September 27, 2019

The Methods and Uses of Anthropological Demography Assignment

The Methods and Uses of Anthropological Demography - Assignment Example Subsequently, there are limited restrictions on the attendants of the facility since knowledge is open for all. This implies that issues such as religious restrictions, racial discrimination or economic restrictions are rarely exhibited in this facility. The library structure is sub-divided into four floors, each with a maximum carrying capacity of over five hundred individuals. This assists in identifying the working area in terms of the anticipated population, as well as the area of coverage (Hume 34). The determination of the appropriate time for conducting the anthropological study was quantified using the visualization of the behaviors exhibited by the target population (Rosenbaum, 45). This was defined by the common trends amongst the participants, as well as the economic patterns exhibited by the population. The aim of the research also contributed to the definition of the framework of time to be accepted for the study. The study sought to investigate the behaviors of the imme diate community. In this case, it was convenient to align the study time to the moments matching the extensive preferential in terms of the patterns of the community. On that note, the morning hours were most convenient. This implied that the study was to be performed during the morning session, from around eight o’clock to around one o’clock. The identification of this study period was based on the study patterns exhibited by the population. The students preferred to perform their study during the morning session and take a break by midday as they head for their midday meals. The senior populations also exhibited a preference for performing their study either in the morning or by the course of the day, especially from ten o’clock to twelve o’clock.  

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Explain the transformation from the Grand Alliance of World War II to Essay

Explain the transformation from the Grand Alliance of World War II to the development of the Cold War. Why was it impossible to maintain the former Was the - Essay Example (Nordlinger, 5) With the US entering the Second World War following the attack on Pearl Harbour, the three world powers, the US, United Kingdom and the Soviet Union were forced to come together to develop strategies to hold back and defeat the axis.(Greenfield, 3-23) At least as far as UK-US relations this strategy was a far easier task for the two nations. Despite the US’s isolationist position in the earlier stages of the war, it remained supportive of the UK. (Greenfield, 3-23) Essentially the Grand Alliance involved a series of common goals and understandings between the US, the UK and the Soviet Union. Following the attack on Pearl Harbour the three countries would both formally and informally negotiate and agree at wartime conferences, government meetings and summits on strategies to defeat Nazi Germany, Imperial Japan and Fascist Italy. (Stone, 20) The Soviet’s association with the Grand Alliance grew out of necessity following Germany’s invasion of the Soviet Union, in June of 1941. (Stone, 15)Following which both British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and US President Franklin Roosevelt pledged their countries’ support. Once the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbour the Grand Alliance became a reality. In other words, the UK, the US and the Soviet Union faced a common threat and while the Grand Alliance was primarily focused on war time cooperation, the three nations recognized a common goal to ensure post war security on a global le vel by ascertaining that Germany and Japan would not remain a threat to world peace following the war. (Lewis, 178-241) On 4 February, 1945, the Soviet’s Joseph Stalin, US President Theodore Roosevelt and UK Prime Minister Winston Churchill convened in Yalta on the Crimean Peninsula for what was one of three major war time conferences. The primary purpose of the meeting was to not only

Opening the West to New Horizons Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Opening the West to New Horizons - Essay Example To receive a better understanding of the difference between Carl and David, it is essential to go through and compare the two geographers and their way of thinking. Carl was a more open minded sort who felt as if cultures should be respected and studied in depth to understand how various people used their surroundings to flesh themselves out. He believed that past societies developed their cultures according to what was available to them. Take for instance a culture built near an ocean. Carl would believe that most certainly the ocean and seafaring would certainly play roles in the development of the societies religion and moral codes. Water could be considered sacred to such a society. Then there is the other end of the spectrum, where David Livingstone comes in. Although he still respected many other cultures, he almost felt they were inferior to the modern ideals of Christianity. He believed that through Christ, many cultures across the world could open themselves to Western culture and commerce, and that it would benefit them more than their own cultures. He felt a need to spread the word of God to these various other societies without regarding their own cultures as nearly important as the will of God. He believed that no matter what conditions the society was in, by following God and Christ, they could reform and better themselves in every aspect of life, no matter what, and made it his lifes mission to accomplish this.

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Analyzing Multiple Perspectives of ethical Dilemmas Essay

Analyzing Multiple Perspectives of ethical Dilemmas - Essay Example Here comes the question of ethics. Although, all branches in science have equal standing in terms of importance of ethics in their study and exploration, biology has been more prominent in this regard since it deals with the study of life itself; thus, engulfing the existence of plants, animals and most importantly, man himself. Therefore, bioethics, as it is widely known can be precisely come under definition as the discourse of the controversies with regard to the ethical dilemmas, which arise in the scientific study of life and living beings. The ethical dilemmas in the field of biological research and development are quite numerous. Like in other discourses, these dilemmas open themselves to multiple perspectives and schools of thought and therefore are an enriched field to study. Here, the paper will include a few such dilemmas that have been a pressing concern for bioethicists these days and will include study of various perspectives on them. A very popular and most discussed d ilemma in biology is that of cloning. Many scientists and scholar see cloning as a way to extend life in cases where survival is endangered (Brannigan, 11).

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Chesapeake And New England Colonies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Chesapeake And New England Colonies - Essay Example These are the things that inspired people to organize in various ways and to experiment with new ways of building communities. It was the Chesapeake colonies that introduced slavery to America. They had labor-intensive economies and required help. As this critic puts it: The Chesapeake colonies, Virginia and Maryland, established in the early 17th century, and later the Carolinas, were settlement colonies where land was initially given to colonists in exchange for their efforts to cultivate and work it. Those colonists who fared well in the harsh conditions could accumulate enough land to require additional labor to work their holdings. After unsuccessful attempts to use native groups as workers, wealthy colonists imported indentured servants from Britain - an available supply of workers because of population growth. (PBS) We can see here how the seeds were sowed for eventual conflict between north and south in the American Civil War of the 1860s. The America of the 18th century was an impressive and increasingly confident place. Even though the colonies of New England and the Chesapeake were very different places, they were beginning to show similar qualities. Both were independent places where people spoke their minds and respected their neighbours. Both were full of hardworking individuals who envisaged a better life for their children. By examining the history of these two, most important, colonies we can begin to see the form that America would take in all its glory.

Monday, September 23, 2019

Good Will Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Good Will - Assignment Example The total of fair values includes liabilities assumed and the recognized intangible assets. When the amount of goodwill is negative, that is when the purchase consideration is less than the total fair value of acquired assets, the excess is said to be profit (Deloitte 2014). 1. The firm calculates the fair value of a reporting unit. It compares the fair value with the carrying amount of the unit. When the carrying amount is more than the fair value, the firm proceeds to the second step (Brice 2014). Accountants who perform personal tax returns are the de facto first line in the implementation of the individual mandate. Insurance accountants will question clients if they possess health insurance. The accountants calculate fines for clients who lack the insurance as per the law. The new healthcare puts insurance accountants in political conversations that did not exist before. It requires them to remain privy regarding their clients compliance with the law (White 2014). Brice, Steven. "Procedural Differences in Impairment Testing." American Institute of CPA. N.p., 23 Mar. 2009. Web. 14 Apr. 2014. . Tilly, Baker. "FASB issues simplified standards for goodwill impairment testing." insights. N.p., 1 Jan. 2011. Web. 14 Apr. 2014. . White, Dennis. "CPAs Examine Impact of Health Care Decision." AccountingWEB. N.p., 25 July 2012. Web. 14 Apr. 2014.

Sunday, September 22, 2019

MBA Corporate Governance And Responsibility Essay Example for Free

MBA Corporate Governance And Responsibility Essay Why did it take 10 years to bring Harshad Mehta to justice? What weaknesses in the financial markets allowed such abuse to succeed? Harshad Mehta’s scam was one which involved huge magnitudes, which is why it probably came into light in the first place.[1] Scams of smaller magnitude are happening almost everyday at the Bombay Stock Exchange but not coming to light. There are many reasons for this. Some of the major reasons are briefly discussed below. The Indian businesses have traditionally being family owned. Owing to concentration of money in a few hands, most people have concentrated on survival and security due to which the risking loving entrepreneurial skill has not developed much. Being family owned businesses, a lot of insider and sensitive information is often available to the owners and their relatives even though the company is technically a separate legal entity. Given this insider information and the relatively weak legal machinery, it is easy for the insiders to manipulate prices of stocks by large buying or selling. The reason outlined above also gives rise to the herd mentality i.e. if bulk activity is seen on a stock on a particular day in a particular reaction; people seem to trust it quickly believing that some one with insider and reliable information is acting upon it. This is what helped Harshad Mehta in pulling off the scam. Further, there are hardly any checks and balances on the end use of loans given by banks and other financial institutions. They seem to be satisfied by the reputation of the borrower and once they are convinced that he can return the money, the end use of the same whether for speculation or any other activity is hardly looked into. It took as long as ten years to bring Harshad Mehta to justice due to the combination of many systemic failures and procedural lacuna. Firstly, it is difficult to pin point in such a huge market as to where the first default or breach of law took place. Further, there are many procedural approvals that must be taken before the regulator can take any concrete action. The country’s civil procedure process is quite slow too, with many appeals available before an offender is finally convicted. Therefore, even high profile cases such as these often take several years before finally being disposed off. How can ethics in the boardroom be monitored and controlled? Ethics, in the first place, is a rather complicated and complex issue. There is no straightjacket formula as different situations would demand different measures. In the boardroom, where money is at stake, and everyone has their own business to mind, it is probably even more difficult. This has been a subject of considerable debate, and there are certain measures which companies should generally apply, with specific variations in accordance with the particular situation at hand. Some of these general principles are briefly discussed below.[2]   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Firstly, there has to be strict avoidance of concentration of important powers and functions in a few hands. As can be seen from the Maxwell Affair of 1991, too many responsibilities in different areas of management are likely to be fatal to the company. Further, the delegation of power must not be absolute. Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. There should be checks and balances right upto the top level. At the top most level, where it is difficult to have checks and balances in a vertical hierarchy, the same should be had using a horizontal structure.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Strong ethical base and principles must come in from the top and trickle down to the bottom. It is important that these principles are insisted upon, no matter how bad a situation a company is in. They should be introduced as non-negotiable to every new employee who joins, so that when he climbs the ranks in the corporate ladder, he is equally insistent about such principles. Gradually, a strong ethical culture is built. Is there a discernible difference between Enron’s fraud and Madoff’s appeal to elite investors? There is quite a discernible difference between Enron’s fraud and Madoff’s appeal to elite investors.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Enron’s fraud was a clear case of lack of watchful auditing and poor accounting practices. The profits were terribly overstated and the accounts were shown to pose a rosy picture of the state of affairs of the company. The true state of affairs was not revealed to the shareholders and other stakeholders in the company. The auditors were cleverly deceived, and they too didn’t do any follow up action.[3]   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Madoff’s case is a much more complex one than Enron. Madoff’s case has largely been seen as one which could never be expected, and therefore no laws are in place to remedy such a situation. Unlike Enron’s case, which can be foreseen, Madoff’s case was completely unique and innovative. Enron’s case has been foreseen by the law makers, due to which many laws are in place to keep in check of the same. Firstly, there are accounting standards and conventions which must be adhered to by all companies. Second, all companies are statutorily required to get their accounts audited so as to doubly ensure that they reflect a true and fair view of the affairs of the company. Although it has been said in a landmark decision, that an auditor is a watchdog and not a bloodhound, it can be said that the auditors failed to do an upto-the mark job in Enron and hence the scandal.[4]   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   However, in complete contrast, Madoff’s case is so unexpected that there are no laws which effectively deal with such a situation. He used his reputation of being an expert at the Wall Street and a continued promise to offer secured and steady returns to swindle many high net worth individuals of millions of dollars. Such an exercise of personal confidence is difficult for the law to stop. Now, in retrospect, of course there are laws which mandate certain disclosures in case of any broker or person dealing on another’s behalf in the stock market. Further, there are investor awareness and know-your-rights campaigns by the regulator.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Thus, another importance difference between the two scandals which essentially flows from the main difference is the solutions that they demand are very different from each other. What steps would you take as an independent director on the board of a company where you had reason to believe that fraudulent or unethical activities were being carried out by the high-profile company leader? First of all, being an independent director, there is a great amount of responsibility on my shoulder to ensure that such policies are pushed for, which make it near to impossible for fraudulent or unethical activities to be carried out by any individual in the company. However, if this was to happen, there would be a series of measures I would attempt to take. Firstly, it would be important to get the whole Board of Directors, or as far as it may be practicable, into confidence so as to ensure that the top level management is not divided on such an important issue. Once this is done, it is important to have an internal conference with the suspected offender about his objectionable activities. It is important at this stage to consider all possible solutions to the problem, as open action against such a person should be the last resort, given that such information is particularly sensitive, and it would adversely affect the reputation of the company, if it were to get leaked. Therefore, it is also important that only so many people are made aware of such a situation as are required. It is essential that the matter not be lingered, and damage control be the top most priority.   Again, every possible option should be explored including plea bargaining and settlement through mediation or negotiation.[5] The suspected offender should also be taken into confidence that full disclosure would be in his best interests too. No threat or action should be immediately taken against him, as then he might attempt to conceal the substance of the matter, which would be eventually then take a long time to be fathomed. Any severe action contemplated should be taken only once the issue has been fully resolved. Finally, once the issue has been resolved, there should be a fall back to see why such an event happened, and what can the company do in future to prevent it. The offender should not be let off lightly, as this may go on to set a bad example. At the same time, the best interests of the company in the long run must be kept in mind. REFERENCES Anonymous, â€Å"Harshad Mehta: A Scandal to Remember† f. www.casestudy.co.in (Last Visited 25 July, 2010). Anonymous, â€Å"Key Biscayne Connection in Madoff Scandal†, Key Biscayne Times, 23 July, 2010. Cathy Thomas, â€Å"Behind the Enron Scandal†, TIME Magazine, June 2002. Kevin MacDonald, â€Å"Is the Madoff Scandal Problematic?†, Occidental Quarterly Online, July 2010. Stephanie Maier, â€Å"How global is good corporate governance?†, EIRIS Report, Aug 2005. [1] Anonymous, â€Å"Harshad Mehta: A Scandal to Remember† c.f. www.casestudy.co.in (Last Visited 25 July, 2010). [2] Stephanie Maier, â€Å"How global is good corporate governance?†, EIRIS Report, Aug 2005. [3] Cathy Thomas, â€Å"Behind the Enron Scandal†, TIME Magazine, June 2002. [4] Kevin MacDonald, â€Å"Is the Madoff Scandal Problematic?†, Occidental Quarterly Online, July 2010. [5] Anonymous, â€Å"Key Biscayne Connection in Madoff Scandal†, Key Biscayne Times, 23 July, 2010.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Personal Budget Case Study

Personal Budget Case Study Personal Budget Suggestion As my personal budget table is shown, my total income is all from my parents’ contribution per month. I have not done a part-time job. I should consider to find a part-time job and earn some money to reduce the pressure of my parents. Every month I can save some money. In the Future, I could save a lot of money when I get weekly wage from my pat-time job. Therefore, I am able to do a low risk tolerance saving product to earn more interests from banks. I rented a small house that is far from school and charges cheaper rent fee with some friends. It is not convenient for me in term of traffic by walking or taking school bus. In the next chance, I can increase a little bit of rent expenditure for renting a nearer home. In 2014, I have not bought any books because of expensive prices. However, this attitude is not good for studying. Therefore, I decide to expend expenditure on buying books. Every week I will go shopping with friends. I hope that I can reduce the frequency and cut the cost on eating out and buying clothes. Savings Case Study Mr Rutherford is a 50 years old man as company executive. His age is a bit high that he faces to get sick and lose job anytime. His earning is quiet high about  £150000. Therefore, he can make regular savings of  £200 per month. The client is looking for a low risk savings product where his capital is safe and the rate is a bit higher that it can gives more returns to Mr Rutherford. The condition of investment market is not optimistic. According to This is Money Internet, latest inflation figures raised up to 1.3 per cent. However, the prospect of interest rates still hold unchangeable at present (Lambert, S., 2014). Markets and economists have put off expectations of interest rate that it has a first increasing tendency by 0.5 per cent in late 2015 on account of being concerned to â€Å"lowflation†. In developed countries, the forecast which is given by the economists will not come true if inflation happens suddenly and continuously (Lambert, S., 2014). Andrew Haldane, who is the chief economist of the Bank of England, emphasized that the interest rate will rise up gradually in the next year. Moreover, according to a interview with Gavin Thompson, worked in the Bristol Post, the figure of interest rates has sustained around 3 per cent for many years (Lambert, S., 2014). Howard Archer, who works as a chief UK economist, analysts the HIS Global Insight. He said that the Bank of England will not increase interest rates before late 2015, though MPC minutes are impossible to decrease expectations on interest rates tremendously in the November. However, it is probability that interest rate tend to go up slightly around August (Lambert, S., 2014). These are shown that interest rates are still around 3 per cent before late 2015 and they will go up in the future. Nowadays, market is not good for saving. Because rates of many banks can keep still at 3 per cent and saving is low tolerance, Mr Rutherford could do a saving product and prepare for the next year (Lambert, S., 2014). Financial websites is suggested to consult for Mr Rutherford, such as Moneysavingexpert.com and Thisismoney.co.uk. If Mr Rutherford is not able to meet his saving payments, he could buy products of payment protection insurance as consumer protection. According to Money saving expert Internet, the TSB classic Plus current saving account is chosen as it has one of the top interest rates comparing with other products. This account offers 5per cent AER up to  £2000. Arranged overdraft cost is up to  £100 fee free with 19,94% EAR plus  £6 per month fee. Unarranged overdraft fees is  £10 buffer with  £5 per day under  £25,  £10 per day for more than  £25 (max  £80 per month) or  £10 unpaid item fees (max 3 per day). It needs to pay in  £500 per month and register for online banking with paperless statements (Lewis, M., n.d.). Under this product, Mr Rutherford put and keep  £2000 in the account as Calendar month. The future value is  £3591.7 after one year and  £2873.36 after taxation. Loan Case Study Mr Hoy consider to buy a second hand Fiat 500 about  £4000. He looks for a car financing product for it over 2 years period. The product needs to pay 20 per cent taxation. The client is looking for a product which has low risk tolerance, low APR representative rate and low total amount payable. The product could be good for Mr Hoy to buy a second hand car as paying less money and spending less time. Since the Bank of England reduced its Bank Rate by only 0.5 per cent, mortgage and savings rates have reached the lowest point for more than five years. In the bank’ quarterly inflation investigation on Wednesday, the economists and observers have given the surprising forecast that inflation will be possible to fall even much lower, then will stay there for a longer period (Pollock, I., 2014). Due to lower interest rates, it puts more borrowing benefits in the hands of consumers so that borrowing markets turns to control by consumers (Roos, D., n.d.). Because interest rates are so low, it is indicated that savings accounts of consumers will not earn more benefits in a bank. Therefore, consumers could use them to fund into financial products or make contribution into the cost of the car rather than keeping your savings and mortgages at a lower interest rate (â€Å"What’s the best way to finance buying a car?†, n.d.). For Mr Hoy, financial websites are considered to consult, for example, Lovemoney.com, Moneysupermarket.com, Comparethemarket.com and Moneyfacts.co.uk. For Consumer Protection, Mr Hoy could buy a payment protection insurance product. Mr Hoy has the potential risk to loss money when he goes sick lose his job and does not have enough to pay for loan. Payment Protection Insurance aims to help Mr Hoy keeping away from fine charges by paying his loan. Insurers apply to much cheaper PPI than lenders. For Mr Hoy, it is worth making a good decision and buying a PPI by comparing with many products of different companies (â€Å"What is Payment Protection Insurance†, n.d.). The Credit Plus Product is suggested to consider for Mr Hoy. Comparing with other products, this has the lowest Assumed borrowing of  £4,000.00 over 2 years at an annual rate of 4.9% based on a representative rate of 4.9% APR (fixed). Therefore, the 24 monthly repayments is  £175.12 and total amount repayable is  £4,202.88. This product apply to have a current account with CreditPlus because it is just available to current CreditPlus customers . The age of consumers must between 18 and 75. What’s more, consumers will not be charged a fee if they repay this loan and repayment holidays are available with this loan (â€Å"Loans Centre†, n.d.). (Words: 1166) References Lambert, S. (2014). When will interest rates rise? Economists tip no move until late 2015, as ‘lowflation’ concerns dominate. Retrieved from http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/news/article-1607881/When-UK-rates-rise.html#ixzz3KC9m1tpd Lewis, M. (n.d.). Best Bank Accounts. Retrieved from http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/banking/compare-best-bank-accounts#lloyds Loans Centre. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.lovemoney.com/loans#/?amount=4000timeQty=2timeUnit=yearsscenario=scenario1predicate=Defaultreverse=falsepage=1shortTerm=false Pollock, I. (2014). Will mortgage and savings rates fall even further?. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-30052201 Roos, D. (n.d.). How Interest Rates Work. Retrieved from http://money.howstuffworks.com/interest-rate4.htm What is Payment Protection Insurance (PPI). (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.moneysupermarket.com/c/loans/payment-protection-insurance/guide/ What’s the best way to finance buying a car?. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk/en/articles/whats-the-best-way-to-finance-buying-a-car

China Essay examples -- Chinese History, Oracle Bones, Xunzi

Philosophy and Religion China’s history has been full of richness of culture, mainly due to how they progressed with philosophy and religion. Since the beginning of the Chinese’s civilization philosophy and religion has been at the forefront of Chinese culture. From the ancient oracle bones and bronze inscriptions to the development of different schools of thought, the Chinese have always been adept for the time period in philosophy and religion. And over the course of their history they have combined the two in a manner that suits their needs, through this evolution and combination of the two they have become a strong nation. Oracle bones were the corner stone of the early Chinese dynasties such as the Shang from around 1200-1050 B.C (Shang pg. 1). In one of the articles it attempts to explain the use of these bones by saying that the kings of the Shang Dynasty would â€Å"attempt to communicate with the spiritual forces that ruled their world by reading the stress cracks in cattle bones†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Shang 1). These kings would apply a heated poker to the bones which would produce cracks that they would analyze based on the direction and deepness of the crack. Recently these bones and the records of the king’s analyzation were uncovered. An estimated 150,000 oracle bones were found, and have references to the god of the Shang, Di (Shang pg. 1). This type of analysis by the kings is an early form of a religion, and the building blocks for later philosophy and schools of thought in China’s history. Much progression can be seen between the oracles bones in the Shang dynasty and the emergence of Confucius (551-479 BC) (Ebrey Text pg. 42). The oracle bones played the basis for the development of the schools of thought and religion in China. ... ...rogressed a long way since its origins. The early schools of thought based on Confucius’ teaching were key to the progression of China. It shaped their overall political structure, and their ways for worship. With the help of students like Mencius, and Xzuni, Confucianism was allowed to exapand and incorporate in it religious aspects that made it a hybrid philosophy. From there Daoism came into the picture and gave people more choices instead of being forced into Confucianism. But it wasn’t until hundreds of years later did a true religion come into play, Buddhism. To adapt to change, Daoism reemerged as a religion to be able to further spread its message and continue to affect political authority in China. Overall, all of these schools of thought, and religions have played incredibly important roles in China’s political structure, and development as a country.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Essay --

â€Å"And therefore women, being weaker vessels, are ever thrust to the wall; therefore I will push Montague’s men from the wall and thrust his maids to the wall† are the words spoken by a Capulet servant at the beginning of the play (I.i.14-17). He illustrated right off the bat that the women characters had a completely different place in society than men did and were thought to be weaker compared to them. Although there are only three main female characters in William Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet, it’s easy to interpret what the roles of women were in Verona during the Renaissance time period. Based on the female characters in Romeo and Juliet, it seems they matured more quickly than women do today, portrayed a subservient role in society, and were seen as an object to possess. Considering people during the Renaissance didn’t live as long as they do now, the women in Verona during that time matured much more quickly than women do today. Marrying and having children were jobs that were often completed before the age of eighteen. Juliet’s marriage to Paris was supposed to happen when she was only thirteen years old, and Juliet’s mother tells her that she became a mother â€Å"much upon these years† (I.iii.70-72). Women during that time were passed down from their parents to their husbands without much chance of independent thought or action. Juliet had never even considered marriage until her mother brought it up, and seemed somewhat astounded when she did. Because there were arranged marriages at that time, there were likely many instances when the women didn’t love their chosen man. Juliet’s arranged marriage to Paris is an example of this, And because of it, an ample amount of trouble arose. Women had little freedom during that... ...ord to hire people to do work for them, but it wasn’t like that for other poor families of the Renaissance. Women in Verona during the time of the Renaissance had a completely different place in society than the men did. Juliet, Lady Capulet, and the Nurse were the only female characters in the play, but were able to illustrate the roles that all women had during that time period. All women during the Renaissance time, based on the characters of Romeo and Juliet matured more quickly then women do today, played a subservient role in society, and played the role of an object to possess. Their roles show that they were powerless compared to men, but still had an important role in society. Women have gained significant control and influence since Romeo and Juliet was written, but unfortunately there are still many cases around the world where women are secondary to men. Essay -- â€Å"And therefore women, being weaker vessels, are ever thrust to the wall; therefore I will push Montague’s men from the wall and thrust his maids to the wall† are the words spoken by a Capulet servant at the beginning of the play (I.i.14-17). He illustrated right off the bat that the women characters had a completely different place in society than men did and were thought to be weaker compared to them. Although there are only three main female characters in William Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet, it’s easy to interpret what the roles of women were in Verona during the Renaissance time period. Based on the female characters in Romeo and Juliet, it seems they matured more quickly than women do today, portrayed a subservient role in society, and were seen as an object to possess. Considering people during the Renaissance didn’t live as long as they do now, the women in Verona during that time matured much more quickly than women do today. Marrying and having children were jobs that were often completed before the age of eighteen. Juliet’s marriage to Paris was supposed to happen when she was only thirteen years old, and Juliet’s mother tells her that she became a mother â€Å"much upon these years† (I.iii.70-72). Women during that time were passed down from their parents to their husbands without much chance of independent thought or action. Juliet had never even considered marriage until her mother brought it up, and seemed somewhat astounded when she did. Because there were arranged marriages at that time, there were likely many instances when the women didn’t love their chosen man. Juliet’s arranged marriage to Paris is an example of this, And because of it, an ample amount of trouble arose. Women had little freedom during that... ...ord to hire people to do work for them, but it wasn’t like that for other poor families of the Renaissance. Women in Verona during the time of the Renaissance had a completely different place in society than the men did. Juliet, Lady Capulet, and the Nurse were the only female characters in the play, but were able to illustrate the roles that all women had during that time period. All women during the Renaissance time, based on the characters of Romeo and Juliet matured more quickly then women do today, played a subservient role in society, and played the role of an object to possess. Their roles show that they were powerless compared to men, but still had an important role in society. Women have gained significant control and influence since Romeo and Juliet was written, but unfortunately there are still many cases around the world where women are secondary to men.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Uniqueness and Universality in Tess of the DUbervilles :: Tess of the dUrbervilles Essays

Uniqueness and Universality in Tess of the D'Ubervilles      Ã‚   She can flirt, she can listen, she can sympathize, she can work with her hands.  Ã‚  Ã‚   (Hardy   131)    The above line from Hardy's Tess of the d'Urbervilles demonstrates a great deal about the themes of the novel as well as the character of Tess.   The line reprinted above is supposed to reveal the versatility of Tess' character.   However, it also reveals a good deal that helps us understand Hardy's central theme of the book.   This is because the versatility of Tess' persona is what makes her unique.   However, she is purity, fortitude, woman and suffering personified.   Nonetheless, she is herself and no other person, unlike any other woman.   This contrast of her universal qualities but her individual differences is significant to understanding one of Hardy's core themes if not the core theme in the novel:   Tess is a symbol of the common predicament of all mankind-we are meant to suffer, love and endure.   However, despite this universality Tess' pain is made to seem unique by Hardy's skill.   In her unique vitality and versatility we understand the universality and unique phenomena of tragedy.    The character of Tess is one that symbolizes the positive aspects of life, but she represents the unrealized potential that is within all human beings as much as she comes to symbolize how so very often we end up differently than we might.   Of course, her universality is also embodied within the Christian community wherein she exists, but she also represents as do others in the novel the pagan nature of mankind underneath the surface of social appearances.   Like the line reprinted at the outset, Tess' unique nature despite being an example of common mankind is also evidenced when she rejects the vicar and his church.   The vicar refuses to give her child a Christian burial and Tess replies, "'Then I don't like you!', she burst out, 'and I'll never come to your church again'" (Hardy   147).   However, this is not meant to show Tess rejecting God or men of God, but, instead, it is designed to show us how sensitive and clear-headed Tess is when facing those who are so heartl ess that even when they are a man of God they could heartlessly act.   She once again symbolizes the common lot of mankind (to be sensitive to heartlessness and human deprivation), but she also symbolizes a

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Atlantic Slave Trade Essay

A slave can be defined as a person who is the property of and wholly subject to another, a bond servant or a person entirely under the domination of some influence or person. Slavery was well recognized in many early civilizations. Ancient Egypt, Ancient China, the Akkad Ian Empire, Assyria, Ancient India, Ancient Greece, the Roman Empire, the Islamic Caliphate, the Hebrews in Palestine, and the pre-Columbian civilizations of the Americas all had either a form of debt-slavery, punishment for crime, enslavement of prisoners of war, child abandonment or birth of slave children to slaves. However, as the sixteenth century approached, so did the change in the way slavery would be looked at, for years to come. The Atlantic slave trade became the name of the three part economic cycle that involved four continents for four centuries and millions of people. The Atlantic slave trade or the middle passage, triangular trade and slavery affected the economy of Europe, Africa and the Americas in both negative and positive aspects. Starting in the 1430’s Portuguese were the first to sail down the coast of Africa to search for gold and jewels. The Portuguese had to extend their power across the co+ast because Sub-Saharan Africa’s trade routes were controlled by the Islamic Empire. By 1445, The Portuguese conquered three African countries and created trading posts. This allowed them access to Europe across the Sahara. Initially, the Portuguese traded copperware, cloth, tools, wine and horses for pepper, ivory and most importantly gold. The first slave purchase is said to have taken place in 1441 when the Portuguese caught two African males while they were along the coast. The Africans in the nearby village paid them in gold for their return. Eventually, they developed the idea that they could get more gold by transporting slaves along Africa’s coast. The Muslims were enticed by the idea of slavery as they used them as porters and for profit. Portugal had a monopoly on the export of slaves in Africa for more than two hundred years. This encounter is the beginning of one of the most tragic events in history, the Atlantic triangular trade (Thomas 1997). A triangular trade evolves when a region has export commodities that aren’t required in the region which its major imports come and provides a method for trade imbalances. The triangular trade is named for the rough shape it makes on a map. It worked like a triangle between all the colonies that were involved. For centuries the world was took part in its most successful trading system. There where nearly fifteen million Africans were shipped to both North and South America for more than three-hundred. Slaves, cash crops and manufactured goods were the most traded between the Americas, Europe and Africa. The Europeans controlled the first stage of the trade by carrying supplies for sale and trade such as, cloth, spirit, tobacco, beads, shells, metal goods and guns. This was their method of which were used to help expand empires and capture more slaves. These goods were exchanged for purchased and kidnapped African slaves (www. nmm. ac. uk/freedom/viewTheme. cfm/theme/triangular). African kings and merchants would capture the slaves or organize campaigns ran by the Europeans. The motives of the Europeans were based on one thing; they lacked a major source, a work force. It was stated that the Indigenes people were unreliable and Europeans were unsuited to the climate. However, Africans had experience in agriculture, keeping cattle, content with the climate. Africa soon became reliant on the slavery of their people and the profits that came along with it. The next stage involved the slaves being transported by voyage to the Americas and Caribbean, the middle passage (PBS. â€Å"The African Slave Trade and the Middle Passage. † http://www. pbs. org/wgbh/aia/part1/1narr4. html). The middle passage was a perilous, horrendous journey slaves made across the Atlantic Ocean to the Americas. The final stage of the Atlantic slave trade was the return to Europe from the Americas with the produce from the slave-labor plantations. Most regions of North and South America were used to provide these raw materials to Europe for manufacturing. This wasn’t the first or only slave trade, but it was the cruelest. What began as a quest for gold ended as a quest for slaves, leaving a major stamp on African and American history (Thomas 1997). Before undergoing the middle passage, slaves faced human misery and suffering. Kidnapped slaves were forced to walk shackled in slave caravans to European coastal forts. Due to the lack of food and energy, half of the slaves became sick and were killed or left to die. Some had the strength to make it so they were left in underground dungeons. For years, Africans were stranded in these dungeons across the coast of Africa.. There, they wait on the embarked horrid encounter of the entire slave trade, the middle passage. None of the previous passengers returned to their homeland so none of the Africans knew what they were about to endure. The voyages were generally organized by companies and investors because they were a huge financial burden(â€Å"The African Slave Trade and the Middle Passage). Two theories show the packing of slaves in the European ships; loose and tight packing. Loose packing carried less slaves with the hopes of more room and more slaves making it to the Americas alive and in fair condition. This was exchanged for tight packing. Captains believed despite more casualties, this would yield a greater profit. On occasion, veterinarians inspected the slaves before the voyage to determine which slaves could make it across the Atlantic Ocean. The enslaved Africans were chained together by hand and foot, not even being able to lie on one’s side. They ate, slept, urinated, defecated, gave birth and died all in that one spot. There was overcrowding, inadequate ventilation and little to no sanitation. Twenty percent of every hundred died along the way from either suffocation, starvation, amoebic dysentery, scurvy or a disease such as small pox. The slaves that died were thrown overboard as well as the slaves that showed illness. Some threw their self-overboard risking their life rather than deal with these horrific measures. Approximately fifteen million captured Africans were sent to the Americas. The middle passage was the longest, most dangerous part of the Atlantic slave trade (â€Å"The Middle Passage Experience†). From the seventeenth century on, slaves became the focus of trade between Europe and Africa. Europe had already colonized North and South America as well as the Caribbean islands from the fifteenth century onward. This created an insatiable demand for African laborers, who were deemed â€Å"more fit† to work in the tropical conditions of the New World. The numbers of slaves imported across the Atlantic Ocean steadily increased, from approximately 5,000 slaves a year in the sixteenth century to over 100,000 slaves a year by the end of the eighteenth century (www. mariner. org/captivepassage). Upon their arrival to the Americas, the slaves were washed, greased and placed inside dungeons. The grease added a more appealing look making the slaves appear healthier so the profit would be much higher. European slave traders made sure all of their potential properties were in well condition before bidding. They were branded with a hot iron to keep their identity as a slave. There were two main types of slave auctions; highest bidder or grab and go auctions. Highest bidder was a bidding process which the buyer with the highest bid would get the slave. Grab and go auctions was the process in which the buyer would give the trader an agreed amount of money in exchange for a ticket. This process was where the slaves were released from their dungeon and the buyers would rush and grab the slave they wanted, Each slave would be sold to an owner who owned a great deal of land and worked on either a plantation or mine and there, the living conditions were still only barely better (Curtin 1969) A prominent African, author and a major influence on the enactment of the Slave Trade Act of 1807, Olaudah Equiano was well aware and very familiar with the Atlantic slave trade. At the age of eleven, Equiano and his sister were kidnapped from his village in Nigeria. He survived the middle passage, and taken to the West Indies. He tells how he was bought by Captain Pascal, a British naval Officer as a â€Å"present† for a cousin. He tells how was enslaved in North America for ten years, working as a seaman. In 1766, he bought his freedom and wrote an autobiography, â€Å"The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano,† Equiano gave a firsthand look of the conditions enslaved Africans were forced to live. This document was one of the first documents that explained, thoroughly, the terrible human cruelty of the Atlantic slave trade (Wright et al. 001). Although many lives were taken or at risk, The Atlantic slave trade fulfilled its major goal, profit and change the three continents. Europe, America and Africa’s economy were all affected by the slave trade. Europe’s economy was suffering before the slave trade. The Atlantic slave trade was during the time of recovery for Europe and completely recovered their economy. Because of the success of the trade, they needed more people to manufacture raw materials and export them to Africa. The great supply of jobs created many exports and the income to buy imports. By the end of the slave trade, Europe’s economy was in well standings as one of the wealthiest continents in the world. The America’s economies rose too. They were honored with a free workforce that provided many resources from sugar to cotton. The free labor allotted for them to received one hundred percent of the profit. They were importing more slaves and exporting the goods made by them to gaining wealth. America’s economy became agriculturally stable and soon industrialized. Europe and the Americas economies were affected in a positive way. However, Africa’s economy received a negative effect. Many, for years lived in fear due to slavery. African villages became small and poor. All of the kingdoms that were strong at one time, collapsed and were conquered. They received raw material goods from the slave trade but with nothing shown. The African kings prospered only because they were heavily involved in the slave trade. As the kings’ wealth grew, their economy was at a standstill and eventually failed. The Atlantic slave trade, human cruelty and evil at its finest, had a substantial effect on Europe, the Americas and Africa (www. understandingslavery. com).

Monday, September 16, 2019

Ecotourism & people Essay

Ecotourism is a branch of tourism which seeks to extend the concept of sustainability to the tourism industry. In recent years, concerns such as the planet’s sustainability, preservation of its natural resources, balancing human activities with Mother Nature’s needs and so on, have reached all-time highs. It is exactly concerns such as these which have led to the development and growth of ecotourism. There is no single universally accepted definition of ecotourism. Indeed, several researchers, tourism providers, environmental agencies and local bodies have formulated different definitions, which vary slightly in their scope and breadth. However, three key elements are central to most of the definitions encountered in a review of the existing literature, namely: sustainability of the ecotourism location; creating an appreciation among ecotourists of the need to preserve the natural environment; creating respect and/or contributing to the development of the local cultures (Eastwood, 2009). These characteristics of ecotourism quite obviously place it into sharp contrast with traditional mass tourism. Mass tourism often attracts tourists to locations that have been extensively developed in terms of infrastructure, facilities, communication networks and so on. In doing so, the natural and physical environment of such locations is dramatically altered, in ways that are irreversible. Moreover, large amounts of energy may be consumed to sustain such establishments. In contrast, ecotourism seeks maximum preservation of the natural environment of designated locations. Indeed, the very charm for an ecotourist lies in visiting a location that still remains largely untouched by modern development. Mass tourism also makes no claims to educate tourists with regard to the environment. The main offering of mass tourism is typically entertainment and leisure. Individuals availing this form of tourism typically use their holidays to take a temporary break from their commitments, choosing to relax and unwind during the interval before returning to their routine lifestyle. Unless the tourists specifically choose to embark on an educational journey in areas of personal interest, most journeys do not have serious objectives, and this factor is reflected in the marketing appeals used by mass tourism providers. Finally, while tourists in the realm of mass tourism are most certainly exposed to different cultures and people, this interaction is generally viewed as more of an exotic exposure rather than anything more meaningful or substantial. There is no pressing need felt by the tourists or the mass tourism providers to contribute to the different communities visited or to be concerned about their development. On the other hand, most genuine ecotourism initiatives are geared to the development of host communities, with long term planning and financial resources being channeled towards this objective (Schellhorn, 2010). Part Two: The Ecotourist Experience The unique aspects of the ecotourist experience and its implications for host communities are explored next. Motivations are not homogenous: It would be misleading to assume that all tourists visiting ecotourism locations have the same motivations. An analysis of tourists at Al Maha, an ecotourist resort in Dubai, revealed that the average tourist is simply motivated to come and enjoy the desert setting more than anything else. Many of the tourists are rich individuals, primarily businessmen and women, who simply desire an exotic temporary accommodation as an alternate to hotels in the city. While at the resort, such individuals do not sever ties with their corporations, or typically immerse themselves in the indigenous culture as the ideal ecotourist is expected to do. Another segment of tourists at this resort consists of honeymooning couples looking for a romantic getaway – again, not the stereotype of the dedicated ecotourist (Ryan & Stewart, 2009). Since the motivation itself is lacking, the Al Maha ecotourist resort is hardly able to change the tourists perceptions regarding sustainability or the need to preserve and appreciate the natural environment and local cultures. Scale of development: The Al Maha resort example discussed above also raises an import concern: the scale of development within ecotourism locations. Al Maha is extensively projected as an ecotourist destination; however, it has been extensively developed, almost resembling a luxury resort! The resort also consumes vast amounts of energy in maintaining its facilities, which runs somewhat contrary to the concept of sustainability of resources. Those in support of large scale ecotourist destinations claim that expansion of such projects is almost a prerequisite if such projects are required to have a substantial impact globally (Buckley, 2009). Tourist behavior may be counter-productive: A study conducted at three ecotourist destinations in the Himalayas revealed that, in some instances, so called â€Å"ecotourists† were actually creating compounding problems of pollution by littering and improper disposal of non-biodegradable items. Ironically, the management of hotels was doing no better either – discharge of untreated waste water was rampant (Batta, 2006). Such behavior is in complete violation of the spirit of ecotourism. It not only spoils the experience of true ecotourists who may also be frequenting such resorts, but is also a social issue since it creates discomfort for the local residents. New income may not be channeled in sustainable activities: Whereas income generation for the local community members at ecotourism locations is an expected and desired outcome, this new income may defeat the objectives of sustainability if it is channeled in undesired activities. For example, a case study conducted in Brazil and Peru revealed that locals used the income generated from employment at ecotourism locations to engage in needless, extravagant consumption of goods. Moreover, earning income from this means did not deter them from engaging in activities such as hunting or unsustainable exploitation of natural resources (Stronza & Pegas, 2008). This study highlights the need to educate the local communities involved in ecotourism initiatives if the full benefits of these initiatives are to be realized. The negative impacts of overcrowding: The ecotourist’s experience is most fulfilling if the location is perceived to offer a serene, calm environment, where one can get away from hustle-and-bustle and really connect with nature. This is precisely the reason why overcrowding can seriously deter the ecotourist’s enjoyment of his/her experience (Ormsby & Mannle, 2006). Managers of ecotourism locations are placed in a quandary, particularly if they are aiming to generate significant amount of funds from attracting tourists. On the one hand, they want their destination to become popular and attract the optimal level of tourists; on the other hand, if overcrowding occurs, then the destination loses its appeal for true ecotourists. Ethical dilemmas: In her article entitled â€Å"Ethics and ecotourism: connections and conflicts†, Stark (2002) proposed a series of questions pertaining to ethical concerns in the realm of ecotourism. A few summarized questions, pertinent especially to those in the tourism industry who provide travel packages claiming to be ecotours, are as follows: What is the â€Å"carrying capacity† of a specific site (or in other words, how many tourists it can support), beyond which the local environment would be prone to harm? Is ecotourism simply being projected as a fashion statement or something which is â€Å"in†? Are local cultures simply being objectified rather than truly appreciated? What are the net costs and benefits of ecotourism activities? Do local communities benefit, and are they involved at each level of implementation? Is care being taken, particularly in developing countries, that sites which have rich traditional or cultural heritage are not being exploited for commercial purposes? These are just some of the numerous questions which come to the fore when choosing a destination for ecotourism and designing and implementing a strategy which is ethically sound. It is an accepted fact that the development of any form of tourism, even ecotourism, has long-lasting impacts on local communities. Therefore, it is vital for ecotourism development agencies to take the locals on board and determine in advance what nature and level of changes are acceptable to them (Butcher, 2006). Unsuitable nature of education provisions: Stem et. al (2003), in an article entitled â€Å"Ecotourism and education for sustainability: a critical approach†, that most of the insights and educational experienced provided at ecotourism locations currently are not up to par and sufficient to generate a proper understanding of sustainability and environmentally friendly activities among tourists. Some tours provide theoretical data, others provide adventure and thrill, whereas still others merely encourage tourists to immerse themselves in their surroundings and appreciate natural beauty. What is lacking is the kind of education which would motivate attitudinal and behavioral change among tourists, not only while they are on tour but something which they can appreciate, act upon and tell others about as well once the tour has ended. Longitudinal studies could be employed to find out whether ecotourists actually change and maintain their changed behavior over an extended period of time after a given trip, but such studies have largely been lacking to date (Buckley, 2009).

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Jacques Family Case study Essay

Domestic violence has several mitigating approaches, and the health care approach has proved to be fruitful. By gathering feedback from victims of domestic violence in a health care setting, has helped to create awareness as well as demystify the phenomenon eventually helping to create more accurate intervention strategies (Enos et al, 2004.p 4). It has also been noted from studies that children who grow up in homes where they experience domestic violence are likely to be perpetrators of the same in their adult life (National Resource Centre on Domestic Violence, 2002. p 6). The co-occurrence of child abuse and intimate partner violence is an issue that needs to be professionally addressed. The impact on domestic violence on children cannot be explained by one theory. Assumptions about the Jacques family There is a co-occurrence of child abuse and intimate partner violence in the Jacques family. This is seen when Jacques physically abuses Samuel when the boy tries to help his mother from the father’s attack. Jacques verbally abuses Samuel, as seen in the case study. The husband, Jean Jacques is an unstable man, with an inclination towards violence. This is likely to be a medical condition. Jean has a manipulative attitude and domineering towards his family. Marie suffers from depression as a result of the continued violence and a feeling of having wasted her life by not pursuing the nursing course. Marie has had a troubled childhood and early adulthood as is stated in the case study. Her father physically abused her. Samuel’s father actually abused her sexually as evidenced by her feelings to go for an abortion. Marie is basically a responsible and intelligent woman. Marie has not contributed to the violence in the family in any way. The family has lost close ties with their paternal relatives/extended family. The children feel a sense of insecurity towards their father and suffer from various behavioral/ attitudinal disorders (National Resource Centre on Domestic Violence, 2002. p 7). Data, facts, information, and observations about this family Jean Jacques is an unstable man, with an inclination towards violence is evidenced by the fact that when Samuel tries to intervene to save his mother Jean violently throws the boy across the room and ignores the cries of the little children Valerie and Miranda. The fact that jean used a baseball bat to batter his wife proves he has an inclination towards violence as well as being of relatively unstable mind. He does not need to use a base ball bat. The injuries sustained, and the feelings of depression by Marie demonstrate the extent of the violence. Marie has grown to fear her husband and fearing he will come home from jail to kill her demonstrates this. Jean would hit Marie for no reason, yell at the kids and use abusive language towards Sammy who is not his son. He has an alcoholic problem. He even abandons his family and goes away. Has trouble sleeping and claims he hears strange voices. He feels scared of himself. His violent outbursts cause his family to be denied the services of homeless shelters. A social worker had to intervene for the family to get admission to a domestic violence shelter. Jean has a manipulative attitude and domineering towards his family. This is seen when he discouraged Marie from pursuing her dream in nursing. Jean discouraged his wife from visiting her family as well as discouraging her family to visit her. He domineered over her denying her the right and freedom of association by becoming possessive and consequently Marie had no friends. Marie suffers from depression. She has lost motivation to be productive. She has no motivation to seek employment, perform her household chores, and provide quality parenting to her children. Marie has had a troubled childhood and early adulthood. She was physically abused by her father. The father of her first child Samuel sexually abused her at age 19 years. She was vulnerable and hence fell for Jean who promised her a better life and security. Marie is basically a responsible and intelligent woman. She expresses desire to be supportive of her husband as a duty. She desires to pursue nursing to support her family.   Marie has attempted to restore their relationship. She suspects that jean is having a drug problem. This is found to be true when the family comes back from Bahamas. She took Jean back after one year when Jean supposedly went back to his medication and started applying for jobs. Marie graduated from high school with straight A’s. The family has lost close ties with their paternal relatives/extended family. There is no mention in the case study of Jeans relatives and the Child Protective Services Caseworker could not trace any relatives. The children feel insecure about their father. Samuel tries to save his mother from the violent attack while Joshua calls the police.   Samuel does not feel attached to Jean anymore. Jean is not essentially a bad man. In their initial years in marriage Jean was a responsible man and took care of Sammy as his own child. Though he is violent towards his wife he apologizes for the violence. He agrees to seek psychiatric advice upon Marie’s request. Jean makes his family more comfortable when he gets employed. He agrees to let Marie take the children to Bahamas. Concerning the children Samuel is 13 years old and feels like he no longer belongs to this family. He is constantly teased by the siblings as well as Jean for being black. He suffers from attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and learning disorder. He is academically average and manages to get C’s and D’s. He is getting into more problems at school including fights and poor academic performance. Molests younger children at school and is physically and verbally aggressive to his younger siblings. He copies Jean’s behavior in that he has physically attacked his mother. He is unfriendly. His accomplishments in karate programs demonstrate his inclination towards violence. Joshua is 11years old, he is obese and reserved. He is academically average and manages to get B’s and C’s. He has one friend Joe, and wishes his friend’s family were his family. He sees Joe’s family as normal people and this means that he sees his family as abnormal. He feels that his father would have killed his mother had he not called in the police. He is having trauma and yet he cares for his father. He is at risk of failing as a result of traumatic experiences. Has personality problems, he refuses to bathe. He loves solitude. He is a responsible child, helpful in the house and loves school. Valerie is 9 years old. She is quiet and withdrawn child. She is kind and eager to please. She is above average and bright. She manages straight A’s. She is well liked by peers and teachers, though she does not socialize with her friends outside school. She is a responsible child and takes care of her younger siblings. She is friendly to Joshua but antagonistic towards Samuel. Miranda is 6 years old, she is a friendly but withdrawn child and does not perform well at school. She seems to be disturbed and disconnected from her immediate surroundings. Has nightmares that proves she is disturbed. Matthew is 4 years old. He does not seem to be doing well at school, he is very active physically with an inclination towards violence. He is basically uncooperative. Interpretation the information about this family  From the observations about the children in the Jacques family it is important to note that they all demonstrate varying degrees of emotional and psychological deficits. This has been found to be the case from studies conducted on children who have been exposed to domestic violence (National Resource Centre on Domestic Violence, 2002. p 6). The children in this family are unable to socialize with their peers as this is demonstrated by their unfriendliness and disability to keep friends. Children are likely to view themselves as the cause of the violence and feel held captive by their inability to stop the violence. This may most likely cause the child to internalize, and this situation is made worse by their inability to acquire social skills (National Resource Centre on Domestic Violence, 2002. p 7). Conclusions about this family The Jacques family needs medical interventions. From the observation in the case study it demonstrates Jacques has a medical condition and having exposed his entire family to the violence the whole family needs the relevant medical intervention for each age bracket. Studies have shown there does not exist a single intervention strategy that fits all cases (National Resource Centre on Domestic Violence, 2002. p 15). Treatment for this family Given that Marie has on several attempts tried to restore their relationship with Jacque it would be appropriate to engage the services of both the Domestic Violence programs (DV) and the Child Protective Services (CPS) more seriously. The CPS’s approach focuses on protecting the children while at the same time propagate the preservation of the family unit while the DV facilitates the safety of the victim. There are several joint programs between DV and CPS that would be helpful in this case (National Resource Centre on Domestic Violence, 2002. p 16). Empirical Studies Case 1; In handling Domestic violence related problems it is important to understand that factors such as age of the child, its gender, and the time that has passed since the last exposure to violence, the child’s attachment to the friendly parent and other important individuals and social supports in its life are the determining factors that influence the impact of the violence on the child (National Resource Centre on Domestic Violence, 2002. p 19). Case 2; The mistreat of children and violence against females are con-current. About 500,000 may be found by police during arrests for domestic violence. An overlap of between 30%-60% exists between violence against women and violence against children in the same families (National Resource Centre on Domestic Violence, 2002. p 20). Case 3; If safety and other pertinent interventions are not available the impact of the exposure to domestic violence and child abuse can spill over into the child’s adolescence. Young people who have been exposed to domestic violence at home are likely to replicate the violence (National Resource Centre on Domestic Violence, 2002. p 20). References Enos V, P., Linden, J, A., Tieszen, L., Bernstein, J. & Brown, J. (2004) An Intervention To Improve Documentation Of Intimate Partner Violence In Medical Records. U.S Department of justice. Retrieved February 23, 2009 from http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/207146.pdf Kelleher, K., Gardner, W., Coben, J., Barth, R., Edleson, J. & Hazen, A., (2002). Co-Occuring Intimate Partner Violence and Maltreatment; Local Policies/Practices and Relationships to Child Placement, Family Services and Residence. U.S Department of justice. Retrieved February 23, 2009 from http;//www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/213503.pdf National Resource Centre on Domestic Violence. (2002). Children Exposed To Intimate Partner Violence. Retrieved February 23, 2009 from http://new.vawnet.org/Assoc_Files_VAWnet/NRC_Children.pdf

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Pest Analysis England

†¢Environmental regulations and protection: As the menace of coal smoke receded the society changed its name (to the National Society for Clean Air) and its focus, and in the 1970s began to campaign vigorously on air pollution from industry and, increasingly, transport. During this period membership was mainly (although far from exclusively) drawn from local authorities, with some industrial membership. Perhaps the main achievement of the Society after the Clean Air Acts was the development of the concept of Local Air Quality Management and the incorporation of this in the Environment Act 1995.The original Environment Bill was intended to deal with issues such as the establishment of the Environment Agency, contaminated land, National Parks and waste topics. †¢Tax policies Britain is becoming a less attractive place to invest and work in because of government tax plans, trade and investment minister Digby Jones said on Friday, the latest non-political appointee to question policy. The ruling Labor party has come under pressure to match opposition plans to raise more tax from wealthy foreigners living and working in Britain.It has proposed to end tax breaks which mean rich residents who are non-domiciled for fiscal purposes pay no UK tax. †¢International trade regulations and restrictions a. Import Tariffs Customs duty is assessed on the fair market value of imported goods at the time they are landed in the UK. Import prices for products entering the UK from non-EU states generally consist of: Cost, Insurance, Freight and Duty, with VAT of 15% levied on the aggregate value. This sum is the exporter’s â€Å"landed cost, duty paid. The commercial invoice value is usually accepted as the normal price, but if a preferential arrangement has been established between the overseas supplier and the importer, or an unrealistic value has been declared, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) reserves the right to assess a fair market value for duty purposes. T he duty is payable at the time the goods are imported, but established importers can defer payment for an average of 30 days. In addition to customs duties on imported goods, an excise tax is levied on in-country sales of alcohol, tobacco, and road vehicles, and on sales of oil and petroleum products. . Trade Barriers The UK has no significant trade or investment barriers and no restrictions on the transfer of capital or repatriation of profits. The very few barriers that exist are almost all attributable to UK implementation of EU Directives and regulations. c. Import Requirements and Documentation A limited range of goods requires import licenses, which are issued by the UK Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform’s Import Licensing Branch. These include firearms and explosives, nuclear materials, controlled drugs and certain items of military equipment. d. U.S. Export Controls U. S. exports to the UK are subject to the normal U. S. export control regulatio ns, administered by the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) for dual-use items and the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC) for military end-use items. In June 2007, President Bush and Prime Minister Blair announced a forthcoming bilateral Defense Trade Cooperation Treaty, intended to greatly reduce licensing requirements arising from government-to government defense programs. At the time of writing, the Treaty is under review by the U. S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee.In addition to International Trafficking in Arms Regulations (ITAR), re-exports from the UK and the activities of UK-based subsidiaries, are subject to UK export controls. These are managed by the Export Control Organization (ECO), an office of the UK Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR). U. S. companies supplying certain restricted items appearing on the UK Military List, including missile and long-range UAV technology, are encouraged to consult guidance available from the E CO website on the trafficking and brokering provisions contained in the UK Export Control Act 2002. . Temporary Entry Raw materials, temporarily imported for incorporation into products for export, may be admitted without payment of duties and taxes. The importer must provide a bank or insurance company guarantee or indemnity for the applicable duties and taxes. Goods intended for unaltered re-export may also be imported free of duty for a period of up to six months by prior arrangement with Her Majesty’s Revenue & Custom (HMRC). Temporary entries and goods imported for technical examination and testing are subject to a VAT deposit scheme with VAT refunded following the re-export of the goods.Products imported for repair, calibration, or incorporation are admitted with conditional relief from duty and VAT pending correct disposal of goods, usually re-export from the European Community. Professional and demonstration equipment may be temporarily imported into the UK free of du ty and tax under the Customs Convention on the Temporary Importation of Professional Equipment. Additionally, these goods may also be imported under the above-mentioned VAT deposit scheme for temporary entries. f. Labeling and Marking RequirementsIn the UK, origin, weight and dimension, chemical composition and appropriate hazard warnings are required for consumer protection purposes on any product offered for retail sale. If the product cannot be labeled or marked, the data may be included on any packaging, accompanying printed material, or product literature. European and British clothing and shoe sizes are differently marked, and special provision may have to be made for apparel retail labeling. Dual labeling is strongly supported by the UK, which uses the practice as a cost-saving measure in its exports to North America. . Prohibited and Restricted Imports Prohibited imports include AM citizens band radios, switchblade knives, devices that project toxic, noxious or harmful subst ances (e. g. , tear gas), counterfeit coins and currency, certain types of pornography and hormone-treated beef. The UK participates in the Wassenaar Arrangement for the control of dual-use exports; the Australia Group (AG) for the control of chemical and biological weapons; and the Nuclear Suppliers’ Group (NSG) for nuclear-related goods, preventing the export of restricted goods and echnology to countries of proliferation concern. The UK also supports United Nations’ sanctions restricting exports to certain other destinations. Although sensitive to the extraterritorial application of U. S. law in export controls, the UK authorities cooperate with the U. S. in preventing the re-export of sensitive goods and technology of U. S. -origin to unauthorized destinations, when the enforcement action is based on multilateral controls. h. Customs Regulations and Contact InformationThe documents required for shipments include the commercial invoice, bill of lading or airway bill , packing list, insurance documents, and, when required, special certificates of origin, sanitation, ownership, etc. A copy of the commercial invoice should accompany the shipment to avoid delays in customs clearance. It is worth noting that imprecise descriptions are a common reason for goods being held without customs clearance, meaning that a clear description of the goods is essential and should be worded in such a way as to describe the goods to an individual who may not necessarily have an understanding of a particular industry or article.A clear description of goods should satisfy three basic questions as to what the product is, for what is it used, and of what it is made. No special form of invoice is required, but all of the details needed to establish the true value of the goods should be given. At least two additional copies of the invoice should be sent to the consignees to facilitate customs clearance. Consular documents are not required for shipments to the UK. †¢ Contract enforcement lawA contract is a promise or a set of promises for the breach of which the law gives a remedy, or the performance of which the law in some way recognizes as a duty. This may be seen as giving three interconnected elements: a. A promise In the context of English law, a reference to a promise here may be seen as misleading. It is often (rightly) stated that English law will not give effect to a mere promise and that an agreement, or meeting of minds, is required. In fact, this is simply a way of distinguishing between two types of promise, namely those which do and don't give rise to a legal duty.Thus, a promise to meet one's other half for dinner at 7pm gives rise to no legal obligation – it is a â€Å"mere† promise – whereas a promise to sell someone a car for ? 5000 gives rise to legal obligation. b. A legal duty arising from that promise Here, English contract doctrine distinguishes between bilateral and unilateral contracts. A bilateral contract gives rise to obligations on both sides. Thus in a contract of sale, the seller has an obligation to transfer title in the thing sold to the buyer, whilst the buyer has an obligation to pay the price.A unilateral contract, by contrast, gives rise to obligations on one side only. Thus â€Å"I will give you ? 100 if you run a marathon† gives rise to a legal duty on the maker of the statement (the promisor) to pay the money if the race is run, whilst the person to whom the statement is made (the promisee) is under no obligation to run in the first place. c. A remedy for breach of that duty In considering the development of remedies, a fundamental distinction in English law between common law (often just abbreviated to law) and equity must be understood.For much of its history, England had two separate systems of law working side by side, each of which had different rules. One, administered by the courts of common pleas and King’s Bench, was called â€Å"the comm on law†; the other, presided over by the Lord Chancellor in the court of chancery was â€Å"equity†. Since the Judicature Acts of the nineteenth century the two systems have been administered by the same courts, although they remain separate sets of doctrine.Most important for our current purposes is that the two systems developed different sets of remedies for breach of contract, although other equitable rules which have application to contracts will be discussed as they arise. d. Proof of promise: Objective intention e. Form of promise: Offer & acceptance f. Form of promise: Certainty g. Validity of promise: Intention to create legal relations h. Validity of promise: Consideration †¢Consumer protection The United Kingdom, as member state of the European Union, is bound by the consumer protection directives of the EU.Domestic (UK) laws originated within the ambit of contract and tort but, with the influence of EU law, it is emerging as an independent area of law. In many circumstances, where domestic law is in question, the matter judicially treated as tort, contract, restitution or even criminal law. Consumer Protection issues are dealt with when complaints are made to the Director-General of Fair Trade. The Office of Fair Trading [3]will then investigate, impose an injunction or take the matter to litigation. However, consumers cannot directly complain to the OFT.Complaints need to be made to Consumer Direct who will provide legal advice to complainants, or re-direct the individual complaint to Trading Standards for investigation. Due to restrictions within the Enterprise Act 2002, individual complainants are unable to be told whether their case is being investigated or not. In very rare cases, Consumer Direct may direct a very large number of complaints to the OFT to be considered as a systemic complaint. The OFT can also be engaged by consumer groups e. g.The Consumers Association or the statutory consumer protection body – Consum er Focus – via a super complaint. The OFT rarely prosecute companies, however, preferring a light touch regulation approach. Consumer complaints against companies are not published, but investigation work, undertakings and enforcements are located at [2]. Many of the consumer protection laws e. g. Distance Selling Regulations 2000 or Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Act 1997 are actually UK implementations of EU directives. The OFT is one of the bodies responsible for enforcing these rules.This leads to a problem in that these examples of legislation are clearly designed to deal with individual complaints but the OFT will only deal with systemic complaints and will ignore individual complainants redirecting them back to Consumer Direct. The Office of Fair Trading [3] also acts as the UK's official consumer and competition watchdog, with a remit to make markets work well for consumers, and at a local, municipal level by Trading Standards departments. General consumer advice can be obtained from Consumer Direct or via a local branch of the Citizen's Advice Bureau. Employment laws The law has given employees – and in many cases other workers who might not count as employees – rights and entitlements in relation to how they are disciplined and dismissed, how their grievances are handled, wages, absence from work and sickness, holidays, work breaks and working hours, time off for family emergencies, maternity and paternity leave, the right to apply for flexible working, redundancy and retirement. All workers have the right not to be discriminated against in relation to their gender or orientation, race, age, disabilities, or religion and beliefs.Staff who feel they have been denied their rights have redress by taking their employers to an Employment Tribunal. The chances of this happening have increased three-fold for employers in the past decade or so. There was a year on year increase in Employment Tribunal claims of 56 per cent last year ( 2009-10) bringing the number of claims received to their highest level ever at 236,100 claims (source: Tribunals Service). In unfair dismissal cases employers can be ordered to pay compensation of more than ? 76,000. In discrimination cases compensation awards are theoretically unlimited and six-figure payouts are not uncommon.