Business Decision Making Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Business Decision Making - Essay Example The price for the terrace house with 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms is ?395,000. The average price for 2-bedroom terrace house with 1 bathroom is ?364,999.67 with median ?370,000 which is not far from the mean. In this case, the ultimate basis for the decision as to how much will be the budget for the terrace house with 4 bedrooms and 4 toilets will be the mean and median. Notice how much increase was incurred from the mean of 2-bedroom terrace house with 1 bathroom to 3-bedroom terrace house with 2 bathrooms. The difference in the mean is ?30,000 and the difference in the median is ?25,000. In this case, there is a remarkable basis to approximate how much will be the probable price for a 4-bedroom terrace house with 4 toilets. Adding these remarkable differences to ?395,000, then the average price-mean for a 4 bedroom terrace will be 420,000 and the average median-price will be approximately ?425,000. These are all approximate values, but the trend for the actual employed values is take n into account. 2.3 There are many ways on how to analyse data using measures of dispersion. The measure of dispersion will inform us whether a distribution is normal or abnormal (Rachev et al., 2005; Rubin, 2012). For this reason, a statistical analyst can generate this idea by solving the value of skewness and kurtosis using the following formula (Basu, 2009; Celsi et al., 2011). Sk = [3(x – Md)/SD, where x is the mean, Md is the median and SD is the standard deviation. Ku = Q/(P90 – P10) where Q = (Q3-Q1)/2, and P90 and P10 are corresponding percentile ranks. Below are the computed values for dispersion using the given data. Property type Skewness Kurtosis 2 bedroom flat 1.19 2.89 3 bedroom flat 0.69 1.85 2 bedroom terrace house -0.59 1.50 3 bedroom terrace house 0 0 3 bedroom semi-detached house 0.60 1.80 The rule states that if the skewness is equal to zero and kurtosis equals 0.265, then the distribution is normal or the dispersion is most likely following a norm al distribution. The data are equally distributed from its central location like mean or median. In the above given data, it seems that most data are highly dispersed to the right, and with high vertical dispersion because each kurtosis tends to be leptokurtic in nature because of the positive value. On the other hand, a correlation coefficient cannot only test the relationship between the data sets, but the degree of their variation, and at some point this will have meaningful implication on their actual dispersion. The table below shows the correlation values generated from the data sets concerning the price, and the number of bedrooms and bathrooms. Correlation Number of bedrooms Number of bathrooms Price 0.42 0.13 The generated values as shown in the above table only shows that there is a significant point to justify the information generated on the data’s skewness and kurtosis, because the poor correlation signifies that the given values are varied and most likely not to follow a certain pattern or trend. 2.4 Based on the information from 2.3, skewness and kurtosis are obtained by employing the values for quartiles and percentiles. These means that quartiles and percentiles have strong role to play to help us identify the actual level of dispersion of the data, because they all have the necessary information to tell us something about the distribution of the data sets and the actual variation. In other words, they have the credibility to inform us of

Deviation in the process metric Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Deviation in the process metric - Essay Example So attempts to remove or replicate a deviation that occurred in the past are being made as a reaction to those changes. In the reactive state, the team looked at cause and effect. In proactive mode, attention shifts to the "likely cause" and "likely effect." Lean teams in this phase spend time shaping the future: looking for potential problems and opportunities and ways to avoid or exploit them. After the potential problem analysis, the team addresses the likely cause of a process performance decline by taking preventive actions. If, despite preventive actions, the likely cause does occur, the team is prepared for damage control with planned contingency actions. Potential opportunity analysis helps teams explore the future for better-than-planned process performance, helping them promote the likely cause so process performance exceeds expectations. They take promoting actions to capitalize on the potential positive effect. When things do go better, they are prepared to take full advantage of the opportunity. For example, a company has Support Departments which reacts on users' complains about network performance. Reactive approach is to react on each user's request asking him or her to wait while network be unloaded. Proactive approach in this case is to purchase and install new network equipment that is more costly and takes more time. But proactive approach advantages in strategic outlook because as a result number of users' complains in Support Departments decreases. 3. Illustrate how an organization could use outsourcing to gain a competitive edge on competition. An organization could use outsourcing for managing network security. When this part of work is entrusted to professionals they do it in qualitative manner and for lesser money, what really gives a competitive advantage to the organization. Schweitzer (2004) writes that for some organizations, network management operations may be better served through outsourcing. Freeing up some of staff's administrative duties may merit farming out perhaps a portion of the company's network management tasks. With so many vendors now offering a plenty of services, including remote monitoring and management of networks, it's not difficult to find prices that fall within a range of budgetary parameters. The outsourcing alternative can ease the sometimes perplexing burden of network management. In the end, an effective network security team will exercise a comprehensive management approach that applies both proactive and reactive elements. Individual businesses should engage knowledgeable managers to examine the needs of the company and make choices as to the best courses of action to ensure the highest level of network security available, whether via proactive or reactive means. (Schweitzer 2004) 5. Analyze the assertion that "Security is as much a human problem as a technical problem." When the personal information of hundreds of thousands of individuals comes upon swindlers, many people think that careless computer or

Distracted Driving Statistics

Distracted Driving Statistics Kaitlyn DAgati   According to the website, Distraction.gov, distracted driving is defined as any activity that could divert a persons attention away from the primary task of driving. In 2015, the State of Florida recorded a total of 45,740 traffic accidents that were a direct result of distracted driving. Of the total number of distracted driving accidents recorded, a total of 39,396 injuries were reported and, sadly, 214 people lost their lives as a result of distracted driving accidents. With astounding statistics as these, some would ask, is the State of Florida doing enough to prevent distracted driving? Given the statistics, the answer appears to be that the state is not doing enough to educate the public about the dangers of distracted driving although some may argue that it has. In order to make a proper determination, it is important to fully understand what distracted driving is, examine the statistics of distracted driving, and explore what more can be done in order to bring awareness to th e dangers of distracted driving. First, in order to properly discuss the topic of distracted driving, it is important to fully understand what distracted driving actually is. As defined earlier, distracted driving involves any activity that would cause the driver of vehicle to divert their attention (Distraction.gov). According the article entitled, Focus on Driving Florida distracted driving can be further broken down into three different categories: visual, manual, and cognitive (Focus on Driving Florida). Any activity that would require a driver to take their eyes off the road is would be a visual distraction. Manual distractions would require that the driver take their hands off the wheel; whereas, cognitive distractions involve the driver thinking about things other than driving (Focus on Driving Florida). Examples of distracted driving include: eating, grooming, unsecure pets, adjusting vehicle control. One of the most dangerous forms of distracted driving is texting because it involves all three categories of distraction: visual, manual, and cognitive. Next, in order to better grasp the growing problem of distracted driving, it is important to examine the statistics. In 2014, it was reported that 3,179 people were killed and another 431,000 people were injured in accidents that involved distracted drivers (distraction.gov). However, just the following year, the State of Florida reported that 214 people lost their lives in accidents due to distracted driving. When averaged out among the different states, the statistics provided in 2015 by the State of Florida appear to be an increase in the amount of injuries and fatalities caused by distracted driving. It is reported that in any given month, 169.3 billon text messages are sent across the US territories and approximately 660,000 drivers are using their cell phones or electronic devices at any given moment (distraction.gov). Additionally, it has been noted that the amount of drivers observed texting has increased from 1.7 percent in 2013 to 2.2 percent in 2014 (distraction.gov). Fina lly, and perhaps most scary of all, is that it only takes 5 seconds for a distracted driver going about 55 mph to cover approximately 100 yards, which equals the length of a football field (distraction.gov)! Finally, in order to begin to reverse the statistics discussed above, it is important to explore what more can be done in order to bring awareness to the dangers of distracted driving. In 2013, the State of Florida began issuing traffic citations for distracted driving and the number of citations issued since the start has steadily climbed. Currently, texting while driving is considered a secondary offense, which means an officer has to pull a driver over for another reason before the driver can be issued for texting while driving. The fine for the first offense for texting and driving is thirty dollars and isnt considered a moving violation. A second offense within a five-year period could result in a sixty dollar fine and would be considered a moving violation which would add points to the drivers license (Isger, S., 2013). At this time, drivers are allowed to use their phones while stopped at a light or stuck in traffic. In addition, drivers are allowed to speak on their phone whi le driving and can use their phone while driving to check maps, use voice commands, or for other programming (Isger, S., 2013). The State of Florida has attempted to bring awareness to the danger of distracted driving by releasing radio public service announcement ads and launching a social media campaign using the hashtag of FocusonDrivingFL on Twitter and Facebook (Focus on Driving FL). However, according to the article entitled, Brutally Honest: How to keep your teens from texting and driving that was published in August of 2016, 55% of young adult drivers believed that texting and driving was easy while 34% of teens admitted that they had texted while driving even though forty-four states passed laws making it illegal to text and drive (Wallace, 2016). Teens interviewed for the story admitted that they had seen their parents driving while they were distracted including texting while driving. With this knowledge, it soon becomes apparent that the State of Florida has failed to ad equately do enough to educate drivers both young and old so this begs the question, what more can the state do? First, it appears that the campaigns to bring awareness to this issue either need to be more consistent or need to reach a greater audience. The social media campaign stopped with just two platforms: Facebook and Twitter. Although more adults are on Facebook than ever before, most teens have fled that social networking site just for that reason. Instagram has quickly overtaken Twitter as the choice among many teens, yet the State hasnt attempted to launch campaigns on the social networking site. Additionally, tougher penalties need to be considered when a driver is caught texting and driving. In reality, most people will pay more for their designer coffee in a week than they will if they were ticketed for distracted driving! Finally, the state should consider more in-school campaigns, including those that have been injured or caused the injury of someone else because of di stracted driving. It seems as though these type of visual demonstrations have a major impact on teens. In conclusion, distracted driving is defined as any act that would require the driver to divert their attention from the task of driving. Distracted driving can fall into three different categories: visual, manual, and cognitive with some behaviors, such as texting falling into all three categories. The statistics have shown that the incidents of accidents, injuries, and deaths have continued to rise over the last couple of years. Given this information, it soon becomes apparent that the State of Florida has failed to do enough to educate drivers to the dangers of distracted driving. In order to begin to reverse these statistics, it is necessary for drivers, both young and older, to become more educated about the dangers of distracted driving. Works Cited Facts and Statistics. Distracted Driving : Facts And Statistics. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Dec. 2016. . Florida Distracted Driving Awareness. Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Dec. 2016. . Sonja Isger Palm Beach Post Staff Writers 10:18 P.m Monday, Sept. 30, 2013 Florida and Legislature News. Texting While Driving Illegal in Florida Starting Tuesday. Texting and Driving in Florida Illegal Tuesday. Palm Beach Post, 30 Sept. 2013. Web. 11 Dec. 2016. . Wallace, Kelly. Brutally Honest: How To Keep Your Teens From Texting and Driving. CNN. Cable News Network, 1 Aug. 2016. Web. 11 Dec. 2016. .

An Analysis of the Term Actually Incurred in Section 11(a) of Income Tax Action :: Accounting Education Finances Taxes Essays

An Analysis of the Term Actually Incurred in Section 11(a) of Income Tax Action Act No. 58 of 1962 1.SYNOPSIS Generally Accepted Accounting Practice includes statement AC000: Framework for the preparation and presentation of financial statements. This sets out broad and definitive rules governing the recognition of liabilities and income and expenditure in financial statements. Specifically the following paragraphs need to be considered: Recognition of liabilities: 91. A liability is recognised in the balance sheet when it is probable that an outflow of resources embodying economic benefits will result from the settlement of a present obligation and the amount at which the settlement will take place can be measured reliably... Recognition of expenses: 94. Expenses are recognised in the income statement when a decrease in future economic benefits related to a decrease in an asset or an increase of a liability has arisen that can be measured reliably. This means in effect that recognition of expenses occurs simultaneously with the recognition of an increase or a decrease in assets 95. Expenses are recognised in the income statement on the basis of a direct association between the costs incurred and the and the earning of specific items of income. This process, commonly referred to as the matching of costs with revenues, involves the simultaneous or combined recognition of revenues and expenses that result directly and jointly from the same transaction or other events; The fisc takes little notice of these rules when it comes to the recognition of expenditure for the purposes of taxation. It is the part of these rules that govern the general deduction provision that this report will examine. Section 11(a) of the South African Income Tax Act No. 58 of 1962 (as amended) reads as follows: 11. General deductions allowed in the determination of taxable income.- For the purpose of determining the taxable income derived by any person from the carrying on of any trade within the Republic, there shall be allowed as deductions from the income of such person so derived- (a) expenditure and losses actually incurred in the Republic in the production of the income, provided such expenditure and losses are not of a capital nature. The section defines the conditions that must be met for expenditure and losses to be allowed as deductions from income. The expenditure or losses must have been: Actu ssme nt In the Republic of South Africa. In the production of the income. Such expenditure or losses must not be of a capital nature. The section has to be read together with s23(g) 23. Deductions not allowed in the determination of taxable income.- No deductions shall be made in respect of any moneys, claimed as a deduction from trade, to the extent to which such monies

American Idol Case Study

Case Analysis Week 1 American Idol Case Mostafa Morshedi MKT 645 Qualitative Research in Customer Behavior California Intercontinental University Date: 11/18/2012 American Idol Case To perform a prefect marketing research, it is needed to identify and define the marketing research problem accurately and then develop a proper approach. The American Idol case is a challenging management decision and marketing research problem case, focusing on reasons why to conduct a study on the viewers and voters.In this case study, we review defining the marketing research problem and developing an approach process, including objective/theoretical framework, analytical model, research questions, hypothesizes and specification of information needed. Discussion According to the case, the management decision problem confronting Marcello and Litzenberger could be â€Å"Do we need to conduct a study investigating American Idol viewers? † (Malhotra, 2010, p. 780). The corresponding marketing resea rch problem would be â€Å"to determine who watched and voted in the 2009 season of American Idol and to determine how durable the show’s concept is† (Malhotra, 2010, p. 81). In fact, they should conduct the study in order to understand what are viewers’ and voters’ demographic based on age and sex. The study’s out coming is worthwhile for sponsors like Coca Cola and Ford who invested millions on the show, or who are interested to invest in future. Marketing research problem specific components are defined as: * What is the age demographic of American Idol’s watcher and voters? * How effective is the sponsors’ ads in the show? * How durable is the show’s concept? * How sponsors could motivate voters?The theoretical framework for the study is based on statistics, normal distribution function with 95% certainty (Malhotra, 2010, p. 781). As we are seeking for the age demographic of show viewers and voters, it is rational to use gr aphical model as it provides a visual picture of the relationship between variables (Malhotra, 2010, p. 51). Research questions and relevant hypothesizes to above explanations could be counted as: * Do teenagers vote more than adults do? * H1: teenagers are majority voters. * H2: Adults vote more than teenagers do. * Are women interested to vote more than men do? H3: women are tough fans and consequently vote more than men do. * H4: Men vote more than women do. * How many of show watchers vote? * H5: More than 90% of watchers vote. * H6: 70 to 90% of watchers vote. * H7: 75% to 70% of watchers vote. * H8: Less than 50% of watchers vote. * Do voters and viewer remember about the sponsor? * H9: all remember who the sponsor was. * H10: They hardly know about the sponsor. So based on above components, analytical model, research questions, and hypothesis we can determine the specification of information needed. * The age demographic of show viewers * The age demographic of voters Sex of show viewers * Sex of voters * Participation percentage in voting * Sponsorship effectiveness and durability * The main reasons of voting/not voting Conclusion Key concepts of a marketing research problem is first determine management decision problems, and then defining a broad marketing research problem, which in turn should be narrowed down by specific components. These specific components guide researchers to define an approach to the problem, find relevant objective/theoretical framework and choose among analytical models (verbal, graphical and mathematical) the one best match to the research objectives.Research questions are dragged out of marketing search problem approach. Hypothesizes are rephrased research questions that guide decision makers on the problem and will be approved or denied after the research is done. The main important concept is that all the process should be integrated and focused to provide the best accurate answer to the management decision and marketing research problems, specifically in huge projects. References Malhotra, N. K. (2010). Marketing Research: An Applied Orientation, 6/E. Boston, MA, USA: Prentice Hall.

Maalouf – Leo Africanus

Amin Maalouf’s novel Leo Africanus, a fictionalized memoir by an actual sixteenth-century Muslim adventurer, is an often-interesting account of life during the turbulent end of the Middle Ages, told from the point of view of a man who survived his life’s ample turmoil and bridged conflicting cultures without wholly belonging to any. The narrator of this work, a traveler and author known in his lifetime as Jean-Leon de Medici or Leo Africanus, was born in 1488 as Hasan al-Wazzan, son of a prominent Muslim family in Granada, Spain.   At the time, southern Spain’s Andalusia region (of which Granada was its chief city) was Muslim-dominated, with Catholics, Muslims, and Jews alike coexisting in a cosmopolitan, relatively tolerant atmosphere.   Maalouf depicts Granada as an intriguing, exotic, tolerant place for its time, despite its corrupt rulers and ultimate weakness before the invading armies of Aragon and Castile. Shortly after his birth, Spanish forces conquered Granada and soon started persecuting all non-Christians, forcing them to convert to Catholicism or flee, depriving them of their wealth in either case.   Though European history depicts Spain’s liberation from Muslim rule as a glorious event, it was a tragic blow for the Muslims who had lived there for centuries and built a prosperous, learned society.   As his uncle Khali, a wealthy diplomat, laments, â€Å"See how the people . . . have been forced into slavery after their surrender!   See how the Inquisition has raised pyres for the Jews . . . [and] for the Muslims as well!   How can we stop this, except by resistance, mobilization, and jihad?†Ã‚   (Maalouf, 1988, p. 25)   Though the word â€Å"jihad† today carries ominous meanings for Westerners, in this context it meant self-defense in the face of an intolerant enemy. The Spanish appear in a distinctly negative light, as bloodthirsty, vindictive conquerors who used the Inquisition to crush their enemies, real or perceived.   Maalouf offers in interesting inversion of Western opinion here, and he shows post-1492 Granada as a dark, dangerous place whose intellectual life is crushed.   Also, while modern readers think of Jews and Muslims as mortal enemies, Maalouf demonstrates that they enjoyed peaceful relations in medieval Andalusia, and Leo laments the Spanish edict mandating â€Å"the ‘formal termination of all relations between Christians and Jews, which can only be accomplished by the expulsion of all the Jews from our kingdom’† (Maalouf, 1988, p. 59). His uncle Khali assumes a dominant role in Leo’s life, helping educate him and, more importantly, taking him along on his 1504 diplomatic mission to Timbuktu, then an important Muslim cultural and commercial center in sub-Saharan West Africa.   Even as a teenager, he demonstrates keen insights to the world around him, particularly to the appearances, peoples, and attributes of the cities he visits en route.   For example, he describes Ain al-Asnam, an ancient city destroyed during Islam’s spread, as â€Å"sole witness of the age of ignorance† (Maalouf, 1988, p. 155), implying that despite its former glories, it symbolizes the dark era before Islam spread its enlightened message. In addition, he reveals a gift for vivid descriptive prose when he says of Sijilmassa, a once-thriving city on the road to Timbuktu: â€Å"Of its walls, once so high, only a few sections remain, half-ruined, and covered with grass and moss.   Of its population, there remain only various hostile clans . . . [who] seem merciless toward each other [and] deserve their fate† (Maalouf, 1988, p. 157).   Though he is not intolerant of peoples different from himself, he also does not shy from passing judgments on unfortunate places, though his own life is full of misfortunes; he accepts fate’s fickle nature, which perhaps sustains him through his difficulties. His uncle dies en route back to Fez and Leo returns home to work in a hospice and marry his cousin Fatima, who is far less pleasing than Hiba, the slave girl who becomes his longtime mistress (similar to Warda, the servant whom his father chose over his wife, Leo’s mother).   He also tries to save his sister Mariam from the leper colony, where an influential suitor, a highway robber named the Zarwali, had had her banished for refusing to marry him. One sees by this point that women have a difficult position in Muslim society; denied many rights, they live tightly circumscribed lives and are subject to male commands and whims at all times.   Maalouf does not impose modern sensibilities here; he remains within the character of the times and accepts this lack of freedom as Muslims of the time did, and Leo laments his sister’s fate less because she lacks freedom than because her punishment was unduly cruel. As he enters adulthood, his life continues a pattern of good fortune followed by personal or financial disasters from which he always recovers and rebuilds.   Leo becomes a successful merchant in Fez and fathers a daughter with Fatima, but when his longtime friend Harun (who has married his unfortunate sister Mariam to liberate her from the leper colony) causes the Zarwali’s death, Leo is expelled from Fez for his complicity and loses his fortune on the road to a band of thieves.   He finds some relief in Hiba’s native village, where her former peers buy her back from Leo, restoring some of his wealth but costing him the love of his life. He accepts these reversals surprisingly well by modern standards, but Maalouf implies that the late medieval/early modern world was a cruel and fickle place, with few certainties in life other than misfortune.   A common theme throughout the book is that such events are simply God’s will; when he loses both his fortune and Hiba, Leo laments, â€Å"Such is the judgment of the Most High!† (Maalouf, 1988, p. 214).   His faith does not waver throughout the story, even when Christians abduct, enslave, and force him to become a Catholic. Leo’s destiny seems to be the roads he travels throughout his adult life; his form of geography and travelogue seem to be his calling in life, and he demonstrates a keen grasp of how to describe people and places.   His travels take him throughout northern, western, and central Africa, and he states without obvious boasting, â€Å"When our geographers of old spoke of the land of the Blacks, they only mentioned Ghana and the oases of the Libyan desert. . . . I myself, who am only the last of the travellers, know the names of sixty black kingdoms . . . from the Niger to the Nile† (Maalouf, 1988, p. 216).   Such knowledge would later serve him well. He becomes involved with the era’s political intrigues when he meets and marries Nur, the widow of the Ottoman ruler’s nephew.   While Leo supports the Turks in the vain hope that they will liberate Andalusia from the Spanish and make it safe for Muslims again, Nur opposes it and fears that Turkish agents will murder her infant son to prevent him from assuming the throne.   Reflecting on the discord within his own faith, Leo asks, â€Å"Is it not in the blade of a knife brandished by the Friend of God above a pyre that the revealed religions meet?†Ã‚   (Maalouf, 1988, p. 245)   He longs for the tolerance and unity of his youth in Granada, hence his somewhat naà ¯ve support for the Ottoman Empire, of which he says, â€Å"the turbans of the Turks and the skull caps of the Christians and Jews mingle without hatred or resentment† (Maalouf, 1988, p. 258). His destiny as a geographer and scholar is realized when Sicilian pirates kidnap him in Tunisia and present him to Pope Leo X as a slave.   As with the rest of his life, this misfortune leads to another lucky phase, as the pontiff, impressed with Leo’s intellect, employs him as a protà ©gà ©.   Forcing him to become a Christian and renaming him John-Leo de Medici (for the pope and the family that takes an interest in him), the pope employs him as a teacher of Arabic while tutoring him in European languages, so that he can produce a volume of his travels, Description of Africa.   He earns his freedom but becomes embroiled in papal intrigues, so he must flee yet again – this time for Tunisia, where he can again be a Muslim.   In closing, he advises the reader to be himself in the face of adversity, saying, â€Å"Muslim, Jew or Christian, they must take you as you are, or lose you† (Maalouf, 1988, p. 360).   Though he has kept his Muslim faith inwardly i ntact, Leo’s ability to adapt has ironically saved and sustained him. The book illustrates the uncertainty of life in the pre-modern era, since peaks and valleys of instability mark Leo’s life from the beginning.   His family loses its fortune and is driven from Granada by conquering Spanish Christians, who then launch a wave of intolerance against Jews and Muslims, forcing them to either become Catholic or leave.   In addition, he loses his fortune to thieves, his wife Fatima dies young, he remarries Nur (who leaves him after his abduction), and he is enslaved by Christian pirates in the Mediterranean. He handles it philosophically, accepting the fact that his life is destined to be itinerant, turbulent, and beyond his ability to control.   As he tells Nur, â€Å"Between the Andalus which I left and the Paradise which is promised to me life is only a crossing.   I go nowhere, I desire nothing I cling to nothing, I have faith in my passion for living . . . as well as in Providence† (Maalouf, 1988, p. 261). Overall, Leo Africanus is a solid effort to take the modern reader into the mind of an educated, influential Muslim living at an unstable time in European history.   Maalouf does not inject modern sensibilities into his narrative but depicts the Muslim culture of the times fairly, without a pro-Western bias.   In addition, he strives for authenticity by using a sort of formal, occasionally wordy prose that one assumes is based on the actual writing and conversational style of Leo Africanus’ times.   In the process of producing this interesting historical figure’s tale, Maalouf also makes clear one of the chief realities of this era in history – that life is uncertain and fickle, and that the intelligent, resourceful, and adaptable are best suited to endure these shifts of fortune. REFERENCES Maalouf, A. (1988).   Leo Africanus.   Chicago: New Amsterdam Books. Maalouf – Leo Africanus Amin Maalouf’s novel Leo Africanus is a novel based on an actual sixteenth-century Spanish-born Muslim geographer and writer born under the name Hasan al-Wazzan.   The author gives the reader clear insights into the conflicts between the Muslim world (whose influence in Europe was then waning) and that of Christianity (which reasserted control over his native Spain and to which he became a somewhat unwilling servant). The theme of the title character’s life is conflict and misfortune, which seem to plague him from early childhood.   Born in 1488 to a rich Muslim family in Granada, Spain, he witnesses as a small child the Catholic victory over the ruling but weakened Muslim elites, followed by a wave of vengeance and intolerance against not only Muslims but also the Jews, who have also lived peacefully in Spain with Christians for centuries.   Hasan (the name he uses throughout his life, except when in service to the Pope) demonstrates some of this by mentioning how members of the different religions interact and how some cultural exchange occurs. For example, when discussing dates, he frequently refers to Christian and Muslim holidays in tandem, showing their mutual acceptance: â€Å"It all happened on the ninth day of the holy month of Ramadan, or, rather . . . on St. John’s Day, the twenty-fourth of June, since Mihrajan was celebrated not in accordance with the Muslim year but following the Christian calendar† (Maalouf, 1989, p. 63). Here, Maalouf makes clear that Islam was then the much more tolerant religion, accepting aspects of Judaism and Christianity that the Catholic Church refused to allow.   Because Christianity and Islam were fighting for territory, intolerance was an instrument of control and oppression, and the victorious Spaniards had to qualms about driving out or murdering Jews and Muslims who refused to accept forced conversions to Christianity. His family, deprived of its wealth, flees for the North African city of Fez, where they live as refugees under the care of his kindly uncle, who provides for his education.   As he comes of age, he shows a remarkable ability to observe and understand the peoples and places he encounters – a gift he sharpens when, as a teenager, he accompanies his rich, well-connected uncle on a diplomatic excursion to Timbuktu. For example, he writes of Sijilmassa, a once-thriving city on the road to Timbuktu: â€Å"Of its walls, once so high, only a few sections remain, half-ruined, and covered with grass and moss.   Of its population, there remain only various hostile clans . . . [who] seem merciless toward each other [and] deserve their fate† (Maalouf, 1989, p. 157).   Though he is not intolerant of peoples different from himself, he also does not shy from passing judgments on unfortunate or blighted places, though his own life is full of misfortunes; he accepts fate’s fickle nature, which perhaps sustains him through his difficulties. Hasan’s adult life is generally unstable and rife with misfortune, which seems to be the norm in a world where little other than hard luck is guaranteed.   After his uncle dies, he returns to Fez to work in a hospice for the sick and insane, marries a rather plain cousin (despite his long relationship with Hiba, a slave mistress), later becomes a prosperous merchant, and seems to live a somewhat conventional life.   However, he is not destined to enjoy a stable, uneventful life. When he starts his business career, his mother makes a prediction that seems to foreshadow the direction of his life: â€Å"Many men discover the whole world while seeking only to make their fortune.   But as for you, my son, you will stumble on your treasure as you seek to discover the world† (Maalouf, 1989, p. 187).   Indeed, fate – so strong a presence in the novel that it almost seems like a character – intervenes and his life is again turbulent.   When he becomes embroiled in his childhood friend (and brother-in-law) Harun’s plot to avenge his sister Mariam’s confinement to a leper colony, the authorities expel Hasan from Fez and thieves on the road rob him of his fortune.   In addition, he is forced to sacrifice his mistress, Hiba, in order to regain some of his riches. However, his destiny is to discover the world, which indeed is why modern readers even know of his existence.   Always astute and insightful, Hasan compiles his observations during his many travels, forming the basis for his lasting renown as an early geographer and expert on sub-Saharan Africa.   He travels throughout the continent’s northern and central regions and, when speaking of other writers’ ignorance of Africa, states, â€Å"I myself, who am only the last of the travellers, know the names of sixty black kingdoms . . . from the Niger to the Nile.   Some have never appeared in any book, but I would not be telling the truth if I would claim to have discovered them myself, since I only followed the ordinary route of the caravans† (Maalouf, 1989, p. 216). He moves to Cairo (then under Ottoman Turkish rule) to restart his often-disrupted life, commenting that â€Å"I was suddenly certain that after the tempest which had destroyed my fortune a new life was awaiting me in this land of Egypt, a life of passion, danger and honour† (Maalouf, 1989, p. 218).   Here, he again finds himself on the wrong side of destiny when he marries into the Turkish sultan’s family and supports them in their political maneuverings, in the vain hope that they will retake Granada in the name of Islam. He dreams his entire life of his birthplace and the words of a visiting delegation from the sultan foster the naà ¯ve faith that he can return: â€Å"A great Muslim empire is in the process of coming to life in the East, and we in the West should stretch out our hand to it.   Until now, we have been subjected to the law of the unbelievers† (Maalouf, 1989, p. 257).   However, this scheme also goes awry and he is enslaved by Italian pirates, who give him to Pope Leo X. This phase of Hasan’s life is a strange twist of fate, in which apparent tragedy turns into great luck.   The pontiff, seeing that the learned, sophisticated Hasan is no ordinary captive, employs him as a tutor of Arabic and requires him to learn Latin, Turkish, and lessons in the Christian faith.   Hasan deems this â€Å"a refined form of forced labour . . . [and] proof of [the Pope’s] own enthusiastic interest in me† (Maalouf, 1989, p. 294). The end result of this gentle captivity is Description of Africa, a book describing his many travels in a continent with which Europeans were still largely unfamiliar.   He wins his freedom but again finds himself on the wrong side of a larger political conflict (this time within the Catholic Church), so he escapes Rome for Tunisia, where he can openly practice Islam again.   In closing, he advises the reader to be himself in the face of adversity, saying, â€Å"Wherever you are, some will want to ask questions about your skin or your prayers.   Beware of gratifying their instincts . . . beware of bending before the multitude!† (Maalouf, 1989, p. 360).   Though he has kept his Muslim faith inwardly intact, his ability to adapt and â€Å"go with the flow† preserves him. Without dwelling on the point, Maalouf makes clear to the reader that in this unstable, uncertain medieval world, Fate plays an exceptionally strong role in everyday life.   Indeed, Hasan witnesses plenty of calamity in his life; his birthplace is seized and made repressive by Spanish Catholics; he and his family see their wealth rise and vanish repeatedly; he marries twice and loses both wives (the first dies young, while the second abandons him after his enslavement); and he is forced to seek his fortunes elsewhere several times in his life. He accepts the fact that he is meant to live on the move and takes little for granted, seemingly aware that his fortunes can be reversed at any time (and frequently are).   However, he never becomes embittered; he accepts his fate but laments, â€Å"Such is the judgment of the Most High† (Maalouf, 1989, p. 214).   His faith does not waver throughout the story, and even when Christians abduct him and force his conversion to Catholicism, he follows but keeps his innermost religious beliefs to himself.   He excels as a chameleon and thus survives. His second wife comments on his tendency to travel and disrupt his own life, asking, â€Å"What substance are you made of that you accept the loss of one town after another, one homeland after another, one woman after another, without ever fighting, without ever regretting, without ever looking back?†Ã‚   † (Maalouf, 1989, p. 261).   He responds by telling her that â€Å"life is only a crossing. I go nowhere, I desire nothing I cling to nothing, I have faith in my passion for living, in my instinct to search for happiness, as well as in Providence† (Maalouf, 1989, p. 261).   Indeed, in this exchange, Maalouf presents the reader with the essence of Hasan’s character.   He is well aware of life’s transience and thus is passionate only about his religion; though he seeks wealth and happiness, he wastes little time mourning the loss of either and looks ahead to â€Å"the final Place where no man is a stranger before the face of the Creator† (Maalouf, 1989, p. 360). Leo Africanus is more than simply a fictionalized memoir.   It is a classic fish-out-of-water story, illustrating how this educated, well-connected Muslim merchant, traveler, and scholar finds reverses and radical changes in his life at several turns but adapts to each.   In addition, it demonstrates how people of that era were very much at Fate’s mercy; little could be taken for granted in such unstable times, but the narrator never loses faith in the â€Å"Most High,† the God to whom he turns for sustenance. In somewhat formal prose that one suspects was the norm for educated people of that era, Maalouf does not impose a modern viewpoint but offers a fair, compassionate, historically-aware portrayal of both Muslim society and one of the more unusual figures within it.   The story of Hasan al-Wazzan is, more than anything else, the tale of an accomplished scholar and a consummate survivor who never forgot who he was, the culture that produced him, or the deity that showed him mercy amidst the world’s turbulence. REFERENCES Maalouf, A. (1989).   Leo Africanus.   Chicago: New Amsterdam Books.

How to Flatten Adjective Stacks

How to Flatten Adjective Stacks How to Flatten Adjective Stacks How to Flatten Adjective Stacks By Mark Nichol Words are highly adaptable in terms of which part of speech they represent, but careful writers should be alert in order to minimize or prevent a linguistic affliction called adjective stacking, which is discussed in this post. Nouns are easily converted to adjectives, as when using the phrase â€Å"dinner table.† Dinner and table are both nouns, but when dinner immediately precedes table, it ceases to mean â€Å"evening meal† and represents an adjective describing a type of table: one used for evening meals. Similarly, â€Å"sport utility vehicle† consists of three words that serve as nouns, but when positioned in sequence, the first two words no longer stand on their own to represent concepts, but rather describe the third noun. Such sequences can extend indefinitely, but the longer the string of adjectives- or the higher the stack- the more difficult it is for readers to parse the components and their interrelationships. Reading from left to right, we recognize the first word as a noun but then correct ourselves when a noun follows it, reclassifying the first word as an adjective. Then we have to conduct the same mental process repeatedly, and when word relationships are not clarified by use of hyphens, the quest for comprehension is complicated. The following list from an actual document represents the problems with adjective stacking; it can be confusing and fatiguing: Penetration testing for key medical devices Biomedical security vulnerability assessments Medical device procurement process consulting Biomedical incident response readiness assessments Medical device security program remediation support Manufacturer vulnerability remediation liaison assistance Oddly, the syntax of the first item enables a quick, clear reading, while the others fail to follow suit. Using the first item as a model, however, one can easily revise the list to improve readability by reordering words and phrases and introducing prepositions (and, sometimes, words representing other functions): Penetration testing for key medical devices Assessments of vulnerability of biomedical security Consulting about the procurement process for medical devices Assessments of readiness regarding response to biomedical incidents Remediation support for medical-device security programs Liaison assistance for remediation of manufacturer vulnerability These revised phrases are less concise but easier to read. Note, too, that one can reorganize the word sequences to various extents; each of these phrases can be revised in more than one way. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:50 Idioms About Legs, Feet, and ToesUse a Dash for Number Ranges10 Types of Hyphenation Errors

When Is The Best Time To Publish A Blog Post

When Is The Best Time To Publish A Blog Post Heres the scenario. You have just written the best blog post your brand will ever publish. The one that you know has the potential to go viral on social media. The one that you know will drive a lot of qualified traffic to your website generating leads and ultimately sales. Youve optimized it for search, checked it twice for grammatical errors, and youre ready to schedule it to go live. Then you stop. Why? Because its at this point, you ask yourself the ultimate question- when. When is the best time to publish an amazing blog post? What day of the week? What time? What timezone? Fortunately, you dont have to guess. In this blog post, were going to look at  four studies that analyze the best time to publish blog posts for specific results (plus two original studies of our own). Here Are 6 Studies That Prove The Best Time To Publish A Blog Post via @Get Your Free Blog Post Scheduling Template Kit This post will give you the information you need to plan an effective blog schedule. But, what about actually executing it? Thats where these free blogging templates come in. Download this kit and youll get: Annual Content Marketing Calendar: Schedule blog posts and set deadlines ahead of time with this Excel template. Blog Schedule Template: Not sure how often you should publish? Use this guide to map out a basic schedule. Best Times to Publish Blog Posts Template: Follow this guide to schedule every post at the best time for your blog. Your WordPress Blog + the Editorial Calendar = Success When you're ready to move on templates, it's time to get the industry's best-selling marketing calendar. With 's WordPress and social network integrations, you can: Schedule every blog post and social message on one editorial calendar using our web app or WordPress plugin. Collaborate with your content marketing team using Discussion Updates. Make project management easy and work more efficiently with Task Templates. Plus, with social scheduling tools like Best Time Scheduling and ReQueue, you can set and forget all your social promotion. Sign up for a free 14-day trial  and or request a demo and take your company's blogging workflow to the next level. Schedule every blog post at the best time with this guide + @.Study #1:  The Best Time To Publish For Traffic, Comments, Links In this study from KISSmetrics, Dan Zarrella, Search Engine Land, and HubSpot, we can learn a lot about blog publishing times. Goals for your blog post should be taken into account when determining optimal publishing time. Want the most traffic? The best publishing day is Monday and time is 11 am EST. Want the most comments? The best publishing day is Saturday and time is 9 am EST. Want the most inbound links? The best publishing days are Monday and Thursday, and time is 7 am EST. Of course, there are pros and cons to publishing at the height of popular times in the day. Sure, you'll get lots of visitors, comments, and engagement. But at the same time, you'll get higher bounce rates and end up being buried in social newsfeeds along with all the other publishers taking advantage of popular posting times. For the  most traffic, publish blog posts on  Monday at  11am EST  || The Best Time To...Study #2: The Best Time For Maximizing Social Reach Do your content goals include social shares? If so, then TrackMaven's study gives you the insights you need. What they found was that posts published during non-popular hours tended to get the most social engagement and shares. Posts published on Saturdays and Sundays received the most social shares, as do posts published between 9pm–midnight EST. The higher the social shares on a post published during non-peak times,  supports the KISSmetrics study that posts published during peak times are buried in social media newsfeeds. One can assume that during non-peak times, people take more time to read the content that comes through their newsfeed. Then they'd go on to share it with their audiences. To get more shares, publish during non-popular hours.   || The Best Time To Publish  @Study #3: The Best Time For Increasing Social Shares and Pageviews However, not all studies come to the same conclusion. This study, shared by Social Fresh using data from Shareaholic, found that social shares are highest for posts published on Thursdays and between the hours of 9–10am EST. The story is a little different when pageviews are concerned. If you want more pageviews, then you will need to publish on Mondays and between the hours of 9–10am EST. The pageviews drop off dramatically for posts published after 12pm EST. Optimize pageviews by publishing on Mondays between 9–10am EST.   || The Best Time To...Study #4: The Best Time To Publish For  Going  Viral Noah Kagan did a study using data from BuzzSumo of 100 million pieces of content to determine what makes content go viral. He found that blog posts published on Tuesday gained the largest total shares. The only exception is LinkedIn and Pinterest shares, which people were more likely to do on Mondays. Of course, publish date and time alone were not enough to make posts wildly successful. He also attributed viral probability on length (long form is best), images, amusement, post types (lists win), the trust factor, and a share from an influencer. NoahKagan found that blog posts published on Tuesday  get more  shares || The Best Time To...Conduct Your Own Research With Original Studies Data We've now covered four different studies from expert sources. However, while these findings  should help you make the best  decisions about when to publish, it's possible your own experience may vary. That could be because of the difference in interests or habits of your target audience, your goals, or other circumstances unique to your situation. Studies may reveal what's broadly true in most cases, only you can know what will work best for your content. Here at , everything we do is driven by data. It's what empowers us to understand  what, when, how, and why  any decision on content should be made. You can do the same thing for your own blog. Unsure what to do with your #marketing? Let data drive decisions.One way to help discover the most optimal approach for your own content is to study your own data. Create Your Own Study To  Find The Best Time For Your Blog All the studies in this post provide the best suggestions on what works in terms of publishing days and times versus the goals you want to reach with your content (shares, links, comments, and traffic). Furthermore, if you're working with a limited amount of time (which is a common concern for many of our readers), then you probably want to know how you can study your own content quickly and derive some useful insights. Ultimately, it will be up to you to determine what day of the week and time of day will increase the specific goals you have set for your content. To run a test on your own website for pageview and visit goals, you can import custom Google Analytics reports for pageviews and visits  (and if you're not using Google Analytics, now is the time to start). These reports will tell you when you are getting the most pageviews and visits now, and then show you how that traffic changes as you publish new posts on different days and at different times. Then, you'll know which times work best, and which times don't. Compare that to what studies say is best, do some experimenting, and observe the results. From there, just do more of what works best for you. It's easy to overthink these things sometimes, but thankfully, it really can be that simple. The time is in military format, and the days of the week are numerical starting with 0 for Sunday. Use #GoogleAnalytics to find your  best time to #publish a #blog post  Ã‚  || The Best Time To...To illustrate how to put your findings to use (working with our own blog without too much effort and for demonstration purposes), we looked at eight posts published over the course of December 2013 and January 2014. Back then, our blog was fairly new, and we were working to establish what would work best for us. Here are the publish times and day-one pageviews we observed: See the 162 day-one pageviews that came from publishing early in the morning? That's dramatically better than posting at any other time, and we're able to demonstrate that fact using relatively little data (and without spending too much time). That’s why you can expect new posts from our team early in the morning. And all these years later, that's the schedule we've stuck to (with a lot of success). That’s not a decision guided solely by  what the industry at large considers to be the best days and times, but because it’s what we’ve seen deliver best results. If something else works better for you, go with that, but starting with this simple approach can help get you there. Ultimately, the strongest content  reaches its audience. Strong #content will find a way to reach its audience. #amwriting #bloggingOnce you’re comfortable with crunching the numbers and analyzing your content in this way, you can work on ways to go more in-depth with your own research. Use studies from thought leaders (whether that’s us or anyone else) as a starting point, compare those findings with your own results, and continue refining your own best times to publish blog posts until you find out what works best for you. You might even turn up some new insights that help add to the industry’s understanding of best practices for blog post publishing times. That’s the power of doing original research. Use Your Own Data To Find  The Best Time To Publish A Blog Post For Lead Conversions There's one glaring thing missing from all of the above- how to maximize  conversions. In the end,  that's really your goal, right? So, what day of the week and time of the day will lead to the most conversions? The answer to the preceding question depends on your ideal customers: Are they local customers who would be most likely to make purchases during the workday? Are they worldwide customers who would be most likely to sign up for your newsletter during their leisure time? Knowing your ideal customer and when they would be most likely to make a conversion can help you determine when to publish blog content with conversion goals in mind. Start by determining which times of day you're getting the most conversions right now. To do this, you can try out this custom Google Analytics report to see conversions by hour of the day and day of the week Use Google Analytics to find the best time to publish for your own blog. Similar to the custom report for pageviews and visits, the time is in military format, and the days of the week are numerical starting with 0 for Sunday.

How to Prove Your Family Tree Connections

How to Prove Your Family Tree Connections There is nothing more frustrating to a genealogist than locating details on an ancestor in a published book, Web page, or database, only to later find that the information is full of errors and inconsistencies. Grandparents are often linked as parents, women bear children at the tender age of 6, and often entire branches of a family tree are attached based on nothing more than a hunch or guess. Sometimes you may not even discover the problems until sometime later, leading you to spin your wheels struggling to confirm inaccurate facts, or researching ancestors who arent even yours. What can we as genealogists do to: Make sure that our family histories are as well-researched and accurate as possible.Educate others so that all of these inaccurate family trees dont continue to procreate and multiply? How can we prove our family tree connections and encourage others to do the same? This is where the Genealogical Proof Standard established by the Board for Certification of Genealogists comes in. Genealogical Proof Standard As outlined in Genealogy Standards by the Board for Certification of Genealogists, the Genealogical Proof Standard consists of five elements: A reasonably exhaustive search for all pertinent informationA complete and accurate citation to the source of each item usedAnalysis of the collected informations quality as evidenceResolution of any conflicting or contradictory evidenceArrive at a soundly reasoned, coherently written conclusion A genealogical conclusion that meets these standards can be considered proved. It may still not be 100% accurate, but it is as close to accurate as we can attain given the information and sources available to us. Sources, Information Evidence When collecting and analyzing the evidence to prove your case, it is important first to understand how genealogists use sources, information, and evidence. Conclusions which meet the five elements of the Genealogical Proof Standard will generally continue to hold as true, even if new evidence is uncovered. The terminology used by genealogists is also a little different than what you may have learned in history class. Instead of using the terms primary source and secondary source, genealogists quantify the difference between sources (original or derivative) and the information that is derived from them (primary or secondary).   Original vs. Derivative SourcesReferring to the provenance of the record, original sources are records that contribute written, oral, or visual information not derived- copied, abstracted, transcribed, or summarized- from another written or oral record. Derivative sources are, by their definition, records which have been derived- copied, abstracted, transcribed, or summarized- from previously existing sources. Original sources usually carry more weight than derivative sources.Primary vs. Secondary InformationReferring to the quality of the information contained within a particular record, primary information comes from records created at or near the time of an event with information contributed by a person who had reasonably close knowledge of the event. Secondary information, by contrast, is information found in records created a significant amount of time after an event occurred or contributed by a person who was not present at the event. Primary information usually carries more we ight than secondary information. Direct vs. Indirect EvidenceEvidence only comes into play when we ask a question and then consider whether the information found in a particular record answers that question. Direct evidence is information that directly answers your question (e.g., When was Danny born?) without a need for other evidence to explain or interpret it. Indirect evidence, on the other hand, is circumstantial information that requires additional evidence or thought to convert it into a reliable conclusion. Direct evidence usually carries more weight than indirect evidence. These classes of sources, information, an original source, and evidence are rarely as clear-cut as they sound since information found in one particular source can be either primary or secondary. For example, a source containing primary information directly relating to the death may also provide secondary information regarding items such as the deceaseds date of birth, parents names, and even childrens names. If the information is secondary, it will have to be further assessed based on who provided that information (if known), whether or not the informant was present at the events in question, and how closely that information correlates with other sources.

Historical development of nursing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Historical development of nursing - Essay Example Before the birth of Christ, nursing did not exist as a distinct profession. It started out as caring for sick members of one’s family. At this time, it was viewed as a way of expressing love and showing compassion one’s family member. It was mainly a woman’s work and no education or training was required. Between and 100 and 500 AD, nursing was mainly done by religious groups mainly churches. The establishment of the first general hospital by Fabiola in Rome was a landmark event in the history of nursing. In the 16th century, women were required to stay at home and look after their families (Nicola & Frances, 2012). This resulted in the deterioration of nursing care since at the time, it was still a profession for women only. Between 1654 and 1656 nursing was realized as sisters of charity took good care of soldiers who were wounded in the battlefields of Arras and Sedan in France. By 1960, the sister of charity was operating in 40 other countries besides France. However, according to Elizabeth and Jerome (2011), it was not until after Florence Nightingale that nursing started to become a reality in the world. After realizing that very few opportunities were given to women, Florence Nightingale started taking care of the ill while visiting the poor. This is where she developed an interest in a career in nursing. Her most notable contributions happened during the Crimean war. This is after she received reports wounded soldiers were in horrible conditions. In October 1854 together with 38 women that she had trained as nurses, she volunteered to take care of wounded soldiers in the battle field. After noting that there was limited supply for medicine, overworked medical staff and poor hygiene which resulted in fatalities among the soldiers, Nightingale appealed to the British government to find a solution to this problem. The British government commissioned the designing of a

Family Pet German Sherpard named Sam Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Family Pet German Sherpard named Sam - Essay Example This is his flag signaling friendship. This black merges with the soft brown that covers the rest of his body, and enhances his sharp white teeth set in strong jaws, his black button eyes, and long pink tongue. The black eyes seem to sparkle each time he sees a family member, and the long pink tongue is extended as if to extend a warm greeting. Sam’s majestic â€Å"WOOF† is typical of his specie: strong and commanding. It is a wake-up call. The lieutenant calls all to attention; and if you were a stranger, or someone who is easily scared, then you would be forced to freeze into the poster of a soldier on parade. Sam rests by lying down, almost absorbed into the carpet, doormat, chair, or any area that allows him to comfortably blend his soft body, stretching his long, sturdy front legs out in front, and resting his large well shaped head on them. Many times he sits on his equally well- built hind legs and assumes a stately air. This is when he demands that the tiny white spot on his chest, like a lone star, is noticed and get stroked. He keels over like a boat on the ocean. He rolls himself into a fluffy black and brown ball, and whimpers with pleasure. His huge well- manicured paws, showing soft brown padding, reach out to you to return the favor. At these times, Sam is famous for letting out low happy growls that seem like chuckles, and sometimes like spoken words. By scientific standards, Sam has reached midlife but this definitely does not show because his behaviour brings out the youth in him. He is only six years old, and still going strong. He has the energy of a typical child of this age. He is worth his weight in gold, weighing fifty kilograms and showing no signs of fat. He is a healthy dog that is quite friendly with members of the family, both expecting and allowing each person to spend time with him exchanging a handshake, rubbing his head, or being

The poverty in the world Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The poverty in the world - Essay Example The author also notes that the global food crisis affects mostly poor people – who have to spend most or all of their income on food. Using various examples of extreme weather events worldwide, the author argues that political or economic decisions may be related to the food crisis, but their role in the rapid expansion of the crisis can be doubted; rather the weather, as affected by the increased pollution, should be characterized as the main cause of the global food crisis. The views of the author, as briefly presented above, are critically discussed and evaluated using appropriate literature, i.e. academic studies which focus on the global food crisis. 2. Issues discussed in the paper – presentation and analysis In the article under analysis, Krugman aims to present the key causes of the global food crisis. ... However, extreme weather events - recent ones - in specific countries are used in order to prove the relationship between the global financial crisis and the specific events. More specifically, reference is made to the fires in Russia, the flooding in Australia and the dry weather in Brazil. It is noted that extreme weather events are more likely to influence the food prices – compared to the commodity prices, which cannot have an impact, in accordance with Krugman, on the food prices. However, no data or relevant reports are used for supporting the specific view. Instead, the events are mentioned followed by the personal views of the author, without using appropriate literature or findings of research made on the specific issue. The key point of the article is that the global climate change which has led to natural phenomena such as the La Nina, is the key cause of the global food crisis and for this reason the claims that ‘Ben Bernanke has blood on his hands’ (K rugman, p.1 & 3) should be opposed as non-valid. Instead, measures should be taken in order to control the global food crisis that, in accordance with Krugman, is expected to further expand, as a result of the increase of greenhouse gases. 3. Evaluation of the author’s perspective In accordance with the issues discussed above, the global food crisis, as expanded quite rapidly in the international community is quite difficult to be controlled, mostly because it is related to events that cannot be foreseen and they are quite difficult to be confronted. In fact, no matter the technology available, certain of these events, cannot be managed, like in the case of fires in Russia and the flooding in Australia

EC320 CHILD DEVELOPMENT ASSIGNMENT 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

EC320 CHILD DEVELOPMENT ASSIGNMENT 2 - Essay Example This is because everyone wants to meet the baby. As the first few days pass the newborn child’s day becomes less hectic and it begins to settle into normal routines with feeds and sleeping patterns. Throughout its early life it will get comfortable with the people that it interacts with on a regular basis. This is usually the mother, father and siblings. By feeling comfortable the child may cry less and be more settled. The mother is the person who goes through the actual birth; therefore it is understandable if she is slightly shocked and overwhelmed at the occasion. The mother is usually the first person who holds the child. As a result there is that automatic bond between mother and child. The female gains a lot of responsibility from the birth of a child due to the fact that a mother is responsible for the breastfeeding of the child at different intervals during the day. The mother in particular will be very over protective of her child and will not want to let the newborn child out of her sight. If the newborn child is the mother’s first child then the female has a massive shock to her life. She will have to feed the child, be kept up by the child during the night and change the child’s nappy when it needs to be. Simple procedures like changing a nappy can be demanding for new parents. Father’s reactions are very similar to that of the mothers. However it seems that the father views things from a distance compared to the mother. The mother spends more time with the child, as she is in hospital with the child. If this is the first child then the male gains a huge amount of responsibility. One example is financially as children do not come cheap. The father has to financially analyse how the family are going to support the extra person while trying to spend as much time with his new child as possible. Also parents to a newborn child are really protective. For example if the newborn child has a rash, they

LEGAL FRAMEWORKS IN THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT Essay

LEGAL FRAMEWORKS IN THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT - Essay Example In this regard, a private nuisance refers to the violation of another person’s quite enjoyment of his/her property while public nuisance is simply any interference with the safety, health, convenience and peace of the members of public. It is however worth noting that according to the British laws, an act of nuisance or trespass can only be dealt with through the civil legal routes such as suing the offending party and can not amount to prosecution. The UK statutes dealing with both private and public nuisances are require evidence of justifiable proof that the nuisances are unreasonable and are affecting the rights of either the private homeowners or the ordinary citizens to enjoy their privileges. This is because both offences are considered as civil offences rather than criminal offences. This paper uses the case of David’s Family and Harrington & Nephew limited to highlight the cases of private nuisance, public nuisance and trespass in their relationship as well as discuss the potential remedies and defences that both parties may have under the British laws. Private nuisance There are a number of events in the scenario between David’s Family and Harrington & Nephew limited (Factory) that may constitute private nuisances. For example various factory operations such as the movement of Wagons are causing unreasonable noise that is affecting David and his family to lose their sleep during the night. On the other hand, the death of Rose tree belonging to Mr. and Mrs. David is directly as a result of the dust coming from the Harrington & Nephew Limited factory premises. According to most of the UK statutes regarding the definitions of private nuisance, all these cases are considered private nuisances to David’s family because they have cause interference with their right to enjoy their property by invading their private lives with undesirable noise and dust. On the other hand, If David’s family decides to sue the factory belongi ng to Harrington & Nephew Limited for the private nuisance that their operations have caused to their family lives and property, the relevant local authorities handling the case will have to decide whether the interference by the factory operations have resulted in unreasonable damage to property. In this context, any evidence of physical damage such as the death of the Rose plant will make it easier to justify their case against the factory1. With regard to whether the factory operations have interfered with the rights of David’s family to quite enjoyment of their property, the claimant will be required to prove the cases of substantial and unreasonable interference with his family’s enjoyment. For example the fact that David and his family members are suffering from a continual loss of sleep due to the excessive noise from the factory can be used by the claimant to justify that the interference by the factory is unreasonable. The law will however balance between the right of the defendant (Harrington & Nephew Limited) to use their property and the right of David’s family (Claimant) not to be unreasonably inconvenienced. It is also worth noting that not all interference are considered to be nuisances according to the UK laws and sometimes individuals may be required to tolerate a given degree of

Hypotheses Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Hypotheses - Essay Example o setting prices that are lower than the competitors’ selling prices, the company must exert extra efforts to generate future customers’ demands for the company products. Customers prefer buying the lower priced products, all other factors being of equal importance (Bowman, 2010). Further, the next information needed is the advertising and promotion budget. With a higher budget, more target customers are reached. Consequently, more advertisements will persuade more target customers to try the new company product, compared to allocating a minimal advertising budget (Bowman, 2010). Furthermore, the marketing study must include the competitors’ prices. The customers’ prices will influence the demand for the company’s products. The competitors may institute cut-throat competition pricings, selling products at the lowest market price. The competitors are hoping that the cash-strapped and price-conscious target clients will prefer the lowest priced product in the market (Bowman, 2010). Moreover, the market test will show the current demand for the product. The company must determine whether the current competitors are supplying all the needs of the target markets. The current demand will indicate whether the market is saturated. Compared to a target market where all the competitors are not able to current supply the target markets’ present and future product demands, It is more difficult to sell a product in a saturated market because all the customers’ demand are presently met (Bowman, 2010). Further, the product quality must be determined. A poor quality product will generate low demand and higher product returns. However, high quality products will generate high customer demand. Quality affects the sales output (Bowman, 2010). Furthermore, location plays an important role in generating sales (Bowman, 2010). The product must be sold in places that customers can easily access. To save on transportation, customers will prefer buying from the nearest

LEGAL FRAMEWORKS IN THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT Essay

LEGAL FRAMEWORKS IN THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT - Essay Example In this regard, a private nuisance refers to the violation of another person’s quite enjoyment of his/her property while public nuisance is simply any interference with the safety, health, convenience and peace of the members of public. It is however worth noting that according to the British laws, an act of nuisance or trespass can only be dealt with through the civil legal routes such as suing the offending party and can not amount to prosecution. The UK statutes dealing with both private and public nuisances are require evidence of justifiable proof that the nuisances are unreasonable and are affecting the rights of either the private homeowners or the ordinary citizens to enjoy their privileges. This is because both offences are considered as civil offences rather than criminal offences. This paper uses the case of David’s Family and Harrington & Nephew limited to highlight the cases of private nuisance, public nuisance and trespass in their relationship as well as discuss the potential remedies and defences that both parties may have under the British laws. Private nuisance There are a number of events in the scenario between David’s Family and Harrington & Nephew limited (Factory) that may constitute private nuisances. For example various factory operations such as the movement of Wagons are causing unreasonable noise that is affecting David and his family to lose their sleep during the night. On the other hand, the death of Rose tree belonging to Mr. and Mrs. David is directly as a result of the dust coming from the Harrington & Nephew Limited factory premises. According to most of the UK statutes regarding the definitions of private nuisance, all these cases are considered private nuisances to David’s family because they have cause interference with their right to enjoy their property by invading their private lives with undesirable noise and dust. On the other hand, If David’s family decides to sue the factory belongi ng to Harrington & Nephew Limited for the private nuisance that their operations have caused to their family lives and property, the relevant local authorities handling the case will have to decide whether the interference by the factory operations have resulted in unreasonable damage to property. In this context, any evidence of physical damage such as the death of the Rose plant will make it easier to justify their case against the factory1. With regard to whether the factory operations have interfered with the rights of David’s family to quite enjoyment of their property, the claimant will be required to prove the cases of substantial and unreasonable interference with his family’s enjoyment. For example the fact that David and his family members are suffering from a continual loss of sleep due to the excessive noise from the factory can be used by the claimant to justify that the interference by the factory is unreasonable. The law will however balance between the right of the defendant (Harrington & Nephew Limited) to use their property and the right of David’s family (Claimant) not to be unreasonably inconvenienced. It is also worth noting that not all interference are considered to be nuisances according to the UK laws and sometimes individuals may be required to tolerate a given degree of

An Undisputed Social Issue in The Philippines Essay Example for Free

An Undisputed Social Issue in The Philippines Essay Poverty is a state of being poor, indigence, lack of material things and finances. Poverty puts people into the lowest level in a society. Poor people, most of the time, are neglected by the government, shunned by the society and not given enough opportunities to prosper. They live in a filthy environment, living among a community of criminals. We can enumerate countless of unpleasant words to define the effect of poverty, and there are countless of reasons and causes for these. Poverty remains the central development issue in the Philippines and, despite the ambitious development goals laid out by the government, the country has not been able to sustain the economic growth required to reduce poverty to acceptable levels. Why Poverty Remains a Social Issue in the Philippines First, there is a fundamental disconnect between Filipino elites and the poor. The political leadership in the Philippines has always been drawn from those elites, and those politicians have traditionally played the role of patrons and benefactors, relying on the pork barrel and personal/family funds (often acquired through corruption) to essentially buy votes. â€Å"The core principle of democracy that representatives should be drawn from those they represent and advocate for the true interests of their constituents has not been operative† (Abueva, 1964). Philippine Presidents in particular have been drawn from the ranks of the wealthy and privileged. How can they relate to what it means to be poor or hungry? Even if their hearts in the right place (which is not all that common), well-photographed visits to squatter settlements are not the answer. Second, the Philippines system is exceedingly politicized. President Arroyo herself is already focused on the 2004 presidential elections. In a sense, you cant blame GMA. Her predecessor, Erap, had a built-in constituency among the masa. But President Arroyo must create such a base, given that she is the daughter of a previous President and has virtually nothing in common with the poor people of her country. Look more:  problems of scarcity essay She has worked hard to develop support among the common folk, dressed in jeans with regularity, and sung on stage with popular recording artists. She has also latched onto fighting poverty as a key policy emphasis. In her State-of-the-Nation (SONA) address on July 22nd, she emphasized the so-called rolling stores trucks loaded with subsidized rice, rice, sugar, and canned meat that ply the streets of Manila as a sterling example of her administrations anti-poverty programs. The only problem was that her remarks had knowledgeable economists practically rolling in the aisles, given that few poor people ever get access to the trucks and only 5% of the nations poor live in Metro Manila. But real poverty alleviation programs where they are most needed say in rural Mindanao would lack the publicity opportunities of the rolling stores on Manila streets. Additionally, several other studies list down the primary causes of poverty in the Philippines in terms of economic state: 1. The basic economic problem in the Philippines is inefficient and very low incomes. 2. The finances of the Government had become steadily worse and were not critical, The Treasury had a large and mounting deficit with taxes covering little more than 60% of the expenditures. 3. The country had an excessive volume of imports. In the meantime, the volume of exports was less than before the war an d could be expected to grow only gradually. 4. There had been inequalities in the level of income of people. While the standard of living of a great segment of the population remained below that of the pre-war level, the profits of businessmen and large landowners had risen considerably. Under the circumstances, the continued rise in the prices of commodities tended to transfer real income from the poor to the wealthy and; 5. The inefficiency and corruption in the government led the people to lose their faith and confidence in the ability of the government â€Å"to protect the interest of all the people. † The result was demoralization of the people. According to history, â€Å"the destruction of the national economy as a result of the war posed serious problems of subsistence and of peace and order† (Agoncillo, 1990). In such circumstances the leaders if the nation could only rely on the United States for financial and other material aid. The hundreds of millions of dollars given t the Philippines by the United States in the form of cash and surplus properties were used to rehabilitate agriculture, commerce, trade and industry. Some of it, however, went to the pockets of dishonest officials. There were marked increases in the gross national output and income, but the cost of living, as a whole, continues to soar or, at least, to remain static on the basis of the immediate post-liberation years. At the same time, labor grew and continues to grow, demanding increases in wages and better living conditions. The total picture of the national economy has improved, but the improvements are not sufficient to bring down cost of living, which has remained one of the highest in the world. Agricultural production – The destruction caused by the last war told heavily on the productive capacity of the people and their standard of living (Agoncillo, 1990). With financial help from the United States, however, the government, in the first ten years of the Republic, had succeeded in at least partially solving the minor economic problems. Thus, for instance, crop production from 1946 and 1956 increased from 3, 507, 200 metric tons to almost double the amount of 6, 274, 900 metric tons. This increased production was the upshot of the expanded area planted to food crops and the application of improved means of increasing the yield per hectare, such as the use of fertilizer, irrigation, the use of better seeds, and the effective use of chemicals against plant pests and diseases. Production of export crops also increased tremendously from 315, 000 metric tons in 1956, with copra and sugar leading all export crops. Other exports like abaca, tobacco and their by-products have not so far completely recovered from the effects of the last war (Martin, 1999). However, some are blamed upon the things done by irresponsible individuals from high to low profile individuals such as population growth – some Filipinos believe that it is natural for every married woman to bear a child in their wombs because they are with their husbands (Friedman et al. , 1977). And this are very wrong beliefs since if you will be reasonable enough, you will realize that having a child is always together with great responsibility that has no end. And that you will realize that having more and more children will cause great scarcity in your family such as you would not be able to send your children to school and you would not be able to provide enough foods so that you children will be healthy and do good in school. Population growth is also the reason for a number of malnourish children in the Philippines. Unemployment is also a very common cause of poverty in the Philippines since there are several Filipinos who are unemployed plus the fact that there are many companies that are affected of the global economic crisis. And the least thing that you can do about unemployment is to find a best way on generating money like you can accept laundry services, plumbing services, or electrical repair services if you are skilled enough to do the job. Then, you could start a certain profitable business like food house or a small store that does not require you much capital so that you will not find it hard to save enough money from the services that you are offering. Governance concern is still deemed as one of the main reasons of poverty in the Philippines because of the activities of the corrupt government officials. They are using the money of the people to achieve the power and authority that they wanted to have and once they have it they will automatically take advantage of their power to the point that they will neglect the yoke of the people and set aside their promises when they are just campaigning and try to convince the people to vote for them. Agricultural problems also pose as the natural cause of the poverty in the Philippines because of the wrong activities of people. They ruin the treasure of the nature for their own sake without any idea that the nature they are destroying is the main source of almost all the products that exist in this world. Some of the examples of destroying the nature are the irresponsible disposal of wastes and trash, dynamite fishing, illegal logging and more. Another cause is said to be disability – this is also one of the possible causes of poverty in the Philippines since more and more people nowadays become disabled because of several illnesses and diseases that arise like AH1N1 virus, SARS, dengue, and more. Disability may be also caused by uncontrolled population growth, for instance, you have ten kids in the house, and can you imagine attending to their needs everyday? Well, definitely not so the tendency is that they are prone to accidents that will cause them to be disabled since they are at very young age that are typically playful. Starvation has also been one of the primary effects of poverty in the Philippines. Eating is necessary for us to survive. As humans we need to eat three times a day or more. Unfortunately, not all of us can afford this kind of living. Many people, children and families in this world, suffer from hunger due to lack of finances for their everyday needs. Based on the record of UNICEF, more than half of the children all over the world are malnourished. Most of them came from countries that are less abundant. Apparently, research shows that education has also been a problem in the Philippines. It is not prioritized by the government because only the privileged can have access to basic education in the sense that most of the children in the Philippines could not afford the needs of a student such as food, clothing, school materials and even fares used for transportation. There are also schools which offer free education like the government schools and private schools which accept scholarships, but still, lack in financial support is their main dilemma. These are just some of the reasons why most of the students from different levels take education for granted. Instead of going to school, they spent their time working in order to help their families make a living. The masses have multiplied extremely. Increase in opportunities for employment has not yet overcome the rapid increase in population, resulting in the multiplication of the number of jobless proletariat. When one considers that a large number of school children become â€Å"school orphans† that is, they leave school before or after finishing Grade IV, and that they eventually become peasants or laborers, one ceases to wonder why the base of the triangular structure of society has widened considerably. The strong contrast between the upper classes and the lower classes is that the former are earning more and more and the latter less and less. In other words, the distribution of wealth is one-sided as to make society top heavy. In the countrys present situation, the economy of the Philippines is struggling. The government has a huge debt from the World Bank and those money which the government borrowed where not used in projects which could alleviate poverty but were where lost to corruption. Thats why many Filipinos blame the government for the slow progression of our country. The Philippines was even given a tag as one of the most corrupt countries in Asia. Many people also blame the government because regardless of scarcity that all of us are experiencing, the government still manages to increase the prices of the merchandise in the markets. Conclusion True anti-poverty programs take a long time to bear fruit, and the politically-driven nature of Philippine government sector programs almost ensures that the emphasis will continue to be on quick fixes or interventions that provide high visibility and political payoffs (Warner Harris). This is unfortunate given the seriousness of the situation and the implications for the country if concerted action is not taken. Poverty and malnutrition are already at alarming levels in this country, and the countrys too-rapid population growth is magnifying the strain on limited budgetary resources. The rapidly growing population is jeopardizing the quality of basic social services, contributing to the ongoing decline in quality of basic education, and limiting access to health care (especially primary health care, reproductive health/family planning, immunization, and feeding programs). Achieving any significant reduction in poverty will require rapid economic growth, growth of a magnitude not seen in recent years. Further, addressing issues of inequality will require significant investments in human capital, especially in improving the quantity and quality of primary education. The result of such unbalanced development of society is discontent and grave social problems such as poverty. The extreme poverty has given rise to starvation in some communities an to criminality, The unequal distribution of material possessions, in which the rich wlallow in wealth and the poor in filth is one of the reasons for the rise in criminality. Poverty has alos given rise to a new class known as squatters. References Abueva, J. V. Bridging the Gap Between the Elite and the People in the Philippines, Philippine Journal of Public Administration, October 1964, pp. 325-347; Agoncillo, T. V. (1990). History of the Filipino People Eighth Edition. (pp. 503-512. ) Quezon City: Garotech Publishing. Faith, R. (1996). Poverty, A History Of. Journal of Rural Studies, 12(2), 212-214. Friedmann, B. , Coy R. , Wilson, L. (1977). Emergences: Gender struggles for livelihood in Latin America. Los Angeles: UCLA Latin American Center Publications, University of California. Martin, A. A. (1999) Philippine Land Reform: Perpetuating US Colonial Policy. Philippine Studies, Volume 47, Second Quarter 1999; Warner, J. , Harris, R. (n. d. ). Problems with poverty in third world countries. In M. B. Duran (Ed. ), Poverty and identity: studies in self and culture (pp. 39-58). Amsterdam: Daryl Benjamins Publishing Company.

Challenges Walmart Faces Expanding Their Territory To China Management Essay

Challenges Walmart Faces Expanding Their Territory To China Management Essay Business operations across national borders are becoming the trend in the current era. And this trend continuously grows because of globalisation and multinational operation. In response to this globalisation issue, multinational corporations like Wal-Mart tend operate in other countries to have excellent advantage. According to Amponsah (2001) globalisation and the eagerness of a certain business organisation to operate across borders involves two dimension i.e. change in economic operations of various countries, and change in the participants of global economic operations. Several people believe that the globalisation of economic activities of every country would hasten the fight against poverty (Macarov 2003, p. 103). But like other companies that are operating in local scale, Wal-Mart a multinational company also faces different opportunities and challenges in the foreign market. With this, this paper will be discussing the opportunities and challenges that Wal-Mart faces in venturing the Chinese territory. Opportunities A business venturing to a foreign market creates good opportunities. As for Wal-Mart venturing in China, a new foreign market like China might provide opportunities for new growth. Aside from this, Wal-Mart uses global expansion to lower costs of goods, accelerate speed to market, improve quality of products and of course to cut their overhead costs considering that China is a low cost country whereas the labour is cheap compared to other countries in the West (Walmartstores, 2010). Most MNCs are establishing subsidiaries in other nations to reduce costs, mainly through the use of cheap foreign labour in developing countries. Like other MNCs, Wal-Mart can hold down costs by shifting some or all of its production facilities abroad. Although Wal-Mart are not claiming that they using the opportunity of global expansion to escape the protectionist policies of an importing country, it is remains the motives of most MNCs. Through direct foreign investment, a corporation like Wal-Mart can b ypass high tariffs that prevent its goods from being competitively priced. For example, when the European Common Market (the predecessor of the European Union) placed tariffs on goods produced by outsiders, U.S. corporations responded by setting up European subsidiaries (Multinational Corporation 1998). Venturing in China is also a good opportunity for Wal-Mart to prevent competition. The most certain method of preventing actual or potential competition from foreign businesses is to acquire those businesses ((Multinational Corporation 1998). Despite of the opportunistic feat of global expansion, Wal-Mart holds that they create employment, create wealth, and improve technology in countries that are in dire need of such development. Critics, however, point to their inordinate political influence, their exploitation of developing nations, and the loss of jobs that result in the corporations home countries. Challenges Cultures Maddox (1993) claims that going global require transformation of managerial skills learned at the home office to enable the managers to function cross-culturally. Business firms must focus on selecting and training managers to become more attuned to different cultures, particularly in the culture of their country of assignment. In the case of Wal-Mart, their Board of Directors should have identified economy, politics, religion, value systems, and frame of reference of the Chinese consumers regarding the products and services that they offer as the primary areas that posed distinct challenges in their expansion to China. Thus, the same aspects merit the attention of the leaders of Wal-Mart who will be assigned at the companys branch in China. The Chinese culture and lifestyle are different from those of the Wal-Marts home country i.e. USA and other Western nations where the company operates. Thus, the success of operation in China relies on the ability of the leaders to facilitate bus iness operations in the midst of cultural diversity among the employees and distinct cultural characteristics surrounding the company such as laws, social norms and business practices. In evaluating the culture of China as part of Wal-Marts business operation, Hofstedes dimensions culture was used. Actually, Geert Hofstede is a Dutch organisational anthropologist who divided culture into four dimensions at culture level-power distance, individualism/collectivism, masculinity/femininity, and uncertainty avoidance (Dahl, 2004). It is important to be aware and comprehend these cultural dimensions for these have an influence on the internal and external workings of organizations that operate on an intercultural level. Power Distance. Power distance is described as the extent to which the less powerful members of institutions and organisations within a country expect and accept that power is distributed unequally (cited in Hofstede 1991, p. 28); more simply, it is concerned with how equal, or unequal, the people are in a specific society or nation. In China, they have high power distance i.e. 80 PDI, this means that there is significant amount of inequalities in power and wealth within China. As a result, it is quite likely that that society employs a caste system and does not permit significant development for its people (Geert Hofstede cultural dimensions 2010). In the corporate-oriented context, firms with a high power distance employ a tall organizational structure because there is greater and higher rigidity in terms of hierarchy. Also, there is a large proportion of managerial employees to the overall human resource population, high job ranking for white-collar work, large compensation differentials, and low requirements for entry-level positions (Earley, 1997, p. 147). Individualism versus Collectivism. Individualism is how a society perceives achievement and personal relationships, may it be individually or collectively. Furthermore, according to Hofstede (1991), individualism is a set of values that concern the relationship of a person to his or her collectivity in the society (as cited in Earley, 1997, p. 144). In China, the individualism was low i.e. 20 IDV which indicates that China is a nation with low individualism and has a collective nature wherein close bonds exist among the people (Geert Hofstede cultural dimensions 2010). Moreover, collectivistic people also perceive themselves in relation a societal and cultural context. This is a great challenge for Wal-Mart considering that their mother country United States has high collectivism as can be observed through the nature of their families. People who reside in such locations live in nuclear families, as oppose to highly collective Asian individuals who normally live with members of their extended families. Masculinity versus Femininity. Masculinity versus femininity refers to the gender differentiation, or more specifically, the extent of how a society applies the traditional perception of man as a model of success, control, and authority. In nations with high masculinity, men control a major part of the society and power structure, while females are restrained because of such male supremacy (Geert Hofstede cultural dimensions 2010). In China, they have high masculinity i.e. 66 MAS. Actually this is important for Wal-marts operation since it relates to achievement, industrial strife, high growth, aggression, work stress, and conflict. To be more specific, firms that are more masculine are fast-paced, aggressive, and focus more on development and growth over harmony and stability (Earley, 1997, p. 164). On the other hand, a feminine-oriented company is more concerned on the social interaction and operations among human resources. Moreover, such firm has a considerate and nurturing natur e, which means that there is more focus on interpersonal functioning and harmony over personal gain (Earley, 1997, p. 164). Hence, the employees welfare is the foremost concern, because this results to the companys ability to establish the capability of an individual to contribute to interpersonal welfare in the organization. Uncertainty Avoidance. As was defined by Hofstede, uncertainty avoidance is the extent to which the members of a culture feel threatened by uncertain or unknown situations (cited in Hofstede 1991, p. 113). As seen in the index, China has low uncertainty avoidance which indicates that the country was less rigid when it comes to change, could handle risks, and have less rules and regulations, since they could effectively endure diverse opinions (Geert Hofstede cultural dimensions 2010). For Wal-Mart, uncertainty may come from the internal and external environment. An organizations response to such ambiguities, through the use of rules, rituals, and technology, affects its image of high or low uncertainty avoidance. This could be a great challenge for Wal-Mart since China wont easily embrace the change they would bring in the country. A Fifth Cultural Dimension. After additional studies which were mainly focused on Chinese managers and workers, Hofstede introduced a fifth cultural dimension, which is the long-term orientation. This focuses on how nations apply, or do not apply, long-term devotion to conventional, forward thinking principles (Geert Hofstede cultural dimensions 2010). Countries with high levels of long-term orientation recommend a strong work ethics and anticipate long-term rewards as a consequence of todays hard work. Thus, long-term commitments are emphasized and traditions are respected (Geert Hofstede cultural dimensions 2010). This is a great challenge for Wal-Mart since they came from countries with low levels of long-term orientation that are capable to experience change because long-term customs and behaviours are lessened, and change is no longer hindered. Political The primary difference in the economies of West and China is the orientation. Most of the west countries economy is affluent while the Chinese economy adopts the economic style of Soviet Union wherein most of the economic activities are centrally planned by the government. In China, the local officials have immense authority although the economy is open to foreign investment and trade. The regulations state that Chinese firms should have at least 51 percent ownership and control of joint ventures with foreign investors (Economy of China 2010). Ramsay (2003) reports that it generally takes two to three months to register a business in China with the government putting limits on the companys business scope (p. 8). The difference in the economic orientation of China and Wal-Marts home country USA poses certain challenges to the leaders of said company. These leaders are accustomed to a free market in the USA economy wherein investors, consumers and producers transact free business and d etermine the flow of economic activities. In China, they would encounter restrictions in the various operational activities of the company such as production and marketing of certain types of products because the Chinese government pursues the interests of Chinese business organizations. Secondly, Chinas transitional economy as cited by Alon Shenker (2003) since the mid-1970s has fostered a tremendous opportunity for international firms to establish operations in the country and made international joint venture as a primary mode of foreign direct investment. However, managing joint ventures sometimes leads to cultural conflicts between Chinese managers and foreign managers. Wal-Marts leaders are more Western and their approaches to management clash with the Chinese management approach. Chinese managers rely on interventions from the extended network outside the company to manage risks and threats rather than following the budgets and plans established in advance that are expected t o guarantee success. The Chinese managers prefer particularistic and pragmatic solutions to organizational problems by analyzing causes of problems and soliciting outside intervention in problem solving while Western managers like Wal-Marts managers have the tendency to act in reference to a belief in an underlying principle that provides a ready matrix into which current reality and present existence can be fitted. As an American, Wal-Marts managers believe that future circumstances can be integrated into the ready matrix which serves as an analytic model to guide decision making processes (p. 147). Considering these differences, the Western leaders who will be assigned to China may encounter conflicting management styles with their Chinese colleagues. Thirdly, USA and China differ in religious beliefs. USA follow Christianity, especially Protestantism, and believe that good works are gifts of hardwork and Gods grace in the life of His believer and not by interventions of outside f orces (Christianity-Protestantism 2010). Chinese are more fatalistic and believe that humans must follow their destiny by living in unity with the world of nature and pursuing social conformity (Religion in China 2001). Hence, Western employees would perform their duties based on their personal judgments and decisions while their Chinese counterparts would consistently attempt to abide by the rules and seek opinions of other employees as they are more inclined to seek conformity. These differences in idea of independence would make the leaders of Wal-Mart consider the outcomes and motivations of their manpower. Western employees would be motivated to perform well if they are given sufficient freedom at work while Chinese employees may prefer to work in teams and have access to constant supervision. Fourthly, the Western value systems relative to interpersonal relationships are in conflict with those of the Chinese. Western people as cited by Alon Shenker (2003) value personal relat ionships with colleagues and supervisors but organizational hierarchy does not dictate their relationships. They equally communicate and relate to all members of the organization. Chinese employees, on the contrary, prefer a system in which coordination is hierarchical wherein the key institutional values underscore loyalty and submission to a leader whose right is to establish the goals of the group. Accordingly, the leaders of Wal-Mart who would be assigned to manage some operations of China have to practice special care in dealing with their Chinese subordinates and fellow supervisors. They may encounter Chinese colleagues who would constantly consult them before they perform their responsibilities. These leaders have to recognize that the Chinese culture places much reverence to leaders while Western people prefer to work independently most of the times. Conclusion The best way to measure success in international business is through constant monitoring by the mother company. Through monitoring, the head company can gauge expatriate failure or success, and cross-cultural competence of expatriates. Wal-Mart must be able to implement consistent monitoring measures in their operations and the performances of the employees and managers sent to China. Venture failure is oftentimes associated with lost opportunities, reduced productivity, and damaged relationships while expatriate success connotes the accomplishment of the opposite. Furthermore, cultural competence is measured if the manager assigned at a foreign location possesses a strong personal identity, has knowledge of and complies with the beliefs and values of the culture of the country where he is assigned, demonstrates sensitivity to the affective processes of the culture, communicates clearly in the language of the country of assignment, displays a degree of culturally-sanctioned behavior, nurtures active social relations with the people and authorities of the country, and negotiates the institutional structures of that culture. Basically, the leaders should be able to adapt quickly to the Chinese culture, comply with its requirements while performing their responsibilities, and gain appreciation of the unique processes of doing business in the country.