Macrowritten5 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Macrowritten5 - Essay Example Based on these four fundamentals, Reagonomics attempted to make a policy shift from the previous regimes in US which mostly focused on alternative economic policies. It has been argued that Reagonomics delivered on most counts due to the fact that it brought wider scale changes into the tax code of the country and brought changes in the way business taxes were levied in the country. Further, this was also considered as the most serious attempt in US to make a shift into economic policies of the country as it was declared that only through controlling the growth of the government, can a country grow and prosper. Reagonomics worked in the sense that it reduced the government spending and rationalized the tax rates which offered relatively more space to the businesses to work and invest into their research and development thus preparing themselves for meeting future challenges of the market economy and other competitive challenges. It is also argued that the unemployment during this era substantially reduced from 7% during 1980 to 5.4% in 1988. (Niskanen, 1988). It is also important to note that during that era, tax collections improved and as a result of this, the overall government outlay increased despite the fact that Reagan attempted to reduce the government spending. The criticism of Reagonimics is however, based upon the notion that US economy, before the Reagan era was facing economic depression therefore the room for the improvement was relatively large. As such, according to Paul Krugman, Reaganomics basically attempted to exploit that available gap to show better performance during that era. (KRUGMAN, 2008). Accordingly, this was an era where rich got richer whereas most of the average Americans suffered and their standard of living further declined and reached to a level which caused immediate recession when Reagan and Bush Senior left the stage. This argument by Krugman therefore is based upon the notion that the

Critical Appraisal Report Essay Example for Free

Critical Appraisal Report Essay 1. INTRODUTION This report will cover logistics and RD section from the simulation, where I will be stating theories of logistics, and logistic transportation concepts, and analyzing my understanding for research and development. I will be stating out my decision for logistics and RD section in the simulation as well, and point out the reasons why I have made the decisions. 2. CONSIDERATION OF RELEVANT THEORIES CONCEPT 2.1 Logistics: According to Grund Vartdal, logistics is â€Å"the process of planning, implementing and controlling the efficient, cost effective flow and storage of raw materials, in-process inventory, finished goods, services and related information from point of origin to point of consumption for the purpose of conforming to customer Requirements’ Council of Logistics Management† (Grund Vartdal, 2000). It is a part of value chain activity, planed, implemented and controlled in order to meet customers’ needs for goods, services and related information, it is a combination of transport, storage, handling, packaging, distribution processing, distribution, information processing and other basic functions. Logistic Management has four major characters, firstly, to achieve customer satisfaction as the first target, secondly, optimize the enterprise as a whole as the purpose, thirdly, information-centric, fourthly, value efficiency and effectiveness. 2.2 Logistics and Transportation: There are several classifications for logistics and transportation. Road transport: Mainly use gas trucks and other vehicles, road transport is responsible for close and small quantities of cargo, also where water transport and rail transport difficult to play their advantages. Road transport has several advantages such as strong flexibility, road construction period is short, low investment, easy to fit in local conditions and less demanding for facilities stations. It is also able to take the door-to-door transport form, without having to transfer or repeat loading and unloading. Rail transport: Mainly responsible for long-distance, large amounts of cargo, where it has no water transport conditions in the region, almost all bulk goods are rely on the railway transport. It has several advantages such as fast speed, not limited by natural conditions, large carrying capacity and low transport cost, though it is inflexible and can only be achieved in the fixed line transport, need other means of transports’ cooperation and convergence. Water transport: Mainly bearing torque, long-distance transport in river and costal sea. There are costal transport generally use in small vessels, offshore transport depending on medium-sized and small-sized vessels, ocean transport in use of large volume of large vessels, and inland waterway transport. Water transport is able to transport forhigh-volume, long-distance and low-cost, though it has obvious drawbacks such as influenced by port, water level, season and climate. Air transport: Mainly in use of aircrafts for high value, and has the affordability of a strong freight goods such as expensive equipments, spare parts, high-end products, etc., also, some urgent need materials due to its high cost. Its main advantages are fastest speed, do not have terrain restrictions, where rail or cars cannot reach, it can rely on air transport, hence it is significance. Pipeline transport: Mainly in use for gas, liquid and powered solids. 2.3 Research and Development According to OECD factbook, RD refers to â€Å"creative work undertaken on a systematic basis in order to increase the stock of knowledge, including knowledge of man, culture and society, and the use of this stock of knowledge to devise new application.† (OECD factbook, 2008). It reflects the technological strength and core competitiveness. A country’s RD level reflects its political and economical strengths, an enterprise’s RD level reflects its competitiveness. Research and development is the process of innovation into mold. Product innovation and technological innovation are the core of innovation, a company’s research and development generally refers to product development and technology research and development. RD and technology development are closely related. Emerging technologies can always bring new products, RD tend to correspond to the product or focus on product innovation, and new product ideas need new technologi es to achieve, they have very close relationship. 3. INDIVIDUAL ACTIVITY DISCUSSION AND REFLECTION This round for in-house development is 21,360K USD for Tech 1, and 21,362 for Tech 2, where money needed for new features are 71,240K USD for Tech 1, and 71,243K USD for Tech 2. As there are several plants in Asia and Europe, there will be one addition feature for Tech 1, and three addition features for Tech 2. The priorities from USA are Asia coming after Europe coming after USA, the priorities from Asia is USA coming after Europe coming after China as the civil war in Olistan has brought up the oil price, thus the logistic transportation would cost more, whereas the transportation cost is 29 USD/unit from USA to Asia and from Asia to USA, 13 USD/unit from USA/Europe, and 9 USD/unit from Asia to Europe. The in-house and contract manufacturing in USA are 5,082K USD for Tech 1 and 3,863K USD for Tech 2, while the in-house and contract manufacturing in Asia are 550K USD for Tech 1 and 1,245K USD for Tech 2, where they both allocated full capacity. For USA market, there are 1,392K units manufactured in USA for Tech 1 and 1,026K units for Tech 2. For Asian market, there are 1980K units manucatured in USA for Tech 1 and 615K units for Tech 2, 550K units manufactured in Asia for Tech 1 and 1,245K untis for Tech 2. For Europe market, there are 1,709K units manufactured in USA for Tech 1 and 2,222K units for Tech 2. Moreover, the average logistics per sold product is 16.9 USD in Asia, and 13.1 USD in Europe. According to the logistics theory, it suggests that if the products run out of supply, we will need to transfer the products to those regions where have higher profit. In this case for Round 3, oil price goes up, so we have decided to have Europe as the interlink station prior than Asia. 4. CONCLUSION To sum up, our group has gained 17.44% market share for this round, in order to achieve more market share, and gaining more shareholder return, we will need to focus more on the strategies selected in order to plan and implement more effectively. There are a lot we will need to improve in future rounds. 5. REFERENCE Cesim simulation Market Conditions [online] Available from http://gc4.cesim.com/dss/gc/MarketConditionsPage [7th Aug 2011] What is Logistics, available from CULC Managing International Trade Unit 7 Knowledgecast page 5. Research Development [online] Available from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Research_and_development [8th Aug 2011]

Dialogue - The Locket :: Dialogue Conversation Essays

Dialogue - The Locket At midnight, Paul went outside and sat on the bench on the old, plank porch. Despite bundling himself in a heavy blanket, he shivered in the cold. The eastern sky before him was dotted with stars, scintillating above the quiet spread of desert. A few lonely clouds were drifting by. Patricia timidly opened the door; hesitant to disrupt Paul’s solitude. As he glanced up at Patricia, she could see the melancholy in his eyes. â€Å"What you said today at the funeral was beautiful,† she murmured. Paul smiled sadly. â€Å"I just wanted to tell you that. Good night.† Paul extended his hand. â€Å"Would you join me?† Patricia took his hand and sat down on the bench next to him. Paul wrapped the blanket around her small shoulders. She turned to look at him. â€Å"I suppose that I have never properly thanked you for saving my life. I am sorry for that. I was not sure then that I wished it saved.† He thought about her words. â€Å"What keeps you with him?† he asked. It took a long time for her to answer. â€Å"It is my lot.† Paul frowned. â€Å"That’s not much of an answer.† â€Å"No,† she replied, â€Å"but maybe that’s all there is.† â€Å"Have you considered returning to Ireland?† â€Å"It is not a possibility.† â€Å"But if it were?† â€Å"No good comes from considering things that cannot be.† Patricia was firm. Paul considered this a moment before speaking. â€Å"I suppose you’re right. Where about in Ireland are you from anyway?† â€Å"I came from Cork.† â€Å"You do not carry much of a brogue.† â€Å"I have worked hard to eliminate my brogue. Jack mocks me for it, and there are those in this country who hate me for it.† â€Å"It is unfortunate,† Paul said. â€Å"I think that it sounds beautiful.† Her gratitude and pleasure showed in her eyes. Paul glanced downward and noticed her petite fingers nervously playing with a locket that hung around her neck. The locket was cast in the shape of a four-leaf clover. It was unique, and she wore it religiously–it was almost as if she had been born with the necklace around her neck. It was as much a part of her as her deep auburn hair and green eyes. â€Å"I have heard it said of Cork, that the sky does not rain, it weeps,† Paul continued. â€Å"It is a beautiful, tragic land,† Patricia replied.

Social Science Paper

Christine Louise S. Lacanaria 2-Xavier TYPE| DEMOCRACY (CAPITLISM)| COMMUNISM| SOCIALISM| DEFINITION| an  economic system  based on the  private ownership  of  capital goods  and the  means of production, with the creation of goods and services for profit  . There are multiple variants of capitalism, including  laissez-faire,  welfare capitalism  and  state capitalism. from  Latin  communis  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ common, universal is a  revolutionary socialist  movement to create a  classless, moneyless  and  stateless  social order  structured  upon  common ownership  of the  means of production, It is where everyone is equal where as if one gets everybody must also have it| refers to an  economic system  characterised by  social ownership  of the  means of production  and co-operative management of the economy. [1]†Social ownership† may refer to  cooperative  enterprises,  common ownership,  state ownership, or citizen ownership of equity| CHARACTERISTICS| Private property-the right to own resources and bequeath property.Freedom of economic choice-work/not work, spend/not spend. Government should let markets be with a hands-off philosophy. | A theoretical economic system characterized by the collective ownership of property and by the organization of labor for the common advantage of all members. A system of government in which the state plans and controls the economy and a single, often authoritarian party holds power, claiming to make progress toward a higher social order in which all goods are equally shared by the people. | are economic systems that emphasize public ownership and heavy government influence in economic affairs.As a political system, socialism emphasizes co-operative work for the common good, a uniformed class system, and reductions of hierarchy in both economics and politics. | GOVERNMENT| The government and the leader is chosen by the people and almost everyone or majo rity of the people can vote for the leader| The party is chosen by the people, where as the party choses the leader or the president of the country. | Democratic elections don't exist and in theory all members in power are equal. The ruling party often establishes its rule by force.However, some modern socialist or democratic socialist systems, such as those in Scandinavia, have several parties and democratic elections. | EDUCATION| to decide individually how, when, what, where and with whom they learn to have an equal share in the decision-making as to how their organizations – in particular their schools – are run, and which rules and sanctions, if any, are necessary| quality of education is largely choosen by the capitalist political state, which chooses to educate us in ways that are beneficial to them.Capitalism is portrayed as the best of all possible systems, with socialist ideology barely mentioned and almost always misrepresented as the philosophy of the ill-f ated Soviet Union| those under 18 are legally considered â€Å"children†, adolescents under socialism will be taught from an early age to become active participants in the industrial government, to make informed and rational decisions and be treated with far more respect and offered far greater freedom and trust then the teens of today are, who are usually treated as little more then the property of their parents with few decision making opportunities of their own. ECONOMY|   shift decision-making power from  corporate shareholders  to a larger group of public stakeholders  that includes workers, customers, suppliers, neighbors and the broader public. No single definition or approach encompasses economic democracy, but most proponents claim that modern property relations  externalize  costs, subordinate the general well-being to private profit, and deny the polity a democratic voice in economic policy decisions| is also known as the planned economy. In a communist economy, it is fully operated by the government.There are only state owned and controlled businesses. The government answers all the fundamental economic questions. | is heavily planned, self-managed and state-directed. Rather than allowing market forces to determine where the economy should go, public officials decide which industries resources should be allocated toward. Production is both managed and controlled by the state. | EXAMPLES| Georgia, Lebanon, Israel, India, Bangladesh, Thailand, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Cambodia, Philippines, Malaysia, Australia, New Zealand| Nepal and Cyprus| China, Canada , Cuba, Vietnam|

Law Case Study Essay

QUESTION On 1 October, Buyer saw a courier van with a FOR SALE sign that included a telephone number and a price of â€Å"$25,000 cash.† That night, Buyer called Seller. Buyer explained that he would have to borrow the money but could get it next week. Seller provided his address to Buyer and told Buyer, â€Å"If you want the van, mail me a cheque for $5000. Pay the balance by1 November.† Later that day, Buyer mailed Seller a $5000 cheque. The next night, at Buyer’s 18th birthday party, Buyer discussed the deal with Investor. After buying the van, Buyer planned to start a document courier service, and he had spent $1200 on business cards, flyers and a cellular phone. Buyer projected a profit of $50,000 in the first year. Investor was impressed with Buyer’s plans and agreed to loan Buyer $20,000 to buy the van. On 25 October, Buyer called Seller to pick up the van. Seller refused and said someone had offered him $35,000 for the van. Seller had not cashed Buyer’s cheque as yet. Seller offered to deposit the cheque and give him the van if Buyer would pay Seller $20,000 now plus $400 a month for 25 months. Buyer laughed and said, â€Å"Yeah, right.† But without a van, Buyer would not be able to start his courier service. Investor wants to hire you to give Buyer legal advice. Prepare a memorandum addressing the following matters in detail, and including relevant case law to support your arguments: What are Buyer’s potential claims against Seller? What are Seller’s potential defences? Who is likely to prevail in the event this case goes to court? Assume Buyer prevails in his lawsuit against Seller. What damages is Buyer likely to receive from the court? SUMMARY AND RELEVANT FACTS In this case Buyer is plaintiff whereas Seller is defendant. October 1: Buyer saw courier van FOR SALE with a telephone number at the price of  $25000. Buyer called seller later at night and told him that he could borrow money by next week. Seller demanded $5000 by cheque and to pay remaining by November 1. Buyer mailed the cheque. October 2: Buyer became a major. Buyer spent $1200 on courier service advertisement. Investor loaned buyer $20,000. October 25: Seller refused as he had gotten a better offer of $35,000.Seller offered to deposit the buyer’s un-cashed cheque on conditions for the buyer to pay $20,000 for van + $400 for the next 25 months. Buyer refused his new offer. ISSUE(S) The main issue is this scenario is whether it is a valid contract or not. If yes, then what are the rights and damages available to buyer on breach of contract by seller? The following sections of Australian contract law should be satisfied in order to make this contract valid. (see below) These elements need to be explored to determine whether it is applicable. RULE/ RELEVANT LAWS All the agreements are contracts if they are made by the free consent of the parties competent to contract, for a lawful consideration and with a lawful object and are not expressly declared to be void. The person making the offer is known as the offerer, proposer, or promisor and the person to whom it is made is called the offeree or proposee. When the offeree accepts the offer, he is called the acceptor or promise. When at the desire of the promisor, the promisee or any other person has done or abstained from doing, or does or abstains from doing , or promise to do or to abstain from doing something, such act or abstinence or promise is called a consideration for the promise. Every person is competent to contract if he  is an age of majority, Is a sound mind, And is not disqualified from contracting by any law to which he is subject. APPLICATION A contract is formed valid if there is an offer, acceptance and consideration. FORMATION OF THE VALID CONTRACT OFFER VS. INVITATION TO OFFER There are some kinds of activities which appear to be making offer but legally are not, for instance, distributing broachers and circulars, display of goods for sale and advertising. So the seller could raise the point that he didn’t make an offer. He only made an invitation to make an offer. Partridge vs. Crittenden [1968][1] The FOR SALE sign would not considered as an offer since it is an invitation to make an offer. In this case, buyer made an offer by calling the seller. ACCEPTANCE For making a valid contract following elements should be essential: offer, acceptance and intention/consideration (Graw, S. (2002). An introduction to the law of contract. (4th ed) chapter 2, page 94). Buyer made an offer to the seller but was unable to enter into a contract since he did not have money until the next week. But the seller shows a manifestation of an intention that he wanted to accept his offer. Seller made a counter offer by asking buyer to send him $5000 on the same day by cheque through post and the rest of amount until November 1. The postal rule of acceptance is applied. In this scenario, buyer accepted the offer when he mailed the $5000 the next day because this way seller wanted the acceptance. A valid contract is formed which is irrevocable until November 1. [Routledge v. Grant, (1828) 4 Bing. 653] [2] INTENTION AND CONSIDERATION For the agreement to be viewed as a contract, it must either be supported by consideration or be a formal contract. This is the third essential element required to form a valid contract. (M.L Barron, fundamental of business law, chapter 7, page 207) The consideration is this case is $5000 from the promisor to the promisee to keep the option open [Currie vs. Misa 918750 L.R. 10 ex.153][3]. CAACITY OF PARTIES The buyer was minor at the formation of contract October 1. This could be the seller defends against the buyer that he was a minor at that time and the agreement is ab initio since the consideration would not counted. According to the Australian Consumer Law some people are under a disability when it comes to making contracts (e.g. minors); their capacity to contract is restricted. (M.L Barron, fundamental of business law, chapter 7, page  193). Consideration which passed under the earlier contract cannot be implied into a contract which the minor enters on attaining majority. Thus, the consideration given during the minority is no consideration. If it is necessary a fresh contract may be entered into by the minor on attaining majority provided it is supported by fresh consideration. [Lesile V. Shiell, (1914) 3 K. B. 607][4]. The completion of agreement was November 1 and buyer turned into a major on October 2. And both the parties were agreed till October 24. Seller could not accu se that the contract is ab-initio because they have mutual consideration till October 24. It makes the contract voidable at the option of buyer not the seller at the time since the seller is unaware of the fact that he is a minor. But in the completion period buyer becomes a major. Therefore, seller cannot terminate the contract on basis of that. There is a valid consideration from both of the parties- from buyer that he will pay him until November 1 and sellers agreed on it. The contract becomes irrevocable. In spite of whether seller sending the cheque back, or didn’t cash the cheque. He can argue that he didn’t accept it. But the acceptance is made at the time when he received the cheque. If it is a valid contract and someone does not perform it on their part of bargain. In other words, he is repudiating it, and then the words must be certain. When buyer calls the seller he rejected to sell his van. But buyer has an option available to purchase it until November 1. Seller can argue that there wasn’t a proper contract it was preliminary negotiations . He can argue that he made a counter offer. If the case goes to the court buyer will prevail the law suit. Damages available to buyer  Breaches of contract are normally remedied by an award of â€Å"damages†- an amount of money that is paid as compensation, fairly and reasonably considered to arise naturally from the breach itself. It is reasonably supposed to have been in the contemplation of both parties at the time they made the contract, as the probable result of the breach (Gillies, P. (2004). Business law. (12th Ed.) Chapter 8, page 325). If the court gives decision in favour of buyer and it concludes that the contract is valid. Then buyer can sue the seller and immediately return of his $5000 cheque and for any actual, consequential and special damages [Hadley vs. Baxendale][5]. In  order to obtain consequential damages seller must have known about the losses that are caused by his breach. Buyer will argue that he has lost $1200 on cards, flyers and cell phone call as well as $50,000 that he can generate annually from that van. Seller could argue that buyer is not entitled for these damages since there is nothing mention in the contract retaining to these loses. The court will favour seller over here since it is not a unique van that buyer cannot do the business without it. When a contract has been broken, the injured party can recover from the other party such damages as naturally and directly arose in the usual course of things from the breach. This means that the damages must be the proximate consequence of the breach of contract. These damages are known as ordinary and/ or actual damages. Buyer can sue for actual damages, which would be the difference in price of the van and the comparable prevailing price in market. He can also obtain the special damages which would be costs curtailing from the breach like wastage of time and money from searching a new one. CONCLUSION Seller made an inviting gesture for an offer for his good. Buyer made an offer by calling the seller for his good; however he could not enter the contract for lack of money. Seller made a counter offer by asking for a mailed $5000 cheque. Buyer accepted the offer and therefore got into contract. The contract was made on the 2nd of October, one day before the buyer became a major, and was standing until the 1st of November, before which the seller backed out of the contract at the 25th of October. Seller may argue that the contract was not ab initio as the buyer was a minor at the time of contract. However, the buyer may argue that since the seller agreed to the contract, by accepting the mailed cheque, after the buyer was a major the contract is not ab initio and in fact does exist. In case the case goes to court the buyer will prevail in the law suit as the injured party. REFERENCES TEXT BOOK (Graw, S. (2002). An introduction to the law of contract. (4th ed) chapter 2, page 94) (M.L BARRON, fundamental of business law, chapter 7, page 207) (M.L Barron, fundamental of business law, chapter 7, page 193) (Gillies, P. (2004). Business law. (12th Ed.) Chapter 8, page 325) Gibson, A. and Fraser, D, (2007). Business law (3rd ed.) Chapter 7, page 293 CASES Partridge vs. Crittenden [1968][1] Partridge v Crittenden was a landmark 1968 British Court ruling that set legal precedent in that country. The case focused on the nature of advertisements in regard to the obligation of those who post them. Specifically, this case involved the sale of a bird, which the buyer, Crittenden, claimed was misrepresented in the ad. While Partridge initially lost the case, he later won on appeal. The significance of this ruling relates not to the sale of birds in particular, but whether an ad is an offer for sale or an ‘invitation to treat. [Routledge v. Grant, (1828) 4 Bing. 653] [2] Defendant (D) offered to buy plaintiff’s (P) house for a specific price with a definite answer to be given within six weeks. D was not bound to keep the offer open Best CJ if six weeks are given on one side to accept an offer, the other has six weeks to put an end to it. One party cannot be bound without the other. Currie vs. Misa [1875] L.R. 10 ex.153][3] Even relatively trivial things can be sufficient consideration e.g. chocolate wrappers but a promise not to bore someone cannot, because it has no value. [Lesile V. Shiell, (1914) 3 K. B. 607][4]. Defendant obtained loans from plaintiff by fraudulently misrepresenting that he was of full age at the time of contract. Defendant sued him to recover the money. [Hadley vs. Baxendale][5] A shaft in Hadley’s (P) mill broke rendering the mill inoperable. Hadley hired Baxendale (D) to transport the broken mill shaft to an engineer in Greenwich so that he could make a duplicate. Hadley told Baxendale that the shaft must be sent immediately and Baxendale promised to deliver it the next day. Baxendale did not know that the mill would be inoperable until the new shaft arrived. Baxendale was negligent and did not transport the shaft as  promised, causing the mill to remain shut down for an additional five days. Hadley had paid 2 pounds four shillings to ship the shaft and sued for 300 pounds in damages due to lost profits and wages. The jury awarded Hadley 25 pounds beyond the amount already paid to the court and Baxendale appealed.

British Parliament essays

British Parliament essays The House of Commons and the House of Lords The British parliament consists of the Queen and two chambers, the House of Commons and the House of Lords. The functions of the parliament are to pass laws, to provide taxes and to control the actions of the government. The Queen still plays a role, but only a formal one. In law, she is the head of the executive, a part of the legislative and the head of the judiciary. The members of the house of commons are elected directly by general majority in geographically defined parliamentary constituencies.The minimum age for franchise is 18 since 1969. At present, the house of commons is consisting of 659 MPs which are distributed on the base of the number of inhabitants (around 60.000 in each constituency in the United Kingdom) and the total number of MPs which is fixed only by the house of commons itself. The parliament has a quorum when 40 MPs are present. The legislative period lasts 5 years by law in case of special national crisis, for example war, there can be exceptional decisions to break up the period earlier or lengthen it. All of the members of the house of commons can be elected again. It is not possible for any member of the house of lords, certain clericals, employees of the government, peace lawyers or officers charged with realization of elections to be candidate for the house of commons. Theoretically every member of parliament can initialize bills of law, practically most of the bills are initalized by the ministers in charge.The bills passed by parliament are mostly rather general they get passed more detailed either through royal prescriptions(decrets) or are prepared by the ministries in charge and then proclaimed by the crown. The cabinet appears along the pinciple of collective responsibility as a unit. If the parliament votes against an important legislative intiative or puts up a vote of no confidence, the consequence i ...

What You Need to Know About Online Education

What You Need to Know About Online Education Exploring Online Education: Online education is often preferred by professionals, parents, and students who need a flexible school schedule. This article will help you understand the basics of online education, recognize its benefits and drawbacks, and choose an online education program that fits your needs. What is Online Education?: Online education is any type of learning that occurs through the internet. Online education is often called: distance learningdistance educationvirtual learningonline learninge-learningweb-based training Is Online Education Right for You?: Online education isn’t for everyone. People who are most successful with online education tend to be self-motivated, skilled with scheduling their time, and capable of meeting deadlines. Advanced reading and writing skills are often required to excel in text-heavy online education courses. See: Is Online Learning Right for You? Online Education Pros: Online education offers flexibility for people who have work or family responsibilities outside of school. Often, students enrolled in online education programs are able to work at their own pace, accelerating their studies if desired. Online education programs may also charge less than traditional programs. Online Education Cons: Students involved in online education often complain that they miss the direct, face-to-face interaction found on traditional campuses. Since coursework is generally self-directed, it is difficult for some online education students to stay engaged and complete their assignments on time. Types of Online Education Programs: When choosing an online education program, you’ll need to decide between synchronous courses and asynchronous courses. Students taking online education courses synchronously are required to log on to their courses at the same time as their professors and peers. Students taking online education courses asynchronously may log on to the course website whenever they choose and do not have to participate in discussions or lectures at the same time as their peers. Choosing an Online Education Program: After surveying your online education options, choose a school that fits your personal goals and learning style. The About.com list of Online Education Program Profiles can help you make the right decision.

25 French Food-related Terms in English

25 French Food-related Terms in English 25 French Food-related Terms in English 25 French Food-related Terms in English By Maeve Maddox Note: The pronunciation of these terms varies according to how familiar the speaker is with French. Usually, getting close is good enough. I’ve included pronunciation for six terms that may be especially tricky for some English speakers. 1. la carte Food items that can be ordered individually and not as part of a set meal are ordered la carte. The French word carte means card or menu. For example, a true la carte menu would list each item separately, with individual prices: chicken legs, $4; broccoli, $2; rice, $1.50, and so on. 2. la mode This French expression means â€Å"according to the fashion† and can be applied to clothing, furniture, dances, or anything that goes in and out of style. In US usage, the term is applied as a post-modifier to desserts. It usually means â€Å"with ice cream,† as in â€Å"pie la mode.† 3. apà ©ritif An apà ©ritif is an alcoholic drink, taken before a meal to stimulate the appetite. 4. au jus    Chiefly US, au jus is used as a post-modifier to indicate that a dish, usually meat, has been prepared or served in a gravy containing its own juices. 5. au gratin A dish prepared au gratin has been sprinkled with breadcrumbs or grated cheese browned in the oven or under the grill. The French verb gratiner means â€Å"to brown.† 6. baguette A long, thin loaf of French bread. 7. bon appà ©tit A salutation before eating. 8. cafà © au lait [ka-fay oh lay] Coffee taken with milk. 9. cordon bleu    Literally, â€Å"blue ribbon,† the expression reflects the sense of â€Å"first class.† In culinary usage, â€Å"a cordon blue† is â€Å"a first-class cook.† 10. crà ¨me brà »là ©e A cream topped with caramelized sugar, served as dessert. 11. cuisine The ordinary word for kitchen in French, cuisine is also used to describe a manner or style of food preparation. 12. en brochette A brochette is a skewer. En brochette  refers to food cooked, and sometimes served, on  brochettes, or skewers, like shish kebab. Food served  en brochette  is generally grilled.   13. maà ®tre dhà ´tel  Ã‚   Maà ®tre is French for master. The maà ®tre d’hà ´tel is the host or manager of the â€Å"front† of a formal restaurant, the part that serves the customers. British speakers shorten the phrase to maà ®tre, but American speakers refer to this person as the maà ®tre d. The responsibilities of a maà ®tre dhà ´tel  generally include supervising the wait staff,  taking reservations, and welcoming guests. 14. omelette  (US omelet) A dish traditionally made of beaten eggs fried in a pan and folded over. Sometimes other ingredients are added to the egg mixture. 15. petit four A small fancy cake, biscuit, or sweet, usually served with coffee after a meal. The literal meaning is â€Å"little oven.† 16. plat du jour Literally, â€Å"plate of the day, the plat du jour is a dish prepared in addition to the usual menu, available only on that day. 17. pot-au-feu The literal meaning is â€Å"pot on the fire.† It can refer to a large traditional French cooking pot or to something cooked in one, usually a thick soup of meat and vegetables. 18. prix fixe [pree-feex] A prix fixe meal typically includes several courses, but, unlike la carte pricing, prix fixe indicates that all the courses are included under one â€Å"fixed price 19. roux   [roo] A mixture of fat and flour heated together and used in making sauces and soups. In the United States, a spicy roux is a staple of Cajun cooking in New Orleans. 20. sautà ©    The French verb sauter means â€Å"to jump.† Vegetables that are sautà ©ed are fried in a pan with a little butter over a high heat, while being tossed from time to time. 21. sommelier [so-mel-yay] A sommelier is a wine waiter or wine steward. 22. soupà §on   [soup-sohn] Soupà §on is French for suspicion. In cooking, a soupà §on is a very small quantity or slight trace of something, â€Å"a pinch.† 23. soupe du jour Like the plat du jour, the soupe du jour (â€Å"soup of the day†) is the advertised specialty on a given day. 24. vinaigrette A vinaigrette is a dressing of oil and wine vinegar, sometimes with herbs used with salads and cold vegetables 25. pià ¨ce de rà ©sistance [pee-es duh ray-seez-tahnce] In general usage, the phrase may refer to the prize item in a collection. For example, â€Å"The museum’s pià ¨ce de rà ©sistance is an exact reproduction of an American eighteenth century carpenter’s tiger maple chest.† In reference to food, the pià ¨ce de rà ©sistance is the main or most difficult-to-resist part of a meal. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:How to Structure A Story: The Eight-Point ArcRound vs. AroundHow to Treat Names of Groups and Organizations

Strategic Management and Strategic Competitiveness Essay - 12

Strategic Management and Strategic Competitiveness - Essay Example Through the years, the company’s evolution is a vivid example of corporate sustainability. Globalization allows the creation of links, both physical and virtual, among several locations in the world. Technology serves as a tool that facilitates the process of globalization. Union Pacific’s early years enjoyed significantly fewer technological processes in comparison to today’s technologically driven world. Furthermore, rapid globalization occurred in the 20th century and reached its peak in the current century. The company income as of December 2012 stood at $ 3.9 billion (Form 10-K, 2012). This is an all-time high during the several decades of existence. The company’s large revenue directly relates with the forces of globalization and technology advancement. Particularly, the interconnectivity of the firm through mobile communication and the internet facilitates the creation of a link between the US based railroad company with Canada and Mexico. The railroad currently serves in connecting the United States with these countries. The company employs an advanced Information Technology System that primarily controls all transportation operations through the establishment of a communication link. The fast establishment of communication between the company and the customers facilitate faster systems of service delivery. Moreover, the application of technology creates an efficient transportation control system. Globalization facilitates the exchange of goods among different areas of the world. Therefore, the area served by the railroad received larger volumes of produce from other areas in comparison to the period before globalizati on. The regions also export several products to other regions. Railroad transport through Union Pacific acts as a primary link during this operation. The age of globalization and technology serves in enhancing the importance of Union Pacific Corporation. The industrial organization approach views the firm’s external

Are Whistle Blowers Heroes or Traitors Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Are Whistle Blowers Heroes or Traitors - Essay Example In fact, the whistle blowing at the workplace is necessary because it might help to prevent future disasters. In order to encourage people to report about the wrongdoings â€Å"in 1999, the Government introduced the Public Interest Disclosure Act. Public Concern at Work dubbed the Act "the most far-reaching whistle-blower law in the world" because it encourages employees to speak out about wrongdoing in the workplace and protects them from being unfairly victimized as a result of their actions† (Blowing the Whistle, 1) If whistleblowing at a workplace is highly encouraged and is mostly positive, the whistleblowing in interpersonal relations should be avoided. Let us consider an example; during a conversation between two friends, one of them has told that he fiddled his tax returns. Would it be appropriate for the other person to inform the corresponding authorities about the wrongdoing of his friend? The authorities have given citizens an array of free phone numbers for informing about the wrongdoings in versatile areas. The most famous is the benefit fraud line, set up in the summer of 1995 and reputed to be taking 8,000 calls a week. Its success appears to have set a precedent: now we have the Crime Stoppers Trust offering rewards for solving crimes, an Environment Agency line looking for information on polluters, and various lines that encourage us to tell local environmental health departments about noisy neighbors. It is worth to note that whistleblowers speak not for their own good and often risk their careers because the parties they stand up against are much more powerful.   That is why whistleblowing is equated to heroism.     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  

Take home exam paper Term Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Take home exam - Term Paper Example This â€Å"unnatural† inelastic demand is created as a means of encouraging and influencing the consumer to integrate with the given good or service. This approach is used rather often as a means of encouraging a higher than average integration with a given good or service; hence the way that certain types of goods or services are so heavily marketed and ultimately create an unnatural level of demand as compared to what might otherwise exist should an aggressive level of marketing not be utilized (Van Heerde et al., 2013). Marginal cost refers to the change in overall cost that occurs when the quantity produced increases by an increment of a certain unit. This is useful in terms of understanding at what point a given manufacturer or producer should cease production and/or at what point it will be economically beneficial to upgrade the production capacity to deal with increasing demand or expected increased demand in the future (Rogerson, 2011). As such, marginal cost is not only associated with raw material inputs and/or labor, it can include the cost of building or purchasing new production space and machinery; up to and including a new factory or factories. The decreasing marginal returns can be noted in the graph below as the areas in both blue and red that appear as high values on the x and y axis. An oligopoly can be defined as a type of market form that is dominated by only handful of sellers. These oligopolies then have a high likelihood of colluding as a means of setting prices and reducing the entrants to the market that might threaten to drive down price. Oligopolies exist throughout the world and can be noted in the banking sector, automobile production sector, and telecommunications markets (Goettler & Gordon, 2014). Broadly speaking, governments around the globe have made gestures towards regulating and enforcing

Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 9

Law - Essay Example In this paper, I briefly review some of the prohibited practices during job interviews as well as review some of the questions that are generally regarded as unacceptable. Title VII is a section of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 that protects employees or prospective employees from discrimination on the grounds of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin (EEOC, 2014). It is applicable to governmental and nongovernmental employees in equal measure. Dissimilar to labor laws that do not cover managerial employees or wage and hour laws that exclude certain cadres of employees, Title VII applies to all levels and types of employees. Further on, the act covers United States citizens employed by American employers without the borders of U.S. As pertains to non-U.S. citizens, they remain protected by the act as long as they are within the borders of the United States and not outside. Several employment practices are prohibited by Title VII and employers, unless they are careful, might find themselves unintentionally violating some of the provisions. Recruitment of new employees always elicit varied emotions among the applicant as well as the interviewing bench that may trigger acts of discrimination deliberately aimed at eliminating a certain cadre of candidates. Understandably, employers who are seeking a certain type of employees would go to any level to restructure and classify the questions in the interview with a deliberate intention of eliminating some candidates. For example, when conducting job interviews, the law prohibits setting up tests that are based on the races, national origin, or gender of the applicant. Pregnancy or someone disability should not be the reason as to why a person should be intentional denied an employment opportunity. Also, since U.S. states is a cosmopolitan society comprising of person from different nations and of different ra ces, the law prohibits the

A study of communication strategies employed by Chinese EFL learners Literature review

A study of communication strategies employed by Chinese EFL learners in oral contexts - Literature review Example ?....14 2.4 Communication Problems of Chinese EFL Learners†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..15 References†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦17 1. Introduction For communication to take place, a message needs to be transferred from the sender to the receiver. But sometimes the communication process may break down when the intended message fails to be sent to the receiver. In those situations, the speaker will try to solve the problem and re-establish the conversation by adopting certain techniques. These techniques are commonly known as â€Å"communication strategies† (CSs). It was a term firstly coined by Selinker (1972) in his paper on â€Å"Interlanguage†. Selinker considered these strategies as one of the five processes central to second language learning. All language us ers need communication strategies to help them convey their intended meaning. ... The time constraints of naturally-occurring conversations impose an extremely heavy burden on these learners, forcing them to retrieve appropriate TL items from their memory and respond quickly. As claimed by Wagner and Firth (1997), â€Å"CS is a very prominent element in speech production and therefore an important element in natural discourse† (p. 342). 1.1 Definitions In the past three decades, a great amount of scholarly research and discussion has been generated on the nature, taxonomies and use of CSs (Dornyei and Scott, 1997). For so many years, however, the definition of CSs has still remained controversial. Although Selinker was the first to put forward the term â€Å"communication strategy†, he did not dig deep into the nature of such strategies. The first ones to provide a definition of CS were Tarone and her associates (1976), who defined it as â€Å"a systematic attempt by the learner to express or decode meaning in the target language, in situations wher e the appropriate systematic target language rules have not been formed† (p. 78). Moreover, Tarone (1980) emphasized that â€Å"CS relate to a mutual attempt of interlocutors to agree on a meaning in situations where requisite meaning structures do not seem to be shared† (p. 420). This definition introduces an interactional perspective. In Tarone’s words, â€Å"communication strategies are seen as tools used in a joint negotiation of meaning where both interlocutors are attempting to agree as to a communicative goal† (p. 420). Simply put, it means that both parties in the communication process try to compromise on meaning by adjusting their perspectives to see just one meaning both of them understand, and this may include some repair mechanisms in the breakdown of

Case discussion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Case discussion - Essay Example The approach however conveys high levels of commercial risks because of the momentum that RAN has been gaining and the possible negative effects of the campaigns. The media’s involvement is likely to propagate RAN’s objective to the global society that is also Citigroup’s consumers. Similarly, students’ subscription to RAN identifies its developing potential to influence the society. RAN may therefore succeed in convincing the public that Citigroup is destroying the environment, and therefore the people’s lives. This would harm the bank’s corporate image and reduce its marketability, especially for consumer services. The result will be a reduced revenue level. Ignoring the campaigns with the assumption that they do not succeed will however allow the bank to benefit from project financing besides retaining its consumer market control. It is however a risky assumption (Stanford Graduate School of Business 1- 11). Delaying RAN’s objective by negotiating over few and minor changes to the group’s project financing initiatives is another option. It offers benefits of reducing the group’s proactive campaigns and its effects on the bank’s corporate image and demand for the bank’s consumer services besides sustaining project financing in the short run. The option’s disadvantage is however the already impaired corporate image and its associated effect on demand for consumer products. RAN may decline to the delayed tactics and proceed with the campaigns towards compromised corporate image and reduced demand for consumer services. Its benefits are however average revenues from both consumer services and project financing services. Entering into negotiations over changes that are more significant is another option for the bank. This offers potential benefits of the group’s withdrawal of its campaigns and informing the public of the bank’s interest in corporate

A study of communication strategies employed by Chinese EFL learners Literature review

A study of communication strategies employed by Chinese EFL learners in oral contexts - Literature review Example ?....14 2.4 Communication Problems of Chinese EFL Learners†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..15 References†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦17 1. Introduction For communication to take place, a message needs to be transferred from the sender to the receiver. But sometimes the communication process may break down when the intended message fails to be sent to the receiver. In those situations, the speaker will try to solve the problem and re-establish the conversation by adopting certain techniques. These techniques are commonly known as â€Å"communication strategies† (CSs). It was a term firstly coined by Selinker (1972) in his paper on â€Å"Interlanguage†. Selinker considered these strategies as one of the five processes central to second language learning. All language us ers need communication strategies to help them convey their intended meaning. ... The time constraints of naturally-occurring conversations impose an extremely heavy burden on these learners, forcing them to retrieve appropriate TL items from their memory and respond quickly. As claimed by Wagner and Firth (1997), â€Å"CS is a very prominent element in speech production and therefore an important element in natural discourse† (p. 342). 1.1 Definitions In the past three decades, a great amount of scholarly research and discussion has been generated on the nature, taxonomies and use of CSs (Dornyei and Scott, 1997). For so many years, however, the definition of CSs has still remained controversial. Although Selinker was the first to put forward the term â€Å"communication strategy†, he did not dig deep into the nature of such strategies. The first ones to provide a definition of CS were Tarone and her associates (1976), who defined it as â€Å"a systematic attempt by the learner to express or decode meaning in the target language, in situations wher e the appropriate systematic target language rules have not been formed† (p. 78). Moreover, Tarone (1980) emphasized that â€Å"CS relate to a mutual attempt of interlocutors to agree on a meaning in situations where requisite meaning structures do not seem to be shared† (p. 420). This definition introduces an interactional perspective. In Tarone’s words, â€Å"communication strategies are seen as tools used in a joint negotiation of meaning where both interlocutors are attempting to agree as to a communicative goal† (p. 420). Simply put, it means that both parties in the communication process try to compromise on meaning by adjusting their perspectives to see just one meaning both of them understand, and this may include some repair mechanisms in the breakdown of

HY 1110-08F-2, AMERICAN HISTORY I (HY1110-08F-2) Essay

HY 1110-08F-2, AMERICAN HISTORY I (HY1110-08F-2) - Essay Example Me, a single citizen of this nation, has a voice that will be heard. I am empowered with an authority that the government will listen to. In this day and age, it is a breather to know that the power resides in the people and that the people creates the government. There is a balance between what the people and the government can do. I know that my individual right is protected even from the government and from those in power. And I live with the assurance that a balance exists between the rights of the people and the power of the government to rule the people. As a student I can greatly relate to my right to speak freely or to meet as group. I bask in my liberty to share my mind without fear of being abdicated nor unjustly punished. Isn’t it great that each is given a chance to air grievance and directly participate in the political process? Not only am I entitled to vote, I can write and participate in political campaigns as well. This makes one think that those in authority are certainly interested in the voice of the masses. As a student, I am empowered and I feel important. As for my family, safety and security in our own home is another thing that we value most. A home will never be a home in the truest sense of the word if not for the safety it brings for every family member. The Bill of Rights afforded each family against unjust searches and protection within. Peace of mind for me and my family is indeed priceless. Lastly, in my view, the ratified amendments, beyond its legal implications, brings forth a grave impact in my life because it serves as an education for me. Education of what I am entitled to as a citizen of this nation and enlightens me to be vigilant in protecting and standing up for my rights, guarding it at all cost from any possible oppression. James Madison, being the â€Å"Father of The Bill of Rights† feels for every

Rizals life and works Essay Example for Free

Rizals life and works Essay Dr. Josà © Protacio Rizal Mercado y Alonzo Realonda (June 19, 1861- December 30, 1896) He was an award winning poet, and brilliant critic of the Spanish historical accounts of the societies in his native pre-colonial Philippines. Full of intelligence and humility, Rizal gained the respect and admiration of prominent men from around the world. Yet, more importantly, Rizal’s love for his nation and his fellow men led him to spark a revolution that uplifted the welfare of so many. An outstanding academic, he originally planned on studying land surveying, but when his mother began to go blind, he decided to study medicine. Unable to continue his education at Manila’s University of Santo Tomas due to discrimination because he was a native, Rizal traveled to Spain to study at the Universidad Central de Madrid. Before the age of 25, Rizal had traveled to Paris to earn a second doctorate, and then to Germany, where he completed his eye specialization and was inducted as a member of the Berlin Ethnological and Anthropological Societies. A master in 22 languages, Rizal used his intellectual and writing talents to write about the Spanish Colonial elite and the atrocities committed towards the natives by the Friars in the name of the Church. He translated and published his writings in many languages. However, this meant Rizal faced strong public opposition from elites in many countries who wanted to protect their interests in colonialism. Rizal returned to the Philippines in 1892 and formed a civic movement called â€Å"La Liga Filipina.† His goal was to unite Filipinos for protection from violence and injustice and to fight for change through peaceful and legal means. Rizal was declared an enemy of the state and his organization was disbanded by the Spanish governor. â€Å"†¦our liberty will (not) be secured at the sword’s point†¦we must secure it by making ourselves worthy of it. And when a people reaches that height God will provide a weapon, the idols will be shattered, tyranny will crumble like a house of cards and liberty will shine out like the first dawn† – Josà © Rizal Even when the infamous General Baleriano Weyler (who developed harsh tactics and cruel concentration camps for the natives in Cuba a few years earlier) was transferred to the Philippines to suppress the native organizing, Josà © Rizal continued speaking out and leading tenants against the injustices oppressing them, including ever-increasing rents, evictions, and the farm destruction ordered by the General. Recognized years later by Ghandi as a forefunner in the cause of freedom, Rizal never once  backed down from his beliefs that his people needed proper representation, strong education, better protection and a better government. Yet, his undaunted courage and determination to improve the welfare of Filipinos was feared by his enemies. They quickly deported him as a rebel. Where many would give up or become discouraged, Rizal used those four years of exile to build a school, a hospital and water dam and supply system that were considered engineering marvels. His sincerity and friendliness won the trust and confidence of everyone, even his prison guards. Shortly after his return, the Philippines began a full-blown revolution. In order to disassociate with the violent uprising, which he felt would not be enough to change the minds of the wealthy Filipinos, Rizal volunteered to go serve victims of yellow fever in Cuba. He was arrested en route to Cuba and sent to prison. A prime example of his character is seen in his return voyage. The guards refused to chain him or touch him because he was known for his honesty. Rizal never took advantage of opportunities to escape. Upon his return, Josà © Rizal was charged with sedition, conspiracy and rebellion and sentenced to death. Without a chance to challenge the charges, Rizal was executed by a firing squad, and buried secretly and without a casket in unholy ground. A monument now stands in the place where he was killed. The inscription reads, â€Å"I want to show to those who deprive people the right to love of country, that when we know how to sacrifice ourselves for our duties and convictions, death does not matter if one dies for those one loves – for his country and for others dear to him.† His life and death was a catalyst that sparked the revolution against Spain and six years later would change the long-held view of the U.S. government that the Filipinos were too barbaric to govern themselves. The U.S. passed a bill in support of a Democratic government in the Philippines after hearing one of his poems read in congress. â€Å"I die without seeing the dawn brighten over my native land. You who have it to see, welcome it and forget not those who have fallen during the night!† – Josà © Rizal

Workplace Monitoring Surveillance And Workplace Privacy Information Technology Essay

Workplace Monitoring Surveillance And Workplace Privacy Information Technology Essay Today business is being conducted electronically because internet access in every organization has become a business necessity. The internet, social networking, email, websites, forums, wikis, blogs, and instant massaging are the essential tools that an employee uses to communicate, collaborate and to do research work. But, these resources could be misused for private and illegal activities. As we all know the majority of all employers monitor employee arrival and departure time. Almost every organization, cash has been handled accurately. The majority monitor accuracy and quality of there employees work. Each and every employer expects maximum productivity from there employees. The employers think that the monitoring is not unreasonable; monitoring is commonly accepted as a business requirement. Still large number of organizations they do not monitor the manner in which the workers use there computers. The improper use of computer tools can have serious threats for an organization. In a computer base business environment lost of productivity wont be the only issue that an employers face how much time do they spent for none related activities? For instance, how much time were employees surfing the internet? What do they do during there time online? Play games, look for the perfect partner? How many none related emails that they got and send? By doing numerous none related work they waste valuable the time of the employees and network bandwidth of the company sometimes, employees get internal confidential information and data and use them for illegal purposes. Therefore, the monitoring in this regard should be highly considered. Personal surfing has become a nuisance for employers. Employees utilize computer tools for there leisure and pleasure within the normal working hours. A survey revealed that in an organization the lost time of an each employee is around 2.5 hour per worker. With the use of the number of work force and the hourly pay rate the total employee cost of cyber lacking could be estimated and it was a considerable amount. One of the security company, Sophose disclosed 60% of its uses accessed the social networking site, Face Book during the working hours. And that more than 25% of its uses accessed the site more that 10 times each day during working hours [Employee Computer PC Activity Monitoring Solution]. Around the world approximately there are fifty million Face Book users per day. And this number is increasing by 200,000 per day. How many cyberlackers are there in your organization and how much do they costing? The other important matter to be taken to consideration is Intellectual Prope rty Theft (IPT). Interconnected computers and mobile instruments provide new opportunity for people for access and steal data. These data could be conveyed to a laptop or a flash drive. Carnage Mellon Universitys software engineering institute has found 75% capital IPTs were done by internal machines in the staff. In recent case a research chemist has being admitted to stolen $400 Million worth of property data from his former employer DUPOINT [Employee Computer PC Activity Monitoring Solution]. Fraudulent often has access to very confidential information which can be misused by the employee or sold to a third party. It is stated that HSBC customer personal accounts were stolen up to $500,000 after the HSBC employee passed on data in to a criminal associate. [Employee Computer PC Activity Monitoring Solution]. Employers hold some form of legal liability and accountability for the actions done by there employees. According to the institute of e-policy, a considerable percentage of employers were prosecuted by courts due to improper use of electronic mail and web based technologies [Employee Computer PC Activity Monitoring Solution]. Therefore, monitoring employee activities is not a universal remedy to the above problems discussed. Introduction of Effective monitoring with an electronic policy could be implemented as a part of a risk management strategy. Computer Monitoring and Electronic Monitoring is rapidly to growing readably in world business. The technologies have become more powerful and easy today. It is inexpensive to install and maintain. Therefore, the rate of electronic monitoring in developed countries has increased considerably. In United States in 1999 the percentage of employer who electronically monitor there workers was 67%, in 2001 this number has increase to 78% by 2003 92% of employers were conducting some type of work place monitoring [National Work rights Institute]. This rapid growth of monitoring could be destroyed any sense of privacy as we know in American work place. In Srilanka the government embarked ambitious program that establish email and internet all government sector organization in 2003. Under this program they are equipped with a computer and a wide access to online environment has raised numerous privacy related questions for both employers and employees. In particular issues of email and internet usage and employee monitoring in the work place is an important matter to be taken in to consideration. And also issue of electronic surveillance in the work place has an impact on employee privacy rights. There are four categories of usage in organizations. Sending and receiving email, accessing and posting documents on the World Wide Web (WWW), sending and retrieving computer files which is known as File Transfer Protocol or FTP and joining electronic discussions such as news groups internet related chat groups. Email is a widely used internet service although many users are active in all categories. We could see two interest parties exist in an organization and two competing interests in the employment context. The employers right to conduct business in a self determination manner and the employees privacy interests or the right to be let alone. For employer and managers, employee monitoring is a necessity. It has been argued that email and internet monitoring in a work place are the most effective method to ensure a safe and secure working environment and to protect employees too. In addition to that, some argue with that monitoring may boost efficiency, productivity, customer service and allow more accuracy to evaluate employee performance [DeTienne, 1993]. Different types of monitoring systems could be implemented by the managers in there particular organizations. In a computer based work place employee key stroke speed and accuracy is commonly monitored by the employers. Other electronic devices such as video surveillance which detects employee theft and employee safety. Spying is a detective tactic. When there is suspicious activity within the organization, they use systems for tapping of phone calls, the frequency of phone calls and Badge system to locate the employee within the working hours. It is argued as to whether employee monitoring is advantages to the employee. Advantages could be identified a few in number, comparing to the number of disadvantages. Electronic monitoring is beneficial for the employee because it provides impartial method of performance evaluation and prevents interferences of managers feelings in an employee review. Data information collected by the electronic system offers uniform and accurate feedback on the past performance. Therefore electronic evaluation system would be the best performance appraisal based on the quality and quantity and accuracy of an employees actual work, rather than managers opinion. Where there are computers and electronic monitoring is available it provides flexible in-work locations convenient. Working hours by allowing employees to telecommunicate or use system available from the employer The advantages as well as the disadvantages are important to employees because advantage is helpful to employees disadvantages due to monitoring crates negative influence to the benefits of an employee. Some of the employers do monitoring by using law cost methods for better productivity and a good customer service. But the employers, those who really use modern methods to exerting control and power over employees. Electronic technology which uses for monitoring has made it easy of collecting private-data information that could be used negatively against the employees character or behavior and to take unfair decisions to harass the trouble maker and the union organizers within the organization. Fairness in how monitoring is implemented has to be considered. Whether the standers are reviewed as reasonable, the information collected should be work related and important for the employees quality of work life of day-to-day life and not other than anything else [Levy. M, 1994]. In this computerized world, where information and data are the most valuable consumer goods. Personal data is the life of the new economy when the process of information exchanges. For some businesses information is money and for this reason they buy and sell information derived from personal data. In the same way for some governmental and military organizations information and data are for their security purposes, for this reason, they manipulate personal data and information in the name of safety and public security. In both cases we could see that an individual or groups do not have always ability to control the flow of there personal information and data and are unable to determine for themselves when, how, and which personal information should be shared with others. Although information technology is related to privacy violation, that the privacy is not a new issue. It is not computes invade privacy but people who have the tendency in many ways to invade the privacy of others. Presently privacy problem seems become even worse, and information technologies such as network database, digital and tele cameras, microphone transmitters and monitoring hardware devices and software programs. The aim of these technologies to select different kind of data information for various purposes. However sometimes personal information and data is maintained without the permission of the individual and personal data travel on the super high way offering invaluable information and details to various parties from marketing companies to government agencies. Creation of electronic surveillance and monitoring in an organization, create unnecessary stress and pressure on them. Under these conditions heavy workloads and repeating functions leads them to social isolation and loss of job satisfaction. Under this type of working conditions a study revealed, that monitored employees suffered from physical and psychological health problems [Levy, 1994]. Employers today, depending the business they do, generally conduct monitoring in there organizations in order to increase productivity and customer care. Most of the employers initiate electronic monitoring which results devastating to employee privacy. Employee monitoring systems frequently record personal communications while at work. Internet monitoring is very invasive especially in a computer environment. It would be easier to communicate through internet than on there office telephone or email. Most invasive of all is video monitoring. These hidden video cameras installed in every were of the work place or factory such as locker rooms and bathrooms and there stoles. Some employers dont know when and what they are being monitored or watched. Some employees know that they have a standard employer who reserves the right to monitor anything at any time. While other employers do not know whether it is there email, voicemail, web access or hard drive or whether they are being monitor ed at all. Therefore, it is clear that the privacy at the work place is at a risk. Therefore, before initiating a program of monitoring employers carefully should consider effective solutions other than monitoring. Business field should have properly trained managers who are capable to deal with sensitive employee subjects. Supervising staffs can set conduct guidelines, address concerns, mediate complaints as well as monitor deal with those employees that choose to abuse company resources. Business should always conduct as in-house assessment to identify whether electronic monitoring is even necessary. Management should speak with employees regarding the productivity problem. Employee may suggest alternative ways to solve the problem if monitoring is chosen; employee may participate designing the monitoring program. If monitoring is conducted the scope must be as narrower as consistent with achieving the particular objective. If the company chooses to adopt electronic monitoring, notice should be given in advance of any monitoring. This notice specifically state what would be monitored and when this would occur. Protection of employees privacy by law is more important where monitoring is conducted. Therefore, to develop a privacy policy in the workplace, an ethical involvement in computer monitoring and work place privacy has to be taken in to consideration. Computer ethics deals with the balance between employee rights and employer interests and development of an effective employer use policy. On a practical basis any computer based organization can draw upon a code of ethics or policy should include the following theories The Law which include moral principals include with negative consequences for disobedience. Code of practice guidelines for employers to work within the organization. Professional Ethics Guidelines to employers/ managers to work within the organization. Personal Ethics Values that influence actions of the individual Monitoring mechanism is very important to employees for many reasons. Failure, to inform and advice the employees that the computer based activities will be monitored maybe a violation of employee privacy rights according to the certain judicators. If the employees have been notified that they are being monitored they will be compelled to prevent from breaching the AUP (Acceptable Use Policy). Furthermore undisclosed monitoring would bring negative impact on employee moral. Therefore following steps could be taken to formulate a acceptable use policy (AUP). An AUP should be communicated to staff of the organization in writing Permitted and prohibited activities should be setout for the usage of e-mail, internet and other applications. Specify the disciplinary actions that will be taken for the disobedience for the AUP. Employer should notify that they are being monitoring and when and what will be monitored. Although both employer and employee should stick to this AUP, there may be particular that could be unannounced monitoring is taken place. But such action should be taken, only after a legal advice. It is advised that an AUP should be supported with worker educational programs too and in these educational programs it should be discussed on the following topics. The necessity of an AUP? That compliance should be compulsory The conditions applicable in the AUP The consequences to disobedience The extent of monitoring Who should consult with any questions about the AUP In this manner employer and employee relations could be established and maintained, industrial peace and the privacy rights of the employee will be secured to create a computer based environment which would enhance production and productivity. That would lead to economic development. The educational program will not only educate the AUP to workers and ensure compliance; it may also introduce of good codes of practices within a social framework and entering them in to legal process. In the contrary, it may provide a defense against law suits by enabling an employer or an organization to demonstrate that all responsible steps were taken to ensure that the work place is free from harassment and all efforts were taken to provide maximum possible protection for employee privacy rights and to maintain the workplace privacy rights of the employees in the organization. Taking in to privacy violation, in the information society it is important to discuss about the right of privacy to some extent. Communication privacy includes privacy of email, teleconference, voice telecommunication and postal mail. Information privacy determining the purpose of use and communication of personal information with others. It consists of rules including legislation and industrial codes concerning with the collection, providing data on request, scatter about selective information or personal data such as credit information and medical and governmental data information and records. With regard to computer ethics, communication and data communication privacy are the main concern. Method of privacy violation in the data communication and technology sector could be classified in to the following categories, Intrusion: wrongful entry of acquiring procession of property belongs to another and by extension, violation of privacy. Misuse of data information: illegal use of information for unauthorized activities Interception of information: unauthorized access to private information by a third party to a private communication. Data matching: data combined, linked and compared from two of more unrelated databases to create new information. The purpose of data matching is to regain statistical information, or create computer profiles. This data matching is used for instance, by security agencies to discover wanted criminals, terrorists or missing persons or by tax agencies to find out illegal earnings and tax defaulters. Data mining: the collection of masses of data into one or more data bases in order to get new information and knowledge that was previously hidden and unidentified. It is used in direct marketing, allowing marketers to combine various criteria taken from databases to focus on a specific target group. [Stamallos.G, 2007] According to the above possible methods of privacy violation, databases, networks do a major role therefore, what can be done to protect individual personal privacy? Some of the governments have tried to protect personal data through special legislations or privacy guidelines. In 1998 OECD (Organization for Economics Corporation and Development) ministers adopted the declaration on the protection of privacy on global networks in order to ensure the respect of important rights, build confidence in global networks, and prevent unnecessary restrictions on transborder flows of personal data. UK parliament published the data protection act of 1998 which protects the personal data of an individual (Stored in either digital or paper form) from unreasonable or illegal use. The Australian Federal Government the OECD guidelines with privacy act in 1988. The US privacy legislation seems to be a special one but more recently the US privacy legislation has supplemented two major laws on the use of personal data. One is the privacy act of 1994 and the other one is the computer matching and privacy protection act of 1998. [Stamallos.G, 2007]. It is very clear that old common laws do not really cover the area of work place privacy in many countries. Therefore, a gap exists between the times when a new communication technology is created; new laws have to be designed by the state legislature to cover the new technologies and to protect the work place privacy as well.

Supporting Nuclear Energy as a Power Source :: essays research papers

Do you know that only fifty people have ever died from nuclear power plant related disasters? That’s more than the number of people that die from car crashes around the world each hour. Just because people die from driving doesn’t mean that we should doing that, so why should we not have nuclear power plants when only a small number of people died from them. The problem is that people over-exaggerate the negative parts of nuclear energy and use it to fuel the public’s fear of nuclear energy. For these reasons and more I support nuclear energy as a power source. First, nuclear energy has proven to be the most economical energy source. 15.5 grams of Uranium can produce as much energy as 1,400 tons of coal. Using nuclear power would also lower the cost of gas because there wouldn’t have to be as much oil burning power plants, so the demand of oil wouldn’t be as high. And, lastly, with nuclear energy we wouldn’t have to keep replacing the fuel because one rod of enriched Uranium can last as long as fifty years. Second, nuclear energy is one of the safest forms of energy. For starters, more people die each year from coal mining accidents and oil drilling separately than the number of people that have died from nuclear power plants. Next, for radiation exposure The Nuclear power industry contributes to far less than one percent of the average persons exposure. The rest of the radiation exposure comes from x-rays, medical waste, the radiation that is naturally given off by rocks, and numerous other sources. As for transporting the material to and from the sight, the containers that the material is shipped in are put through rigorous tests such as being able to survive a 2,000-foot fall onto a concrete surface and survive 30 minutes engulfed in 1,475-degree fire. So, safety wise, the nuclear energy industry is one of the safest. Lastly, nuclear power is one of the cleanest energy sources. Power plants that burn coal pollute the air and cause acid rain. Plants that burn oil force us to use large ships that sometimes spill the oil. Nuclear energy, on the other hand, doesn’t release any pollutants, and while shipping the radioactive material, there have been no accidents that have released any radiation into the air.

Business Communication Essay

Q 1. Describe any situation that you experienced where the communication went wrong because the listening was faulty. Analyze the situation by explaining the type of listening barrier. . How could this barrier be overcome? (10 marks). The following example illustrates an organizational barrier to communication. By the time the message is passed down from the Chief to the lower level Executives, it is distorted completely, so much so that the original message is interpreted differently by each level in the organization. Memo from CEO to Manager: Today at 11 o’clock there will be a total eclipse of the sun. This is when the sun disappears behind the moon for 2 minutes. As this is something that cannot be seen every day, time will be allowed for employees to view the eclipse in the parking lot. Staff should meet in the lot at ten to eleven, when I will deliver a short speech introducing the eclipse, and giving some background information. Safety goggles will be made available at a small cost. Memo from Manager to Department Head: Today at ten to eleven, all staff should meet in the car park. This will be followed by a total eclipse of the sun, which will appear for 2 minutes. For a moderate cost, they will be made safe with goggles. The CEO will deliver a short speech beforehand to give us all some information. This is not something that can be seen everyday. Memo from the Department Head to Floor Manager: The CEO will today deliver a speech to make the sun disappear for 2 minutes in the form of an eclipse. This is something that cannot be seen everyday so staff will meet in the car  park at ten or eleven. This will be safe, if you pay a moderate cost. Memo from Floor Manager to Supervisor: Ten or eleven staff are to go to the car park, where the CEO will eclipse the sun for 2 minutes. This does not happen everyday. It will be safe, and as usual it will cost you. Memo from Supervisor to Staff: Some staff will go to the car park today to see the CEO disappear. It is a pity this doesn’t happen everyday. Communication was filtered or misinterpreted because of the following barriers: Organizational Barriers – In organizations that are too hierarchical, that is, where there are multiple â€Å"layers†, messages may have to pass through many levels before they finally reach the receiver. Each level may add to, modify or completely change the message, so much so that it becomes distorted by the time it reaches the intended receiver. In other words, there is likely to be loss of meaning and the message may not reach the receiver in the same way as it was intended by the sender. Another type of organizational barrier is a departmental barrier. This means that each department in an organization functions in isolation and there is no co-ordination or communication between them. This barrier could be overcome by the following methods: 1. Encourage Feedback – Organizations should try to improve the communication system by getting feedback from the messages already sent. Feedback can tell the managers whether the message has reached the receiver in the intended way or not. 2. Create a Climate of Openness – A climate of trust and openness can go a long way in removing organizational barriers to communication. All subordinates or junior employees should be allowed to air their opinions and differences without fear of being penalized. 3. Use Multiple Channels of Communication – Organizations should encourage the use of multiple channels of communication, in order to make sure that messages reach the intended receivers without fail. This means using a combination of both oral and written channels, as well as formal (official) and informal (unofficial) channels of communication. The types of channels will be discussed in detail later, in a separate unit. Q 2. Select a business article from any business publication. Evaluate it in terms of : a) Appropriate level of readability b) Use of jargon, slang and metaphors c) Use of simple vs. complex words. Is it well or poorly written, in your opinion? Attach a copy of the article with your response. (10 marks) World Markets Rise As Double-Dip Fears Ease: World stock markets advanced modestly Monday as investors rode momentum from Friday, when an upbeat U.S. jobs report eased fears that the global economy could slip back into recession. With Wall Street closed for a holiday, however, trading was expected to remain light. Markets took heart after official data last week showed private employers in the U.S. added 67,000 jobs in August, more than analysts expected. The figure bolstered optimism that the U.S. will maintain a slow but steady recovery from last year’s recession and avoid another economic contraction later this year. By mid-afternoon in Europe, Britain’s FTSE 100 index was up 0.3 percent at 5,446.17, Germany’s DAX was 0.3 percent higher at 6,153.31 and France’s CAC-40 was up 0.3 percent at 3,684.20. Asian indexes closed higher and trading on Wall Street was to remain shut for Labor Day weekend after closing higher on Friday. With most major governments reining in economic stimulus measures and many pushing through austerity spending cuts to reduce deficits, investors worry the global economy would be pushed into a double dip recession, particularly  as the U.S. slows down quickly. Because the U.S. economy is the world’s largest and consumer spending there accounts for a fifth of global economic activity, the stronger-than-expected jobs data on Friday helped calm investors’ frayed nerves after weeks of worrying indicators. â€Å"The renewed flight to safety we have witnessed over the past month is overdone and risks an equally large reversal when the worries over a double dip subside,† analysts from Rabobank said in a report. â€Å"As the unexciting, steady and below-trend global recovery continues, it’s important not to confuse it with a double dip recession.† Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 stock index climbed 2.1 percent, or 187.19, to 9,301.32 and South Korea’s Kospi rose 0.7 percent to 1,792.42. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index added 1.8 percent to 21,355.77. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 gained 0.8 percent at 4,575.50. Markets in mainland China, Taiwan, India, Indonesia and Singapore were also higher. The Dow Jones industrial average jumped 1.2 percent to close at 10,447.93 on Friday. The broader Standard & Poor’s 500 Index rose 1.3 percent to 1,104.51. Shares in the U.S. ended the week in the positive, the first time that has happened in a month. The early gains in September mark a stark turnaround from August trade, when shares fell on doubts about the global economic recovery. The dollar fell to 84.24 yen from 84.27 yen on Friday. The euro was slightly lower at $1.2880 from $1.2895. Benchmark oil for October delivery was down 40 cents at $74.20 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract fell 42 cents to settle at $74.60 on Friday. Jargon refers to technical terms or specialized vocabulary. Some of the  technical terms mentioned above are â€Å"rode momentum, Kospi, FTSE, CAC, DAX, calm investors’ frayed nerves, etc.† More complex words and phrases are written in the above article and this reduces the level of readability when read by a common man. The above article is well written, however, the reader of the article should have a certain amount of knowledge in the field of stock trading and world financial markets. Q 3 List out and briefly explain five â€Å"do†s and â€Å"don’t’s† for each of participants and chairperson of a meeting. (10 marks). Before the Meeting As pointed out earlier, meetings need to be planned in advance, so that they are successful. Before any planning can be done however, a basic question to be asked is whether to hold a meeting at all. The answers to the following questions would help to decide whether a meeting is necessary in the first place – -Can the matter be decided or discussed over the telephone? -Can the matter be expressed in writing, in the form of a memo, or an email message? -Are key people available to attend the meeting and are they prepared? -Is the time allotted for the meeting sufficient? If the answers to the first two questions are yes and the answers to the other two questions are no, there is no purpose in calling a meeting. Once the need for a meeting has been determined, the next step is to start planning the meeting. First of all, the type and number of participants should be decided. A problem solving meeting should include representatives from all departments, since the decision would otherwise be incomplete. Shareholders, who are the owners of the company, should also be included. In terms of numbers, the size of the group could be anywhere between seven and eleven members. An exception to this is an information sharing meeting, where the numbers could be larger, so that a maximum number of people benefit from the information. The second and most important step in planning a meeting is to indicate the purpose or agenda of the meeting to the participants in advance. An agenda  is essentially a list of topics that will be discussed during a meeting. In the words of Adler and Elmhorst, â€Å"A meeting without an agenda is like a ship at sea without a destination or compass: no one aboard knows where it is or where it is headed.† An agenda is prepared by the Chairperson of the meeting, or the person who calls the meeting. During the Meeting: The task of conducting and moderating the meeting rests with the chairperson. He or she must be well versed with the procedures for opening the meeting, encouraging balanced participation, and solving problems creatively, concluding the meeting and managing time efficiently. We shall discuss each of these procedures in detail. 1. Opening the Meeting – The manner in which the meeting is opened is important, since a good opening will ensure that the rest of the meeting will proceed smoothly. There are different ways of opening a meeting. Generally, it is best to sum up what has been stated in the agenda – including the goals, background information and expectations of the participants. It is also a good idea to provide an outline of how the meeting will proceed, as well as a time budget. 2. Encouraging Balanced Participation – It is also the responsibility of the chairperson to encourage silent members to contribute to the meeting and to moderate the dominant members, so that they do not â€Å"hijack† the meeting. There are several techniques to encourage participation –  · Encourage Participation in the Reverse Order of Seniority – This means getting the junior members to speak or air their opinions first. If the senior people speak first, they may feel suppressed or be afraid to disagree with their superiors.  · Nominal Group Technique – In this method, the meeting participants are encouraged to work and contribute their ideas independently 3. Managing Time – There is no prescribed length for a meeting. The duration of a meeting will depend on the type and purpose of the meeting. Generally, problem-solving meetings will take longer than other routine meetings. In any case, the chairperson should set a time budget for the meeting, depending on the agenda and ensure adherence to the time limit. 4. Keeping the Meeting Focused – Often, a lot of time is wasted during meetings by going off track and by discussing topics that are irrelevant. In such situations, it is the responsibility of the chairperson, or the person moderating the discussion to make sure that the discussion remains focused on the topics mentioned in the agenda. 5. Ensuring â€Å"Convergence† – Convergence means hearing the points of view of all the members and then arriving at a decision. It is again the responsibility of the chairperson to bring the meeting to a point where an opinion emerges on each item of the agenda. 6. Summing Up – This means summing up the different points of view, the decisions and the actions to be taken. This should be done by the chairperson, identifying the role of each person on each item of the agenda, along with a specified deadline. Example – Chris will take the responsibility of contacting the media and sending material for advertisements and press releases by March 13th. 7. Concluding the Meeting – The way a meeting is concluded is as important as the opening, since it will influence the follow-up action taken on decisions made during the meeting. The chairperson should know when and how to conclude the meeting. The meeting should normally be concluded at the scheduled closing time, unless important issues still remain to be discussed and members are willing to extend the meeting. Sometimes meetings may be concluded before the closing time, when key decision makers are not present, or when important information such as cost figures are not available. 8. Keeping â€Å"Minutes† of the Meeting – Since meetings are called to take important decisions concerning the organization, it is important to maintain a permanent written record of the proceedings, which can be referred to at a later stage, or serve as a guide for action. Such a record is known as â€Å"minutes† of the meeting and may be done in an informal or formal manner, depending on the type of meeting.

England In the years 1067-1075 Essay

a) â€Å"How far do these sources support the view expressed in source one that, in the years 1067-1075, William had favoured conciliation in his attempts to establish peace in England?† The view of William I favoring conciliation in his attempts to establish peace, to a certain extent, do agree with a number of the sources. This is only to a degree due to events that occurred between the years 1067 and 1075 that pushed William into more brutal and violent methods of subduing the English and securing his authority over England. Sources that do agree with William I using peaceful procedures to establish peace are sources three and four. Both sources to a great extent agree with the first source. Source three depicts how appeasement established authority. The source describes the naval and land levies, proving that William favoured conciliation. William had enough trust with the English to take them to war with him, and that they would not mutiny. This trust can be linked with source four; William felt strong enough to leave England in the hands of William fitz Osbern and go to Normandy. However, did the English really have a choice? With the erection of castles, the use of cavalry, and Norman landholders, the English may have been forced to fight for him; there is little detail of the events or others before or after. Source four also agrees, for throughout the duration of the documents Lanfranc negotiates peacefully with Roger warning him of the seriousness but giving him a second chance. Lanfranc assures him, â€Å"of safe conduct†, and to â€Å"give the earl what help he can, saving his allegiance†. The source is limited due it being correspondence over just the year 1075. Before and after this date other issues may have aroused, and the letters are not written by William I but by Lanfranc1 who was a very trusted friend to William. However, though acting on the King’s behalf, of appeasement, Lanfranc would have used his own ideas and thoughts on the case. Finally, as Hereford was the son of William fitz Osbern, he could have been treated differently for his links with William I; they were friends from their childhood2. Source two and five disagree with the statement in source one. Source two is from the â€Å"Anglo-Saxon Chronicle†3; as a consequence of the invasion, William is described to have devastated Yorkshire (â€Å"Harrying of the North†) 4 – â€Å"ravaged and laid waste to the shire†. There is no implication of conciliation from William. Source two is inadequate due to it only covering one year, it does not take into account events outside of 1069. The Anglo authors of the chronicle could be biased towards the Normans, exaggerating the truth, leaving out appeasement by William I. Source five also disagrees with the statement recounting how William â€Å"ruined† Norwich, and blinded some of the traitors. The source is partial due to it covering only one date and the account of the situation is brief, and may exaggerate the Norman methods. The primary sources (source two, four, and five), overall, have an unbalanced view of William I and his tactics for establishing peace in England. The main drawback to most of the sources is the lack of facts during the years 1065 and 1075. This means that the revolts that occurred before 1069 are not mentioned. A final limitation, which I believe is the most key, is a list of rules that William I laid down when he first conquered England. The first rule was â€Å"that above all things he (William) wishes one God to be revered throughout his whole realm, one faith in Christ to be kept ever inviolate, and peace and security to be preserved between English and Normans†. William’s want, and favor towards peace is fully recognised in this statement. Foot Notes; 1. Lanfranc was, at the time, head of the new foreign bishops and abbots and also Archbishop of Canterbury. Lanfranc was unimpressed with the quality of the English clergy and during William’s reign supported his policy of promoting foreigners to high office in the Church. 2. William fitz Osbern, as a boy William I â€Å"loved him above other members of his household†. William I and William fitz Osbern were related, as fitz Osbern’s father was the grandson of Duke Richard of Normandy’s half-brother, Rodulf. Later on Roger Earl of Hereford had to forfeit his land and loose his title as Earl of Hereford. This though not brutal is not favoring conciliation by William I or Lanfranc (on William’s behalf). 3. The â€Å"Anglo-Saxon Chronicle† was for the years before and during the conquest of England the main source of evidence and information. There exist three versions: C, D and E, derived from a common source but with some differences. The chronicle supplies a uniquely English account of political events and allows us to make comparisons with the rather obvious Norman propaganda. 4. â€Å"The Harrying of the North† was in response, by William I, to the revolts occurring in the North (Yorkshire) during the years 1069-70. William had marched north with seasoned troops, devastating the countryside as they went, and slaughtering all the adult males. What his troops conflicted on the people was so terrible that chroniclers remembered it over fifty years later. In the Domesday book, made in 1086, it simply records Yorkshire as â€Å"waste† due to the brutality of William the land was depopulated, villages left deserted, farms empty, and this was fifteen years later. b) To what extent did the Revolts in the years 1069-75 aid William I to assist his Royal Authority in England? The revolts between the years 1069-75, to a great extent, aided William I to assert his royal authority across England. They provided William with the chance and excuse to use and show his military power. William was able to remove key Anglo-Saxon lords who posed a threat to him; build castles to maintain his control of the country; and it allowed him to firmly set, in the minds of the Saxons, that the Normans weren’t just invaders, like the Vikings, but conquerors of England. However, the revolts were not the only reason for William’s successful affirmation of royal authority on the country. William adopted methods of conciliation. He kept the Anglo-Saxon traditions such as sheriffs, shires, coronation rights and writs and added Norman culture and society on top to create an Anglo-Norman England. Before the revolts William was in a very exposed position. He had five thousand men to the two million Saxons, and he had no control of the North, West or East of England. Due to this vulnerability William was systematically peaceful in dealing with the Anglo-Saxons; using conciliation rather than consolidation. The revolts were essential to the change in William’s attitude towards the situation. He began to use brutal, ruthless methods to obtain his authority. The importance of the revolts depended on who was involved and the consequences of the revolt. Though there were minor revolts, when comparing them to revolts such as the Northern revolt (1069-70), they are taken into account to supply us, the historian, with a realistic overview of how dire William’s need was to obtain and retain royal authority. Rebellions began to inflame the country, in 1067 the Welsh border, lead by Eric â€Å"the Wild†, revolted in Herefordshire. Subsequently the south-west revolted in 1068, with the city of Exeter refusing to accept William as their King, and Harold Godwinson’s sons attempted a counter invasion in the summer of 1068. Between the years 1069 and 1070 the North revolted. Rebels in the North burned to death a Norman Earl, Robert of Commines, in Durham. A Viking army of 240 ships, led by the sons of Swegn Estrithsson, landed at Humber and marched on York. They gained support from the local Saxons, and they seized York. Their success produced a domino affect sparking revolts in Dorset, Cheshire, Staffordshire and Somerset. William faced the possibility of a Scandinavian Kingdom in the north of England, or a separate Kingdom for Edgar, the last prince of the Royal House of Wessex. William reacted to these revolts with characteristic vigour, skill and utter brutality. He â€Å"became the barbarous murderer of many thousands, both young and old, of that fine race of people†1. The Welsh failed to take control of the border, and retired to Wales with much booty. Exeter, in the south-west revolt of 1068, was laid under siege for 18 days, by William’s troops, by which time they accepted William as their King. Harold’s sons were repelled by William’s forces in the summer of 1068. William to counter-act this made a series of lighting raids through Warwick, Nottingham, York, Lincoln, Huntingdon and Cambridge to show his presence as the new King. In reaction to the revolts in the North, William marched North with troops from York and Nottingham, devastating the countryside, slaughtering all adult males and pillaging as he went, killing animals and burning crops. This was called the â€Å"Harrying of the North† and the destruction of the land was so terrible that when mentioned in the Domesday Book, 20 years later, it was classed as a â€Å"waste† land. From Yorkshire William pushed his men across the Tees in the winter and took Chester, and Stafford, and was back in Winchester before Easter 1070. Due to the revolts and the resulting victories for William, who had either killed or utterly suppressed the resistance, he had to enforce his power, and show that the Normans were the new rulers and would not leave. William accomplished this by first building motte-and-bailey castles across England. William began to erect them right at the start of his campaign, even before the battle of Hastings, and they were virtually unheard of in England. William built hundreds across England, to show the Norman’s strength and power over the population. This geopolitical process meant that they exerted control over the surrounding countryside. The Normans would demolish houses in the centre of towns to erect a castle. This happened in towns such as Cambridge, Lincoln and Dorchester2. These castles were, and still are, â€Å"looming features over the landscape†3. They were built in the centre of towns for economic reasons; the material or foundations of earlier fortifications (Roman/Saxon) were there already, and also it was cheaper to build on existing forts rather than building on top of a hill, having to transport supplies and food up it. Another affect of castles was their psychological affect on the Saxon population. Castles were a â€Å"conspicuous emblem of Royal authority†4, and were â€Å"clearly statements of power to the indigenous people†5. By the end of the revolts, 1075, William felt secure enough with his authority over England that he went back to Normandy and left his trusted advisor and Archbishop of Canterbury, Lanfranc in charge of the kingdom. Another factor which was opened up due to the revolts, and the success for William I, was the replacement of all the Anglo-Saxon earls. The earls were either dead from the revolts or just forced off their land. William strategically placed relatives or close friends to tenet the earldoms. For example Odo of Bayeaux, was earl of Kent and half-brother to William I. Also the new earl of Hereford, William fitz Osbern, was William’s cousin. This formed a tight, trustful network of family and friends which William could rely on. Another advantage to William of the revolts was it allowed him to fully assert royal authority on Anglo-Saxon church. William had to as, 30% of land in England was permanently owned by the church, bishops and abbots were literate, powerful men who advised the old Kings of Saxon England. If William could control the church he would be successful in his total control of England. William achieved this by removing 99% of all Saxon bishops, abbots and clergy, with Norman-French ones by 1087. William built new stone cathedrals, as a sign of domination, on top of old wooden Saxon churches. This had the same affect as the castles, showing the Norman supremacy over the Saxons. In 1070 the most powerful churchman in England, Stigand Archbishop of Canterbury, was deposed and replaced by Lanfranc, an Italian monk who was William’s greatest advisor. Three other important Saxon bishops were also removed, and also many abbots. Finally in 1072 Lanfranc gained superiority over the Archbishop of York, thus making Canterbury the chief church post in England. As Lanfranc had control over the North, this aided William with his control. In the 11th century, people were very suspicious and believed solely in the existence of God. These men of God, the bishops and abbots were trusted by the Saxon people no matter what race they were, even Norman, because of the risk it could cause them in the afterlife if they offended them. The extent of royal authority being asserted on England does not solely come from the revolts but also from William’s conciliation of the country, mainly before the revolts. Although the landscape of England had changed with the formation of castles, looming over the country and the mounted cavalry, trotting through the towns and villages, William I always governed through legal and rightful inheritance from Edward the Confessor with the use of Anglo-Saxon tools of government and traditions of kingship. When William came to the throne, December 25th 1066, he was crowned in the traditional Anglo-Saxon manner, like Edward the Confessor before. This showed his belief in tradition and proved his rightful claim to the throne. By using the ancient traditions of Anglo-Saxon kingship ceremonies alongside the unique circumstances that brought him the crown, William and his successors were able to appeal both to English customs and to the Norman sense of righteous conquest. William in the lead up to the revolts kept the country as it was, making no major changes and if any were made they would consist of a mixture of Anglo-Saxon and Norman customs. The main household after 1066 was not fundamentally changed. The only big difference in the household was that after 1066, and especially around 1087 (William I’s death) the nobles were increasingly Norman. At first William kept some Anglo-Saxons in his household, one example was Regenbald, and he was the chancellor and was in command of the Royal seal under Edward the Confessor and William I. This shows William’s desire for continuity within the government, and only adding extras on top mixing the two cultures of the Normans and the Anglo-Saxons. The earldoms at the beginning of William’s reign did not change. They remained as the four large Earldoms of East Anglia, Mercia, Wessex and Northumbria. However, around the time of the rebellions against William I (1070’s), William I granted the land to new nobles and tenants. As a result he and his two half-brothers owned 50% of England, the Church remained with around 30%, and roughly 12 barons (great lords) shared the remaining 20%. These 12 barons, basically like his half-brothers, were often related through hereditary or marriage to William. Kingship was very much affected by the character of the King on the throne at the time. So this was destined to change with the accession of William I. William I had to be physically strong, spending most of his time on the move (itinerant kingship). Also mentally strong to dominate the churchmen and the barons who all had their own ambitions and interests. With this change in kingship, William introduced a fairly new system of crown-wearing sessions. William I wore his crown and regalia where the people could see him. Three major times for this crown-wearing was Easter at Winchester, Christmas at Gloucester, and on Whitsun in Westminster. This new method and change in kingship could have been a sign of William I’s security as King. However, William I could of used crown-wearing sessions for another reason, to state his claim and right to the throne, indefinitely, upon landholders, and the barons. This would agree with his use of the coinage system set up in England before 1066. William on his coins and seals had a picture of him sitting on the throne with all his regalia, on one side, and on the other him on a horse with a sword; William is declaring his claim to the throne, by right, and if that is not enough by force and bloodshed. William changed the iconography of kingship to add strength to his kingship. The chancery of pre-1066 was only slightly revolutionised. After 1066 the clerks, who wrote up the laws and grants began to progressively, under William, write the laws in Latin. Latin was the language of authority, the Norman nobles and the officials wrote in Latin. This language of power was fully founded around 1070. The use of clerks was not new to England. William I only adapted them to his cultural needs and desires. Also Latin was not known throughout the greater population. This causes supremacy over the plebs on the land, and dominates their lives. Sheriffs were the King’s official in a shire. These officials had been around before William. William I did not have sheriffs back in Normandy, and found them to be very useful. After the rebellions around the 1070’s, sheriffs were increasingly Norman (as were the earls and bishops). The powers of the sheriffs increased hugely, and they were often in charge of royal castles (castellans) as well. Most Norman sheriffs were aristocrats who had much more wealth and power than the previous Anglo-Saxon sheriffs. A final instrument used by William I to completely assert his authority on the country was the production of the Domesday Book6. This book allowed the King to find out who had what and who owed what, twenty years after his seizure of the kingdom. The Domesday Book also shows us how sophisticated the Anglo-Saxon government was before the Normans. Without the shires, hundreds and sheriffs this type of â€Å"census† would have been near impossible to make. The Domesday Book is a record of a conquered kingdom, but it is a testament to the survival of the Anglo-Saxon government in many aspects. William I was aided by the revolts (1069-75) to a great extent. The revolts changed the King from conciliation to consolidation. However, the revolts, the castle building, the revolutionary change of the earldoms and the church, came, all, after the revolts. A new set of values had been introduced into England; these were based upon loyalty and military service. The government of the new king was based upon the traditional procedures and customs of Edward the Confessor but was enforced with a savage energy inspired by, mainly, the revolts between the years 1069-75. Foot Notes; 1. William the Conqueror’s deathbed confession, from Orderic Vitalis â€Å"The Ecclesiastical History† written 1123-41. 2. Cambridge (27 houses were demolished), Gloucester (16 houses demolished), Lincoln (166 houses demolished), and in Dorchester (an area of 150,000 square metres was taken up). 3. Article in History Today, Volume 53, Issue 4. 4. Article in History Today, Volume 53, Issue 4. 5. Article in History Today, Volume 53, Issue 4. 6. The Domesday Book was written in 1086, and was so-called due to its verdicts being just as unanswerable as the Book of the Day of Judgment. It was written in Latin, on parchment and includes 13,400 place names on 888 pages. No other country in the world produced such a detailed historical record at such an early date.