The US Laws and Guidelines Governing Fair and Equitable...

The US Laws and Guidelines Governing Fair and Equitable Business Practices BUSN115 September 21, 2013 Professor Neal McGregor The US Laws and Guidelines Governing Fair and Equitable Business Practices The United States became one of the most influential world powers virtually overnight. The system of functionality which maintains this growth and power is the refined codes of business practices which are the cornerstone for domestic and international business relations the world over. Due to the unprecedented growth and prosperity of our nations economy and government, many countries look to us as a model of free enterprise for other nations. One doctrine of thought is the United States belief that our government†¦show more content†¦One great example of this type of relationship is the two businesses Macintosh and Windows. Historically they have always been in constant competition with one another, which has ultimately benefitted the people of the world by fueling competitive innovation. [1] â€Å"National competition law usually does not cover activity beyond territorial borders unless it has significant effects at nation-state level.† One law, which helps protect businesses and promotes fair competition for the benefit of the consumers, is the US Anti-Trust law. This law is comprised of three different acts: The Sherman Act 1890, the Clayton Act 1914 and the Federal Trade Commission Act 1914. The first role these acts perform is to restrict the formation of cartels which would perform outside of the guidelines of the government and there for not be bound by there laws. The second role these acts perform is to ensure no single business entity can perform a certain level of mergers and acquisitions, which would essentially turn them into a monopoly and reduce competition. Overall, the antitrust laws are constantly debated for their overall functionality and efficiency in protecting the fair business practices of the United States. [2] â€Å"One view, mostly closely associated with the Chicago School of economics suggests that antitrust laws should focus solely on the benefits to consumers and overall efficiency, wh ile a broad range ofShow MoreRelatedWhat Oecd Principles Are For An Effective Corporate Governance?1655 Words   |  7 Pagesmany set guidelines to ensure the corporation makes a positive impact on market conditions to benefit shareholders, its employees and other market participants. Outlined in CN Rail’s corporate governance manual, CN Rail has a strict set of rules pertaining to the composition of the board of directors. Their â€Å"Governance Committee† has ruled that there must be at least 7 directors to a maximum of 21. 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Knull, III, Mayer Brown LLP. Mr. Knull is co-chair of the International Arbitration Group of Mayer Brown LLP. Scott T. Jones, Senior Managing Director, Lexecon, an FTI Company. Dr. Jones is also head of the energy practice for FTI ConsultingRead MoreEssay on job description5322 Words   |  22 Pagesworkforce has become more homogeneous. 4. For business leaders and managers, managing ethically also means managing with integrity. 5. Ethical and moral issues in business can be examined from three levels: individual, group, and organizational level. 6. Ethics is a personal, individual affair, not a public or debatable matter. 7. Business is a human activity and as such can be evaluated from a moral perspective. 8. Good business means good ethics is a myth. 9. Read MoreEffects of Globalization: Tate Lyle Case5569 Words   |  23 Pageshas successfully survived and grew its organization to become a global key business player. 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Nikita Khrushchev is a Significant Historic Leader Since...

Nikita Khrushchev also referred to as Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev was a significant historical leader in history, especially in the cold war. He had a great impact during the cold war because he did many so much improvements and progress for the Soviet Union nation. Nikita Khrushchev job during the cold war, was he led the Soviet Union, he aided the Soviets also known as the U.S.S.R. Also, he served as a premier. Khrushchev was born in a small Russian village named kalinovka on the day April 15, 1984. He worked as a pipefitter, this was before he went into politics as he was a young man. He first worked with the communist party around 1918, and then eventually became better and took over as the leader of the Soviet Union. Khrushchev impact on the cold war was that he worked with the Ukrainian communist party and also with a different political leader named Joseph Stalin. In the course of World War 2 he led the withdrawal of the Soviet Union’s soldiers because of the invasio n of Germany on the Soviet Union. Khrushchev worked with Stalin as his second hand, but also had a close connection with him. After Stalin’s death, Khrushchev intended to redeem all the power he lost throughout the years he was working with Joseph Stalin. Nikita Khrushchev became the first secretary of the communist party, and he tried to control every nation that Stalin would give independence to, and did not want the Soviet Union to help any nation in any way. Some other achievements Khrushchev didShow MoreRelatedPakistan Afghanistan Relations3175 Words   |  13 Pagesbrotherhood a living reality. It is therefore, part of the mission which Pakistan has set before itself to do every thing in its power to promote closer fellowship and cooperation between Muslim countries’. It was with this background that Pakistan, since its inception, pursued every step that could bring Muslim world closer at one platform. Its one of the fundamental principle has been to establish brotherly relations with the Muslim countries. Pakistan succeeded in cherishing very cordial relationsRead MoreOne Significant Change That Has Occurred in the World Between 1900 and 2005. Explain the Impact This Change Has Made on Our Lives and Why It Is an Important Change.163893 Words   |  656 Pagesed., Agricultural and Pastoral Societies in Ancient and Classical History Jack Metzgar, Striking Steel: Solidarity Remembered Janis Appier, Policing Women: The Sexual Politics of Law Enforcement and the LAPD Allen Hunter, ed., Rethinking the Cold War Eric Foner, ed., The New American History. Revised and Expanded Edition E SSAYS ON _ T WENTIETH- C ENTURY H ISTORY Edited by Michael Adas for the American Historical Association TEMPLE UNIVERSITY PRESS PHILADELPHIA

Marketing Research Processes-Case Study

Question: Describe the Marketing Research Processes? Answer: 1. Executive Summary This market research study was conducted to determine if Elegant magazine an exclusive luxury lifestyle magazine should expand its distribution region from UAE only into the entire GCC region. The research method uses a combination of qualitative in depth client interviews and quantitative research for competitor pricing and distribution numbers and reach. The results of the research study will be analyzed to answer the MDP "Should we expand our distribution to cover the entire GCC region?" for Elgant magazine. The study takes three components of the MRQ to derive interview questions. The research study explains the methodology used for the interviews, who and how the interviewees were selected. The summery of the results then is analyzed to determine whether it would be feasible for Elegant magazine to expand its distribution to cover the entire GCC region instead of the current UAE only distribution. The decision will be based on the perceived demand and projected financial gains. 2. Background Research Company name: Elegante magazine. History: Elegante magazine was founded in 2009 in Beirut Lebanon. In 2011 the publication was introduced into UAE. In November 2014 there were some management changes and an overall haul of the magazine. Nature of Business: Quarterly published Luxury lifestyle magazine, target audience are high net-worth individuals who are interested in luxury brands and items. The range covers UAE locals and expats, male and female readers between the ages of 35 to 60. The Elegante Magazine is engaged in covering the stories of celebrities, big business tycoons and youth figure of style. Location: IT Plaza, office 916, silicon oasis. Dubai. UAE. Size: 7 working full time staffs and freelancers when needed. Competitive position: Most luxury lifestyle magazine in the UAE covers the entire GCC region, Elegante focus is to only cover UAE. Target market: Elegante magazines target markets are the UAE high end businesses, segments which includes luxury automobiles, high end fashion and jewelry, 5* hotels, resorts and spas. The magazine is well popular among the youth and business tycoons. Therefore, it targets the big brands name and personalities to increase their sale and brand value. Company performance level: Elegante magazine's sales currently is underperforming and is not being profitable. Main competitors of Elegant are, The Rake, Esquires, and Simply Abu Dhabi magazines. Elegant has a low percentage of repeat clients which is the primary reason for poor financial performance. Therefore, the low performance of the business is affecting it to maintain their market share and customer base. Moreover, the tough challenges from the competitors are hampering the Elegante magazine to maintain its growth rate. In order for Elegant to improve sales and profitability they have to discover the reasons why most clients do not choose to place repeat adverts with them. COUNTRIES LUXURY GOODS (%) UAE 4.89 Oman 4.64 Saudi Arabia 5.17 Qatar 5.24 Kuwait 4.62 Bahrain 4.54 Graph: Percentage of use of luxury goods in GCC (Source: World Economic Forum) It can be understood from the above graph that Qatar is ahead of the other GCC nations in terms of use of luxury goods. Moreover, it can be assumed that in income of people of Qatar is higher than other GCC nations. On the other hand, UAE falls in third place as cost of goods can be high in the country due to which many people may be hesitating to invest for the luxury product. Apart from that, UAE is ahead of other GCC nations such as Oman, Kuwait and Bahrain. Therefore, there is great opportunity for UAE to provide luxury goods to its people so that they can increase their market cap and competitive strongly among the GCC countries. Management Decision Problem (MDP): Should we expand our distribution to cover the entire GCC region? Marketing Research Problem (MRP): To determine how attractive it is to clients if distribution expands to cover the entire GCC region. Components i. What are the benefits of the proposed expansion for clients? Decision outcome: upon completion of our research we will show the benefits offered to clients from expanding distribution to cover the GCC region. The expansion can be valuable for the magazine to reach out to large number of readers and customer circle can be increased. Moreover, the magazine can be able to place itself competitively in the magazine market in UAE and other areas. ii. Who are the clients interested in the expansion Decision outcome: upon completion of our research we will know which UAE clients see Elegant as a better value, when servicing the GCC region. The clients can be able to invest in the magazine that can improve the sale of the magazine in future and it help in generating profit margin. iii. Will there be an audience for Elegant in the new region Decision outcome: upon completion of our research we will have determined if there is a demand for luxury magazines in other regions of GCC. Therefore, it can be considered that Elegante can be able to pull the audience from the new region that can increase their value and visibility in the market. Research Methodology Research Approach The research approach can be effective for the research work so that purpose of the research can be fulfilled. The researcher can go for deductive approach as it can help the work to get accomplish in productive way. The existing theories can be used that can relate to the research paper and it can be modified as per the requirements. Therefore, inductive approach may not be as appropriate as the deductive approach (Bergh and Ketchen, 2009). On the other hand, the researcher may not have enough skills to introduce the new theories or concepts. Thus, the deductive approach can be effective in the practical employment of theories for the particular research paper. Research philosophy (Positivism) The chosen is positivism as subject of philosophy in applications of logic that help analyzing the hidden facts and information in scientific manner. Positivism tries to reject metaphysic so that details knowledge collections in enabled. Positivism is applied in the current context of the study which helps in better analysis of hidden facts and information related to the marketing research process along with consumer buying process (Bernard, 2011). However, nature of the study is time limited so interpretative and realism study is discarded as being the choice of research philosophy. Further, selection of positivism philosophy limits the researcher roles in manipulating or evaluating the data that leads to minimization of data errors as well. Research Design The research approach will be mostly be done in form of in depth interviews conducted with clients and potential clients of Elegant magazine. In addition there will be some quantitative research done to determine the demand and audience for luxury magazines. There will be a combination of exploratory and conclusive research. The clients of Elegant are high end brands and establishments, the point of contacts always are the organizations marketing managers and decision makers. The only feasible approach to our research study will be direct in depth interviews (Bryman and Bell, 2011). As the subjects are professional peers in the marketing field they would be aware projective techniques and trying to use them would come across as disrespectful and will be ineffective. As each of the clients is extremely busy with limited time and specific needs conducting a focus group would also be ineffective. A focus group would be too generalized and time inefficient for this group of professionals. A direct in depth interview will offer a clear and effective means to provide the clients with an opportunity to answer open ended questions, shedding light to complex needs and behaviors. In addition their input will be a great source of information as they would have no reason to hide or mask answers to their opinion on E legant expanding to a wider region. After all every marketer is interested in reducing their CPM (cost per thousand) and would want to be helpful to achieve lower CPM. Clients of Elegant are exclusive high end clients limited in number, catering to the crme de la crme of our society. When dealing with high end people and organizations service becomes a key component to attracting and closing the deal. In order to increase repeat clients for Elegant only in depth interviews can provide the necessary information to adopt strategies and solutions to meet their needs. As the readership of Elegant is the target audience the advertisers will be reaching out to, it becomes relevant to conduct qualitative research to determine the demand for luxury magazines in the rest of the GCC region. Our study will research the luxury consumer market in the rest of the GCC as well as Elegant's main competitors market share and pricing structure. The data on the GCC luxury market will be obtained from industry reports and the pricing structure data will be obtained from primary market research. The research errors will be limited as the qualitative data will come from sources that have vested interest in providing accurate information and the quantitative data will come from reliable secondary sources (Burns et al. 2008). The primary data for competitor information is data available readily to anyone interested in using their services and will be accurate. Exploratory Research Exploratory research was conducted in form of in depth interviews with twelve marketing managers who are the policy makers and project implementers in a two month period. These marketing managers act as gateways to the higher level stakeholders who the final decision power of approving or disapproving the placement of the adverts (Cooper and Schindler, 2010). However on most cases the high level stakeholders rely on the recommendation of their marketing manager for their decision regarding marketing expenditures. Elegant magazine is in a unique position compared to other high volume transaction firms. The current client database consists of approximately two hundred clients with around sixty of them being active clients (Elegant manager). The remaining clients have sporadically placed adverts with Elegant magazine. The advertisement placement cycle is long with Elegant as there are only four issues printed within a year. Due to this long cycle and the relatively small number of clients Elegant magazine sales team has ample time to meet with clients to strategize and follow up. During these meetings a strong and open relationship has been established with the clients, it is due to this relationship that each of the interviewees did not deem it necessary for Elegant to provide a confidentiality clause or consent form. Data sources (Primary and secondary) The study requires only primary sources of informations which helps the topic in extracting the information from the employees of the organizations. The first hand data collection however needs clarification of reliability and validity. In case of secondary data sources , data are used a widening the concept of research that also enables better study of the topic as it involves more data and description (Corbetta, 2009). Primary data includes interaction sections with operation managers who helped in gaining information as per the research objectives. Apart from that, literature sources of the desertions can be considered as output if information gained through secondary sources Primary data sampling techniques Information applications: data gained via topic will helpful in understanding the present trend of the marketing management strategy used by the various organizations. The manager of the Elegant has been chosen for the organizational success. However, any commercial applications of the data will be able avoided so that the findings can be strictly limited to academic purpose only. Respondents participation: The researcher tried to insert no external influence on pressure over the respondents for taking part in the feedback process of the research topic. Respondents with as sense on voluntary participation were encouraged to participate in the following topic (Burns et al.2008). Respondents secrecy: It was ensured that any form if mental or physical harassment was not involved with the respondents so the identity of respondents were covered as per the request for participants (Cooper and Schindler, 2010). Based on the above mentioned list of ethical consideration, the researcher tried to maintain the basic research ethics. Although the Elegant interviewer could have conducted their interview without announcing that they were doing so and the information needed could have been collected as part of their usual meetings, for ethical reasons the client was made aware their responses would become part of a research study and were offered a written confidentiality agreement and consent form. Every interviewee declined the written agreement and was content by verbally asking to remain anonymous. The strength of the relationship and the non sensitive nature of the interview were the reasons why the interviewees were comfortable and willing to share their answers with the Elegant interviewer. The assumption made by the interviewer is that the interviewee will have no motivation to disclose inaccurate information. This assumption is made due to two important and relevant facts, the existing positive relationship and the non sensitive nature of the interview subject. Another fact helping the integrity of the answ ers is the direct benefit to the client by expanding the distribution region which reduces the CPM. From the twelve interviews six were conducted with repeat clients and six with non repeating advert clients. From each group half of the clients have market presence in the GCC region while the other have only operate in the UAE. This sampling was done to cover the four possible combination of client specification. 1 repeat client operating only within UAE market 2 repeat client operating in the GCC market 3 non repeating client operating only within UAE market 4 non repeating client operating in the GCC market Elegant magazine interviewer had 10 questions to explore. The initially factual questions were used followed by opinionated ones, all the questions were open ended and probes were used when necessary. The protocol of the interviews was standardized, informal without using any recording devices. The interviewer used notes with follow up notes after the interviews. The opening and closing of all the interviews were also standardized to maintain a consistent format. In order to answer the three components of MRQ the following questions were asked. The four variations in the question were tailored for UAE only market, GCC market, repeat and non repeating clients. What are the benefits of the proposed expansion for clients? Decision outcome: upon completion of our research we will show the benefits offered to clients from expanding distribution to cover the GCC region. Who are the clients interested in the expansion Decision outcome: upon completion of our research we will know which UAE clients see Elegant as a better value, when servicing the GCC region. Have you found the fact that Elegant only distributes their magazines in UAE as a limiting factor for your marketing needs? Will there be an audience for Elegant in the new region Decision outcome: upon completion of our research we will show the benefits offered to clients from expanding distribution to cover the GCC region. This component used quantitative research. Time scale for the research Figure 1: Gantt chart (Source: created by author) Conclusion The present chapter described the various research tools of selection that can help in better analysis of the topic. With the help of this chapter, the researcher tried to align the nature of the study along with the available research techniques so that possibly the best research methodology is framed. The tools more appropriate to analyse the concepts of present marketing trend for the Elegant magazine. References Bergh, D. and Ketchen, D. J. (2009) Research methodology in Strategy and Management, 1st ed. Bingley: Emerald Group Publishing Ltd Bernard, H. R. (2011) Research Methods in Anthropology: Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches. 5th ed. Plymouth: Alta Mira Press. Bryman, A. and Bell, E. (2011) Business Research Methodology. 3rd ed. New York: Oxford University Press. Burns, R. B., Burns, R. and Burns, R. P. (2008) Business Research Methods and Statistics Using SPSS, 3rd. ed. London: Sage Publications. Cooper, D. and Schindler, P. S. (2010) Business Research Methods, 11th ed. London: McGra-Hill. Corbetta, P. (2009) Social Research: Theory, Methods and Techniques, 4th ed. London: Sage Publications

Life In Ancient Greece Essays - Tourism In Greece, Isthmia, Greece

Life in Ancient Greece Life in Ancient Greece The way of life in Greek city-states remained mostly the same for a long time. Depending on their wealth, people in the urban center lived in low apartment buildings or single-family homes. Homes, public buildings, and temples were where people gathered for conversation and to buy food and crafts at daily markets. Citizens also lived in small villages or farmhouses scattered around the city-state's countryside. In Athens, more people lived outside the city's wall than inside. Houses were simple, containing bedrooms, storage rooms, and a kitchen around a small inner courtyard, but no bathrooms. Waste was dumped in a pit outside the door and then collected for disposal in the countryside. Most families consisted of parents and their children, but generally no other relatives. Fathers were responsible for supporting the family by work or by investments in land and commerce. Mothers were responsible for managing the household's supplies and overseeing the slaves, who fetched water in jugs from public fountains, cooked, cleaned, and looked after babies. Light came from olive oil lamps, heat from smoky charcoal braziers. Furniture was simple and sparse, usually consisting of wooden chairs, tables, and beds. Food was simple too; they grew olives, grapes, figs, and some grains, like wheat and barley, and kept goats to provide milk and cheese. Bakeries sold fresh bread daily, and small stands offered snacks. Most people also raised chickens and ate eggs regularly. Although the soil was poor for growing many types of grains, olive trees and grapes grew quite well in Greece and they still do today. Fish, seafood, and wine diluted with water were very popular food items. In some of the larger Greek city-states, meat could be purchased in cook shops. Meat was rarely eaten, and was used mostly for religious sacrifices. Men kept fit by exercising daily to be ready for military service. Every city-state had at least one gymnasium, a combination exercise building, running track, bathing facility, lecture hall, and park, open only to males. Men who lived in the city went there for physical training, ball games, gambling, and relaxation. Women entertained themselves by visiting friends and attending public festivals. City-state festivals provided the most exciting entertainment. Gods were honored with competitions in music, dance, drama, and poetry. Athens boasted of holding a festival nearly every other day. The huge Panhellenic festivals held at Olympia, Delphi, Nemea, and Isthmia attracted spectators and professional contestants from throughout the Greek world. Athletes and musicians who won competitions became rich and famous. The most spectacular event was chariot racing, which required excellent horses.

English †Letter to the Editor

English – Letter to the Editor Free Online Research Papers Dear Sir/Madam, I am writing with regard to your article on â€Å"success† published in Monday’s edition of your magazine referring to the secondary effects that a successful career might have on certain people and demanding readers like me to send in our opinions on the issue. Referring to the first question you state on your article, I suppose that if that would or would not be a bad thing depends on your own values’ scale but for mine it would mean that I am giving more important to demonstrate my society status rather than supporting other values I previously would have been defending, such as not being so egocentric. And I strongly believe that it is not people fault wanting to earn a lot of money but society’s because what we really want is not to be rich but to live happily with all the time for our enjoyment, to be free our whole time and able to chose what to do, working just if we look for it. But the problem comes when we associate that freedom with money abundance, a tendency almost impossible to avoid to a certain limit, because nobody would be able to eat and satisfy other primary needs without a basic income, taking for granted not breaking moral or legal rules. In my opinion, based on a scale of values that many may not agree with, those who earn such lots of money to maintain the lifestyle described on your article should not laugh at the face of those who lack a basic quality of life spending their fortunes on so superficial things. But I honestly recognise that they are in their complete right when doing so because by one way or another they are the ones who have earned it. Yours faithfully Student Research Papers on English - Letter to the EditorThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationIncorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in CapitalEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenResearch Process Part One19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraComparison: Letter from Birmingham and CritoInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesWhere Wild and West MeetTwilight of the UAWBionic Assembly System: A New Concept of Self

Comparing Snow White and Shrek Essay Example

Comparing Snow White and Shrek Essay Example Comparing Snow White and Shrek Paper Comparing Snow White and Shrek Paper In this essay I am going to look at Snow White as the first feature length animated film and what impact its production had on its audience. I will later on compare it to Shrek an animated film produced over two generations later. To help me do this, I will look into the background of Snow White and what led to its production. I will start by looking at how and when it was produced. Snow White was produced in the 1930s by Walt Disney, and first premiered in 1937, while America was trying to recover from The Great Depression. The great depression had left many people unemployed and millions of them were miserable. Disney aimed for the film to appeal to all sorts of audiences. The Young and the old. The release of Snow White was a way of raising the morale of the American people who sacrificed the little money they had to go and see the film. Disney used songs like someday my prince will come and heigh-ho heigh-ho to cheer the audience up. Therefore, Snow White was made as a feel good factor for the people of America. The film was based on the story by the Brothers Grimm. Normally, the Grimm tales are notoriously dark and unpleasant but Walt Disney, the producer, decided to change the story line to make it more appealing to the audience. This way, the story would appeal to both adults and children. The production of Snow White cost about i 1. 75million but brought out a grand total of i 4. 2million. It was a great risk for Disney to take and if it hadnt been successful would have cost him his entire studio. Disney managed to capture the attention of his folly blind audience, as they were called, by producing thousands of individual sketches which gave the tiniest bits of detail. The death scene as well brought out a lot of emotions in the audience and tears in peoples eyes. Dream Works made Shrek in 2001, over two generations later. It was a direct parody of Snow White and other fairy tales like Sleeping Beauty (when Fiona wishes to be kissed by a handsome prince) and Peter Pan (when Donkey flies and a voice of Peter Pan is heard). It came from a childrens illustrated book by William Steig. Unlike Snow White, the characters in Shrek do no sing in a magical style but instead carefully chosen sound tracks are used to match the different moods of the scenes. The sound tracks also reflect the popular musical taste of time. The songs are a range of a number of American grunge. Challenging and mocking as it may be to Disney, Shrek like Snow White is a feel good film although it debunks the gentility of tradition fairy tales. Snow White begins with Once upon a time. It starts a long shot of the country and the castle, then zooms in to reveal the Queen dressed in black and purple. The audience first sees the back of the Queen to make her more mysterious. Only the crown on her head shows she is a Queen. The colour of her clothes, her pale complexion, dark eyes and very red lips show that she is an evil person. When she speaks to the mirror, her accent is slightly German and in the 1930s, the Americans did not trust the Germans. This was a deliberate way to make her seem evil and let the audience know she is an enemy towards Snow White. The mirror, whos voice seems to echo from somewhere within, hell perhaps, seems to feel sorry for Snow White when it mentions her name: Alas my fair lady. The Queen however disrespects the mirror because he/she is a slave. Her voice is loud and sharp, which makes her, appear bossy. She moves swiftly, superstitiously with long strides, which make her look dominant and overbearing. When the mirror mentions Snow White, her cat shaped eyes narrow and she hoarsely repeats it to show a malicious intent toward her. It is at this point that a dissolved shot introduces us to Snow White. Shrek on the other hand has a very different opening. The audience is shown a book with calligraphy writing, which is narrated sarcastically by Shrek himself. After six pages, a voice shouts Like its ever gonna happen, at this point, a page is torn and opening shot comes. A hut is shown and Shrek continues, What a lot of ****. Just the opening scene shows it is a comedy aimed for everyone. Like the Queen in Snow White, Shrek is shown at a low angle shot to make him look more menacing. In contrast to Snow White, Shrek is different from a traditional type of hero. He uses the page torn out of the storybook, and holds it in content. He baths in muddy water unlike any traditional hero who is portrayed as clean. He breaks wind and kills fish, one of which floats to the surface. He has a gross mannerism and the signs next to his home says: keep out, Ogre beware. Shrek is portrayed as a vicious large Ogre who is anti-social who roars and scares people with his smelly mouth. He doesnt want people around and he scares them. On the other hand however, he is shown as a private but friendly character. His privacy is a defence mechanism because he thinks people dont like him. He does it to make them think he doesnt like them either. He judges people before they get to know him just like they judge him. We can see he is not as unfriendly as earlier made to look when he has a love -hate relationship with the streetwise donkey who later became his friend. The donkey is instantly loved by the audience because of its chatter. He is not intimidated by Shreks size or the fact that he comes across as scary. He compliments Shrek by saying: I respect you Shrek, youve got that I-dont-care-what-nobody-thinks attitude and I like that. Snow White on the other hand is everything like a fairy tale princess. She is very cheerful and unaware of what happens around her. She is dressed in white, a great contrast to the Queens clothes. Her high pitched voice and wide eyes represent her innocence. Her small and delicate body highlights her youth purity. Her innocent, childlike behaviour makes people associate her with themselves. The well echos her song as she sings: my prince will come. She plays with doves, a symbol of purity, and runs away from the prince in embarrassment. She sends a dove to go and kiss him because she is too modest to do it herself. Even when the prince tries to entice her, she hides behind the curtains. In a dissolved shot, the camera zooms in to show her purity. He camera tilts upwards to reveal the Queen with an evil expression on her face. Mise-en-scene, all the animals like Snow White and play with her and it shows that she is a real princess. She is gentle, shy and modest, unlike Princess Fiona in Shrek. Princess Fiona in Shrek reacted oppositely when attacked. She hits and kicks Shrek the first time they meet. She also kills a bird at one point. Snow White is pretty too unlike Princess Fiona who turns into an Ogre. This also shows the difference between the two films. We can see the two films have different characters and certainly different heroes. While both are feel good films and are targeted for all audiences, they show different humour and reflect the different times of their production. This can be seen in the language the mirror in Snow White uses which is very out dated and humour used by the donkey in Shrek. We see that the music taste has changed as well since the production of Snow White, but also that technology has improved since then. For the production of Shrek, latest technology was used to create a lot of extras, which include life-like and realistic appearances like facial expressions, background, clothing etc. In the making of Snow White however, most of the details had to be sketched out because the technology had not advanced as much.

Analysis of Korean Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 6

Analysis of Korean Culture - Essay Example The beer was given a look of a woman while tiger never succeeded due to lack of patience. The background of the story was to give the origin of the leadership of Korea. The book Samguk Yusa: legends and history of the three kingdoms of ancient Korea is a collection of various histories of the three monarchies of Korea who were Silla, Paekche, and Koguryo. The author is a fresh fiction writer. One of his most famous books is â€Å"The Great Divorce.† She lives in New York. She is also a holder of B.A.in humanities from Yale College and a Ph.D. in English from Columbia University. In this story, the Korean leader is believed to have descended from heaven. The gods from the place of sunrise were responsible for the leadership choice. This choice was through a test of patience where the beer was more tolerant and patient than the tiger. The gods required fair leadership so the whole process of leadership choice was necessary. Considering the evolution of the human leader nature of origin, the leader was godly given. The whole of these steps of attaining leadership made the leader acceptable. The book is a fairy tale collection of the beliefs concerning leadership in Korea in relation to other regions in the east including China. These stories were made to help the children have a positive view of the leaders. On the other hand, it is a religious book in that it tells more on prayer and its effect. The power of prayer in this story helps in attaining the desired status. This book is also historical to some extent. It teaches on the history of the leadership and the entire eastern regional religion, as the gods were believed to be in the Chinese Mountains (Ilyon 2006). The composer of the story is well versed with the child’s psychology. The composer puts the story down in a chronological order thus making it easy to understand. Viewing of leadership as a divine provision is a character that makes the story more acceptable and interesting.  Ã‚  

Trademark registration related to business law of Qatar Research Paper

Trademark registration related to business law of Qatar - Research Paper Example There have been cases in the world previously where one company thrives out of piracy by enjoying the goodwill of another company. This is a criminal offense in the business world today. Trademark law was developed to counter this offense. Trademark law is a set of rules developed by countries, trade blocks or international bodies that protect trademarks within their jurisdictions hence eliminating unfair competition. The service mark is different from a trademark in that a trademark serves to protect products while service mark serves to protect services. According to the Oxford business group, The Qatar government has a trademark law in place that was established in the year 2002.   This law states that trademarks are protected in the nation of Qatar as per law number 9 of 2002, known as the Trademarks Law. This term is effective from the date of registration and is afterward renewed after every ten years. At the moment, applications for patent protection registration service cen sing are made to the Gulf corporation council patent office, which does the registration of patents throughout the Gulf corporation council member states; since Qatar does not yet have a patent registration system of its own. In the case of an infringement of a person’s intellectual property rights, he or she can file a complaint with the trademarks office and in some cases, the matter may be reported to the police. An application will be turned down if it is not unique, or it just describes the product or service it is representing.

High School Cliques Essay Example for Free

High School Cliques Essay The school environment causes natural polarization of peoples with similar backgrounds, attitudes, or any other factors that would form certain peer groups, or ‘cliques’. This is particularly observable in the High School setting, as the predominant social groups are composed of adolescents who are beginning their socialization process. This socialization forms various groupings or factions that are highly noticeable in High School. The modern media, who continually builds on and establish the perceived cliques and groups in movies, shows, and other media venues, is repeatedly echoing the reality. This has created stereotypes of High School cliques, such as: (1) the popular group, (2) athletes, (3) nerds, (4) racial segregation, (5) pop-culture groups like rockers and hip-hop, (6) outcasts, and (7) other groups. The converging elements of a particular faction can be varied and numerous. These cliques can be students who eat together, or hang out with each other after class. Racial profile can also be a strong factor, as with the social class and background. Even personal preference and culture can bring together different kinds of peoples. High school youth converge because of the reason that they find something in common with the group that they are with. The first clique in High School is the popular student. Usually they are the student leaders or even cheerleaders and well-known members of the student body. They can be socially advantaged as they are driving newer cars or organizing fancier parties. They can be part of the group on the merit that they are simply popular in the batch. These students are usually the first ones remembered and recalled in reunions or gatherings. They are seen as role models, or at the other extreme, a source of jealousy and hatred. The second group, the athletes, can overlap with this first group, because basketball and football players can be highly popular in High School. Another High School clique are the nerds, who are the most participative in class or gets the highest grades in any subject. They would congregate in the canteen and converse about math or politics or any other academic topic. They are stereotyped as being shy and wearing big glasses, and are very grade conscious and studious. Apart from this group, other cliques can be divided according to culture lines, like rockers or hip-hops. They are usually secluded and non-conventionalists, and would gather on their own parties and gatherings. Another notable group are outcasts, who are usually the but of jokes, and would have severe emotional and psychological problems. Some would also note that racial background would be a strong determinant in formation of cliques. Asians or African Americans or Caucasians would most likely hang-out with each other, which does not imply discrimination, but merely cultural identification. They also form different and very distinguishable cliques in High School. High School is the stage of life wherein social interaction is at its most dynamic, as young adolescents are placed in a social environment outside their homes, and forced to polarize into different groups. Although these High School cliques can be regarded as mere stereotypes that may not always necessary be apparent in a social context, there is a ring of truth in the observations. Since the school is a hodgepodge of different backgrounds and cultures, it is natural for the youth to find people they are familiar and comfortable with. This reality, coupled with media hype, reinforces the perception that different High School cliques do exist.

Biography of Primo Levi: Vanadium

Biography of Primo Levi: Vanadium ‘Vanadium’ – The Periodic Table (Primo Levi) Annerita Ng Primo Levi was a Jewish chemist and author born in Italy. The majority of his writings revolved around his experience surviving the Holocaust of World War II, some with a heavy subtext of chemistry. One of his books entitled ‘The Periodic Table’ is a memoir of his life collated in 21 chapters, each of which is given the title of an element that is somehow woven intrinsically into the story. In chapter 20, called ‘Vanadium’, Levi does a seamless job of tying in the chemistry he learns with past personal experiences that plague his mind. In 1941, after Italy had entered World War II as an ally of Germany, Levi accepted a job at a mine in which he was to extract nickel to aid the production of weaponry for the Germans2. He then worked in Milan with a former acquaintance from university, before returning to Turin in 1943. He became involved with an Italian partisan group when he returned to Turin after Italy became occupied by the Germans. Levi was captured and sent to a transit camp before being deported to a Monowitz-Auschwitz camp. The Buna Werke plant nearby the camp, run by German chemical industry corporation I.G. Farben, focused on the production of synthetic rubber and made use of slave labour from the concentration camp. Thanks to his professional abilities, Levi secured a position in the Buna Werke laboratory, which ultimately led to his survival in the camp. He was freed in 1945, eleven months after he was deported to the concentration camp. He began working different chemistry related jobs not long after his liberation and eventually obtained a job in a paint business as a chemist and technical director2. It was in this job that Levi based his short story ‘Vanadium’ from his book ‘The Periodic Table’. While working for the company a shipment of resin for varnishes is received, which Levi then learns does not dry properly when mixed with the required chemical agent. He then discovered that the supplier is a descendant of I.G. Farben, who operated the Buna Werke plant during his stay at the concentration camp. After a series of letters sent to their representative, Levi realizes that the representative, Doctor Muller, was an acquaintance of his from the Buna Werke laboratory. This connection was set off after a misspelling of the name of a chemical, the same word which Muller often mispronounced while working at the Burna Werke laboratory. Memories of his experience working in the laboratory were triggered. Levi explains that Muller, along with other men, would often visit the laboratory he worked at to give himself and two other prisoners strict instructions. Muller only spoke to him a few times, but during one of those times he had continuously mispronounced ‘naphthenate’ as ‘naptenate’. Levi also remembered Muller giving him permission to shave twice a week (as opposed to the rule of prisoners shaving once a week), and also provided him with a pair of leather shoes. He also noted that Muller was rather ignorant to the events occurring at the concentration camp nearby the laboratory, as he asked Levi why he looked so anxious working at the factory. As Levi sent letters to Muller regarding the flawed shipment, he had also sent him a private letter in order to confirm if he was the same Muller he met at the Buna Werke Laboratory. While he waited for Muller’s confirmation he begun testing the instructions given to him in order to cure the shipment of resin. Levi had been directed by Muller to add 0.1% of vanadium naphthenate to the resin in order for it to dry properly. Vanadium naphthenate acts to accelerate the drying process of the resin3,4. It is able to protect the inner material and keep it undamaged from oxidation by forming oxide layers. This occurs as the hydrocarbon ring of the vanadium compound reacts with the oxygen in air3. He discovered that the Italian version of the vanadium naphthenate was not as effective as the German kind, and accordingly he requested for a shipment of German naphthenate. Muller had replied to his private letter a while later, confirming that he was the ‘Muller of Buna’ and requested to meet with Levi in order to rise above the past between them. Levi, however, was not so keen for this meeting, stating that he had no past that needed resolving. He avoided this topic altogether and, instead, Muller spoke of their ‘friendship’ as they worked together in the laboratory of the camp. Levi recalled no friendship between the two men, but realised that the other had saved his life by selecting him in to work at the laboratory. He assumed that Muller had perchance fabricated a convenient past for himself. In a sense, the variable effectiveness of the Italian and German versions of the vanadium naphthenate can be associated with the different versions of Levi and Muller’s memories of the camp. A few days later, Levi had received a letter from the supplier apologising for the inconvenience he, and the company he worked for, had suffered. However from this disruption they had realised it would be more appropriate and convenient if they themselves integrated the vanadium naphthenate into the resin before delivering them. Here, we see the success that prevails from the deductive processes of chemists and the elements of small-scale industrial chemistry. After the problem was encountered with the shipment of resin, Levi’s immediate action was to contact the source/supplier. The buyer-supplier connection is necessary for the industrial chemistry department, especially in when issues arise. These connections can be somewhat difficult when the buyer and supplier are located for apart, such as in Levi’s case. He was then given instructions in which he would test the effect of a required chemical and observe and confirm if it was the solution to the problem. In other words, trials were to be conducted to narrow down the cause of the issue. In this instance, materials monitoring is helpful for quality control and to review the materials and the processes they endure. In Levi’s case, a positive outcome was reached as the supplying company recognised a more convenient route to take with th eir resin product in order to avoid future issues. At first, Levi refused to forgive Muller despite his high respect for the man. He could not fathom the idea of meeting Muller with open arms after all he had to suffer through. He did not hate Muller, rather he harboured an abhorrence toward the Germans in general, and assumed Muller a substitute for those who harmed the Jews. But after further contemplation he became sympathetic to Muller’s plight as he tried to clear his conscience of any wrong doing. Levi then began drafting a letter to thank Muller for selecting him and even mentioned a readiness for forgiveness. On the same evening he received a phone call from Muller asking to meet with him in the near future. The language barrier helps prevent him from making his feelings of distaste known. He carelessly agreed to the meeting as he was caught off guard. However, the meeting would not occur as only a week later Levi discovered that Muller has passed away unexpectedly. This chapter provided an insight of the relationship between his chemical career and other aspects of his life, such as his writing career. Chemistry seems to be quintessential to his life. Levi finds a brilliant way of linking his chemical profession to his personal and social experiences, showing that he was deeply invested in his profession. Even in the Auschwitz concentration camp, he couldn’t escape it, and it most probably saved his life. He continued working as a chemical professional after he was freed from Auschwitz despite the obvious psychological trauma he suffered. From this chapter of his book, it is seen that Levi correlates the characteristics of vanadium naphthenate to the important features of his story. And although this unique chapter is mainly about his personal experience and his reflection on the injustices handed to him, it does contain factual information on the chemical it is named after. Levi also provides an understanding of the logical manner in which chemists must think within the industry and the elements involved in the processes of industrial chemistry – proving how communication is key within the world of industrial chemistry. Without a doubt Levi has a very powerful way with words, intertwining his personal tale with scientific principles. References Levi, P., (1986). Vanadium. In: The Periodic Table, 1st ed. Abacus: Sphere Books Ltd, pp.211 223. Patruno, N. (n.d.). Primo Levi: Surviving the Haulocast. [online] Bryn Mawr College. Available at: http://www.brynmawr.edu/italian/holoc/essays/surv_hol.htm [Accessed 12 Dec. 2014]. Chemical Land 21, (n.d.). Vanadyl Naphthenate. [online] Available at: http://www.chemicalland21.com/industrialchem/organic/VANADYL NAPHTHENATE.htm [Accessed 15 Dec. 2014]. Kemi Swedish Chemicals Agency, (n.d.). Metal Naphthenates. [online] Available at: http://apps.kemi.se/flodessok/floden/kemamne_eng/metallnaftenater_eng.htm [Accessed 15 Dec. 2014]. Sumatran Orangutan: Threats and Rehabilitation Strategies Sumatran Orangutan: Threats and Rehabilitation Strategies The Sumatran orangutan is widely considered as the most threatened species of great ape Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust 2006. It is estimated that there are approximately 6,500 individuals remaining in Sumatra (Wich et al, 2008), and the species is listed as Critically Endangered under the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List (Singleton et al, 2008). This is due not only to the small remaining population, but to the fact that the population has declined by over 80% in the last 75 years (3 generations) (Wich et al, 2008). The Sumatran orangutan is endemic to Sumatra (considered a separate species from the Bornean orangutan (Mittermeier et al, 2009)), with its range restricted to a small area of fragmented habitat in the North of the island. Historically, the species had a much larger range across Sumatra, but the majority of the population is now constrained to the province of Aceh (Singleton et al, 2008). This condensed population means that we can expec t the population to show more intense competition within the species for food and resources, causing an increase in mortality over time (Marshall et al, 2009). The orangutan is an arboreal species, it is highly adapted to spend all of its time above the ground, and primarily inhabits lowland tropical forest and peat-swamp forest ecosystems (DWCT, 2006). These traits have left them extremely vulnerable to habitat destruction, the major threat to orangutans in Sumatra. Heavy logging of the orangutans natural habitat means that only less suitable habitat remains for them (Wich et al 2008). In addition, the majority of the orangutan population in Sumatra were found outside of protected areas, and many within potential logging areas (Singleton et al, 2008). It is clear that the Sumatran orangutan is under severe pressure, and many threats need to be addressed in order to attempt to restore the population. Threats Deforestation and fragmentation Both legal and illegal logging are a major threat to the Sumatran orangutan. The species main habitat, primary lowland forest, has been devastated in the last 30 years due to large scale forest conversion to agricultural land and oil palm plantations (Singleton et al, 2008). One study between 1990 and 2000 recorded a 13% loss of orangutan habitat forest (Gaveau et al, 2007). Another study by van Schaik et al (2001) found that during the late 1990s habitat supporting 100 orangutans was lost each year in the Leuser Ecosystem in Sumatra. This habitat loss was largely due to legal logging concessions from the Indonesian government for oil palm conversion (van Schaik et al, 2001). The orangutans habitat of lowland forest has been targeted due to the fact that it is easily and cheaply accessible for logging (Campbell-Smith et al, 2011). The forest is being destroyed in order to provide hardwood to developed nations, providing income to boost Indonesias economy, as well as to clear land for agricultural conversion and expanding human populations (DWCT, 2006). Within the last decade the scale of logging in Sumatra has continued to expand. This was partly due to the surge in demand for timber since the 2004 tsunami (Singleton et al, 2008), as well as a peace agreement in the Aceh province. A moratorium on logging during the conflict meant a lower rate of forest loss, however a peace accord in 2005 led to a lift of the moratorium and re-issuing of logging permits in Aceh (Singleton et al, 2008). In addition, the history of political unrest in the province has greatly impacted past conservation efforts (Marshall et al, 2009). This recorded habitat loss is the main contributor to the species declining population. orangutans are particularly vulnerable due to the fact that they are an arboreal species. They spend the majority of their lives in the canopy to avoid the threat of tigers, meaning the species is restricted to areas untouched by deforestation. However, the spread of human settlements and development of new road systems has caused severe fragmentation of their remaining habitat. In addition, a proposal for the Ladia Galaska road network in Aceh has been put forward, and if allowed will quickly fragment the last remnants of habitat (Singleton et al, 2008). The remaining forest within the orangutans range cannot support its prior ecosystems, and further deforestation and fragmentation could lead to multiple extinctions. Indonesia has converted over 3 million hectares of land to oil palm plantations, with plans to convert a further 4 million (Brown and Jacobson, 2005). However areas of oil palm monoculture only supports 20% of its previous diversity (Marchal and Hill, 2009). Even small scale selective logging can reduce local orangutan densities by as much as 60% (Rao and van Schaik, 1997), which shows how sensitive the species are to the destruction of habitat. The threats to orangutans from deforestation are made greater by the fact that the Indonesian government supports development (orangutan National Action Plan, 2007), and are therefore willing to issue large numbers of logging permits. Furthermore, the decentralisation of forest management in 2001 has aided the rise in forest destruction, as it means that regional land use plans are made without any though for conservation (The Ministry of Forestry, 2009). The increase in human population also increases pressure, as greater resource degradation occurs to meet an ever increasing demand for timber and agricultural land. A paper by Robertson and van Schaik (2001) suggests that ultimate causal factor of deforestation is corruption, as well as feeble compliance with legislation and poor law enforcement. Corrupti on is the most difficult threat to overcome, but law enforcement and compliance need to be improved in order to have a chance of protecting the remaining orangutan population. Other threats As well as being severely threatened by habitat destruction, orangutans are also in high demand for the pet trade across Indonesia. The central demand is for infant orangutans, considered as good pets as they do not reach full size until the age of 7, and are known for their trait of human imitation. Currently around 200-500 infants are taken from the wild for the pet trade each year in Kalimantan (Nijman, 2005). No data is available for the Sumatran orangutan, but demand for pets is high in both Borneo and Sumatra, and the number of infants being removed from the wild is unsustainable. Wild orangutans are also threatened by their conflict with humans, and they are at times killed as pests. They are forced to encroach upon agricultural land as a result of habitat destruction, but are considered pests by farmers and often killed when found raiding crops at forest edges. In a study interviewing farmers in northern Sumatra, 28% of those interviewed feared orangutans. They also on averag e believed orangutans to be the third most frequent, and the fourth most destructive pest (Campbell-Smith et al, 2010). This shows that a high proportion of orangutans are being forced to raid crops due to destruction of habitat and food sources, but also that the human-orangutan conflict may not easily be reconciled as it is largely driven by fear. Finally, the current small nature of the remaining orangutan population means it is highly vulnerable to stochastic events such as natural disasters, random genetic fluctuations and disease outbreak (Caughley, 1994). The species relatively slow reproductive rate (25 years per generation) and the ongoing vulnerability to habitat reduction means it is at constant risk of extinction. Past and current recovery strategies Rehabilitation centres During the 1970s the Indonesian government began to establish reserves for orangutans, which are now seen across Sumatra. The reserves act as rehabilitation centres where orphans are taught how to live in the wild and then returned, but also as sanctuaries for individuals unable to be reintroduced. Individuals found in logging areas, as well as orphans and orangutans confiscated by the forestry department, are moved to these sanctuaries (DWCT, 2006). It is estimates that around 63-97% of intakes by orangutan centres are under 7 years old (Russon, 2009). The orangutans are treated medically until their health is regained, as they are often in bad condition. For example many have gunshot and machete wounds, scars from tight chains, and internal damage, as well as behavioural and psychological damage as a result of prolonged isolation, abuse, and abnormal associations with humans (Russon, 2009). In addition many orangutans arrive carrying human diseases such as Tuberculosis, as well as significantly high parasite loads (Russon, 2009) after living in close proximity with humans. Once treated, the orangutans are taught ecological and social skills, and gradually weaned from human contact in order for them to be able to live independently in the wild once released (Beck et al, 2007). When the rehabilitation centres were initially established, uncertainty over orangutan numbers meant that rehabilitation programmes concentrated on releasing individuals into areas with existing wild populations to supplement those that were too small (Russon, 2009). Between 1973 and 2000, 218 orangutans were released at Bohorok in Gunung Leuser National Park, Sumatra, to supplement the rapidly declining population. The Sumatran orangutan Conservation Programme (SOCP) is one of the orangutan rehabilitation centres in Sumatra, but it also concentrates on other aspects of orangutan conservation. The SOCP rehabilitation centre and quarantine site is in the Medan region, and individuals are released in Bukit Tigapuluh National Park. Over ten years, 190 orangutans have been through quarantine, with 125 individuals released into Bukit Tigapuluh, and 3 wild births by reintroduced females (DWCT, 2006). In addition the programme is helping to improve law enforcement through providing facilities for confiscated or unwanted orangutans. The availability of sanctuaries means that illegally kept individuals are more readily reported (DWCT, 2006). A mobile education unit from SOCP is used as an educational tool to teach conservation and the importance of orangutan tolerance, particularly in human-orangutan conflict areas. This provides a vital part of the orangutan conservation effort, as building understanding within local communities will help to reduce threats. Additionally, the programmes links with the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust means they also have access to the latest research in orangutan medicine, husbandry and captive care (DWCT, 2006). Protected Areas There are many protected areas across Sumatra, however illegal logging still occurs within the majority of them. The Leuser Ecosystem Conservation area, established in 1998, is considered a conservation stronghold for orangutan populations (Singleton et al, 2008). It is a 2.6 million hectare area consisting of two National parks and containing around 5,800 (over 85%) of the remaining Sumatran orangutan population (Mittermeier et al 2009). It is the only conservation area within Sumatra with viable populations of the Sumatran orangutan, Sumatran tiger, Sumatran Rhinoceros and the Sumatran elephant. This shows that the Leuser Ecosystem Conservation area is highly important in the conservation and protection of the Sumatran orangutan. However, the national park is predominantly a mountainous region, which is highly unsuitable for the lowland orangutan species. This means that most of the orangutan population is found outside of park boundaries, leaving them even more vulnerable to habit at destruction. It is estimated that only around 30% of the orangutan population in Sumatra are found within park boundaries (Mittermeier et al, 2009), causing more problems and difficulties for their conservation. Legislation The Sumatran orangutan was listed on Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of wild fauna and flora (CITES) in 1975 (DWCT, 2006). This means that no trade is allowed in live orangutans or orangutan products. The ban was put in place due to the expanding pet trade in Indonesia, and by 1980 over 30,000 orangutans had been killed as result of this trade across Sumatra and Borneo (DWCT, 2006). In addition the species has been protected under Indonesian domestic law (Singleton et al, 2008). Act no.5, which was made law in 1990, legally protects the orangutan from hunting throughout its range. The Act also aims to protect environmental support structures and preserve biodiversity in Indonesia. However, a ban on hunting is extremely difficult to enforce, and current law enforcement of legislation appears to be very weak. Foreign support Many foreign non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have invested an interest in the future survival of the Sumatran orangutan. For example, the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust based in Jersey joined the effort to conserve Sumatran orangutans in 1968. Durrell has contributed greatly to the survival of the species, breeding 7 babies in Jersey for the international Sumatran orangutan breeding programme (DWCT, 2006). The trust also helps by sharing information with orangutan rehabilitation centres, as well as sending experts to the field in Sumatra to help in the rehabilitation process. Some governmental support for the protection of the Sumatran orangutan has also been shown. Through the United Nations Programme on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Developing Countries (REDD), the Norwegian government pledged US$1 billion to Indonesia to reduce deforestation rates (Butler et al, 2009). Success of species recovery to date The Sumatran orangutan has been listed as Critically Endangered by the IUCN since 2000 when it was first categorised (Singleton et al, 2008). The species data was re-examined in both 2007 and 2008, and in both cases it was found to still be Critically Endangered (Singleton et al, 2008). The population in Sumatra has been decreasing since the 1900s, with the most recent decline from 7,300 individuals in 2004 (Singleton et al, 2004), to around 6,500 in 2008 (Wich et al, 2008). It appears that, despite efforts to restore orangutan populations over the last 40 years, the species recovery has been unsuccessful to date. The predominant reason behind the continued decline of orangutan populations is the sustained level of deforestation, allowed by legal logging permits, illegal logging, poor law enforcement and ultimately corruption. Legislation is ineffective and reserves are not sufficiently policed, allowing commercial forestry to continue to occur even within protected areas. The rate o f illegal logging to legal logging is 4:1 (DWCT, 2006), meaning that without drastic improvements in law enforcement orangutans will remain at constant threat of extinction. Furthermore, despite the illegalisation of trade in orangutans, the pet trade for the species is still booming throughout Indonesia. Although the forestry department are responsible for confiscating many illegally owned orangutans for reintroduction, a huge proportion of individuals remain in human possession. The current level of protection for orangutans is not enough to combat the threats to the species. The most successful recovery attempt has been through the rehabilitation centres, but even they have a limited capacity. The rehabilitation process is only able to reintroduce a relatively small number of individuals, with one centre returning 125 orangutans to the wild over a ten years period. Over the same 10 year period only 3 wild births from ex-captive mothers occurred, and a high infant mortality was found at many release sites (Russon, 2009). Several observations of released orangutans at Bohorok release site showed individuals returning ill, underweight or wounded by wild counterparts (Dellatore, 2009). It is clear that there are still some problems with the rehabilitation and reintroduction process, and room to expand projects to a larger scale. However, it is also evident that these projects are the most successful aspect of the species recovery to date. The centres carry out highly important medical and genetic screening of individuals. orangutans are susceptible to human diseases, and the risk of spreading disease is great, so medical screenings help prevent disease from entering wild populations. Genetic screening is also highly valuable, as it helps monitor genetic diversity and maintain a healthy population. Rehabilitation centres also play an important role in orangutan welfare, allowing the confiscation of poorly kept individuals and providing safe places to go (Russon, 2009). In this aspect, they are an important part of the limited law enforcement available. Finally, the centres provide vital infrastructure and logistical support in the translocation of wild orangutans away from deforested areas (Beck et al, 2007). Recommendations for future management practices It is estimated that if the current rate of orangutan decline is sustained, we could see a further 50% loss of the population within ten years (Mittermeier et al, 2009). In order to ensure the Sumatran orangutans future, drastic action needs to be taken. Conservation of the species relies on immediate improvement of forest and wildlife laws, an increase in consideration for biodiversity in land use planning, and greater law enforcement effectiveness. The implementation of patrols to prevent illegal activity is vital as the first step to stopping illegal logging (Mittermeier et al 2009). In order to do this regular funding is required to put operations in place, and a forum for monitoring the enforcement of current legislation needs to be established. It is also important to implement anti-hunting patrols, as even very low hunting levels have strong deleterious effects (1% annual hunting rate sustainable) (Marshall et al, 2009). Patrols will also stem some of the supply to the pet trade, and attempt to reduce levels of illegal logging. In addition it is advised to temporarily halt legal logging and forest conversion, as well as road development plans (Mittermeier et al, 2009) in order to establish a more viable orangutan population. However, it is unlikely that the Indonesian government would halt development plans as it is essential for the countrys economic growth. A final step in the improvement of law enforcement would be the establishment of more patrols to confiscate illegally owned and poorly kept individuals to be taken to rehabilitation centres. This means that it is also vital to ensure the future expansion of rehabilitation centres across Sumatra. It is important to build capacity within current centres, as well as establishing new release sites across the island to restore populations in areas outside the Aceh province. Funding and volunteers would be required to expand the reintroduction projects across Sumatra. The future of orangutans also relies on the provision of protected areas and reserves with strict controls to prevent illegal activity from still occurring. Again, this would involve the supply of regular reserve patrols and stringent regulation. National park perimeters should also be increased to enhance the conservation areas. It is important to include large areas of forest below 1000 metres above sea level within the protected areas (Singleton et al, 2008), as this is the orangutans primary habitat. Habitat restoration is also needed within the protected areas in order to make it suitable for orangutan reintroduction. In addition, the re-establishment of habitat corridors is greatly needed (Robertson and van Schaik, 2001) to improve genetic flow between fragmented populations. Improving habitat connectivity will increase genetic diversity and therefore make the species more adaptable to its constantly changing environment. The conversion of any remaining orangutan habitat to oth er uses should be strictly prohibited immediately, as only a very small fraction remains. In order to do this, alternative livelihoods will need to be provided to many local communities which may have relied on the land. This should be done by employing locals in orangutan conservation projects, helping with rehabilitation, habitat restoration and law enforcement. Not only will this provide an income for communities, it will provide an economic incentive to protect orangutans, and may potentially start to change local opinion of the species. Building tolerance of the species and changing attitudes towards them is an important part of their conservation. It is important to address the human-orangutan conflict, especially as in the future more orangutans are likely to be living in close proximity to humans. In Batang Serangan in Northern Sumatra, a small group of orangutans were found to live in peaceful co-existence with farmers. The landscape is made up of degraded natural forest, s mallholder farms and oil palm monoculture plantations (Campbell-Smith et al, 2011). Although not an ideal habitat for orangutans, the mixed landscape was still suitable for the small group to live. Once tolerance of the species has grown, it would be possible to begin establishing small populations in these mixed agro-forest systems which occur across Sumatra. The ultimate aim is to create a landscape of primary lowland forest within protected areas, joined by corridors through major agricultural land. With the addition of further release sites, a connected habitat and better law enforcement, it is possible to establish viable populations across the island of Sumatra. Conclusion In order to reduce the current threats to the Sumatran orangutan immediate action needs to be taken. The species critically endangered status and its vulnerability to habitat destruction mean it is at great risk of extinction if further protection measures are not put in place. By following some of the recommendations laid out above, and increasing the level of support for orangutan projects, the species may yet have a future.

Knowledge Management Mastercard Essay

The company MasterCard is a technology company and payments industry leader. For over four decades, the company has been a driving force at the heart of commerce, making the global economy safer, more efficient, more inclusive and more transparent for all. Consumers, merchants, business partners and governments in markets around the world have reaped the benefits of our innovative products and solutions which, simply put, are designed to make life easier. The mission of MasterCard consists in imagining a world beyond cash and their mission is very simple: Every day, everywhere, Master Card uses their technology and expertise to make payments safe, simple and smart. In the last four decades, people and companies worldwide have changed their way of payment for goods and services. The rise of the electronic payments has fueled economic growth while delivering value to consumers, merchants and governments. From the earliest days of credit cards to the contactless and wireless payment options of today, MasterCard Worldwide has led the industry, driving this evolution. MasterCard works in a three channel method. Those 3 channels are: Franchisor, Processor and Consultant. In the Franchisor channel, products such as Maestro ®, Cirrus ® and MasterCard ® PayPassâ„ ¢ appear. With those products, the company affects more than 32 million establishments. The processor area makes operation with other companies and partners around the world in a simple and smart way. The big key point for these attribute is based on the fast network, one of the biggest VPNs of the world, offering not just agility, but also integration and trust. Least, the Consultant channel provides insights and solutions that promote a better and more competitive market. The research Inside the organization, the Product department and the Commercial department are directly linked. The first one is related to the care of the different products in many different categories that are offered by the organization, while the commercial area is primarily responsible for the customer relationship and supply of structured products to the product area. The commercial departments, responsible for all customer relationships, are divided to provide a better service by segmenting customers according to their importance to the business. For example, for Citibank, one of the most important banks for MasterCard, there are more than two, three people responsible for one client, while for minor banks, there is sometimes only one person responsible. This allows the commercial area to meet its customers by giving attention proportional to the size of each account, seeking solutions that fit in each case, so that one can be created, the best care possible. The product department is targeted through the products it offers, that way, the areas are divided by types of cards (traditional types such as debit and credit, corporate, pre-paid and others). Each group works to meet the needs of the commercial area, seeking the best solutions according to the demands. So we have two areas that work together, but have different focuses, which can cause disagreements about the best way to deliver a product to a given customer. That way, we can find a good topic to do our research based on this issue. Question Due to the analyses made on the previous topic, we can come up with the question for the paper. Why knowledge is not used by all parts? What can we do to improve this topic? Products and Commercial Departments Processes As said before, the process that the products department works is different from the commercial’s one. The products process is characterized by the division of groups and teams specialized in a specific product. That way, we can confirm that a wide knowledge is limited inside this department, but on the other hand, those groups have a high knowledge about a specific product. Differently, the commercial process is divided not by products, but by clients, issuers. So, those groups have a good flexibility when it comes to relation with the customers and so can have a wider knowledge. But, once this group works only with one client, it is possible that this client works with a small number of products, that way, the commercial group would not acquire knowledge in those other products. Tasks Within the tasks that the commercial department is responsible for we can highlight the following main topics: * Direct relationship with the issuers (Banks) * Project with issuers to enhance the number of MasterCard cards inside * Promotions * Campaigns * Raffles * Work together with different departments For the products area, we can highlight the following tasks: * Come up with new products ideas * Develop the product for the clients * Track the performance of the products KM Theory To illustrate the knowledge flow within the two departments, we are going to use a KM model that sustains and explains the formulation of a new departmentalization to enhance the performance of the company Figure 1: Observing, the General Knowledge Model (figure 1), we can make a comparison of that theory with the case that we are discussing. The Knowledge Creation associates entry of new knowledge into the system, and includes knowledge development, discovery and capture. For the MasterCard case, the Creation would be for both departments the new ideas of new products and also new ideas for product that already exist. That way, it would have do disparity of how those two departments work. Knowledge Retention includes all activities that preserve knowledge and allow it to remain in the system once introduced. Once the new idea is into the system, both parts have to work together to retain this concept into the system, and the only way for this to happen is if that both of the parts have the same knowledge of the concept (product) Knowledge Transfer refers to activities associated with the flow of knowledge from one party to another. This includes communication, translation, conversion, filtering and rendering. That part would be the most important of the process for the two departments. Here, the knowledge of one part would be transfered to the other, that way, the knowledge of the product would be the same for both parts. Last, but not least, Knowledge Utilization includes the activities and events connected with the application of knowledge to business processes. Data Using the Knowledge Acquisition tool, we can come up with important information and data. To start the KA analysis, is important to find out about the human reasoning process and the human cognitive system with its system constraints. After that step, is important to make a division in task characteristics and cognitive characteristics. That way, we can say that Knowledge Acquisition is about different methods to acquire and elicit knowledge; to make knowledge explicit; to stimulate knowledge transfer; to order, systematize and structure knowledge. That way, we can observe the different types of sources for knowledge acquisition. For the case in study, we can say that the way that knowledge is transmitted and acquire trough communication face-to-face between the product and the commercial department. Moreover, the knowledge about the products is also gain trough handbooks and organizational training. With those information, we can collect a data really important, the fact that knowledge is elicit trough structured (organizational training and presentations) and non-structured (communication face-to-face between commercial department and product department) ways. It is very interesting, that with this tool, we can observe that the knowledge both parts have about the same products is really different sometimes. As already expected, the commercial department has knowledge about sales attributes. On the other hand, the product department has more knowledge about the specific points and technological aspects of the product. To end this disparity of knowledge, a good choice would be to change the working ways in those areas, in other words, it would need a reformulation on the organization structure of MasterCard. Results * With the reformulation that was discussed before, the products would be created jointly, aiming each client and their own segmentation, making products no longer offered by the area of general commercial, but a specific form that would be created, allowing you to create a higher perceived value for the customers, since assembling products would create a synergy that would combine expertise in creating products possessed by product area with full knowledge of the client as the commercial area has. For this, the specialists of the products would have a greater knowledge of each type of product offered, reducing the segmentation of the area in premium products, and upscale retail and other products. So each specialist would be responsible for a niche within each client, allowing maintaining focus on the products he considers the most, rather than generalizing all segments within a specialist. This approach As described above, this approach is a way to get the specialists creating products together with managers of commercial accounts, specific products for customers, improving relationships and creating value for these. Moreover, we can say that with this reformulation, knowledge would be more used in the company and that way, the company would be more successful.

Americas vietnam war

Vietnam War, which is also referred to as the second Indochina war was one of the longest and most controversial wars of the 20th century.  The war resulted from the ideological differences which arose after the end of the second war and was instigated by the desire between the America and her allies and the Communist block to curtail the growing influence of the other.   The war occurred largely in Vietnam specifically in Laos and Cambodia from 1955 which was just a decade after the end of the Second World War.Like other nations in the regions, Vietnam found herself divided between two sides serving opposing interest of communist and United States.   North Vietnam was supported by communist allies, largely Soviet Union and China, while South Vietnam was supported by the United States which was advocating for growth of democratic governments in the regions.South Vietnam also enjoyed support from other nations who were members of the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization.   Howev er, the whole war was a protracted struggle between United States and Soviet Union to assume superpower status in the world after the end of the Second World War.[1]The Vietnam War has been described as longest military conflict that United States has every engaged in.   The continued hostilities in Laos and Cambodia led to loss of more than 58,000 American soldiers and civilians serving in the war.   It is also estimated that more than 304,000 were wounded in the course of the war.Up to the end of the war in 1975, Vietnam War had attracted a lot of criticism from not only from American civilians but also leaders in the whole world.   In other word, it was described as a war without a cause and with no justification rather than fulfilling the ego of being the leading nation in the world, which was at the expense Vietnamese and Americans.Vietnam War goes down in history books as one of the humiliating wars that United States had ever engaged in. Despite her military powers, uni ted state lost the war terribly leading to eventual withdrawal from the war in 1975.   [2]The Vietcong, who were slightly armed communist insurgents waged a successful guerilla war using unconventional military tactics and eventually defeated the South Vietnamese Army which was supported by United States and used conventional war and military equipments.The   South Vietnam soldiers allied with the United States forces used superior air strikes to conduct search and destroy tactics which were supported by ground forces, artillery strikes and reinforced with air strikes.   Despite this superiority, United States and the South Vietnam lost the war terribly to the slightly armed communist insurgents.The cause and the reasons why United States lost the Vietnam War has been a subject of debate since then.   Despite deploying its military advisors and combat units, United States could not cope with the insurgence and military tactics that were used by the Vietcong. [3]In the course of the war, Viet Cong suffered a lot of tactical setbacks and lack of military advisors further aggravated their situation.   The main question therefore remains, how did the Viet Cong war strategy give them victory over their enemies despite suffering a number of setbacks?This paper will discuss the Vietnam War specifically   Ã‚  trying to answer the above question. However, the paper will first have an overview of the Vietnam war   looking into how the united states entered the war, the military deployment and how United States forces reinforced South Vietnam forces. Finally the paper will look at the war strategies used during the war and the reason why Vietcong eventually triumphed despite lack of proper military equipments and use of unconventional military strategies.Overview of Vietnam War[4]The genesis of the Vietnam War can be traced to the anti-colonial war that was waged against France.   Famously regarded as the first Indochina war, the first Vietnam War eventua lly culminated to the second Indochina war which attracted the attention of the United States and other anti-communist allies in the world.   After a long Vietnamese struggle that was led by Ho Chin Minh, France was eventually forced to leave Vietnam after more than one hundred years of colonial rule.Communist insurgent forces, which were commanded by General Vo Nguyen Giap eventually defeated French forces in the battle at Dien Bien Phu.   This has been considered as a decisive battle since it convinced France that she could not hold for long in the country and Paris responded by suing for peace. [5]This led to the signing of Geneva Peace Accord in 1954 between France and Vietnam. However, France left Vietnam more divided than she had found the country.In the course of their struggle against France, Vietnam was supported by Soviet Union and the People’s Republic of China  Ã‚   which had been very keen in spreading the communist influence in the region.   Soon after t he end of the Second World War, a protracted struggle had ensued between United States and Soviet Union  Ã‚   based on their ideological difference.Like the Europe   scramble for colonization, the end of the Second World War   led to emergence of another   scramble for ideological colonization. The two ideologies were communist governance championed by Soviet Union, and democratic governance championed by United States.   Vietnam was not immune from this scramble and the country came under influence of the two sides.[6]The Vietnam delegates who went to negotiate for the peace accord with France in Geneva found themselves torn between the two ideological sides.   As a result, the Geneva Accord was awkward negotiated and eventually led to the division of the country into to military zones.For the sake of signing of the peace accord, the delegates in Geneva agreed for the temporally partitioning of the country at the Seventh Parallel which led to emergence of South Korea un der the influence of United States and North Korea under the influence of Moscow and her communist allies, mainly China.The communist bloc did not want to engage in another war with the West in the face of ensuing Korean War and they believed that through political influence, they would soon take over South Vietnam without much struggle.[1] Bell, Philip. â€Å"Remembering Vietnam† Current Affairs Bulletin, Vol. 65, no. 2 (July, 2002): 14 [2] Rand, Corp. Insurgent Organization and Operations: A Case Study of the Viet Cong in the Delta, 1964-1966. (Santa Monica, 1997), 12 [3] Michael, Lanning and Dan, Cragg. Inside the VC and the NVA. (Ballantine Books, 1993), 92 [4] Stanley, Karnow. â€Å"Vietnam: A History†. (Viking Press, 1983), 54 [5] Rand, Corp. Insurgent Organization and Operations: A Case Study of the Viet Cong in the Delta, 1964-1966. (Santa Monica, 1997), 53 [6] Michael, Lanning and Dan Cragg. Inside the VC and the NVA. (Ballantine Books, 1993), 35

An Overview of Ocean Currents and How They Circulate

An Overview of Ocean Currents and How They Circulate Ocean currents are the vertical or horizontal movement of both surface and deep water throughout the world’s oceans. Currents normally move in a specific direction and aid significantly in the circulation of the Earth’s moisture, the resultant weather, and water pollution. Oceanic currents are found all over the globe and vary in size, importance, and strength. Some of the more prominent currents include the California and Humboldt Currents in the Pacific, the Gulf Stream and Labrador Current in the Atlantic, and the Indian Monsoon Current in the Indian Ocean. These are just a sampling of the seventeen major surface currents found in the world’s oceans. The Types and Causes of Ocean Currents In addition to their varying size and strength, ocean currents differ in type. They can be either surface or deep water. Surface currents are those found in the upper 400 meters (1,300 feet) of the ocean and make up about 10% of all the water in the ocean. Surface currents are mostly caused by the wind because it creates friction as it moves over the water. This friction then forces the water to move in a spiral pattern, creating gyres. In the northern hemisphere, gyres move clockwise; while in the southern  hemisphere, they spin counterclockwise. The speed of surface currents is greatest closer to the ocean’s surface and decreases at about 100 meters (328 ft) below the surface. Because surface currents travel over long distances, the Coriolis force also plays a role in their movement and deflects them, further aiding in the creation of their circular pattern. Finally, gravity plays a role in the movement of surface currents because the top of the ocean is uneven. Mounds in the water form in areas where the water meets land, where water is warmer, or where two currents converge. Gravity then pushes this water downslope on the mounds and creates currents. Deepwater currents, also called thermohaline circulation, are found below 400 meters and make up about 90% of the ocean. Like surface currents, gravity plays a role in the creation of deep water currents but these are mainly caused by density differences in the water. Density differences are a function of temperature and salinity. Warm water holds less salt than cold water so it is less dense and rises toward the surface while cold, salt-laden water sinks. As the warm water rises, the cold water is forced to rise through upwelling and fill the void left by the warm. By contrast, when the  cold water rises, it too leaves a void and the rising warm water is then forced, through downwelling, to descend and fill this empty space, creating thermohaline circulation. Thermohaline circulation is known as the Global Conveyor Belt because its circulation of warm and cold water acts as a submarine river and moves water throughout the ocean. Finally, seafloor topography and the shape of the ocean’s basins impact both surface and deep water currents as they restrict areas where water can move and funnel it into another. The Importance of Ocean Currents Because ocean currents circulate water worldwide, they have a significant impact on the movement of energy and moisture between the oceans and the atmosphere. As a result, they are important to the world’s weather. The Gulf Stream, for example, is a warm current that originates in the Gulf of Mexico and moves north toward Europe. Since it is full of warm water, the sea surface temperatures are warm, which keeps places like Europe warmer than other areas at similar latitudes. The Humboldt Current is another example of a current that affects weather. When this cold current is normally present off the coast of Chile and Peru, it creates extremely productive waters and keeps the coast cool and northern Chile arid. However, when it becomes disrupted, Chile’s climate is altered and it is believed that El Nià ±o plays a role in its disturbance. Like the movement of energy and moisture, debris can also get trapped and moved around the world via currents. This can be man-made which is significant to the formation of trash islands or natural such as icebergs. The Labrador Current, which flows south out of the Arctic Ocean along the coasts of Newfoundland and Nova Scotia, is famous for moving icebergs into shipping lanes in the North Atlantic. Currents plan an important role in navigation as well. In addition to being able to avoid trash and icebergs, knowledge of currents is essential to the reduction of shipping costs and fuel consumption. Today, shipping companies and even sailing races often use currents to reduce time spent at sea. Finally, ocean currents are important to the distribution of the world’s sea life. Many species rely on currents to move them from one location to another whether it is for breeding or just simple movement over large areas. Ocean Currents as Alternative Energy Today, ocean currents are also gaining significance as a possible form of alternative energy. Because water is dense, it carries an enormous amount of energy that could possibly be captured and converted into a usable form through the use of water turbines. Currently, this is an experimental technology being tested by the United States, Japan, China, and some European Union countries. Whether ocean currents are used as alternative energy, to reduce shipping costs, or in their natural state to move species and weather worldwide, they are significant to geographers, meteorologists, and other scientists because they have a tremendous impact on the globe and earth-atmosphere relations.