Friday, November 29, 2019

Harriet Tubman Was A Runaway Slave From Maryland Who Became Moses Of H

Harriet tubman was a runaway slave from maryland who became moses of her people. Her real name was Araminta Ross. She was of 11 children.She was a nursemaid for her master's baby.One day a man went to the store without permission and was going to get whipped. He asked ross to help and she refused.He threw an iron at the boy but he missed him and hit ross. It almost cracked her skull.She married in 1844 to a man named John Tubman.She decided to run away her husband refused to go.And she saved 300 people in slavery. The reward for all the people she took was $40.000 & she kept saving and they all lived. THE END!!!

Monday, November 25, 2019

What Makes a Credible Documentary Essay Example

What Makes a Credible Documentary Essay Example What Makes a Credible Documentary Essay What Makes a Credible Documentary Essay A documentary is successful when it is able to combine both the appearance of historically accurate elements and present believable situations through a false lens, leading the audience to question the reality of what they are seeing. The genre of documentary aims to present a convincing story through the use of credible documentary tactics to portray a fictional documentary. Every documentary depends on its viewers believing its premise. The illusion of believability is most often either confirmed or destroyed by the credits. Frequently the audience first learns the people on the screen were actors, and that they have fallen prey to the thick veil of believability that documentary films are so able to portray. To capture the audiences trust directors of documentary films apply many of the tactics and conventions documentaries serve to leave the audience questioning the reality and believability of what they view in the theatre and at home. Documentaries inspire an awareness of being that one has not previously experienced. The film urges the spectator to reevaluate not only ones breadth of knowledge but also puts forward the message that the documentary is actually made to talk about and the real truth from a person who is not involved with the message. Documentary film is a broad category of visual expression that is based on the attempt, in one fashion or another, to document reality. Although documentary film originally referred to movies shot on film stock, it has subsequently expanded to include video and digital productions that can be either direct-to-video or made for a television series. Documentary, as it applies here, works to identify a filmmaking practice, a cinematic tradition, and mode of audience reception that is continually evolving and is without clear boundaries. The nature of documentary films has changed in the past 20 years from the cinema verity tradition. Landmark films such as The Thin Blue Line by Errol Morris incorporated stylized re-enactments, and Michael Moores Roger and Me placed far more interpretive control with the director. Indeed, the commercial success of these documentaries may derive from this narrative shift in the documentary form, leading some critics to question whether such films can truly be called documentaries; critics sometimes refer to these works as mondo films or docu-ganda. However, directorial manipulation of documentary subjects has been noted since the work of Flaherty, and may be endemic to the form. The recent success of the documentary genre, and the advent of DVDs, has made documentaries financially viable even without a cinema release. Yet funding for documentary film production remains elusive and within the past decade the largest exhibition opportunities have emerged from within the broadcast market, making filmmakers beholden to the tastes and influences of the broadcasters who have become their largest funding source. Modern documentaries have some overlap with television forms, with the development of reality television that occasionally verges on the documentary but more often veers to the fictional or staged. The making-of documentary shows how a movie or a computer game was produced. Usually made for promotional purposes, it is closer to an advertisement than a classic documentary. Modern lightweight digital video cameras and computer-based editing have greatly aided documentary makers, as has the dramatic drop in equipment prices. With more visualization effects and bolder directors on the rise, its future holds a firm ground in context to modern cinema.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Employment-At-Will Doctrine Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Employment-At-Will Doctrine - Essay Example However, if the matter is personal and not related to business the employer has no cause for firing John. Dismissing John violates "Montana good cause rule" because the employer does not have appropriate reason to fire John since personal issues should be dragged into business. The use of Aristotle theory of Eudaimonism will instil a sense of morality to John and impact on the language he uses with others (Twomey, 2009). The employer should warn John against abuse in order to avoid hurting customers. The employer can dismiss Jim for inciting his colleagues’ to boycott business activities. The public policies protect employees against dismissal for engaging in issues of public interest. Workers are entitled to better pay hence they should express their discontent whenever they feel the employer is acting unfairly (Mader-Clark, 2013). The employer should meet with the employees and discuss the issue of bonuses and commissions and agree on the best rate for both the employees and the organization according to utilitarianism theory. The employer can dismiss Ellen for abusing her bosses. However, statutory exceptions prohibit employers from taking retaliatory action against Ellen hence the employer may face legal charges on retaliatory claim. Employers should show fairness to employees when carrying out promotion of workers. According to rights theory, the employer deserves respect irrespective of their level of education or other issues (Melden, 2008). The employer can dismiss Bill for using the organization’s property for personal gain (Mader-Clark, 2013). However, the statutory protection against such action, hence the employer should warn Bill adequately and threaten to sue him if he continues misusing business property. The employer cannot dismiss the secretaries for their protest against the installation of

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Religion and Violence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Religion and Violence - Essay Example It primarily aims to discipline people and encourage them to cohabit harmoniously within the framework of certain codes of social conduct. Besides, throughout human history, it has remained a major influence in determining the social and political structure of nations across the world. Religions, in general, seek the well being of humans and spread the messages of universal brotherhood and love, peace and harmony. Prophets in every cult have emphasized the need of spirituality and implored their followers to have sympathy for fellow beings. However, throughout human history, one comes across wars among different sects of people in the name of religion. In the modern world, in which humans have become a sophisticated species, bloodshed in the name of religion still prevails obviously due to misconceptions about religion. The instances of violence, in the name of religion, that characterize everyday life in the modern society, rather tend to substantiate the hypothesis that religion do es cause violence. The Jihad, which the Muslim radicals consider as a Holy War against nonbelievers, has become an excuse for some members of that community to indulge in terrorist activities against the US and other non-Muslim nations. According to them, their war is for justice that they have to wage against the nonbelievers to adhere to Allah’s wish. ... The reason, according to Osama Bin Laden, was to warn America of the support it extends to the Jewish community which has resulted in the oppression of their Muslim brethren in Israel. He has further threatened that the war would continue until justice is restored to the Muslim community, which is being â€Å"tortured and assaulted† by the Jews. (Motives for 9/11 Terrorist Attacks). The bombings in London on July 7, 2005, which claimed â€Å"52 lives and injured 700 people† is yet another instance of violence perpetrated by the Al Qaeda, in the name of religion (London Bombers Staged ‘Dummy Run’). The motive behind this mission, according to Osama, has been to â€Å"take revenge against the British Zionist Crusader Government† for the atrocities committed by them in Iraq and Afghanistan (Quinn par. 5). The problem of violence in the name of religion does not confine to the West alone. In the Orient, the strained relationship between India and Pakista n, apart from border controversies, can also be attributed to the difference in the major religious faiths in both countries. There have been many instances of terrorist attacks in India and in most cases, the allegations indicate the involvement of Pakistani citizens or the radical Muslim outfits based in or operating out of Pakistan. The most significant of such episodes is the terrorist attack in Mumbai, which lasted for almost four days from November 26 to November 29, 2008. An Indian author, B. Raman, in his book titled â€Å"Mumbai 26/11: A Day of Infamy,† suggests that the Indian Mujahidin tout their attack on India as the â€Å"war of civilization between the Muslims and the infidels† (Raman 17). This

Monday, November 18, 2019

COOP WORK TERM ANALYSIS REPORT Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

COOP WORK ANALYSIS REPORT - Term Paper Example ll description of how I managed to accomplish my objectives, what I learned, challenges and how to socially interact with people in a working environment. BTO Inc is a newly formed company. The company comprises six individuals. They include three web developers, one web designer, one server administrator and the manager. The company provides services which allow lawyers to get clients from other lawyers and also enable lawyers to expand their social career network. The company aims at expanding and growing their legal referral network. As one of the major step towards achieving this, BTO Inc is on the process of releasing its website in order for its clients to interact more with the company and also help in improving its service delivery. The website also will assist BTO Inc in marketing it brand and getting out to the outer world in order to get more client and a establish a larger market share. My work in BTO Inc. majorly involved being part of the team which embarked in establishing a web-based platform to serve lawyers. BTO has more than 40 lawyers who are already signed to use its services. The company is co-owned by two UT students. BTO Inc is based in a small office located in downtown area. The company does not have any other departments. The web-based platform would enable registered members to search in the job log to look for available job opportunities posted by other lawyers. The web-based platform can also enable them to view the daily news related to the law. I was involved in providing and updating event information related to law in the web-based platform. I was also involved in developing user-friendly searching system to target registered lawyers. Working with BTO Inc. was to help in better understanding of what really goes on in the real-world especially in the information technology and software development market. Having that in mind, I formulated the following objectives which were to guide me in accomplishing what I wanted to achieve

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Effects Of Consumerism In The 21st Century Marketing Essay

Effects Of Consumerism In The 21st Century Marketing Essay The term consumerism denotes an economic and a social order, whose objective is to encourage the purchase of goods and services, in a large amount. Consumerism is part of the media culture, and is associated with Thorstein Veblen, who criticizes extensive consumption. Veblen keenly observed the middle class of the twentieth century, and denotes that there level of consumption increases towards the end of the twentieth century. Their consumption behavior reflected materialism (Close, 24). On this note, consumerism during the 21st century has led to the rise of materialism, and this is most notable in the technology sector. Materialism in the technological sector is depicted by an increase in the sales of technological gadgets, such as mobile phones, personal computers, compact disk players and other electronic devices. Companies producing these gadgets are known to make millions of dollars in terms of profitability, and an example includes Apples, and Samsung electronic companies. These companies further accelerate the notion of materiality by improving the quality of their products, to carter for completion that emanates from the companies technological companies. There is an increase in companies producing these gadgets, because of a higher demand. This is only precipitated by the concept of materialism (Hoyer, 41). In the American consumer culture, there is a shift from the moral values of spirituality, communalism, and integrity while consuming the products of a company, or an organization. People now focus on competition and disconnection. On this note, our consumer behaviors depict us as materialistic individuals. In relation to competition, an individual will look at what another person has, and strife to buy the same gadget, or a different gadget. People compete with each other, not because they need the product, but to show their competitors that they can afford the same gadget. This is also an aspect of materialism, and it does not support the moral values on consumption. In the 21st century, business organizations initiate policies that will make their products attractive to famous personalities, because they greatly influence the reception of their products at the market. For instance, business organization will pay millions of dollars to sports leading sports personalities, and famous musicians, for purposes of marketing their products. Players like Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods and David Beckham have made millions of dollars, just endorsing the products of various companies. As a result of their endorsements, the products of these companies, have managed to penetrate their target markets. On this note, consumers purchase these products, for purposes of having a feeling of instant gratification. This is called an aspect of emulation. People strive to emulate those of a higher status than them. The poor strive to live like the rich, and the rich strive to live and behave like the famous. The consumption behavior of man during the 21st century has shaped him into an individualistic person. Individualism is seen on the corporate sector, at the same time it is depicted on a person himself. For example, producing and consuming commodities result to the extraction, and use of the natural resources. Factories create products from natural resources, and during the process of production, they exert toxic wastes. Using the commodities produced, especially the technological commodities, they emit carbon, which is responsible for eroding the environment. These companies do not want to change their policies and they continue with their productions, with minimal or no measures to reduce the emissions of carbon (Kanner, 51). They do not care on the effects of their productions to the environment. On the side of consumers, they need to boycott the products of companies that do not put in place environmental policies that will ensure the protection of the environment. One argument is that consumers need the products; this argument is not convincing because there are many companies which may be producing the product, and at the same safeguarding the environment. The only reason that emanates from the consumers in regard to this is individualism. The consumers only care for themselves, and not the future generations who will benefit from the various environmental measures that consumers can help to initiate. Consumerism creates the tendencies of narcissism (Steckstor, 27). Narcissism refers to a tendency whereby a person feels he or she is better than the other person . A Narcissist does not care for anyone else, apart from himself, and he or she usually seeks attention. The rise of consumerism in the 21st century has accelerated this notion of Narcissism. This is because of the production of various luxuries, and unnecessary materialistic goods which trade at the markets. These products act as a social mechanism, which place people into classes. For instance, the type of a person might judge the social class of another person through the type of car the person drives. For instance, an individual driving a Mercedes Benz might look down upon an individual with a Toyota cab. On this note, some people develop relationship with products, with the belief that they are a substitute for a good human relationship. This creates a concept of cultural hegemony, whereby a person believes that, because he or she has a certain product, he or she is better than those who do not have such kind of products. The 21st century notion of consumerism has made men and women to possess a dominant nature in the society. According to research, mankind is consuming more than 30% of what the environment within their surroundings produces (Solomon, 37). According to this research, countries which consume more than what they can produce, look for ways and means of filling in the deficit, by depleting the resources of other states (Solomon, 23). Thatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s why States like China, engage other countries in the globe, for purposes of looking for energy to satisfy their needs. United States of America also imports a majority of its oil from Saudi Arabia, and Nigeria. This is because it does not have sufficient energy to carter for the consumption needs of its citizens. Our Human goals have changed extensively dues to our consumer habits. For instance, in seeking a service, humans will be motivated for what they will get in turn, instead of how they will use the service to benefit the society. A good example, is in the education sector. A person will seek education, for self-gain, instead of seeking to serve the society. A person will acquire a job, basing on the expected salary, and not to serve the organization that employees him. This shift in our mentality has changed the goals of mankind in relation to consumption. The 21st century mankind is impressed by innovative ideas, and products. Man does not just buy a product, because it is on the market, he buys a product based on its technological capacity and ability to satisfy their needs (Kukathas, 18). This is because of the availability of money, made possible through the various opportunities that present themselves at the global economy. For instance, in the 1960s, companies did not care for people with little money to spend. This is because they believed these people did not have the ability to influence the market performance of their products. At the current century, business organizations are forced to seek the customerà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s opinions, ideas and thought concerning their products (Chin, 16). This is because the customer will only buy a product that satisfies his requirements and needs. The 21st century consumer has an ability to bring the downfall of a company, and this is because of the power of the internet and the social media. On this note, the human goal has changed from buying outdated products, to new and innovative products (Steksor, 31). This is proved by the constant innovations and improvements of Apples product, which are well received in the market, and has surpassed Nokia, and Samsung in the smartphones market. The performance of Apples in the market is largely attributed to its innovative tendencies, and this is what consumers look for in a product. The goal of mankind has changed to accumulating money, for buying luxurious products. This is as opposed to accumulate money for purposes of improving the society. Consumerism has made mankind to depend on factories and government institutions to carter for their basic needs, in exchange for money. Men and women, leave other people, such as business entities to carter for the production of these services. Man is so much focused on money, so that he may gain access to as many possessions as possible (Chevalier et al, 21). On this note, he is unable to carter for his basic needs, such as growing food for domestic consumption. Due to this change of human goals, mankind takes other jobs, to supplement his earning, which in turn he or she will use to buy unnecessary luxuries. On this note, men and women waste their times, on jobs that do not challenge their mental capability, just for purposes of buying luxuries. In conclusion, consumerism is an international phenomenon. Purchasing and consumption of goods and services in excess to an individualà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s capability existed during the eras of the first civilization. This depicts the periods of ancient Rome, Babylon and Egypt. Industrial revolution accelerated the concepts of consumerism. During this period, States in Europe, such as Britain, Belgium, Germany and France sought colonies so that they could provide raw materials for their industries. These colonies were in Africa, and Asia. These countries focused on building their industrial infrastructure through mining, oil production, building of transport and communication networks, and creating effective financial regimes. During this period, these States were able to create enough foods for the people, and workers were exploited by working many hours a day, giving them little time to engage in consumer activities. In United States of America, the concept emerged during the 1920s, with the rise of cheaper goods. This notion is similar to that of Europe and in particular, Britain. In Britain, the rise of cheaper, and excessive good due to industrial revelation lead to the emergence of the consumerism culture. Before the periods of 1920s, Americans struggled to feed themselves, because of the scarcity of money, and limited productions (Gunter, 31). But in 1920s, there was the development of an assembly line that made it possible for production of goods in plenty, and thus led to cheaper production. Factory owners also advertised their products, and the results of this were an awareness of the products in question and their availability. The driving factor in this period was the cost effectiveness of the products in question. This is also the guiding factor in the consumer tendencies of the 21st century. Consumers are guided by the availability of money to spend, and the products to buy.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Trifles Essay -- essays research papers

Trifles, written by Susan Glaspell, is a real life murder case that uses symbolism to help solve a mystery. Glaspell's use of dialect, set on a midwestern farm, emphasizes the town's gender-separated society. Isolationism, a quilt, and incomplete house work are the three key symbols in the play the help the reader figure out who murdered Mrs. Wright's husband. First of all, isolationism is an important clue in the murder case. Mrs. Wright's farmhouse is located in a hollow, down in the woods, which puts her in a secluded place. Mr. Hale, a friend, came to talk to Mr. Wright about a party telephone, but he said, "He put me off, saying folks talked too much anyway . . . " (59). This is an example of how Mr. Wright did not want himself and his wife to have contact with anyone in t...

Monday, November 11, 2019

Compare and Contrast Huckleberry Finn and to Kill a Mockingbird

9/12/2012 American Studies II Comparing and Contrasting: To Kill a Mockingbird and Huckleberry Finn In the books, The Adventures Huckleberry Finn and To Kill a Mockingbird, the authors demonstrate several themes: the coexistence of good and evil, the importance of moral education, the existence of social inequality, racism and slavery, intellectual and moral education, and the hypocrisy of â€Å"civilized† society.The common themes throughout the two books depict; that although the settings are nearly a century apart, society has not changed as drastically as believed. Racism, a main theme throughout both books reveals itself in many ways. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn takes place during the 1830’s – 1840’s, in Missouri, a slave state. During this time period, slavery was a controversial issue; and amongst the main causes for the civil war. In Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Huck learns to bond with a slave, Jim. Throughout the course of the novel, Ji m and Huck become close friends and he realizes that he cares for him.Huck disregards most common opinions throughout society, he is associated with this slave who is supposedly ‘less than human. ’ Jim, the slave, is an intellectual human being despite the fact that he is treated as a lesser life form. Whereas, in to Kill a Mockingbird, racism is illustrated in depth through a trial in which a negro man is accused of a rape, to which he is thoroughly proved his innocence. Despite the evidence agreeing with the defendant, the racist jury simply convicts the defendant â€Å"guilty†. To Kill a Mockingbird is set in the 1930’s, during the Great Depression in Alabama.A former slave state, and a southern state, the town of Maycomb was swarmed with racist and prejudice people. â€Å"The one place where a man ought to get a square deal is in a courtroom, be he any color of the rainbow, but people have a way of carrying their resentments right into a jury box. As you grow older, you'll see white men cheat black men every day of your life, but let me tell you something and don't you forget it – whenever a white man does that to a black man, no matter who he is, how rich he is, or how fine a family he comes from, that white man is trash. (Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird p295) We are all born innocent, and then we are exposed to the evils of the world. Progressively, we begin to conform to fit society’s measures. We do good things, and we do bad things. We are only human. Throughout these books, exists a coexistence of good and evil. People may have good intentions for some things, and feel quite differently in others. In To Kill a Mockingbird, the book displays the change Jem and Scout Finch make from their childhood innocence. From the beginning of the novel, the characters develop in many ways; mentally and physically.They have been raised by the ideal moral backbone, their father, Atticus. Despite the fact, they are not alwa ys prepared to see the world’s evils right before their eyes. During the course of the trial, Jem and Scout watch closely anticipating the result and hoping for the best. Yet, when they see the truth and the racism of the town before their eyes, they don’t know how to handle it. Jem has lost faith in humanity, and feels hopeless. Yet, Scout manages to see that people can be both good and bad. In humanity, good and evil coexists. â€Å"When they finally saw him, why he hadn’t done any of those things . . Atticus, he was real nice. . . .† His hands were under my chin, pulling up the cover, tucking it around me. â€Å"Most people are, Scout, when you finally see them. † He turned out the light and went into Jem’s room. He would be there all night, and he would be there when Jem waked up in the morning. † (Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird, p284) As the story progresses, Scout starts to see things in a new way. Her perspective starts to change an d she is able to see people for who they are and who they aren’t. Scout sees human evil, but she also realizes that people aren’t perfect and make mistakes.Scout sees that there is good in people, and that there is also bad in people. Despite the fact that she is a lot younger, she grasps the situation better than her older brother who seems to fall apart at the concept of human evil. The Mockingbird had become something symbolic in the story. The mockingbird represents innocence and portrays itself through several different characters in the story; such as Scout Finch or Boo Radley. Despite their innocence however, they can be injured with their contact with evil. In the story, it’s explained how Boo Radley’s innocence is tainted because of his abusive father.Thus the extended metaphor or symbolism would explain that killing a mockingbird is tainting innocence. When Scout inquires her, Miss Maudie explains, â€Å"Mockingbirds don’t do one thing b ut . . . sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird. † This also links the connection of Scout and Jem both having the last name finch, which is another name for a particularly small (and also harmless) bird. In Huckleberry Finn, Huck comes from the lower levels of white society, having a father who is a drunk who disappears constantly.Widow Douglas adopts him and attempts to reform him, although she has difficulties. Huck does not accept the ways of society, and often tells Widow that he would rather go live in hell for a change of scenery. The Widow tries to teach him how to read and tries to make him religious. Although the Widow’s efforts do finally teach Huck how to read, he is still skeptical of the world around him. He does not agree with rules, and feels like he should create his own. Life is an adventure filled with new things and new ways to do them. To the world, Huck is but an infant crawling and learning how to t ake his first own steps.Huck realizes his friendship with Jim has made him content, and that the outside world is harsh. Every time Huck and Jim find themselves on land, they see the world for what it is and it’s cons and tricks. They see the lies that people weave, the hatred, the conflicts. When Huck and Jim are together on the raft, they feel like they escape from the world and its problems. Everything seems to float away and they can enjoy the simple pleasures. They choose to isolate themselves and feel as if they are living an idealistic dream or are a part of a Utopian society.They do not need much to be satisfied, just a few basic needs and to be away from the hypocritical society. â€Å"I hadn’t had a bite to eat since yesterday, so Jim he got out some corn-dodgers and buttermilk, and pork and cabbage and greens—there ain’t nothing in the world so good when it’s cooked right—and whilst I eat my supper we talked and had a good time. . . .We said there warn’t no home like a raft, after all. Other places do seem so cramped up and smothery, but a raft don’t. You feel mighty free and easy and comfortable on a raft. †(Huckleberry Finn, page 119)Everything is a learning experience for Huck, who is still youthful and very open minded. He comes to see how people in society interact and what their certain views on things are. He learns of how things can contradict each other or become hypocritical. Huck witnesses lots of lying and schemes, many of them by the duke and the dauphin. However, he also pulls a few white lies of his own. Trying to save Jim and himself, he cons a few people. It’s then that he realizes that telling a lie, dependent upon the situation can actually be a good thing.This demonstrates the thin line between the right and wrong of things and how society uses them. â€Å"But I reckon I got to light out for the territory ahead of the rest, because Aunt Sally she’s goin g to adopt me and sivilize me, and I can’t stand it. I been there before. † (Huckleberry Finn, page 190) Huck realizes that although he has come to like Aunt Sally, she is a part of society that he chooses to be left out of. He feels comfort in being a recluse, and does not want to integrate himself in the society he disagrees with. Religion, and the supposedly â€Å"correct morals† that he would be forced upon don’t interest him.He also feels that he could get a better education from his own experience than from what he is being taught and forced. Huck feels ready to accept the challenge of his own life and take his own responsibility. So when Aunt Sally wishes to adopt him, he chooses to hit the road and set off on his own adventures. Throughout the novels, both Huck and Scout have this sense of independence and free thinking to them. Despite their obvious differences in upbringing, they share at the root the same thinking. They believe in independence a nd seeing for themselves what life is like.They do not want to believe in what â€Å"all adults† think is correct and force them to believe. They are both young and innocent and want to determine what is right and wrong in the world by themselves. Scout, is a little more guided with the help of Atticus; however she still makes many decisions by herself on her views of people. She is able to truly open her eyes and see what the world is made of. In conclusion, though Huck takes different approaches on his life and sets off on his own completely new adventures, he isn’t that different from Scout. They both have their own opinions which differ drastically from the rest of the society.

Friday, November 8, 2019

Bottom of the pyramid Essay Example

Bottom of the pyramid Essay Example Bottom of the pyramid Essay Bottom of the pyramid Essay An evaluation of the merits of targeting customers at the bottom of the pyramid. In what sectors and in which ways, if any, do the considerations raised by this approach alter the strategies of multinational corporations selling into emerging markets? Graduate Institute of International Studies, Geneva May 2007 Maja Regg International Business Second Assignment The income pyramid in emerging markets can be divided in four segments: From top down, it contains the global, the glocal, the local segments and the bottom of the pyramid (BOP). According to an approach first introduced by C. K. Prahalad, the BOP is an untapped market. He maintains that multinational corporations (MNCs) which sell to the poor will not only gain huge profits, but also alleviate poverty. l In this paper, I will evaluate the merits of the BOP approach from a business perspective by focusing on the strategic implications for a MNC willing to sell to the BOP. Taking the example of India, I will first define the market at the BOP in terms of size and characteristics. Then, I will discuss three dimensions in which the BOP approach alters the corporate strategies of MNCs, namely the collaboration with nontraditional artners, the efforts for custom solutions and the creation of a local base of support. After each dimension, I will evaluate the success of such a strategy for MNCs active in the sectors of basic sanitary products and prostheses. Finally, I will compare the prospect of profits for MNCs with those of local firms. Prahalad is not very consistent when defining the upper limit of the BOP. Yet the mostly used fgure is a dividing rule of 1500$ income per year. In the case of India, however, this definition is inadequate, as it would include 94% of the whole population. 2 Instead, I propose to adopt Aneel Karnanis delimitation line of 2$ ncome per day. 3 Measured this way, the bottom of the pyramid contains 87. 5% of the rural and 61. 5% of the urban population, or roughly three quarters of the total population. 4 This definition has the two following implications. Firstly, in terms of market size, the BOP in India is still very large, containing 750 million people. Secondly, in terms of purchasing power, the market is very limited due to the small disposable income of the customers. Therefore, the fortune at the BOP might be smaller than suggested by Prahalad and his associates. consumption that people at the BOP present. About a quarter of them earn less than 1 $ per day, living in extreme poverty. According to Karnani and Sachs, they cannot meet the basic needs for survival such as nutrition, health care, safe drinking water, sanitation, education for children, adequate shelter and clothing. The remaining moderate poor, earning 1$-2$ per day, can Prahalad C. K. and Hart S. , The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid, 2002; Prahalad C. K. and Hammond A. , Serving the Worlds Poor, Profitably, 2002; Hammond A. and Prahalad C. K. , Selling to the Poor, 2004. 2 World Bank figures from 2004, Povcal Net http://iresearch. orldbank. org/PovcalNet/ jsp/index. Jsp 3 Karnani A. , Mirage at the bottom of the pyramid, August 2006 4 World Bank, op. cit. -2- meet their basic needs, but Just barely. 5 According to the Indian government, poor people spend 60-65% of their income solely on food. On miscellaneous services between 15-19% of the income are spent. This means that on products from such sectors as health, entertainment and communications, people at the BOP can spend between O and 0. 38$ per day. I agree with Karnani that such a small disposable income does not allow these people to buy luxury products. In India, the consumers t the BOP are likely to buy only very cheap and much needed products. This conclusion is in tension with Prahalads opinion. He maintains that every product even luxury ones can be sold in large quantities as long as the MNCs adapt their strategies to the BOP market. The advices he gives concerning these altered strategies will be introduced in the following. Based on a framework elaborated by London and Hart7, I will classify these strategic advices in three dimensions: The collaboration with non-traditional partners, the elaboration of a custom solution and the creation of a local base of support. I will test each of these dimensions of corporate strategy with two MNCs belonging to different sectors and willing to sell their products to the Indian BOP. The first sector concerns basic sanitary products. Specifically, I will refer to a MNC selling soaps, such as the example of Hindustan Lever Ltd. 8, often cited by Prahalad. The second sectors concerns prostheses. The a MNC disposed to start a comparable venture selling lower limb prostheses to the poor. The first strategic dimension refers to the collaboration with non-traditional partners, which should be part of the non-market strategy of the MNCs. According to Prahalad, in order for a MNC to be successful, its venture must not adopt a Western corporate strategy. It has to get the deepest possible insight in the business environment at the BOP. This is done best by collaborating with non-traditional partners such as NGOs and local firms, which know the characteristics of the BOP very well. 0 Nevertheless, especially organisations with a strong social mission are likely to be sceptical to deal with MNCs. Therefore, the MNCs will have to show the social value of their ventures. Furthermore, MNCs might have to get used to very different working styles of their ew partners. 5 Karnani A. , op. cit. ; Sachs D. , The end of poverty, March 2005 Karnani A. , op. cit. 7 London T. and Hart S. , Reinve nting strategies for emerging markets: beyond the transnational model, 2004 8 Michigan Business School, student case study: Selling Health: Hindustan Lever Ltd. nd the Soap Market 9 Michigan Business School, student case study: Jaipur Foot: Challenging Convention 10 London T. and Hart S. , op. cit. 6 -3- Both the MNC selling soaps as well as the one selling prostheses could undertake various efforts to establish such partnerships. In order to get used to different working styles, they could send some of their executives to live several months in Indias rural areas. Furthermore, the MNCs could win the goodwill of the organisations by launching campaigns emphasizing their products added-value in terms of improvement of hygiene and living conditions. One has to keep in mind, though, that the efforts made in this first strategic dimension imply significant costs for the MNCs. solutions. These advices concern the market strategy and advance two aspects, which MNCs have to consider: The price of the product and the business model. As we have seen above, due to the extremely low income of Indians at the BOP, a very low price is essential. MNCs normally use economies of scale to reduce their production costs and consequently their selling price. As an additional way to lower the price, Prahalad further suggests to sell products as cheap single serves. Karnani, on the contrary, maintains that the only way to reduce costs is by reducing quality. 11 What are the implications for the two MNCs considered here? For the MNC selling soap, the strategy advices work out: As the product is very basic, it can be sold across several regions without much customisation. Therefore, the MNC can use economies of scale to produce cheap soaps. They can also offer single serves of soap and sell them very cheaply. Finally, even if they have to reduce quality in order to keep the price very low, the people at the BOP will still consume the product in large quantities. The situation for the MNC selling prostheses is very different: It can only rely on economies of scale to a very low degree as its product has to be highly customised. Furthermore, there is no such thing as a single serve of prosthesis. And finally, the product is something poor people will have to save for during a long time eriod. 12 Therefore, they will have higher expectancies concerning the quality of the prostheses. 13 For all these reasons, I conclude that the first aspect of a custom solution, the low price, is easier to obtain in the case of soaps than in the case of prostheses. 1 Karnani, op. cit. As a reference, Jaipur Foot sells its prostheses at the price of 30$. According to the consumption patterns mentioned above, a person at the BOP would have to save all his income designated to miscellaneous services during 2. 5 to 6 months. (Michigan Business School, student case study: Jaipur Foot: Challenging Convention) 13 The example of the Jaipur Foot shows that lower limb pr ostheses must be adapted to the specific needs of the rural, agricultural population. To attain a sufficiently functional product, a high quality both in terms of material and design is necessary. Michigan Business School, student case study: Jaipur Foot: Challenging Convention) 12 -4- The second aspect of co-inventing custom solutions is the business model. In India, a out into vast rural areas, which are not well accessible because of lack of infrastructure. Nevertheless, in order to sell in very large quantities, the distribution has to reach a national coverage. Additionally, as Karnani suggests, the cost of delivery is further increased by the small size of each transaction. 14 In order to overcome these challenges, London and Hart suggest that the business model should involve multiple distributors. This participatory approach has the merit to reach out to rural areas and to raise the income of the distributors. 1 5 For the MNC selling soaps, such a participatory approach involving multiple distributors makes sense. It could try to sell the soaps in village shops or through local entrepreneurs, as shown by the HLLs business model for the Annapurna salt, engaging local women ntrepreneurs, so-called Shaktis. 16 The soaps can therefore be made accessible in Indias poor rural areas. Combined with the facts that the product covers a basic need and is cheap, as seen above, a lot of people at the BOP will buy the soaps. In the case of the MNC selling prostheses, the participatory approach of distribution is not practicable. The fitting of lower limb prostheses requires very specific skills, which are not likely to be found in a sufficient number of villages. Consequently, as the product is not accessible easily, poor people would have to travel, which means additional costs for them. Having seen their extremely low income, it is therefore not probable, that this MNC will sell a high enough quantity of prostheses. In conclusion, the MNC selling soaps is more able to adopt a business model adjusted to the BOP than the MNC selling prostheses. Finally, I come to the third dimension of strategic implications proposed by Prahalad and his associates. It refers to the non-market strategy of building a local base of support. As India is trying to promote its own MNCs, it is less receptive for foreign firms coming in. The Western MNCs therefore have to invest in alliances and raise oodwill among local authorities. A MNC which wants to leverage the size of the Indian BOP market has to be present in many Indian states. This increases the number of authorities at state-level which have to be dealt with. Such an extended non-market strategy again raises the cost of the venture. This is the case for both the MNC selling soaps as well as the one selling prostheses. 14 London and Hart, op. cit. 16 Michigan Business School, student case study: Annapurna Salt: Public Health and Private Enterprise 15 -5_ To conclude the analysis of the strategic implications of Prahalads approach, I would ike to point out that altering the corporate strategy in order to sell to the poor does not work out for every MNC. Both the MNC selling soap and the one selling prostheses will have to face increased costs in their non-market strategy, particularly in order to establish partnerships and build a local base of support. However, in the case of the soap, the very low price and farreaching distribution allows for large volume sales. Therefore, the profits made through the market strategy can outweigh the costs caused by the adaption to the non-market environment. This is not the case or the prostheses venture: As the price cannot be reduced enough and accessibility is difficult, the product cannot be sold in a large enough quantity as to outweigh the costs of the venture. When analysing these corporate strategies in a Ghemawatl 7 framework, we can see that the MNC selling soap adopts a strategy focusing primarily on aggregation and arbitrage and a little bit on adaption. Contrariwise, the MNC selling prostheses has to emphasize on adaption and arbitrage, while not being able to reduce costs through aggregation, that is, economies of scale. According to Khanna and Palepu18, local irms in emerging markets face less adaption costs: They know the local market structure better, they tend to overcome distribution challenges more easily and they do not have to deal with institutional obstacles. Therefore, particularly the MNCs willing to sell products to the BOP which need a lot of adaption, will have to face the additional challenge of rivalry by local firms. I conclude by stating that the BOP approach is profitable only for MNCs in certain sectors. In order for a MNC to be successful in the BOP market, it has to sell a product which corresponds to the basic needs of poor people, which can be sold at a ery low price, does not have to be of high quality and can be made very accessible. Contrariwise, MNCs selling products which need a lot of adaption, are more expensive and less accessible do not have good prospects for gaining profits at the BOP. Furthermore, as local firms are better placed to sell products with a high degree of adaption, these latter MNCs will additionally face the threat of competition. Therefore, I maintain that whether or not a fortune can be made at the BOP depends very much on the type of product the MNC offers to the poor. 17 Ideas taken from: Ghemawat P. The Forgotten Strategy, 2003 Tarun Khanna and Krishna G. Palepu. Emerging Giants: Building World-Class Competitors in Developing countries, 2006 18 -6- Bibliography Articles Ghemawat P. , The Forgotten Strategy, Harvard Business Review, 2003 Hammond A. and Prahalad C. K. , Selling to the Poor, Foreign Policy, May/June 2004 London T. and Hart S. , Reinventing strategies for emerging markets: beyond the transnational model, Journal of International Business Studies, 2004 Karnani A. , Mirage at the bottom of the pyramid, William Davidson Institute Working Paper Number 835, August 2006 Prahalad C. K. and Hart S. The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid, Strategy and Competition, Issue 26, 2002 Prahalad C. K. and Hammond A. , Serving the Worlds Poor, Profitably, Harvard Business Review, September 2002 Sachs D. , The end of poverty, Time Magazine, March 2005 Tarun Khanna and Countries. Harvard Business Review. October 2006 Websites Michigan Business School, student case studies, bus. umich. edu/FacultyResearch/ResearchCenters/ProgramsPartnersh ips/ ITChampions/default. htm World Bank fgures from 2004, Povcal Net http://iresearch. worldbank. org/PovcalNet/Jsp/index. Jsp

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

T4A Tax Slips for Canadian Income Taxes

T4A Tax Slips for Canadian Income Taxes Tax season is never a walk in the park, and having the deal with forms with confusing names that sound like Star Wars robots dont make it any better. But once you know what each form is for, filing taxes becomes just that much less of a nuisance. If you are working in Canada, you will most likely encounter the T4A Tax Slip. Here is a quick breakdown of what the T4A Tax Slip is and what to do with it. What Are T4A Tax Slips? A Canadian T4A tax slip, or Statement of Pension, Retirement, Annuity, and Other Income, is prepared and issued by an employer, a trustee, an estate executor or liquidator, a pension administrator, or a corporate director, to tell you and the ​Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) how much of certain types of income they paid you during a tax year and the amount of income tax that was deducted. Income covered by T4A tax slips includes: Pension or superannuationLump-sum paymentsSelf-employed commissionsAnnuitiesRetiring allowancesPatronage allocationsRESP accumulated income paymentsRESP educational assistance paymentsPayments under a wage-loss replacement planOther income, including death benefits, registered disability savings plan payments, research grants, scholarships, bursaries, fellowships, artists project grants, and prizes Note that pension income from Old Age Security is reported on the T4A(OAS) tax slip and amounts you received from the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) or Quebec Pension Plan (QPP) are reported on the T4A(P) tax slip. Deadline for T4A Tax Slips T4A tax slips must be issued by the last day of February the year after the calendar year to which the T4A tax slips apply. Sample T4A Tax Slip This sample T4A tax slip from the CRA site shows what a T4A tax slip looks like. For more information on what is included in each box on the T4A tax slip and how to deal with it when filing your income tax return, click on the box number in the pull-down menu or click on the box on the sample T4A tax slip. Filing T4A Tax Slips With Your Income Tax Return When you file a paper income tax return, include copies of each of the T4A tax slips you receive. If you file your income tax return using NETFILE or EFILE, keep copies of your T4A tax slips with your records for six years in case the CRA asks to see them. Missing T4A Tax Slips If you havent received a T4A tax slip, file your income tax return by the deadline anyway to avoid penalties for filing your income taxes late. Calculate the income and any related deductions and credits you can claim as closely as you can using any information you have. Include a note with the issuers name and address, the type of income, and what you have done to get a copy of the missing T4A slip. You are required to ask for a copy of the missing T4A slip. Include copies of any statements and information you used in calculating the income and deductions for the missing T4A tax slip. Other T4 Tax Information Slips Other T4 tax information slips include: T4 - Statement of Remuneration PaidT4A(OAS) - Statement of Old Age SecurityT4A(P) - Statement of Canada Pension Plan BenefitsT4E - Statement of Employment Insurance and Other BenefitsT4RIF - Statement of Income From a Registered Retirement Income FundT4RSP - Statement of RRSP Income

Monday, November 4, 2019

Polyeurethanes Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Polyeurethanes - Research Paper Example Some of these chains can be very small, while others can extend to incorporate many monomers on orders of hundreds to thousands. The length and complexity of the chain also affects the chemistry and how the compound will interact under specific conditions. For example, as the chains get longer, chemical properties such as melting point and boiling point increase with resistance and hardening, but chain mobility decreases (Mark 3-24). As a result, this impacts the mold ability of the polymer. One of these polymers that our society has adopted across many industrial and commercial applications is Polyurethane. Polyurethane is a polymer, which consists of repeating units of a core structure containing: urethane groups in addition to benzene rings and the carbon chain. The polymer was first synthesized in Germany by chemist, Otto Bayer, in 1937. The primary complex of chemicals, which are used, is isocynate and polyol. These chemicals size, purity, and quality all influence how fast the reaction will go to completion, as well as the chemical forces will affect the properties of the compound. The reaction is catalyzed to begin the polymerization reaction by tertiary amine compounds. Polyurethane is classified in a group of other compounds known as reaction polymers. The properties of polyurethane can change based on the types of monomers, which are substituted into the carbon chain. When in a solid form, polyurethane is a flammable material and can have some side effects with exposure to humans. It can cause eye and lung irritation, but is not a known carcinogen (Ashida 5-9). Commercially, polyurethane has become an important type of epoxy, which is used in a wide variety of applications in the manufacturing industry as well as products and services. Because of the multiple substituents that can occur in the polymer, it can have the properties of rubber, but still be tough enough to withstand great amounts of force as well as endure high temperatures. It was origina lly designed to supplement rubber, and eventually replace it. Now, it is used in many commercial applications. It is used to help hold upholstery and dashboards in vehicles. The â€Å"harder† variants of this material are used in shoes, as adhesives and coatings as well. One of the more typical applications of this was the discovery that this polymer could be used as foam. The synthesizing of the foam compound of polyurethane is a bit different than the standard compound. It involves a reaction with carbon dioxide and water, which is what it gives it the high degree of mold ability. One important fact that has to be noted about this particular reaction is that it is an exothermic reaction, meaning that high amounts of heat are released upon the catalyzation of the polymerization reaction. As a result the use of the foam polymer has seen the most widespread use in terms of the other variations. It’s most common application is through the use of insulation in houses. Bec ause the foam is form fitting, it can block holes and unusual spaces, which conventional materials would fail to block. This has also made it a good sealant for tires. The use of the foam type of polyurethane also extends to use on airplanes, as soundproofing, use in electrical equipment, etc (Moore). Polymers and the basis of polymer science have had a large impact not only on industrial and commercial companies, but also in the daily lives of our

Saturday, November 2, 2019

BP Portfolio Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

BP Portfolio - Essay Example In the next section, the study will shed light on issues regarding types of people that are important for the organization, problems being faced by employees in British Petroleum (BP) while negotiating with other people, evaluating impact of mentioned conflict on organizational success and recommendations for addressing people driven conflict situation in BP. According to Huczynski and Buchanan (2010) and Fuller and Marler (2009), organizational effectiveness depends heavily on its ability to manage performance, work attitude and personal attributes of employees. Fuller and Marler (2009) argued that neither do people in the organization perform equally well nor are they considered as equally important, due to difference in skill and competency level. Mullins and Christy (2013) also supported the fact that personality and work attitude of individuals need to match with performance expectation and vision statement of the organization in order to classify those individuals as important. ... According to Schuster’s (2012) report [Helmut Schuster is Group HR Director in BP], human resource department of BP follows five step model to select human capital who can give important and valuable contribution to business success of the company. These five steps can be defined as, 1- attracting best global talent through stringent qualification criteria, 2- providing training and developing skill competency among recruits, 3- deploying diverse succession planning to ensure steady supply of talent pool, 4- managing the motivation of individuals through transparent performance based reward system and 5- engaging employees in knowledge sharing and inclusive organizational culture in order to enhance their contribution level. BP wants certain skill set from the hired such as, strong academic background, ability to grasp technical and cross-functional knowledge effectively, ability to make decisions in contingent and critical situation, coordinating and communicating with other members while working in team and ability to deliver performance in a consistent manner (Schuster, 2012). As per the talent requirements of BP, three types of people may be most effective for the organisation. Type 1- this set of people can be classified as aspirer or individuals, who join BP for achieving materialistic objectives (British Petroleum, 2012). These set of people are ready to follow business objectives and performance of codes of British Petroleum, in non-hesitant manner, for achieving high career growth. As motivation of these employees is driven by financial outcome and career growth, hence it becomes difficult for British Petroleum to retain engagement level of these people in sustainable manner. Type 2- this set of