Wid and Gad

COMPARE AND CONTRAST THE WOMEN IN DEVELOPMENT (WID) APPROACH AND THE GENDER AND DEVELOPMENT (GAD) Gender by definition refers to the characteristics, trades, attributes or even roles that are expected for males and females by a given culture or society. Some can say the general social meaning of being male or female. The WOMEN IN DEVELOPMENT (WID) this approach was developed in the early 1970’s this came to use during the United Nation Decade of women (1972-1985).This approach viewed women as passive beneficiaries of the development according to Miller, C and Razavi, S 1995 , in actual fact there was a growing realization that women were being left out of the economic development or that they were not benefiting significantly from it. The WID therefore views women’s lack o participation as the main problem. While on the other hand the GENDER AND DEVELOPMENT (GAD) approach emerged in the early 1980’s , it emerged from the limitations of both the WID and WAD (WOMEN AND DEVELOPMENT) its main objective was to remove disparities in social, economic and political equality between men and women.Back to the WID it mainly focused on women, the approach seeks to integrate women into economic development through legal and administrative support. The WID approach has enhanced peoples und erstanding of the women’s developmental needs particularly the need to improve statistical measures of women’s work and to provide women with more opportunities for education and employment. WID has helped mainstream gender issues in many developed agencies and polices as well as increase women’s visibility. However the GAD approach argues that women’s status in society is in the national, regional and global economies .It is not just on moment but also on the social relations between women and men, be it the workplace or in other settings. Gender relations are seen as the key determinant of women’s position in society , not as immutable reflections of order but as socially constructed patterns of behavior. The GAD approach sees gender division of labour the work done by women in the household. Women are usually in a disadvantage position in the work place as compared to men , promotion of gender equality implies explicit attention to women’ s needs , interest and perspectives .The GAD approach looks at the impact of development on both women and men, it seeks to ensure that both men and women participate in and benefit from development. However the GAD also recognizes that women’s may be involved in development but not necessarily benefit from it (Moyoyeta, 2004). The GAD also pays special attension to the oppression of women in the family or the â€Å"family sphere† of women’s lives as a result we have seen projects develop addressing issues such as domestic violence, and violence against women. The GAD approach assumptions were that they were unequal power ratios between man and womenPrevents equitable developments (Makombe, 2010) Moreover the biggest contribution of GAD is the inclusion of man into the approach, it does not exclusively emphasize the solidarity of women. This approach acknowledges that women spent a lot of time bearing, raising children , cooking , washing , fetching water caring for the sick and elderly attending to fields and small stock. It also observes that women have no control over their fertility and over productive resources. It also helped us to understand that the gender division of labor gives triple roles thus the reproductive productive and community to women in society.The WID had the following limitations that however as already mentioned led to the formation of the GAD, the limitations of the WID are by exclusively targeting women WID creates tension, suspicion and hostility. It also does not challenge gender relations and assumes that these will change as women become economic partners in development. Furthermore the approach focuses on integration of women into ongoing development strategies. In as much as the GAD was a better approach to WID it also had its limitations, the GAD advocates for the re-examination or deconstruction of gender roles hence it is likely to depend on the goodwill of men.In a nutshell the GAD approach was a better approach to the WID; therefore the gad approach liberates, empowers and promotes partnership and equitable distribution of resources and benefits. WHICH OF THE TWO APPROACHES HAS CONTRIBUTED MORE TO INVOLVEMENT OF WOMEN IN DEVELOPMENT [4] The WID approach hoped to bring women into development through providing them with opportunities for employment or engaging them in income generating projects. This would, as it were, remove them from the private sphere into the public sphere.The GAD approach goes beyond seeing development as mainly economic well being but also that the social and mental well being of a person is important. It should also be noted that the biggest contribution of GAD is the inclusion of men into the approach. The approach brings in the part played by some women in perpetuating gender inequality when these women connive with patriarchy to exploit, subordinate and oppress young women in the third world. Women in Development wanted to remove patriarchy and replace it with matriarchy as they believed that every man has a woman to exploit, oppress and subordinate.GAD concentrate more on the idea that women must be lifted from poverty and contribute more to the developments efforts. It argues that women have a role to play both in reproduction and in production process, it acknowledges their economic roles and class decisions for development to take place. GAD argues that understanding women and men`s roles and responsibilities as part of the planning of development interventions helps to improve project effectiveness and ensures that both men and women plays their part in national development activities.GAD approach does not only concentrate on economic development for women and men only but it also views the social and mental being of person as very important. 1. Boserup, E (1970) Women's Role in Economic Development. St. Martin’s Press, New York 2. Hazel Reeves and Sally Baden, (2000) Gender and Development: Concepts and Definitions, ins titute of Development, Brighton 3. Schaefer, RT 2006 , Sociology: A brief introduction, 6th Ed , McGraw Hill, New York. 4. Makombe K . (2010) â€Å"Young Women Speak† Sable Press : Harare 5.MIDLANDS STATE UNIVERSITY Faculty of Science and Technology Name Christine T Mhike Reg Number R12960Y Programme BSc Computer Science Mode of Entry Conventional ModuleGS 201 – Gender Studies Lecturer Mrs Mukoni Level 2. 1 Due date22 March 2013

The mistress and harp of burma

In Japanese Literature, stories have often depicted what greatly influenced the prevalent period of common life and social sentiment. In the two books written by Japanese authors in two separate periods of Japan’s history, a transition is clearly seen through literature often expressed in superb storytelling. In Ogai Mori’s â€Å"The Wild Geese†, human struggle is greatly influenced by tales of love in the midst of Japan’s industrialization boom. Writers depict and assimilate the concepts of free-thinking which brought romance and human emotion to the limelight. The familiarity of the reforms established during the period for which Ogai’s novel was actually written apparently brought forward the chance to openly discuss Japan’s so-called evil customs and traditions in a bid to strengthen the imperial rule. Okada, as one of the main characters clearly narrated how he felt that a woman should be only a beautiful object, something loveable, a being who keeps her beauty and loneliness no matter what the situation she is in (Ogai, 20). In the same page, Okada added that this sentiment is brought about under the influence of habitual reading of old Chinese love stories. There is therefore a clear view in principle that establishes a need to disregard culture and ideas that wrongly adapted the old Oriental ways which often restricted free-thinkers to intellectually prosper. In Toyoda’s movie, â€Å"The Mistress†, adapted from Mori Ogai’s The Wild Geese, oriental values was the main discussion with aims to expose the ancient cultural standards that stand in the way of personal freedom. In Otama we see the oppressed and marginalized people driven and deceived without any hope of being uplifted from the moral and restrictive bounds that society places upon them. The simplistic adventure of romance in a plot heightens into limelight the realities of life and the prevailing social views of the middle class which somehow voices out a need for reform in the Meiji Restoration period. Several decades later after Japan was able to stand on its own two feet, Japan experienced a wartime defeat that brought home sad stories of soldiers taken as prisoners of war. Takayama’s â€Å"Harp of Burma† showed pacifism as the main aim of both novel and on film. â€Å"We have to be ready for hardship, for all we know, we may die here in Burma. If that time comes, let us die together†¦Ã¢â‚¬ , (Takeyama, 33). Such poignant words relay veiled patriotism whose desire for peace in an armistice agreement with their British captors aims to relay the evils of war. Written during a period where wartime horrors still stayed afresh in the minds of the Japanese people, there was not an ounce of blame or an aim to proclaim the evils of their captors. Its sincere inward idea was just to dwell on the problems the war brought to everyone involved. In retrospect, The Harp of Burma establishes a deeper humanistic connection to modern day events where peace is the common desire of mankind. The movie through cinematic effect exceeds sensory reflection that somehow created a link to present day situations around the world where wars and battles are fought. Although Ogai’s novel discussed social issues on a road to recovery, the pressing need for peace exceeds in meaning and connection through the Harp of Burma that was successfully portrayed in film. Seeing the ravages of war makes a good reflection how one favors such madness that resulted in tragedy and death. As an anti-war film, it even exceeded the points portrayed in its novel where suffering is presented as a result of too much desire. As a challenge to survival, the movie â€Å"Fires on the Plain† declares a clearly made manifestation of human woes compared to the movie of the same title, â€Å"The Burmese Harp†. Both movies however adapted Takeyama’s novel The Harp of Burma that depicted a deep sense of longing for the fatherland while emphasizing compassion in the midst of survival and atrocities. As a human interest film, â€Å"Fires on the Plain† arouses a relative connection through artistic performance of reality in full color for young viewers to understand how wars wreak and break even the strongest heart. Works Cited Mori, Ogai trans. Ociai, Kingo and Goldstein, Sanford (1959). The Wild Geese. Boston: Tuttle Publishing Takeyama, Michio trans., Howard Hibbett ( 1966). Harp of Burma. Boston: Tuttle Publishing.      

Hofstede’s cultural dimensions of Australia and China Essay

Mismanaging cultural differences can render otherwise successful managers and organisations ineffective when working across cultures. As stated byOsland (1990, p. 4) â€Å"The single greatest barrier to business success is the one erected by culture†. Hofstede (1983) defines culture as â€Å"the mental programming of the mind which distinguishes the members of one human group from another† (Hofstede 1983 p. 25). Through the comparison of Chinese culture and Australian culture using Hofstedes five cross-cultural dimensions: power distance, uncertainty avoidance, masculinity, individualism, and long-term orientation an insightful view into the differences and similarities of the cultures can be obtained (Chong & Park 2003). Human Resource Management (HRM) activities such as: recruitment and selection, career planning and development, employee motivation, and compensation and benefits need to be performed in alignment with national culture as effectiveness of a human resource management practice hinges on the degree to which it fits the values and beliefs of people in the host country. By exploring the differences and similarities of Chinese and Australian culture from a HR perspective strategies aimed at achieving organisational goals can be better achieved. The inherent weaknesses of Hofstedes framework will also be discussed to emphasise the importance of other methods for determining culture. Greet Hofstede’s (1980) landmark study involved more than one hundred thousand IBM employees in forty countries. From those results, and later additions, Hofstede developed a model for classifying national cultures and analysing work behaviour according to five underlying dimensions: power distance, uncertainty avoidance, masculinity, individualism, and long-term orientation (Chong & Park 2003). Hofstedes analysis of each country can provide a better understanding into the national culture that is specific to each country. The significant findings of Hofstedes analysis of Australia include a low power distance score of 36 (ITIM International 2003). Societies with low power distance are characterized by the norm value that inequalities between people should be minimized, and, to the extent that hierarchies exist in such societies and their organizations, they exist only for administrative convenience. Subordinates and superiors regard each other as like people, who have equal r ights and representation (Hofstede 1983). In  comparison China has a relatively high power distance of 80 (ITIM International 2003). By contrast, high power distance societies are characterised by the acceptance of inequality and its institutionalisation in hierarchies which locate people in their â€Å"rightful places†. In high power distance societies, superiors are expected to lead and make decisions, and subordinates are generally afraid and unwilling to disagree with their superiors (Hofstede 1983). As a result of the significant difference in power distance between Australian and China Human Resource activities such as performance appraisals will require different approaches. In Australia and many western cultures performance appraisals are generally linked to the job description and individual career development plans. In Australian 360 degree feedback is often incorporated using feedback from management and peers. Constructive criticism is also another important component in the performance appraisals used i n Australia which is vital for identifying gaps in learning and development and is accepted by employees as the norm (Harrison 1995). By contrast performance appraisals in China are less frequent as both managers and workers in Chinese enterprises want to avoid blunt confrontations; it is understandable that they would try to minimise the frequency of such conflict-prone encounters in the workplace (Huo 1995). Peer evaluation, frequently used in Australian organisations, virtually does not exist in the China. This may be attributed to the traditional authoritarian leadership style prevalent in Chinese enterprises where only supervisors are deemed qualified to evaluate subordinates’ performance (Huo 1995). Performance appraisals generally involve two-way communications which is not embraced by Chinese culture as the large power distance found in China indicated that to challenge authority of superiors is not considered appropriate for subordinates (Huo 1995). Therefore when conducting a performance appraisal in China it is expected that the evaluated will be more subjective. A straight forward form of apprais al would be better received and employee participation should not be forced. Of significant interest is Australia’s high individualism ranking of 90 (ITIM International 2003) . High Individualism implies a society believes that people should largely remain independent from groups, and that people should have a self-concept of being an independent individual rather than a  dependent member of a group(Harrison 1995). In comparison China ranked extremely low with a score of 20 in the individualism ranking (ITIM International 2003). This is as a result of the society fosters strong relationships where everyone takes responsibility for fellow members of their group with an emphasis on a Collectivist society as a result of the Communist rule (Hofstede 1980). As a result of the different stance of each culture on individualism human resource activities such as compensations and benefits will need to be approached in a different way. In Australian rewards are geared towards pay for performance which motivates the individual to stand out from the crowd in particular at more senior management levels. Compensation is not just related to salary but can include bonuses, commissions, and other merit based reward programs for individual contributions. In contrast Chinese tend to focus on the goals of the collective rather than individual goals. Group approaches have been a dominating influence on Chinese social and working life, including team work, group decision making, group reward, group cohesiveness and group consultation (Satoe & Wang 1994). Chinese employees do not want to stand out from the crowd. Thus it has been suggested that Western business practices, such as personnel incentives, do not work (Myers, 1987). Therefore when conducting business within the Chinese culture compensation and benefits should be based on a collective theory where there are less individual incentives rather a focus on the performance of the group or work units. In a field experiment which combined team duties with group incentives, the team responsibility system proved to have a positive effect on members’ expectancy, achievement attribution, morale and satisfaction (Satoe & Wang 1994). The great distinction between Australia’s score of 31 for Long Term Orientation compared with Chinas score of 118 suggest great cultural differences (ITIM International 2003). Long Term Orientation is a measure of the degree the society embraces, or does not embrace long-term devotion to traditional, forward thinking values. As Australia has a low score this indicates that change can occur more rapidly as long-term traditions and commitments do not become impediments to change (Harrison 1995). In contrast to this a country with a high score such as China value long-term  commitments and respect tradition. This is thought to support a strong work ethic where long-term rewards are expected as a result of today’s hard work (Harrison 1995). These types of diverse cultural views towards long term orientation will impact of the way human resource activities such as recruitment and selection are carried out. In Australia it is common for employees to have several difference employers in there working career and even several changes in industry. Recruitment and selection practises in Australia are aimed at aligning the best fit between employees and the organisation in terms of goals and competencies. Recruitment and selection in Australian generally includes interviewing, psychometric tests, assessment centres and other measures of assessment. In contrast with this Chinese employment pattern has traditionally been life employment with three guarantees â€Å"guaranteed job assignment, guaranteed pay irrespective of performance and guaranteed tenure of senior positions† (Lewis 3003) . Selection criteria seem quite different from the West. For example, Easterby-Smith et al. (1995) found that selection criteria for managerial appointments in their case study organisations were â€Å"good moral practice; adequate competence; working hard and excellent performance records; political loyalty and harmonious relationships with others†. Longevity in a job in Australia is not necessarily seen as a good thing and can be construed as complacency whereas in China it aligns with the cultural drivers of loyalty and tradition. When conducting recruitment and selection in China it must be kept in mind that they traditionally do not place too much emphasis on the interview and almost never employ psychometric tests and assessment centres. Rather than acting out against the traditional job for life concept by replacing current staff with more qualified candidates managers should perhaps ensure sound training and development programs are in place to achieve a fit between employee and organisation. Hofstedes measures of Masculinity and uncertainty avoidance for both Australia and China were similar in score. Masculinity stands for a societal preference for competition, while femininity represents a tendency to place relationships with people above money to help others, to care for the weak and to preserve quality of life (Harrison 1995). Australia scored 61 compared with Chinas score of 66 (ITIM International 2003). Similarly the  measurement of uncertainty avoidance which indicates to what extent a culture programs its members to feel either uncomfortable or comfortable in unstructured situations are quite close in score with Australia at 51 compared with China at 30 (ITIM International 2003). The small difference in uncertainty avoidance suggests that within Chinese culture there is a more relaxed and tolerant attitude towards the unfamiliar as compared with Australia where there is less tolerance towards uncertainty and ambiguity. This may impact on human resource activities such as career planning and development. In Australia career planning and development is generally quite structured and directed as employees like to have a clear career path while in Chinese culture they more comfortable with a less structured approach to career planning and development and expect they career will progress in time. Despite its widespread familiarity and influence, Hofstede’s work has been extensively criticized. One reason is that he used the employees of a single large multinational company to represent the cultures of different nationalities. It is clear that such a sample, no matter how large, may not be representative of the respective countries’ national cultures (Mcsweeny 2002). The national culture of China as identified by Hofstese is quite general and it must be kept in mind that the averages of a country do not relate to individuals of that country (Mcsweeny 2002). There are always exceptions to the rule and Hofsteds analysis does not allow for this and therefore should only be taken as general guidelines. It must also be kept in mind that these studies were conducted over 25 years ago. Due to the inherent weaknesses of the frameworks discussed it is vital that other factors be taken into consideration when analysing national culture. It is important to remember that the culture of a country changes over time, either by internal or external influences. Although the measures identified that China has a collective society and it is though as a generalisation that that collectivists are more cooperative was not supported by experimental results. It was found that subjects from the more individualistic region, Beijing, were more cooperative in working toward mutually beneficial outcomes than were subjects from the more collectivist region, Wuhan (Koch & Koch 2007). This research alludes to the conclusion that the Chinese generally have a collective society within the community  they are familiar with but to some degree are less willing to have a collective frame of mind with a group they are less familiar with. This type of social behaviour would be important for management of Chinese culture in circumstance such as group work where participants may not be as eager to participate as once thought within unfamiliar groups. With the inherent weaknesses of Hofstedes framework it is important to consider a broader range of issue in order to obtain an accurate and current insight into national culture. As Coen Heijes states â€Å"no matter how interesting standardised dimensions may be, without a specific knowledge of history, language and education, cross-cultural understanding is doomed from the start† (Heijes 2007 p.94). Hofstedes five cross-cultural dimensions: power distance, uncertainty avoidance, masculinity, individualism, and long-term orientation provide an insight into the national culture of both Australia and China. National culture is important to consider when performing human resource activities as the effectiveness of a human resource management practice hinges on the degree to which it fits with the values and beliefs of people in the host country. Human Resource activities that need to be aligned with cultural factors include: recruitment and selection, career planning and development, compensation and benefits, and performance appraisals. In comparing the performance appraisal process, Australians are likely to be more responsive to a 360 degree type feedback with much interaction between managers and subordinates where Chinese employees are likely to be more responsive to a more subjective performance appraisal with little contribution in the form of feedback from peers or personal contributions due to the difference in the power distance of each culture. Compensation and benefits in Australia can be geared towards pay for performance of individuals and may include bonuses, commissions, and other merit based reward programs for individual contributions. Whereas in the Chinese culture compensation and benefits should be based on a collective theory where there are less individual incentives and rather a focus on the performance of the group due to difference in Hofstedes individualism measures. Recruitment and selection practices comparisons between the two countries are impacted by the difference in long term orientations. The recruitment and selection process  in Australia is important due to the frequently changing roles of employees and the importance of finding a fit between organisation and employee whereas in China recruitment and selection aligns with the cultural drivers of loyalty and tradition. When conducting recruitment and selection in China it must be kept in mind that they traditionally do not place too much emphasis on the interview and almost never employ psychometric tests and assessment centres. The slight difference in uncertainty avoidance dimension impact on human resource activity of career planning and development. In Australia career planning and development is generally quite structured and directed as employees like to have a clear career path while in Chinese culture they more comfortable with a less structured approach to career planning and development and expect they career will progress in time. While Hofstedes dimensions cross-cultural dimensions have been critiqued as being to some degree too generalised, small sample sizes, out dated, over simplifying complex tasks. Therefore the framework discussed should only be used as a rough guide to understanding national culture. As suggested by Coen Heijes (2007) other factors such as political and legal systems, religion, education, language, ethics, and motivation among many others must be considered to obtain a current insight into national culture. Reference list: Easterby-Smith, M., Malina, D. and Yuan, L. (1995), â€Å"How culture-sensitive is HRM? A comparative analysis of practice in Chinese and UK companies†, International Journal of Human Resource Management, Vol. 6 No. 1, pp. 31-59. Harisson, G. (1995), â€Å"Satisfaction, tension and interpersonal relations: a cross-cultural comparison of managers in Singapore and Australia†, Journal of Managerial Psychology, Volume 10, Number 8, pp. 13-19Heijes, C. (2007), ‘The Broad Dimensions of Doing Business Abroad’, The Business Review, Vol.8, No.1, pp 93-99Hofstede, G. (1980), Culture’s Consequences. International Differences in Work-Related Values, Sage Publications, Beverly Hills, CA., . Hofstede, G. (1983), â€Å"The cultural relativity of organizational practices and theories†, Journal of International Business Studies, Vol. 14 No. 2, pp. 75-89. Huo, P. (1995), â€Å"On transplanting human resource practices to China: A culture-driven approach†, International Journal of Manpower, Vol. 16 No. 9, pp. 3-15. ITIM International 2003, Geert Hofstede BV, the Netherlands, viewed 12th August 2008, < http://www.geert-hofstede.com/index.shtml>Koch, B. Koch, P. (2007) ‘Collectivism, individualism, and out group cooperation in a segmented China’, Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Vol. 24, No.2, pp 207-225Lewis, P. (2003), â€Å"New China – old ways? A case study of the prospects for implementing human resource management practices in a Chinese state-owned enterprise†, Employee Relations, Vol. 25, No. 1,pp. 42-60Mcsweeny, B. (2002), ‘Hofstede’s Model of National Cultural Differences and Their Consequences: A Triumph of Faith – A Failure of Analysis’, Human Relations, Vol. 55, No. 1, pp. 89-118Myers, H. (1987), â€Å"The China business puzzle†, Business Horizons, July-August, pp. 25-8. Osland, G.E. (1990), â€Å"Doing business in China: a framework for cross-cultural understanding†, Marketing Intelligence and Planning, Vol. 8,No. 4, pp. 3-15. Satow, T.Wang, Z. (1994), â€Å"Cultural and Organizational Factors in Human Resource Management in China andJapan: A Cross-cultural Socio-economic Perspective† Journal of Managerial Psychology, Vol. 9 No. 4, pp. 3-11

4 P&apos;s of Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

4 P's of Marketing - Essay Example An increasing effort and funds are invested in R&D to enlarge the number of products and to improve them. Hilti only continues making a product if it is confirmed that it matches the needs of the customers and critically gain a competitive advantage over that of their rivals. These products are of high quality and are highly reliable. This is crucial for the company since it is dealing with deadlines and at the same time maintaining its reputation. The products last for long and are efficient at the construction site. The price for a particular product also determines the success of the company. Thus, the prices should be sensitive to the customer and comparative to those of the other competitors. This makes customers able to purchase the products willingly without the feeling of mistreat by the high price of a product. Hilti Company has ensured the same by having a fair pricing concept that focuses more on the potential of the customer than the volume. It also offers a complete transparency in their prices on their company’s online centers and the business centers. The company is divided into three potential categories, base, middle and top. The base level potential also known as the basis template is where one price of the product is offered for all industries. The mid-level potential is associated with a sophisticated industry template (Brennan, Canning & McDowell, 2010, p.134). Special agreements for the prices are only for the best third of the mid-level customers. Special agreements are offered for the best two-third of the customers on the top level potential. There is usually a special agreement every year to align these potential levels. (Strauss and Frost, R., 2012) The products should be readily available to places, which are easily accessible to the customers. A company may employ methods employed by its competitors or a better channel

Case study - international marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Case study - international marketing - Essay Example 2. For any emerging market, the best strategy often applied is the localization of products or services offered as because it makes the product line and the brand more acceptable to the customers. For the case of Disney, this strategy has proved to be winning in not only the mass markets of China, but in the Indian markets as well and as well as in many others. 3. The global market today comprises mostly of youth that the movie tends to attract, as well as the outstanding promotions adapted like karaoke style. Also releasing it in different local languages made the movie a block buster in the global market. Conclusively, the movie had all that is demanded from clear cut drama to top class music which made the packaging of the product (movie) a victorious release (Johnson, 2007). Whirlpool 1. Previously, the product strategies adapted by Whirlpool was mostly focused on the extension factor rather than the adaptation factor. Whirlpool has recently invested hundreds of millions of dolla rs to develop new extensions in their product-line. However with time and market saturation, Whirlpool realized that to have an effective product line according to local markets where the product had to be localized, adapting both the strategies is needful according to the market situations worldwide. In the near future the company shall be focusing more on adaptation strategy in maintaining its competency in the global markets rather than introducing extensions in its product line (Whirlpool Corporation, n.d.). Notably, the strategy adapted in case of China was called as ‘T4’ by Whirlpool. 2. The reasons for buyers to opt for Whirlpool products are mostly because people find it more time saving than manual work to use these appliances as well as it involves lesser effort and energy. Additionally, people today are going for these kinds of appliances as they reflect the status of customer in many markets. 3. Whirlpool emphasizing largely on market research has been able to design their product according to the preference of the consumer in their global markets. This was proved at the redesigning fact of washing machine in China and Brazil which includes different specifications. Besides this, Whirlpool correctly believes that the products have to be altered according to consumer preferences which could only be found by conducting primary market research and analyzing secondary research data. Whirlpool has used secondary data to analyze the fact that Brazilians will be able to pay for even their cheapest appliance owing to their monthly income. This lead Whirlpool to design another appliance which was according to the demographics of the market but then again, this wasn’t the consumers’ actual concern. Therefore, the new product included consumer specific features which were found through focus groups and primary research. Whirlpool conducts both ethnographic and anthropological research work at the initial stage of a product which hel ps in developing the product as per the need of customers and get aware of the opportunities in the given market (DesignCouncil, n.d.). 4. One important lesson that Whirlpool learned in the market of China and other is that the local market overview is as important as the international overview. Besides this, before venturing on with

The Academy Awards For Best Foreign Film Language Movie- can you take Essay

The Academy Awards For Best Foreign Film Language Movie- can you take it seriously - Essay Example Is it befitting to say that these awards ‘celebrate’ the harsh realities of common person while the common person turns a blind eye to them? In the following parts we shall discuss all this and about the past winners. Best Foreign Language nominees get a lot of attention from people around the world. They are a part of ‘meaningful cinema’ that forces people to think about the matter and to do something for the cause. This is said not without proof, Day of Glory, a nominee in 2006, made an impact on the public policy when the law for elevating the benefits to Algerian veterans was passed. It is apt to say that these movies have a niche audience because there are few people who admire the movie for its effort and for its success in bringing forth a matter that matters. Not many people are willing to give their one hour to a cinema that raises an issue and says it in an unflattering manner; people would rather watch something that entertains. This nature is common to people around the world; however, when a film is nominated for Oscars they will watch a nominee from their homeland if not all the nominees. This is a much better condition. Let us now come to the nominees from various countries and their journey to the final nomination. As already said there are many controversies surrounding a nomination. This journey of controversies starts as soon as a film has to be selected for nominee from a country. There are so many political and personal forces working at this level itself that it is hard to say whether the nominee is actually the best nominee from their respective country. Last year the nominee from India was surrounded in controversies, since a member of the jury was a close friend of the director of the movie. The matter was so serious that High Court had to interrupt and though the nominee was not backed out but a rule was passed that banned any related person to

Issues on Graduating With Student Loan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Issues on Graduating With Student Loan - Essay Example The critical issue therefore is: Is it worth graduating from the university with educational expenses funded by student loan? In an article written by Andrew Martin (2012) entitled â€Å"Slowly, as Student Debt Rises, Colleges Confront Costs† published online in The New York Times, it was revealed that the president of Ohio University, E. Gordon Gee, was cited to state that â€Å"public colleges and universities need to devise a new business model to pay for the costs of education, beyond sticking students with higher tuition and greater debt† (Martin par. 3). As disclosed, the amounts of student loans have reached a staggering $1 trillion and, in conjunction with economic and financial difficulties, the numbers of borrowers struggling to pay off these debts are just manifesting a parallel rise. Accordingly, â€Å"for the 2009 to 2010 academic year, annual prices for undergraduate tuition, room, and board were estimated to be $12,804 at public institutions and $32,184 at private institutions. Between 1999–2000 and 2009–10, prices for undergraduate tuition, room, and board at public institutions rose 37 percent, and prices at private institutions rose 25 percent, after adjustment for inflation† (Dept. of Education, National Center for Education Statistics 1). ... Average debt per bachelor’s degree recipient increased from $10,600 to $12,400† (American Student Assistance par. 4). One strongly agrees with Mr. Gee’s contention that another alternative course of action must be recommended to solve the student debt problem. From his professional perspective, Gee implements a planned apportionment of $1 billion, classified as inefficiently spent funds for potential redirection towards priorities from the Ohio University’s $5 billion budget over the next five years. Likewise, he focused on revenue generation activities that include privatization of the campus’ parking and pressing donors for additional funds (Martin). Concurrently, college presidents all over the country are â€Å"looking for other ways to pay for education, stepping up private fund-raising, privatizing services, cutting staff, eliminating departments — even saving millions of dollars by standardizing things like expense forms† (Martin par. 6). Other proposals to solve the student loan crisis were highlighted by Sandra Block and Christine Dugas (2012), whose report entitled â€Å"Five proposals to solve student loan crisis†, included options such as recommending a bankruptcy reform; implement student loan forgiveness; increase Pell grants; linking federal educational aids to affordability; and by educating the borrowers. From among those noted, one believes that educating the borrowers would address the root cause of the dilemma but would not immediately address and assist in solving the repayment of the current student loan crisis. Is it worth graduating from the university with educational expenses funded by student loan? Looking at the dilemma from the students’ points of views, the most plausible solution

Managerial Economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Managerial Economics - Essay Example There are several factors that contribute to the pricing of houses in a free market. The Basic Principle of demand and supply This basic principle of demand and supply would chiefly govern the housing market, i.e. when the demand for housing increases the prices will tend to go up in order to reach equilibrium at the present level of supply. This is a typical example of demand and supply. The equilibrium is determined when the price at which the buyer would like to make purchase coincides with the price at which the seller would like to make the trade. Now the value of the housing properties is determined by both the supply side and the demand side factors which include the price at which the seller would like to go for the transaction with a prospective buyer and the actual price which the buyer would like to pay (Ngai and Tenreyro, 2009, p.7). Now when the demand for residence in a particular locality is high then the dearth of supply would cause the market power to shift from the buyers to the sellers and hence prices would be determined by the seller. Thus, when there is excess demand in the housing market the sellers may hoard the residential unit in order to create a price differential and make more profits. On the other hand when the demand for housing is low the sellers might compromise on the prices and it would be a buyer’s market where the buyer would have a lot of control over the settlement of the prices. The demand for housing at a particular area may increase due to demographic reasons as well. Suppose a new industry is set up in a place where previously there was no human establishment, then labour migration will take place in that particular area and those people would need residential investments. Again as the number of divorces is increasing people these days need more residential units separately and hence the demand for housing increases. In the above figure we see that the initial demand for housing in a particular area id D1 and th e initial supply is S1. The vertical axis would represent the prices of the housing units and the horizontal axis would represent the quantity of houses traded in the market of that particular area. The initial equilibrium price and quantity is at P1 and Q1 respectively. Now due to population inflow, the demand for housing units increases to D2. The supply remaining constant at S1, the new equilibrium would be at the point P2Q2. A point to be noted in this context is that due to an increase in demand the quantity supplied is increasing but at the lesser rate than that of the prices, i.e., P1P2 would be greater than Q1Q2. It should be noted that the supply here is relatively inelastic. The reason behind this is that there is a lag in time in between the price change and the augmentation of supply in housing in that area. When the supply of housing becomes more elastic as in the above figure, the supply curve would move in the rightward direction indicated by the arrow. The new supply curve will be S2. Now if we assume that the demand is unchanged then the prices would tend to go down to P3 which is a price that is higher than P1 but lower than P2. On the other, the equilibrium quantity would further move upwards to Q3 which is higher than both Q1 and Q2.  

THE BUREAUCRACY Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

THE BUREAUCRACY - Essay Example In addition, the paycheck legislation was aimed at lobby support from law firm that will support President Campaigns. Therefore, it can be observed that there is a strong interaction between President Obama and democracy. For instance, rules, regulation and hierarchical of command had to be observed in implementation President Obama Paycheck legislation (Rove, paras.2-8). Bureaucracy entails a system of governance that is characterized by hierarchy of commands and directions. Further, it involves adherence to rules and legal procedures. This part has take into consideration the bureaucracy in bustling state; it involves an initiative undertaken to include employees, government agencies to enhance efficiency and effectiveness in the employee’s respective working areas. The initiative was aimed at bustling those who do not tell the truth via the social media. The policy was involved in employees working areas in order to enhance efficiency not only to the organization where they are working but also to the entire Michigan government. The head of bureaucracy in this area involve the Michigan government that focuses at ensuring integration of the entire population in order to come up with innovative solutions to address the problems at hand as well as improve the future of the next generations (Michigan.Gov,

Why are Nigerians easily affect by HIV Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Why are Nigerians easily affect by HIV - Essay Example In 2005, the number escalated to 2,20,000 deaths. In Nigeria prevalence levels of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDs) caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), are highest among young people, especially women between the ages of 20 and 29 years. However, there are differences on a regional as well as state level basis, attributed to the marked social and ethnocultural differences at these levels. According to Deji et al (2007: 10), the prevalence â€Å"ranged from a low of 2.3% in the south west to a high of 7% in the north central regions†. At State level, the variations are wider; as in Osun and Ogun the prevalence of the disease among pregnant women was 1.2% and 1.5% respectively, as compared to 9.3% in Benue and 12% in Cross River. Projections show that by 2009, some five million Nigerians would have developed AIDs, since the disease takes up to ten years to develop fully into AIDs after the onset of infection. Surveys indicate that both urban and rural areas are affected (Sofo et al, 2003: 14). Nigeria’s government predicts that from 2007 to 2011, the adult prevalence of HIV/ AIDs will reach as high as 26% and up to 15 million people will be infected. By 2011, around 10 million Nigerians would have died from AIDs, and Nigeria would overtake South Africa as the African continent’s most AIDs-affected nation (Rotberb, 2007: 25). Before 2011, it would not be possible to stop the escalation of the disease, but an improved availability of treatment with antiretroviral drugs and better healh infrastructure, would help to increase the life span of sufferers. However, slowing the spread of HIV/ AIDs is considered to be crucial in controlling the disease. Professor Rasheed A. Bakare, an accomplished microbiologist and venereologist has stated in an interview (Annals, 2005: 48) that in Ibadan which is the capital city of Oyo State in Nigeria, Africa, the most common agents responsible for sexually

Legalization of Marijuana Essay Example for Free

Legalization of Marijuana Essay The terms ‘weed’ or ‘grass’ strike meaning to many Americans. When thinking of these terms, they are commonly associated with having the ‘munchies’ also known as being extremely hungry due to the side affects of smoking marijuana. What most Americans don’t realize is the benefits that can come from legalizing marijuana because their minds are clouded by the stereotypes associated with the average ‘pot smoker’. Dismiss the corny jokes and stereotypes for a second and consider the truths that are unveiled. In Timothy Egan’s â€Å"Give Pot a Chance,† Egan looks beyond the stigma of smoking weed and points out the benefits that will come from legalization. Although the government is wrongfully hindering us from legalizing marijuana, it should be a national wide policy due to the large benefit of tax regulations that will and has already arise. Egan starts his opinion with three main arguments: marijuana related drug wars, hypocrisy, and the most important argument he points out is the tax revenue that will be generated. Drug related wars are extremely prevalent today. Egan states that there are over 853,000 arrest made for marijuana related offenses. 60,000 people have been killed because of drug wars and violent crimes regarding the distribution of marijuana. Many people are being affected by the violence of the underground markets. He briefly goes over statistical numbers and significant data to further emphasize his argument for legalization. He quickly delves into the hypocrisy of not legalizing marijuana. He explains how our sports industry would completely collapse without all the legal drugs provided by various companies. Popular products include five-hour energy, red bull, and other pills for other uses. He points out how there were thousands of illnesses and fatalities regarding Five Hour Energy. This is an over the shelf product that can be obtained by anyone. In retaliation, Egan brings up how there are little to no people dying from marijuana ingestion. This also brings attention to one of the most common argument as to why people oppose legalization: that it is  unhealthy for the human body when taken in large doses. Although not explained very well, Egan points out the hypocrisy in the rationale of people thinking this way. Any substance taken in large doses is harmful to any human. Even something as healthy as water is bad in large doses. Although this is not a big part of his argument and does not explicitly say why marijuana is good for one or for the nation, it leads up to and adds to his claim of legalizing marijuana. The main argument for legalization and data that Egan gives is the tax revenue that will come from it. Egan arrives at this data by carefully studying the states that already have legalized medical marijuana including the District of Columbia and 18 other states. Washington State officials estimate that licensed marijuana stores will generate 532 million dollars in revenue every year. On top of that, legalization will decrease all the billions of dollars currently wasted on prosecuting and investigating marijuana cases. Money is being wasted on investigating marijuana cases while in reality most do not even get prosecuted or even fined. Since it is legal in some states and not others, enforcement of marijuana laws are clouded making the United States lose more money. If all states had the same rules it would be easier to regulate and gain an abundance of tax revenue from. Legalization of marijuana will benefit the United States as a nation. Egan agrees that a â€Å"whiff of positive and even monumental change is in the air†. He claims that legalization will benefit us tremendously in many ways, but specifically with the generation of revenue from tax. An influx of money from marijuana taxation would greatly help the United States with financial debt. Egan explicitly links his data to his claim by openly asking his audience to consider his data and apply it to the whole nation and then stating that the taxation would help the United States. He explains that the success from the state of Washington proves that other states will strive as well, thus adding to the success of the nation as a whole. Because there are so many issues and contradicting conflicts surrounding the issue of marijuana, Egan has to state his warrant to further emphasize his reasons for legalization and make apparent the change that could happen. The rhetor, Egan, suggests that the change will most likely happen by stating that â€Å"Obama is uniquely suited to make the argument for change. On his issue, he’ll have support from the libertarian right and the humanitarian left.† Egan implies that since 19 states have  already legalized the use of medical marijuana, many states will follow in their footsteps so it is only a matter of time. Unfortunately Egan had a very powerful qualifier that was not adequately explained. Egan implicitly argues that we, as a nation, should not wait for other states to slowly make the change to legalize. Obama and his administration have the power and more importantly the support to change it now. The lack of explaining this weakened a crucial part of his argument for national legalization. Egan believes national legalization should is needed soon rather than legalization by individual states. At the end of his speech he starts delving into his opinion he quickly adds how the law system is not enforced enough. Egan argues that with legalization nation wide, everyone would be on the same page, which is completely true. With nation wide legalization, the issue of use and abuse can be properly discussed and determined. He uses the example of alcohol and how campaigns against drunk driving have saved countless of lives when alcohol is so easy to obtain. This could be the same way as marijuana. With proper laws, marijuana could be regulated efficiently and safely. Unfortunately he only briefly states this and does not fully explain it clearly. He is implying that marijuana is a problem because congress has chosen to make it a problem because they decided not to deal with it. I thought this did not necessarily weaken his argument but left his audience thinking. Egan was successful at proving his point because of his strong claim, data, and warrant. He chose an engaging and interesting claim that is relatable to many Americans. The sets of data he chose to support his argument was tacitful because all Americans can benefit from money therefore everyone is in some way going to benefit from legalization. Egan makes clear the clouded stereotypes and stigma of marijuana and illuminates the truths involved. No matter our opinion or feelings on the issue, the presentation of information for the audience makes a very convincing argument. Work Cited: Egan, Timothy. Give Pot a Chance. Opinionator Give Pot a Chance Comments. New York Times, 22 Nov. 2012. Web. 27 Feb. 2013. .

Research Paper Taxation Essay Example for Free

Research Paper Taxation Essay Wage is the fixed amount of compensation for service rendered covering a fixed period of time, usually hours, or fixed amount of work. It is usually a compensation given to skilled and unskilled labor. Commission is usually a wage given to skilled and unskilled labor. Commission is usually a wage given to a salesperson based on the amount of his sales. This amount is usually added to basic salary. Bonus is given to simulate employees to work more efficiently and effectively (Valencia Roxas, 2009) To make sure that employees comply with BIR regulation and local government laws, companies must include crucial employee and company information in their payroll systems. Setting up and running the different components that comprise a payroll system requires due diligence and adequate knowledge of tax legislation. Employee’s benefits In Philippine Accounting Standards (PAS) 19, paragraph 7 states that employees benefits are all forms of consideration given by an entity in exchange of services rendered by employees. These benefits may be paid directly to the employee’s or to their dependents, such as their children or spouses. These can be settled by payment in cash in form goods and services. Paragraph 4 of PSAS 19 enumerates the following four classes: (a) short term employee benefits; (b) post-employment benefits; (c) other term employee benefits; and, (d) termination. Employee information During the new hire process, companies must collect information such as medical insurance and W-2 forms to determine what should be deducted from an employee’s paycheck. These forms also provide employers which crucial information, such as the employee’s Social Security number and their withholding amount for government tax purposes. The systems must also track and process changes made to the employee’s tax exemption status, pensions, insurance plans or retirement funds. Salary information As part of the new hire process, payroll systems include a component that designates which employees are full time, part time and contractors. Classifying worker in a payroll system is important since the government levies high penalties on companies that categorize employees incorrectly. Applicable taxes and deductions The National internal Revenue Code (R. A 8424) requires the employer to withhold portion of the salaries earned by employees that will at least approximate an income tax due of the earner relative to the income earned. The monthly or semi-monthly withholding s taxable could be obtained from the BIR to serve as guide as to what amount to be withheld from the salary of the employee (http://www. ehow. com/list_6725482_components-payroll-system. html, 17 July 2010). In preparing a payroll, certain government mandated contributions needed to be deducted from the gross play of each employee. These include withholding taxes, PAG-IBIG, SSS (Social Security System) and PhilHealth contributions. Withholding taxes is remitted to BIR while PAG-IBIG is remitted to Home Development and Mutual Fund (HDMF) (Cabrera, Ledesma Lupisan, 2009). Other payroll withholdings include employee contributions to benefits, retirement accounts, and charities, these are determined by the employee during the fringe benefits selection process offered by their employer and must be taken into account as well as any employer matches when reporting payroll . Methods of Payroll Computation A payroll system involves everything that has to do with the payment of employees and the filing of employment taxes. This includes keeping track of hours, calculating wages, withholding taxes and other deductions, thus appropriate methods must be applied in the computation to achieve a desirable output. More and more aspects of payroll are being handled electronically. Methods include direct paycheck deposit, debit cards, payroll and non-payroll, use Web-based information system to allow employees access, with a secure password, to their individual payroll records including pay stubs, an earnings record and in some cases, employer information, such as the company manual or health insurance plan overview (Banning, 2008) Giove (1993) stated the seven methods for computing payroll: Hourly Rate Plan Employees paid on an hourly rate plan receive a fixed amount for each hour they work. An employee’s regular earnings are equal to the employee’s hourly rate multiplied by the number of hours worked during the payroll period. Salary Plan Salaried employees receive a fixed amount for each payroll period, whether weekly, biweekly, semimonthly, or monthly. If an employee on the salary plan works less than the regular hours during a payroll period, the employer may deduct for the time lost, although in most cases the employer does not make such a deduction. Regular earnings would be determined by multiplying that hourly rate by the actual number of hours the employee worked during the payroll period. Overtime Pay All employees in all establishments and undertakings whether for profit or not are entitled to overtime pay for work rendered beyond eight (8) hours. But this does not apply to managerial employees, field personnel, and members of the family of the employer who are dependent on him for support, domestic helpers, person in the personal service of another, and workers who are paid by results. Employees in the government are also entitled to overtime pay but they are governed by Civil Service laws and rules. Only employees in the private sector are covered by the Labor Code. Guaranteed Wage It is a written agreement to pay an employee a guaranteed minimum amount regardless of the hours worked, with an extra half-hour premium for hours over 40. Piece – Rate Plan It is a compensation plan whereby employee earnings depend on the units produced. Commission Plan Sales commission plans vary greatly from company to company but are generally based on the sales made during payroll period. Combination Plan This is a compensation method whereby employees receive a fixed amount of salary for each payroll period plus an extra amount for production (piece-work) or sales (commission). Timekeeping Records Accurate timekeeping is an essential part of an efficient payroll system. Every business must have an orderly method of recording the hours employees worked during the payroll period. The time records show the date and the time the workweek starts, the number of hours worked each day, and the total hours worked during the week. Time records are filed after the payroll is prepared and, in accordance with the requirements of the law, retained up to three years. The most common methods of timekeeping use a time clock with timecards or a time sheet. There are two primary reasons to maintain accurate payroll records. First, is the collection of the data necessary to compute the compensation for each employee for each payroll period. Second, provision of information needed to complete the various government report-federal and state- required of all employees. All business enterprise both large and small are required by law to withhold certain amounts from employees’ pay for taxes, to make payment to government agencies by specific deadlines, and submit reports on official forms. (McQuaig Bille, 2008). Other Aspects of Payroll Accounting System Payroll Register The payroll register summarizes employee earnings and deduction information in a journal entry that is inserted into the general ledger for accounting and general research purposes. Payroll registers are also used to create tax report. These documents are prepared by payroll staff or generated using payroll computer system. Payroll Services The meteoric success of payroll services is not accidental, but rather a reflection of the business community’s willingness to outsource the tedious and complex task of payroll accounting to outside specialists. The upside of outsourcing payroll is that payroll services ensure that the company complies with laws pertaining to payroll. That is a big deal considering the time investment it would take the payroll officer to stay current on payroll-related legislation. Another big plus is that payroll services are responsible for keeping track of each employee’s accumulated earning, tax withholding, and other information needed to issue W-2 forms at the end of the year. They also stay on top of things like direct deposits, salary adjustment, quarterly tax payments and all of the other details that can be distraction from the important job of leading the company (http://Gaebler. com/payroll-services, 8 Aug, 2010). In-house Payroll If contracting a payroll service does not sound like a good fit for a business, the management also has the option of doing it in-house. But if the management plans on saving money by personally administering the payroll, having more alternatives will be a better idea. Even if the company only has a few employees, dealing with payroll-related details can be a waste of time. Instead, designating the job to an employee who can give it the time it requires so precious time can be dedicated to other things (http://Gaebler. com/in-house-payroll, 8 Aug, 2010). Whoever ends up doing payroll in the company will be happy to know that there is a lot of software out there to help them. In fact, most accounting software solutions have payroll modules. Start by assessing the capability of their current accounting software program. If it does not have a built-in payroll function, chances are it is available from the manufacturer as an add-on. If it is not, then the company needed to decide whether to change accounting to one that does or attempt to find a payroll program that is compatible with the current system. Either way, it is worth the time to find a computerized system that meets the company’s needs rather than trying to do it the old-fashioned way. Internal Control A district’s accounting and payroll functions are critical for the maintenance of a solid financial foundation. Accurate and timely financial reports are crucial to administration and board decision-making. Payroll must be accurate, as it represents the district’s largest budgeted expenditure. Internal controls must safeguard the district’s assets from misappropriation. Payroll processing is an error prone activity. If organizations have just one or two employees it may seem relatively easy to compute salaries outstanding, taxes etc, but as small business starts adding employees they find spending more and more time in computation of salaries including variable pay. Errors are common in the full and final settlement and increases when employees join in the middle of a term as the processes are manual (http://ezinearticles. om/? expert=Mikael Anderson, 4 Aug, 2010). Waterhouse (2010) said in one of his studies that the objective of internal controls for payroll is to ensure that payroll disbursements are properly recorded and that related legal requirements (such as payroll tax deposits) are complied with. Segregation of duties is an effective internal control. The bank reconciliation clerk reconciles the bank accounts and is not involved in processing or approving items for payment. A payroll administrator, supervisor, specialist and six clerks perform the payroll function. The Human Resources Department (HRD) enters employee data into a database share by Personnel and Payroll and sets the rate of pay. The software system controls the ability of individuals to change information based on their access to the system. This prevents unauthorized individuals from changing this information (http://window. state. tx. us, 6 Aug, 2010). Gelinas, Sutton and Hunton (2005) included in their study some of the procedures that can be used to prevent or detect schemes. First is the direct deposit of payroll to eliminate alteration, forgery and theft of paper check. Second, is checking for duplicate names, addresses, and Social Security number in the employee data, finally is comparing actual to budgeted payroll. Expense Accounts are often an area of fraud and abuse. This include: (a) using legitimate documentation from personal expense for the business expenses; (b) overstating expenses by altering receipts; (c) submitting fictitious expenses by submitting copies of invoices. Such abuses can be minimized by formulating reasonable policies that compensate employees for their out-of-pocket expenses. Copies of invoices should only be accepted in extreme circumstances. Finally, expense account activities should be monitored on a regular basis to detect unusual patterns (Gelinas, Sutton Hunton, 2005). Payroll Fraud Connection Payroll, similar to cash disbursements, is an area ripe with fraud potential. After all, large organizations will make thousands of payments to employees for payroll and expenses account reimbursement every payroll period. Firth (2006) expresses that Payroll Fraud is an important issue that needs to be addressed by both Finance and Payroll professionals. Some of the key activities need to be considered include: improving the quality of master file data, reviewing the end to end payroll process, and reviewing the people that are performing each step in the payroll function. It is worth remembering that improving each of these areas will not only reduce the risk of payroll fraud, it will also result in many other business improvements right across the organization. Here are some of the types of payroll frauds, along with the median loss for each to an employer: (a) Ghost Employee, employees do not actually work for the company but receives paychecks. These can be recently departed employees or made-up persons; (b) Falsified hours and salary, employees exaggerate the time that they work or are able to increase the salary in their employee date; (c) Commission Schemes, employees falsify the sales on which commissions are based or increase the commission rate in their employee date; and, (d) False worker’s compensation claims, employees fake injuries to collect disability payments (Gelinas, Sutton Hunton 2005).

Changing business environment of Samsung

Changing business environment of Samsung Introduction: Samsung has grown to one of largest electronics company since 1938. Since 1970s and early 1980s Samsung expanded globally with diversified intention into core technical business. Samsung leads the electronic industry with its high performance and with high growth rate along with stability. 2009 Global Market Share of 13 Percentage of different products available in market. Examples -: Mobile Phones, Monitors, Semiconductor.1970 First Black White (Model P-3202) production started Samsung-Sanyo Electronics.1969 SAMSUNG-Sanyo Electronics established (renamed SAMSUNG Electro-Mechanics in March 1975 and merged with SAMSUNG Electronics in March 1977)1951 SAMSUNG Moolsan established (now SAMSUNG Corporation)1938 SAMSUNG was founded in, Korea (Taegu) Company: Samsung Global Market share is terms of sales is as follows: TV Market Share is 21.9% Laser Printer Share is 13.7% Mobile Phone Share is 16.7% DRAM Share is 30.1% TFT-LCD Panel Share is 25.7% If we compare this performance to other companies Samsung emerges as world leader in at least 3 sectors which are TV, DRAM TFT-LCD. This clearly shows us the dominance of Samsung in market and this is mainly due to its transparent policies, positive approach and honest efforts in being a global leader. This performance data is taken from Samsungs sustainability report for 2009 from Samsung official website. We can clearly see that Samsung as a company is growing locally and globally Korea being its local market. This consistent growth of the company is mainly due to its marketing strategies which are paying off well. More details on Samsungs operations, marketing, product line etc can be found on: The business environment keeps on changing and is unpredictable. So, it is very necessary to understand and react to this changing business so as to survive and grow in the market.Proper knowledge of business environment will make the entrepreneurs and businesses able enough to plan and implement strategies that are needed to identify the scope of improvement, create and exploit opportunities that come on the way, retain stability, gain competitive advantage and prepare appropriately for the upcoming challenges. The way the environment is analyzed and accordingly the strategies implemented, will define the track of the business.Here With the example of samsung. The data collected will be analysed using SWOT. SWOT stands for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. SWOT analysis, is a strategic business planning tool used to determine the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats that exists in business. It includes identifying the business objectives as well as the internal and external factors which are likely to favour the business. It may be classified into: Internal factors strengths and weaknesses that are within (internal) organization. External factors opportunities and threats of external environment. The internal factors can be classified into strengths and weaknesses depending upon their effect on organization and business objectives.The factors may include all of the 4Ps; as well as personnel, finance, manufacturing capabilities, and so on. The external factors may include macro-economic factors like technological , legal,and socio-cultural changes, as well as changes in the marketplace or competitive position. According to B Kyle SWOT can be identified as internal and external in relation to environment. Strengths: It usually tells about the positives of the company. How well we are doing in our area of interest. What is our position in front of competitor? Weaknesses: Weakness refers to area of struggle of our company. Why are consumers not happy about particular product? Why are we not meeting sales target for a particular product. Opportunities: It is directly related to external environment. It could be the areas where your competitor is not good at. We should try to utilize strengths in areas of our weaknesses. Are there any emerging trends or possibility to capture market by introducing new product? Threats: It could be financial or development problem. Competitors strength is major threat. Are competitors becoming strong. Description. Strategic business tools: SWOT analysis for Samsung Strengths Strong hold in Consumer Electronics Low margin strategy increases sales Highly skilled labour availability locally globally Good focus on customer service and good marketing strategy Strong management and loyal employees Weaknesses Lack of performance in Laser printer sales Less cost effective in PC consumable products. Lack of brand recognition in mobile phone sector. Poor pricing strategy Lack of usage of infrastructure in some part of world e.g. China Opportunities Can unseat major stake holders in TV and DRAM sectors Increase product range in consumer electronics Can sustain future market using the idea of consumer taste research Rapid growth in competitive markets across the globe Increase in portfolio due to acquisitions of other firms Threats Faces high competition from Sony and Nokia in mobile phone sector. Daily entrants of new technology companies Impact on sales due to recession Lack of innovation in mobile industry threatens its position further down. Intense competition from existing companies in PC sector. The above information which helps in doing the SWOT analysis and other graphical presentation helps to answer our objective questions mostly. Although it might not provide direct answer but clarifies strategies and benefits of organisation doing global and domestic business. It clearly reveals the benefits of proper marketing in terms of sales numbers. PESTEL Analysis: PESTEL analysis is one of the most important tool of business strategic management which helps in identifying the surroundings within which the company operates. It gives a clear idea about the threats, risks and opportunities that occur in the market. It helps in understanding the needs of market, its fluctuations, whether the market is progressing upwards or downwards (i.e. growth decline ratios) and thus makes the businesses able to develop strategies accordingly. PESTEL is used as decision making tools in macro-environment. PESTEL is Classified into: Political factors Economic factors Social factors Technological factors Environmental factors Legal factors Political factors: Its all about intervenes of the government on the economy of the country. Political factors include areas like Tax policy Labour law Environmental law Trade restriction Tariffs Political stability Services and goods provide by the government ( merit goods ) and services which is not provided by the government (demerit goods) Goodwill among foreign nations Economic factors: It includes Interest rates Economic growth Rate of inflation (Inflation rate) Rate of Exchange (Exchange rate) For example: Cost of capital is directly affected by interest rate Exporting goods and supply of goods is affected by exchange rate Inflation raises cost. Social factors: Demand of products and company operations are affected by social factors like Culture of the society Natality rate Growth rate Age distribution Technological factors It includes Research and development activity. Automation Better technology for the production of goods Technological have direct impact on costs, quality which leads to innovation. Environmental factors It includes Weather Climate change Locality (Place) Ecofriendly products (to overcome with problem of global warming)e.g Effect of temperature on farming and tourism. Legal Factors It include Consumer law Employment law Health and safety law Discrimination law e.g. Minimum wages system in U.K is legal factor that affect business. Minimum age for employment is fixed by the government. Conclusions Recommendations We have analysed and gathered data from Samsung Company in relation to our topic global versus domestic marketing a critical analysis. The conclusions drawn using company data alone cannot summarize our findings. However there are similarities in few points. If we look at the organisation section we can see how Samsung has come a long way to be recognised as a global brand. It shows that achieving such position in global market is very hard. Not only achieving but it becomes increasingly important to sustain that growth due to fierce competition. It shows how companies have to adjust or change their policies from time to time keeping in mind rising and falling economy. In general it alerts companies of being more innovative cautious of environmental changes. It also emphasis on limitations one has to face as the behaviour and taste of consumer changes geographically. Recommendations Companies should develop marketing strategies keeping in mind its strengths, weaknesses and availability of resources to be globally successful. Companies should try to develop product which global consumer can identify easily from competitors one. Identify a sector where we can see growth and sustain competition. Companies should appoint special taskforce or focused group people to identify the drawbacks of non performing sector and find solutions to that. To be successful organisations should concentrate mainly on quality and pricing structure. Be in constant touch with customer by means of advertising, press releases and make them aware about product specifications and changes if there are any. Try to use both forms of communication verbal and non verbal. Summary From this report on global marketing versus domestic marketing we understand that main objective of any company doing global marketing is to find opportunities. It mainly expands companys reach to global customers. This mainly depends on how the company analyses its strengths and opportunities, optimum usage of resources and approach towards business. Here in this report we saw how Samsung as a global company has wide range of products and constantly keeps on adding them to sustain market place. SWOT analysis helped us to understand about positives and negatives of the company. Important outcome of the report about marketing can be converted in one slogan think globally and act locally. References Aaker, Jennifer, Susan Fournier and S. Adam Brasel. (2003). When Good Brands Do Bad. Paper presented to the Marketing Science Institute Board of Trustees Meeting in Washington, D.C., March 6, 2003. Baker, Malcolm and Greet Sterenberg. (2002). International Branding: How to Resolve the Global-Local Dilemma. Market Leader (Autumn). Johansson, Johny K. and Ilkka A. Ronkainen. (2003). The Esteem of Global Brands. Unpublished draft paper, McDonough School of Business, Georgetown University. Klein, Naomi (2000). No Logo. St, Martins Press. Levitt, Theodore. (1983). The Globalization of Markets. Harvard Business Review. Quelch, John, Douglas Holt and Earl Taylor. (2003). Managing the Transnational Brand: How Global Perceptions Drive Value. Paper presented at the Harvard Business Schools Globalization of Markets Colloquium (May 28-30, 2003). Upshaw, Lynn and Earl Taylor. (2000). The Masterbrand Mandate. John Wiley Sons. McQuarrie, Edward F, The Market Research Toolbox A concise guide for beginners. Bobette Kyle, How Much For Just the Spider? Strategic Website Marketing For Small Budget Business William D. Perreault, E. Jerome McCarthy Basic Marketing A Global Managerial Approach Tata Mcgraw-Hill Publishing Co. Ltd 2006. G Armstrong, P Kotler (2003), Marketing An Introduction, Pearson Education Pte. Ltd. Internet reference: http://www.fao.org/docrep/w5973e/w5973e02.htm http://www.cdf.org/issue_journal/samsungs_lessons_in_design.html Sustainability Report [online] from http://www.samsung.com/uk/aboutsamsung/citizenship/oursustainabilityreports.html Accessed 22nd August 2009 http://ivythesis.typepad.com/term_paper_topics/2009/08/global-marketing-versus-domestic-marketing-a-critical-evaluation.html http://business.lovetoknow.com/wiki/Global_and_Domestic_Marketing Refrences Sustainability Report [online] from http://www.samsung.com/uk/aboutsamsung/citizenship/oursustainabilityreports.html Accessed 12 March 2010.

female circumcision Essay -- essays research papers

Female Circumcision Kadi is a four-year-old girl who will never be the same because of her disturbing cultural rituals. Kali wakes up and pleads to play with the other children but her mother does not allow her. Kadi grandmother holds her down to the bare earth as her mother begins to cut her clitoris with a razor. After the very unsafe procedure Kadi cries almost five hours with a dirty rag between her legs as an attempt to stop the bleeding and possible hemorrhaging. Most frequently the operations are performed by an old woman of the village sometimes know as the Gedda. Usually a woman performs the surgery but rarely does the mother do it. Before the surgery in certain communities there is a huge tribal dance and celebration. The music proceeds through the surgery in an attempt to bury the cries and screams of the victim. The operation is performed in diverse communities by different people and with a variety of tools. In more sophisticated communities, a qualified doctor performs the operation with sterilized tools. In the more uninformed societies, a traditional birth mother performs the operation using an assortment of tools ranging from knives and razors to jagged stones taken straight from the ground. Female circumcision is the fractional or complete removal of the external genitalia, varying from removal of the prepuce (hood) of the clitoris only, to full excision of the clitoris, labia minora and labia majora. There are three forms of female circumcision; the first is Clitoridectomy which is the removal of the prepuce of the clitoris; the second is Excision which is the removal of the prepuce, the clitoris and the labia minora ; the third Infibulations is the removal of the prepuce, the whole labiae minora and majora and stitching together the two sides of the vulva leaving a small orifice to permit the flow of urine and menstrual discharge. (p17 Koso) Because of poverty and lack of medical facilities, the procedure is frequently done under less than hygienic conditions, and often without anesthetic by other than medically trained personnel. Anesthesia is rarely used. Razor blades, knives or scissors are the most common instruments used. There are several problems that arise from circumcision immediately after the surgery there is immense pain then hemorrhaging, shock, urinary retention, infection, fever and even death. After a couple of wee... ...sadvantage them in finding husbands. If a woman is not desirable or marriage worthy then social and economic consequences will negatively affect the woman and her entire family. Since the practice holds such cultural and marital significance, it is increasingly recognized that to end the practice it is necessary to work strongly with local communities to educate and bring about awareness to the situation. In conclusion, the abolishment of female circumcision would be hard for the cultures that practice this procedure to comprehend as to why it should be abolished. I agree with the measure that some cultures that once practiced female circumcision are now taking in order stop the mutilation without taking away the belief that a woman should be a virgin when wedded. References Dorkenoo, Elsworth. Tradition Tradition. 1992 Forward Ltd. Report of the First Study Conference of Genital Mutilation of Girls in Europe/Western World. 1993. Koso-Thomas. O. The Circumcision of Women: A Strategy for Eradication. 1992. Scilla, E. Female Genital Mutilation: Proposal for Change. 1992. Toubia. N. Female Genital Mutilation. A Call for Global Action. 1993.

global Practice Regents Essay :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Through out history, nations and regions have experienced barriers to development as a result of geographic factors.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   *Japan: Japan is a mountainous region geographically isolated from the rest of the world with a lack of raw materials. They formed a barrier for trade, development, industrialization, and cultural diffusion. They attempted to adapt to the barrier by turning to imperilization of China to gain raw materials.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   *Russia: Russia has very cold climatic conditions, the Ural mountains. The adapted to their geological barrier by using their weather to avoid being invaded by other nations. But they were unable to mine for minerals due to permafrost and the cold temperatures.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  *Switzerland:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Waterpower is the chief natural resource of Switzerland. Granite, limestone, and other building stones and salt are the only abundant mineral resources; small deposits of iron and manganese ores are found. Agricultural resources are limited, as most of the soil is leached and stony. Neither the soil nor the climate favors agriculture, and Switzerland must import much of the food it consumes and subsidize the farms that do exist. Nearly all the farms are family enterprises, and most are small in size.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Global Regents Practice Essay No. #4   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This artistic creations of different cultures reflect the values and goals of the people. These works are created in a variety of artistic mediums.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   *Traditional African/Dance: Like music, African American dance is rooted in African and African American traditions. In Africa, dance is often an integral part of religious ceremonies. The degree to which African slaves were able to retain African dance forms in North America depended on their masters. In some parts of North America, dancing was frowned upon by some Protestant slave-owners as sinful. Since these slave-owners defined dancing as crossing the feet, slaves adapted their dances to conform to European beliefs, creating a shuffling motion with the feet that would be less offensive to Europeans.

Henry IV, Act 5, Scene 4 :: William Shakespeare

In act 5, scene 4, the play reaches a dramatic climax. Due to the murder of Richard II, an act of regicide, it throws the country into turmoil as Henry IV is crowned king and since this event, he has struggled to keep the country unified. Throughout the play, Hal, Henry's son, has developed his character, he begun as a degenerate, spending all his time in taverns, keeping his company with criminals and peasants until the time when he realises his destiny and becomes the Prince of Wales. The relationship between the King and the Prince was awful at the beginning of the play, Henry saw him as useless and idiotic, as he spent his time with the lowest class of people, thieves and criminals and for this reason, Henry wished that Hotspur would be his son. But soon, their relationship improved as Hal acknowledged his responsibilities when Hotspur revolted against the King. This new-found love is emphasised when Henry shows his concern for Hal at the beginning of act 5, scene 4. Hal?s metam orphosis is seen by the country as a good thing because during the civil war, if Hotspur would be the victor, he would divide the country and this would upset the people, possibly leading to another revolt, the reason for this being that the people are used to the country being unified as one. However, if the King and Hal?s army are victorious in defeating Hotspur, the divine order would be restored and the country would remain in a state of unification. For the first key section of Act 5, Scene 4 opens on the battlefield with King Henry, Prince Hal, John of Lancaster and Westmoreland taking the stage. On the stage, I would choose to give a sense of tension to the scene, showing discarded weaponry lost on the ground, with some of the recently deceased clutching to their weapons to imply that as the battle rages on, the blood spilt is growing at an alarming rate and many already lie dead. Also, to show that the king is remaining at his camp, I would have tents with the king?s colours fluttering in the wind. I would have Henry taking centre stage with his weapon sheathed as at this time, he is more concerned over his now loyal son, Hal who by aiding his father in his time of need, is redeeming himself. Secondly, I would Henry IV, Act 5, Scene 4 :: William Shakespeare In act 5, scene 4, the play reaches a dramatic climax. Due to the murder of Richard II, an act of regicide, it throws the country into turmoil as Henry IV is crowned king and since this event, he has struggled to keep the country unified. Throughout the play, Hal, Henry's son, has developed his character, he begun as a degenerate, spending all his time in taverns, keeping his company with criminals and peasants until the time when he realises his destiny and becomes the Prince of Wales. The relationship between the King and the Prince was awful at the beginning of the play, Henry saw him as useless and idiotic, as he spent his time with the lowest class of people, thieves and criminals and for this reason, Henry wished that Hotspur would be his son. But soon, their relationship improved as Hal acknowledged his responsibilities when Hotspur revolted against the King. This new-found love is emphasised when Henry shows his concern for Hal at the beginning of act 5, scene 4. Hal?s metam orphosis is seen by the country as a good thing because during the civil war, if Hotspur would be the victor, he would divide the country and this would upset the people, possibly leading to another revolt, the reason for this being that the people are used to the country being unified as one. However, if the King and Hal?s army are victorious in defeating Hotspur, the divine order would be restored and the country would remain in a state of unification. For the first key section of Act 5, Scene 4 opens on the battlefield with King Henry, Prince Hal, John of Lancaster and Westmoreland taking the stage. On the stage, I would choose to give a sense of tension to the scene, showing discarded weaponry lost on the ground, with some of the recently deceased clutching to their weapons to imply that as the battle rages on, the blood spilt is growing at an alarming rate and many already lie dead. Also, to show that the king is remaining at his camp, I would have tents with the king?s colours fluttering in the wind. I would have Henry taking centre stage with his weapon sheathed as at this time, he is more concerned over his now loyal son, Hal who by aiding his father in his time of need, is redeeming himself. Secondly, I would

Philosophy 101 Study Guide

* Socrates: Philosopher who believed in an absolute right or wrong; asked students pointed questions to make them use their reason, later became Socratic Method. Charged with introducing strange gods and corrupting the young, he committed suicide. * Rhetoric: Saying things in a convincing matter * Skepticism: The idea that nothing can ever be known for certain. * Sophists: A wise and informed person, critical of traditional mythology, rejected â€Å"fruitless† philosophical speculations.A member of a school of ancient Greek professional philosophers who were expert in and taught the skills of rhetoric, argument, and debate, but were criticized for specious reasoning. * Socratic Irony: Feign Ignorance, or pretend to be dumber than really are to expose the weaknesses of people's thinking * â€Å"One thing only I know, and that is that I know nothing† * â€Å"He knows what good is will do good† * Plato (428-347 B. C. Athens, Greece): Student of Socrates. Established ‘The Academy'. Wrote Dialogues. He was a Dualist. * Two parts to a human: Body ; Soul Plato regarded the body and soul as separate entities * A person may crave or have an appetite for something, yet resist the craving with willpower. A correctly operating soul requires the highest part, reason, to control the lowest part, appetite, with assistance from the will. * Plato believed that though the body dies and disintegrates, the soul continues to live forever. After the death of the body, the soul migrates to what Plato called the realm of the pure forms. There, it exists without a body, contemplating the forms.After a time, the soul is reincarnated in another body and returns to the world. But the reincarnated soul retains a dim recollection of the realm of forms and yearns for it * Theory of ideas/forms: the reality behind the material world, which contains the eternal and immutable â€Å"patterns† behind the various phenomena, we come across in nature. * Plato believ ed that everything tangible in nature flows. There are no substances that do not dissolve, and so everything is made of a timeless â€Å"mold† or â€Å"form† that is eternal and immutable. * Eternal: Lasting or existing orever; without end or beginning. * Immutable: Unable to be changed * Form (Ideas): A form is an abstract property or quality. Take any property of an object; separate it from that object and consider it by itself, and you are contemplating a form. For example, if you separate the roundness of a basketball from its color, its weight, etc. and consider just roundness by itself, you are thinking of the from of roundness. * The forms are transcendent. This means that they do not exist in space and time. A material object, a basketball, exists at a particular place at a particular time.A form, roundness, does not exist at any place or time. * Pure – the forms only exemplify one property. Material objects are impure; they combine a number of propertie s such as blackness, circularity, and hardness into one object. * Archetypes – The forms are archetypes; that is, they are perfect examples of the property that they exemplify. The forms are the perfect models upon which all material objects are based. The form of redness, for example, is red, and all red objects are simply imperfect * Ultimately Real – The forms are the ultimately real entities, not material objects.All material objects are copies or images of some collection of forms; their reality comes only from the forms. * Causes – The forms are the causes of all things. * They provide the explanation of why any thing is the way it is * They are the source or origin of the being of all things * Systematically Interconnected – The forms comprise a system leading down from the form of the Good moving from more general to more particular, from more objective to more subjective.This systematic structure is reflected in the structure of the dialectic pro cess by which we come to knowledge of the forms. * Realm of Forms (World of Ideas): The world that we perceive through the mind, using our concepts, seems to be permanent and unchanging. Humans have access to the realm of forms through the mind, through reason, given Plato's theory of the subdivisions of the human soul. This gives them access to an unchanging world, invulnerable to the pains and changes of the material world.By detaching ourselves from the material world and our bodies and developing our ability to concern ourselves with the forms, we find a value which is not open to change or disintegration. * Realm of the Illusory (World of the Senses): The world we perceive through the senses seems to be always changing. It seems that all the objects we perceive with the senses are simply images or experiences in our mind. They are only subjective points of views on the real objects. For example, the world appears radically differently to a color blind person than it does to us. The objects that we perceive as colored, then, must not be the real objects, but just our experience of these objects that is determined by my particular subjective point of view and perceptual apparatus. * True Knowledge * He believed that as result of the constant change within the material world we could never really have true knowledge. * Eros: Greek god of love; son of Aphrodite; often shown blindfolded * Rationalism: the belief that human reason is the primary source of our knowledge of the world * Three parts of the Soul Reason (Intellect) * In the Head * Provide Wisdom * Where our individual/ unique talents lie * If reason functions excellently (arete) then we are wise to that extent * If we exercise wisdom to the extent then that part of the soul is excellent * Responsible for love of learning, spirited, & animated * Passion [Appetite/Desire] * From Greek word â€Å"Pathe† meaning the irrational movements of the soul * In gut * Provides temperance If passion function s excellently then we are temperate * If we exercise temperance to the extent then that part of the soul is excellent * Responsible for Desire * Thymos * Means Spirit/Will * In Heart * Provides Courage * Can help reason master passion * If we exercise courage to the extent then that part of the soul is excellent * Responsible for anger * Views on Women: Plato believed that women had a right, or you might even call it a role to play in society. Their role was to be a significant part of society, different from men, but still play a part.Plato believed that women were necessary for society to run smoothly. * Women were not equals of men * Women lacked strength * Women are naturally maternal * In Plato’s time it was unheard of to view women as more than a piece of property. * Dualist: a sharp division between the reality of thought and extended reality. * Aristotle (384-322 B. C; Macedonia, Athens): Pupil of Plato's. Believed Plato's world of ideas did not exist but that the ete rnal idea was really a concept- the idea of a horse that we have after seeing many of them. Learn know through the senses. â€Å"20 questions†. Causes * What type of material it is made of? * Wood * What type of thing it is? * Table * What caused it to come into being? * How it was built; the task needed to be done to create the table * Purpose or Final Cause (Telos): The purpose, end, aim, or goal of something. The final cause is the cause why a thing exists. * Meant to be a dinner table or desk * Views on Women: Viewed them as â€Å"unfinished men†. * Golden Mean: One cannot be too much of one thing or too less, need to be balanced * Empiricism: Derive all knowledge from what the senses tell us.There are no innate ideas and cannot prove the existence of God, eternity or substance * Hellenism: The period of time and the Greek-dominated culture that prevailed in the three Hellenistic Kingdoms of Macedonia, Syria, and Egypt. The diffusion of Greek Culture throughout the Mediterranean world after the conquest of Alexander the Great. * The Cynics: True happiness doesn't come from external advantages, like power/good health. Once you have true happiness, it can't be lost. Their own/others health shouldn't disturb them. * The Stoics * Stoicism was founded by a man named Zeno, who lived from 335-263 BC. He used to lecture not in a classroom but outside, on the porch of a public building * The word for porch in Greek is STOA, and so people called his students Stoics * People should try to reach inner peacefulness * Moderate in everything * Be happy with what they had. This would lead to a happy life * The best indication of an individual's philosophy was not what a person said but how he behaved * Destructive emotions resulted from errors in judgment * Sage: person of â€Å"moral and intellectual perfection† * Would not suffer from such emotions The Epicureans: They believed pleasure is the greatest good, but to attain pleasure was to live modest ly, gain knowledge of the workings of the world, and limit to one's desires. * Neo-Platonism: Belief of two poles on Earth, one end is the dive light called the One (God). Other end is absolute darkness, no existence, the absence of light. * Syncretism: The combining of different beliefs, often while melding practices of various schools of thought. * Mysticism: One with God, merging with him. â€Å"I am God. † or â€Å"I am You. † * Two Cultures The Indo-Europeans: Related languages of Europe, India, and Iran, which are believed to have descended from a common tongue spoken roughly in the third millennium B. C. by an agricultural peoples originating in SE Europe * The Semites: A member of any of the peoples who speak or spoke a Semitic language, including in particular the Jews and Arabs- mostly Middle Easterners, they saw history as an on going line, world will end on judgment day * The Middle Ages: Period of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century * St. Augustine: Latin-speaking philosopher and theologian who lived in the Roman Africa Province. Influence of the Arabs: The Arabic-Latin translation movements in the Middle Ages, which paralleled that from Greek into Latin, led to the transformation of almost all philosophical disciplines in the medieval Latin world. * St. Thomas Aquinas: Tried to make Aristotle’s philosophy compatible with Christianity. Believed Christendom and philosophy were the same thing. Used bible as a source of reason. Created a synthesis between faith and knowledge. Said there are natural theological truths—truths that can be reached through both Christian faith and innate reason.Tried to prove god's existence of Aristotle’s philosophy. Everything has a formal cause. God has revealed himself to mankind through both reason and the bible. * The Renaissance: period of European history at the close of the Middle Ages and the rise of the modern world; a cultural rebirth from the 14th throu gh the middle of the 17th centuries * Reformation: religious movement of 16th century that began as an attempt to reform the Roman Catholic Church and resulted in the creation of Protestant churches * Three Major Discoveries: The compass, Firearms, and printing press. The Baroque: Historic period from about 1600 until 1750 when the baroque style of art, architecture, and music flourished in Europe * Carpe Diem: Seize the day. * Memento Mori: â€Å"Remember your mortality†- meaning ‘Remember, you will die'. * Idealism: the philosophical theory that ideas are the only reality. * Materialism: the belief of material things (atoms and the void). All real things derive from concrete substances. Determinism: Laplace (french mathematician) said that everything that happens is predetermined- contradicting the belief of free will and suggests that the outcome of everything is written in the stars * Descartes: French philosopher and mathematician; developed dualistic theory of min d and matter. Father of modern Philosophy. * His main concern was what we can know – certain knowledge * â€Å"Je pense donc je suis†: â€Å"I think, therefore I am† * â€Å"Cogito ergo sum†: â€Å"I think, therefore I am† said by Rene Descartes. * Two Forms of Reality: Thought & Extention Agnostic: Unsure/Undecided/Needs more information. Unable to say categorically whether or not the gods/God exists; brought about by Sophist Protagoras * Atheist: Does not believe in God. * Spinoza: Baruch Spinoza-Jewish-Dutch rationalist (one of the great rationalists in 17th century); opposed Descartes' mind-body dualism; he laid groundwork for Enlightenment. Also wrote the book of Ethics * Historico-Critical Interpretation of the Bible: Spinoza applied the scientific method to the reading of Scripture, and this became what is now known as the â€Å"historical-critical method. His view was that religious conflict in Europe was a result of differing interpretati on on key biblical passages. He developed this method of reading Scripture in order to bring about universal agreement on its meaning. * Pantheist: God is infinite, he is present in everything. * Universal Law of Nature: the laws and rules of nature, according to which all things happen, and change from one form to another, are always and everywhere the same.So the way of understanding the nature of anything, of whatever kind, must also be the same, * One Substance: The claim that there is one and only one substance. This substance he identifies as God. * â€Å"Substance†: Does not need the conception of any other thing in order to be conceived * substance is its own cause * that it is infinite * that it is the only substance; for if there were two substances, they would limit each other and cease to be independent * Monist: reduces nature and the condition of all things to one single substance. Inner-Cause: Humans come to understand that their struggle follows by necessity f rom the struggle of Nature, and that it has an inner link with other parts of the environment through a common inner cause, Nature. * Determinist: Laplace (french mathematician) said that everything that happens is predetermined- contradicting the belief of free will and suggests that the outcome of everything is written in the stars * Free Will: Doctrine that conduct of the individual is the result of personal choice. not divine forces of fate) * Locke: English empiricist philosopher who believed that all knowledge is derived from sensory experience. * Empiricism: Derive all knowledge from what the senses tell us- came from Aristotle. There are no innate ideas and cannot prove the existence of God, eternity or substance) * Two questions about ideas? * Where do we get all of these ideas which are the content of our knowedge? * Whether things in the world fit our ideas, and not whether our ideas correspond to the nature of things in the world * Tabula Rasa: Clean slate. Primary Quali ties: Extension, weight, senses reproduce them objectively. * Secondary Qualities: Color, smell; reproduce the things that are inherent in the things themselves. * Natural Rights: Locke's political philosophy is his theory of natural rights privileges or claims to which an individual was entitled * Hume (1711-1776; English): Scottish philosopher whose sceptical philosophy restricted human knowledge to that which can be perceived by the senses. He was an Empiricist. * Two types of Perception * Impression: how we experience the world Ideas: what we recall of our impressions * Faith v. Knowledge: Knowledge is divided into three Categories * Knowledge * Belief * Faith (this is of lower grade than belief and knowledge) * Laws of Nature or Cause & Effect: Emphasized that the expectation of one thing following another does not lie in the things themselves, but in our mind. Sophist Teaching compared to Socrates Teachings: Sophist's desired money in return for teaching young men various thin gs about political and social life, such as rhetoric. ? Socrates was a philosopher, whom spent his days wandering around the gym and the agora, talking to people. He developed a following of young Greeks, such as Plato and Xenephon. Socrates did not charge for his teachings. He also made a habit of proving just how little Sophist's actually knew. Many people did believe Socrates was a Sophist and this is a reasonable claim, because Sophist were know to be knowledgeable people that taught the same skills Socrates was.Although Socrates would not consider himself a Sophist and would be known to talk down about them about how little they actually knew. Plato’s Myth of the Cave: A few people were sitting underground in a cave, facing the wall. They cannot turn around, and all they have ever seen are shadows of objects projected onto the wall. One manages to turn around, and he sees the actual items that he has only ever seen shadows of. It is completely dazzling. Plato is trying t o demonstrate the relationship of the material world and the world of ideas.Compared to the world of ideas, the material world is dreary. When Aristotle disagreed with Plato’s Theory of Forms; What did Aristotle offer up as an alternative explanation for Reality? Aristotle argued that the theory of forms is seriously flawed: it is not supported by good arguments; it requires a form for each thing; and it is too mathematical. Worst of all, on Aristotle's view, the theory of forms cannot adequately explain the occurrence of change. By identifying the thing with its essence, the theory cannot account for the generation of new substances.Aristotle was the first philosopher to formalize the subject of Metaphysics. As Aristotle explains, Metaphysics is the study of the One Substance (and its Properties) which exists and causes / connects all things, and is therefore the necessary foundation for all human knowledge. Aristotle was correct to realize that One Substance must have Prope rties that cause matter's interconnected activity and motion. Hellenistic Period in Mediterranean World (300 BCE 0 400 BCE): Common themes that pervaded multiple cultures at this time? The time between the death of King Alexander the Great and the emergence of Ancient Greece * the term Hellenistic to define the period when Greek culture spread in the non-Greek world after Alexander’s conquest * The Greek language being established as the official language of the Hellenistic world * The art and literature of the era were transformed accordingly to more Greek styles * The Greek were the majority over the Mediterranean world, but they often outnumbered by natives in the land; sometime there would be little interaction in some places between the Greek and the natives * The development of the Alexander Romance (mainly in Egypt) owes much to Greek theater as well as other styles of story. * The spread of Greek culture throughout the Near East and Asia owed much to the development o f cities. * The identification of local gods with similar Greek deities facilitated the building of Greek-style temples, and the Greek culture in the cities also meant that buildings. How is Christianity a blending between the Indo-European & Semitic World views? The Greeks and Romans are a part of Indo-European culture, while the Jews belong to Semitic culture. He describes how Indo-European culture was characterized by a belief in many gods—pantheism.Similar ideas popped up in many different Indo-European languages, and were expressed by words that resembled each other greatly. The Semites, on the other hand, are characterized by monotheism, the belief in one god. Judaism, Islam, and Christianity are all Semitic religions. But Christianity complicates things, because it spread throughout Indo-European cultures and incorporated many features of those cultures. Semitic religions believe in one like Christianity, but also Indo-European culture believes in a messiah just like J esus in the Christianity religion; so technically both cultures played a part in shaping Christianity. What is Descartes first movement of what is referred to as modern philosophy?What was his main â€Å"project† & what type of conclusions did he arrive at? Descartes is often regarded as the first thinker to emphasize the use of reason to develop the Natural Sciences. It can be said his main goal was to find out truth to God's existence then human existence, as these were the main two subjects. Descartes was the first philosopher in a long time to attempt to bring all knowledge into a coherent philosophy. His concerns were with certain knowledge—that which we can know for sure—and the mind/body relationship. Because philosophers believed in a mechanistic view of nature, it was critical to figure out how the mind's thoughts became translated into actions of the body.Descartes doubted everything that was not certain and then realized that the very fact of his doub ting meant he must be thinking. From there, he decided that the existence of God is also certain, and went on to define the world in terms of thought and matter, which he called extension. The mind and body interact, but the goal is to get the mind to operate solely according to reason. What did Spinoza propose as a way for understanding the world? How does this compare to Descartes conclusions? How are they similar? How are they different? He rejected Descartes's dualism and believed that thought and extensions are simply two of God's features that we can perceive. He had a deterministic view of the world, believing that God controlled all through natural laws.Spinoza felt that only God was truly free but that people could attain happiness through seeing things â€Å"from the perspective of eternity. † They are similar, because they both believe in God, but they are very different from Descartes relying mostly on reason, and Spinoza thinking that God controls everything thro ugh Natural Laws. Hume’s ideas on morality & the source of morality: David Hume, an 18th century philosopher, stated that morality is based on sentiments rather than reason. He concluded this after he developed his â€Å"theory† of knowledge which stated that everything we could know was observable by the senses — he was a naturalistic philosopher. He then looked at situations in which he thought that there was an obvious â€Å"wrong† and he