Discrimination and Children Essay

Diversity means the differences between individuals and groups in society arising from gender, ethnic origins, social, cultural or religious background, family structure, disabilities, sexuality and appearance. Diversity is more often perceived as a problem when it really should contribute to the community by strengthening relations between human beings. SHC33. 1 pc[1. 1b] – equality Equality means provision of equal access to opportunities and having the same rights as others. Each child needs to be treated as an individual and in this way people caring for it will be able to promote their right of having access to equality of opportunity and of being treated with equal concern. In this way children are able to progress along the pathway of development and learning. Equality of opportunity means that each individual in society experiences opportunities to achieve and flourish which are as good as the opportunities experiences by other people. Equal concern means taking as much care to promote the opportunities and progress of one child as you do for any other child. SHC33. 1 pc[1. 1c] – inclusion. Inclusion represents a process of identifying, understanding and breaking down barriers to participation and belonging. All settings should work towards inclusion, as applying it means that the setting promotes positive aspects of diversity and offers children equal chances in life. SHC33. 1 pc[1. 2] Describe the potential effects of discrimination. Discrimination means treating someone less or more favourably than other people, because they or their family are seen as belonging to a particular group in society. Discrimination can be classified in open discrimination (sexual and racial harassment) and covert or indirect discrimination (favouring one group over another – this often prevents individuals from participating fully in society because of hidden or unspoken rules). The most common bases of discrimination are: 1. Ethnicity/race (based on an individual’s ethnic/racial background) 2. Gender (based on the sex/gender of the individual) 3. Disability (based on an individual having a disability) 4. Social situation (based on social status) 5. Cultural (based on deference in cultural values) Prejudice is a judgement or opinion, often negative, of a person or group, made without careful consideration or accurate relevant information, which may lead to the view that some people are inferior to, or of less worth or significance. Examples of assumptions causing prejudice: Some people are of less value, or inferior to, or of less worth or significance than others (defined by skin colour, gender, impairment, sexuality, appearance); Some people are less capable than others; One culture/religion or social group is superior to another If a family is not a two-parent nuclear family, with parents of different genders and the same ethnicity, it is not â€Å"normal†. Prejudice leads to discrimination. Effects of discrimination in children can be seen as damaged self-esteem, self-image and self-confidence on the psychic side. Effects on health could lead to particularly mental health such as anxiety or depression. Effects on education could lead to not achieving full potential at school, leading to difficulties in gaining employment. Long term prospects of effects on education could mean getting trapped in a cycle of poverty due to poor education and employment opportunities. Relationship difficulties could lead to difficulties in socialising and forming healthy relationships. The potential effects of discrimination can be different for different people. The effects can be physical, emotional or a combination of both. For example children with disabilities may not be given a chance to join in with activities due to others thinking that their disability prevents them from being able to do so. This will make the child feel very different from others.

Sources of Capital: Owner’s Equity

Owner’s Equity as a Source of Capital Sources of capital come in two forms: debt and equity. Obtaining permanent capital through equity is the capital supplied by the entity’s owners. It is the owner’s share in the financing of all the assets. Richard Scott, United States accounting professor wrote, â€Å"one of the most deep-seated, and incontrovertible concepts embraced by accounting theory today is that of owner’s equity. † Through analysis of the case, we found this to be true. There are different financing costs both a company and its investors face when considering equity financing. It is strangely fascinating that often times, equity financing becomes more costly than debt financing. The analysis of opportunity for both sides of the transaction, financier and debtor, requires multiple formulas and calculations. Options for financing vary in pre-tax earnings and return on investment. For this reason, the options should be thoroughly analyzed to find the best yield for both parties, company and investor. Innovative Engineering Company was founded as a partnership, and within five years became a thriving business bringing with it both success and the need for new permanent capital. The two partners, Gale and Yeaton, estimated the capital need at $1. 2 million. Initially, the partners found interested investors, but none willing to risk their personal assets by participating in a partnership. Though incorporation is more costly and subject to numerous regulations, it provides limited liability to its investors and the ability to raise capital through bonds and stock. The partners planned to form a corporation to secure investors. Under incorporation, owner’s equity becomes stockholder’s equity. The two types of equity are purchased equity, consisting of preferred stock, common stock, and paid in capital, and that of earned equity, also referred to as retained earnings. The later represents profits earned by the company and retained in the business. Owner’s equity is shown on the balance sheet and within the statement of owner’s equity in a company’s financial statements, and is most commonly influenced by income and dividends. Four proposals were developed to attempt to meet the needs of investors in the Innovative Engineering case and the two original partners struggled to maintain ownership control. Proposal A includes a $1. million long-term loan, giving Arbor Capital Corporation 10% common stock. Proposal B includes $200,000 debt, $900,000 preferred stock, and $100,000 common stock. Proposal C includes $600,000 debt, $600,000 equity with 40% common stock. Proposal D includes $300,000 debt, $900,000 equity with 50% common stock. Calculating the impli cations of each proposal is necessary to seek further investors and find the best option for both sides of the transaction. Gale and Yeaton assumed an interest cost of debt at 8% and a dividend rate for preferred stock at 10%. They also assumed pessimistic, best guess, and optimistic variables. The applicable tax rate is 34%. The return on common shareholder’s equity earned under each of the three income assumptions is as follows: Proposal A: Debt = $1,100,000 Taxes= 34% Payment on Debt = $1,100,000(. 08) = $88,000 Common Stock = $1,000,000 Pessimistic NI – Interest Expense+ Tax Savings/Common Stock = $100,000 – 88,000+34,000 = 46,000/1,000,000 = 4. 6% Best Guess $300,000-88,000+102,000 = 314,000/1,000,000 = 31. 4% Optimistic $500,000 – 88,000+170,000 = 514,000/1,000,000 = 51. 4% Proposal B: Debt = $200,000 Payment on Debt = $200,000(. 08) = $16,000 Preferred Stock = $900,000 Dividend Payment for Preferred Stock = $900,000(. 0) = $90,000 Common Stock = $100,000 Common Shareholder’s equity = 1,000,000 Taxes = 34% Pessimistic NI-Interest Expense-Preferred Div+ Tax Savings/Common Stock $100,000-16,000-90,000+34000 = 28,000/1,000,000 = 2. 8% Best Guess $300,000-16,000-90,000+ 102,000= 296,000/1,000,000 = 29. 6% Optimistic $500,000-16,000-90,00 0+170,000 = 564,000/1,000,000 = 56. 4% Proposal C: Debt = $600,000 Payment on Debt = $48,000 Common Stock = $1,500,000 Taxes = 34% Pessimistic NI-Interest Expense+Tax Savings/Common Stock $100,000-48,000+34,000 = 86,000/1,500,000 = 5. 7% Best Guess $300,000-48,000+102,000 = 354,000/1,500,000 =23. 6% Optimistic 500,000-48,000+170,000 = 622,000/1,500,000 = 41. 47% Proposal D: Debt = $300,000 Common Stock = $1,800,000 Taxes = 34% Pessimistic NI-Debt+Tax Savings/Common Stock $100,000-24,000+34,000 = 110,000/1,800,000 = 6. 1% Best Guess $300,000-24,000+102,000 = 378000/1,800,000= 21% Optimistic $500,000-24,000+170,000 = 646,000/1,800,000 = 35. 89% From this, we see proposal D is the optimal investment strategy for Arbor Capital Corporation. The three income assumptions provide higher returns at a more constant rate than the other proposals. For Innovative Engineering Company, proposals A and B are more ideal for meeting their control needs. For a further analysis of earnings, the pre-tax earnings and return on investment are calculated as follows: Pre-Tax = 100,000 / (1-. 34) = 151,515. 15 Proposal A: Debt = $1,100,000 Common Stock = $100,000 Interest = $88,000 Dividend = $21,200 Pre-Tax Earnings = $109,200 (sum – common stock and debt) Return on Investment = 9% (pre-tax earnings / $1,200,000) Proposal B: Debt = $200,000 Preferred Stock = $900,000 Common Stock = $100,000 Interest = $16,000 Preferred Dividend =$90,000 Common Dividend =$10,000 Pre-Tax Earnings = -$64,000 Return on Investment = -5% Proposal C: Debt = $600,000 Common Stock = $600,000 Interest = $48,000 Common Dividend = $240,000 Pre-Tax Earnings = $288,000 Return on Investment = 24% Proposal D: Debt =$300,000 Common Stock = $900,000 Interest = $24,000 Common Dividend = $450,000 Pre-Tax Earnings = $474,000 Return on Investment = 40% Again, proposal D shows the most promise for Arbor Capital Corporation, with larger pre-tax earnings and a greater return on investment. Innovative Engineering Company is in a good position and has options. They should not consider proposal B. Proposal A will give them greater control over the company but comes with large debt financing and is risky. They should consider other investors and should look at options such as warrants. They should further research their options for a large loan. We have found debt financing can be cheaper than equity financing and should be considered. We are certain Innovative Engineering Company could find more attractive financing than proposal D. They should have more options, because their need is success driven versus a start-up company. From outside research we have found there is a natural definition of market efficiency relating capital stock and investment flow. Obviously, equity finance should not be used if it becomes more expensive than debt financing. The company can create value by managing these sources of capital, finding an optimal balance of both. Works Cited Anthony, R. N. , Hawkins, D. F. & Merchant, K. A. (2007). Accounting Text & Cases (12th ed. ). Boston: McGraw-Hill Irwin. Frieden, Roy (2010). â€Å"Asymmetric information and economics. † Physica A. Volume 389 Issue 2. Scott, Richard (1979). â€Å"Owner’s Equity, The Anachronistic Element. † The Accounting Review. Volume 4.

International marketing Assignmnet Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

International marketing Assignmnet - Assignment Example The paper aims at assessing the scope of international marketing in Indonesia in the context of growth and development of international departmental stores in the country. For conducting an overall assessment, macro environmental analysis has been taken in consideration. The company that has been selected for this analysis is Big W, which is Australian by origin and is planning for expansion in Indonesia. Before getting into in-depth analysis a brief background of the company and its product and services has been provided. In context to overseas expansion, the motive behind such decision has also been discussed in the paper. Following company profile, a brief introduction of Indonesia has been provided along with a detailed study of economic, political, legal and cultural atmosphere of the country. Along with the environmental assessment, advantage and disadvantages associated with the location has also been discussed in the paper so that the company can evaluate the situation in a comprehensive manner before committing any resources. The paper is therefore not limited to mere analysis of Indonesian business environment. Instead, conclusion and recommendations are also provided regarding the same. Big W is one of the well-known discount departmental store chains in Australia. The retail chain is a part of Woolworths Ltd and has more than 100 stores all over Australia. The company aims at selling best quality brands at lowest possible cost. The business of Woolworths ltd is highly diverse and it can be said that the company created the subsidiary variety store for complementing Woolworths’ supermarkets. Big W employs approximately 17000 people all over Australia. The company is focused on delivering best quality at the best price, healthy and safe working environment for its employees and fair degree of return to its stakeholders. The store has a number of delivery systems that suit the consumer needs. Big W has recently diversified in the

Japanese Politics and Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Japanese Politics and Culture - Essay Example Electoral System The Koenkai formed during the post war period and can be described as a personal support group for political candidates and those in office. They are formed by the candidates themselves and not the particular party and involve personal acquaintances of every nature and are maintained through the use of personal gestures such as cards and visits which can become expensive for the candidate. It is this expense that led to the creation of what are known as factions. Many actually inherit their koenkai and in 2011 72% of the hereditary candidates were elected to office with the benefit of their koenkai (Neary, p72). The koenkai formation represented an innovative and unique resolution in campaign strategy rather than relying on local politicians and community leaders. Politicians formed the koenkai in response to an inability of aforementioned politicians and leaders to gather enough votes to allow them to win the election. Local politicians are usually made officers of a candidates koenkai, local assemblymen serve as chapter presidents and these koenkai can easily include thousands of members with an example being Nakasone, whose koenkai numbers 50,000 (Curtis, p130). Local politicians give the koenkai a feel of democracy in a mass membership organization and when given titles such as federation chief it becomes more difficult for them to switch their loyalty to another candidate. Their primary function is no longer to gather votes but to add prestige to the koenkai. These koenkai will consist of many groups, including women and youth and other special interest populations. The idea is maintained that it is the will of the people who allow the official to become elected and helps to ensure equal distribution of wealth and income which Japan has... In 2007 political scandal resulted in the suicide of Matsuoka Toshikatsu, Japan’s Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. Though this is a rare occurrence corruption is a constant and prevailing factor in Japanese politics. As a member of the prior ruling liberal democratic party he was extremely influential and involved in bureaucrat led-bid-rigging and political donations from public works contractors to Diet members, allowing opportunity for political expenditures to be hidden used for activities such as vote buying. Shortly before his appointment to be questioned by the House of Counselors’ Budget Committee regarding the misappropriation of political funds Toshikatsu took his own life, followed the next day by associate Yamazaki Shinichi, directly connected to the bid-rigging scandal. Through multiple studies and suggestions there are many possibilities for the long running success of the LDP. Clientelism, the prior electoral system of SNTV/MMD, factions and koenkai, and the preference of the Japanese people to remain within groups may be all strong contributing factors. The Clientelism obviously has led to corruption and essentially makes it much easier to conduct bid-rigging and vote buying as suggested, which led to the suicide of Toshikatsu two years before the LDP lost political power. With the DJP in place it is too soon to know what successes they will create within the government or if they will be able to maintain their power. Naoto Kan, previous Prime Minister, was the sixth Prime Minister in a five year period to be replaced, after his mishandling of the Tsunami disaster that occurred in 2011 and the disaster occurring with the Fukushima nuclear power plant.

European Debt Crisis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

European Debt Crisis - Essay Example According to Investopedia (2012) the crisis led to the reduction of the confidence of the market for European businesses and economies. In contrast, according to the version of Constancio (2012), the European sovereign debt crisis emerged only in spring 2010. The European sovereign debt crisis is the climax of the banking crisis resulting from the demise of the Lehman Brothers and the resulting bailout extended by governments to their banking system (Constancio 2012). In other words, it is held that the European debt crisis started out as a financial crisis from the Lehman Brothers. In the climax of the crisis, government was forced to support the financial system, creating large debts for government leading to the sovereign debt crisis. II. Impact on bond and other markets (equity, derivatives, commodities, forex, gold, etc.) Constancio (2012) has a good discussion on the emergence of European sovereign debt crisis and its impact on the financial markets. We use his interpretation. After the failure of the Lehman Brothers, the ECB or the European Central Bank implemented a policy of strong credit support and measures to boost liquidity way above than what could be achieved by a mere interest rate policy. The European government implemented measures to increase the maturities for debts, more access to foreign currencies and a program of bond purchases. The European sovereign debt crisis became severe with Moody’s downgrade of Portugal on 5 July 2011 (Constancio 2012). The situation plus the risk of a Greek default triggered a sell-off of Italian and Spanish assets. The initial effects of a sovereign debt crisis are for bond yields to go up. However, investors find it appropriate to reduce their exposures to government bonds in view of risks that governments may not be able to pay for their debts. Simultaneously, markets can expect that the foreign exchange markets can be affected substantially as demand for currencies affected by the crisis can significa ntly go down, proportional to the perception of the extent that the would be affected by the sovereign debt crisis. The effect on the foreign exchange market is important as the effects reverberate on the equities, commodities and derivatives markets. Expected depreciation of currencies affected by the sovereign debt crisis can lead to falling equities, commodity prices and derivative prices. However, as markets are interrelated, or as companies in one country may have investments in companies directly affected by the sovereign debt crisis, all of the financial markets are affected. The more correlated the companies in a region, for example, the more the rest of the markets are affected by the sovereign debt crisis in one country and soon, especially as governments respond to the crisis with bailouts and enhanced liquidity, the correlated governments and economies are affected by the sovereign debt crisis and not only the countries that were initially affected by the sovereign debt crisis. In contrast, to the extent that gold is seen as a store value of value, gold prices can pick up and enjoy a better market. When the financial markets are in doldrums and gold is seen as the better store of value than the bonds, equities, commodi

Police role descriptions in the media Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Police role descriptions in the media - Essay Example Being a bank of almost all the police stories in the United States, this website serves as an accessible source for the most recent happenings which concerns police and their activities. Four stories will be chosen depicting these four police roles. An analysis will be offered whether this depicted role is real or not. During December 21, 2007, the Salt Lake Country Sheriff's Office boasted of seizing more than 400 pounds of exotic, African-based drug called "khat" which is reported to be sweeping the whole United States. The drug is typically chewed and similar with other illegal drugs, produces a feeling of euphoria inducing hypnosis, hyperactivity, hallucinations, violence, suicidal depression and physical exhaustion. Even though not as intense as cocaine, "khat" has the ability of reducing a person's motivation with continued use (Winslow and Reavy 2007). Even though the price of khat is expected to discourage consumption among the low and middle income classes, the police expect that it will be a phenomenal drug for young adults because of it can be chewed instead of being injected or smoked (Winslow and Reavy 2007). The effort of seizing the drugs is a way to combat the problems which is associated with drug addiction once a distribution network is set-up. It should be noted that khat is gaining popularity indicated by the presence of 25 tons of smuggled khat in the United States in 2006 (Winslow and Reavy 2007). In this story, the highlighted police role is crime fighter whereby the police act in order to fight the crime of drug smuggling, illegal drug trafficking, and the likelihood of drug abuse which can disrupt peace and order in the community. In this particular story, I believe that the media has no intention of romanticizing the story by clearly labeling police as a crime fighter. Since the story only talks about the seizure of khat and the likely effects of khat abuse, the role of the police as a crime fighter stated in here is real. I believe that police are really committed in combating drug smuggling, drug trafficking, and drug abuse because it being unable to stop them can post larger problems for them in the future. Social Servant The Associated Press releases a very heart-warming Christmas story of a policeman in Philadelphia. This story relates how transit officer Steven Rocher helps a woman deliver her baby while he is on his way to deliver presents to his mother's home. Hearing a woman scream for help while lying in this sidewalk, this transit officer immediately halted and responded to the woman's plea. Even though inexperienced in the task, he managed to deliver the baby and communicated his gladness that the baby is safe. After the delivery, Rocher also flagged down a colleague in order to bring the mother and the newborn baby to the nearest hospital (PA helps deliver 2007). This story recounts how an officer can be a social servant by going beyond his

Use of ijarah sukuk by Islamic banks Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Use of ijarah sukuk by Islamic banks - Essay Example The intention of this study is Ijarah Sukuk as a type of sukuk based on leased assets, involves securities of the same value of every issue, and stands for long lasting physical assets. These assets are attached to an ijarah contract that is based on Shari’a. On that note, there are several reasons why Ijarah Sukuk is considered a contentious financial instrument. For example, Ijarah Sukuk permits corporate customers access to other methods of Islamic refinancing. In addition it grants Islamic organizations a way of handling their liquidity. In contrast, lack of global standards on the acceptable commodities facilitates the establishment of an appropriate global interbanking market. Furthermore, there is always the problem of over taxation because Ijarah Sukuk holders possess assets that they fund such as capital gains tax, value added tax and double stamp duty land tax. This affects its growth as the minimum revenue accrued is diminished during over taxation. Similarly, Ijara h sukuk is viewed as a contentious financial instrument because it only offers securitization. Ijarah sukuk and not any other lease bond securitize this means that the revenue produced. There is also the issue of principal-agent challenges. This entails lack of financial capability by Islamic banks to manage its principal-agent challenges. Therefore, this affects long-term funding due to insufficient credit in the market. In this case, a bank may decide to use readily accessible conventional lease bonds because ijarah sukuk is not applicable for long financial projects (Ayub, 2009, p.65). Alternatively, there is the unavailability of ijarah sukuk investments in the market especially to low-earning businesspersons. It is only available to wealthy men hence it widens the space between the rich and poor. On that note, we can say that ijarah sukuk needs organizations with many assets and these assets must not be impeded by other factors. Furthermore, deals involving ijarah sukuk are oft en deficient of legal infrastructure within upcoming markets especially in relation to trusts or property. On the other perspective, less designed variants of sukuk gets disheartened by the economic likeness of ijarah sukuk and fixed-income goods of conventional lease bonds because of the ideologies of profits and loss sharing. There is also the investment law that governs ijarah sukuk whereby limitations of foreign ownership transfer taxes with large ownership may deter the genuine sales of an asset. Another contention with ijarah sukuk is its complex structure when granted in a non-Islamic nation may result to attempts to counter the problem of designing a tax proficient structure that complies with Shari’a (Lewis & Hassan 2007, p.54). Additionally, ijarah sukuk as a financial tool requires care in terms of bank considerations. This is because of the tendency of sukuk transaction to establish a shared interest of beneficial possession for the sukuk proprietor. 2. Difference s and similarities between Ijarah Sukuk and the conventional lease bond There are various similarities and disparity between Ijarah Sukuk and the conventional lease bond. In our case, we will begin with the differences. For instance, the role of sukuk in the Islamic finance perspective is sharing. Therefore, those

Innovation Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Innovation Management - Essay Example Spin-Brush, a unique electric toothbrush received this protection from the United States government that kept it flourishing over its competitors over a great period of time. This right has kept away the many competitors in the market from using the design and packaging of Spin-Brush thereby making the product to remain relevant and outstanding in the market. The ‘try-me’ design in which Spin-Brush has been devised attracts most customers to it and probably many firms would want to exploit that so they could also drive in many consumers. This has been protected by the patent rights that Osher received. Patent has also made it easy to license it with companies such as Crest. Its value has continued to be high since many competitors are kept away from altering it making it be the only product with those features. Customers therefore find it conspicuous compared to other products due to packaging and design. Companies are likely to respond in different ways as they try to counter-neutralise the domination of Spin-Brush so that they may remain relevant in the competitive industry. There is a possibility of lowering the prices of electric brushes that previously sold at higher prices than that of Spin-Brush in order to attract customers. Also, companies are likely to mount promotional campaigns to create awareness concerning their products in the markets (Fox, 2013:147). Spin-Brush producers need to increase even more their advertisements and field demonstrations showing how efficient their product is. A counter-promotional strategy would work best to minimise rise of these other competitive companies since the design and packaging in which Spin-Brush is made favours it over other players in the industry. Other inventions are more likely to come up in areas that are not covered by the patent right such as technological know-how behind the production. Consequently, the

How to win the cold war Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

How to win the cold war - Essay Example If there was any doubt in the hearts and minds of the American people as to rather or not they were able to face the struggles ahead those fears were squashed under the triumph of Johnson’s words. Johnson presented what he felt was key to the success of the U.S. in the cold war. He wanted the nation to get back to work and called for the production industries to beef up their rate of production. Johnson felt that the nation needed to be prepared. The preparations that they were to make would serve to ensure that not only America stayed supplied, but any allies. Johnson wanted the nation to be ready to help any allies who happened to run low due to the costs of the war be supplied with the materials they would need to fight the war and win. He said, â€Å"America’s production machine must grow-and grow rapidly† Clearly there was not doubt in Johnson’s mind that American would be successful. President Johnson also had special desires for Texas and the American West. He had confidence in all of the country but he felt that these areas should be delegated special responsibility. Johnson felt that it was in the west that the expansion should take place. He said that it is in the west that America found its strength and that this area, although having become America’s backbone in a sense, has not been fully utilized. There was a great bounty of resources in the west, according to Johnson, that could be used to help America and her allies sustain themselves during the heat of a war. Therefore Johnson encouraged the western Americans to take courage and be prepared to work hard and give of their natural resourced to come to the aid off their country who would need them in the midst of the war. Therefore much of the responsibility of increasing production fell on companies in the west. Some of these surely were glad for the increased business. Johnson was ready to lead the country into a bold victory. He was not going

LVMH †Fashion & Leather Goods Essay Example for Free

LVMH – Fashion Leather Goods Essay LVMH, known as Moà «t Hennessy †¢ Louis Vuitton, is a French conglomerate and the largest producer of luxury goods in the world. LVMH was formed in 1987 with the merger of Moet et Chandon a champagne manufacturer, Hennessy a cognac manufacturer, and Louis Vuitton a fashion house. The LVMH group is comprised over five sectors: Fashion Leather Goods, Wine Spirits, Perfumes Cosmetics, Watches Jewelry, and Selective retailing. This external analysis will focus on the fashion and leather goods sector, which accounts for 30% of the company’s total revenue. Analytical Tools To grasp a better understanding of the fashion and leather goods industry, this analysis will use the PESTEL and Michael Porter’s five forces methods to assess the external opportunities and threats. PESTEL is an effective analytical tool to determine the social and economical trends at a macro-level. Comprehending these factors can assist a company with its business strategies and vision. Porter’s five forces is a great tool when rivalry is so intense. It defines the competitive intensity and overall industry profitability. Louis Vuitton, Fendi, Loewe, Marc Jacobs, Donna Karen, Celine, Thomas Pink, and Givenchy are few popular brands that form the fashion and leather goods sector of LVMH. These brands have a total of 1,280 stores worldwide. â€Å"The development of our fashion and leather goods brands is based on three inseparable principles: leading edge expertise, constantly cultivated creativity, and a search for excellence in distribution. (www.lvmh.com).† With LVMH’s major strategic priorities to continue developing Louis Vuitton, strengthening brand image, and projecting profitable growth of the other fashion brands, it is critical to understand the external factors that may affect them. Louis Vuitton had another year of double-digit revenue growth. The Fashion and leather goods showed an increase of 7% revenue in 2012. Louis Vuitton’s brand value has steadily increased since 2004 and has eroded its competitors. (Refer to two graphs below). Currently, LVMH has 9.5% of the market share in the fashion and leather goods industry. * Luxury Goods * Louis Vuitton PESTEL Political Factor Politics does not play a large role in the fashion and leather industry. However, issues of policies and country regulations, such as customs, import VAT and consumption taxes can impact an industry. For example, country regulations such as the Lanham Act that protects the sale of counterfeit merchandise. This Act prohibits infringement activities such as false advertising and trademark copying. â€Å"Congress has passed the Sherman Antitrust Act, the Wilson Tariff Act, The Clayton Antitrust Act and the Robinson-Patman Act, along with various other regulations regarding unfair competition (IBISWorld, 2013, p. 36). â€Å" In the US, the level of regulation is light and trends are steady. Economic Factor  Economic issues of late 2008 have led to what economists refer to as a recession. Despite the recession in the past five years, the IBISWorld estimates that there will be in annual increase in revenue of 1.2% to $9.2 billion. â€Å"As the economy rebounds during the next five years, industry revenue is forecast to grow at an even faster annualized rate of 4.6% to reach $11.5 billion by the end of 2018 (IBISWorld, 2013, p. 5).† According to IBISWorld, per capita disposable income is expected to increase in 2013. An increase in income usually increases consumer’s purchasing power; this will create multiple opportunities for this industry. In 2010, the purchasing power has slowly begun to rebound and sustained industry profits, estimating margins to account for 10.7% of revenue in 2013. With an improvement in economy and unemployment rates, Generation Y (born between 1980-1995) is expected to increase their purchasing power. Sales of luxury goods rely heavily on Asian markets. According to IBISWorld, China is now the fastest growing foreign market. With the economic growth of China, the amount of disposable income is increasing which is causing an increase demand for luxury items. Nearly 25% of Louis Vuitton sales come from Asia. Sociocultural Factor LVMH has a wide range of consumers from different backgrounds. It is imperative that they are aware of religion, race, culture, and buying habits in every country. For instance, worldwide people are more dependent on the Internet, signifying that the methods of how people purchase goods are changing. With high rates of travel within US and abroad, there is a greater demand for luggage and leather accessories. Technological Factor Technological advances in machinery and management software can assist in forecasting demand, managing inventory, and speed up production. There are many tools that industry participant’s use: * Management information systems (MIS) and electronic data processing (EDP) * Consist of full range of retail, financial, and merchandising systems * PC-based point-of-sale (POS) * Equipped with barcode readers * Electronic barcode scanning systems Ecological Factor With an increase awareness of animal cruelty and environmental issues, the luxury goods industry should be familiar with the ecological concerns. Ecological trends could influence consumers purchase decisions as well as the perception of the brand. Legal Factor All fashion and leather goods industry will have to comply with rules and regulations. LVMH should be aware of laws that protect consumers, competitors, and corporations. For instance, comprehending labor laws and intellectual property laws. Threat of Entry The Asian luxury goods market has shown strong rates of growth in recent years. Chinese and Indian retailers are making growing fast, which increases the industries attractiveness to new entrants. Nevertheless, old players in this industry have the advantage of sustaining brand loyalty. â€Å"New operators may find it difficult to enter the industry, as these large corporations already hold a substantial portion of the market (IBISWorld, 2013, p.24).† Power of Suppliers The key suppliers in the luxury goods market are clothing manufacturers and wholesalers. Many companies are outsourcing to foreign manufacturers and increasing supplier options. Due to low-wage regions like China and India, supplier power has decreased through its competition. Power of Buyers This industry has a wide range of buyers and each customer should be seen as an individual consumer, which weakens the buyer power. In fashion and leather goods, LVMH can differentiate themselves through the unique styles and exclusive products. Threat of Substitutes There are many substitutes for luxury goods, including counterfeit and homemade goods. However, luxury goods are so highly differential, and consumers with disposable income will make the investment. Rivalry Among Existing Competitors The fashion and leather goods market is divided, creating room for many smaller players. While the industry shows high margins, LVMH has outperformed its competitors. As an older player with a highly differentiated product line, LVMH has a competitive advantage, setting it apart from competition.

Diabetic With Exertional Dyspnea and Anasarca: Case Study

Diabetic With Exertional Dyspnea and Anasarca: Case Study A fifty year old gentleman, a known diabetic and hypertensive presented with exertional dyspnea and fluid overload. He was detected to have renal failure and associated evidence of cardiac disease, cardiorenal syndrome Type 4. He improved with decongestive therapy and conservative management. In view of the presence of microvascular complications of diabetes, he was diagnosed as diabetic nephropathy stage 5 and initiated on maintenance haemodialysis. The approach to diabetics with renal involvement and the issues in their management is discussed. Case summary A fifty year old gentleman a known diabetic and hypertensive for eight years presented with exertional dyspnea of one month duration. Dyspnoea on exertion had been progressively worsening for one month with orthopnea for one day. He complained of cough accompanied with  ½ a cup per day of mucoid non foul smelling, non blood stained sputum for last one month. He complained of swelling feet with worsening of dyspnoea for last four days. No h/o chest pain, PND, syncope, wheeze or fever. He was a chronic smoker (25 pack yrs) and a reformed alcohol consumer 240 gms/day for 15yrs. What would be your analysis of symptoms? The exertional dyspnea is suggestive of cardiovascular system involvement. In a diabetic, hypertensive and chronic smoker, coronary artery disease or hypertensive heart disease would be common possibilities. Cough with wheeze in a smoker could be COPD in exacerbation with cor pulmonale accounting for the exertional dyspnea and swelling feet, however orthopnea, a sign of left sided cardiac involvement would be uncommon. Additionally, the duration of cough is too short to qualify for COPD. Infective causes of cough like tuberculosis need to be excluded although they cannot account for all symptoms. He also complained of decreased urine output and puffiness of face for last four days. There is no history of altered behaviour, haematuria, smoky urine, nocturia, dysuria, hesitancy or precipitancy. Two years ago patient during evaluation prior to surgery for prolapsed disc was found a creatinine of 1.5mg%. Does the differential diagnosis change in the light of the additional information? The complaints of oliguria and puffiness of face suggests renal failure with fluid overload state. It is common for Type 2 diabetics, especially with accompanying hypertension to present with early renal involvement. Therefore, although the duration of diabetes is only eight years, the cause of renal failure could still be diabetic nephropathy. The presence of renal involvement two years ago is a clue to the chronic nature of renal involvement. An acute on chronic renal failure due to respiratory tract infection could account for the sudden worsening over one month. On examination, pulse 84 / min, regular, BP 190/110 mm Hg, respiratory rate 28/min, thoraco abdominal , JVP 8 cm above sternal angle, Facial puffiness, pallor and pitting edema in upper and lower limbs noted. Trophic skin changes in lower limb were present. No asterixis, Icterus, clubbing, cyanosis or lymphadenopathy seen. Respiratory system examination revealed extensive wheeze and coarse crackles. The heart sounds were normal with no pericardial rub. Liver was enlarged, span 15cm,soft, nontender and ascites was not elicitable. Fundoscopy revealed early nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy. Rest of neurological examination was normal. What is your analysis with the given clinical findings? The patient has anasarca with pallor and hypertension. The presence of diabetic retinopathy also suggests microvascular complications have set in. Diabetic nephropathy with fluid overload state can explain most of the signs and symptoms. An associated cardiac disease like coronary artery disease may be present. Diastolic heart failure is common accompaniment that may be contributing the signs of right heart failure. Cardiac asthma can account for the new onset wheeze in a diabetic. Diabetic nephropathy with a possible cardiac pathology, cardiorenal syndrome is the most likely diagnosis. What is cardiorenal syndrome? Cardiorenal syndrome (CRS) is a pathophysiologic entity involving the heart and kidneys where acute or chronic dysfunction of one organ may result in acute or chronic dysfunction of the other. CRS Type 1 reflects an abrupt worsening of cardiac function as is seen in acute cardiogenic shock or in a patient of congestive heart failure who has decompensated leading to acute kidney injury. CRS Type 2 comprises the group of patient with chronic congestive heart failure resulting in progressive chronic renal failure. CRS Type 3 consists of an abrupt worsening of kidney function (e.g., acute renal failure or glomerulonephritis) causing acute cardiac dysfunction (e.g., arrhythmia, ischemia, heart failure). CRS Type 4 refers to a state of chronic kidney disease (e.g., chronic interstitial nephritis, chronic glomerulonephritis) contributing to left ventricular hypertrophy and poor cardiac function. CRS Type 5 reflects a systemic condition like sepsis resulting in simultaneous cardiac and renal dysfunction. Our patient seems to have Cardiorenal syndrome Type 4. The biochemical parameters, ECG and echocardiography will be needed to make a firm diagnosis. Investigations revealed Hb 10.5g/dl, TLC 13300/cumm, DLC P91L7, platelets 2.78lac/cumm, Urine albumin 4+, granular casts+, blood urea 89mg/dL, serum creatinine 5.8mg/dL, serum Na 115mmol/L, serum K 3.1mmol/L, blood sugar fasting 102mg/dL, postprandial 156mg/dL,HbA1C 6.6%, serum bilirubin 0.5mg/dL, calcium 8.4mg/dL, phosphate 3.2mg/dL, iPTH 6.9pg/ml, CKMB 19mg/dL, serum iron 48  µg /dL, serum TIBC 243 µg/dL, transferrin saturation 19.7%, HBsAg negative, Anti HCV Negative, HIV Negative. Ultrasound revealed medical renal Disease with bilateral renal cysts, size of right kidney 8.5 cms left kidney 9.5 cms. Chest radiograph showed cardiomegaly with prominent hilar markings. ECG showed T wave inversion in I, aVL,V4- V6 suggestive of strain pattern and left ventricular hypertrophy by voltage criteria. 2-D ECHO showed concentric LVH, No RWMA, EF 0.65,diastolic dysfunction, trivial TR and no AS/AR. Could this patient have nondiabetic renal disease? Is there an indication for kidney biopsy to confirm renal diagnosis in this patient? In a diabetic with kidney disease, it would be presumed that the proteinuria and azotemia is due to diabetic nephropathy especially if there is associated retinopathy and normal sized kidneys. There is no necessity to perform a kidney biopsy to confirm diabetic nephropathy as it would make no difference in the management. However, a diabetic is also prone to other nondiabetic renal diseases as in the general population that may need histopathological examination and warrant specific therapy. The clues that the renal failure is due to nondiabetic renal disease requiring a biopsy are summarised. Asymmetric kidneys or small sized kidneys are also clues to a nondiabetic renal disease but donot warrant biopsy. Our patient has near normal sized kidneys (right kidney small) with proteinuria and nonproliferative retinopathy, hence there is no requirement to biopsy. Retinopathy is present in 65% of cases of DMType2 with nephropathy, hence absence of retinopathy doesnot rule out nephropathy. Biopsy not indicated when Typical evolution of renal disease Concomitant retinopathy Biopsy should be considered when Renal manifestations are seen atypically (5-8 g/day) persists despite lowering of blood pressure * Only for Type 1 diabetes What are the stages of diabetic nephropathy? What stage is the patient in? The stages of diabetic nephropathy are as summarised in the table. Microalbuminuria is the earliest clinically detectable evidence of onset of nephropathy in a diabetic. About 20-25% of diabetics develop nephropathy in their lifetimes. The time after diagnosis has been validated after followup of Type1 diabetics and doesnot hold true for type 2 diabetics because the the time of onset of diabetes is not clearcut ina given case. It is not uncommon for clinically evident nephropathy to be present when type 2 diabetes is detected. Our patient has established renal failure, hence is in stage 5 diabetic nephropathy. Stage Glomerular filtration Albuminuria Blood pressure Time interval 1 Renal hyperfunction Elevated Absent Normal At diagnosis 2 Clinical latency High normal Absent 3Microalbuminuria Within the normal range 20-200 ÃŽ ¼g/min (30-300 mg/day) Rising within or above the normal range 5-15 years 4 Proteinuria (overt nephropathy) Decreasing 200 ÃŽ ¼g/min (300 mg/day) Increased 10-15 years 5 Renal failure Diminished Massive Increased 15-30 years What is the difference in nephropathy in Type 1 diabetes and type2 diabetes? Type 1 Diabetes with nephropathy Type 2 Diabetes with nephropathy Follows classical stages Hypertension is usually due to renoparenchymal aetiology Retinopathy 90-100 % concordance Non diabetic renal disease rare Less consistent Primary hypertension commoner (metabolic syndrome) Retinopathy 60% concordance Non diabetic renal disease 20-30% Define microalbuminuria. What is the relevance of finding microalbuminuria in a diabetic? Microabuminuria is defined as the presence of 30-300 mg albumin/24 hrs urine collection or 20-200microgm/mt in a timed urine sample in atleast 2/3 samples over 6 months in the absence of fever, infection, physical exercise, uncontrolled blood pressure or sugar, cardiac failure or haematuria. The importance of the finding is that it indicates endothelial dysfunction and is a predictor of diabetic nephropathy in 80% and 40% Type1 and Type2 diabetics. It is also is a predictor of cardiovascular mortality and is strongly associated with insulin resistance and hypertension. In a given patient it is a clue to the clinician to institute aggressive control of blood pressure and hyperglycemia to prevent progression of diabetic nephropathy. The patient was managed with loop diuretics, plain insulin, inhaled bronchodilators, nitroglycerine drip and oxygen therapy. After initial stabilisation, he continued to have raised serum creatinine, hence was initiated on maintenance haemodialysis as a case of diabetic nephropathy with ESRD. What happens to the hyperglycemia with the onset of diabetic nephropathy? What treatment modifications are required to be made for glycemic control? With the onset of nephropathy, the insulin requirement decreases and patient becomes more prone to hypoglycaemia because the half life of insulin is prolonged, renal gluconeogenesis decreases, food intake is decreased, half life of oral hypoglycemics is prolonged, diabetic gastropathy delays gastric emptying and patient frequently vomits food due to uraemia. Infact if a well controlled diabetic develops episodes of unexplained hypoglycaemia, then one needs to look for evidence of nephropathy. Biguanides and long acting sulfonylureas are contraindicated in the presence of renal failure. Glimepride and glipizide may be used if serum creatinine is less than 2mg/dL. With more advanced renal failure, patient should be shifted to insulin therapy. What are the measures that can prevent the progression of diabetic nephropathy? Large randomised control trials like IDNT and RENAAL have provided clear evidence that angiotensin receptor blockers help to prevent progression of diabetic nephropathy. The ADVANCE trial provided similar evidence for angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors. A target blood pressure of 130/80 mmof Hg is recommended for diabetics with proteinuria. Intensive treatment of hyperglycemia with tight blood sugar control has shown to reduce the incidence of micovascular complications including nephropatrhy in multiple studies like DCCT, UKPDS and ADVANCE. Cessation of smoking, avoidance of high protein diet and control of hyperlipidemia also seem to be beneficial. Once overt renal failure has set in then tight blood sugar control may not prevent further progression of nephropathy and the risk of hypoglycaemia increases, hence the physician should use discretion in prescribing antidiabetic therapy. What are the issues in dialysis of patients with diabetic nephropathy? Although diabetics with ESRD are candidates for all renal replacement therapy (RRT) options as nondiabetics, there are many factors that make it challenging to provide RRT in a diabetic. Associated coronary artery disease and diastolic dysfunction, high incidence of fistula failure due to atherosclerosed vessels, heparin (given during haemodialysis) related bleed due to associated retinopathy, decreased osmotic gradient and poor clearance in CAPD, poor tolerance to uraemic symptoms, diabetic cystopathy and gastroparesis, preponderance to low turnover bone disease, higher incidence of infections, autonomic neuropathy, elderly age group of patients with attendant social and logistic issues all contribute to poor survival in diabetics compared to nondiabetics. Final diagnosis Diabetic nephropathy in end stage renal disease with Cardiorenal syndrome Type 4 Commentary Diabetic nephropathy has become the commonest cause of chronic kidney disease in both the western world and developing countries. Classical stages of diabetic nephropathy described in Type 1 diabetics may not be evident in the progression of kidney disease associated with Type 2 diabetics. Measures to prevent progression of diabetic nephropathy should be aggressively instituted. Patients of diabetes Type2 with kidney disease additionally have associated cardiac disease making the management of such patients challenging. Cardiorenal syndromes encountered in various situations have been recently described that have improved our understanding of the complex pathophysiology and may open new avenues of treatment in the future. Take home message Diabetic nephropathy is the commonest cause of ESRD and developing countries are likely to face an epidemic in the next two decades. Cardiorenal syndrome (Types1-5) is a recently described pathophysiological condition that has furthered our understanding of the complex interrelation between heart failure and kidney failure in diverse clinical settings. Why Are Informal Networks Important? Why Are Informal Networks Important? Introduction Informal organizations affect decisions within the formal organization but either, are omitted from the formal scheme or are not consistent with it. They consist of interpersonal relationships that are not mandated by the rules of the formal organization but arise spontaneously in order to satisfy individual members needs Ever since the Hawthorne Studies (Mayo, 1949) and the development of the Human Relations school of thought, there has been a widespread tendency towards adopting a less scientific view of organisations. There has also been a relaxation of the assumption of rational behaviour by employees and behaviour that is strictly in tune with the goals of management and the rest of the organisation. As Mayo states: In every department that continues to operate, the workers have, whether aware of it or not, formed themselves into a group with appropriate customs, duties, routines, even rituals; and management succeeds (or fails) in proportion, as it is accepted without reservation by the group as authority and leader (Mayo, 1949) This indicates that individuals in organisations do not stop being social beings while at work. This in turn relates to the very core of the essential question of how to define an organisation. The underlying assumption in this paper will be that organisations are basically a web of coalitions and that coalition building is an important dimension of all organisational life (Morgan, 1997). In consequence, various approaches have been undertaken in order to try and understand organisations. By mainly focusing on communication as the vehicle of social structures, sociologists have described organisations as structures of social interactions in a specific organisational context or culture (White, 1970). Psychologists relaxed and redefined the assumption of rational behaviour in order to understand and describe the needs of individuals in organisations. This has led to a multitude of ways to describe organisational structures, often through metaphors (Morgan, 1997). There has been a shift in the traditional view of the role of the manager and his or her workday (Mintzberg, 1973). By not relying on the normative division of work into planning, organising, coordinating and controlling, Mintzberg suggested that the workday of a manager was much less structured and based on intuition rather than formal decision making processes. What becomes apparent regardless of the method of analysis of the underlying premise is that no organisation can be described or mapped in a satisfactory manner using just formal organisational methods, let alone be managed on that basis. The Structure of Informal Networks It is important to present the concepts associated with intra-organisational social networks. The optimal terminology to describe the informal organisation depends on the purpose of the analysis. There is no one best way to interpret informal networks (Mintzberg, 1989). Informal networks in organisations are likened with the nervous system of a living organism, whereas the bones represent the formal organisation (Krackhardt and Hanson, 1993). Staying with the analogy of the human body, a superficial comparison can be made between the skeleton and the nervous system, and informal/ formal networks within organisations to help understand the function of these networks. The formal organisation is compared to a skeleton which is a strong and rigid frame and the informal organisation is compared to the nervous system which is fragile yet flexible. The skeleton is visible, whereas the nervous system is an entity with no structure without definite subdivisions. Without determined, close obse rvation, it might be difficult to recognise (Han, 1983). Why do Informal Networks Exist? Informal networks exist in every organisation and are an inevitable function within them. Individuals do not stop being social beings when placed in a formal work setting. When highlighting some of the motives for the creation and maintenance of informal networks within organisations, it is important to distinguish between unconscious and conscious reasons for their existence. Affiliation needs: To satisfy the need for belonging to a group, individuals will tend to join networks of friendship and support. As a result, a part of ones individuality is sacrificed to conform to group norms. Identity and self-esteem: Belonging to a group or informal network can develop, enhance and confirm an individuals sense of identity as a result of the personal interaction. Social needs: Traditional formal networks within organisations often offer little room for emotions, feelings or sharing of personal thought, informal networks serve as an agent for structuring and supporting a shared social reality. By relying on this social reality, individuals can reduce uncertainty and stress. Informal groups also help members to compensate for feeling of dissatisfaction with the formal leader, organization or official communication system (Han, 1983). Defence mechanism: In the face of perceived threat or general uncertainty, group cohesion can act as a defence mechanism to reduce (perceived) uncertainty and strengthen each individuals ability to respond to the threat. Risk reduction: Through diluting blame and aggregating praise, a group of workers perceive risk to a lesser extent than they would as individuals. Thus unconscious efforts of individuals to control the conditions of their existence will lead to the creation of informal groups. In addition, often more practical and very clear unambiguous conscious reasons for the creation and development of informal networks also exist. The need to know: One of the primary characteristics of the informal structure within organisations is their communications network, often referred to as the grapevine. Studies have shown grapevine communication to be both fast and surprisingly accurate (Crampton et al., 1998). And in situations when information is critically needed by an individual to perform the task at hand, the grapevine can prove and efficient vehicle for news and information, thus bypassing the formal channels of communication (Mintzberg, 1973). Politics: One of the more conscious reasons for the use of informal networks within organisations is that employees might choose to use informal channels of communication to influence colleagues or superiors in order to gain an advantage in organisational politics. Politics refers to individual or group behaviour, that is informal, ostensibly parochial, typically divisive, and above all, in the technical sense, illegitimate, sanctioned neither by formal authority, accepted ideology, nor certified expertise (though it may exploit any one of these) (Mintzberg, 1983) What is the Informal Organisation? Chester Bernard, a pioneering management theorist who studying organisational behaviour, in the classic The Functions of the Executive, described the informal organisation as any joint personal activity without conscious joint purpose, even though it contributes to joint results. Thus, the informal relationships established between groups of colleagues going for a drink after work on a Friday may actually help in the achievement of reaching organisational goals (Barnard, 1938). More recently the informal organisation has been described as a network of personal and social relations not established or required by the formal organization but arising spontaneously as people associate with one another (Davis and Newstrom, 1985). Thus, informal relationships do not appear on the organisational chart but do include relationships such as chatting together, having lunch or even getting together outside of work hours to socialise together. Informal Group Dynamics at Work Managers are often not aware that within every organisation there are group pressures that influence and regulate employee behaviour, performance and motivation. Informal groups can form their own code of ethics and an unspoken set of standards in establishing acceptable behaviour. Manager needs to be aware of the power and influence informal groups have and that they will almost inevitably form if the opportunity arises. These groups can have an extremely powerful impact on the achievement of organisational effectiveness. However the influence of these groups can be controlled and resisted if handled efficiently. The impact of informal behaviour within the formal organisational setting depends on the norms that the group adheres to. As this is the case it can be surmised that the informal organisation can make the formal organisation either more or less effective depending on how it is managed and controlled and interacts within a company. References BARNARD, C. I. 1938. The functions of the executive, Cambridge, Harvard university press. CRAMPTON, S. M., HODGE, J. W. MISHRA, J. M. 1998. The Informal Communication Network: Factors Influencing Grapevine Activity. Public Personnel Management. DAVIS, K. NEWSTROM, J. 1985. Human Behavior at Work. New York: Mc Graw Hill. HAN, P. E. 1983. The Informal Organization Youve Got to Live With. Supervisory Management 28. KRACKHARDT, D. HANSON, J. R. 1993. Informal networks : the company behind the chart, Harvard Business Review. MAYO, E. 1949. The social problems of an industrial civilization. Routhledge. MINTZBERG, H. 1973. The nature of managerial work, New York ; London, Harper and Row. MINTZBERG, H. 1983. Power in and around organizations, Englewood Cliffs ; London, Prentice-Hall. MINTZBERG, H. 1989. Mintzberg on management : inside our strange world of organizations, New York London, Free Press ; Collier Macmillan. MORGAN, G. 1997. Images of Organization. Thousand Oaks: CA: Sage Publications. SIMON, H. A. 1976. Administrative Behavior. New York: The Free Press. WHITE, H. C. 1970. Chains of Opportunity: System Models of Mobility in Organizations. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.

Technology - Satellite Phones Save Lives :: Exploratory Essays Research Papers

Satellite Phones Save Lives Satellite phones are now becoming more important in many situations. Some such situations are on hunting trips in Alaska, backcountry hiking trips, overseas trips, etc. These phones have been popular for a while now, but have always been too big and heavy. Also, it is hard to gain a good signal to get out and make a call if in an emergency situation. The phones need to be reduced to the size of a small cell phone, and the signals need to be much stronger, allowing better service when it is most needed. The new, improved satellite phones could end up saving a person's life someday. Besides, improving the phone even more would be a great idea. In the year 1905, my grandfather went on a trip to Alaska to go hunting, and after many days of hard hunting, he was sitting at his spike camp eating some dinner. Out of nowhere, a big grizzly appeared from the creek bottom and started to charge my grandfather. The bear must have been hungry because he mauled my grandfather and then started eating the left over food. My grandfather was badly injured and all he could do was lay there and wait for the outfitter to show back up for a check up on him in two days. My grandfather fought hard to stay alive, when finally, the plane showed up for help. He was then escorted back to a big city in Alaska, where he was admitted into a large hospital. The doctor said that if he would have gone one more day, he wouldn't have lived. This was a very scary and frightening moment in my family's life. Just think what a great asset a satellite phone would have been on that day. If he would have had a satellite phone, he could have called and been rescued a couple of days earlier. This would have prevented much of the infection that occurred in his body. He was never the same after this horrible accident. The next time that my family scheduled an Alaskan hunting adventure was in 1999, and I was going along. The story about my grandfather was told to me many times, and it seemed to make me second guess myself a little; I wasn't sure that I wanted to go. Although I had fear, I decided to go anyway. My family and I connected on a long flight from Denver to Anchorage, Alaska.

Free Essays on Picture of Dorian Gray: Denied Talent :: Picture Dorian Gray Essays

The Picture of Dorian Gray Harry is Pan, the piper who leads Dorian on his path to destruction, decadence, and moral decay. As with Pan, the merry and much-loved god, the victim of the god's attention does not fare well. As Pan had Syrinx and Echo, Harry has Dorian. Pan caused madness and panic with his passions; Harry seems to have had the same result with Dorian. Wilde reveals much of Harry's character in the writing. His is the predominant voice; he delivers most of the dialogue. Is Harry the autobiographical character? He is shown as the clever, witty, blasé sophisticate; jaded, bored, and poised for an interesting project. Enter Dorian, whose innocence and beauty present an irresistible challenge. Before Harry, Dorian was unaware of his beauty. "The sense of his own beauty came on him like a revelation. He had never felt it before." (p. 18) It is Harry who makes him see and fall in love with his own beauty, and realize the brevity of youth. "Then had come Lord Henry Wotton with his strange panegyric on youth, his terrible warning of its brevity." (p. 18) In the space of an afternoon Harry has cast his spell; Dorian is convinced that youth is the only thing worth having. The gods had an unfortunate lapse in their wisdom. While Sibyl and her fellow goddesses asked for eternal life but forgot to ask for eternal youth, Pan has it right- the object of his affection will never become ugly and grotesque. Harry toys with Dorian, takes pleasure in his game. "Talking to him was like playing upon an exquisite violin. He answered to every touch and thrill of the bowThere was something terribly enthralling in the exercise of influence. No other activity was like it." (p. 26) This becomes a satisfying entertainment for Harry. He creates and dominates. "He would make that wonderful spirit his own." (p. 27) He projects his soul into the pure and graceful form that is Dorian. The tension between Harry and Dorian heightens; he fascinates and is reflected more brilliant by Dorian's gaze. "He felt that the eyes of Dorian Gray were fixed on him, and the consciousness that amongst his audience there was one whose temperament he wished to fascinate, seemed to give his wit keenness, and to lend colour to his imagination.

Reputation Management :: Visibility, Transparency, Responsiveness

The research suggests that reputation comes from relationships and trust. Fombrun (1996) stated that to have a positive reputation managers must invest in building and maintaining good relationships. Building relationships with the company’s publics can result in a higher opinion of their reputation. These relationships also builds trust in the company. â€Å"Trust, like reputation, can take years and resources to build up, and while it may be difficult to break, it, again, like reputation, can take considerable time and even more resources to restore† (Bronn, 2010, pg. 310). With both relationships and trust, a company must be communicating with its publics. Van Riel and Fombrun (2007) developed six key communications principles that yield a high reputation: visibility, distinctiveness, authenticity, transparency, consistency and responsiveness (pg. 313). Applying these six principles to the Carnival case, we can determine if Carnival used them in managing their reput ation. Visibility deals with the public and market prominence of the organization or how much people know about the organization (pg 313). During this crisis, Carnival used social media to keep people updated about what was happening at sea. Before this instance, Carnival was a common name in the cruise industry. According to the Carnival website (www.carnival.com) Carnival is apart of the World’s Leading Cruise Lines alliance. Coombs (2010) said that, â€Å"a strong reputation prior to a crisis is an asset to organizations during the crisis† (pg. 478). Having this positive reputation before hand should help Carnival in the end with customers. Distinctiveness are the characteristics that set an organization apart from others. These characteristics can be its logo, slogan and trademarks (pg. 314). Carnival has all three, a distinct logo, slogan â€Å"Fun for All. All for Fun.† and trademarks on the names of ships, â€Å"Splendor†, â€Å"Freedom† and †Å"Liberty† to name a few of the 23 different ships (www.carnival.com). Authenticity helps make an organization real, genuine, accurate, reliable and trustworthy (pg. 314). By using social media and addressing the crisis head on, the company appears trustworthy to people. Carnival took responsibility for the accident and tried to solve it as quick as possible. The CEO of Carnival also made a public apology to those on the ship and to Carnival customers. Next, transparency is how much information and access stakeholders have about an organization (pg. 314). The Carnival Cruise Director John Heald went to his blog to offer updates and on-broad accounts to consumers and the press. Reputation Management :: Visibility, Transparency, Responsiveness The research suggests that reputation comes from relationships and trust. Fombrun (1996) stated that to have a positive reputation managers must invest in building and maintaining good relationships. Building relationships with the company’s publics can result in a higher opinion of their reputation. These relationships also builds trust in the company. â€Å"Trust, like reputation, can take years and resources to build up, and while it may be difficult to break, it, again, like reputation, can take considerable time and even more resources to restore† (Bronn, 2010, pg. 310). With both relationships and trust, a company must be communicating with its publics. Van Riel and Fombrun (2007) developed six key communications principles that yield a high reputation: visibility, distinctiveness, authenticity, transparency, consistency and responsiveness (pg. 313). Applying these six principles to the Carnival case, we can determine if Carnival used them in managing their reput ation. Visibility deals with the public and market prominence of the organization or how much people know about the organization (pg 313). During this crisis, Carnival used social media to keep people updated about what was happening at sea. Before this instance, Carnival was a common name in the cruise industry. According to the Carnival website (www.carnival.com) Carnival is apart of the World’s Leading Cruise Lines alliance. Coombs (2010) said that, â€Å"a strong reputation prior to a crisis is an asset to organizations during the crisis† (pg. 478). Having this positive reputation before hand should help Carnival in the end with customers. Distinctiveness are the characteristics that set an organization apart from others. These characteristics can be its logo, slogan and trademarks (pg. 314). Carnival has all three, a distinct logo, slogan â€Å"Fun for All. All for Fun.† and trademarks on the names of ships, â€Å"Splendor†, â€Å"Freedom† and †Å"Liberty† to name a few of the 23 different ships (www.carnival.com). Authenticity helps make an organization real, genuine, accurate, reliable and trustworthy (pg. 314). By using social media and addressing the crisis head on, the company appears trustworthy to people. Carnival took responsibility for the accident and tried to solve it as quick as possible. The CEO of Carnival also made a public apology to those on the ship and to Carnival customers. Next, transparency is how much information and access stakeholders have about an organization (pg. 314). The Carnival Cruise Director John Heald went to his blog to offer updates and on-broad accounts to consumers and the press.

Is Decoherence a Solution for the Measurement Problem

Abstract—Decoherence is considered as one of the important topics in quantum computing research area. Some researchers stated that decoherence solved the measurement problem and on the other hand many researchers stated the opposite. In this paper we will prove whether decoherence is a solution or not through an exhaustive survey of the different ideas, methodologies, and experiments. Index Terms—Quantum computing, decoherence, measurement problem INTRODUCTION Decoherence is considered as one of the important research areas since 1980s.Quantum decoherence is the Loss of coherence or ordering of the phase angles between the components of a system in quantum computing superposition and the consequence of this is classical or probabilistically additive behavior†¦ (Zurek Today 10 (1991)) Wave function collapse is the reduction of the physical possibilities into a single possibility as seen by observer can appear in quantum decoherence also it justifies the framework an d can predict using classical physics as an acceptable approximation†¦ Namiki and Pascazio 1991). However, decoherence is a mechanism that emerges out quantum stating point also it determines the location of the quantum classical boundary moreover decoherence appear when the quantum system interacts with its environment in a thermodynamically irreversible way and that lead to prevent different factors in the quantum superposition of the system and environments wave function from interfering with each other†¦ Zurek Today 10 (1991)) Decoherence can be viewed in different ways such as flowing information from the system to the environment lead to lose information this is known as heat bath since each system is losing some of its energetic state because of its surroundings environments†¦ (Kumar, Kiranagi et al. 012) There is also another view of decoherence that is called isolation; which is the combination of the system and the environment which known as non-unitary ther efore the dynamics of the system alone are irreversible also as a result of combination of system and environment the entanglements are generated between them and that will lead to sharing quantum information without transferring these information to the surroundings†¦ (Lidar and Whaley 2003) Describing how the wave function collaps occurs in quantum mechanics called measurement problem. The disability of observing the process directly lead to different nterpretations regard quantum mechanics, also it rises too many qustions that each interpretation must answer. However there are some researches provides aprove that the decoherence solved the measurment problem and some other researchers prove the opposite thus in this paper we will make a comparasion between these two different point of views†¦ (Kumar, Kiranagi et al. 2012) PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION Decoherence is a real challenge that prevents implementing quantum computers; because the machines rely on undisturbed evolutio n of quantum coherences†¦ (Chen, Ang et al. 003), (Flitney and Abbott 2004) Decoherence provides an explanations for the appearance of the wave function collapse it does not generate actual wave function collapse and that is the nature of quantum systems it leaks into the environment and that done by decomposing the component of the wave function from the coherent system and then applying phases to the environment†¦(Flitney and Abbott 2004) P. W Anderson claimed that decoherence has solved the Quantum measurement problem while S. L Adler prove the opposite†¦. Adler 2002) In this paper, we will conduct a comprehensive survey of the different views and experiments to come up with a solution for the relationship between decoherence and measurement problem. Decoherence is the Solution Zurek (1991), Tegmark and Wheeler (2001), and Anderson (2001) stated that decoherence has solved the quantum measurement problem by eliminating the necessity for Von Neumann’s wave fu nction collapse postulate. Osvaldo Pessoa Jr. wrote an article titled â€Å"Can the Decoherence Approach Help to Solve the Measurement Problem? He concluded that decoherence could help to solve measurement problem in open systems. From that point, he wanted to count on the open systems to solve the measurement problem of individual systems. He also mentioned that decoherence helps to get an approximate solution for the statistical version of the measurement problem. Wallace (2011) mentioned that decoherence explains why the measurement problem is a philosophical rather than a practical problem and stated that decoherence could solve the measurement problem.He claimed that the quantum state continues to describe the physical state of the world. So, decoherence finds its natural role in the measurement problem as the process which explains why quantum mechanics can be fundamentally deterministic and non-classical, but emergently classical. It does not dull the aspect of Everett's pro posal, which states that all are equally part of the underlying quantum reality. Decoherence is Not the SolutionThe decoherence initiative was to explain the transformation from large to conventional by evaluating the relationships of a program with a determining program or with the environment. It is realistic to think about a large specialized substance or program of pollutants as a divided program boating in unfilled space. Dynamical Failing Styles Somehow do not like the idea of failure due to professionals trying to rig the pattern function improvement so to advantage loss of the situation vector in a well described way.One way is to say that the pattern function, or at least an element of it, consistently gets â€Å"hit† in such a way as to cause localization in the position base. Another way is to add a not unitary term into Schrodinger’s program. There are suggestions stated that we can infer using mind ability to get the collapse of the wave function Tohmas Br euer at 1996 try to investigate these suggestions and apply it to recent results of quantum machines regard restrictions on measurement from inside.Tohmas Breuer count on these restrictions to come up with a phenomena of subjective decoherence therefore he split his article into parts. The first part is â€Å"measurement from inside† and he makes a presentation to illustrate why it is impossible for an observer to make a distinction between all states in a system in which an observer is contained and that consider as restriction on the measurability from inside, he conclude that bigger system O need more parameters to fix its state.However, this will lead to situations that big O can be determined of each physically possible state by the state of a subsystem A together with some constraint. Second part is â€Å"EPR-Correlations† and he focus on situation which stronger results hold when we take into account particular features of quantum mechanical situations for examp le if we have two systems A and some environment R then the union of two system A ? R equal to Big O. also if both systems A and R have Hilbert spaces HA and HR as state spaces then EPR correlations can be obtained in the vector states HA HR .Therefore he conclude that A con not make a distinction between states of O which is make difference only in the EPR correlations between A and R. however observers can only be able to make a measurement of EPR correlations between A and R in A ? R†¦(Breuer 1996) David Wallace wrote his article to achieve two goals the first one is to present an account of how quantum measurements are dealing with in modern physics in other word quantum measurements does not involve a collapse of the wave functions also to present the measurement problem from that account perspective of view.The second part is concentrate on clarifying the role of decoherence plays in modern measurement theory and what affects it has on the different strategies that have been proposed to solve measurement problem. Wallace concluded that it seems not possible to have a complete understating of the microscopic predictions quantum mechanisms without interpreting the state in a probabilistic way and that because of interference since quantum states cannot be thought of as probability distributions in physical states of airs.Therefore it is allowable to try to resolve the incoherence by two ways, the first one by philosophical methods which means trying hard to think about how to make a full understanding quantum states so as to come out with a non-incoherent way, also the second way done by making modifications on the physics which means trying to make a replacement of the quantum mechanics by using some new theory which does not prima facie lead to the conceptual incoherence.Finally, Wallace state that the natural role of decoherence can be found in the measurement problem as the process which provides an explanations regard why quantum mechanics, inte rpreted can be basically not classical and deterministic, but critically classical†¦(Wallace 2011) Dan Stahlke based on application he made state that the most important point of decoherence theory is that it provides understanding about the process of wave collapse. Some systems need to be built in way that it stays in coherent superposition.However, tendency of system that been in superposition can be immediately calculated. Also he stated that decoherence does not give the ultimate solution in the measurement problem but it bring some light to the matter†¦(Stahlke 1999) Maximilian Schlosshauer makes a distinctive discussion regard the role of decoherence in the foundation of quantum mechanics, and focusing of the effectiveness of decoherence regard the measurement problem. He concludes that within a standard interpretation of quantum mechanics that decoherence cannot solve the problem of definite outcomes in quantum measurement.Therefore he mention the effectiveness of environment super selection of quasiclassical pointer states along with the local superposition of interference terms can be put to large use in physical motivation, assumptions and rules regard alternative interpretation approaches that can change the strict orthodox eigenvalue-eigenstate link or make modification on the unitary dynamics to account for the awareness of definite outcomes†¦(Schlosshauer 2005) Elise M.Crull mention in his article that it has been claimed that decoherence has solved the measurement problem. In other hand, some researchers stated that it does not solve the measurement problem. However, the Crull target is â€Å"Which measurement problem? †, thus he argue three questions depending on Max Schlosshauer which has neat catalog on the different problems which called â€Å"the measurement problem†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦(Schlosshauer 2008; Crull 2011) Harvey Brown stated that there are many attempts to proof the insolubility of the measurement problem in non -quantum mechanics.We can use these attempts for quantum mechanics. These proofs tend to establish that if mechanical interaction between object system A and measuring instrument B is described through a suitable defined unitary operator on the â€Å"Hilbert† tensor product space, so the final state of the A + B together cannot be described by a density operator of a specific kind in that space.Therefore this leads us to a resolution in terms of weighted projections which be useful to interpreted as mixture of pure A + B states, which are eigenstates corresponding to the â€Å"pointer position† that observable connected with the instrument†¦(Brown 1986) Ford, Lewis and Connell count on a book â€Å"Decoherence and the Appearance of a Classical World in Quantum Theory† †¦(Giulini, Joos et al. 1996) which state that ‘‘irreversible coupling to the environment seems to have become widely accepted ~and even quite popular!During the last decade, not least through the various contributions by Woljciech Zurek and his collaborators. ’’ And he conclude that general and simple formulation of quantum measurement gives a good method regard discussing quantum stochastic systems†¦(Ford and Lewis 1986) . Also authors stated that decoherence appear at high temperature with or without dissipation and the time for both cases are the same furthermore at zero temperature, decoherence occurs only in the presence of dissipation†¦(Ford, Lewis et al. 001) In 1980s and 1990s techniques are established to cool single ions captured through a trap and to control their state by using laser light and the single ion can be observed using photons with minimal interaction with the environment. Photons can observed without being destroyed during interaction together with atoms in designed experiment. That leads to make a study regard pioneers that make a test for basis of quantum mechanics also the transition between microscopic and microscopic world.The most important stage in controlling the quantum state regard ion is cooling it to the lowest energy of the trap using a common technique called sideband cooling†¦(F. Diedrich, Bergqvist et al. 1989) this technique consists of exiting the ion, increasing inside energy also decreasing the vibration energy†¦(SCIENCES 2012) Bas Hensen starting his discussion by defining the measurement problem and he stated that measuemet problem begin naturally from quantum theory’s success through describing the realm regard microscopic particles also permitting them to have definite values for quantities like momentum and position.Then he split the problem into several parts. The first two parts are â€Å"the problem of outcomes: Why does one perceive a single outcome among the many possible ones in equation? †, â€Å"The problem of the collapse: What kind of process causes the state of the system to ‘collapse’ to the outcome one percei ved (in the sense that a repeated measurement yields the same answer)? † in these two part he found that in quantum the world must be divided into a wave quantum system and the rest stays in some classical system.Also in accuracy point of view the division is made one way or another in a particular application. The third part is â€Å"The problem of interference: Why do we not observe quantum interference effects on macroscopic scales? † in this part author stated that the best way to illustrate this problem by using the double slit experiment. The experiment shows that the physical setup suggests that grouping the probability distribution gained with either one of the slit opened should occur in the probability distribution regard the two slits opened.For this situation of electrons as particles the probability distribution regard course differs, but regard a similar setup using macroscopic particles it doesn’t†¦(Hensen 2010 ) Dieks reviewed several proposa ls that solved the quantum mechanical measurement problem by taking into account that in measurement interactions there are many unobserved degrees of freedom. He found out that such â€Å"solutions† are unsatisfactory as they stand, and must be supplemented by a new empirical interpretation of the formal state description of quantum mechanics (Dieks 1989).Zurek mentioned in † Decoherence, Einselection, and the Quantum Origins of the Classical† that decoherence is caused by the interaction in which the environment in effect monitors certain observables of the system, destroying coherence between the pointer states corresponding to their eigenvalues. Then, he mentioned that when the measured quantum system is microscopic and isolated, this restriction on the predictive utility of its correlations with the macroscopic apparatus results in the effective â€Å"collapse of the wave packet†; which implicitly states that decoherence did not solve the measurement p roblem (Zurek 2003).Elby scrutinized the claim that the measurement problem is solved by decoherence, by examining how modal and relative-state interpretations can use decoherence. He mentioned also that although decoherence cannot rescue these interpretations from general metaphysical difficulties, decoherence may help these interpretations to pick out a preferred basis (Elby 1994). Janssen mentioned that the alleged relevance of decoherence for a solution of the â€Å"measurement problem† is subjected to a detailed philosophical analysis.He reconstructed a non-standard decoherence argument that aimed to uncover some hidden assumptions underlying the approach. He concluded that decoherence cannot address the â€Å"preferred-basis problem† without adding new interpretational axioms to the standard formalism (Janssen 2008). Busch et al (1996) explained decoherence using the many-worlds interpretation and stated the decoherence cannot solve the measurement problem. Legge tt (2005) concentrated on the paradox of Schrodinger's cat or the quantum measurement paradox to prove that dechorence is not a practical solution.Other researchers and scientists including Gamibini and Pullin (2007), Zurek (2002), Joos and Zeh (1985), Bell (1990), Albert (1992), Bub(1997), Barrett (1999), Joos (1999), and Adler (2002) stated that decoherence did not solve the measurement problem. Conclusion There is a serious and unresolved quantum measurement problem. Some, like Ghirardi, Rimini, and Weber (1986), try to solve it by modifying quantum mechanics. If successful, such attempts would result in a theory, distinct from but closely related to quantum mechanics, that is no longer subject to a measurement problem. That problem may be unsolvable (Healey 1998).

James Joyce’s Araby as a coming-of-age story Essay

Araby, by James Joyce is a story about a young boy experiencing his first feelings of attraction to the opposite sex, and the way he deals with it. The story’s young protagonist is unable to explain or justify his own actions because he has never dealt with these sort of feelings before, and feels as though someone or something totally out of the ordinary has taken him over. The boy can do nothing but act on his own impulses, and is blind to the reasoning behind him. Araby is such a powerful study on childhood because of the way Joyce so vividly recounts the frustration a child feels when they are unsuccessful at trying to be an adult too fast. The story begins with images of blindness, a symbol of the boy’s youth and ignorance. Joyce describes the street the boy lives on, North Richmond street, as being â€Å"blind.† It is from these blind shadows of the boys ignorance that the object of his affection, his friend Mangan’s sister, emerges. Joyce describes her figure as being â€Å"defined by the light of the half-open door† (Joyce, 27) a symbol of the boy becoming enlightened by these new, adult feelings. As she enters the story, the images change from darkness to light and his feelings change from immature childhood concerns to those of an adolescent. Eventually, the boy’s language becomes more poetic and adult, and his thoughts turn completely to her. â€Å"Her image accompanied me even in places the most hostile to romance,† he admits â€Å"her name sprang to my lips at moments in strange prayers and praises which I myself did not understand.† The boy idealizes Mangan’s sister, obsessing over her, and is overcome with joy when she speaks to him. She tells him about a bazaar being held called Araby, and asks him if he is going. â€Å"I forgot whether I said yes or no† says  the love-struck boy to the reader, he is overcome with a mixture of fear and excitement as she chats calmly with him, explaining she can’t go because she will be away on a retreat when the bazaar is being held. She does not have to say anything else, the boy has found his opportunity to gain her affections, he tells her he will go to the bazaar on her behalf and buy her a present. He can hardly contain his excitement at this chance he’s been given to prove to do something nice for her, and to do something mature and adult like traveling to a bazaar and picking out a present alone. The boy takes this new responsibility, this new adventure to mean that he’s entered a new phase of life. Time suddenly seems to slow down in the story as the boy waits for Saturday to arrive. â€Å"I could not call my wandering thoughts together† he complains â€Å"I had hardly any practice with the serious work of life which, now that it stood between me and my desire seemed to me child’s play, ugly monotonous child’s play.† (Joyce, 29) Everything getting in the way of his journey begins to torture the poor boy, he sits in agony as the clock ticks, as he waits to be allowed to leave, he can barely contain his frustration. This sort of anticipation shows to the reader that the boy is not as mature as he feels himself to be, if he were an adult making a journey for a girl he liked, the entire process would not seem so exigent. When his uncle finally arrives home he is distracted and has forgotten about the boy’s desire to go to the bazaar. He starts talking about an Arab poem he knows and keeps the boy even longer, finally giving him the money and allowing him to go. The boy’s arrival at the bazaar, like his quick transition to adulthood, is a false awakening. By the time he arrives at the bazaar he can not purchase anything, the vendors are tired and closing up shop, and have little desire to see what this young boy can buy from them. He is being treated as a child and is aware of it. His quest for adulthood and independence seems somewhat futile, this trip didn’t assert anything. He feels the disappointment of seeing Mangan’s sister empty-handed pour over him. As the boy leaves the bazaar the light goes out, once again returning to the symbols of light and darkness in the beginning. The boy is returning to  ignorance and childhood. â€Å"Gazing up into the darkness I saw myself as a creature derided by vanity; and my eyes burned with anguish and anger† reflects the boy, finally realizing that the whole quest was frivolous, the girl was a fantasy. So, in this end paragraph, although the darkness is a return to childhood, he has gained some self-realization. His ability to recognize his youth and his ignorance is a growth.

Discrimination against women

Discrimination against women is still a global social epidemic today. Is this true? Women work two-thirds of the world's working hours and produce half of the world's food, yet they only earn 10 per cent of the world's income and own less than 1 per cent of the world's property and only 12. 7 per cent of all parliamentary seats. These statistics show that women are still being discriminated throughout the globe and it is a wake-up call for everyone to the severity of this issue.Discrimination refers to the njust or prejudice treatment of different categories of people, in this case between female and male. A few areas where discrimination against women occurs globally are the dehumanising practices against women, women rape cases, and the glass ceiling in Jobs for women. One area in which women are discriminated is that there are dehumanising practices against women. Dehumanising practices are acts that deny the â€Å"humanness† of a person, it occurs discursively, symbolicall y or physically.Women are abused both verbally and physically in many parts of the world, such as India and Africa. In 28 countries, ranging from east to west, there are cases of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), and it has absolutely no benefits for the women, and its main purpose is to deprive them of the pleasure of sex to ensure that they don't cheat on their husbands. However, FGM brings about harmful side effects to the women's bodies; which are bleeding and infections as well as complications to child- birth and all of which may lead to death.Women are the only one who undergoes this, men don't need to do such things as women are viewed to be the weaker sex and are to be controlled. Dehumanising practices causes nothing but harm to women who experience it, and it is still practiced in various parts of the world, mostly in developing countries, and as such serves to support the point that discrimination against women is still a global social epidemic today. Another area which d epicts that women are discriminated against is the numerous rape cases occurring throughout the world.Rape is defined as an instrument used by men to subjugate women, and as women are often seen as objects of desire, men desires them and uses rape to subjugate women. In India, rape and abuse of women is common, as the society is patriarchal. There are over 80,000 rape cases in India that are pending investigation, yet the police or the government have not made significant changes and efforts to resolve this problem. As seen from the above, there is evidence that people's mind- set does not change easily. In the past, gender discrimination was a common ccurrence throughout the world.Although most of the world have moved past gender discrimination, but there are still countries practicing gender discrimination, and it is not one or two, but big enough to make an impact on the world overall. Hence discrimination against women is still a global social epidemic today. One unseen source o f discrimination against women is that there are glass ceilings in jobs for women. Although most societies have moved past gender discrimination, but there is still differences in treatment between men and women, no matter how small n society, and it is mostly observed in workplaces.As the level of authority and power in workplaces and Jobs increase, it is observed that there are less and less women in these levels, only 12. 7 per cent of all parliamentary seats are claimed by unseen glass ceiling that is hindering them, discrimination still prevails even after a few decades of the â€Å"removal of gender discrimination†, Just that now it is more discreet and not that obvious. Hence, discrimination against women is still a global social epidemic today.

Karl Benz Essay

Karl Benz was born on 25th November 1844 in Karlsruhe, the son of an engine driver. The middle of the last century, when Benz was an apprentice, was a time of widespread fascination with the â€Å"new technology†. The first railway line in Germany from Nuremberg to Furth had been opened in 1835, only twenty years before, and in the space of just a few decades the railways, steamships and new production processes had ushered in a new era in technology, industry and everyday life. Karl Benz attended the Karlsruhe grammar school and subsequently the Karlsruhe Polytechnic. Between 1864 and 1870, he worked for a number of different firms as a draughtsman, designer and works manager before founding his first firm in 1871 in Mannheim, with August Ritter. But little money was to be made in the building materials trade and the economic convulsions of the 1870’s caused difficulties for the young company. Karl Benz now turned to the two-stroke engine, in the hope of finding a new livelihood. After two years’ work, his first engine finally sprang to life on New Year’s Eve, 1879. He took out various patents on this machine. Equally important were the contacts with new business associates, with whose assistance Benz founded a gas engine factory in Mannheim. But after only a short time he withdrew from this company since it did not give him a free enough hand for his technical experiments. Benz found two new partners and with them founded â€Å"Benz & Co., Rheinische Gasmotorenfabrik† in 1883 in Mannheim, a general partnership. Business was good and soon the production of industrial engines was being stepped up With this new financial security, Karl Benz could now set about designing a â€Å"motor carriage†, with an engine based on the Otto four stroke cycle. Unlike Daimler, who installed his engine in an ordinary carriage, Benz designed not only his engine, but the whole vehicle as well. On 29th January 1886, he was granted a patent on it and on 3rd July 1886, he introduced the first automobile in the world to an astonished public. In 1903, Karl Benz retired from active participation in his company. The next year however, he joined the supervisory board of Benz & Cie and he was a member of the supervisory board of Daimler-Benz AG from 1926, when the company was formed, until his death in 1929. In 1872, Karl Benz married Bertha Ringer, who was to be of major support to him in his work. The couple produced five children. Benz lived to witness the motoring boom and the definitive penetration of his idea in to everyday life. He died on 4th April 1929. The former Benz family residence in Ladenburg is now open to the public. The Daimler-Benz foundation, founded in 1986, has its registered office here.