All That Glitters Are Not Gold Essay

All that glitters is not gold is a well-known saying, meaning that not everything that looks precious or true turns out to be so. This can apply to persons, places, or things that promise to be more than they really are. The expression, in various forms, originated in or before the 12th century[1] and may date back to Aesop.[2] Chaucer gave two early versions in English: â€Å"But all thing which that schyneth as the gold / Ne is no gold, as I have herd it told,† and â€Å"Hyt is not al golde that glareth.† The popular form of the expression is a derivative of a line in William Shakespeare’s play The Merchant of Venice, which employs the word â€Å"glisters,† a 17th-century synonym for â€Å"glitters.† The line comes from a secondary plot of the play, the puzzle of Portia’s boxes (Act II – Scene VII – Prince of Morocco): All that glisters is not gold; Often have you heard that told: Many a man his life hath sold But my outside to behold: Gilded tombs do worms enfold. Had you been as wise as bold, Young in limbs, in judgement old Your answer had not been inscroll’d Fare you well, your suit is cold. Panning for gold often results in finding pyrite, nicknamed fool’s gold, which reflects substantially more light than authentic gold does. Gold in its raw form appears dull and does not glitter. â€Å"Not all that glitters is gold† is an alternative formulation.[3][4][5] The inverse of this expression, â€Å"All that glitters is gold,† is a lyric in the Led Zeppelin song, â€Å"Stairway to Heaven†, the Smash Mouth song, â€Å"All Star† and theDeath in Vegas song, â€Å"All That Glitters†. It is also used as lyrics in the song â€Å"A Guided Masquerade† by Alesana. A variation of the saying is used in Kid Cudi’s song â€Å"Pursuit of Happiness†, in which it goes: â€Å"I’m on the pursuit of happiness and I know everything that shine ain’t always gonna be gold.†

Impact of Advertising on Children

RESEARCH PARADIGM – According to (Bell, 2007) â€Å"paradigm is a cluster of beliefs and dictate which for scientists in a particular discipline influence what should be studied, how research should be done, and how results should be interpreted†. The definition points up that a paradigm is a collection of reasonable hypothesis, notion or intention that how the research should be studied, done and interpreted.The theoretical paradigms are basically based on two main approaches; Positivist approach also referred as ‘scientific process' or ‘postpositivist' or ‘scientific study, is based on rationalistic beliefs (Mertens, 2005) . Positivist approach is Inductive with results that are qualitative in nature (O'Leary, 2004). And, Interpretivist approach which is also referred as ‘constructivist' or ‘phenomenological' paradigm (Mertens, 2005). Creswell, 2003) explains that in Interpretivist/ phenomenological approach the researcher relies upon the partakers outlook of the situation being calculated and familiarizes with the impact of the study on his/ her personal surroundings and knowledge. Phenomenological approach results are most likely to be qualitative in nature or it can be a combination of both quantitative and qualitative methods. The research will develop the use of phenomenological approach and not positivism approach.To address the variety and density of such research aim both qualitative and quantitative methods are necessary as this will provide our research the appropriate understanding of how the entertainment advertisement affects the culture of the youth of U. A. E. The aim of the research is to identify how does the entertainment advertisement impact the culture of the youth in U. A. E. The research's results will be based on theory testing or deductive method where available evidence of the authors and researchers will be taken into consideration to achieve the aim of our research.REFERENCES Bell, A. B. ( 2007). Business Research Methods(Revised Edition). New York: Oxford University Press. Creswell, J. W. (2003). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches. California: Sage Publications, Inc. Mertens, D. M. (2005). Research Methods in Education And Philosophy: Intergrating Diversity With Quantitative and Qualitative Approaches (Vol. 2nd Edition). California: Thousand Oaks: Sage. O'Leary, Z. (2004). The Essential Guide To Doing Research. London: Sage Publications Ltd. Impact of Advertising on Children RESEARCH PARADIGM – According to (Bell, 2007) â€Å"paradigm is a cluster of beliefs and dictate which for scientists in a particular discipline influence what should be studied, how research should be done, and how results should be interpreted†. The definition points up that a paradigm is a collection of reasonable hypothesis, notion or intention that how the research should be studied, done and interpreted.The theoretical paradigms are basically based on two main approaches; Positivist approach also referred as ‘scientific process' or ‘postpositivist' or ‘scientific study, is based on rationalistic beliefs (Mertens, 2005) . Positivist approach is Inductive with results that are qualitative in nature (O'Leary, 2004). And, Interpretivist approach which is also referred as ‘constructivist' or ‘phenomenological' paradigm (Mertens, 2005). Creswell, 2003) explains that in Interpretivist/ phenomenological approach the researcher relies upon the partakers outlook of the situation being calculated and familiarizes with the impact of the study on his/ her personal surroundings and knowledge. Phenomenological approach results are most likely to be qualitative in nature or it can be a combination of both quantitative and qualitative methods. The research will develop the use of phenomenological approach and not positivism approach.To address the variety and density of such research aim both qualitative and quantitative methods are necessary as this will provide our research the appropriate understanding of how the entertainment advertisement affects the culture of the youth of U. A. E. The aim of the research is to identify how does the entertainment advertisement impact the culture of the youth in U. A. E. The research's results will be based on theory testing or deductive method where available evidence of the authors and researchers will be taken into consideration to achieve the aim of our research.REFERENCES Bell, A. B. ( 2007). Business Research Methods(Revised Edition). New York: Oxford University Press. Creswell, J. W. (2003). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches. California: Sage Publications, Inc. Mertens, D. M. (2005). Research Methods in Education And Philosophy: Intergrating Diversity With Quantitative and Qualitative Approaches (Vol. 2nd Edition). California: Thousand Oaks: Sage. O'Leary, Z. (2004). The Essential Guide To Doing Research. London: Sage Publications Ltd.

A play written by J. B. Priestly Essay

An Inspector Calls, a play written by J. B. Priestly in 1945. He set his play in 1912 just before the First World War. It is a story of the visit by an Inspector to an apparently normal family, the Birlings. The Birlings are celebrating their daughter Shelia’s engagement to Gerald Croft. Mr. Birling a successful factory owner gets the ball rolling with a speech, which he gives to his son Eric, and Gerald Croft. J. B Priestly makes good use of dramatic irony in this speech because many events took place after 1912, which we the modern audience, know about but Mr. Birling doesn’t. Mr. Birling mentioned that the miners came out on a strike and there would be possible labour trouble in the near future. He said that there wouldn’t be any more worries about the strikes. But in 1926 we know that there was a General Strike in Britain. He talks about the Titanic being a spectacular ship with every luxury and it is absolutely unsinkable. But as we know in 1912 the Titanic sunk on maiden voyage and 1,513 lives were lost. He also mentioned about the wars not happening. He said that the Germans don’t want war. But in 1914 the First World War broke out. He said that there would peace and prosperity and rapid progress everywhere but in 1917 there was revolution in Russia. In 1939 the Second World War broke out and in 1945 the atomic bombs were dropped on Japan. This makes the audience doubt Mr Birling early on in the play. When Mr. Birling finishes his speech the Inspector enters into the scene. The Inspector is at the Birling’s because there was a death of a woman Eva Smith and he had come to ask questions about her. Mr. Birling was the first person that we were led to believe started off the train of events that ultimately led to the death of Eva Smith. Mr. Birling had sacked Eva Smith from his factory after she started to cause trouble demanding higher wages. Mr Birling says that any man in his position would have done the same. She was making trouble as Mr. Birling said, ‘She had a lot to say – far too much so she had to goi. But the only thing that Mr. Birling cared about was his family and the progress of his business. He didn’t care about his workers and he didn’t know them. As he says in Act 1 â€Å"I have a couple of hundred workers under me, who keep changing†. So there wasn’t a personal relationship between these two until after the workers came back from their holidays that they were asking for a pay rise. As Mr. Birling wouldn’t, he sacked the ringleaders and one of them was Eva Smith. Now that Eva was sacked she was out of work for two months. She had no money and she was half starved. She had no one to help her. Her parents had died so they couldn’t offer any help and her friends had nothing to offer her. But then again it wasn’t the end of the world and she was capable of getting another job as we find out.

Metals and corronslon Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Metals and corronslon - Lab Report Example These conditions are air and water. In test, tube II there was also more brown color indicating that rusting took place. Salt, air, and water favored the process of rusting. In test tube, III there was no observable color change on the oil. This is because the water was boiled which expelled all the oxygen. Secondly, the oil film prevented oxygen from entering the tube therefore rusting did not take place. The brown color was missing in test tube III. From the experiment conducted above, we can clearly conclude that the process of resulting requires the presence of water and air, which is oxygen to be specific. This is the reason why nails in test tube II and I ended up in brown color. Iron nail in test tube III did not rust due to the absence of oxygen (Holleman and Wiberg). Copper is the best conductor of electricity while it is also the most brittle. Brass, which is an alloy of copper and iron, is the harder of the two. Rusting can be prevented through various means. One of the methods to prevent rust is by oiling. Oiling prevents entry of oxygen, which is an essential condition necessary for rusting. Painting is also another possible means of preventing rust. Galvanization is the process of applying a coat of layer that is resistant to rust. This process also helps in preventing rust in metals. Method of storage is also amongst the simple ways in which corrosion can be prevented. Ensure that metals are stored in a cool and dry place to prevent rusting. In conclusion, water and oxygen are the necessary conditions for rusting to occur. The experiment was a complete success showing also the rate of conductivity between brass, copper, and iron. In summary copper is the best conductor of electricity as compared to brass and iron. Painting, coating, galvanizing, and method of storage are some of the ways that can be used to prevent the process of

Summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 68

Summary - Essay Example Being a vegetarian is not all about eliminating a normal part of the human diet. Rather, it is about improving the diet of a person in order to promote better health. Aside from that, vegetarians also manage to contribute towards the betterment of our environment and the advocating of animal rights through the promotion of humane treatment of animals. So maybe it is time that we give more serious thought to the vegetarian way of life. With a growing portion of our society beginning to advocate the vegetarian method of eating, there must be a number of other positive points in support of it. In the introduction to the â€Å"They Say / I Say† : The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing, authors Graff and Birkenstein provide templates designed to help the new essay writers in learning how to analyze and respond to the critical elements of the essay they are reacting to. Specifically, Birkenstein and Graff argue that the types of writing templates they offer are designed to give the writer â€Å"a launching pad or sounding board for your own views.† Although some people believe that essays are meant mostly to be argumentative and critical, they fail to see that essays are supposed to instead, offer more information on a specified topic that is meant to either support or negate the claims of the other party. Graff and Birkenstein insist that â€Å"The best academic writing has one underlying feature: It is deeply engaged in some way wit4h other peoples views. † In sum, then, their view is that essays are meant to provide more information and allow readers to make informed decisions for themselves. I disagree. In my view, these types of templates that the writers recommend are like a dummies guide to essay writing. For instance, every essay that we respond to already contains information that we wish to dispel, so why should be add any more negative information to that by making it part

Are the Internal E-mails The Bast Way of Communication within Research Paper

Are the Internal E-mails The Bast Way of Communication within Organization - Research Paper Example The use of internal e-mails as a communication tool in modern organizations is explored in this paper. The benefits and disadvantages of internal e-mails are critically discussed using also examples of organizations that use the specific tool of internal communication. Moreover, alternative internal communication systems are suggested, at the level that they have fewer disadvantages compared to internal e-mails. It is proved that despite their gradual replacement by other internal communication systems, internal e-mails are still used for internal communication purposes by firms in various industries; the limited risks related to the use of these internal communication tools, as analyzed below, seem to be the key reason for their expansion in organizations globally. 2. Internal e-mails in modern organizations 2.1 Benefits of internal e-mails Internal e-mails have been extensively used in modern organizations for supporting internal communication. The role of internal e-mails as a too l of internal communication can be made clear only if the context of internal communication is explained. ... A similar issue is highlighted in the study of Griffin and Moorhead (2011). According to the above researchers, employees in all organizations are likely to prefer systems of internal communication that are easy to be managed; internal e-mail is considered as a favorite tool of communication for most employees since their guidelines in terms of use are quite simple even for employees who do not have experience in IT systems (Griffin and Moorhead 2011). Another important benefit of internal e-mails has been the following one: internal e-mails, as also e-mails in general, can be used for exchanging files of various formats (Kline 2011). The specific feature of internal e-mails is particularly important, especially in large firms. Saving time and money has been also used as reasons for supporting the use of e-mails as internal communication tools (Kline 2011). More specifically, through the e-mail employees can send or accept documents that are critical in certain organizational tasks; if another means was used for developing this activity, then the cost would be significant, especially if a courier service would be used instead of fax (Kline 2011). Moreover, using the e-mail an employee need not exit from his office for retrieving documents or information required in the tasks assigned to him; he can use the internal e-mail for communicating with a colleague in regard to this material (Kline 2011). In this way, time is saved for working on the organizational tasks, a fact that increases employee performance.

The CAGE and AAA Models as the Drivers of Globalization Essay - 3

The CAGE and AAA Models as the Drivers of Globalization - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that globalization, in the business sector, is widening. More and more companies, in the recent days, have either gone global or are contemplating on doing so. The reason as to why a company needs to globalize its dealings are still unclear to most, but they believe that more the company spreads its branches internationally the better. Globalisation comes with its challenges though. Being an international business entails a myriad of issues. It is in this connection that various frameworks and models have been formulated to give insight on what is required successfully to establish an international business. Nokia, BOEING, Renault, FedEx, Virgin Group and Vodafone are perfect examples of successful international companies. Nokia, for instance, is a handset manufacturing company, whose products are sold in over 150 countries. The company earns an estimated annual income of 38 billion sterling pounds. In India, Nokia is the largest multinatio nal company, yet the company is located in Finland. Nokia employed a cost leadership technique in India, to look for various ways of cutting cost and making their products readily available. These involved setting up manufacturing stations for handsets, creating financial options for mobile phones and together with network providers to reduce airtime cost. Nokia also created the distribution network that attracted over 25000 dealers, this was three times the size of Samsung and six times the six that of Sony Ericsson. Moreover, Nokia considered working with distributors of fast moving consumer goods and consumer durables. This enabled their products to be readily available to consumers on the market, thus explaining their dominance in India. Nokia operates in the telephone and communications industry. Globalisation has a played a notable role in this type of industry. Companies are monopolizing their dealing, and this has substantially led to globalization. Large telecommunication c ompanies have taken over this industry and hence denying the smaller companies a chance to develop. The local companies are faced with stiff competition from these multinationals making them pull out of business. According to the CAGE and AAA frameworks, this kills local entrepreneurial spirits and increases dependence on the advanced nations. However, globalization has led to improved services in the telecommunication sector. Large organizations have sufficient capital, hence, investing in expensive networks that are of highly rated. The networks provide faster transfer of quality sound and videos, which are convenient for subscribers. The success of any multinational company depends on the strategies they decide to adopt. A proper framework gives the business guidelines, which could enable it to attain multinationalism. Some of the most popular frameworks include the CAGE distance framework, AAA model, Adding Value and Drivers of Globalization. CAGE distance framework considers th e cultural, administrative, geographical, as well as economic differences, and factors when selecting the countries a company should address when crafting international strategies. This framework was formulated by Pankaj Ghemawat, a business professor, in Spain, at the IESE Business School. The framework links interactions between countries to their national incomes divided by some composite measure of distance. Cultural distance, in this case, refers to the difference in languages, ethnicities, religion, values, norms, and dispositions of a particular nation. Companies should use the CAGE distance framework as it includes both bilateral and unilateral factors. It is also more practical than other frameworks due to some of its aspects.

How Does Advertising Effect People Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

How Does Advertising Effect People - Essay Example As the essay declares in the ancient time ‘word of mouth’ was the most popular way of advertisements, today with the intervention of media and internet, advertisement has become an easy and popular mode of providing information. Advertising has different effects on people, it changes their prospective on what is, and what is not, worth buying, what they buy and when they buy it. Advertising affects people in what they do and how they do it. This report stresses that advertising alone, however, does not get customers. It simply catches consumers’ attention, gets them to walk up to a shelf, and make an impulsive purchase. However, getting the customer back requires a more creative marketing approach. Today advertisers are into more of market research to analyze the consumers’ behaviors, likes, and dislikes. The most popular method is tests and surveys, both before and after a product is introduced. Telephone surveys are very common. Along with those, written questionnaires and samples, either handed out in stores or sent by mail, are effective tests to see if consumers like a product or not. Such kind of market researches gives consumers ample opportunity to put forth their views and also helps the firm to improve the product to satisfy the needs of the consumer. Companies also check whether the ads are being productive by means of comparing the money made and number of sales during periods of advertising to those during a time of no advertising. Some companies even allow average consumers to preview a commercial to get a response.

Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Assignment Example This is because in case Jill’s operating costs rise and is not able to sell product at high price in the market bank will have default risk and will also face potential payment risks by Jill. Second stakeholders are the employees which might be fired from job because the company might not need them for the more automated system of production. Also, employees with older skills of production might be affected as they will no more be suitable for the job of new production process. Next stakeholders to be effected are customers who might face the issue of high prices in case of high product cost to Jill. Company’s first aim is to cover their costs and hence if Jill’s costs rise with the new equipment it might price the product at a slightly higher price which might not be acceptable to the customers. Lastly, competitors would be affected by this action. This is because competitors might lack the new mode of production and hence they might not be able to produce effic iently compared to Jill’s company. At the same time competitors might also gain as in case Jill raises price of the product, competitors can increase their sales by keeping low price of their product. Changing production technology is what is of more concern and convenience to the internal management of any company and customers have nothing to do with it. So, Jill’s decision might have no effect on its reputation. Hence Jill should think of saving her costs rather than following her high cost passion blindly. (b) Ethics can be defined as any action which synchronizes with the generally accepted principles of right and abandons the wrong. Ethics in business follow the rule of true, accurate and complete information sharing among all the parties with the disclosure of benefits as well as risks of any project. In this case, benefits are being portrayed to the bank by Jill in a very reasonable manner but at the same time. CVP analysis and fixed costs control problem is hi dden by Jill because of the fear of not getting the loan from bank. Ethical concern in this case is the true and fair representation of information as the information provided by Jill to bank is not accurate and does not represent every side of the picture. Jill has highlighted the benefits of this project to the bank only in order to get the loan but has been hiding the information of high fixed costs due to this new production equipment. So, Jill has been showing the bank only the bright side of this project and ignoring the area which can bring concern to the management of bank. In this case, bank can be in trouble in future with a high risk of default in case Jill is not able to sustain profits with this new investment. So, Jill is unethically showing the wrong and incomplete side of the picture to bank. Â © I would think ethically and ensure that I share the full and accurate information with my bank. When we put a proposal in front of a third party who is going to put at stak e the money of another third party(bank’s customer) in our business, there is a need to be very sensitive towards all the two parties involved one directly and other one indirectly. So, I would ensure to share the complete results with my bank and appeal for loan. This is because being ethical is the major concern for any business and I would never like to be the reason of trouble for my stakeholders especially those who have invested their money and the

Ethics Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 2

Ethics Paper - Essay Example This paper, drawing support from the various media theories, tries to explain the social costs of such advertising approach, the responsibility an advertiser ahs to protect the indirect audience and how the advertiser can protect himself from being unethical when advertising. 1. The Social Costs Associated With Sexually Suggestive Advertising Advertising is a paid form of marketing by a sponsor of ideas, products of services. Advertising is an important tool in marketing and branding since it can be used to modify and drive consumer behavior (Gould, 1994). Through advertising an audience can be persuaded, encouraged to buy a product or otherwise manipulated. The essence of advertising is to create a product image through associating the product with certain desirable values. Of late, many advertisers are increasingly using sexuality to sell their products. Many researches that have been conducted have come to the conclusion that the use of sexually suggestive adverts is more effectiv e than the plain one (Reichert, 2002). This has led to advertisers employing this technique even in products that are not related to one’s sexuality just to attract attention. The use of sexually suggestive adverts started a while ago. Only then, the characters used were not as suggestive as those used these days. Today’s consumers are exposed to ten times more sex advertising than those that lived in the 1940s (Donaldson and Werhane, 1999). This sex appeal approach is proving detrimental to the society raising the question whether it is moral to use sex appeal to channel attention to an advert. The media has a major influence on the behavior and attitudes of the consumers, be it the traditional or the new media. There are several media theories that can be used to support the effect the media has and how these effects impact as social costs. The first theory is the social cognitive theory. This theory was advanced by Neal Miller and John Dollard in 1941. It is not pur ely a media theory as it is also applied in psychology, medicine, social work and education. This theory posits that human beings acquire a major part of their knowledge through observing others’ actions and experiences (Donaldson and Werhane, 1999). It implies that people have a high tendency of copying what they perceive as good to them. According to this theory, a consumer will be driven by cues and then respond to them in the hope of gaining the desired results. In advertising context this involves replication of the actions, dressing or holding to values that the models in the adverts purports to. The social cognitive theory complements the media effects theory. This theory posits the media as a powerful tool that can be used to set the agenda within a society. According to the proponents of this theory, it is easy to influence the public by showing them what need to be seen and thus influencing their behaviors and attitudes through the same. Advertisers are using this t heory of effects to influence consumer behavior by repeatedly airing their adverts in broadcast media and placing them in the print media (Zillmann, 2000). There are several researches that have been conducted to show how the media affects behavior and attitude and how people observe and replicate what they have seen in the media in their social life. A good example that corroborates these theories is a research conducted by Albert Bandura in his paper titled â€Å"

Professional Nursing Mission Statement Essay Example for Free

Professional Nursing Mission Statement Essay This Professional Nursing Mission Statement describes the professionalism a nurse needs to perform excellent care in the health environment. The Mission also demonstrates different aspects of nursing and what nurses are to look forward to now and into the future. A. Functional Differences Board of Nursing has an authoritive role in nursing. They are made up of professionals that make up rules so the nurse is aware of what is allowed or not allowed in their scope of practice. Theses rules may differ from state to state but primarily, their focus is to protect the public from people who practice nursing without the appropriate qualifications. State Board of Nursing has the authority to rescind and reissue licenses. Board of Nursing also decides on penalizing action against a nurse who has a complaint or lawsuit against them (Villaceran, 2007). The State of Hawaii board of nursing purpose generally claims just the same. It claims that anyone posing as a nurse must show proof ‘in order to safeguard life and health’ (Hawaii Revised Statute Chapter 457 – Nurses, 2013). A professional nurses organization, or PNO, such as the American Nurses Association for example, was generated to direct a licensed nurse on how to present him or herself in an ethical manner. Although it is not law, it should be practice as a guide to uphold the integrity of the nurse (American Nurses Association, 2001). PNO defines the nurse Code of Ethics and the Scope of Practice. They also explains what a nurse is and promote professionalism. PNO may be involved with research to improve the quality of patient care as well as be apart of the political decision-making to endorse them (Sauls, 2013). B. Nursing Code Example A nursing code of ethics is a good place to start with to guide any nurse to become a great healthcare provider. American Nurses Association, also known as ANA, Code of Ethics gives ideas on how one may want to envision themselves as a respected nurse with values. It identifies how a nurse may want to carry themselves in the workplace with quality and good integrity. ANA provision 1 seems to define what a nurse is all about. It describes the nurse as student nurses were taught to be in nursing school. Practicing  human dignity keeps nurses in good standing with the Gallup polls. In 2008, Gallup polls showed that 84% of the people see nurses as the most ethical. This is the highest amongst other occupations (Cherry, 2011). Generating a relationship with the patient is inevitable. Theres no way a nurse can do their job without first establishing a relationship with the patient. The question is, will a nurse generate a good relationship as oppose to a bad one? To give good care, the n urse and the patient is in need to be on the same page where the patient is made to feel as they are the one in charge of their care. So, if a patient does not feel like getting up to work with physical therapy the nurse should grant their wishes. Nurses should not ‘force’ patients to do things the patient does not want to do. The nurse should first encourage the patient that it is important to take their daily medications or encourage them to get up for physical therapy, for example. If they continue to refuse, the patient should have the sense of control of their care by not feeling ‘threatened’ for not wanting to take their medication or getting up for physical therapy. But, allowing the patient to set a plan for their day may have the patient more cooperative and less stressed. ANA code of ethics provision 5 is a code that states: the nurse owes the same duties as others, including the responsibility to preserve integrity and safety, and maintain competence, and to continue personal and professional growth.’ (American Nurses Association, 2001). Moral self-respect is required to carry out this code; not only to ones self but to the patient as well. It is a good start to establish trust. Moral respect should also be practice to the individuals in the interdisciplinary team involved. Moral self-respect is key to keep self-esteem and respect to others. It keeps the feeling of unity in a patients care. Having a good rapport with the interdisciplinary team will keep the all on the same page as far as patient care. With the every changing healthcare systems and updated research, nurses are in constant need to keep up for the sake of keeping the patient up to date with healthcare technology (Amcee, 2003). This requires ongoing classes of not only updated technology but with competency as well. If the interdisciplinary team and peers are aware of this, this will boost trust and respect for the educated nurse. C. Professional traits The ANA Code of Ethics discusses many professional traits. Although all are very important and continuously need to be practiced, the professional trait of Collaboration is essential for the interdisciplinary team to practice as well (American Nurses Association, 2001). Collaboration is the job description of any disciplinary team. It is valuable for all individuals to be apart of the care of the patient. Each member of the team gives valuable information from his or her expertise resulting in a holistic plan of care. Another professional trait the nurse to advocate to the interdisciplinary team is to respect the patients right to self-determination while admitted in their care. Every patient needs to be apart of their care and should be able to claim what they want or do not want in their plan of care (American Nurses Association, 2001). This would give the patient a sense of control in their care and their life. Delegation is the third professional trait that is essential to the in terdisciplinary team in order to give appropriate and timely care to the patient (American Nurses Association, 2001). The interdisciplinary team all has his or her own unique specialty that will allow the patient to receive individual care they are requiring. Patients put their lives into the hands of the physician everyday. They trust that they will be taken care of as if they were the only patients the physician possesses. The nurses and staff are an extension of the physician. Everyone taking care of patients has an obligation to continue that integrity the patient has already upheld in the physician. This is why provision 5 in the Code of Ethics should be practiced. This fourth professional trait allows the patient the feeling of respect and dignity. This sense will allow them to have faith in the nursing team and the healthcare system that they will have the best care possible (American Nurses Association, 2001). D. Recommended resource Jean Watson established in 1978 the Theory of Human Caring. Watson introduces the 10 carative (or caring) factors that support her theory. They are: 1. The formation of humanistic-altruistic system of values 2. The instillation of faith-hope 3. The cultivation of sensitivity to ones self and to others 4. Thedevelopment of a helping-trusting relationship 5. The promotion and acceptance of the expression of positive and negative feelings 6. The systematic use of the scientific problem-solving method of decision making 7. The promotion of interpersonal teaching-learning 8. The provision for a supportive, protective, and (or) corrective mental, physical, sociocultural and spiritual environment 9. Assistance with the gratification of human needs 10. The allowance of existential-phenomenological forces  (Nursing Theories, 2012). D1. Theory in Professional Practices Jean Watsons Theory of Human Caring is essential in patient care. Being in the hospital, away from family and literally laying your life in the hands of a stranger cannot be easy. Human caring and showing compassion and empathy can possibly decrease stress and allow patients to focus on healing and be compliant with their care. If patients feel good about their care they’ll be more involved with their care. Using the environment of a Skilled Nursing Facility, as an example, where the healing process may take longer than expected, following the 10 ‘caratives’ in the Theory of Human Caring will not only show quality care but give the patient a pleasant hospital experience for the remainder of their stay E. Contributions Lillian Wald was known for her works in the public health nursing. She believed that the caring for the patient should start before they end up in the clinic. She encouraged the importance of disease prevention and taught health education. She provided well-baby care and treated minor illness in her main clinic named Henry Street Settlement House (Cherry, 2011). Lillian Wald emphasized the significance of prevention. A practice that continues to be reiterated everywhere. As seen in commercials or billboards or even on the radio, prevention is key to a long, healthy lifestyle. When patients leave the hospital, discharge education is vital to making sure they are capable to care for themselves and, hopefully, bring down the numbers of hospital visits. F. Scenario One principle I safeguarded for a patient was respect for autonomy.  Sometimes patients are admitted into the hospital for something as simple as daily intravenous antibiotics. They are independent with all of their activities of daily living. Sometimes these patients are intertwined with other patients in shared rooms. These independent patients, because of their alertness, should be able to be in a private room. These patients are not only of low acuity, but these patients will be happier not being around sicker patients. Happier patients means good rating for us. On the other hand, there are times when patients are admitted as stable yet confused. The second principle I safeguarded for a patent was non-maleficence. Because these patients are not in control of their thoughts or actions they are required to be supervised more closely than others. Patients who are at risk of getting hurt by getting out of bed without assistance can cause nurses to be of concerned. These patients can easily be put in a wheelchair and ‘hang out’ with the nurses at the nurses station for continuous supervision from, not only of the team nurse but, all staff. This would allow more eyes on the patient bringing down the risks of injury. This will also prevent more invasive means like using physical or chemical restraints.

Positive Aspects of Technology Essay Example for Free

Positive Aspects of Technology Essay From man`s first invention of the wheel to modern day’s advanced computers, one can clearly see how far humans have developed with technology. Modern technology has provided mankind with numerous positive aspects; from getting to places in seconds to curing complex diseases. The most fundamental and important positive aspect of technology is that it gives humans the ability to share knowledge more effectively. Nowadays, a country is not defined by its wealth or influence, rather by its â€Å"ability to develop and advance knowledge† (Johnston 1). In the essay, The Diplomacy of Knowledge, author David Johnston states that, â€Å"information has never been so ubiquitous and so cheaply and easily shared† (1). In other words, information has never been so readily available, thanks to the fast growing Internet. The Internet allows billions of people to express their opinions and put forth their knowledge for others to see. Johnston also mentions that the foundations of the internet were laid by â€Å"300 years of discovery in math and science from Newton to Einstein† (2). Great scientists such as Newton to Einstein shared their experience and findings which have become the cause of all the ongoing technological development. For instance, the recent uprising in Libya was hugely successful due to the internet. Thousands of people posted Facebook statuses and communicated in numerous other ways. By sharing each other’s thoughts and knowledge, they were able to overcome the situation by establishing a strong and organized community. Moreover, new inventions are also greatly impacted by the sharing of knowledge and this can be evidently seen with a great discovery such as Insulin. Charles Best and Frederick Banting, a bio-chemist and a surgeon, are innovators from different fields. Both of them shared each other’s knowledge and brought forth one of the greatest discoveries of all time, insulin which saved millions of diabetic patients. In other words, today’s advancements in technology let the sharing of knowledge much more effectively, as it allows mankind to â€Å"[experience] unprecedented rates of change† (2). It also gives humanity the opportunity to undergo â€Å"rapid transformations, characterized by risk and opportunity on a global scale â€Å"(2). These changes brought through the sharing of knowledge bring an evolution in social and ethical factors within the society. In conclusion, technology has provided mankind with countless positive aspects, although the greatest aspect is the better collaboration of knowledge. From insulin to modern medicine, history has made it clear that great things can happen when everyone shares their learning with each other. As Thomas Jefferson mentions, â€Å"[by lighting] your candle with the flame of mine, my light is not diminished, it is enhanced† (2).

An Analysis Of Shanghai Volkswagen

An Analysis Of Shanghai Volkswagen Shanghai Volkswagen is one of the largest single foreign-invested projects ever conceived in China and has proven to be a successful development. Com- pared with Beijing Jeeps course, the German ventures progress was steady and smooth. In 1997 Shanghai Volkswagen headed the list of the top 500 foreign-funded enterprises operating in China. It is a joint venture between Volkswagen of Germany and Shanghai Automobile Industry Corporation. It posted a 21.3-percent rise in sales of its Santana model for the first seven months of 1997 in comparison to the same period in 1996 and reported a 10- percent increase in net profits for 1997 to 472.6 million renminbi. This will further the ventures reputation as the most successful partnership in Chinas car industry (Woodard 2002, p 39). Volkswagen has an aim as part of its global competition strategy to build up a business base in the Far East that will limit the dominance of Japanese firms. Its strategy is for China to become a big export base for the whole of Southeast Asia. In the year 2003 Volkswagen wants to be able to go to Japan with German-engineered cars that are produced in China. Officially, the company plans to produce nearly 700,000 cars by 2000 (Ball McCulloch 2005, p 77). However, the vision calls for at least a million cars. Shanghai Volkswagen was built on a more solid mutual foundation than the Jeep venture. In October 1984 a joint-venture agreement was signed between Volkswagen AG (VW AG) and a consortium of Chinese partners led by the Shanghai Automotive Industrial Corporation (SAIC), the Bank of China, and the Chinese National Automotive Industrial Corporation (CNAIC). Literature Review The agreement, valued at I billion renminbi, established a twenty-five-year Sino- German partnership with 50-percent equity provided by VW AG, 25 percent by SAIC, 15 percent by the Bank of China, and 10 percent by CNAIC. Initial equity from the partnership was used to finance the renovation of production facilities, to import production lines from Brazil, and to import the Santana completely knocked-down kits (CKDs). The new joint venture was christened Shanghai Volkswagen (Raveed Renforth 2007, p 49). Over the previous five-year period, the Chinese consortium had negotiated with more than eight international automobile manufactures before opting for a partnership with Shanghai Volkswagens German parent. As the second automobile joint venture in China after Beijing Jeep, the joint venture planned to manufacture automobiles and engines and was granted a special tax relief under Chinese guidelines for advanced technology partnerships: a standard two-year tax holiday and a special six- year reduced tax rate exclusive to Shanghai Volkswagen, all in exchange for promised technology transfer (Shanghai Volkswagen Automotive Ltd. 2004, p 23). West German experiences with Socialist East Germany have contributed to an understanding of command economies and their shortcomings (Raveed Renforth 2007, p 48). Therefore, Volkswagen representatives already knew what and how to negotiate with the Chinese partners. The contract they negotiated with the Chinese was notable for attention to detail, and for its ability to predict future difficulties. On one part of the contract, the Germans insisted on the assembly of imported CKD kits (The Economist 1990, p 16). Other parts of the contract also demonstrated Volkswagens foresight. Anticipating the problem of paying for imported kits with Chinese renminbi remittances, the contract allowed Shanghai Volkswagen to convert RMB into German marks at the prevailing official exchange rate until the venture had produced 89,000 cars (Bates et al. 2008, p 6-7). Such a clause would help protect the company against foreign exchange shortage that could possibly occur within the venture. The contract took into account the need to localize the Santana model. According to the agreement, however, responsibility for providing quality parts made in China rested squarely with the Chinese; Volkswagen had no obligation to hasten the process (Woodard 2002, p 41). To help balance the foreign exchange flowing out of China to pay for kit imports, the contract called for the venture to purchase engines produced in Shanghai to be used in cars manufactured in Europe (Hook 2001, p 10). The earnings generated from such exports would support the use of foreign currency by Shanghai Volkswagen for importing the kits and later the foreign components used for assembly in China. In addition, the price Volkswagen would pay for each engine was predetermined. The primary concern was the possibility for localization. Localization was planned to start immediately in order to reduce the foreign exchange expense of importing the Santana kits from Germany. It was planned to reach a local content of 20 percent in 1988, 32 percent in 1989, and 84 percent in 1990 (Frisbie 2003, p 4). The negative factors were poor local supply, the Chinese partners existing technical capability, and foreign exchange. Volkswagen also worried about the effect poor-quality products would have on the companys reputation. At this time China was not known for its ability to manufacture complex products with dependable quality. The industrial infrastructure in the auto- mobile industry was poor. Components were imported because local suppliers could not manufacture them to the requisite quality standards. Imported components faced high import tariffs of 25 to 40 percent (The Economist 1990, p 16). The technical standards of Chinese automobile-component suppliers in 1986 were nearly thirty years behind component manufacturers of Europe, Japan, and the United States. Even some simple materials, such as sandpaper for polishing cars and major items such as batteries, had to be imported. Although an automobile industry did exist in China, quality parts were hard to find (Raveed Renforth 2007, p 47). The problem was the development of local suppliers who could make components to Western standards. Furthermore, Volkswagens technical staff found it difficult to communicate Volkswagens concept of quality to the Chinese autoparts manufacturers. Since Shanghai is the most developed industrial area in China, it was expected that car components could be locally made there in the near future (Hofstede 2006, p 25). Local supply was therefore expected to improve, but it would take time. In fact, the development of local capabilities was incredibly important to their ability to compete in the market and has proven to be the most troublesome feature of Shanghai Volkswagens short history. In order to increase the value of an automobile from China-based factories, and to prove that the Chinese automotive industry could indeed compete with foreign suppliers, Volkswagen worked with their European parts manufacturers to encourage their entry into China. Volkswagens technical staff sup- ported the m by assisting with the identification of possible Chinese partners for the various parts to be manufactured. Also, Shanghai Volkswagen encouraged Chinese suppliers to forge cooperative relations with peer parts makers from abroad. From Volkswagens supplier group, suitable partners were chosen by Chinese suppliers and formal joint-venture relations between foreign and domestic supplier firms were signed. In order to assure quality improvement, Shanghai Volkswagen rated its suppliers (Woodard 2002, p 43). The joint-venture contract specifically charged the Chinese with responsibility for providing parts of acceptable quality. It categorized its suppliers into A, B, or C classes: A suppliers produced parts of export standard, B suppliers produced parts used for the domestic market that were not yet of export quality, and C suppliers produced parts below even first-rate domestic standards (Shanghai Volkswagen Automotive Ltd. 2004, p 45). Because of Shanghai Volkswagens strict quality control and demands, it rewarded its suppliers handsomely. This reward would provide an incentive to the supplie rs so that they would maintain their quality standards. Shanghai Volkswagen promised to pay its suppliers a purchase price capped at the price of a similar import, in addition to custom duties (Ball McCulloch 2005, p 112). It guaranteed a profit for every manufacturer in its parts-supplier network. Furthermore, Shanghai Volkswagen organized their suppliers into the Santana Localization Community. The community served to forge closer ties between Shanghai Volkswagen and its suppliers, and more important, among the suppliers themselves. The organizing principle behind the localization community was the relentless pursuit of quality (U.S. China Business Council 2008, p 5). Throughout the barrage of Chinese criticism over localization levels, the Germans refrained from making their problems public. Volkswagen officials patiently allowed the Chinese to find a solution to problems. On the Chinese side, the government granted some incentive for the Germans to increase local content. After 40 percent of parts were localized, the imported parts were no longer considered CKD kits and were then taxed at a lower rate. Similar tax reductions were made once the 60- and 80-percent localization barriers were crossed. Although there were some components and tasks that were still impossible to source in China, the progress of localization did quite well (Hofstede 2006, p 8). Research Questions And Objectives To prove that German patience paid off in the long run. Local content was 70 percent after the engine and gearbox were localized in 1991. The company reached its goal of 80- percent local content in 1993 (Bates et al. 2008, p 8). By the end of 1995, 90 percent of the components were locally sourced. In the Changchun plant, local content was 40 percent for Audi and 60 percent for Jetta. The company had strong, reliable dealer and supplier networks in place. Shanghai Volkswagen made a profit largely because they were able to provide a substitute for imports from Japan, and because they were assisted by the high import tariff set by the Chinese government (Hofstede 2006, p 23). To prove the logistical importance of the Guangdong factory. It initially appeared to be a logical site for the new factory. The province had one of the highest standards of living in the country and had acquired extensive experience with joint-venture projects. Moreover, with Guangdong far from Beijings watchful eye, Peugeot officials anticipated a greater degree of managerial autonomy than a plant in northern China might enjoy. Local government support for the joint venture also seemed strong. Yet these apparent advantages could not shield the Sino-French joint venture from its share of difficulties (United Nations Centre on Transnational Corporations 2009, p 11). During the set-up phase, for example, Peugeot discovered that GPAC workers-formerly employed at the GAM bus and truck factory-had inadequate skills. Consequently, Peugeot had to spend more than anticipated, both on training PRC workers in Europe and sending French managers to the PRC. Commitments to localize parts production posed additional stumbling blocks for GPAC (United Nations Centre on Transnational Corporations 2009, p 6). Though the joint-venture contract called for GPAC vehicles to reach a 90-percent Chinese content level within five years of start-up, the French partner found few suppliers of quality parts in Guangdong and was prohibited by Guangzhou officials from sourcing from other regions in China. Peugeot, for its part, was slow to establish its own joint-venture parts manufacturers, a key to Volkswagen AGs success in Shanghai (Hook 2001, p 6). GPAC thus had to assemble automobiles largely from imported parts, which proved costly when the French franc appreciated some 110 percent against the renminbi in the late 1980s. The resulting rise in prices of imported parts, together with PRC localization and consumption taxes totaling more than 45,000 yuan ($12,000, based on the 1989 exchange rate) per vehicle, substantially raised the final prices of finished vehicles. In early 1990, for example, the companys model 505 station wagon sold for 200,000 yuan ($54,000), while Shanghai Volkswagen Co. Ltd.s Santana, which was subject to similar taxes, sold for 180,000 yuan ($49,000). GPACs growth slowed as a result (Ball McCulloch 2005, p 34). Stiff Competition GPACs troubles were aggravated by such stiff competition from Shanghai Volkswagen. The Santana had achieved 75-percent local content by 1992, and thus was able to keep production costs and sales prices relatively low. Though GPAC had reached similar levels of domestic content by 1994, its least expensive station wagon (in the year 1997) costs 170,000 yuan ($21,000, based on the 1997 exchange rate), compared with 135,000 yuan ($16,000) for the least expensive Santana model. Moreover, the quality of both GPAC parts and finished vehicles remained poor. Because the local government objected to sourcing from plants outside Guangzhou, GPAC was forced to use local parts that often failed to meet international standards. Some of Peugeots management decisions also contributed to GPACs competitive weaknesses. The company reportedly repatriated most of its profits and made relatively few changes to its 1980s era products, whereas Volkswagen reinvested profits and refined its production, introducing a new ÊÂ »Santana 2000ÊÂ » model in the mid-1990s. The GPAC sedan also had problems finding a market niche, as its large engines high fuel consumption precluded the cars use as a taxi, and its outdated design failed to attract Chinese buyers. When com- pared with the Audi 100, made in Changchun by a joint venture between Audi AG, a subsidiary of Volkswagen, and Chinas First Automobile Works (Group) Corp., the GPAC sedan lacked the prestige that status-conscious private or government consumers sought in a vehicle (Hofstede Bond 2010, p 12). GPAC also was not as high a political priority for Guangzhou officials as the Volkswagen plant was for the Shanghai government (Bates et al. 2008, p 10). While the Shanghai municipality invested 5 to 6 billion yuan ($600-$700 million) to aid Volkswagens endeavor, Guangzhou officials only contributed about 1 billion yuan ($120 million) to help GPAC (Sender 2007, p 90). Further, because of Guangzhous laissez-faire approach to production and consumption, city leaders were reluctant to urge government officials or ente rprises into purchasing GPACs vehicles. In Shanghai, by contrast, the citys taxi company was one of the largest purchasers of Volkswagen Santanas. Further, 1996 Shanghai municipal rules on engine size for taxis effectively eliminated Volkswagens competitor in the city, the Tianjin Charade, from the taxi business (Hofstede 2006, p 23). Ironically, while GPACs remoteness from Beijing protected it from central-government interference, the southern China venture also did not rank high on Beijings planning agenda. And the lack of a central-government partner meant PRC leaders did little to forestall the joint ventures decline. Many MNCs are approaching China as a long-term strategic market, and they are investing large sums of money to help build sustainable long- term positions. This can be a rational strategy. MNCs that do not consider exploring Chinas vast market with its emerging consumer base could be missing a tremendous growth opportunity. But some MNCs take the long-term argument too far. The traditional belief that a firm has to be around a long time to get results is not necessarily right in all cases. Long-term success is best achieved through measurable short-term results (Sender 2007, p 91). It is true that Shanghai Volkswagen, Matsushitas TV tube factory, Charoen Pokphands animal-feed ventures, and Otiss elevator plant are all early entrants that are growing at double-digit rates. But Peugeot entered the Chinese market at the same time as Volkswagen, and it has lost tens of millions of dollars each year since 1995. Kraft entered China more than ten years ago, and all of its plants are now rep orted to be losing money (Shanghai Volkswagen Automotive Ltd. 2004, p 66). In a volatile market such as Chinas, sustainable long-term positions are necessarily built on a series of successful short-term moves. Short-term results can help build brand recognition, attract local talent, and secure support from the parent company. They can create a virtuous cycle (Frisbie 2003, p 4). By contrast, when MNCs see no positive short-term results, a vicious cycle could arise. Rather than revise the companys strategy, managers typically justify poor performance with the argument that China is a long-term market. Patience and longevity are not enough. In fact, many MNCs accomplished great short-term success. For instance, Ericsson, the Swedish telecom company, acquired 40 percent of the cellular handset market, worth $4 billion, in only three years. Kodak gained a 15-percent share of the $500-million film market in less than two years. Tingyi built a $500-million instant-noodle business from nothing in just four years (Daniels Radebaugh 2004, p 45); its average operat ing margin over that period was more than 20 percent. Many of these successes can be attributed to recent moves these companies have made, not to how long they have been in China. These examples show how MNCs can plan for success by making smart short-term moves, thereby helping to establish new rules for the game (Karp 2002, p 74). Their successes are also founded on their continuous learning in the market and their ability to react correctly to changing dynamics. Performance is driven by an adaptive strategy that can be implemented rapidly. In this respect, recent developments in the cellular handset market are particularly instructive. Continuous learning and adaptability is essential to manage the vastness of the market and the rapid rate of change (Hofstede Bond 2010, p 52). This is difficult in an environment like China, where Western managers face exceptional language and cultural differences, and doubly difficult because consumer demographics and tastes are constantly changing. Krafts Tang was successful at the start, but carbonated drinks and fruit juices were quickly substituted for it. Motorola was very successful with male consumers, but Ericsson took advantage of the demo- graphic shift in the cellular handset market toward women (Daniels Radebaugh 2004, p 62). As Ericssons success dramatically sh ows, in an emerging market, effective learning is essential. Although Peugeot and Volkswagen entered the Chinese automobile market at roughly the same time, their performances have differed dramatically. Volkswagens revenues have grown at a compounded annual rate of 77 percent since 1985. Sales exceeded $2 billion by 1995. Today Volkswagen has expanded its capacity to 300,000 cars; the company produces close to 200,000 cars per year. It enjoys more than a 50-percent share of the passenger car market and earns a double-digit after-tax profit. By contrast, Peugeot built a 90,000-car capacity and sold only 2,000 cars in 1996 (Bates et al. 2008, p 9). Research Plan Perspective The factors are labeled as political, legal, cultural, economic, historical and geographic. This paper addresses the six environmental factors as they apply to IJVs in the Peoples Republic of China. Examples are drawn from an active IJV in Shanghai. Much of the information on this IJV was gathered during a research visit to the manufacturing facility during spring. Data gathering techniques included an on-site interview in Shanghai and material secured from corporation and government agencies (Shanghai Volkswagen Automotive Ltd. 2004, p 2). Why have scholars avoided looking closely at the Chinese bureaucracy? First, the Chinese system has, until recently, been quite difficult to penetrate. Chinese citizens were to avoid divulging state secrets to foreigners (Manguno 2003, p 8); even general communication with such outsiders was discouraged. Much of the relevant information, then, was found in statements of the top leaders, published in newspapers or journals or broadcast over the radio. Foreign researchers in the 1960s and 1970s found that exiles and migrants from southern China to Hong Kong were also good sources, but the scarcity of central government bureaucrats among their numbers made many types of focused, in-depth interview research nearly impossible (Sender 2007, p 90). Data Collection Methods, Access and Sampling Strategy Although China remains a relatively secretive society, the amount of personal contact allowed with foreigners has vastly increased. The requirement for efficient functioning of economic transactions forces the Chinese to be more open in publicizing their bureaucratic procedures. In other words, even in the face of the June 1989 crackdown on dissent, it is now easier to gain access to the lower levels of power than in the years preceding the economic opening to the outside world (Frisbie 2003, p 4). Lins conclusions included lists of the positive and negative factors Americans faced in choosing to invest in China. He also made some comparison of Chinese and American attitudes toward the joint ventures. He omitted, though, focus on misperceived and misunderstood actions related to divergence in the long-term goals of the two sides (Manguno 2003, p 7). Ball and McCulloch, (2005) analyzed cultural expectations in conducting business in China. 20 He investigated Chinese feelings toward various nationalities, and used these results to predict the future success of some eighteen different nations and regions in trade relations with China. Although this work was useful for examining the Chinese attitudes toward the outside world, no comparison was made of foreign perceptions of and approaches to the Chinese side. Business journals present a further source of empirical data. Publications such as The China Business Review and business school magazines feature articles tailored to potential future investors. Availability of space and the general scope of these journals, however, tend to prohibit a fully developed theoretical analysis of Chinese industrial development (Hofstede 2000, p 32). Earlier studies also failed to employ Jerviss ideas of misperception. Considering the great differences in culture and past practices of the Chinese and foreign automotive representatives, it would be surprising if misunderstandings did not cloud the stimuli foreigners exerted on the Chinese policy makers. To further utilize Jerviss work, one should also consider the influence of misperception between higher and lower levels of the Chinese political system. Finally, the motivational elements of wishful thinking may also distort the policy process at many levels of the Chinese bureaucracy (Daniels Radebaugh 2004, p 12). My own approach seeks to build on the theoretical framework of Sender and Hook and the analysis of Hofstede on, while adding new empirical data in a different industrial sector, that of the automobile industry. In doing so, this thesis will take into account several variables that shaped both the political and the economic development of the Chinese automotive sector (Hofstede 2000, p 32). Four case studies look at the stimuli of domestic and foreign economic forces, and discuss their effect on the Chinese central government (Hofstede Bond 2010, p 11). The empirical parts will also examine the bargaining that took place between central and local politicians, and the misperception that affected the policy process. Finally, the studies shall note the differing policy outcomes for the four automotive ventures, and try to make projections of their future progress based on past experiences. Ethical Considerations Peugeots poor performance appears to have been caused by its repeated inability to learn in, and adapt to, a rapidly changing environment. As Volkswagens success demonstrates, the Chinese automotive industry is attractive, and Peugeot began its operations in China with plenty of advantages (Mowery 2008, p 3). Its joint venture was set up in the wealthy south, which has a more entrepreneurial culture because of its proximity to Hong Kong and because of the early promotion of the reform policies of the late Deng Xiaoping. By contrast, Volkswagens joint venture was established in the more conservative Shanghai region. Until the mid-1990s Shanghais economy was dominated by loss-making state-owned enterprises, and the city was not allowed to implement aggressive reform policies (Hofstede 2006, p 13). Yet Peugeot was not able to exploit its advantageous position in the south and did not learn how to succeed with commercial customers. In the 1980s automobile industry experts predicted that growth would be driven by consumer wealth and consumer demand. But the market in China remained commercial (U.S. China Business Council 2008, p 12). Even now, the vast majority of Chinese consumers cannot afford to own cars: More than 70 percent of cars in China are purchased by commercial companies. Volkswagen was quick to adjust its assumptions and operating paradigms; Peugeot was not. To serve the commercial market, Volkswagen built an aggressive distributor network and sales force (Hook 2001, p 32). Conclusion The company recognized that commercial buyers were less price sensitive than other consumers, given that they needed and were willing to pay for high-quality after-sales servicing. Volkswagen was able to push volume through its distributors and achieve critical mass. This growing volume allowed Volkswagen to realize considerable scale economies, thereby allowing it to drive down prices. Because Peugeot never man- aged to develop an effective approach for commercial buyers, it never generated the prices and profits needed to motivate distributors (Woodard 2002, p 2). Without this high-channel profit, it was unable to attract capable and aggressive distributors and could not develop a reasonable service network. Peugeot also failed to learn other important lessons. An understanding of the development of down- stream industries, for example, was crucial in identifying and promoting potential demand. Volkswagens partner lobbied the government to support the establishment of taxi companie s in Shanghai. Although consumers could not afford to buy private cars, their demand for taxi services supported the growth of taxi companies, which did buy cars from Volkswagen. Peugeot did not follow a similar strategy. The company was unable to secure a dominant position in its home province in China. Hence, it never achieved critical mass and a competitive cost position to grow its operations to a national scale. Losses piled up, and after a twelve-year stay in China, Peugeot exited the market.

The failure to Prevent 9-11 :: essays research papers

Failue to Prevent 9/11   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When a giant explosion ripped through Alfred P. Murrah federal building April 19,1995, killing 168 and wounding hundreds, the United States of America jumped to a conclusion we would all learn to regret. The initial response to the devastation was all focused of middle-eastern terrorists. â€Å"The West is under attack,†(Posner 89), reported the USA Today. Every news and television station had the latest expert on the middle east telling the nation that we were victims of jihad, holy war. It only took a few quick days to realize that we were wrong and the problem, the terrorist, was strictly domestic. But it was too late. The damage had been done. Because America jumped to conclusions then, America was later blind to see the impending attack of 9/11. The responsibility, however, is not to be placed on the America people. The public couldn’t stand to hear any talk of terrorism, so in turn the White House irresponsibly took a similar attitude. They con centrated on high public opinion and issues that were relevant to Americans everyday. The government didn’t want to deal with another public blunder like the one in Oklahoma City. A former FBI analyst recalls, â€Å"when I went to headquarters (Washington, D.C.) later that year no one was interested in hearing anything about Arab money connections unless it had something to do with funding domestic groups. We stumbled so badly on pinpointing the Middle East right off the bat on the Murrah bombing. No one wanted to get caught like that again,†(Posner 90). The result saw changes in the counter terrorism efforts; under funding, under manning, poor cooperation between agencies, half-hearted and incompetent agency official appointees and the list goes on. All of these decisions, made at the hands of the faint-hearted, opened the doors wide open, and practically begged for a terrorist attack. So who’s fault is it? The public’s for being 2 96304812 unaware, uninterested, and inadvertently the driving force behind American Democracy? No, of course not, that would be a completely ridiculous idea. In the events of September 11, 2001, the United States Government, by ignoring signs of a terrorist attack and continuous blunders in American intelligence, failed to accomplish one of their basic responsibilities as a governing body: keeping us safe.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  September 4, 2001, just a week before the attack on the World Trade Centers. A teletype regarding known facts about a suspected Islamic extremist, Zacarias Moussaoui, was sent to the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the Customs Service, the State Department, the Immigration and Naturalization Services, and the Secret Service.

Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises Essay -- International Development

INTRODUCTION 1.1 Introduction Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have been identified as one of the growth engines for various countries in the world, since SMEs make up over 90 percent of all enterprises. For instance, United States, 99.7 per cent (Heneman, Tansky, & Camp, 2000), China, 99 per cent (Cunningham & Rowley, 2008), Europe, 99 per cent (Andreas Rauch & Frese, 2000), Holland, 95 per cent, Philippines, 95 per cent and Taiwan, 96.5 per cent (C. Y.-Y. Lin, 1998) as well as Malaysia, 99.2 per cent (Man & Wafa, 2007; National SME Development Council (NSDC), 2009; Saleh & Ndubisi, 2006). The figures above show that countries all over the world recognized SMEs as a key business sector. Besides, Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) (2002) pointed out that SMEs are deemed as a supporter to larger enterprises as well as an important foundation in expanding business activities and sustaining economic growth. SMEs even provide more jobs than large companies (APEC, 2002; Department of Statistics Malaysi a (DOSM), 2007; NSDC, 2009). In sum, SMEs play a vital role and contribute to the economy and are likely to be increasingly important as the economy becomes more global. In Malaysia, SMEs are considered as the backbone of industrial development (NSDC, 2009) and give meaningful contributions to the national economy. Hashim (2010) stated that SMEs play a significant role in generating more employment, economic outputs, income generation, export capabilities, training, encouraging competition, innovation and promoting entrepreneurship and supporting the large-scale industries (LSIs) as well. Moreover, Jaswant Singh, Malaysian Industrial Development Authority director in Australia (MIDA Australia), informed that the grow... ...t improve efficiency and effectiveness (J. Barney, 1991; Wernerfelt, 1984). However, in examining other variables, researchers found a significant relationship between HRM practices (Jimenez-Jimenez & Sanz-Valle, 2008; Nasution, Mavondo, Matanda, & Ndubisi, 2010) and EO (Nasution et al., 2010) towards organizational innovation. Other studies also found that there is an inconclusive result on the relationship between organizational innovation and organizational performance (Rosenbusch, Brinckmann, & Bausch, 2010). These findings propose that potential researchers could study the mediating effect of organizational innovation on the relationship between HRM practices, EO and organizational performance. It is also suggesting that, there also have a moderator effect (managerial ties) on the relationship between organizational innovation and organizational performance.

Effect of Substrate Concentration on Catalase :: Papers

Effect of Substrate Concentration on Catalase Aims This is an experiment to examine how the concentration of the substrate Hydrogen Peroxide (H2O2) affects the rate of reaction of the enzyme Catalase. Background Information Enzymes such as Catalase are protein molecules, which are found in living cells. They are used to speed up specific reaction within the cell. They are all very specific as each enzyme just performs one particular reaction. Catalase is an enzyme found in food such as potato and liver. It is used for removing Hydrogen Peroxide from cells. Hydrogen Peroxide is the poisonous by-product of metabolism. Catalase speeds up the decomposition of Hydrogen Peroxide into water and oxygen as shown in the equations below. Formula It is able to speed up the decomposition of Hydrogen peroxide because the shape of its active site matches the shape of the Hydrogen peroxide molecule. This type of reaction where a molecule is broken down into smaller pieces is called an Anabolic Reaction. Apparatus Need For The Experiment. 1. 250 cm3 Glass Beakers 2. Glass Thistle Funnel 3. Graduated Measuring Cylinder 4. Cork Borer 5. 250 cm3 Glass Cylinders. 6. Digital Stop clock 7. Scalpel 8. Tap and Distilled Water 9. Plastic rule. 10. Safety Goggles. Method To test out how the concentration of Hydrogen Peroxide affects the rate of reaction first set up the apparatus and prepare the different concentrations of Hydrogen peroxide as below: Concentration of Hydrogen Peroxide Volume of Hydrogen Peroxide (cm3) Volume of Tap Water (cm3) 25 vol 250 0 20 vol 200 50 15 vol 150 100 10 vol 100 150 5 vol 50 200 1. Using the cork borer, take a sample of potato, cut this piece in cm intervals using the scalpel and plastic rule. Then cut these a further 2 sections, so there is now 5 sections per 1cm piece of potato.

A Farewell to Arms Film vs Text Essay

Put Out on the First â€Å"Date†: The Selective Representation of Hemingway’s A Farewell to Arms The deeply philosophical work of Ernest Hemingway was taken under artistic license and possibly political agenda when it was produced in film. In A Farewell to Arms, Hemingway paints, with broad strokes of disillusionment, over the ideals of honor, war and love as a preoccupation or distraction from the realities of life. The reader is left with the impression of the constant human drive to distract itself whether with alcohol, violence, anesthesia or passion. But the film focuses on the love story and the trials it faces through a backdrop of faith and war. The alterations made in the representations of the characters, love and war leave the viewer with only a hint of the deeper questions presented in the novel. Lieutenant Frederic Henry is portrayed in novel as a generally well disciplined, reserved and good natured. He did not partake in the teasing of the priest despite his lack of faith and even endeavored to mollify any perceived slights with the man. Henry could never muster any reason for joining the Italian army other than just being in Italy at the time and speaking the language. He does not feel any particular allegiance, even having the opinion that, â€Å"It was impossible to salute foreigners as an Italian, without embarrassment† (Hemingway 23). Henry just doesn’t seem to care one way or the other which army he was a part of so long as the action would distract him from anything else. In the novel, he assists a man trying to get away from the front line, grows attached to a woman because she is there, becomes an alcoholic, and shoots men in his command because they wouldn’t help with the retreat. And yet these actions were permissible in the fact that they were a result of his circumstance and not his character. He was presented to the reader as a man ever looking for something to occupy his mind and body from reality. In the film however, all of these actions were cut out except for the ones involving Catherine. An entirely different character is established when he brushes aside the feelings of his friend when he obstinately steals Catherine’s attention from him and proceeds to deflower her in a church courtyard. Catherine was not as altered in the transition to the silver screen, other than the omission of her initial recollections of her dead fiance and her deception and going off pregnant and on her own when Henry must return to the front line. The complications that were involved with the development of her character in the novel slightly mistranslated in the film as seeming as though she was constantly living in a dream world, refusing reality. While she certainly was not alone in her delusions of enduring happiness in the text, she was portrayed as alone in the film for most of her pregnancy. In the novel there was constant discourse with Henry as the two of them were away in the country or sequestered away in some hotel room. In the film there is a hint of feminism when Catherine’s friend Ms. Ferguson complains about the current role of women in the war and her reoccurring dismay on her own loneliness. The role of women was going under a reconstruction, though not as hot a topic it would become after the Second World War. The war, itself, is incredibly downplayed in a total screen representation of perhaps ten minutes. The simplistic but enthralling manner in which Ernest Hemingway writes his chapters regarding the war effort are completely thrown away in order to film a romance. There is camaraderie among the soldiers and an active lifestyle that Henry misses while he is away with Catherine in the country. The war was not something that this industry was trying to sell; it was trying to promote it as a needless obstacle to happiness where the novel simply presented it as a function of man. When reading this novel, the idea of love fell into the same ideals that Henry found empty and overused. But, the film portrayed the romance as a definite and overpowering thing. In the text, this couple was simply juxtaposed and a romance ensued. There was a war going on and people were dying. That hovering reality drives a person to find solace in any way they can. In the film, Henry is portrayed as a man on the hunt and Catherine was easy prey. They are not described as being sexually intimate until much later in the story, and while this could have been interpreted as the first time any actually feeling emerged between the two, it was an incredibly liberal interpretation that the nurse put out in the first encounter—considering Catherine, Henry, Ferguson, and Rinaldi were all present at the occasion. In the novel, love was an aspiration and a preferable occupation no matter what time you have with a person or their past. Catherine seems to still have her ex fiance in her mind when she comments on vague differences between him and her new suitor such as, â€Å"‘You don’t pronounce it very much alike’† (Hemingway 31). It was simply a convenient affair of emotions that kept a man and a woman’s mind off of the war. But the movie did not include these subtleties that amassed into disillusionment. The end of the film there is a dramatic scene in which Henry soothes Catherine’s fear of abandonment and she bravely dies and he lifts her up in his arms, pulling the white sheets with him off the bed as church bells ring out into the rain. This is a much more romanticized version of the, â€Å"she was unconscious all the time, and it did not take her very long to die† (Hemingway 331). The novel was rich in anti-illusion and focused on the realities of humanity and life, but the film only hinted at these themes. People will find distraction from pain, even if the actions cause more pain. All ideals of honor, loyalty, and love will be a threat to rationality. But the drive for distraction is natural. After Henry leaves the effort of the war he feels like he has no purpose in life. In a discussion with Catherine he explained the usefulness of the distraction that was the war, â€Å"‘that’s how I worked it at the front. But there was something to do then’† (Hemingway 257). The film cuts this portion out of the story as well as invents its own drama as Catherine hides the fact she is pregnant and runs away to Switzerland and letters are kept from their recipients. This added drama ironically adds to the message the book sends of the need for drama as distraction from an uncomfortable reality. Seeing Henry doubt his actions after reuniting with his love and seeing that even real emotion is fleeting in life is not what the movie would ruin the romance. Aristotle coveted the unity of time, place and action as the key to enthralling an audience—and this could be an excuse snatched up by the film industry, but cutting so much from the novel changes the message of the story. The farewell in A Farewell to Arms is both to the conflict of war and his current preoccupation of love as Henry and the reader is left to finally face the harsh and hollow realities of life. Works Cited Hemingway, Ernest. A Farewell to Arms. New York: Scribner Classics, 1997. Print.

‘Federal Government Increasingly Dominates State Governments in the Usa.’ Discuss.

A2 politicsJess Waldron ‘Federal government increasingly dominates state governments in the USA. ’ Discuss The United States of America have a federal constitution, where the President of the United States, Congress, and the judiciary share powers, and the federal government shares sovereignty with the state governments. This is the stark opposite to the unitary system in the UK where sovereignty lies in parliament and some powers are given to local assemblies.There are many types of federalism; all have been a dominant influence in the American political system at some point due to the style of leadership brought in by each new presidential candidate. Throughout U. S. history, the division of power between the federal government and state governments has been the subject of continuous political interest. After suffering from the British government's tyrannical ideologies that led to the American Revolution (1775), many Americans were conditioned to distrust centralized governmental powers.As a result, when Congress drew up the Articles of Confederation in 1781, the new central government was assigned very few powers. The central government had little authority over taxation, court systems and commerce. The states were essentially politically independent governments, each free to regulate commerce in whatever ever way they wanted, make money, and have their state courts hold judgment over national laws mostly entrenched in the US constitution. In 1787 a Constitutional Convention was called to restructure the government and create a national economy.This convention was called as many Americans realized after the American Revolution, that such an unorganized governmental structure entirely based on state powers would hold back political and economic growth of America as a country. Debates were rife between federalists, those supporting a strong central government as proposed in a Virginia plan, and anti-federalists supporting continued strong state g overnments as proposed in a New Jersey plan. Finally, a compromise, known as the Great Compromise, was struck in Philadelphia deciding on federalism as the basis for the governmental structure.Federalism is a dual (split in two) system of sovereignty, splitting power between a central government and various state governments. Both the federal and state governments can directly govern citizens through their own officials and laws. The resulting Constitution allowed powers for both federal and state governments. Each had some separate powers and some shared powers. A federalist called John Marshall, as Chief Justice of the U. S. Supreme Court, made decisions favoring a strong federal government over state government power.In Marbury v. Madison (1803) Marshall used judicial review (where the Court is the government body to decide whether laws are constitutional), this was used in accordance with the principles and power established by the Constitution. By the late 1930s, the Great Depr ession resulted in a dramatic change. The idea of federalism and Marshall's earlier positions returned. In West Coast Hotel Co. v. Parrish (1937) the Court extended federal power to regulate some economic activities within states.Under a broadened Commerce Clause interpretation, federal powers expanded at the expense of state powers and emphasis on the Tenth Amendment declined. The Court in NLRB v. United States (1936) reaffirmed the Wagner Act which brought labor relations under federal oversight. In addition, the Social Security Act creating a national retirement fund, passed in 1935. Another important shift in power had occurred. Increased federal powers were further recognized in the 1950s and 1960s, primarily over the issue of racial discrimination. Through the 1940s the states had kept the responsibility for governing the rights of its citizens.Therefore, to protect individual rights from state abuses, the Supreme Court began â€Å"issuing decisions limiting state powers rela ted to freedoms of speech and religion, due process rights to fair trials, and equal protection of the law†. The Supreme Court in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas (1954) barred racial segregation policies in public schools and brought local school districts under federal oversight. A 1965 ruling in South Carolina v. Katzenbach upheld the Voting Rights Act of 1965 that prohibited state-established voting requirements.Also in 1965, the protection of privacy from state powers was recognized in Griswold v. Connecticut (1965) setting the basis for abortion rights. On the other hand, New federalism came into effect in the latter half of the twentieth century due to the southern white resentment against the role of Washington in bringing an end to segregation in the 50’s and 60’s. Over taxation, voter apathy and over regulation from federal government also added to this umbrage from the citizens of America. New federalism was promoted by republican presiden ts, most notably RichardNixon (1969-1974) and Ronald Reagan (1981-1989) to address the growing disillusionment between citizens and federal government. It gave power back to the states and reversed federal dominance somewhat by promoting measure to give states greater leverage. An example of one of these measures is Clinton’s ‘unfunded mandates act’, which required that the congressional budgets office to provide estimates of the cost of bills with federal mandates once they were put forth to be discussed on the floor of the senate/house of representatives. Not only did federal government push for state rights, so did the Supreme Court.Examples of this are cases such as US v. Lopez (1995) where the interstate commerce clause of the constitution was interpreted in a more limited way. In 1791, an amendment was passed to allow the powers that weren’t granted to neither federal nor state government, be reserved to the states. President Clinton famously remarke d in 1966 that ‘the era of big government is over’ and he worked to redirect financial resources and responsibilities back to the states. Similarly to many other republican candidates such as President Reagan who promised to further the extent of new federalism through state grants and limited revenue-sharing.Not only did republican candidates for the Whitehouse make bold movements for the shuffling of power back towards the states, so did the states themselves. They introduced cuts in income tax rates and also became more involved in education within their states like in Vermont and the introduction of meal vouchers. Also, in tackling crime, like in New York city where the Mayor introduced his ‘Zero tolerance’ approach to petty crimes. There is a lot of evidence both for agreeing that federal government dominates state government and against. But, it can also be said to strike the right balance.Since 2009, federal-state relations have changed yet again wit h the introduction of Obama’s ‘Progressive’ federalism. Many expected Obama’s presidency to involve an expansion of federal authority based on his political record, but given the â€Å"kaleidoscopic† history of federalism, as described by Zimmerman, it was a shock to see how far he actually went. He moved away from the notion of pre-emption which showed that he may want to incorporate more elements of co-operative federalism as oppose to any one entity having more power than the other.A recent decision of Obama’s that demonstrates his ‘progressive’ federalism in action was to allow California and other states the freedom to set their own limits on greenhouse gases from. This represents a shift in the relationship of federal government and state by looking to states for new measures and guidance. But at the same time keep overall say within congress and the executive. In conclusion, after evaluating both sides of the argument that the essay question has posed, it is obvious that states do in fact have many powers, but overall power is still held in federal government.This is a beneficial thing as federal government are utilitarian and diverse enough to make decisions for the greater good as oppose to a small margin of opinions expressed by one section of the USA influencing another part that may have completely different ideologies. There is a definate shift in the Obama administration to a more ‘cooperative’ form of federalism, instead of the political systems in American having to be overly state rights or overly federal government.

Ethernet Cabling Category

The charter school's CEO has requested your help in updating the network to meet the demands of the building's faculty members and students. Your job is to interview the key stakeholders and to take action to remedy the issues that they have. Write a two to three page proposal addressing each of the stakeholder concerns. Use the technologies below for the areas of concern. All of the technologies listed below will not be used, so be careful with your choices. You must use one of the solutions below to address each area of concern.Be specific in your responses, and justify the use of each technology based upon the concern. Category 2 UTP 10Base – T Ethernet Cabling Category 5 UTP 100Base – T Ethernet Cabling Category 6 UTP 1000Base – T Ethernet Cabling Server Farm File Server Print Server 8 port hub 16 port hub 24 port hub 8 port switch 16 port switch 24 port switch Storage area network RAID Fiber 1000Based-F Domain controllers Bus topology Topology Microwave wire less media Infrared wireless media Radio wireless media K E Y P L A Y E R SHelen Ross, Network Technician, Female â€Å"I don't know who designed our old network or what they were thinking. You see, my job is to support the faculty in the building and to fix minor network issues. Well, we often have major issues in our building, and I'm hoping that you can make things better. Printing is a really problematic area for us. You see, we have over 50 networked printers in this building. Although we do need the printers, we need some way to consolidate the management of print jobs, as the queues on these printers often are filled.We also need to navigate to each printer individually to clear them. There has to be a better way because this is ridiculous. Collisions have become a problem for us as well since we started to add new computers a few years ago. In the morning when everyone gets in, network performance slows to a crawl because everyone is busy on the network with their morning a ttendance and checking e-mail. After performing a network analysis, I figured out that there were way too many collisions on the network. There has to be a way to fix this. â€Å" Ethernet Cabling Category The charter school's CEO has requested your help in updating the network to meet the demands of the building's faculty members and students. Your job is to interview the key stakeholders and to take action to remedy the issues that they have. Write a two to three page proposal addressing each of the stakeholder concerns. Use the technologies below for the areas of concern. All of the technologies listed below will not be used, so be careful with your choices. You must use one of the solutions below to address each area of concern.Be specific in your responses, and justify the use of each technology based upon the concern. Category 2 UTP 10Base – T Ethernet Cabling Category 5 UTP 100Base – T Ethernet Cabling Category 6 UTP 1000Base – T Ethernet Cabling Server Farm File Server Print Server 8 port hub 16 port hub 24 port hub 8 port switch 16 port switch 24 port switch Storage area network RAID Fiber 1000Based-F Domain controllers Bus topology Topology Microwave wire less media Infrared wireless media Radio wireless media K E Y P L A Y E R SHelen Ross, Network Technician, Female â€Å"I don't know who designed our old network or what they were thinking. You see, my job is to support the faculty in the building and to fix minor network issues. Well, we often have major issues in our building, and I'm hoping that you can make things better. Printing is a really problematic area for us. You see, we have over 50 networked printers in this building. Although we do need the printers, we need some way to consolidate the management of print jobs, as the queues on these printers often are filled.We also need to navigate to each printer individually to clear them. There has to be a better way because this is ridiculous. Collisions have become a problem for us as well since we started to add new computers a few years ago. In the morning when everyone gets in, network performance slows to a crawl because everyone is busy on the network with their morning a ttendance and checking e-mail. After performing a network analysis, I figured out that there were way too many collisions on the network. There has to be a way to fix this. â€Å"

Facebook Has Become Very Boring

Facebook has become very boring with all this cooking and slavery stuff. I believe feminism goes beyond who cooks at home and who doesn't. There are more pressing issues at hand to be dealt with regarding feminism but as things stand now, it seems most of us have misplaced priorities. There are women who are being oppressed and harassed in their workplaces, at school and even in their places of worship. These people are the ones who need voices in higher places to speak up for them. Uncles are raping cousins, fathers are sleeping with their daughters and husbands are sexually abusing their wives, these are the issues that need redress. These issues demand voices in the higher echelons of power to stand up for them. Brides are trapped in violent marriages they dare not come out to speak about or against. Over 600,000 girls are trafficked over the Atlantic every year and used as escorts in Spain, Mexico, China and all over the world; these ones need voices, voices in higher places to represent and fight for them. Female genital mutilation is still ongoing in our backyard. Girls are being given into early marriages, some are being used to atone for the sins of their fathers. No one is really talking about these things. The voice of the female child is stifling gradually and those in the position to speak up for them are rather wasting their breath on debates on who must cook or not, while we watch all these evils befall the innocent girl child who never asked her parents to meet and mate â€Å"under one coconut tree.† Women are scared to speak up and defend themselves. Your boss at work can touch you indiscriminately because he feels he gave you the job, your lecturer can decide to fail you because you refused his sexual advances, your pastor can touch your breast because you went to him to pray for you†¦and in all these, we still do not have a voice to speak. The girl child finds it difficult to trust anyone. There is a glass ceiling above competent and qualified women they cannot go past at the workplace. And it gets very irritating when you come online and the core issues are sidelined and peripheral stuff are rather discussed on national platforms. Big voices who must be speaking for these largely marginalized ones are talking about cooking being slavery or not. It is funny feminism has been belittled into â€Å"who becomes the head of the family?† and not â€Å"let's help the girl child to excel in all spheres and overcome all her fears†. Feminism is not about calling men names, slamming your fellow females and cussing those who disagree with you. Neither is it about arguing with people who try to perforate holes in everything someone who stands for the movement says even when they are right. We must learn to agree and disagree on issues intelligently. I am not really enthused with all this recent talk because it seems that is what we do these days. We go with the tide. Today, kitchen stool comes and we all talk about it and leave it there. Nobody moves further to check what really is happening in our schools and how we can help. Now it is cooking being slavery. It will also pass and we'll troll one another on the next bandwagon