The Theory Of Right Self Determination - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 13 Words: 3857 Downloads: 10 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Statistics Essay Did you like this example? This dissertation focuses on the conflict of Nagorno-Karabakh; the origins of the conflict, its present state and the possible future. Throughout the dissertation several key aspects and theories of International relations are analysed, such as: peopleà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s right to self determination, the concept of nation-state and conflict resolution. Firstly, the relevant theories of International relations are explored and an attempt is made to compare them with reality and to show their use in the real world. Secondly, a historical background of the conflict is described, followed by a description of the conflict from 1988 to 1995 and the peace talks. Thirdly, an analysis of the future of NK is examined, pointing out possible solutions and forms of reconciliation. Moreover, relevant questions are individually looked at. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "The Theory Of Right Self Determination" essay for you Create order For over ten years NK has been on a path of nation-state building. NK sees itself as an independent republic, even with lack of international recognition. NK has a population of 141,000 and an area that covers 11,458.38  km2. (Official website of the President of NK, https://www.president.nkr.am/en/nkr/statePower/ , accessed on March 2, 2011). The map below show the situation of NK, they show both the NK Autonomous Oblast and the present NK state boundaries that include the occupied territories of Azerbaijan: THEORY: RIGHT TO SELF DETERMINATION As this dissertation deals with the de facto state of Nagorno-Karabakh, it analyses and explores International Law concerning peopleà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s right to self determination and the consequent recognition of their state. Chapter 1, Article 1, part 2 of the United Nations Charter created in 1945 states that the aim of the UN is to: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Develop friendly relations among nations based on respect for the principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples, and to take other appropriate measures to strengthen universal peaceà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?. Article 1, part 1, of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights 1966 states the following: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“All peoples have the right of self-determination. By virtue of that right they freely determine their political status and freely pursue their economic, social and cultural developmentà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?. (United Nations Charter 1945, available at: https://www.un.org/aboutun/charter/ [accessed March 2 2011]) Moreover, the Declaration of Principles of International Law Concerning Friendly Relations and Co-operation Among States in Accordance with the Charter of the United Nations of 24th October 1970 declares that: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“By virtue of the principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, all peoples have the right freely to determine, without external interference, their political status and to pursue their economic, social and cultural development, and every State has the duty to respect this right in accordance with the provisions of the Charter.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? (International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights 1966, available at https://www2.ohchr.org/english/law/ccpr.htm [accessed march 2 2011]) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“The establishment of a sovereign and independent State, the free association or integration with an independent State or the emergence into any other political status freely determined by a people constitute modes of implementing the right of self-determination by that peopleà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?. (UN General Assembly, Declaration of Principles of International Law Concerning Friendly Relations and Co-operation Among States in Accordance with the Charter of the United Nations, 24 October 1970,  available at: https://www.unhcr.org/refworld/docid/3dda1f104.html  [accessed March 2 2011] ). These legal statements show the core understanding and acceptance of the international community regarding the idea of peopleà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s right to self determination. Even though some core aspects of these declarations can be vague in their practical sense, their overall message is not contested. By taking into account these and other declarations, the case for the people of NK becomes clearer. Presently, the problem lies with the idea that NK peopleà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s right to self determination collides with Azerbaijanà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s right to sovereignty, so what is the solution? According to Dr. Otto Luchterhandt, the director of East European Research Department (University of Hamburg): à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“The right to self-determination is not only a political principle but a rule of existing international law. The people of Nagorny Karabakh are the subject of the right to self-determination. The people of Nagorny Karabakh can claim for the highest level fulfilment of the law of self-determination à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" secession from the state of Azerbaijan because on the one hand its restriction to the status of a national minority stands in no reasonable relation to its legitimate interests in development and protection, and on the other hand the measure of its oppression has reached such unbearable proportions, that remaining in the federation of Azerbaijan has become unacceptable and it has announced it will for self-determination in an unmistakable and convincing manner.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? (Luchterhandt, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Nagorny Karabakhà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s Right to State Independence According to International Law, Boston, 1993) To use international law in a discussion in the case for NK, specific proof has to be shown. There is also the argument that juridical legitimacy of borders and territorial integrity works against the self-determination principle, however this cannot be taken into account in the case of Azerbaijan SSR (Soviet Socialist Republic). Firstly, it must be stated that NK was an autonomous oblast (an administrative unit) within the Azerbaijan SSR, and that Azerbaijan SSR was not defined by state borders, it was defined by administrative borders, therefore the Helsinki Agreement Final Act in 1975 concerning territorial integrity cannot be applied. As Francois Mitterrand said: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Why should the interior administrative borders of a state be automatically recognised as international ones? (Zargarian,1999). Secondly, on the 31st August 19941 the Azerbaijan SSR confirmed the restoration of the Democratic Republic of Azerbaijan that had been created from 1918 to 1920. This declaration leaves to question the legality of the present Azerbaijanà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s borders, including the territories of NK, territories surrounding NK and Nakhijevan, as none of these were part of the Democratic Republic of Azerbaijan. In addition, it is well documented that in December 1920, Azerbaijan SSR accepted the territories of NK and Nakhijevan as belonging to Armenia. These declarations were later altered by Stalin, which at the times was Commissar of Nationalities. To further analyse, the value of state sovereignty of Azerbaijan should be graded as lower than the importance of sovereignty of a state in a normal situation, with reference to the system of states in the League of Nations, therefore it is lower than the NK peopleà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s right to self determination. (Raschhofer, 1960) This notion gives support to the national right to self-determination of NKà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s people in right to secession over Azerbaijanà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s state sovereignty. (Luchterhandt, 1993). To conclude, as the Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh was founded after a referendum on state independence on 10th December 1991, resulting in a 98% acceptance, and in agreement with international and Soviet law, it should ultimately be acknowledged as genuine under international law. Moreover, precedent of Eritrea can be used, which showed that self proclamation leads to be under the power of international law. NK relationship with other countries, international organisations, and treaties such as the Geneva Convention, all give power for self-determination. HISTORY The name Nagorno-Karabakh has a mixture of 3 languages; Nagorno is in Russian meaning à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“mountainousà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?, and Karabakh is in Turkic and Farsi meaning à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Black Gardenà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?. However, the Armenians call it Artsakh, as it was one of the provinces of Greater Armenia, and it is mentioned as early as second century BC: the ancient provinces of Artsakh and Utik, situated between Lake Sevan, river Kara and river Araxes. (Strabo, 1st century BC.) During the centuries, NK has been mainly populated by ethnic Armenians, however there were periods in which during conquests other ethnic groups would settle, such as Caucasian Tatars, Caucasian Albanians (no connection to Albanians in Balkans), Persians and Turkic tribes. The recent conflict with Azerbaijan has unleashed a historical fact finding war, where the Azeris lay historical claims to these lands, and the Armenians refute them. The people living in NK point out to the obvious evidence, such as hundreds of ruins, ancient monuments, religious building, churches and monasteries. (Tchilingirian,1999). As one farmer said in regard to this: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“This monastery (Monastery of Gandzasar) kept us Armenian, the writings on these walls made us know who we are. There is a khachkar (cross-stone), the size of a car, on top of this mountain; our ancestors placed it there to indicate that this is Armenian landà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? (Martakert, 1995). To review the history of Artsakh a new dissertation can be written, therefore to keep in line with this dissertation, a review of more recent history is made. After 1918, when the Georgians, Armenians and Azeris took advantage of the chaos of the Russian Revolution to establish independent states, war broke out between Armenia and Azerbaijan, however by 1921 all three republic were under the rule of the Red Army. (Swietochowski, 1985) Originally, the Bolsheviks determined NKà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s problem: The Chairman of the Azerbaijani Revolutionary Committee (Azrevkom), Narimanov declared: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“The government of Workers and Peasants of Azerbaijan, having heard the news of the proclamation in Armenia in the name of the insurgent peasantry of the Soviet Socialist Republic, salutes the victory of the fraternal Armenian people. From this day forward, the former borders between Armenia and Azerbaijan are suspended. Mountainous Karabagh, Zangezur, and Nakhichevan are recognized as integral parts of the Socialist Republic of Armenia. Long live the fraternity and union of workers and peasants of Soviet Armenia and Azerbaijan.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? (L. Chorbajian, P. Donabedian, C. Mutafian, 1994) The decision by Narimanov was acclaimed by the ethnic Armenians which thought that it was a fair decision. Moreover, Narimanov declared: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“no territorial conflict will cause bloodshed between these two age-old neighbourly peoplesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?. ( Chorbajian, Donabedian, Mutafian, 1994). Yerevanà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s central authority henceforth declared: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Based on the declaration of (Azrevkom)à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦it is hereby declared that Mountainous Karabagh is henceforth an integral part of the Socialist Soviet Republic of Armeniaà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? (Libaridian, 2004) This announcement was never realised, even if it was at the beginning supported by Stalin. Stalinà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s view was that Karabagh should be given to Azerbaijan, in an effort to increase friendly relations with Turkey, which by then had aspirations to be a communist state. (Lane, 1992) It must be understood that Turks and Azeris are ethnically the same people. Even though the decision over NK was reached on July 4th 1921 in the Kavburo (Caucasian Bureau of the Communist Party): à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Based on the declaration of (Azrevkom)à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦it is hereby declared that Mountainous Karabagh is henceforth an integral part of the Socialist Soviet Republic of Armeniaà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? (Libaridian, 2004) The Kars and Moscow treaties were signed in October, giving Azerbaijan the control of NK. Thus, NKà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s Armenian populations (90% of NK) desire to unite with Armenia was ignored, creating ethnic tensions that would eventually end in full scale war. The Armenians tried to relocate NK to Armenia SSR in 1929, 1935, 1963, 1966, 1977 and 1987. The main reasons were the anti-Armenian discrimination, demographic shifts and economic underdevelopment. (Ulubabian, 1994) The Armenian population had declined by 25% from 1920 to 1979, due to hardships created by these discriminatory attitudes. The modern conflict started on February 1988, when due to the glasnost policy created by Gorbachev and its subsequent openness, the NK authorities asked to transfer the NK Autonomous Oblast to Armenia SSR. The reaction in Azerbaijan SSR was negative, as in 13th June it rejected this demand, on the other hand Armenia SSR on 15th June gave acceptance to this request. Due to the argument between Azerbaijan SSR and Armenia SSR, Moscow had to decide, and since Articles 73 and 78 of the 1977 USSR Constitution states that borders may only be changed if both republics agree on the change, NK stayed under Azerbaijanà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s SSR authority, until the Soviet Union broke down in 1991. The conflict itself started with violence and ethnic-cleansing, with guerrilla warfare. Pogroms against Armenians started in Sumgait (near Baku) in February 1988 and in January 1990 in Baku. The Armenians of Baku (approximately 220,000) and from other parts of Azerbaijan were forced to flee, except in areas of NK. In return, Azeris in Armenia (160,000) were forced to leave, however no pogroms and mass violence was recorded, unlike in Baku. It was not until Yeltsin came to power that Russia sided with the Armenians, as before the USSR broke down the USSR Army was helping the Azeris. The Russians helped the Armenians with weapons, fuel and logistical support. The reason the Russians sided with the Armenians was because it was against Azerbaijanà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s pro-Turkey and pro-Western positions. (Betts, 1999). Russiaà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s view was that Armenia was its only ally in the South Caucasus, and due to its geopolitical situation in regard to Turkey in Iran, help should be given. Full scale war broke out between 1991 and 1994 among the Azeri Army and the irregular Armenian guerrilla fighters. At the beginnings of 1992 the Azeris were in control of nearly half of NK, forcing out Armenian civilians as they advanced. Spring 1992 was when the advantage turned towards the Armenians, as their offensive pushed the Azeris to retreat. Once the city of Shushi was captured in May 8 1992, the Armenians had control of NK and the surrounding territories. It must be noted that the Armenian side was mostly fought by guerrilla fighters, which did not respond to any central authority in NK or Armenia. Most of the fighters or Fedayeen (Freedom Fighters), as the Armenians call them, were ordinary people without training or military weapons. The Armenians were helped by the Diaspora, which sent money, weapons and volunteers to help. The Azeri side brought mercenaries from Chechnya and mujahedeen from Pakistan and Afghanistan (approximately 3,000 fighters). (Taarnby, Michael. 2008 ) In May 1994 a cease fire was signed with Russia as intermediary in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. The ceasefire was signed by the Azerbaijani authorities and General Babayan from the NK Armed forces. The result of the war was that the Armenians ended up controlling 20% of Azerbaijanà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s territory. An estimated 4,500 people died and 25,00 wounded from the Armenian side, and an estimated 30,000 died and 60,000 wounded on the Azeri side. (De Waal, 2003). CEASE FIRE AND PEACE TALKS Before the ceasefire agreement mediated by Russia, several attempts were made to find a solution. The first attempt was by Boris Yeltsin and Nursultan Nazarbayev on September 1991, it gave no fruit. Next mediation was by Iran on February 1992. Since Iranà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s historical relationship with both the Armenians and the Azeris was close, it attempted to increase its dominance in the region, especially to push Turkey aside. The Tehran conference did not reach to any agreement. After this, CSCE (Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe) started to arbitrate, it also pressed Iran out of the negotiations, as the latter was not a member of CSCE, On August 1992, Nazarbayev tried again, but the mediation led to nowhere. CSCE tried on several occasions from 1992 until December 1994 to reach an agreement for both sides, but itsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ inexperience and Russiaà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s parallel involvement made it fail. From May 1994, when the ceasefire was signed, several propositions were laid on the negotiation table, but NK was only to agree to a à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“comp lete packageà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?, while Azerbaijan pushed for a à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“step by stepà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? approach. (Mooradian, 1999) To date, there has been no concrete agreement between the two parts. The main mediator is the Minsk Group, created in 1993 by the CSCE (now OSCE), even though the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan have met on various occasions, NKà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s government is still left out of any negotiations. CAN KOSOVO BE USED AS AN EXAMPLE? After the recognition of Kosovoà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s independence, many other de facto states looked closely to see if it would set an example. Even though the states that have recognised Kosovo state that Kosovo cannot be used as a precedent, others may argue that it can and has. The main reason the international community uses to implicate the uniqueness of Kosovo is that it has been under UN and international control, while other de facto states like NK, Abkhazia and South Ossetia have not. To analyse the relevance of Kosovo, a comparison is made. The similarities with NK are various: both consist of a minority that sees itself discriminated, both conflicts started in an era of transition brought by the disintegration of the Soviet Union, both held referendums and used the peopleà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s right to self determination idea. The differences must also be noted: NK can argue that before the transition era, it already was an Autonomous Oblast. NK has existed for longer, with relative better stability, and has made more progress on state-building, even though it received less international attention and financial support. (Murinson, 2004) Other differences are that NK is not accepted as a negotiating part in the peace process, Armenia acts as itsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ representative. It can be argued that the Kosovo can be used as an example of a state gaining independence, however, the international community argues that it is a unique case, however this does not limit the political ramifications it has brought. Kosovoà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s independence has given hope to other de facto states, who argue that in all, they should have a better chance in gaining independence than Kosovo. As the former President of NK stated: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“If the world community is ready to recognize the independence of Kosovo, I think it will be very hard for them to explain why they do not recognize Nagorno-Karabakhà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? (Yakubyan, 2006) And as the Speaker of NK Parliament said: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“A serious basis for the international recognition of our sovereignty, we have held free elections for 16 years, law-enforcement bodies are formed, powers are divided, [the] army is under civil controlà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? (Karabakh Has Serious Grounds for International Recognition of Sovereignty «, in: Karabakh Open, 20 February 2008) To explain why Kosovo deserves international recognition and other de facto states in very similar positions do not is very hard, even by the same international community that accepted Kosovoà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s independence. The reasons can vary from the official statement that Kosovo has been under international control, while other have not, but it is also correct to assume that other factors such as mutual interests among regional powers. Russiaà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s involvement in the NK peace process has many times thrown the Minsk Groupà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s propositions away, as Russia can benefit from the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“no peace no warà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? situation over NK: it sells arms and heavy weaponry to both Armenia and Azerbaijan, arming both sides. WHY HAS ARMENIA NOT RECOGNISED NKà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢S INDEPENDENCE? This question is very interesting in the sense that it would be logical that Armenia should be the first country in recognising the independence of NK, however there is one main reason of why it has not. The official Armenian response to these questions is that since Armenia has started: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“An international legal process of settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh  conflict, and this is why Armenia has still not recognized the enclaves independenceà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? It  is for  the  same reason that Armenia has not recognized the independence of Kosovo, Oleg   Yesayan,   Armenian   ambassador   to   Belarus. (Alima Bissenova. (2008). Armenia links issue of Abkhazia, S. Ossetia to N.-Karabakh. Available: https://www.cacianalyst.org/?q=taxonomy/term/4page=6. Last accessed 20th January 2011.) However, due to the recent statements by Azerbaijan of taking NK back by force has made the Armenian side declare that it would recognise NK if war started: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Armenia is categorically against a military resolution of the problem. In the event Azerbaijan unleashes a new military venture, Armenia will have no other choice but to recognize de jure the Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh and provide for the safety of its population through all means,à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? President of Armenia, Serge Sarkisian Astana, Kazakhstan, December 2010. EuroAsia. (2010). Armenia Says Will Recognize Karabakh In Case Of War. Available: https://www.eurasianet.org/node/62556. Last accessed 20th January 2011 One could argue that Armenia should recognise NK, in the same manner as Russia has recognised Abkhazia and South Ossetia. The recognition of NK would give Armenia legal right to aid NK in case war started with Azerbaijan. Moreover, some argue that if Armenia does not recognise NK in the foreseeable future, the status and issue of NK could be forgotten to history, as it would lose its momentum in the pursuit for recognition. RECOMENDATIONS From the overall analysis of the NK conflict and other similar conflicts around the world, some basic and concrete to the NK case recommendations can be made: OSCE and other international peace organisations should look to include NK in the negotiation process as an independent actor, like they did with the ceasefire agreement. International organisations should pave the way to stipulate better assurances for non resumption of armed conflict. The line of fire should be closely observed for ceasefire violations. Programs should be developed in order to teach both societies about tolerance, reconciliation and mutual respect. International organisations should look to integrate the public in debates and discussions, and rely less on top-down approaches. (Faber, 2005) International organisations should push for a peacekeeping force to be deployed on the contact line, it should also try to organise a new referendum under the eyes of international observers, henceforth push for a lawful democratisation and a peace settlement. (Freizer, 2006) Governments in Armenia, NK, and Azerbaijan should start to include conflict resolution and prevention, peace building and peacekeeping, human rights programmes at schools and universities, in order to increase public awareness. NGOs should create projects along with the civil society to educate the population about the conflict and conciliation for peace. Finally, an international recognition of NK would ensure a peaceful settlement of the conflict, and would make NK answerable to international law. Moreover, NK would have access to loans from the IMF or the WB, thus being able to develop better as a state. Open borders with Azerbaijan would bolster trade, and maybe bring trust between the people. CONCLUSION The conflict of NK is very complicated to be able to analyse without going into much detail. There are many arguments for and against certain strategies, using international law, international recognition, state sovereignty, refugees, and many others, but one thing is being ignored; the fact that NK has been acting like any other recognised democratic state for over 15 years. NKà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s human rights violations, degree of democracy and transparency and corruption are all better than Armenia or Azerbaijan, (Freedom House, 2011) yet still there is little advance among the international community in recognising NK. Some may add that the West uses double standards: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Weà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ve got used to the double standards of the West. I believe that the people of South Ossetia have much more reason for gaining independence than the Kosovan Albanians.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? (Yuri Morozov, Prime Minister of South Ossetia). In my opinion, the West does not fully use double stan dards, but approaches the question very surgically, since it understands the uniqueness of every conflict, and that it could be disastrous to use one peace settlement in another area, as every conflict has its own inimitable dynamics. I think that NK pace to independence is correct, as sooner or later it will have to be recognised, it should continue developing its government in order to set an example. In the near future two outcomes are possible, either an international recognition of NK or war will break out, it is inevitable, as both sides continue arming themselves, therefore it in my opinion it is in the best interest that of the international community to prevent such hostilities by recognizing NK. As Chekov said: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“If in the first act you have hung a pistol on the wall, then in the following one it should be fired. Otherwise dont put it there. (A. P. Chekhov, in Teatr i iskusstvo 1904, No. 28, 11 July, p. 521)

Managerial Accounting Hilton Quiz1 Answers - 1526 Words

Multiple Choice Quiz (See related pages) Results Reporter | | Out of 15 questions, you answered 2 correctly with a final grade of 13% | | | | | | 2 correct (13%) | | | | 12 incorrect (80%) | | | | 1 unanswered (7%) | | | Your Results: | The correct answer for each question is indicated by a . | ------------------------------------------------- Top of Form | 1 INCORRECT | | Which of the following organizations would be least likely to have a company objective involving the maximization of shareholder value? | | | A) | The Walt Disney Company | | | B) | Marriot Hotels | | | C) | Southwest Airlines | | | D) | The American Red Cross | | | E) | All of the above organizations would be equally likely†¦show more content†¦LO 3 | | 6 INCORRECT | | Which of the following statements is false? | | | A) | Managerial accounting need not conform to GAAP. | | | B) | Managerial accounting reports typically focus on the enterprise in its entirety. | | | C) | Managerial accounting is not required. | | | D) | Financial accounting is required. | | | E) | Managerial accounting does not require a separate accounting system | | | | | | Feedback:Exhibit 1-3. Financial accounting reports focus on the enterprise in its entirety. Managerial accounting need not conform to GAAP and it is not required. LO 4 | | 7 CORRECT | | Which of the following positions is most likely a staff position? | | | A) | Production manager | | | B) | Marketing manager | | | C) | Inventory manager | | | D) | Sales manager | | | E) | None of the above | | | | | | Feedback:All of the managers listed here are directly involved in the provision of goods or services and are therefore in line positions. Managers in staff positions are only indirectly involved in the

Relationship between Private and Public Sector Economies Free Essays

Public sector affects the private sector in such a way that the government can impede to the abusing powers of the private sector or provide guidance to the private sector to gain stability depending on the condition which both sector is situated. The welfare of the consumers and the entire society is the priority of the government; therefore, government policies can either support the private sector or the other way around. Public sector arises if the private sector abuses their market power in the economy. We will write a custom essay sample on Relationship between Private and Public Sector Economies or any similar topic only for you Order Now Like for instance, companies that have patent rights over a certain type of medicine or drug have the tendency to over price their products thereby creating much burden on the consumers especially those that are considered poor and less privilege. If this scenario happens, then, this is the right time when the government can step in and restrict the said concerned company through certain market barriers like government policies such as price ceiling/floor price to restrict the increase of prices in the market. Furthermore, the government could also produce generic drugs in the market, with same medical effect but of cheaper price for the poor and less privilege people. With this, the government is able to fulfill their role as the provider of basic needs of every citizen such as medical accessibility plus restricting the private company from overcharging the consumers for their products. It is now therefore clear that public sector only rises whenever the private sector cannot produce a certain product efficiently or the private sector already abuses their power and causes much burden on the consumers in the market. On the other hand, private sector rises whenever the government inefficiently produces a certain type of good or services or has the possibility that government officials only abuses their power while holding a government-owned company (adbi.org, 2008). One great example into this would be the production of electricity in the domestic market. Most countries give this industry to the private sector since the government only acquires tremendous amount of financial losses contributing to the budget deficit of the government. In this regard, the government already gives way for the private sector to step in. for as long as the private sector can reasonable operates in the market, then, there is no room for the government to intervene giving way for the rise of public sector. The private sector also provides income to the government and this is the most reason why government allows private sector to dominate the production of goods and services in the market (Adb.org, 2006). On the other hand, private sector gets benefits from the public sector in the form of government subsidies and other helpful policies like lower tax rate from operating the market. At the end of the day, public and private sector have a mutual relationship with one another since both of them benefits from simultaneously existing in the economy. Public sector basically encompasses all the goods and services that are provided by the government (Cox, 2005). Like what is mentioned above earlier, the provision of generic drugs or medicine is already considered as one of the public sector since it is being provided by the government and this is one of the main component of the public sector- goods and services under this sector is being provided by the government. Another example of this would be the national defense, social security and the urban planning administration. On the other hand, private sector is primarily being comprised by goods and services that are made in the purpose of making profit in the market. Companies in this sector are profit driven and only motivated to produce goods and services in the market not because of charity and social service rather to make earnings. This what makes the private sector different from the public sector – their purpose for providing a given product or service in the domestic market (Sasagawa, 2008). In the end, despite of the difference on the intentions of the private and public sector, they still able to work effectively by providing harmony in the market towards the attainment of impressive economic growth for the country. Political policies for the public sector would be very much different for that of the private sector since these two sectors have different reason from existing in the market. Most of the policies concerning the public sector concentrate on the influence of the government over the management of the production of goods and services under this sector (uni-koblenz.de, 2008). In other words, the government has the entire power to interfere in the operation of a company/organization operating under the public sector like the wage rate of the workers in the public sector. Most of the times, policies in this sectors concentrates on the minimization of cost of providing services and/or goods to the public since public sector’s companies get their budget from the government. In other words, the government, as much as possible, controls the management of the public sectors in order to see that they provide the highest possible quality of product and services in the market and at the sam e time minimizing the cost of their provision of goods and services as much as possible. On the other hand, political policies for the private sector focuses mainly on the restrictions that the government will impose the private entities especially if the latter already abuses their market power. Furthermore, the government could also implement political policies such as high tax for private entities in order for the government to generate more revenue. Import/export quota are also some of the government policies that directly affects the level of operation and production of a given private company in the market. Nevertheless, there are some policies that both sectors can be addressed like the policy on the increasing the minimum wage rate of the workers in the labor market. Only the policies concerning the factors of production are the only time wherein both sectors will be affected by one political policy like the increasing of wage rate of workers in the labor market. References Adb.org (2006). Private Sector Development. Retrieved May 2, 2008, from www.adb.org/documents/policies/private_sector/PSD-strategic-framework-2006.pdf adbi.org (2008). The Growing Role of Private Sector. Retrieved May 2, 2008, from http://www.adbi.org/book/2004/10/07/602.private.sector.prc/the.growing.role.of.private.sector/ Cox, M. (2005). The Public Sector Components that Promote Sustainable Development and Construction. Retrieved May 2, 2008, from www.cce.ufl.edu/the%20public%20sector%20components%20that%20promote%20sustainable%20development%20%2 Sasagawa, T. (2008). The Relationship between the Public and Private Sectors in 20th Century in Japan. Retrieved May 2, 2008, from www.ua.es/es/internacional/eisenhower/SASAGAWA.pdf Uni-koblenz.de (2008). Governance of the Public-Private-Civic Sector Relationships. Retrieved May 2, 2008, from http://www.uni-koblenz.de/FB4/Contrib/EGOVRTD2020/navigation/work_packages/wp4_roadmapping/ppcrelations How to cite Relationship between Private and Public Sector Economies, Essay examples

Nokia Microsoft Alliance free essay sample

Microsoft would in turn provide support to Nokia in selling its new Windows Phone powered smartphones. Nokia’s Canadian CEO, Stephen Elop, and Steve Ballmer, his Microsoft counterpart, announced that Nokia would make Windows Phone its main phone platform, a move that effectively confirms that Nokia’s own platforms, Symbian and MeeGo, were uncompetitive and they would be tossed onto the technology scrap heap. There were mixed reactions from analysts to the alliance between Nokia and Microsoft. The challenge before the senior management at Nokia and Microsoft was how to make the alliance work. Nokia once dominated the market for standard â€Å"feature phones† and smartphones, the Internetenabled, multi-media devices that are becoming must-have tools for the business and high-end consumer markets. But Nokia’s Symbian OS has not proved popular with consumers, who have been migrating en masse to Android and Apple phones. As a result, Nokia began to face severe competition from companies like Google, Inc. We will write a custom essay sample on Nokia Microsoft Alliance or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page and Apple, Inc. ho entered the market for high-end smartphones after 2007. Analysts said Nokia’s poor focus on software and the lack of the latest OS on its smartphones were the main reasons for its declining market share in the last years. In the autumn of 2010, Nokia faced three choice: the first was to keep developing its own OS, Symbian and MeeGo; the second was to adopt Google’s Android system; and the third was to go with Microsoft. The first option was dropped because of the long lead times that would be required to update Symbian and get MeeGo launched. Android dropped off the list because of the difficulties they were facing in â€Å"differentiating [ourselves] in that ecosystem †¦ [Going with Google] would have felt a bit like giving up†. In the smartphone industry, an ecosystem is the association of hardware developers (in this case Nokia), software developers and the builders of applications, ecommerce, advertising, social applications, multimedia services and the like. The last option – the partnership with Microsoft – was considered the best option. As a result, in September 2010 Nokia’s board appointed a new CEO, Stephen Elop, who was a former executive at Microsoft, to bring more of a focus on software and put the basis of NokiaMicrosoft partnership. Referring to this partnership and the attempt to prevent Google’s Android 1 OS and the Apple’s iPhone from owning the entire smartphone market, Mr. Elop said that â€Å"this is now a three-horse race†. Seated next to Mr. Elop in a London hotel auditorium, Mr. Ballmer said â€Å"this partnership with Nokia will accelerate – dramatically accelerate – our Windows phone ecosystem†. However, the partnership did not impress investors, who drove down Nokia’s shares in Europe at the beginning of February 2011. Analysts said the plunge was in good part due to Nokia’s warning of â€Å"significant uncertainties† over how the changes would affect the Finish company’s performance. Soon after taking over as CEO of Nokia, Elop sent out a memo to the employees emphasizing the need to bring about drastic changes at the company. On the other hand, Mr. Elop said the partnership with Microsoft was only part of Nokia’s strategy to recapture market share and improve profitability in a viciously competitive market, meanwhile extensive firings at both the senior management and factory level were expected in various parts of the world, including Finland. In a Reuters report, Finland’s Economy Minister Mauri Pekkarinen said that Nokia’s restructuring after the partnership with Microsoft â€Å"is the biggest structural reform which has ever impacted new technology in Finland†. As a result of the partnership agreement, Nokia’s hefty research and development budget would also come down. The partnership with Microsoft will see the fledgling Windows Phone 7 platform become the dominant platform on Nokia phones. This means that Nokia will eventually cease shipping phones equipped with its workhorse Symbian system, though the company still expected to sell another 150-million products in 2011. Microsoft Phone 7 was launched in 2010 and the first phones with the OS arrived on the market in October 2010; still, the system’s market share is tiny – no more than 3 per cent.

Struggles in Society free essay sample

Struggles in Society In the short story, The Golden Kite and Silver Wind by Ray Bradbury, we are exposed to the issues concerning competition between mankind. When locked in deadly competition, we feel the need to always be one step ahead. As people, we want to win and out show our enemies, which can create more issues. In reality, it is usually much more efficient to combine forces and work together to eliminate the problem. This concept is demonstrated perfectly in The Golden Kite and Silver Wind. The two rulers of each village are constantly trying to build a better city wall than each other. By doing so, the citizens and builders are faced with poverty, hunger, and overall weakness. The production is slower, people more hungry, supplies more limited, and the conflict of having a better wall is still alive. When one analyzes this situation, one realizes neither force is stronger nor winning and both are actually creating more of a difficulty. We will write a custom essay sample on Struggles in Society or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page By uniting forces, it improves both civilizations quality of life and ceases the need to always fght. The mandarins daughter realizes this and decides to teach the rulers of both villages to apply this to their ongoing quarrel of city-walls. Instead of competing, she has one village be a silver wind and another village be golden kite. Both symbols complement each other and help solve the problems. By coming together, the walls no longer need to be habitually remodeled in order to stay ahead. This tale is Bradburys way of hinting at the faults of the human need of being selfish and always needing to win. We feel the need to overlook reasonability and do anything to go ahead. More often than not, this results in a dilemma and more troubles arise. The daughter stops and thinks, which is what society needs to do more often. The rulers symbolize societies in history fighting for power. Bradburys tale signifies to us that winning isnt always beating competition, but sometimes, winning is working together on a common obstacle.

Martin Luther King JR. I have a dream

Martin Luther King JR. I have a dream Martin Luther King is optimistic that African Americans will have basic rights including voting and other social rights in the future. Such rights will allow African Americans to vote, live in good neighborhoods and interact with White Americans without any discrimination (Gates 107).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Martin Luther King JR. I have a dream specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In a perfect society, all Americans will be treated equally by the constitution. According to Martin Luther, freedom is about people being judged based on their characters, but not ethnicity (Gates 107). In a perfect society, the constitution will protect all citizens equally. Martin Luther defines freedom as the ability to live how individuals want and to attend any school or motel of choice without restrictions based on race (Gates 108). Luther urges people not rest until freedom is attained. The speech â€Å"I have a dream† b y Martin Luther King continues to challenge leaders today (Hansen 23). Today, this speech has continually challenged Americans to recognize everybody’s potential in areas of politics and leadership among other fields. However, cases of police brutality and incarceration of African Americans are relative high in the American society today (Gates 109). Just recently, there was an African American young man who was shot three times in the neighborhood for walking in White’s settlements. When lobby groups enquired about this incidence, police officers argued that the boy was a criminal. This is an indication that Americans have not yet attained freedom. The coming of President Obama to power has given most African Americans hope (Gates 109). In fact, the number of African Americans who turned out to vote in the last election is an indicator that Americans are ready to attain freedom. Evidently, Africans and White Americans are now getting to a level where they are putting their differences aside for development. Gates, Louis. The Norton Anthology of African American Literature. New York, NY: Norton press, 2004. Print. Hansen, Drew. The Dream: Martin Luther King, Jr., and the Speech that Inspired a  Nation. New York, NY: Harper Collins, 2003. Print.Advertising Looking for essay on african american? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More

DESCRIPTION Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

DESCRIPTION - Essay Example A court case is similar to a battlefront with lawyers on the frontline of the battle. In this regard, there is a rush of the adrenaline as lawyers present a blow-by-blow detail of a case they wanted to win in a similar way that an army advances towards the enemy line looking forward to a hard-fought victory. In effect, a lawyer who wins a court case will have a feeling of victory written all over his or her face while on the same time appearing to be reflecting on the manner they achieved this victory. While lawyers deliver most of their presentations with punch and zeal, a lawyer will appear humble and pensive after winning a court case. In a way, the time taken to conclude a court case appears like the drama of life, which people say starts with a wail and ends with a sigh. This pensive and humble feeling is usually accompanied by joy, which is indicative of delight from a feeling of a heavy load taken off the lawyer’s back with the lawyer wishing to relive the moment each

On Orientalism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

On Orientalism - Essay Example Edward Said’s concept of Orientalism is divided into six sections and each of them is summarized below: The Repertory of Orientalism: According to Edward Said there exists an organized form of writing that permeate ‘a kind of repertory of images’ where the East has been depicted as â€Å"a kind of mysterious place full of secrets and monsters† (Said). Historians very often used to refer to â€Å"the Marvels of the East†. These representations have nothing to do with the actual reality. Thus, said argues that one can never find realistic representations of the Orient whether it is in painting, literature, music or in any other art forms. Similarly, the descriptions of the Arabs by experts in books spread the same images whether they are written in the nineteenth or twentieth century. Thus, it can be observed that there is a misconception that the Arabs and the people in the Middle East do not develop like the Westerners. These writings thus portray â€Å"a kind of image of the timeless Orient, as if the Orient, unlike the West, doesnt develop, it stays the s ame† (Said). One can clearly observe that these representations of the orient contradict themselves with history and can be understood as the mere creation of Europeans. Orientalism & Empire: For Said, Orientalism is constructed within ‘the history of imperial conquest’ and for him Napoleons conquest of Egypt in 1798 has paved the way for a ‘new kind of imperial and colonial conquest, that inaugurates the project of Orientalism† (Said). It can be seen that the imperialists who conquered colonies in the East recorded a so-called history of those nations designed for the Europeans rather for the native colonists. On the other hand, one cannot find a Western history that is pioneered or written by the orients. American Orientalism: Said here purports that the American experience of the Orient

Constitutional Interpretations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Constitutional Interpretations - Essay Example According to U.S. Constitution online, there are four basic methods of constitutional interpretation; Originalism or original intent, Modernism or Instrumentalism, Literalism and Democratic or normative reinforcement. Originalism, â€Å"The theory that in constitutional adjudication judges should be bound by the intent of the farmers,† where â€Å"Farmer† refers to those who wrote and ratified the Constitution, is a regulative theory of constitutional interpretation whose purpose is to provide this guarantee and prevent constitutional interpretation from becoming political in the policy-making sense of the term. They consider it the original way of interpretation and look for guidance from makers if there is some ambiguity. According to this method, the constitution is interpreted in a traditional way of farmers. In this method, it is determined that how the farmer had thought and interpreted. For knowing the farmer’s way, different sources are used, for example, newspapers, Federalist papers, contemporary writings of the farmers and Constitution as well. This interpretation of approach is limited because only a few hundred people of the same kind cannot be the representatives of the diverse population of today. Modernism is exactly opposite to the originalism as they perceive original text to be old and not in consideration with today’s world and its requirements. They believe in changing and improving constitution with time as modern development and scenarios can change the whole meaning.

Bella Fleur Wedding Reception Venue Analysis Marketing Essay

Bella Fleur Wedding Reception Venue Analysis Marketing Essay EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Business description and ownership Bella Fleur is a wedding reception venue specializing in classy and entertaining weddings for all cultures and ages (legally of course). I will be the owner of this business, and as a sole trader I am willing to try hard to assess all aspects of a business in this business plan in order to avoid involuntary cessation. I have chosen this legal structure for my business because the decision making aspect will be easier and also conflict between owners of a business that arises during decision making is avoided. As the business grows, if needed I will be able to change the legal structure to something more suitable for the situation. There will be a cultural Lebanese aspect to the venue which will add the entertaining purposes of the weddings. This culture has been held as an inspiration and will evolve in the different services offered by the venue such as foods, entertainment and sometimes decorations. Bella Fleur will offer many options/preferences as well as services and facilities to the client. Bella Fleur does not only offer services during the reception, but also leading up to the wedding. Qualified staff members are available full time to make any couples WHOLE dream day a reality rather than the dream party alone. The wedding reception venue will be located on the main road of one of Sydneys Eastern Suburbs, Double Bay. The address of this business is; 64 Bay Road, Double Bay. I have chosen a visible location and so the promotion of the venue will be quite an easy task. Bella Fleur is part of the services sector of businesses in Australia as the prime function is to organize and host a wedding for any kind of clientele. The services provided by the wedding reception venue include; wedding planners, waiters, entertainment, MCs, Bella Fleur catering, bartenders, cars and all things that are needed to ensure the bride and groom have the perfect day. Purpose of Plan- The purpose of this business plan is to help Bella Fleur Wedding Reception Venue to prevent failure. Many goals will be put in place in order to give the business a main path to follow and things that will be needed to achieve. Some of the goals placed by the business owner (Maya Geagea) include; The social goals Ensuring that all members of the community are offered with a variety of options in order to create the perfect function Offering a diverse range of services to community members The financial goals Expanding the business over a certain timeframe Ensuring that all debt finances are of minimal occurrence Gaining a sufficient profit The personal goals Being successful Creating good consumer awareness Gaining sufficient profits and minimal debts Situational Analysis Strengths Excellent Reputation Good contact base Excellent management skills Excellent quality services Extensive knowledge of the industry sector Highly qualified staff base Weaknesses Lack of consumer awareness Entrepreneurship Minimal startup capital Size of venue Opportunities Extra services will become available Growing economy Expanding locations Competitors suffering financial problems and looking to sell their business Threats Competitors Decreasing economy Increased inflation Increasing service prices Business Objectives and Strategies Objectives Strategies Provide the Bride and Groom with everything they need to make their day perfect Develop a professional, qualified staff base Ensure all services available are provided correctly Ensure that entertainment is always changing. Develop a loyal clientele base Work well with all clients Ensure that the bride and groom and all the guests are all satisfied Be consistent with all clients and ensure that all treatment is fair Add extra services to the business Research extra services that a venue can provide (2 months) Develop the new services (4 months) Have new services tested and running at full capacity (5 months) Quality Rating Complete a survey of how well the business and staff has operated with clients (3 months) Improve and use these surveys as critical analysis and new objectives (3 months) OPERATIONS Operations Description of goods and services All production facilities for the services offered by Bella Fleur will be located at the same site of Bella Fleur. Bella Fleur not only offers a venue for a wedding reception to be held at but also offers planning services to the Bride and Groom. These include services such as; Entertainment This includes DJs, bands, dancers, and all types of entertainers to ensure that the bride/groom as well as the guests experience a memorable and enjoyable night. Decorators Professional decorative designers who will decorate not only the reception, but also the ceremony location in order to create a coherent environment. They will be in charge of the table cloths, chair covers, foyer decorations, centre pieces, chair sashes, bridal table design, backdrop, fireworks and anything else selected by the bride and groom. Chefs Chefs will ensure that the Bride Groom are provided with their dream wedding banquet and all guests appetites are fulfilled. They will also be in charge of preparing the food for the bridal partys picnic while taking photos after the ceremony. Waiters the waiters must ensure that all tables are adequately taken care of and guests receive all they ask for. The head waiters will attend to the bridal partys needs regarding food and drinks on the night. Drivers Cars The Bride and Groom will have a wide selection of cars in order for them to be able to choose their preferred transportation on the big day. This will include cars for the bridal party and also a getaway car for the bride and groom. A picnic lunch is also available with any car selection provided by the kitchen at Bella Fleur. The bride and groom may choose to speak personally to the car company or have the confrontations done by the venue. MCs the bride and groom will have a choice of one or two MCs on the night, which will be chosen from a list of five entertaining public speakers. Flowers The bride will be able to choose from a wide range of flowers and arrangements of all sorts including her own and the bridesmaids bouquets. Once these flowers are chosen, automatically, boutonniere and corsages will be chosen to match the brides choice. Invitations A variety of invitation samples will be shown to the bride and groom and they will be able to choose their favorite invitation base, and alter any decorations on the invitation. **It is optional for the bride and groom to choose to work with a wedding planner. ** The Above services are available at the request of the bride and groom. Personnel Requirements and skills Waiters 10 waiters will be employed overall. Depending on the size of the function, the number of waiters asked to work will vary. No qualifications will be needed from the waiters; however it is preferable that they have worked in some sort of restaurant before. During induction, waiters will be taught the proper way of setting out wedding arrangements for the tables. Wedding Planners Two wedding planners will be employed. The wedding planners must be qualified in the areas of events management. The wedding planner is expected to have completed the events management course. They are required to speak fluent English and also a second language is highly preferred. Wedding planners should be able to communicate with clients clearly and be able not only to fulfill all the clients needs and wants at the venue, but also everything they need leading up to the big day. They will be asked to try to relate to the bride and groom and find the suitable options for the Bride and Groom. Kitchen Staff Three chefs and three kitchen staff will be employed. The chef is expected to fulfill all requirements on the basis of food, and also should be able to alternate and always help create an innovative menu. The three kitchen staff will be employed as the chefs assistants, they will carry out jobs such as washing the dishes, cleaning the kitchen, providing the chef with all ingredients etc. Receptionist The receptionist must be able to deal with all kinds of people and communicate clearly over the phone as well as face to face. It is preferred that the receptionist be a woman, and also be able to take care of all book keeping requirements. MARKETING Marketing Market Analysis Bella Fleur Wedding Reception will begin as a small business, targeted mainly at people looking for a versatile wedding and a variety of options. The target market for this business will range from clients looking for somewhere to have their wedding reception to clients looking for somewhere where they can hold a christening. Marriages around Australia are of high occurrence, and therefore the target market for Bella Fleur will be diverse and ever growing. The table below shows the number of marriages over time from 1988 2007. Total marriages 1998-2007 Graph: Total marriages-1998-2007 Bella Fleur wedding reception has a main goal of market expansion. Over the time frame of ten years, this business will hope to expand and become a franchise. In order to do so, customer awareness will need to be gained and further focused on. Bella Fleur will mainly focus on promotion and customer awareness in the month of March. As statistics show, weddings in Australia were found in 2007 that March was the most popular month. This is show in the table below found on; http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/[emailprotected]/mf/3306.0.55.001 Months of marriage 2007 Graph: Months of marriage-2007 Competitor Analysis Within wedding reception industry in Sydney, the competitive environment is quite intense and the number of competitors is fairly large. This means that while Bella Fleur will be entering the market place, there may be many competitive advantages as well as disadvantages. Existing competitors leaving the industry could be an advantage while entrepreneurs opening up businesses in this industry could be a disadvantage. For this business, two main competitors have been chosen and analyzed. They are shown below. Competitor Information Strengths of Competitor Weaknesses of Competitor Bella Fleur Strategies THE VAUDEVILLE FUNCTION LOUNGE 176 The River Road, Revesby NSW 2212 Specializes in all functions Prestige Excellent promotion and customer awareness Large Space Many years experience No cultural aspect Doesnt offer as many services as Bella Fleur High pricing Bella Fleur holds a cultural aspect and offers all kinds of services possible for an event. The budget is flexible and works with the clients budget. Bella Fleur is dedicated to gain customer awareness by promotion skills and in time will also expand the business. DOLTONE HOUSE FUNCTION CENTRE 223 Belgrave Esplanade, Sylvania Waters, NSW 2224 Excellent View Prestige Customer Awareness Franchise Large Business Large spaces Many years experience No cultural aspect Focuses mainly on the reception rather than the planning High pricing Bella Fleur holds a cultural aspect and offers all kinds of services possible for an event. The budget is flexible and works with the clients budget. Bella Fleur is dedicated to gain customer awareness by promotion skills and in time will also expand the business. Product Analysis The main function of Bella Fleur will be to provide clients with all specific and small components of a wedding and all other functions. This may be the main function, however this function will vary from client to client as it is a service that is offered rather than a good and clientele diversity is a given in this type of industry. The budget of the wedding reception will depend of the clients budget. For example, if a client is will to spend only a small amount of money on the wedding, different options will be given to this client than the client who is willing to spend millions of dollars. Changes at these times will occur mainly in menu, which room the function will be held in, how many people will be at the wedding and all different small details. At Bella Fleur, concentration will be placed on customer comfort as well as happiness, the customer must be happy with the services we have to offer before they will open up to the staff and ensure that trust is placed in us. A product analysis is not entirely necessary when planning this kind of business as it offers services rather than goods. Price Analysis At Bella Fleur, prices will depend upon the budget of the client rather than the budget of the reception venue. Many different offers and deals will be given to clients ensuring they are able to choose and adapt the services and products in order to create a dream wedding while working around their own budget. Once a client has chosen the deal which they would like to go ahead with, it is the responsibility of the reception venue to then purchase appropriate goods and plan appropriate methods to ensure that a profit will be made rather than a loss. Prices will vary depending on; The menu The seating plan The number of people The services chosen Decorations Changes made to the hall Promotion Analysis As any business, when Bella Fleur wedding reception venue first opens up, the main short term goal will be to gain high customer awareness. This goal will become long term while the business grows. The location of this business assists in developing its promotion and prestige. The business will be advertised in newspapers, wedding magazines, on street signs and billboards. However, this will not be accomplished with the original startup capital of the business. Direct Marketing, Sales promotion and Publicity will all be used in order to promote the business. Place Analysis Bella Fleur wedding reception is located on the main road of one of Sydneys higher class suburbs. The location of this business is of prime importance especially for its promotion. The venue is overlooking a lake and a beautiful natural environment. This gives Bella Fleur a competitive advantage over its competitors who are often placed in areas where no view is available. FINANCE Finances Financial Forecasts Revenue Statement Revenue Statement for Bella Fleur Wedding Reception Venue For the period ending 31st August 2012 $ $ SALES REVENUE 1 450 000 COGS Opening Stock 500 000 Purchases 200 000 700 000 Closing Stock 100 000 Total 600 000 GROSS PROFIT 850 000 EXPENSES Advertising 5 000 Insurance 2 000 Interest to bank 20 000 Decoration Expenses 30 000 Mortgage 4 050 Salaries and Wages 200 000 Telephone 4 000 Kitchen Stock 80 000 Total 345 050 NET PROFIT (before tax) 504 950 Balance Sheet Balance Sheet for Bella Fleur Wedding Reception As at 30 August 2011 CURRENT ASSETS $ $ Cash in bank 500 000 Account Receivable 420 000 Stock (ingredients) 100 000 Total Current Assets 1 020 000 NON CURRENT ASSETS Equipment 2 450 000 Land 700 000 Building Properties 500 000 Total Non Current Assets 3 650 000 OTHER/INTANGIBLE ASSETS Good will (intangible) 300 000 Total Other Assets 300 000 Total Assets 4 970 000 CURRENT LIABILITIES Bank Overdraft 600 000 Accounts Payable 200 000 Total Current Liabilities 800 000 NON CURRENT LIABILITIES Mortgage 3 516 000 Total Non Current Liabilities 3 516 000 OWNERS EQUITY Capital 500 000 Retained Profits 154 000 Total Equity 654 000 Total Liabilities 4 970 000 1.28LIQUIDITY: Current Assets 1 020 000 Current Liabilities 800 000 CRITICAL REVIEW Critical Review As a student, I think that Ive completed this assignment quite well according to the plan of approach. I followed all my deadlines and completed things before the due date. My understanding of what a business plan had to be like expanded during the course of this assignment as I researched and questioned different aspects of the assignment. I struggled with some sections of the assignment which had not been explained clearly during class time, and I struggled to understand the concept just by looking at internet sites and in the text book. This weakness can be seen in the effort put into the sections. The two sections which I struggled most in were; marketing and finances. I found it difficult to understand the set up and what we had to include in these sections and this was shown in the lack of quality in these sections. I feel that I did quite well in this assignment regarding the circumstances that were put to us. I am glad that I met deadlines, however next time, I will try to understand all content before beginning an assignment. Overall, my progress throughout this assignment was satisfactory and I was happy with the fact that I was able to teach myself things and understand concepts which are found to be difficult just by reading over a text book or internet site. However, the quality of the two sections is a downfall for the assignment. My goals for this assignment were; Meet the deadlines Ensure all the work was understood Complete the assignment to the best of my ability I feel that these goals were fulfilled and am proud of this accomplishment. PLAN OF APPROACH PROGRESS AND RESEARCH BUSINESS PLAN BELLA FLEUR WEDDING RECEPTION VENUE 22736094 YEAR 11 Bibliography Le Montage http://www.lemontage.com.au/index.cfm?html=true Nielsen Park Venues http://www.receptionsearch.com.au/venues/NSW/Eastern%20Suburbs/Nielsen%20Park%20Venues/The%20White%20Pavilion Terrey Hills Golf Club http://www.terreyhillsgolf.com.au/guests/guests.mhtml Dockside Groups http://www.docksidegroup.com.au/

Flint, Michigan :: essays research papers

Flint, Michigan A strong culture is one that has dependency upon itself along with outside resources. The economy is hard if nearly impossible to predict, and this puts severe strain on a community that is dependent on one employer. Cleveland, Pittsburgh, and Flint are examples of these types of communities. When a manufacturing process or company pulls out of a city, many problems arise. Flint is a city which has had a significant portion of an industry leave. GM used to be the heart of Flint, until the decision to downsize was made. This caused approximately 40 thousand of the 80 thousand GM employees to loose their jobs. Recently there was a debate pitting two sides of an issue. The question consisted of the decline of General Motors in Flint. Is it a catastrophe or does it provide an opportunity for the community. Members of the panel included Bill Donahue (pro-opportunity), Larry Thompson (pro-opportunity), Dorothy Reynolds (catastrophe supporter) and Ruben Burks (catastrophe supporter).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the beginning, there were many advantages of having GM as the dominate employer in Flint. The quantity of GM jobs in Flint provided for an economic boom town in the 1960's and 1970's. Money from General Motors trickled down from the workers to every part of the economy of Genesse county. The population was on the rise which meant more homes, roads, and businesses. It was all to good to be true. When Roger Smith (then President of GM) decided to relocate numerous jobs from the Buick City, it was time for Flint to pay the piper. The large dependency on GM brought upon a rapid decline in the economy unparalleled by any city in United States history.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The removal of jobs from GM caused many problems in Flint. Dororthy Reynolds gave many statistics which proved how much the decline of GM hurt Flint. She pointed out that since the removal of GM jobs, Flint has become the 2nd most dangerous city in America while being the 6th most segregated. The lack of economic development since the early 1980's has also had a terrible impact on the children of Flint and Genesse county. Thirty percent of the children in Genesse county live at or below the poverty level where the graduation rate in the schools has shrunk to 57%. Mrs. Reynolds also pointed out the fact that only three new home developments have been started in the last 18 months. Ruben Burks was also invited to share his opinions on the catastrophe surrounding Flint. Unfortunately for the audience, his relationship with the United Auto Workers was at a level to where he couldn't expand on his negative GM opinions.

1984 Oppression Essay

In the dystopian novel 1984, George Orwell portrays a society where betrayal is not only acceptable, but it is actively encouraged through the use of psychological manipulation, which demonstrates the weakness of the individual to resist oppression. The party has built the society in such a way that when Parson is turned in by his daughter to the Thought Police he reacts with â€Å"sort of a doleful pride† (233). Parson is an example of the unthinking masses of the society; he has been oppressed for so long his ability for individual thought has been greatly diminished. He doesn’t even question if he truly committed treason against Big Brother, he does not take into consideration that his seven year old daughter may be lying. Parsons doesn’t show any anger toward his daughter that betrayed him, his response is the exact opposite he is proud that his daughter is doing what is best for the party. The party’s oppression of the individual begins at birth, through methodical thought conditioning. The party transforms the children of the society into model citizens that are willing to betray their own flesh and blood. See more: Foot Binding In China essay Through the party’s use of psychological manipulation the framework of the society urges its citizens to pursue the enemies of Big Brother. This further cements the Party’s power. The party dehumanizes them so that their inhibitions are only showing loyalty to the party. Through the domination of thought the party ensures that its citizens are completely loyal to Big Brother. The telescreen is a tool for the party; the citizens of Oceania live in constant fear of being monitored by the screens that they end up betraying their thoughts through their body language. â€Å"The smallest thing could give you away. A nervous tic, an unconscious look, a habit of muttering to yourself-anything that carried with the suggestion of abnormality†(79). Oceania’s citizens don’t know when they are being watched, the byproduct of this is the citizens policing themselves, giving the Thought Police the ability to completely control them. The fear produced by the telescreens lead the people expose themselves to the eyes of the party, which ultimately leads them to betray themselves .The party overwhelms the minds capacity by a constant stream of propaganda coming out of the telescreen at all hours of the day allowing the party to completely dominate the minds of the people, taking away the potential of individual thought. Betrayal in the society George Orwell created in 1984 was expected. Through the domination of the individual thought, and their inability to resist that oppression, betrayal of one’s comrades was only natural. Individual thought was so greatly overshadowed by the party’s constant stream of propaganda in the novel that there was no place for it in the minds of the citizens. The psychological manipulation that the party inflicted on its citizens everyday made it impossible for the individual to resist oppression.

Fifth Chinese Daughter essays

Fifth Chinese Daughter essays Chinatowns were formed for many of the same reasons as other areas of large cities like the Irish areas in Boston and the little Italy section of North Beach. The immigrants were not accepted readily by Americans and needed a place to congregate with others who shared the same beliefs and traditions. Racism was visible in Jade Snows life. I first noticed it in the very beginning of the book on page 51 when the family is moving into the basement. Her father hired Negroes to chisel out part of the brick walls. The rest of the workers involved in the move did no harsh physical labor. Also, Jade experiences racism against herself when she goes to her new school. A boy named Richard harasses her by calling her chinky. Jade Snow does not respond to him because she knows that she is smarter than he is and feels that he can not help his insensibility. The sex roles were divided in Jade Snows culture. Little boys were celebrated more than girls were in families. Jade Snows younger brother, Forgiveness from Heaven was given much attention and Jade Snow recalled that other female babies did not receive that kind of attention. Women did most of the cooking and cleaning and assisted the men whenever they could. Men were responsible for making most of the financial and family decisions. In the Wong family, the father gave the mother a lot of input on the family. He felt that an educated woman was of more use than one who was not. He said, since sons and their education are of primary importance, we must have intelligent mothers. If nobody educates his daughters, how can we have intelligent mothers for our sons?(14-15) Family was very important in the Chinese culture. A girl would always keep her maiden name. It would even go on her tombstone when she died. When saying names, the last name goes first to show family importance. Jade Snows u ...

Challenges of Writing Papers for Students Confessions of an Academic Writer

Challenges of Writing Papers for Students Confessions of an Academic Writer Challenges of Writing Papers for Students: Confessions of an Academic Writer People who are unaware of what it is like to be an academic freelance writer might say it is a swell job: you can work in your pajamas at home, you have a flexible schedule, and drink vodka while you pound out essays and articles (though not advised). However, when one is writing papers for students, there are a bunch of messy details: usually, students provide any minimal instructions, you can have grueling periods of work, and your head can almost explode with the amount of information you have to take in. Messy Instructions Sometimes, students simply write â€Å"do my essay† in the instructions field of the order form. Or even worse, students provide instructions that make no sense. For example: â€Å"Write a compare and contrast essay that shows the cause and effect through a case study format.† Somehow, you are supposed to read the student’s mind and create a masterpiece. In the worse case scenario, they provide super vague instructions and wont even message you back about giving more details and then get mad at you for writing something that they didn’t want. You just feel like slamming your head against your desk. Flexible Extended Working Hours Another overlooked part of being a freelance academic writer for students is that you can work for 12 or more hours in a day. Say you took an order to write a dissertation in five days and it amounts to 50 pages. The student who ordered that dissertation can, at the last moment, send you a message, and say something like, â€Å"Actually, I wanted to write about something different. Can you change the wording around in the whole document and change section 4-11 accordingly.† It is now midnight on a Friday and you just worked your butt off for a week, and essentially have to do the work all over again. Your weekend is gone and your enthusiasm for the project will most likely drop dramatically. Excess of Information It might seem cool to be constantly learning about many things (although seemingly random) and increasing your education, so to say. But, the flip-side of this is that it is easy to get overloaded with information. Writer’s brain, after a day’s work, usually feels like it has been smashed by two thousand articles, words, and ideas. Writers barely have the energy to do anything creative or useful after work. They just feel like playing video games, watching a movie, or sitting on the couch and staring at a wall. By the time writers feel mentally fresh again, it is time to go to sleep. This amassing of information can truly affect one’s work, as the brain can only handle so much information at a time. Writers make more mistakes in my writing in general simply because they have to cope with massive amounts of information each day, which are usually disconnected from each other. As you can see, being an academic paper writer for students is not a dream job. Instead, it is a rewarding preoccupation with plenty of downsides, like dealing with unclear instructions, having an unhealthy amount of work to do at times, and being consistently overloaded with information. Stress is a common factor in the life of an academic writer for students  Ã‚  the kind of stress that makes you want to do something else.

THE NEUROMUSCULAR COMPLICATIONS OF HIV INFECTIONS Essay

THE NEUROMUSCULAR COMPLICATIONS OF HIV INFECTIONS - Essay Example Distal symmetric, often painful sensorimotor polyneuropathy and CMV infection are more common in the late stages of AIDS. 6. AIDP and CIDP may be the initial manifestation of disease, related to autoimmune dysfunction. CSF shows pleocytosis and increased protein. Nerve conduction studies (NCSs) and biopsy are compatible with demyelination. 7. Mononeuropathy multiplex is an inflammatory response in the early stages of disease. Late MM is typically associated with CMV infection. May appear as IDP or PP. EMG and NCS show axonal degeneration and asymmetric involvement. SDF shows pleocytosis and elevated protein level. 8. Progressive polyradiculopathy (PP) is typically associated with CMV and herpes infections. Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) has reduced the incidence of PP. CSF shows pleocytosis and elevated protein level. It typically presents with a cauda equina–like picture, and EMG shows denervation of the lower extremities. NCSs are mildly slow. 10. Myopathy shows proximal weakness and is confirmed with EMG. Elevated CK may also be seen, and muscle biopsy can be helpful, demonstrating necrosis and inflammation. HIV-related myopathy must be differentiated from toxin (AZT) related myopathies. (1) Peripheral neuropathy is the commonest neurological disorder associated with HIV infection. Though symptomatic peripheral neuropathy is observed in 10% to 15% of HIV infected patients, pathologic evidence of involvement of peripheral nerve is seen almost all cases of end-stage AIDS patients. Although the pathogenesis of distal sensory polyneuropathy is unclear, the condition is associated with deterioration of the patients immune system. A primary viral etiology is unlikely, since Human Immunodeficiency Virus does not infect peripheral nerve Schwann cells or axons. The similarities in clinical and pathologic findings of HIV-associated distal sensory polyneuropathy (DSP) and vitamin B12 deficiency-related

The Patriot Act, Tittle II, Section 203 Term Paper

The Patriot Act, Tittle II, Section 203 - Term Paper Example These improvements on the Title II of the Patriot Act turned out to be key elements of national security investigations. Therefore, this paper mainly focuses on the positive impacts of the Patriot Act in fighting terrorism and drug trafficking. The Patriot Act, Title II, Section 203 Introduction Before the Patriot Act came into place, the U.S. intelligence authorities had some restrictions while conducting their investigations. Since its inception, the US has managed to prevent serious attacks such as the 9/11 attack on the American homeland. It is worth mentioning that the Patriot Act has had a lot of benefits that enhance the ability of US authorities to investigate, prevent, and prosecute terrorists. The Act came in place barely 43 days after the 9/11 attack so as to introduce policies that will help in fighting terrorism. After the attacks, the US citizens felt that they were vulnerable for more attacks, thus the need by the government to undertake quick measures (Scheppler, 2005 ). On the other hand, the US government felt that it was necessary to have detailed information on its own citizens and foreign visitors. Indeed, many were of the opinion that if the government had taken stringent measures, the 9/11 attacks would have been prevented. This resulted to the passage of the Patriot Act (Scheppler, 2005). The U.S.A. ... Provisions within the Patriot Act streamlined the way to conduct investigations on various crimes differently from the traditional way (Painter, 2011). The patriot Act introduced a number of measures that would help in fighting terrorism, as well as other forms of crimes. Some of the prescribed measures expired and were never renewed, but a majority of the prescribed measures became permanent. To date, serious crimes in the US are handled using guidelines provided in the Patriot Act. Furthermore, some provisions have been amended to strengthen them further. Since the passage of the Act, there have been remarkable improvements in dealing with serious crimes (Painter, 2011). Measures within the patriot Act The patriot Act enables the US intelligence authorities to apply surveillance tools to investigate on terrorism and drug trafficking. Before the Act came into place, intelligence authorities required court permits in order to use electronic surveillance tools for investigations. In a ddition, intelligence authorities could not use wiretaps fully in conducting certain investigations without court permits. Enactment of the patriot Act enabled intelligence authorities to acquire information on a wide range of acts of terror such as chemical weapons, financing terrorism, and presence of weapons of mass destruction (Doyle, 2002). The passage of the patriot Act allowed federal agents to make follow ups on highly organized terrorists who evade detection. For a long period, federal agents have applied the use of roving wiretaps in conducting investigations on ordinary crimes. The use of wiretaps requires authorization from federal judges in order to apply them in investigations.

Steve Jobs and Mary Kay. The personal computer industry as a Case Study

Steve Jobs and Mary Kay. The personal computer industry as a competitive environment - Case Study Example On other hand, Mary Kay’s organisation is a network DSO where workers are legally independent thus they present a totally different context for the founder with regard to control and maintaining commitment (surname 135). Nevertheless, to enable us arrive at the decision that Steve Jobs and Mary Kay being different we use Weber’s definition of the elements that are requisite for charisma. Jobs was a visionary who sought to change the world through technology (Yoffie & Kwak 1) and most definitely manifested exceptional ability with regards to coming up with strategies that enabled Apple to make a turnaround from making losses of US$ 1.6 billion to making profits in five straight quarters. In addition to this Jobs, like Weber’s elements of charisma dictate, was able to demonstrate his ‘gift of grace’ through the continued success of his mission to turnaround Apple into a ‘happening’ brand. Mary Kay differs from Jobs in the sense that she was able to not only attract a following but also convert them into devotees of her way of working. Steve Jobs seems unable to transfer his ideals to his ‘charges’ in that he has to be present for his vision to be realized. Mary Kay on the other hand has been able to arguably transfer her vision to her followers to prepare them for succession. In a nutshell, we can argue that Steve Jobs is a strategy genius in so far as setting the direction for Apple to go while Mary Kay is more of an inspirational leader who attracts independent individuals and gives them the belief that they will succeed if they join her and follow her tenets. Historically, what were Apple’s major competitive advantages? Apple derived its competitive advantages from the following three unique attributes: technology leadership, proprietary technologies and its horizontal and vertical integration. Apple’s technological leadership is demonstrated several times through its early years. Good examples are: the Apple II that drove the PC industry to US$ 1 billion in annual sales in less than three years, and the Lisa – the first PC to use a graphical user interface and a point-and-click mouse in addition to having a windowing system that allowed multiple applications to run at the same time (Yoffie & Kwak 2). Apple consistently launched revolutionary products that set the bar for com puting. For Apple to retain its technological leadership it relied mainly on its proprietary technologies such as its superior capabilities in graphics, design and sound. Unlike its main rivals, Apple had its own proprietary operating system (OS) thus it could easily integrate it with its other software applications to enhance its users’ experience. In the case we are informed that Apple machines were simple machines that ordinary people could use straight from the box (Yoffie & Kwak 1) a competitive advantage that we can attribute to the seamless integration of all Apple software and hardware. The fact that Apple had its own proprietary technologies meant that the organization could increase its customer value proposition through bundling for example the Mac was sold bundled with an OS, Mac application software and other peripherals (Yoffie & Kwak 3). These made its products to be more versatile. Finally, we can argue that it would have been difficult for Apple to retain its technology leadership and proprietary technologies without its extensive horizontal and ve

Environment Influences Essay Example for Free

Environment Influences Essay There is a belief among experts that everyone is born as a blank slate. We do not know anything about the world and those around us and we spend our childhood years learning, emulating, adjusting, and finally creating our individual personas based on these experiences. Now the main question being asked by the other experts these days is â€Å"Does the environment influence people?† The environment has an effect on a person in more ways than one can fare imagine. My argument is that the environment does influence people, children most specifically, by building character and freethinking. We can also view the influence of the environment on people in terms of scientific and sociological aspects. In more scientific terms, one can say that an environment is based on the physical, geographic, biological, social, cultural, and political conditions that a person has to deal with on a daily basis and learns to equip himself regarding how best to handle those situations. In terms of society links, the environment has a direct bearing on how lives and societies evolve. People, progress, development, and the environment are like an inter-linking chain where all of these varied aspects converge to form a new form of thinking or character in a person. In terms of childhood development, we can safely say that the environment has the heaviest influence over a child. A child’s environment is not the same as in his home environment where everything is controlled by his parents. Even though parents may raise and rear a child in the best way they know how, that is not the environment that influences him the most because he spends most of his time outside the house. The environment outside the house is where the child begins to develop his character and sense of ones self. Outside the home, a child tries to become part of and to identify himself with a peer group. A child does this by allowing himself to be influenced by the people around him and following their examples and making it suit their own individual needs. . His environment also influences the culture of a child. Culture, is something that a person must experience first hand in order to learn from it. Therefore, since you have to live in order to experience culture, one can consider culture to be a transmission from the environment of the child or adult. Just like influence, culture is passed on from person to person. Even though parents try to provide the â€Å"right† environment for their children, the simple truth is that there is no â€Å"right† anything. The environment will influence the child no matter how you try to control it because a parent can only do so much to influence the child who spends most of his time outside the home. Of course, aside from children, the environment that they interact in can also influence adults. The social environment of a person dictates the way he shall conduct himself in public. There are a large majority of studies that support the argument that the environment does greatly influence the personality of people because the way his environ ment views his physical appearance will determine how he will act out in public. It is this belief that has most experts, such as doctors and mental health professionals debating various theories regarding the mental development of people. Certain theorists are of the opinion that the environment a person grows up in has a direct effect on his mental health and mental development. So there must be a concentration on the environmental development of a person’s mind. So what do these developments and studies about how the environment influences people tell us? It tells us a number of major things. First of all, the environment is not just located in one localized place. It also cannot be in a controlled space for long. The environment of children proves to be a very delicate and intricate part of growing up. The environment of a person directly influences the mental development, and personality of the child or adult. Secondly, the social environment of an individual influences his behavior as these so called â€Å"norms† show us how to act and how to have other people treat us. It is this social influence that trains a person to conform, comply, and follow the dictated norms of the environment he exists in. Yes, the environment does have a direct influence on a person. The direct influence of the environment on people cannot be measured in terms of quantity. This topic is so vast and highly debatable that it will take more than a three page essay with which to defend my stand. Therefore, I would like to conclude my essay on the following note. Each man is placed in an environment where he will best grow as a person. Be it in youth of maturity, that person will have an equal amount of exposure to good and bad environments. The choice of which environment he will allow to influence him solely depends on greatly influenced he is by the environment and his peers. The influence of the environment ends when the person makes the conscious decision to follow a certain path for himself be it in along the path of his environment or in an opposite direction. At the end of all this, the environment gave the individual a unique personality and coping ability that is designed to best help him navigate the perils of his environment. An environment will only influence a person as far as he is willing to be influenced. Everything else pertaining to influencing the individual mentally, socially, and emotionally are all conscious decisions made by the person him or herself based upon the influences of his immediate and past environments Games and Violence Computer games have seriously caught the attention of Mass Media and nowadays every channel considers its duty to remind people how much damage these games cause to children and adults. The increasing amount of games with violent scenes sock the society and makes it very aware of them.It is already common knowledge that violent games cause violence in people. This fact is not even doubted by the majority of people. Every other person says that the reason lies in games being too close to reality. The opinion that games make violent actions normal for the player and therefore make the player pitiless can be often heard. In this case the game is the cause of violence and the act of violence by itself is a consequence. And can real-life violence exist in the reality of a game? Is the transfer of the definition of â€Å"violence† with all its peculiarities from one world to another justified only according to the external similarity of these two worlds? Games originally are entertainment. Contemporary games are very realistic and for this reason they are a source of great experience for the player and develop the imagination. Games are entertainment and even more then that. In addition, the statistics of the New York University lead by Green and Bavelier claim that the player preferring active games get an improvement of some types of brain activity, related to processing of visual information. In particular, game players cope with problems of simultaneously tracking several moving objects at the average level of 30% better then people who do not play active computer video games. The â€Å"gaming† violent experience may not be the cause of violent behavior in reality. None of the playi ng experience will become the priority in making important decisions concerning problems in real life. A game is an abstraction. A player gets abstract tasks and acts according to abstract rules.Games are also the possibility to be however a person wants to be and to rest from the outside world for some time. But what if a person gets so much excited with the game scenes that he becomes violent in reality? Then, it proves that the games cause people to become violent. Let us stop for a moment right at this point. Those who do not participate in this type of activity usually make the conclusion of presence of violence in the game-world. Nobody will ever hear this kind of statement from those who play, from those who know the rules of the game and understand that it is just a virtual world. A psychologically healthy person will never confuse or connect these two different worlds. A game is a virtual world with visual images very similar to human. These images represent by themselves nothing but simple playing obstacles. A game may potentially give the opportunity to â€Å"destroy the obstacles† that may not be destroyed according to the rules but it is more about personal choice whether to do it or not. This leads us to the conclusion that violence is not a consequence but the cause. People who are originally prone to violence may get irritated by games and perform violence in the â€Å"real world†. But in this case violence in games is a simple justification of the violent nature of the player. Is a College Degree Necessary to Become Successful The value of higher education cannot be underestimated considering the contemporary realities of the competitive marketplace. A higher education degree literally serves as the first impression of a jobseeker applying for employment. Namely a college degree is a person’s pass to the business world and so work-related opportunities are enormous. Truth is, college degrees are never the same if we take into account the reputation of higher establishment as well as the prestige of a particular field of studies. The today’s holders of college degrees have unprecedented opportunities of job search since the employment market has largely expanded throughout on-line domain offering freelance and part-time vacancies. Though, in both real and virtual employment, it is always a person’s CV (resume) that is initially considered by employer and in 95% of cases the inclusion of college degree is a must to get a well-paid job. The abovementioned proves that college degree always pays off, and therefore this essay aims to discuss the present-day realities in due respect. Overall, college education provides students with appropriate knowledge and skills to be used later in real life circumstances and working environment. At that career choices do not matter since the contemporary market is vast and enormous. In particular, college education enables students to gain preliminary information about many essential aspects required to cope with real-life challenges. At that students expand their knowledge and acquire practical skills by grasping abstract theories and concepts. A college curriculum teaches students how to clearly express personal standpoints and opinions both in conversation and writing. In most cases students acquire global thinking as well as that relevant to the solution of specific problems. Furthermore, students learn how to work in teams and solve tasks in cooperation; this enables to establish team spirit and ability to make personal contribution to overall mutual achievement. Various case studies based on real-life experiences teach students to better presume and therefore adapt to further complexities. To this end, it goes without saying that a college degree always means more employment opportunities since it is the identification of one’s academic qualification. In comparison, high school education is not enough to meet the ongoing challenges of today’s market place, and therefore the overwhelming majority of jobs require a college degree. In addition to the expanded job opportunities, a bachelor’s degree means higher earning prospects compare to a person with a high school diploma. Therefore, our earnings initially depend on the quality of diploma we receive, and to a great extent college marks (grades) may be compared to the monthly salary rate in the future In actual fact, there is a problem concerning studying at a college. College education does not depend only on student’s talent, successfulness or willingness to study. The cost of education is therefore high issue on the agenda which indicates the affordability of college education. Many students cannot afford college education due to various reasons and/or particular life conditions. Hence, most students rely on loans and/or other means of financial aid to afford their college courses. Apart from financial reasons, of course, the initial factor is high self-motivation to study at college. Whenever there is no family tradition or lack of overall interest, or nobody to recommend college education, a young person may easily opt for other (alternative) choices. In addition to this, college education a ssumes preliminary determination meaning that a person should choose a single subject area (law; medicine; architecture) to master in college and therefore build his/her career. However, the initial indecisiveness does not mean a student should know everything in advance. A college education is therefore designated to provide a student with proper and substantial knowledge and skills; nevertheless, the major direction should be chosen well in advance. One other initial problem is that young people mistakenly assume that a college education is rather difficult. To this end, it is worthy to note that studying at college involves student support and tutoring. Most western colleges are equipped with the necessary technological devices and easily accessible academic database to assist students while performing their assignments. Certainly, there are alternatives (e.g. community colleges) to four-year colleges that provide sufficient level of education, though only bachelor’s and master’s degrees are genuinely valued on the competitive marketplace, and therefore most students try to complete their education at four-year colleges (College Board, 2008) . Considering the aforementioned, the most important issue on the contemporary agenda would be not the importance of a college degree as such, but its real quality. This is actually the root answer to the problem of why some people are becoming more successful, while others not. Specifically, the quality of a college degree indicates that college graduates obtained certain amount of knowledge and managed to process and, most importantly, absorb it. A core subject, such as law or medicine whatever, requires proper understanding, a contribution of solid amount of time and additional resources to make it a future profession that would bring profits. This is to ay a college degree as such is not the panacea in a working world. A proper college diploma therefore assumes that a college graduate is able to prove it with a certain extent of academic knowledge. Regarding practical skills, they are further acquired within internship, practice and actually working environment. Many people, howeve r, fail to prove their knowledge acquired during college years with practical skills and therefore are made to change profession/occupation. Historically education has been regarded as a key to prosperity, and college system of education starting from the 17th century has proved this approach to be right. Also, throughout historical evolution, conventionally males have gained better education compared to females. However, times have changed and starting from the second half of the 20th century the situation has been equalizing. The today’s working environment is highly diverse providing vast opportunities to the qualified specialists and therefore knowledge has been regarded as a decisive factor. Religious, sex, colour, socio-cultural diversities are more and more eliminated since companies need qualified college graduates that can prove their knowledge in practical conditions. This is the way most companies win a competitive advantage for qualified employees are regarded as an invaluable asset by most corporations. Such fair treatment based on professional qualities rather than individual features is reasonable an d justified. Based on qualifications, there is hardly any difference between pay rates; nonetheless, in most industries men still earn more than women. This indicates that discriminatory issues are more and more tolerated and the quality of education approved by a college degree is a real value at the contemporary marketplace (Leonhardt, 2008). One more aspect to consider is the vast employment opportunities accessible to college graduates. The point is that the modern world has become flexible and changing as never before. Internet and cutting-edge technologies indicate the permanent progress and thus success is now associated with s permanent change. Successful people permanently adjust to changing circumstances and diverse environments to reap most benefits. Thereafter, the work-related relationships between employees and employers have also altered dramatically. There are millions of freelance job opportunities enabling people to work form the comfort of their home and rationally maintain work-life balance. To keep workforce loyal most companies need to establish flexible working practices, including part-time jobs, paternity leaves, childcare leaves, swapping shits etc. Therefore, HR departments lessen work stress and enable their employees to lead reasonable (normal) lives. In addition to this, employees are granted with numerous bonuses and incentives that often serve as sound motivators to keep loyal to the corporate policies (Walton, 1985). Due discussion might be continued and further expanded – though the core theme remains the same – only proper extent of knowledge and skills approved by a college degree enable a person to change jobs and seek better option for career-building and professional advancement. A college degree is a precious asset we use during lifetime to properly build up our professional growth and development. Therefore, whenever there is a chance, a person should use four college years to acquire this asset and ensure his/her further career prospects. As a rule, college graduates make social strata regarded as elite and many of them are becoming very successful to donate money to charities and therefore reduce poverty. Hence, knowledge brings profit and profit is used for prosperity. In the 21st century this particular formula should be applied in all walks of life to make the world a better place. 1. Argumentative Topic (Alcohol danger for under age drinking) Alcohol addiction is largely featured by general tolerance for alcohol with periodically increasing amounts to achieve the same degree of satisfaction, having a persistent desire or the inability to lower the amount of consumed dozes, and continuing consuming great amounts of alcohol despite realizing that the habit causes physical, psychological and socio-economic problems. Such dependence is much intensified during the teenage period (13-19 years) when young organism acquires negative effects that eventually destroys the rest of a person’s life. Alcohol addiction is mostly featured by psychological and physical dependence on daily basis. Hence, physiological, behavioral and cognitive perceptions are mainly centered on alcohol rather other life values. Alcohol desire is deemed a central descriptive characteristic of the dependence syndrome (Mental Health Matters, 2005). In addition, alcohol dependence is featured by irresistible desire or compulsion to frequent alcohol takings, and consequently difficulty to control alcohol-taking behavior including post-consumption consequences; disregard of outer difficulties caused by enormous alcohol consumption. As is proved by numerous under-age examples of alcohol consumption and addiction, the dependence syndrome is mostly revealed in either alcohol taking or a desire to take alcohol (Mental Health Matters, 2005). The need for alcohol is present when a person craves alcohol and cannot limit actual amounts or whenever a drinker enlarges alcohol consumption to feel high. Then, this state is called alcoholism which is particular to the majority of drinkers who practiced alcohol consumption during the underage stage. Differences between men and women at their workplace Introduction: A very important issue concerning diversity is the difference between men and women at workplace. As the matter of international experience of hiring people it is very important to point out that there have been a great number of cases connected with discrimination. We consider this to be a vital problem even nowadays, in spite of the change of the reasons for discrimination. If in the past it was a major problem for women to find a job and to prove that they can provide results equal to men, in the present time the situation has quiet changed. In addition to that women start getting benefits and are sometimes the only possible employees for a given workplace. Women establish a very strong emotional contact with the client; at the same time they are treated as being less professional than their male colleagues. Male workers according to the opinion of the employers are more rational. They complement and substitute the women’s emotional â€Å"contamination† by the rational aspect of the matter they are working with. Due to this employers sometimes prefer to eliminate either the â€Å"emotional†, or the â€Å"rational† factor and put â€Å"labels† on the employees taking their gender as an evaluating criterion. But nowadays everything has changed and men and women perform each other’s work excellently. We have observed in practice this difference, when a job, considered to be a â€Å"male job† was done perfectly by a woman but did not get the well-earned recognition in the company. One of the psychological reasons for that, as we assume, is the incapability of the authorities of the company to deal with a stereotype and change their ways according to the changing world around them. So therefore, it is the lack of flexibility. Women nevertheless are treated with a higher loyalty in any decent company. And sometimes their work results may be viewed as just needing some correction in comparison to the same work presented by men that would be considered wrong. But all these are exaggerated examples. The cultural component of this issue should be taken in count, too. For example is we take a black male and a white woman we may meet with a â€Å"special† treatment to the first one, due to the company’s respect and desire to show that they do not have any racial prejudices. We, believe, that the difference between men and women still exists and women and the quality of their work nowadays displace men. Nevertheless, we have examined another opinion that concerns women. Rose Mary Wentling suggested another point of view on the differences between men and women at workplace. The author asserts that women are still experiencing difficulties in their workplaces. The main arguments that are brought are the next: women are not given the standard of work performance when they apply for a â€Å"male† job, therefore do not get the detailed and clear picture of their involvement; women are not included in all the kinds of communication throughout a company; women lack the opportunity to †grow, develop, and contribute to company profitability†. According to this point of view women are not given the opportunity to introduce their ideas and innovations to the company’s functioning. But the main issue to work on is that the expectations of the employers concerning women are different than the ones concerning men. Conclusion: Women are ready to travel and move and relocate, and to make â€Å"the same commitment to the company as men aspiring to leadership positions† due to the reassessment of the woman’s role in the society. Analyzing this different point of view we came to a conclusion that both men and women face gender difficulties at any kind of job. So therefore we consider providing them with equal conditional vital for the benefit of the company itself in the first place. A modern company should not pay attention to the gender attribute. Both men and women need to have career advancement opportunities and counseling. Men and women are potential employees of any company, no matter what position we are talking about. From with combination of two points of view we get an understanding that both men and women have examples of being not treated properly at their workplace in spite of having the required skills for the place. And it is not possible to say that either men or women are facing greater difficulties in their professional lives. So it can be said that the difference did not disappear, but it is not a single-sided issue. Dorm life vs. Home life Almost every young person entering the period of college education faces the necessity to leave home and to live in the on-campus dormitory. The on-campus dormitories have been â€Å"survived† by many people and some of them have absolutely opposing opinions. The change from home to dorm life can be called one of the most important event in the life of any young person first of all because it is the first extreme life change and also because the consequences are still unknown. Home life and dorm life represent two different ways of living in different conditions. Nevertheless they have their similarities and differences that can be seen only after a deep analysis of the issue. The choice between home life and domestic life can lead to complete transformation of the life of a young man. On-campus life inevitably affects the life of the person and along with home life have their pros and cons. On-campus dormitories may be a pleasant experience for one person and a terrible test for another one. For some people dorm living is a necessity. There are several objective facts concerning dorm living. First of all any individual living at the dorm will have to face the necessity sometimes to live together with up to three students. Only those individuals who have an exclusive position within the university may count on having a room without roommates. The quality of the beds sometimes requires repair and the closet very often cannot fit in all the belonging of the roommates. The dorm does not provide the individuals with an actual kitchen and has small space for refrigerating food. The dorm offers public baths which are not comfortable under any condition. The next fact is about one of the most important ones – the dorm cuts individual space to its possible minimum as the person can hardly ever be alone. Another aspect of the dorm living is that the individual can make a lot of friends and find a lot of people who have the same interests. At the same time dorm living sometimes leads to early sexual intercourses and a false â€Å"feeling of complete independence†. Home living is another option sometimes chosen by young people. First of all home living proved the student with the possibility to get healthy food, freshly cooked on a normal kitchen. The fact that the meal can be actually cooked is a plus for the saving in the individual’s budget. Home living requires having personal chores and complete responsibility for the place the person lives in. As for personal hygiene at home, it is private and the individual can spend as much time on it as he desires. Home living guarantees the fact that people come to visit the person most often under the condition of a beforehand notice. The individual may do whatever he feels like doing and not get involved in activities he has no actually desire for. In other words, home living requires a lot of responsibilities but at the same time offers personal space and the opportunity to relax, study or work any time of the day. Home and dorm living have a lot of contrasts such as: food, privacy, hygiene, leisure, etc. and similarities such as certain expenses required for living. If to compare home living to dorm living a few fact are worth of mentioning. In home living the individual has at least one full room which is completely under his â€Å"jurisdiction†. Home living offers all the required personal space and the individual’s movement within the house are not limited as they are in the dormitory. The dormitory does not have a comfortable bed and also the individual cannot equip everything in the most suitable manner for him. A home living individual has all the required space for his belonging and an equipped kitchen to cook food. Nevertheless, in the dorm the food expenses can be spited among the roommates. The dorm’s public bath has obvious disadvantages as compared to a private home bath. Also home, as compared to dorm living provides more individual space as the person at home still has time to be alone and in the dorm it is practically impossible. If the person does not want to party all the time, home living is the best option. In order to conclude it is important to say that the basic differences between the dorm living and home living are the individual interests of the person and his aims in life. If dorm living is a necessity for one individual but he has a high motivated for education – dorm living will not change anything. And at the same time if a individual without motivation is a subject of home living there is no guarantee that all these personal space and freedom will lead to a better future. Therefore the main factor here is the personality of the dweller.