History of Shell Energy and Oil Company Term Paper

History of Shell Energy and Oil Company - Term Paper Example The company has a diverse work force employing locals in the countries where its branches are situated. The company has invested heavily on exploration, production and marketing of petroleum products in the local and international market. In America, the company is considered a market leader in the sale of petroleum products. This is attributed to the penetration of the brand with most of the gas stations in the country bearing the company’s logo (Kochan, Nick, and Goodyear 35). The management of the company over the years has changed the way the company operates. From its formation, the company has used mergers and acquisitions to expand its operations. Its partnership with major oil producers in Saudi Arabia has enabled the company to maintain a stable source of raw material for its products. The company has also collaborated with established brands in the market to ensure that market penetration is facilitated. The company history traces the origin of the company in the year 1833. Marcus Samuel who sold antiques and oriental shells expanded his small business into London. As the business expanded, he ventured into fashion and interior design. He imported his shells from the Far East, which laid the foundation needed for a successful business (Kochan, Nick, and Goodyear 214). ... The business in which the company undertakes is divided into three sections. The upstream section deals with exploration, extraction and manufacturing. The company is responsible for oil exploration in major oil producing nations. The company enters into a contract with the nations to charge a fee for exploration process. The company also obtains rights to drill in the nations where the natural gas deposits are found. Oil from the wells is processed in plants owned by the nation. Through the upstream section of the company, Shell is able to provide employment to people in foreign nations thus improving the GDP of the country. The company also provides quality products in the competitive energy business. The customers are able to choose from a wide selection of products. Upstream international covers major oil producing areas including Africa, Asia Russia and Europe. Shell is committed to ensuring that the methods of exploration, extraction and manufacturing used preserve the environm ent (Mallin 217). The downstream section of the company deals with marketing of the products owned by the company. The company has penetrated globally to ensure that its products are available to customers. The company uses a mix of marketing strategies to encourage customers to use products from the company. The company has been in the market for a long time thus the brand name Shell is strong. The company advertises its brand using all the media available to increase revenue generated. The downstream section of the business is responsible for revenue generation to the organization. The section also funds the major activities undertaken in the company. Projects and technology is one of the advances sections in the company that uses most of the

Teenage pregnancy Essay Example for Free

Teenage pregnancy Essay Teenage pregnancy is defined as a teenage girl, usually within the ages of 13-19, becoming pregnant. The term in everyday speech usually refers to girls who have not reached legal adulthood, which varies across the world, who become pregnant. Causes and of teenage pregnancy Teen pregnancies may result for different reasons in industrialized countries as compared to developing countries. Factors that contribute to teenage pregnancies include: Customs and traditions that lead to early marriage (developing countries) Adolescent sexual behavior which may also be influenced by alcohol and drugs Lack of education and information about reproductive sexual health including lack of access to tools that prevent pregnancies Peer pressure to engage in sexual activity Incorrect use of contraception Sexual abuse that leads to rape Poverty Exposure to abuse, violence and family strife at home Low self esteem Low educational ambitions and goals Effects of teenage pregnancy Research indicates that teen pregnancy and motherhood can have detrimental socio economic and psychological outcomes for the teen mother, her child, and her young siblings. A teen mother is more likely to: †¢ Drop out of school †¢ have no or low qualifications †¢ be unemployed or low-paid †¢ live in poor housing conditions †¢ suffer from depression which may result in suicide †¢ live on welfare The child of a teen mother is more likely to: †¢ live in poverty †¢ grow up without a father †¢ become a victim of neglect or abuse †¢ do less well at school †¢ become involved in crime †¢ Abuse drugs and alcohol †¢ Eventually become a teenage parent and begin the cycle all over again The younger sibling of a teen mother is more likely to: †¢ accept sexual initiation and marriage at a younger age †¢ Place less importance on education and employment Disadvantages of teenage pregnancy TEEN PREGNANCY: STIs, HIV AND AIDS †¢ As a result of unprotected sex, young people are also at risk of sexually transmitted diseases and HIV infection. †¢ The highest rates of STIs worldwide are among young people aged 15 to 24. Some 500,000 become infected daily (excluding HIV). †¢ Two in five new HIV infections globally occur in young people aged 15 to 24. †¢ Surveys from 40 countries show that more than half their young people have misconceptions about how HIV is transmitted. †¢ Married adolescent girls generally are unable to negotiate condom use or to refuse sexual relations. They are often married to older men with more sexual experience, which puts them at risk of contracting STIs, including HIV. Prevention FAMILY PLANNING AND YOUNG PEOPLE: CHALLENGES †¢ Many societies, including in Malaysia, disapprove of premarital sex. †¢ As a result, young people have limited or no access to education and information on reproductive sexual health care. †¢ Modern contraceptive use among adolescents is generally low, and decreases with economic status. Fewer than 5% of the poorest young use modern contraception. †¢ Young women consistently report less contraceptive usage than men, evidence of their unequal power in negotiating safer sex or restrictions on their access to services (such as lack of information, shame, laws, health provider attitudes and practices, or social norms). †¢ Young people may hesitate to visit clinics because of lack of privacy and confidentiality, inconvenient locations and hours, high costs, limited contraceptive choices and supplies, and perhaps most importantly, negative or judgmental provider attitudes. †¢ Laws and policies also may restrict adolescents’ access to information and services, for example, by limiting family planning to married people or requiring parental or spousal consent. †¢ A basic challenge in advocacy, especially in traditional societies, is the taboo on public discussion of sexual issues, including the fact that many young people are sexually active before marriage.

Significant People During the Industrial Revolution Essay -- History E

Significant People During the Industrial Revolution As the Industrial Revolution was occurring, numerous changes were occurring. Workers were not receiving fair treatment. They were working long hours and getting paid very little money. The working class felt that they were not receiving equal treatment and equal pay for what they were offering to society. Yet some individuals, such as the owners of companies, were profiting from this movement. But the inequalities that existed caused Marx, along with Engels, to write the Communist Manifesto. Karl Marx was a man who â€Å"urged workers to vindicate the simple laws of morals and justice, which ought to govern the relations of private individuals, as the rules paramount of the intercourse of nations†.[i] After Marx wrote the document, other people were moved by this call for a change with revolution and decided to act upon their feelings that supported the document’s concepts. Rosa Luxemburg was a Marxist who responded to the concept of revolution. She was in prison at the time when she wrote a pamphlet on the Russian Revolution. She believed that the revolution needed to defend itself in order to survive. Luxemburg stresses her argument and acts responsibly toward the evils of society: â€Å"Her fundamental belief was twofold: that ‘the only effective means in the hands of the proletarian revolution’ were ‘the kindling of revolutionary idealism, which can be maintained over any length of time only through the intensively active life of the masses themselves under conditions of unlimited political freedom’; and that under such conditions-above all ‘general elections†¦unrestricted freedom of press and assembly †¦a free struggle of opinion’-the ‘active participation of the ma... ...kes, Steven, Marxism and Morality, 106. [v] â€Å"Vladimir Lenin-April 25 1891†, Lenin Archives, < http://www.marxists.org/archive/lenin/photo/1921/011.htm> [vi] DeGeorge, Richard T. Soviet Ethics and Morality. (Ann Arbor Paperbacks:The University of Michigan Press, 1969), 21. [vii] DeGeorge, Richard T, Soviet Ethics and Morality, 24. [viii] Lukes, Steven, Marxism and Morality, 23. [ix] â€Å"Joseph Stalin Reference Archive†, Biography, [x] DeGeorge, Richard T, Soviet Ethics and Morality, 5. [xi] â€Å"Age of Industry†, The Development of Western Civilization, < http://history.evansville.net/industry.html> [xii] Felix Silverio. The Luddites, 28 September 1999,

Night World : Spellbinder Chapter 13

You know, he probably only loved you because of the yemonja,† Blaise said. Thea looked up from her seat in the empty chemistry lab. It was morning break, and this was the most private place they could find at school. â€Å"Thanks, Blaise. I needed that.† But maybe it was true. She'd almost forgotten that she'd used a spell to get him in the first place. That should make a difference, she told herself. If it was all artificial, I shouldn't even miss it. She still felt as if she were encased in ice. â€Å"Did you get it?† â€Å"Sure.† Blaise tossed a ring on the high table. â€Å"I asked her if I could look at it, then pretended I dropped it in the bushes. She's still out there searching.† Thea pulled the binding spell out of her backpack. Two anatomically correct dolls, both made with the blue wax Blaise used for her jewelry. Beautiful little creatures-Blaise was an artist. The male one contained the Kleenex with Eric's blood and a single sandy hair Thea had found clinging to her shoulder. Thea put Pilar's turquoise ring around the feet of the female doll and tied it with a red thread to keep it on. She held out a hand. From her backpack, Blaise produced a corked hexagonal bottle. The liquid inside was made up of all sorts of disgusting things, including ground bezoar stone. Thea held her breath as she poured it over the two figures, which immediately began to smoke. â€Å"Now bind them together,† Blaise said, coughing and waving a hand to clear a space to breathe. â€Å"I know.† Thea took a thin scarlet ribbon seven feet long and patiently began winding it around the two figures. It wrapped them like mummies. She tucked the loose end into a loop. â€Å"And there they are,† Blaise said. â€Å"Bound till death. Congratulations. Let's see, it's ten fifteen now, so he should have forgotten your existence by about†¦ say, ten sixteen.† She reached up and her hair ran like black water through her hands as she stretched. Thea tried to smile. The pain was bad. It was as if some part of Thea's physical body had been cut off. She felt raw and bleeding and not at all able to deal with things like French or trigonometry. There must be more to life. I'll go somewhere and do something for other people; I'll work in third world countries or try to save an endangered species. But thinking about future good works didn't help the raw ache. Or the feeling that if the ache stopped she would just be numb and never be happy again. And all this for a human†¦ It didn't work anymore. She couldn't go back to her old way of thinking. Humans might be alien, but they were still people. They were as good as witches. Just different. She managed to get through the schoolday without running into Eric-which mainly meant scuttling around corridors after bells rang and being tardy for classes. She was scuttling after the last bell toward Dani's U.S. government class when she almost collided with Pilar. â€Å"Thea!† The voice was surprised. Thea looked up. Deep amber-brown eyes, framed by spiky black lashes. Pilar was looking at her very strangely. Wondering at your good luck? Thea thought. Has Eric proposed to you yet? â€Å"What?† she said. Pilar hesitated, then just shook her head and walked off. Thea ducked into the history classroom. Dani said, â€Å"Thea!† Everybody sounds the same. â€Å"Where've you been? Eric's looking all over for you.† Of course, I should have realized. Blaise was wrong-he's not just going to forget about me and walk away. He's a gentleman; he's going to tell me he's walking away. â€Å"Can I go home with you?† she asked Dani wretchedly. â€Å"I need some space.† â€Å"Thea†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Dani dragged her to a corner and looked her over with anxious eyes. â€Å"Eric really wants to find you†¦ but what's wrong?† she whispered. â€Å"Is it something about Suzanne? The old gym's still closed, isn't it?† â€Å"It's nothing to do with that.† She was about to suggest they get moving when a tall figure walked in the door. Eric. He walked straight to Thea. The kids hanging around the teacher's desk were looking. The teacher was looking. Thea felt like a freak show. â€Å"We have to talk,† Eric said flatly. She'd never seen him look quite like this before. He was pale, glassy-eyed, hollow-cheeked. He somehow managed to look as if he'd missed a week's worth of sleep since that morning. And he was right. They had to talk to end it. She had to explain that it was okay, or he'd never be able to go. I can do that. â€Å"Somewhere private,† Thea said. They left Dani and walked through the campus, past the old gym with its yellow ribbon of police tape hanging limp and still. Through the football field. Thea didn't know where they were going, and suspected Eric didn't either-they just kept moving until they were out of sight of people. The green of the tended grass gave way to yellow-green, and then brown, and then desert. Thea wrapped her arms around herself, thinking about how cold it had gotten in just a week and a half. The last trace of summer was gone. And now we're going to talk about it, she thought as Eric stopped. Okay. I don't have to think, just say the right words. She forced herself to look at him. He turned the haggard, haunted face on her and said, â€Å"I want you to stop it.† Funny choice of words. You mean end it, break it off, put it quietly out of its misery. She couldn't get all that out, so she just said, â€Å"What?† â€Å"I don't know what you're doing,† he said, â€Å"but I want it stopped. Now.† His green eyes were level. Not apologetic, more like demanding. His voice was flat. Thea had a sudden sense of shifting realities. All the hairs on her arms were standing up. Caught without a working brain, she said, â€Å"I- what are you talking about?† â€Å"You know what I'm talking about.† He was still looking at her steadily. Thea shook her head no. He shrugged. It was a you-asked-for-it shrug. â€Å"Whatever you're doing,† he said with terrible distinctness, â€Å"to try and make me like Pilar, it has got to stop. Because it's not fair to her. She's upset right now because I'm acting crazy. But I don't want to be with her. It's you I love. And if you want to get rid of me, then tell me, but don't try and foist me off on somebody else.† Thea listened to the whole speech feeling as if she were floating several feet above the ground. The sky and desert seemed too bright, not warm, just very shiny. While her brain ran around frantically like Madame Curie in a new cage, she managed to get out, â€Å"What could I possibly have to do-with you liking Pilar?† Eric looked around, found a rock, and sat on it. He stared down at his hands for a minute or so. Finally he looked up, his expression helpless. â€Å"Give me a break, Thea,† he said. â€Å"How stupid do you think I am?† Oh. â€Å"Oh.† Then she thought, don't just stand there. You bluffed him before. You talked him out of knowing he'd been bitten by a snake. For Earth's sake, you can talk him out of whatever he's thinking now. â€Å"Eric-I guess we've all been under a lot of stress†¦.† â€Å"Oh, please don't give me that.† He seemed to be talking to a clump of silver cholla, eyeing the halos of awful spines as if he might jump into them. â€Å"Please don't give me that.† He took a deep breath and spoke deliberately. â€Å"You charm snakes and read guinea pigs' minds. You cure rattler bites with a touch. You tap into people's brains. You make up magical potpourri bags and your insane cousin is the goddess Aphrodite.† He looked at her. â€Å"Did I miss anything?† Thea found another rock and backed up to it blindly. She sat. Of everything in the universe, right then what she was most aware of was her own breathing. â€Å"I have this feeling,† Eric said, watching her with his green eyes, â€Å"that you guys are in fact the descendants of good old Hecate Witch-Queen. Am I dose?† â€Å"You think you win a prize?† Thea still couldn't think, couldn't put a meaningful remark together. Could only gabble. He paused and grinned, a wry and painful grin, but the first one she'd seen today. Then the smile faded. â€Å"It's true, isn't it?† he said simply. Thea looked out over the desert, toward the huge, bare cliffs of rock in the distance. She let her eyes unfocus, soaking in the expanse of brown-green. Then she put her ringers to the bridge of her nose. She was going to do something that all her ancestors would condemn her for, something that nobody she'd grown up with would understand. â€Å"It's true,† she whispered. He breathed out, a lonely human figure in that vastness of the desert. â€Å"How long have you known?† she asked. â€Å"I†¦ don't know. I mean, I think I always sort of knew. But it wasn't possible-and you didn't want me to know. So I didn't know.† A kind of excitement was creeping into his haggardness. â€Å"It's really true, then. You can do magic.† Say it, Thea told herself. You've done everything else. Say the words to a human. â€Å"I'm a witch.† â€Å"A Hearth-Woman, I thought you called it. That's what Roz was telling me.† At that, Thea was horrified out of her daze of horror. Stricken. â€Å"Eric-you can't talk about this with Roz. You don't understand. They'll kill her.† He didn't look as shocked as she might have expected. â€Å"I knew you were scared of something. I thought it was just that people might hurt you-and your grandma.† â€Å"They will; they'll kill me. But they'll kill you and Roz, too-and your mom and any other human they think may have learned about them-â€Å" â€Å"Who will?† She looked at him, floundered a moment, and then made the ultimate betrayal of her upbringing. â€Å"It's called the Night World.† â€Å"Okay,† he said slowly, half an hour later. They were sitting side by side on his rock. Thea wasn't touching him, although her whole side was aware of his presence. â€Å"Okay, so basically, the descendants of Maya are lamia and the descendants of Hellewise are witches. And together they're all this big secret organization, the Night World.† â€Å"Yes.† Thea had to fight the instinct to whisper. â€Å"It's not just lamia and witches, though. It's shape-shifters and made vampires and werewolves and other things. All the races that the human race couldn't deal with.† â€Å"Vampires,† Eric muttered to the cholla, his eyes going glassy again. â€Å"That's what really gets me, real vampires. I don't know why, it follows logically†¦.† He looked at Thea, his gaze sharpening. â€Å"Look, if all you people have supernatural powers, why don't you just take over?† â€Å"Not enough of us,† Thea said. â€Å"And too many of you. It doesn't matter how supernatural we are.† â€Å"But, look-â€Å" â€Å"You breed much faster, have more children-and you kill us whenever you find us. The witches were on the verge of extinction before they got together with the other races and formed the Night World. And that's why Night World law is so strict about keeping our secrets from humans.† â€Å"And that's why you tried to hand me over to Pilar,† Eric said. Thea could feel his eyes on her like a physical sensation. She stared at a patch of rock nettle between her feet. â€Å"I didn't want you dead. I didn't want me dead, either.† â€Å"And they'd really kill us for being in love.† â€Å"In a minute.† He touched her shoulder. Thea could feel warmth spread from his hand and she had to work to make sure she didn't tremble. â€Å"Then we'll keep it a secret,† he said. â€Å"Eric, it's not like that. You don't understand. There's nowhere we could go, no place we could hide. The Night People are everywhere.† â€Å"And they all follow these same rules.† â€Å"Yes. It's what allows them to survive.† He breathed for a moment, then said in a voice that had gone husky, â€Å"There's got to be a way.† â€Å"That's what I let myself think-for a while.† Her own voice sounded shaky. â€Å"But we have to face reality. The only chance we have of even living through this is for us to just go our separate ways. And for you to try as hard as you can to forget me and everything I've told you.† She was trembling now, and her eyes had filled. But her hands were balled into fists and she wouldn't look at him. â€Å"Thea-â€Å" The tears spilled. â€Å"I won't be your death!† â€Å"And I can't forget you! I can't stop loving you.† â€Å"Well, and maybe that was just a spell, too,† she said, sniffling. Tears were falling straight off her face and onto the rock. Eric looked around for something to give her, then tried to wipe her wet cheeks with his thumb. She whacked his hand away. â€Å"Listen to me. You did miss something when you were adding up what I did. I also make love spells for me. I put one on you, and that's why you fell in love in the first place.† Eric didn't look impressed. â€Å"When?† â€Å"When did I put the spell on you? The day I asked you to the dance.† Eric laughed. â€Å"You-â€Å" â€Å"Thea.† He shook his head. â€Å"Look,† he said gently, â€Å"I fell in love with you before that. It was when we were out here with that snake. When we just looked at each other and†¦ and†¦ I saw you surrounded by mist and you were the most beautiful thing in the world.† He shook his head again. â€Å"And maybe that was magic, but I don't think it was any spell you were putting on me.† Thea wiped her eyes on her sleeve. Okay, so the yemonja had nothing to do with it. Anyway, love spells just seemed to bounce off Eric-even the dolls hadn't worked†¦. She bent suddenly and picked up her backpack. â€Å"And I don't know why this didn't work,† she muttered. She took out a quilted makeup bag, unzipped it, and reached inside. The dolls came out as a bundle. At first glance they looked all right. Then Thea saw it. The male doll had turned around. Instead of being face-to-face with the female doll, it had its back to her. The scarlet ribbon was still wound tightly around them. There was no way that it could have slipped, that this could have happened by accident. But the dolls had been inside the case, and the case had been inside her backpack all day. Eric was watching. â€Å"That's Pilar's ring. Hey, is that the spell on me and Pilar? Can I see it?† â€Å"Oh, why not?† Thea whispered. She felt dazed again. So it couldn't have been an accident, and no human could have done it. And no witch could have done it either. Maybe†¦ Maybe there was a magic stronger than spells. Maybe the soulmate principle was responsible, and if two people were meant to be together, nothing could keep them apart. Eric was gingerly unwinding the scarlet ribbon. â€Å"I'll give the ring back to Pilar,† he said. He reduced the binding spell to its constituent parts, put them gently back in the makeup bag. Then he looked at her. â€Å"I've always loved you,† he said. â€Å"The only question is†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He broke off and looked like the shy Eric she knew again. â€Å"Is, do you love me?† he finished at last. His voice was soft, but he was looking at her steadily. Maybe there are some things you just can't fight†¦. She made herself look at him. The image wobbled and split. â€Å"I love you,† she whispered. â€Å"I don't know what's going to happen, but I do.† They fell-slow as a dream, but still falling-into each other's arms. â€Å"There's a problem,† Thea said some time later. â€Å"Besides all the other problems. I'm going to be doing something next week, and I just need you to give me some time.† â€Å"What kind of something?† â€Å"I can't tell you.† â€Å"You have to tell me,† he said calmly, his breath against her hair. â€Å"You have to tell me everything now.† â€Å"It's magic stuff and it's dangerous-† A second too late she realized her mistake. â€Å"What do you mean, dangerous?† He straightened up. His voice told her the peaceful interlude was over. â€Å"If you think I'm going to let you do something dangerous by yourself†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He wore her down. He was good at that-even better than his sister-and Thea was no good at refusing him. In the end she told him about Suzanne Blanchet. â€Å"A dead witch,† he said. â€Å"A spirit. And a very angry one.† â€Å"And you think she's coming back,† he said. â€Å"I think she's been here all along. Maybe hanging around the old gym, which hasn't done her any good since nobody's been there assaulting dummies. But if they open it to have the Halloween party†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"It'll be full of humans, all visiting those booths, all reminding her of what she hates. She can pick them off like ticks off a dog.† â€Å"Something like that. I think it could be bad. So what I've got to do is quietly lure her somewhere else and then send her back where she came from.† â€Å"And how are you going to do that?† â€Å"I don't know.† Thea rubbed her forehead. The sun was dipping toward the cliffs and long afternoon shadows had fallen across the desert. â€Å"You've got a plan,† Eric said matter-of-factly. Not you, Thea thought. I promised myself I wouldn't use you. Not even to save lives. â€Å"You've got a plan you think is dangerous for humans. For me, since I'm going to be helping you.† I will not use you†¦. â€Å"Let's make this easy on everybody. You know I'm not going to let you do it alone. We might as well take that as given and go on from there.† This is the crazy guy who ignores snakebites and attacks people with punch, she reminded herself. Do you really expect to talk him out of helping you? But if something were to happen to him†¦ The voice came back again, and Thea didn't understand it and she didn't like it at all. Would you give up everything?

Bus230 Exam Iii Review Ch10-13

BBus20 – Exam III Review – Ch 10-13 Name: ___________________________________________________________________________ 1. While trying to determine the effects of lighting and noise on workers' productivity, which of the following found that social and psychological factors could significantly affect productivity? A. Frederick Taylor B. Elton Mayo C. Abraham Maslow D. Victor Vroom E. B. F. Skinner 2. Theories X and Y are most closely associated with A. Abraham Maslow. B. Frederick Herzberg. C. Douglas McGregor. D. Elton Mayo. E. William Ouchi. 3. Sue wants to be warm, but she is not; she has a A. roblem. B. motivation. C. morale. D. need. E. goal. 4. An inner drive that directs behavior toward objectives is called A. a goal. B. a need. C. motivation. D. morale. E. an incentive. 5. According to Maslow's hierarchy of needs, a person who buys a smoke alarm is motivated to do so in an attempt to fulfill the following need: A. physiological. B. social. C. esteem. D. security. E. self-actualization. 6. All of the following would be examples of objective assessments of an employee's performance appraisal except A. a factory worker's level of output. B. number of units sold for a salesperson.C. a ranking system for an office worker. D. batting average for a baseball player. E. shooting percentage for a basketball player. 7. The major reason for forming a labor union is that A. a group has more clout with management than an individual. B. management always listens to groups. C. unions are good social groups. D. unions are socialistic. E. unions force employers to hire too many people. 8. To achieve its objectives, management may use A. boycotts. B. strikes. C. lockouts. D. picketing. E. all of the above. 9. June works at McDonald's twenty hours per week as a grill operator.She will probably be paid with which of the following compensation methods? A. Commission. B. Time wages. C. Piece wages. D. A bonus. E. A salary. 10. When Sandy Smith moved to a new job that involved more responsibility and an increase in compensation, she received a A. transfer. B. demotion. C. lateral move. D. horizontal move. E. promotion. 11. When William Wilson became a father he began to look for household items that were safe for use around young children. His new perspective is related to his A. over-protectiveness. B. motivation. C. social class. D. reference groups. E. time utility. 12.After analyzing its own resources and unique abilities, a company is now trying to determine what group of customers it can satisfy with a good or service. It is in the process of choosing a A. production strategy. B. target market. C. sales plan. D. geographical region. E. product line. 13. When an organization hauls canned goods from the manufacturer to grocery stores, it is involved with which marketing function? A. Buying B. Selling C. Transporting D. Storing E. Grading 14. If a company markets to a segment of people who have a certain lifestyle, the type of segmentatio n being used is A. behavioristic. B. geographic. C. topographic.D. psychographic. E. demographic. 15. XYZ Inc. is surveying customers as to what kinds of services they would like the company to add. It is involved in the marketing function of A. buying. B. storing. C. financing. D. marketing research. E. risk taking. 16. Which of the marketing mix elements is the least flexible? A. Manufacturing B. Product C. Price D. Promotion E. Distribution 17. Many people incorrectly equate promotion with A. advertising. B. selling. C. pricing. D. product designing. E. distribution. 18. Which of the following involves the physical handling and movement of products in warehouse operations and in transportation?A. inventory planning and control B. transportation C. warehousing D. materials handling E. physical distribution 19. The financial value placed on an object involved in an exchange is A. the price. B. the discount. C. comparable value. D. negotiated value. E. nominal value. 20. Industrial products such as lumber, cotton, and iron are classified as A. major equipment. B. supplies. C. accessory equipment. D. raw materials. E. component parts. Bus20 – Exam III Review – Ch 10-13 Key 1. (p. 300) B 2. (p. 304) C 3. (p. 296-297) D 4. (p. 296) C 5. (p. 302) D 6. (p. 330) C 7. (p. 340) A 8. (p. 342) C 9. (p. 335) B 10. (p. 332) E 1. (p. 378-379) D 12. (p. 369) B 13. (p. 365) C 14. (p. 373) D 15. (p. 365) D 16. (p. 408) E 17. (p. 409) A 18. (p. 408) D 19. (p. 399) A 20. (p. 392) D Bus20 – Exam III Review – Ch 10-13 Summary Category|# of Questions| AACSB: Reflective Thinking|20| Bloom's Taxonomy: Comprehension|9| Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge|11| Difficulty: Easy|4| Difficulty: Hard|4| Difficulty: Medium|12| Ferrell – Chapter 10|5| Ferrell – Chapter 11|5| Ferrell – Chapter 12|5| Ferrell – Chapter 13|5| Learning Objective: 1|3| Learning Objective: 2|4| Learning Objective: 3|4| Learning Objective: 4|5| Learning Objective: 5|2| Learning Objective: 6|2|

The Physics Field of Fluid Statics

The Physics Field of Fluid Statics Fluid statics is the field of physics that involves the study of fluids at rest. Because these fluids are not in motion, that means they have achieved a stable equilibrium state, so fluid statics is largely about understanding these fluid equilibrium conditions. When focusing on incompressible fluids (such as liquids) as opposed to compressible fluids (such as most gases), it is sometimes referred to as hydrostatics. A fluid at rest does not undergo any sheer stress, and only experiences the influence of the normal force of the surrounding fluid (and walls, if in a container), which is the pressure. (More on this below.) This form of equilibrium condition of a fluid is said to be a hydrostatic condition. Fluids that are not in a hydrostatic condition or at rest, and are therefore in some sort of motion, fall under the other field of fluid mechanics, fluid dynamics. Major Concepts of Fluid Statics Sheer stress vs. Normal stress Consider a cross-sectional slice of a fluid. It is said to experience a sheer stress if it is experiencing a stress that is coplanar, or a stress that points in a direction within the plane. Such a sheer stress, in a liquid, will cause motion within the liquid. Normal stress, on the other hand, is a push into that cross sectional area. If the area is against a wall, such as the side of a beaker, then the cross sectional area of the liquid will exert a force against the wall (perpendicular to the cross section - therefore, not coplanar to it). The liquid exerts a force against the wall and the wall exerts a force back, so there is net force and therefore no change in motion. The concept of a normal force may be familiar from early in studying physics, because it shows up a lot in working with and analyzing free-body diagrams. When something is sitting still on the ground, it pushes down toward the ground with a force equal to its weight. The ground, in turn, exerts a normal force back on the bottom of the object. It experiences the normal force, but the normal force doesnt result in any motion. A sheer force would be if someone shoved on the object from the side, which would cause the object to move so long that it can overcome the resistance of friction. A force coplanar within a liquid, though, isnt going to be subject to friction, because there isnt friction between molecules of a fluid. Thats part of what makes it a fluid rather than two solids. But, you say, wouldnt that mean that the cross section is being shoved back into the rest of the fluid? And wouldnt that mean that it moves? This is an excellent point. That cross-sectional sliver of fluid is being pushed back into the rest of the liquid, but when it does so the rest of the fluid pushes back. If the fluid is incompressible, then this pushing isnt going to move anything anywhere. The fluid is going to push back and everything will stay still. (If compressible, there are other considerations, but lets keep it simple for now.) Pressure All of these tiny cross sections of liquid pushing against each other, and against the walls of the container, represent tiny bits of force, and all of this force results in another important physical property of the fluid: the pressure. Instead of cross sectional areas, consider the fluid divided up into tiny cubes. Each side of the cube is being pushed on by the surrounding liquid (or the surface of the container, if along the edge) and all of these are normal stresses against those sides. The incompressible fluid within the tiny cube cannot compress (thats what incompressible means, after all), so there is no change of pressure within these tiny cubes. The force pressing on one of these tiny cubes will be normal forces that precisely cancel out the forces from the adjacent cube surfaces. This cancellation of forces in various directions is of the key discoveries in relation to hydrostatic pressure, known as Pascals Law after the brilliant French physicist and mathematician Blaise Pascal (1623-1662). This means that the pressure at any point is the same in all horizontal directions, and therefore that the change in pressure between two points will be proportional to the difference in height. Density Another key concept in understanding fluid statics is the density of the fluid. It figures into the Pascals Law equation, and each fluid (as well as solids and gases) have densities that can be determined experimentally. Here are a handful of common densities. Density is the mass per unit volume. Now think about various liquids, all split up into those tiny cubes I mentioned earlier. If each tiny cube is the same size, then differences in density means that tiny cubes with different densities will have different amount of mass in them. A higher-density tiny cube will have more stuff in it than a lower-density tiny cube. The higher-density cube will be heavier than the lower-density tiny cube, and will therefore sink in comparison to the lower-density tiny cube. So if you mix two fluids (or even non-fluids) together, the denser parts will sink that the less dense parts will rise. This is also evident in the principle of buoyancy, that explains how displacement of liquid results in an upward force, if you remember your Archimedes. If you pay attention to the mixing of two fluids while its happening, such as when you mix oil and water, therell be a lot of fluid motion, and that would covered by fluid dynamics. But once the fluid reaches equilibrium, youll have fluids of different densities that have settled into layers, with the highest density fluid forming the bottom layer, up until you reach the lowest density fluid on the top layer. An example of this is shown on the graphic on this page, where fluids of different types have differentiated themselves into stratified layers based on their relative densities.

Effects Of the Plague essays

Effects Of the Plague essays In October 1347 several merchant ship returned to Sicily carrying more than just the usual goods. Aboard their ships was the plague. Several men were already infected with the plague and as soon as they stepped foot off the ship it spread like wildfire. Traveling through all of Europe the plague wiped out one third of Europes population in a mere five years. The plague did not disappear until the 1600s, even then people still feared the Black Death. With this epidemic also came change in every aspect of life. During the time of the plague people had no idea what to do. Some thought that barring their doors and staying away from all other people could protect them from the plague. Others thought that moving to the county, away from civilization, would protect them. None of these ideas worked unfortunately. People with the plague were left to die and people who didnt have the plague stayed away from all other people. This separation made living impossible, which caused the plague to flourish. When the worst was over and people started to come back together, things were not the same. People still feared the plague and were a little leery to return to normal living. Eventually, the survivors came out of their holes and tried to move on. One survivor of the Black Death was Geoffrey Chaucer. In Chaucers Canterbury Tales he writes of pilgrims who all take their place in society. Most, if not all, of the pilgrims were created or affected by some aspect of the plague. Each pilgrim to ld one story on the way to Canterbury. Their stories include such topics as the church, stratification, and business. Many religious leaders and churches believed that the plague was punishment for the sinful lives that the men and women of the time were leading. The clergy said to evade the plague you must ask for help from God and ask for forgiveness of your sins. However, the common people felt like the church had...

Book Titles from Shakespeare

Book Titles from Shakespeare Book Titles from Shakespeare Book Titles from Shakespeare By Maeve Maddox When I was receiving my secondary education in a small Arkansas high school many years ago, every student was expected to study four Shakespeare plays before graduating: Grade 9: Julius Caesar Grade 10: As You Like It Grade 11: Romeo and Juliet Grade 12: Macbeth Our study included the memorization of at least one soliloquy and numerous shorter passages from each play. Most high school students had at least some of these quotations embedded in their brains and uttered them even when teachers werent around. Two favorites were Out, out damned spot, and Wilt thou leave me so unsatisfied? Not surprisingly, writers who grew up when Shakespeare was still an important part of the English curriculum made use of some of these phrases when it came to naming their novels. I wonder what store of title material tomorrows novelists will draw on. Memorization of passages from the plays has been in decline for some time. Ive seen episodes of C.S.I. in which Grissom quotes familiar lines from Macbeth or Julius Caesar and his thirty-something colleagues express amazement at what to them is arcane learning. According to a 2007 survey of 70 universities by the American Council of Trustees and Alumni, only 15 require their English majors to take a course in Shakespeare. Require? I find it difficult to imagine an English major who wouldnt insist on being offered a course in Shakespeare. And Chaucer. And Beowulf. And Latin. But Im a geezer. Heres a criticism I came across on the web. I think its probably a common view these days. †¦Shakespeare is no longer English. It is written in a redundant tongue that nobody uses anymore, and takes quite a bit of concentration to understand. Why are we teaching children in English classes to read something that they will have no use for? These stories are several hundred years old and are no longer relevant linguistically and contextually. It is a new millennium. Shakespeare has enjoyed a 450-year popularity. Maybe it is time to remove his work from the general curriculum. Twelve years of public education do not necessarily equate to what used to be an adult level of literacy. Ive encountered college freshman who thought the writing of George Orwell was couched in a redundant tongue that took quite a bit of concentration to understand. Students who have trouble with Orwell are certainly going to be flummoxed by Shakespeare. Still, writers of the past knew their Shakespeare. Here are some titles drawn from the plays. Can you spot the play that the title comes from? 1. The Moon Is Down, John Steinbeck 2. Gaudy Night, Dorothy Sayers 3. Under the Greenwood Tree, Thomas Hardy 4 And Be a Villain, Rex Stout 5 Something Wicked This Way Comes, Ray Bradbury 6 Pale Fire, Vladimir Nabokov 7 Band of Brothers, Stephen Ambrose 8 The Dogs of War, Frederick Forsyth 9 There is a Tide, Agatha Christie 10 By the Pricking of My Thumbs, Agatha Chrstie 11 Not in Our Stars, M. M. Marshall 12 Chimes at Midnight, Terence White 13 The Mousetrap, Agatha Christie 14 Twice-Told Tales, Nathaniel Hawthorne 15 A Muse of Fire, A.D. Harvey 16 Strange Snow, Steve Metcalfe 17 Walk the Night, Robert C. Reinhart 18 A Plague on Both Your Houses, Robert. W. Whitaker 19 The Sound and the Fury, William Faulkner 20 Dagger of the Mind, Star Trek episode Look for the answers tomorrow. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Punctuating â€Å"So† at the Beginning of a SentenceThe Letter "Z" Will Be Removed from the English AlphabetThe Uses of â€Å"The†

Microsoft's Current Development Strategy Case Study

Microsoft's Current Development Strategy - Case Study Example As a company, Microsoft values integrity, honesty, openness, personal excellence, constructive self-criticism, continual self-improvement, and mutual respect. They are committed to their customers and partners and have a passion for technology. They take on big challenges. They hold themselves accountable to their customers, shareholders, partners, and employees by honoring their commitments, providing results, and striving for the highest quality.Microsoft’s best selling products are the Microsoft Windows operating system and the Microsoft Office suite of productivity software. These products have prominent positions in the desktop computer market, with market share estimates as high as 90% or more as of 2003 for Microsoft Office and 2006 for Microsoft Windows, in line with the company's original mission of "a computer on every desk and in every home, running Microsoft software".Microsoft has footholds in other markets besides operating systems and office suites, with assets such as the MSNBC cable television network, the MSN Internet portal, and the Microsoft Encarta multimedia encyclopedia. The company also markets both computer hardware products such as the Microsoft mouse and home entertainment products such as the Xbox, Xbox 360, Zune and MSN TV. Known for what is generally described as a developer-centric business culture, Microsoft has historically given customer support over Usenet newsgroups and the World Wide Web, and awards Microsoft MVP status to volunteers who are deemed helpful in assisting the company's customers.

SEC 10K Paper on Target Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

SEC 10K Paper on Target - Assignment Example The corporate headquarters of the company are located in and around Minneapolis, Minnesota - United States, and Mississauga, Ontario- Canada. The financial statements of Target Company to be analyzed are as at February 1, 2014 and February 2, 2013 and the consolidated results of their operations and their cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended February  1, 2014 were audited by Ernst  & Young  LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm on February 14, 2014. Profitability: Target Company reported the lowest profits of $ 1,971 in 2013 compared to $ 2,999 and $ 2,929 in 2012 and 2011 respectively. The company incurred huge investments in Canada whose returns was much less than the costs.. Its U.S segment reported profits that seems to have cushioned the company’s consolidated income. Long-Term Debt: Target has a long-term debt worth $ 12,622 million as at February 1, 2014. Types of long-term debts: notes, debentures. Long-term debts decreased in 2013 as compared to $ 14,654 million in 2012. Target Company suffers from poor credit rating. Retained Earnings: Beginning balance is $ 13,155 million and ending balance is $ 12,599. The retained earnings increased because of repurchasing of stock and also, part of the dividends declared was not paid. Target Company paid dividends worth $ 1006 million. Statement of Cash Flows: Ending balance is $ 6520 million. The cash balance increased due to the firm’s increased operations both in Canada and U.S investors always prefer investing in firms with prospective higher returns and potential to faster growth. Fast growing firms often indicate a net income but have their cash held in accounts receivable or depend too heavily on bank financing. This is implied by the items falling under investing activities of the cash flow statement. Our company always has a surplus cash budget. In summary, sales increased showing a positive

Gender portrayal and the idea of gaze Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Gender portrayal and the idea of gaze - Essay Example The entitlement sense however comes with its accompaniment, anxieties. Although critics point out other differences that result to the gaze including race, most of the work concentrates on gender differences and role. Caroline helps us understand that for those critics with interests in violence, racial class inflections support gender norms. There is in no way a male will ever have equal right with the women since they have more power. The movies industry has now turned into man woman affair content, where clear warnings display on film advertisement requiring that to be eligible to watch, one must be of certain age. From the reading, the basis of argument is that a man gets more privileges to gaze at the woman on Hollywood cinemas purely because of control and power. In lesser words, the pleasures resulting from the cinema are just consequences of gender

Critical evaluation of about 4 pages on the Accenture article on the Essay - 1

Critical evaluation of about 4 pages on the Accenture article on the Innovation Death Spiral - Essay Example According to the CEO of Apple Inc Tim Cook, innovation may create new market share and new customers for the organization. In order to fulfil such views, the organization created a new invention named Apple i-pad. This proved extremely effective for the organization in the age of recession in order to amplify its profit margin and productivity. However, after a very small period of time, the organizational performance started declining significantly thereby reducing its image and reliability in the market among other rival players as presented by the below figure. Therefore, as per Mr. Tim Cook, the organization of Apple Inc became trapped in the process of ‘Innovation death spiral’. According to this process, the organization develops new products with the desire that it might present high results but yields up with disappointing results. However, in order to balance such a phenomenon, Tim Cook, implemented balancing innovation strategy in order to rectify such trouble, as innovation is considered as an engine. In order to retain the portfolio and reputation of the organization, Tim Cook decided to offer higher concentration over the field of research and development. Only then, the organization might analyse and evaluate the demands and preferences of the customers in an effective way (Innovation management, 2011). So that, after developing and launching the products, it might offer high-ended results to the organization of Apple Inc that might amplify its net income and market share. In order to do so, the CEO, Tim Cook developed varied types of products such as I-pad mini, iphone 5, iMac and many others. By inventing a series of above mentioned products, the total sales of the organization of Apple Inc increased by almost 50 percent in the period of recession as well as compared to other rival players such as Microsoft (Mysticdots, 2012). Apart from this, in order to save the organization from falling in the

Refer to document Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Refer to document - Coursework Example Wise financial decisions are the best rewards an investor or a businessman can give to himself for a secure financial future. I think the term behavioral science is too broad in this context. However, it is wise that student 2 explained further by specifying that many bubbles are due to hypersensitive investing among financial industry members. Just as he suggests on the need to be fully aware of the ups and downs of the stock market prior to any investments, I concur with him that investors should not just rely on the positive or negative side of the history of the stocks, but rather take quality time studying the stocks and making possible adjustments whenever necessary. Anchoring, as suggested by this student is indeed a common behavior in the current stock market. This seems to go hand in hand with the views of student 2 on the idea that the history of stocks should not always be a factor to base on while deciding to invest. Going with the crowd is another dangerous move highlighted here. People should learn to assess stocks subjectively and make individual decisions instead of doing what others think is right, simply because markets can never be predictable; they can be defined in different terms by different sectors. Braham, L. (2014, April 7). How Money Managers Fight Their Emotions and Sometimes Lose. Bloomberg.com. Retrieved October 28, 2014, from

Critical evaluation of about 4 pages on the Accenture article on the Essay - 1

Critical evaluation of about 4 pages on the Accenture article on the Innovation Death Spiral - Essay Example According to the CEO of Apple Inc Tim Cook, innovation may create new market share and new customers for the organization. In order to fulfil such views, the organization created a new invention named Apple i-pad. This proved extremely effective for the organization in the age of recession in order to amplify its profit margin and productivity. However, after a very small period of time, the organizational performance started declining significantly thereby reducing its image and reliability in the market among other rival players as presented by the below figure. Therefore, as per Mr. Tim Cook, the organization of Apple Inc became trapped in the process of ‘Innovation death spiral’. According to this process, the organization develops new products with the desire that it might present high results but yields up with disappointing results. However, in order to balance such a phenomenon, Tim Cook, implemented balancing innovation strategy in order to rectify such trouble, as innovation is considered as an engine. In order to retain the portfolio and reputation of the organization, Tim Cook decided to offer higher concentration over the field of research and development. Only then, the organization might analyse and evaluate the demands and preferences of the customers in an effective way (Innovation management, 2011). So that, after developing and launching the products, it might offer high-ended results to the organization of Apple Inc that might amplify its net income and market share. In order to do so, the CEO, Tim Cook developed varied types of products such as I-pad mini, iphone 5, iMac and many others. By inventing a series of above mentioned products, the total sales of the organization of Apple Inc increased by almost 50 percent in the period of recession as well as compared to other rival players such as Microsoft (Mysticdots, 2012). Apart from this, in order to save the organization from falling in the

The Effects of Global Warming on the Animals in the North Pole Essay

The Effects of Global Warming on the Animals in the North Pole - Essay Example This statement is significant as every living thing, undergoes the process of â€Å"inhaling† and â€Å"exhaling† carbon dioxide and oxygen, thereby resulting in a chemical balance in the earth’s atmosphere. Even a wide variety of human activities, which primarily include the burning of fossil fuels, industrial activities and the cutting down of forest for agricultural purposes and urbanization, are potentially increasing the volume of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, thereby upsetting this atmospheric chemical balance. The details of our complex climate systems are not sufficiently known to facilitate us in the prediction of the precise consequences of global warming in our planet. Our ability to accurately measure the human influence on global climate variation is essentially limited. The forecasted signals are still rising from the phenomenon of variability in climate and the concerned uncertainties. These include the magnitudes and patterns of prolong natu ral variability and the evolving patterns through times; and responses to changes in the concentrations of greenhouse gases and aerosols. However, it is an essential fact to be noted that, not everyone agrees that the surface temperature of the earth is on the increase. ... Scenario of global warming in the Arctic Circle The Arctic region comprises of the area that is north of the Arctic Circle (66 °34’N), a latitude which is barely 600km from the Shetland Islands. The Arctic Circle covers an area that is approximately 6% of the Earth’s surface, and is populated by almost 4 million humans, which includes indigenous people who have been inhabitants of the Arctic since the past 10,000 years. At the centre are the Arctic Ocean, which partly encloses the five coastal states of Canada, Greenland, Norway, Russia, and the United States of America. During the past five decades, the average annual temperature in the Arctic Circle has significantly increased by upto 3oC. It has been presumed that depending on the local areas and the carbon emissions in the future, the average annual temperature of the Arctic Circle will increase a further 2-9oC in the present year. The fact to be notified is significantly more than the average rise of annual tempe rature globally, which shows a rise of 1.8 - 3.4 °C. This significant rise in the temperature levels has inflicted global warming in the North Pole, which will also essentially feedback into enhanced global warming mainly due to the melting of ice and permafrost thaw. The degree of sea ice in the Arctic Ocean varies seasonally, portraying greatest in March and at the end of winter, while lowest in September at the end of summer. The analysis of the data of the past 3 decades which were obtained from the views of the satellites shows a significant decline in the sea ice. This decline was notified as beyond the natural variations, averaging 11.7% a decade in summer and 2.7% during the winter. It was

Rare Aging Disease Essay Example for Free

Rare Aging Disease Essay A 12 year old girl named Ontlametse Phalatse lives in Hebron, a small town just north of Johannesburg, South Africa. When she gets home from school, she does homework, watches tv, does her daily chores, and sometimes helps her mother cook. Ontlametse has bright plans for the future, to become a psychologist. This seemingly ordinary child is also known as the only living black person with the disease known as Progeria. This rare disease is a genetic condition that’s speeds up the aging process. There were only two other black children that were diagnosed with the condition, but they died. Ontlametse and a white child are the only Africans diagnosed and they both live in South Africa. They may live there because South Africa has some of the best medical care on the continent. Most children with Progeria die between the ages of 8 and 21, usually suffering from heart failure, strokes, and high blood pressure. By the age of three months Ontlametse suffered constant rashes, and before she was one year old her hair was falling out. Ontlametse At the age of six she was enrolled in school, where teachers and classmates scorned her because they thought she had AIDS. Ontlametse was not diagnosed until she was 10, when a doctor friend hinted on the condition to her mother. Even though she has this condition Ontlametse is a bright and strong little girl. She says â€Å"I don’t care what people say about me† referring to the mean classmates, but she says that she has two friends in her class. At school Ontlametse is self conscious about her bald head and always wears a hat, that’s why one of the things on her wish list is a specially designed wig to wear when she’s not at home. Ontlametse calls herself the first lady because she is the only black child with this condition. Ontlametse says she wants to be a psychologist when she grows up so that she can help others accept themselves for the way that they are, just like she does. This dream of the future would require a miracle knowing that she may only have a couple more years to live. Every school holiday, Ontlametse flies to the Progeria Research Foundation at Children’s Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts. Here she participates in research were she has access to cutting edge drugs. I think that this article is really shocking, interesting and sad. This little girl is the only black person with Progeria on the whole planet. I have seen a show about this condition on tv, there was a three day convention that brought together all of the children with this condition. It was really shocking to see these young children looking like old people and having all of the health related issues that old people have, they are so small and fragile. Even though Ontlametse has all these problems she still attends school, does chores, has dreams, and is so strong, which is very inspiring. She does not let this condition bring her down, she knows that it’s a part of her and she wants to be a model for others to accept themselves as they are. This article is also saddens me because in reality this little girl, so full of life and personality, may only have a few more years left to live.

Barriers to Healthcare for Diabetic Ethnic Minorities

Barriers to Healthcare for Diabetic Ethnic Minorities Comparing Barriers to Healthcare in Diabetic Ethnic Minorities in Urban Versus Rural Settings Noreen Choudhary   Issue/Problem There has been abundant research done in the study of ethnic minorities and their access to healthcare. Attention has been paid to common barriers such as language, knowledge and communication, which are all culturally influenced. Most of this research has focused on general access to healthcare and not specific diseases. There is very little reserach on comparing barriers that exist depending on location. The issue I would be exploring in my study is determining the differences in potential barriers that exist in access to healthcare among ethnic minority diabetic individuals in urban versus rural settings. The potential barriers in access should differ depending on the location since the type and amount of resources present varies in both settings. This study hopes to contribute to the literature by focusing on diabetes and determining the differences in barriers that exist for ethnic minorities in the urban versus rural settings. Background The regions with the greatest incidence of diabetes are Africa and Asia, where the rates are expected to rise two or three times (Oldroyd, Banerjee, Heald Cruickshank, 2005). The three countries with the highest prevalence of diabetes are USA, China and India (Oldroyd et al., 2005). The largest increases are expected in Brazil, Indonesia, Bangladesh , Pakistan and Japan (Oldroyd et al., 2005). Type 2 diabetes is most common among ethnic minority groups residing in developed countries (Oldroyd et al., 2005). Diabetes is a chronic illness that requires continuing medical attention as well as self-management education (American Diabetes Association, 2002). Renfrew et al. (2013) reported on barriers to care present in a Cambodian population near Boston. The study highlighted the importance of a culturally sensitive healthcare system for Cambodians (Renfrew et al., 2013). The researchers found the following barriers in access to healthcare: patients’ views of chronic disease, diabetes management, communication, psycho-social factors, diabetes etiology and explanatory models and fears of interacting with the healthcare system (Renfrew et al., 2013). The researchers were advocating for a culturally sensitive approach to healthcare for this population because most of the barriers identified were culturally influenced. Some of these culturally influenced barriers were patients’ mistrust in the western model of health, replacement by alternative medicine, belief that western medicine is an ‘instant’ cure, and desire to please the practitioners (Renfrew et al., 2013). Researchers found these barriers among other whic h were influenced by cultural beliefs of the patients (Renfrew et al., 2013). Smith, Garie, and Schmitz (2014) illustrated self-reported use of diabetes healthcare services in a Quebec community-based sample. The study found that people with major depression were more likely to be high users or non-users of diabetes healthcare services (Smith, Garie, Schmitz, 2014). People with major depression reported more problems with accessing diabetes healthcare services (Smith, Garie, Schmitz, 2014). People with major depression perceived more problems with the healthcare they received (Smith, Garie, Schmitz, 2014). The results also showed that people with major depression perceived problems with the length of time they had to wait to see a doctor, that there is a lack of specialist care in their area and are more likely to report having problems getting to the doctor due to transportation and health problems (Smith, Garie, Schmitz, 2014). The low service users represent a particularly vulnerable group who may need to be targeted by interventions in order to encoura ge them to visit a doctor (Smith, Garie, Schmitz, 2014). The finding in this study was important because it showed that perceived problems with accessing healthcare services could impact utilization of healthcare. Wagner et al. (2013) reports on the effects of trauma on the risk for disease development and access to healthcare. Mental health problems among Southeast Asian refugees are well known but the long term affects of mass violence as re-settled refugees age are less well described (Wagner et al., 2013). This study investigated any potential relationship that may exist between trauma symptoms, self-reported health outcomes, and barriers to healthcare among Cambodian and Vietnamese persons in Connecticut (Wagner et al., 2013). Healthcare access and occurrence were measured regarding patient-provider understanding, cost and access, and interpretive services (Wagner et al., 2013). Individuals with greater levels of trauma symptoms were associated with greater lack of understanding, cost and access problems, and the need for an interpreter (Wagner et al., 2013). Although these Southeast Asian immigrants arrived to United States as refugees more than 20 years ago, there continues to be high l evels of trauma symptoms among this population which are associated with increased risk for disease and decreased access to healthcare services (Wagner et al., 2013). This article was interesting because it didn’t mention the usual barriers we talk about when it comes to access to healthcare (such as language). The last article I found was titled, ‘Diabetes care quality is a question of location’ by The Press Association. The article talks about the standard of diabetes healthcare in England depending on a postcode lottery (The Press Association, 2013). The quality of care patients receive depends whether it’s provided by a GP or a hospital, it depends on the location (The Press Association, 2013). The report found big regional differences in patients’ access to quality, integrated care (The Press Association, 2013). Some areas were four times more likely to get annual checks needed to manage their conditions (The Press Association, 2013). This article is similar to my research project however instead of rural and urban settings, it focused on location in terms of where healthcare was sought, a clinic, hospital, or GP (The Press Association, 2013). Purpose/Aim of your Project The aim of my research proposal is to identify any potential barriers that may exist in access to healthcare among ethnic minority diabetics in rural versus urban settings. My original research proposal was investigating potential barriers in access to healthcare among ethnic minority diabetics without the location factor. When I started looking up literature, I found there was already enough information in this area and my research wouldn’t add anything distinctive to this field. I started reading more articles and doing a literature review, I didn’t find any studies comparing potential barriers in urban and rural settings. After reviewing the comments I received from the professor after the first assignment, I was actively looking for gaps in research when reading articles. Therefore, I decided to alter my original question after I found this gap. If there are differences in the types of barriers present in these two distinct settings, then hopefully my research would bring this to the forefront of healthcare providers and policymakers and would result in equitable care in urban and rural settings. Rationale/justification Canada is known for its multiculturalism with Ontario being the most ethnically diverse province [3]. Almost 13.4% of Canadians identified themselves as being a visible minority in the 2001 census [3]. Since diabetes is most prevalent in ethnic minorities and Canada is one of the most ethnically diverse countries, it’s understandable why there is an abundance of research in this field. There is a currently a gap in research that my research would potentially fulfill. While reading articles present in my field of interest, I couldn’t find any that compared barriers in access to healthcare present in urban versus rural settings. This sort of information is necessary for policymakers to reduce or even eliminate these barriers to achieve high quality of care for diabetic individuals in the future. If the results conclude that the barriers present in the urban settings differ from the ones present in the rural setting, then there is work to be done. We must ensure health equity when it comes to access to healthcare and eliminate any geographical factors that come into play. We must ensure healthy places for all individuals but especially diabetics who require a lot of social and medical support. Also, the need for culturally appropriate health care to accommodate the unique needs of ethnic minorities. The other research gap I found was studies didn’t talk about information loss during translations, either during patient and practitioner interactions or researcher and patient interactions. I think it’s an important factor to consider in studies consisting of subjects who speak another language. For instance, in one study the researchers found that patients didn’t understand the concept of chronic disease and I believe that this was due to information loss during translation. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to provide healthcare professionals with information on the different barriers that exist among urban and rural settings in order to achieve health equity. Researchable research question The research question for my study is: What are potential barriers in access to health care among ethnic minorities with diabetes in the urban versus the rural settings? Intellectual guideposts Ontology is the theory of being or what reality fundamentally is, in social sciences it is closely linked with ethical implications (David Sutton, 2011). The basic premise of phenomenological ontology is that for humans reality is not something separate from its appearance (David Sutton, 2011). The way we think about ourselves is fundamental to what we are (David Sutton, 2011). For me, I think that health is a fundamental aspect of being human, it’s a basic right and an underlying factor in our existence. All individuals should have access to healthcare and this access should be equitable, regardless of one’s location. The particular ‘epistemological’ (theory of knowledge) stance (positivist, critical theoretical or interpretivist) will be grounded in assumptions about the basic character of being human (David Sutton, 2011). My research project is rooted in the interpretivist paradigm because I believe that access to healthcare is an important aspect of being human. Health is an important part of being human and to achieve this health, we need a culturally sensitive and acceptable healthcare system for ethnic minorities. Axiology is about the values each individual has and its influence on their research [print]. There are no value-free sociologies, values are foundational for knowledge-producing systems [print]. The topic of this study began with a personal experience I have with diabetes but eventually filtered out to form a researchable question that could add value to the field. Coming from a background in biology, we are taught that there is something wrong with the body and it needs to be fixed, that health is solely a biological factor. This was purely based in a positivist paradigm which is aligned with quantitative research. I believe that healthcare access regardless of ethnicity, location, age, sex, or gender is crucial for all humans. Coming from a country with a poor healthcare system also influences my view in terms of healthcare access. I believe that health has a strong social component which cannot be measured quantitatively and thus I adopted an interpretivist and qualitative approa ch for my study. The best way to undergo my study would be by utilizing a qualitative approach, more specifically, open-ended interviews. I want to gain insight into the barriers that are present for each individual from these ethnically diverse backgrounds. I want to understand their perspective and beliefs, and how these influence their use of the healthcare system. After I understand these barriers, I will compare the difference in the types of barriers that are present among those living in the urban and rural settings. Since I am using open ended interviews, I believe the best rhetorical choice would be passive. I believe the participants in the study should have the freedom to talk in depth about the issue at hand. I don’t want to influence their answers in any way but at the same time they should have the opportunity to freely express themselves. Especially in my study which includes ethnic minorities, there may be language barriers present so this freedom to answer freely would be a pl us for the participants. Interpretive/theoretical frame My research project will be embedded in the interpretive paradigm. More specifically, I will be adopting the constructionism theory. â€Å"Constructionists focus on how people create meaningful social reality for themselves through their interactions and thereby create a sense of order through shared beliefs (David Sutton, 2011).† Constructionists adopt qualitative approaches such as interviews and unstructured observation (David Sutton, 2011). I believe that culture is important in defining health, it influences our behaviour in terms of how we access and utilize our healthcare system. For example, Renfrew et al. (2013) talked about how people’s perceptions on chronic illness affected their use of the healthcare system. One’s culture, beliefs, views and attitudes affects their behaviour in terms of healthcare use. This is relevant to my research project because I want to understand the barriers that exist for ethnic minorities with diabetes but with the added element of comparing these barriers in two settings: urban and rural. References: American Diabetes Association. (2002). Standards of medical care for patients with diabetes mellitus. Diabetes Care, 25, 533-549. David, M., Sutton, C. (2011). Social research: An introduction. London : Sage Publications. Oldroyd, J., Banerjee, M., Heald, A., Cruickshank, K. (2005). Diabetes and ethnic minorities. Postgrad Medical Journal, 81, 486-490. Renfrew, M. R., Taing, E., Cohen, M. J., Betancourt, J. R., Pasinski, R., Green, A. R. (2013). Barriers to care for Cambodian patients with diabetes: Results from a qualitative study. Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Undeserved, 24(1), 633-655. Smith, Garie, Schmitz (2014). Self-reported use of diabetes healthcare services in a Quebec community-based sample: impact of depression status. Public Health, 128, 63-69. The Press Association. (2013, December 10). Diabetes care quality is question of location. Nursing Times. Retrieved from http://www.nursingtimes.net/home/clinical-zones/diabetes/diabetes-care-quality-is-question-of-location/5066307.article Wagner et al. (2012). Trauma, healthcare access, and health outcomes among Southeast Asian refugees in Connecticut. Journal Immigrant Minority Health, 15, 1065–1072. Peer Feedback Form Is it clear what issue or problem the author will investigate through this study? Explain. Yes, the author is studying healthcare access by immigrants from two different backgrounds: those from developed countries and those from underdeveloped countries. It is evident in the assignment what the researcher will be trying to determine and why they have chosen to do so. There is a gap in understanding barriers in access to healthcare that exist between immigrants from developing countries and those from developed countries. Is the approach chosen, qualitative or quantitative a suitable choice, and will it bring insight into the research question? Explain. The approach is qualitative and this is a suitable choice. Since the researcher wants to understand why people over or under use the healthcare system and wants their opinion/views, it’s best to use a qualitative approach. By using interviews, for example, they can gain insight into the factors that influence people to use or not use the healthcare system in their country. Has the author explained connections to the literature, including what gaps exist in our knowledge about the topic? Explain. Yes, the author has clearly explained why they want to do this research and what gap it will fill. They have mentioned that previous research has been done on immigrants and access to healthcare, however, none have focused on the differences in this access based on country of origin (developed/developing). Are the aims of this project clear and well written? Explain. Yes, the aims are quite clear. The author wants to understand the factors that prevent immigrants from using the healthcare system based on their country of origin, the Western or Eastern countries. They want to compare these factors and understand if any differences exist. Is the research question clearly stated? Is it researchable? Does it fit well within approach the author has selected? Explain. The question is clearly stated and is researchable. It will fit with the qualitative approach that the researcher has chosen because it will allow them to understand from the immigrants’ views why they chose or didn’t choose to utilize the healthcare system. They want to understand the barriers that exist for them individually and thus, the best approach is to use qualitative methods. Has the author properly and convincingly used the intellectual guideposts for research, explaining her or his project and position relative to these? Explain. Yes, the author used the intellectual guideposts to explain her position on each one. The use of the constructionism theory in this research proposal makes sense. They want to understand the barriers that exist for each individual and this is influenced by how people create and perceive their realities, the basis of constructionism. Is it clear which paradigm and theoretical frame will be used in this study? Explain. It is quite evident that this research is based on the interpretive paradigm. As she stated in this assignment, â€Å"The largest factor guarding our interpretations of the social world is culture.† This perfectly fits with this research study because I’m sure that most of the barriers that exist in access to healthcare are influenced by culture. This is especially true for most immigrants who come from countries that are different culturally. What suggestions can you make or ideas can you bring to enhance the overall clarity of the proposal? Explain. Overall the assignment was very well done, however, I’m just wondering if you are concentrating on new or long term immigrants. I think this would potentially affect the types of barriers that are present. For example, language or knowledge would be more of a barrier for newer immigrants. Maybe you could control for this aspect, as it could be a potential confounder. Good luck! 1

Theme of Epiphany in James Joyces Ulysses Essay -- Joyce Ulysses Essa

The Theme of Epiphany in Ulysses  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚      James Joyce's Ulysses is a novel of epic proportions that has been proclaimed the greatest piece of literature of the twentieth century. Ulysses takes place in Dublin, Ireland on June 16, 1904. The book is full of parallels, metaphors, and experimental literary techniques. However, a dominant theme is that of epiphany. Not necessarily religious in meaning, the Joycean idea of epiphany is a sudden discovery of the essential nature or meaning of something. In Ulysses, Joyce describes the pursuits of two main protagonists, Leopold Bloom and Stephen Dedalus, both individuals yearning for something more. As the day progresses the two characters unknowingly cross paths until, as a result of their day, they finally meet. In doing so, they find in each other humanistic ideals, in the form of individual epiphanies, that are needed to complete their yearnings. Joyce uses these epiphanies to represent his theme of the ability of a single day to act as a microcosm of the many facets of human society. Stephen Dedalus is first introduced in a tower in Sandycove that he is renting and sharing with "friend" Buck Mulligan. While going about their morning routines it becomes evident that Stephen is upset, with Mulligan and the situation, and after a conversation filled with mockery and annoyance, Stephen vows not to return to the tower that night. Stephen, now homeless, takes to the street hoping to find solace in the city. Stephen is recently back in Dublin from a self-exile in Paris. He has completed his bachelor degree and is very educated, especially in language and the humanities. However, as he has grown in learning and experience, he is still lacking essential characteristics ... ...shows not just Stephen has grown that day. By showing in full the transpiring of one single day and the effect it has on two distinct yet dynamic character, James Joyce has made Ulysses a book about the success of humanity. It is hard to believe that a novel that has had such a battle with censors due to its "obscenity" can portray society in a moral, positive manner. But in the less than 24 hours of action, almost 800 pages of language, can be found many things. One is the struggle of the family, shown through Stephen (son), Bloom (father), and Molly (mother). More importantly is the power of one day, with its events and epiphanies, and the fact that that day could be any day or every day. Bibliography Joyce, James. Ulysses. Modern Library Edition, 1934. Tindall, William York. A Reader's Guide to James Joyce. Syracuse University Press Edition, 1959

Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress Essay

Title: Balzac and the Little Chinese seamstress author: Dai SijieOriginally published in France by Gallimard, 2000English translation publisher: Alfred A. KnopfCopyright: September 11, 2001Hardcover: 208 pagesA novelBalzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress is a cogent novel that depicts the impact of the Chinese Cultural Revolution, proves the magic of storytelling, compares ancient and modern, and tells a romantic love story between a mountain girl and two city youths. Two boys are sent to a mountain at the age of 17 and 18 during the Cultural Revolution in China in the 1970s for re-education. The narrator, a violin player, and his best friend Luo both have parents that are doctors and therefore classed as enemies of the people, which is the worst thing that can happen to an intellectual. The chance of going home from this remote village 500 kilometers away from their hometown, the big city Chengdu, is less than three in a thousand. At the mountain Phoenix of the Sky, which is just a poetic way of suggesting its terrifying altitude, they are put into a house on stilts with a sow underneath in the poorest village perched on a summit. Their re-education consists of working in a coal mine and carrying buckets of excrement up and down a mountain. With them in another village is an old friend called Fore-Eyes, because of his glasses. Soon the two discover his hidden suitcase that contains a large number of Western literature translated into Chinese. And when they meet the Little Seamstress, the beautiful mountain girl in need of culture, they decide to steal the suitcase. This partly historical novel tells the amusing adventures of a teenager during his re-education in a humorous, and sometimes sarcastic way, with a lot of black humor in between. A funny example is the day of their arrival. When the narrator played a sonata by Mozart on his violin to convince the villagers that it was a musical instrument, not a toy, he had to call his piece Mozart is Thinking of Chairman Mao to wipe out the headmans suspicion. Another example is Fore-Eyes collecting authentic folk songs from the peasants to publish them in a journal, in order to get out of the village: he adapted and modified them to communistic songs because the text was a little indelicate. The irony behind this is that songs from peasants, who  are the actual communists, had to be altered in order to be published in a communistic journal. The characters are all extremely realistic, whether it is the vigilant, coarse, and harsh village headman who is an ex-opium grower turned Communist saying that spreading out reactionary stories of western Counts (Count of Monte Cristo) is a crime, regardless of the Counts nationality because our revolution will triumph the world over, or the poor Old Miller eating pebbles dipped in salt water with his liquor, which he calls jade dumplings with miller sauce. My favorite character is the superficial and sycophantic Fore-Eyes with his smiling mask: he is the son of a poetess and a writer and therefore also classed three-in-a-thousand. He lives in constant terror of the peasants opinion, hoping that they might give him a chance to go back home: Ive got to work, thats what Im here for. At least thats what the headman says, he says. The Cultural Revolution has not only changed Fore-Eyes. Towards the end of 1968, Chairman Mao launched a campaign that would leave the country profoundly altered: the Chinese Cultural Revolution. Schools and universities were closed and hundred of thousands of young intellectuals were forced to go to the countryside for re-education, meaning working with poor peasants to change their bourgeois minds, to have western decadent ideas re-educated out of them. This book is one of the few that personally describe the suffering of teenagers at the age of growing up working in villages without any culture or civilization, completely blocked from the outside world. The little coal mine already became a threatening word in the two boys vocabulary. Luo once said: I dont know why, but from the moment we got here Ive had this idea stuck in my head: that Im going to die in this mine. As the narrator said, he’s heard â€Å"nothing but revolutionary blather about patriotism, Communism, ideology and propaganda all his life†. Therefore, a suitcase with Western literature that was discovered by chance totally transformed him and his friend in a way that being in the city could never have done because any art or literature that is Western were banned for years at that time. So even though they were supposed to be re-educated, they did read something else than Maos Little Red Book, the only book that was allowed to be read. Besides manifesting the impact of the Cultural Revolution, the story reveals the importance of storytelling. Early in the book, the narrator says: The only thing Luo was really good at was telling stories. A pleasing talent to be sure, but a marginal one, with little future in it. Modern man has moved beyond the age of the Thousand-and-One-Nights, and modern societies everywhere, whether socialist or capitalist, have done away with the old storytellers—more’s the pity. The fact is this story is based on telling stories – from revolutionary movies to Western forbidden books and at that certain time and place, storytelling brought culture and civilization. The narrator was completely changed when he opened the thin book of Balzac, realizing that subjects like awakening desire, passion, impulsive action had all been hidden from him. Like he said: Brushing them with the tips of my fingers made me feel as if my pale hands were in touch with human lives. Somehow, the way he identifies characters and situations that he has never experienced so strongly can be compared to the way this book presents itself: through excellent descriptions the reader is led in a world so new, so different, and so impressive. This wonderful story combines ancient and modern, superstition and civilization in a village, demonstrating an entire contrast between the two cultures. An interesting scene in the book is that sorceresses who came to heal Luo from his bout of malaria were fascinated by the story the narrator told. He said: I embarked on the strangest performance of my life. In that remote village tucked into a cleft in the mountain where my friend had fallen into a sort of stupor, I sat in the flickering light of an oil lamp and related the North Korean film for the benefit of a pretty girl and four ancient sorceresses. Although this book essentially suggests that Western culture is welcomed, the plot hints a drawback. If everyone in China or elsewhere would be educated in a Western way, meaning to leave superstition, religion, tradition and maybe even culture and history behind, what would then the world look like?The book is not only a story about cultural differences; it is also a love story. The Little Seamstress is by far the prettiest girl in the whole region. The moment the narrator and Luo saw her, the beauty of this simple, kind, and genuine daughter of the tailor fascinated them. The narrator asked Luo whether he was in love with her or  not, and he replied: Shes not civilized, at least not enough for me! The story deals with teaching a mountain girl (who is now Luos girlfriend) by telling her Western stories about love and passion. At the same time, it deals a lot with friendship, because the narrator is also in love with the Little Seamstress, who isnt aware of that. He calls himself her secret agent when he goes to protect the Little Seamstress from other admirers following Luos wish when he was gone for a month. He teaches the Little Seamstress and helps her at her daily work, but wasnt supposed to show any kind of affection or jealousy. That is true friendship, in other words. In the end, the story takes a surprising turn with the Little Seamstress leaving them with Balzacs words: A womans beauty is a treasure beyond price.After all, it is a very powerful and convincing book that allows readers to think about this dark and ugly period of Chinese history and at the same time see how hope and optimism never vanishes in times of despair, fear and loneliness, or any kind of terrible situations one might get in.

Women in Ancient Greece

Behind every great man there is a great woman. The woman being the mother and wife of the household, the caretaker and glue that held things together while the man was the â€Å"breadwinner†, this was an ideal that held true throughout history only until recent years. In Ancient Greece, women held an obligation to their house and husband, they were property in a sense, but at the same time they almost held an important position of power, only it was hidden behind the veil of the home life. While they were reliant upon their husbands, it can be viewed that it was the females that helped their husbands and sons obtain the positions that they held, for good or bad. The female role of power in Greece varied from slave to queen, the woman’s role was the important but often subservient glue that was meant to keep the family together. Greek culture did not have to write down what was expected of women of the ancient time, because the men in society spent the entirety of a female’s life leaving their impressions of how they were meant to behave. Analyzing the work of various philosophers and writers, women were viewed as tools of the household, as the glue that held the household. However women were not considered anything outside of that, and were expected to remain in the household and tend to the children. The wives and mothers were at the center of the household, even when the husband was home. The husband would have seniority in the household, but when he was gone, the women were in charge of everything, including the slaves and the children. While the men were gone, the women were meant to follow a stern set of rules in order to avoid being seen with the suspicion and gossiped about by her neighbors. The women of Ancient Greece sought to please their husbands and everything described to be a â€Å"good wife†. If they feel that another woman has been unfaithful, even if she simply let her husband’s friend into their house when he isn’t home, the other women will talk and attempt to ruin the reputation of the woman.

The Nephilim

The Nephilim David Wood 2/18/2013 Ever since I was a young boy mythology and the supernatural have always been very fascinating to me. I always loved hearing stories about ancient heroes and the tremendous deeds they performed with great might and strength. As I grew older I obviously became aware that these stories were not actually true and were in fact just legends passed down throughout the years. However, I have always wondered how these stories came about and if their origins contained any truth to them.While reading through the book of Genesis I stumbled across something that I believe may be the answer to how these stories of powerful heroes and men of renown came about. While only briefly mentioned in Genesis chapter six, the Nephilim could be the source of how these amazing stories came about. These mysterious creatures that are only mentioned in the bible a handful of times have aroused much debate and grabbed the attention of Bible scholars and secular scholars alike. The se debates even go back into the New Testament times when people started asking the question of just how did these â€Å"Men of renown† and â€Å"Heroes of old† come to be?The words used to describe these creatures that roamed the Earth in ancient times described men that had tremendous strength and unusual power that the average man didn't. It is also stated that these offspring of the â€Å"Sons of God† and the â€Å"Daughters of men† committed evil deeds and led many people astray from the Lord and corrupted them. It is obvious that the stories of these men would get passed down generation after generation so it is easy to see how some of the myths we still know of today could have very well been influenced by the Nephilim.Now as the Nephilim became an increasingly debated topic during the fifth century AD the church had accepted the view that fallen angels had come down to the Earth and mated with human women for hundreds of years. However critics lik e Celsus and Julian the Apostate used this angel belief to attack the Christian faith and attempted to portray it as foolish to others. In response to this, the theory of the Sethite explanation came about as an attempt to disprove any belief about the mating between angels and humans. Important figures likeAugustine embraced this Sethite theory which allowed this view to progress into the Middle Ages and many still believe it to this day. The Sethite view claims that the angel interpretation is inaccurate, and instead that these angels were called watchers and were in charge of watching and reporting human activity and did not mate with them. This then raises the question of how these Nephilim came about without angels mating with women. To answer the question of who the Sons of God are we must look at how the serpent deceived Eve then Adam.After their sin God tells the serpent â€Å"I will put enmity between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise y our head, And you shall bruise His heel. Genesis 3:15  (NKJV) This is God acknowledging that Satan had begun a war with Him and His people. He responded by stating that Lucifer would struggle until the end of time in order to contend with the truth which will be revealed through the seed of the Adam and Eve. As Abel was the firstborn this meant that he was the one to start this righteous line of men.After learning about this fate Satan began to plot on how to quickly to destroy the seed that God said would end up being his ultimate demise. He corrupted the mind of Abel's brother Cain and caused him to commit the first murder in history, seemingly disproving what God had said. However, God knew of Lucifer's evil plan and had a solution ready. After the death of Abel it is written that Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son and named him Seth, â€Å"For God has appointed another seed for me instead of Abel, whom Cain killed†.Genesis 4:25 (NKJV) This seed of Seth can the n be traced through Biblical history starting with Seth to Noah, Abraham to David, and eventually to Jesus Christ. The truth was revealed in Christ so that the whole world can hear the good news of the Gospel. This whole story can then interpret the meaning of the sons of God as the children that came down from Seth who were carrying the seed of truth. So when the scripture proclaims that the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were fair, and took them for wives, it is implying that the holy bloodline was being perverted.By taking the daughters of men, they did not remain faithful to only mating with those who believed in God. It is by the miracle of God’s work the holy line was kept from dissipating while Satan worked relentlessly to destroy the seed. Since the offspring of Seth were kept alive, Christ fulfilled the promise of a Messiah that God said He would send unto all the world. When looking at the Nephilim with the Sethitic genetic line view, it is believed that they were the mixed blood lines of the two different genetic lines that came down from Adam and Eve through Cain and Seth.Many believe that this is possible since it is likely for mutations to occur when mating between closely related people happen. This view is taught in many churches to this day as many are uncomfortable with the thought of angels mating with humans and would rather have an alternative to believe in. However, even though this story might be easier to accept that does not always mean that it is right. Works Cited NIV Bible. London: Hodder ; Stoughton, 2000. Print.

Structural form that is most suitable for an SHRM approach Essay

Structural form that is most suitable for an SHRM approach - Essay Example The changing face of the industrialized world has led to changing views of managing the workforce.The concepts governing human resource management have changed with changes in the industrialized world.As business operations have expanded from local to national and on to global markets,organizations are forced to operate in a fast-changing environment Competition, technological advancement, legal requirements, host-country expectations and a changing customer profile place pressure on the internal systems and processes. The organizational structure has undergone changes with the changing environment. The earlier bureaucratic structure with its mono-cultural working community that suited a limited market has given way to a variety of structures that seek to garner the best way to harness talent in a wider area and manage market expectations across cultures. The factors that affected the HRM concepts at work were primarily availability and negotiating power of labor and workforce cultur e. As markets expanded companies faced a need to restructure internally in an effort to maintain flexibility by utilizing the right type of talent to manage the external environment. The central concept of HRM relates to ‘flexibility, responsiveness, ownership of organizational problems†¦ empowerment†¦ commitment’ (Salaman, 2001, p. 157). Connecting SHRM with strategy and structure Strategic Human Resource Management (SHRM) may be considered to be an umbrella term for a set of practices and processes designed to ensure the appropriate use of talent to suit business needs. HR academicians and writers have put forth visions on the models of SHRM, business strategy and structure. Strategy is seen to mould structure and thereby the practices towards managing human resources. Sinclair-Hunt and Simms (2005, p. 4) refer to the external environment as a guiding factor behind strategy. The environment might require quick responses which requires the use of proactive th ought and vision; it may require short term responses that allow survival without greatly impacting the internal processes or it may call for the organization to ‘give in’. The demands of the environment determine the response which should ideally be aided by appropriate strategy and structure. Yet organizations struggle to develop an SHRM approach. Sims (2002, p. 34-36) points out that the linkage between SHRM and overall strategy must cross the first hurdle of drafting corporate strategy. Many times, organizations are hard put to define a larger strategy and prefer to focus on immediate events. The demand for continuing flexibility can make the creation of such a strategy a challenge in itself. Ferris, Rosen and Barnum (1995, p. 135) discuss how even the presence of a larger strategy does not lead to the linear creation of SHRM processes since by the time the implications are translated to HR processes, the environment has forced a change to strategy. Durai (2010, p.3 7-38) mentions the factors that interfere with the development of effective SHRM processes. Absence of support from top management in involving the HR practitioners making key decisions is a major factor. This often stems from the perception that HR is an administrative function Morton, Newall and Sparkes (2004, p. 52). The author believes it is incumbent for the HR department to highlight the business advantage it can provide while providing administrative efficiency. In the absence of a clear strategy is there no scope for a unified approach to the acquisition and management of talent? Strategic human resource management must be considered linked to the context of the business. An organization may not spell out strategy for a variety of reasons ranging from not seeing the need or not knowing how to not considering it relevant. The structure may continue to be hierarchical with speed provided by the adoption of technology. In such a case, business context guides the activities