Thursday, October 31, 2019

What Is An Historical Fact Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

What Is An Historical Fact - Essay Example A prolonged conflict may, at times, culminate or involve historical facts. According to Carr, historians of times to come do not expect production of decisive history (7). This is because they possess expectations that their history will experience archaism after every undefined period. The notions that past knowledge originate from human thoughts make them conclude that knowledge is devoid of elemental aspects as would be in elements as atoms with nothing to transform (Carr 7). Further investigations suggest scholars to involve their self in skepticism depicting historical judgments of lacking succinct truths. The reliance emanate from the notions that judgments as found in history, entail the ideas of humans (Carr 8). Controversy arises where the pundits in opposition leave space for questions. Some historians would brand some works emanating from the recent past as outdated because they have no idea if the work is updated (Carr 9). The issue of inquiry in historical facts and the need to unravel the succinctness of information brings out the nature of history. Regarding on how to answer such queries, every historian will rely on current issues to an extent of including the ideas of the communities they dwell (Carr 9). Various historians suggest 19th century era as successful period entailing various issues of history transformed into facts of history. Historians emanating from France and Britain were optimistic and wanted to expose to the people their suggestions plus evident indicating history as science (Carr 10). They thought of a unique approach such as ascertaining factual issues and drawing assumptions from them. The notions of history are evident, mainly, in Britain where they conform to the tradition of empiricism whose dominance is viewable from philosophical notions of philosophers in the region. Empiricism dominance is evident in differentiating the subjects plus objects. Various facts of history originate from the observer, and are self-sufficien t (Davidson & Mark 9). Empiricism would define a historic fact as one possessing a datum of experience, and having dissimilarities from conclusions. Historian’s view facts availed to them from materials such as documents. Carr equates them to â€Å"fish on the fish mongers chunk† in order to draw the meaning of historical facts to concerned individuals (Carr 8). It is the accountability of the historian to filter and transform facts to anything that is pleasant to him. Interpretation of facts requires sound approach including freedom when choosing opinion and how to portray those facts (Carr 8). Carr uses an example of Caesar making it across Rubicon, and the presence of an object in a room to represent facts that are comparable (Carr 11). The facts hold similar aims as seen by a knowing person. However, this culminates to a thought development that facts, though there may be evidence of their occurrence, cannot attain the status of being regarded as historical facts, unless the historian himself decides to separate them from other events of the past (Carr 9). In order to define a historical fact, one has to consider the common facts which form the basis of the entire history. Some historical facts should remain no matter the direction that a historian decides to embrace to ensure that certain facts are rigid (Davidson & Mark 9). In order to give attracting implications of historical facts, Carr uses examples to convey his message. Facts like â€Å"battle of Hastings occurring in 1066† should remain because they indicate the time plus the place the event occurred (Carr 10). Accuracy is an aspect that every historian builds and portrays in his work. To enhance accuracy in history, the historian incorporates science in his work by embracing archaeology,

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Arthur Millar Essay Example for Free

Arthur Millar Essay In this essay I am going to analyse the dramatic techniques that Arthur Millar uses in his 20th century drama called, A View From The Bridge. The play is set in Brooklyn in the 1940s when the Italians were immigrating to America to find work as they were poor and they needed to get away from Italy to find work to feed their families in Italy. Many of these immigrants entered America Illegally. The play is about a skilled docks worker in Brooklyn named Eddie Carbone. Eddie lives with his wife Beatrice and their niece, Catherine. Beatrices cousins named Marco and Rodolfo come to America from Italy to find work to feed Marcos family in Italy, as they are very poor. They plan to enter illegally. Eddie has feelings for his niece Catherine that he should not have. Meanwhile Catherine falls in love with Rodolfo and Eddie hates him because he is jealous as he loves her and he cannot stand any other man looking at her and touching her. As a result Eddie decides to let the Immigration Bureau know that there are illegal immigrants in his building. In the play, Arthur Miller uses a number of dramatic devices many of which are seen in the first act but their significance only becomes apparent to the audience in the second act. These dramatic devices are: use of language, dialogue and its sub textual meanings, stage directions, characters actions, props and lighting. The first dramatic technique I am going to analyse is the use of language in Alfieris speech at the start of the play. Miller has put this at the start of the play to prepare the audience for what will happen later on in the play. The speech starts to develop tension because there are a lot of negative and violent words used. For example, Alfieri uses terms such as Machine Gun. The effect of using a term like this is to create tension for the audience, as they now know that something bad is going to happen later on in the play. As the play progresses the audience realise that this is the only time when Alfieri uses negative and violent language. So his words take on a deeper meaning when the audience realises this. I am now going to look at Eddies language in the first act. His speech is simple but at the start of the play his words are more vibrant towards Catherine as he tells he that she is walking wavy. At the same time he also refers to her as a Madonna. This gives the audience the idea that she is pure and she is a virgin and Eddie wants her to stay as she is. Listen, B. , shell be with a lot of plumbers? And sailors up and down the street? This illustrates Eddies feelings for Catherine and it can also mean that he does not want any other men looking at Catherine or marrying her. Eddies dialogue changes when the cousins arrive. He uses working class American colloquial words, such as Yiz have a nice trip? when he asks the cousins Marco and Rodolfo about their journey. Eddie wants to make it clear that he is the man of the house and that he is in charge. These expressions are only used in the first act when he is speaking to Marco and Rodolfo. This builds tension because the audience know that Eddie is going to start trouble with Marco and Rodolfo later on.

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Country Of Origin Effects Commerce Essay

Country Of Origin Effects Commerce Essay HASSAN and SAMLI (1994, page 99.) define the effect of country of origin as the influence that the manufacturer country has on the positive or negative consumer judgment. One of the most famous books of this topic is JAFFES and NEBENZAHLs work (2001). It opens the introductory chapter with the following provocative question: Please, fill out the following sentence: A luxury car made in Greece is The question shows the essence of country of origin effect very well. According to ROTH and ROMEO (1992) the COO effect is how consumers consider a product coming from a given a country. Empirical studies have shown that when a customer becomes aware of the country of origin of a product his/her image about the product is influenced either positively or negatively according to his perceptions. Consumers tend to have a stereotype about product and countries that have been formed by experience, hearsay, myth. These stereotypes are generally broad and vague according to which they judge a specific country or a specific product to be the best : French Perfumes, Italian Leather, Chinese Silk and Japanese Technology are all examples of such stereotypes. Therefore the country, the type of product, and the image of the company all its brand play a crucial rule in deciding whether the country of origin will engender a positive or a negative reaction. Country Image : Precursors to Country of Origin Effects Country image can be defined as the sum of information in the consumers mind about a nation/country. In this regard, SULLIVAN MORT and HAN (2000) said, the less information we have about a given country the more dangers the sales of its products will encounter. It has been a long known fact that Made In label is just as powerful and just as valuable as a Made By label. German engineering, Japanese miniaturization, Italian flair, Swedish design, British class, Swiss precision those are brand values which rub off onto all the products that come from those countries Country Image is the reason why, in the early 1990s, Americans bought Toyota Corollas (which were quite expensive) rather than Geo Prizms (which were quite cheap), even though they were exactly the same car, made in the same factory. This is because the American consumers believed that Japanese cars offered greater value than American cars. Countries thus try hard to maintain their images and hence generate a positive reputation for their products in international market. Country image (as suggested in Henry Stewart Publications 1744-0696 (2005) Vol. 1, 2, 164-172 Place Branding) is propagated through channels that can be described in a Hexagonal Pattern of communication : Each of these components has a huge impact on the image that country projects : The loudest branding effort comes from countrys tourism promotion, and peoples experience of visiting the country as tourists or business travelers. The countrys exports with a clearly marked Made in label are powerful ambassadors of the countrys image internationally. The policy decisions made of the countrys government. Policy makers are nowadays much closer to the international media than they ever used to be. From the way company attract the investment, foreign talent and foreign companies to work with it. The countrys cultural activities and cultural exports: a world tour by a national opera company, the works of a famous author, the national sports team. The people of the country themselves: the hospitality they provide to the visitors coming from abroad and the way they behave when abroad. In this regard an under the realms of an experiment asked young people to freely associate the five words they think (adjectives, product categories, food products, values, etc.) are the most consistent with the countries under analysis (this part were inspired by the contributions of Kayanak, Kucukemiroglu 1992; Usunier 1993; Usunier, Lee 2005). The results show that the consumers clearly classified each country with a few product types, this is the stereotype (or the consumer perception) that contributes to country of origin effects while evaluating the available product. The salient result as observed is tabulated below : Country Association Country Association Italy Art History culture China Plagiarism design fashion Cheap Food and Wine(psta, Pizza, Vino Communism Elegance Style Economic and population growth Quality Food and Rice France Fashion Luxury Japan Innovation New Tech Elegance Precission Quality Quality Food(Sushi) Culture Population Food and Wine(Cheese, Baguette, Champagne) Tokyo Germany Cars USA Innovation Beer Freedom Industry Technology Leader ower superiority arrogance Engineering Food (Fast Food) Discipline Organization Multiculturalism Strongness solidity Associated Concepts to Country of Origin From a conceptual point of view it is particularly important to underline that the notion of Country of origin is by no means plain and univocal. Initially, the concept of Country of Origin (COO) was considered as the Made in Country (see the review by Nebenzahl et al., 1997), or the Country of Manufacture (COM) (see the review by Samiee 1994). This was the country which appeared on the made in label, which would generally be the country where final assembly of the good took place. For example designer labels from Gucci, Versace loose their sheen when they include Made in China label because part of the manufacturing tool place there. In contemporary world though other concepts have progressively emerged in the COO literature, such as Country of Design (COD) in the review by Nebenzahl et al., 1997; Jaffà ©, Nebenzahl 2001), referring to the country where the product was designed and developed. For example the latest Audi TT luxury car model was designed in Germany but is being manufactured from Hungary, but with Germanys known reputation in engineering field the model is promoted by the name of country it is designed at. Moreover, global companies nowadays are manipulating brand names to suggest particular origins (country of brand (COB) effects). Thus COO is increasingly considered as that country which consumers typically associate with a product or brand, irrespective of where it is actually manufactured. For example, even though Nike Apparels are manufactured in low cost destinations like India, China etc. the brand recognition of Nike overcomes the country of manufacturing effect and the products are considered to be American. Manifestations of Country Of Origin Effect The country of origin effect can be realized in various different forms among the consumers. The major manifestations are : Individualist / Collectivists Where Individualist favor country of origin bases to ascertain the superior attributes of the product, the collectivists favor home country of origin products over the foreign ones. On Basis of Industrialization Countries are categorized on the levels of industrialization they have achieved. Consumers in such cases are lesser product specific. They believe the products from industrialized nations are superior in quality and thus the products from developing nations suffer bias. Ethnocentrism Under the feeling of national pride, consumers like to purchase the products of home country. For example, the buy American effect, Honda recognized it and specifically mentioned how many component were manufacture in America when launching its models there. One might generalize that for more technical product, there is a less positive perception towards product of developing nations. Similarly, less developed nations have a tendency to favor products from developed nations. Strategies for Usage of COO Effect in International Marketing In contemporary world, companies have come to realize the importance of coutry of origin effect and have started to give it due importance while strategizing their international marketing plans. Nowadays, a companys marketing strategy is dependent not only on the strength of its brand image but the country image as well. According to Jaffe and Nebenzahl (2001), four possible strategies can be used. First scenario considers companies having both, a strong country and brand image. Second scenario considers companies with a weak country image but a strong brand image. Third Scenario looks at companies with a weak brand image, but a strong country image, and fourth scenario looks at companies having both a weak country and a weak brand image. 1. Strong Country Strong Brand Image This is the best position for a company when both the product and the country have strong brand images. In this case, strategically, both the brand and the made in country should be emphasized, especially if it is a global one. Some major examples of this are: Buick (made in US),Sony (made in Japan) and Zeiss (made in Germany). 2. Weak Country Strong Brand Image The scenario of a weak country image but a strong brand image generally refers to products whose production or assembly has been outsourced to developing/emerging economies. In this condition, the emphasis should be placed on the brand name, while the country of origin needs to be de emphasizing as much as possible. BT provides an excellent case of neutralizing the country of origin. A few years ago British Telecom researched the aptness of their brand in overseas markets. The results showed that they had problems with the companys name in Japan where British was synonymous of the past, colonial and not for innovation or moving forward. That is when they decided to become BT 3. Strong Country Weak Brand Image This category contains products which are perceived to be of lower quality vis à   vis the competitors from same country. Strategically, these brands should try to piggyback on strong country image by emphasizing their made in attribute. This strategy works very well for brands/products with bad image or without any image. Some examples include Japanese brands like Suzuki or Miranda Cameras and/or Daihatsu automobiles. 4. Weak Country Weak Brand Image This category contains products that have weak country image as well as a weak brand image. In this case one potential strategy is strategic piggybacking on some strong local brand. For example, Samsung, the South Korean products manufacturer, gained entry into the US in microwave ovens segment distributing them through General Electric under the GE label. Similar strategy was followed by Mitsubishi in its entry into the United States using the Chrysler distribution network. Country or Origin Effect : Critical Results When the influence of country of origin effect and brand perception was studied for convenience, shopping and specialty goods, empirical results (from the paper Luxury brand and country of origin effect: results of an international empirical study, Prof. Gaetano Aiello, Dr. Raffaele Donvito, Prof. Bruno Godey and Prof. Daniele Pederzoli) revealed : Brand Perception and Country of origin have medium and medium high impact on perceptual evaluation of shopping goods and a medium high and high impact on luxury goods. Brand and Country of origin decrease their impact on purchasing decisions; The Country of origin has a medium influence only in the purchasing decisions of luxury goods, while the brand maintains its influence also on shopping goods. Country of origin do not affect evaluation and purchase of convenience goods. Brand affects evaluation and purchase decisions much more than Country of origin in shopping and specialty goods The study also reveals the top most criteria in evaluation and purchase of convenience goods is Price, and Design for specialty goods. Brand Perceptions ranks second in this hierarchy Country of origin is instead around the last of within the items considered. References Astous A., Ahmed S.A., (1999), The importance of country images in the formation of consumer product perceptions International marketing review, vol. 16, n.2. Bilkey W.J., Nes E., (1982), Country of origin effects on product evaluations, Journal of International Business Studies, 13, pp.89-99. Nebenzahl I.D., Jaffe ´ E.D., Lampert S.I., (1997), Towards a theory of country image effect on product evaluation, Management International Review, 37, pp. 27-49. Roth M.S., Romeo G.B. (1992), Matching product categoriey and Country Image Perceptions: A framework for managing Country of Origin Effects, Journal of International Studies, Winter. Jagdish Agrawal, Wagner A.kamakura, Country of origin: A competitive advantage International Journal of Research in Marketing Vol. 16, No. 4 December (1999) P.255 267 International Marketing, Thirteenth Edition, Philip R Cateora, John L Graham and Prashant Salwan SULLIVAN MORT, Gillian Maree HAN, C. Min 2000: Multifaceted country image impact on purchase intensions for goods: a study in the asia pacific economic conference region. (www.digital.re.kr/hanlab/private/discussant.PDF) A Chapter taken from the book Brand America: The mother of All Brands by Simon Anholt and Jememy Hildreth, published by Cyan Books, 2004.

Friday, October 25, 2019

Love in Relationships :: Love

Unknown source of Passage 1 and 2 Love relationships are similar to a seesaw, as the seesaw tips according to the persons sitting on the two sides, a love relationship can also lean according to the mentality of the couple in the said relationship. Passage 1 and Passage 2 both depict situations with love relationships that have varying passions, intensity, and dilemmas. Passage 1 and Passage 2 establish a controlling idea that love?s various obstacles and hindrances can occur by the individuals in the relationship or by outside forces affecting the relationships. Passage 1 introduces the idea that the crisis of death can occur during a relationship. Passage 1 describes the relationship between two lovers. When the woman in the relationship dies the man is left to mourn over the death of his lover. This death profoundly affects the man and his ability to live without his love. This is evident when the speaker, in stanza 5, states the hyperbole ?And neither the angels in heaven above, Nor the demons down under the sea, Can ever dissever my soul from the soul Of the beautiful Annabel Lee.? These thoughts and feelings of mourning due to the death of the woman thus create the obstruction that may transpire in a relationship. As to solving this dilemma the man in the relationship decides to lie side by side next to his deceased lover. Passage 2 incorporates the idea of an obstacle during a relationship, however not in the form of death. Passage 2 describes a situation where a woman asks a man, presumably her father, to tell her about times when she was a child. In the story a couple is described to be in love and wanting to be together. One obstacle the couple faces is, having to survive in the lower floor of a dentist?s office with a young child, who is the woman listening to this story. This is only a minor problem the couple has to face, and in addition, this problem is faced by the couple together not by one or the other. The major problem comes up when their baby seems to be sick and the husband decides to go hunting early in the morning. The wife is upset at the husband and questions his role in the relationship. This shows the obstacle in this relationship.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

International business in focus Essay

Do you know that the world has become smaller because of the current global financial crisis? Global financial crisis is a song that has been sung by every tongue one time and again. Screaming headlines on global economic crisis have been posted on all sorts of newspapers available on earth. Radios and televisions do not take a break either when reporting about the world’s financial crisis. It is not a song of praise that has been sung about global financial crisis but one that is directly opposite of what praise means. Global economic crisis has been a monster in the world and countries have been reduced to nothing. All sectors of the economy have been touched by global financial crisis. It has had negative impacts on several areas. This term paper examines the global financial crisis and its impacts on the tourism industry for the past two years. The Global Financial Crisis For a better understanding of the impacts that are brought about by financial crisis on the tourism industry, it is important to first look at the global financial crisis in general. For the past two years, the economy of the world has been characterized by escalating fuel and food prices, collapse of financial markets, and contraction of the world’s economic demand. The economy around the world declined in growth from 5. 2% in the year 2007 to -1. 1% in the year 2009 (Commonwealth of Australia, 2010). Global financial crisis is therefore not a new term and it has been the topic of the day. Its effects began to be felt seriously in the year 2008. All around the globe, stock markets have been reduced to pieces, financial institution that seemed to rule the world have fallen while other have been sold out, and the wealthiest governments on earth have been forced to establish rescue packages as a way of bailing financial systems. In general, the whole world has been reduced to nothing by the current financial crisis. The global financial meltdown has affected people’s livelihoods in the interconnected world (Shah, 2009). The financial crisis has deepened disrupting many systems. It has gone way too far than even the Great Depression (Chossudovsky, 2010). Critics argue that the problem that the world is facing today could be avoided only if the ideologies that support the present day economic models had not been as vocal as they are, so influential and inconsiderate to the views and concerns of others (Shah, 2009). The financial crisis in the world has seen the collapse of the sub-prime mortgage market in the US as well as the housing boom reversal in industrialized economies. Additionally, there are other weaknesses that have been exposed in the so called global financial system. Some of the financial instruments and products have become complex that every aspect of life has taken a new turn. The tourism industry has not been spared either (Shah, 2009). The Tourism Industry Tourism has been a major export in many countries. Many countries around the globe rely on tourism as a source of their revenue. Money that is earned from this sector is used to develop other key areas (Economics Department Caribbean Development Bank, 2008). The industry has several divisions such as the travel agents, international and domestic airline industries, hotels and restaurants, and several other tourism boards. In many areas around the world, the tourism industry has stakeholders such as the foreign embassies, tourism associations, international organizations, and mass media to promote the industry, tourism information centres, and travel writers (Lauder, 2008). For the past sixty years or so, the tourism industry has continually diversified and grown to be ranked among the largest fast growing sector in the economy all over the world. More destinations have over time opened up and more investments have been made in the development of the tourism industry. Modern tourism has been a key-driver for the socioeconomic progress. Some countries in the world can barely stand without tourism. It has become very important in the international trade market. Large amounts of money in terms of foreign exchange are earned from the tourism industry. The export income that is generated by the international tourism is currently ranked fourth after automotive, chemicals and fuel products. Developing countries benefit a lot from tourism. In fact, it is the main source of income and number one export. Tourism industries in the developing worlds have created employment opportunities for masses and at the same time leads to other developments such as infrastructural development. The world has in the recent years been hit by the financial crisis. How then will the global financial crisis be reflected in the tourism industry? Mladenovic & Zlatkovic, 2009) The industry as has been explained before is a very important sector in the economy of many countries. It has positive impacts on the economy of the host country through the foreign exchange earnings. More still, the host country benefits as jobs for the citizens have been created, relieving the country of the unemployment burden. Poverty is eradicated in the process and social services and infrastructure improved. In the overall, tourism leads to the development of the host country and the world in general (OPPapers. com, 2010). Impacts of the global financial crisis on the tourism industry The current global financial crisis has disrupted the tourism industry; the efforts that have been made by the industry have borne little or no fruit. Huge are the losses that have been suffered by the tourism industries all around the world (OPPapers. com, 2010). The United Nations Tourism Organization had predicted that till December 2008, the tourism sector’s growth would be slowed down by about 2-3% by the global financial crisis. The impact of the crisis, as reported, would still be felt in the year 2009. True to their word, tourism arrivals decreased significantly in several ports of the world such as in Polonia Airport in Indonesia. There was 85% tourism decrease in this particular port (Wieke, 2008). As Laude reported in an article on, Global financial crisis bites tourism industry, â€Å"As the global financial crisis bites, the †¦international tourism market is headed for its worst downturn in two decades â€Å"(Laude, 2008). In Austria, a forecast that was prepared for Tourism Austria had warned that the international tourists’ numbers to Austria would significantly be cut by 4% or more in the year that followed. All around the world, the number of tourists have been cut off (Lauder, 2008). As had been pointed out earlier, the tourism industry provides job opportunities to the citizens of the host country, and earns foreign exchange to the host country. When the tourists’ numbers are cut out, many people are bound to lose their jobs in the process as well as reduced foreign earnings putting the country at a greater economic crisis (Lauder, 2008). According to an article by Lauder on, Global financial crisis bites tourism industry, â€Å"Global tourism is already feeling the effects of the financial crisis† (Lauder, 2008). The United Nations Tourism Agency had on October 16th 2008 warned that tourism industry would experience sharper downturn in months that would follow (Lauder, 2008). Businesses are affected in the process such as those that sell products to tourists. The consumer demands have fallen in the tourism leisure sectors. These businesses are very supportive to the economy as they pay taxes to the government. This means that the economy is in turn affected by the reduced taxes (UN News Centre, 2008). In addition when there is a global economic crisis, the amount of disposable income shrinks. The small tourism businesses such as the local travel agencies and the tour operators that cater for both domestic and international tourist suffer a major setback when individuals’ level of disposable income decreases. The locals also constitute to the tourism industry but when the economy is tight on them, they spend less on domestic tourism (Kaar, 2009). In the northern hemisphere for instance, the international tourism had grown by 5% in the year 2008 as compared to the year 2007. However, this was short lived as it began to take a downward slide especially during summer holidays. Numerous businesses in the world are suffering from credit crunch as many customers cut back their travel spending (UN News Centre, 2008). In Vietnam, it was not until the collapse of Lehman Brothers in the mid of 2008 that it dawned to the world that the financial crisis was enormous. The financial crisis that was facing the US shook the globe with credit. Asia, a world that had seen high growth rates with stringent banks and large domestic consumers, was not spared as it has suffered greatly as a result of the financial crisis (UN News Centre, 2008). Global financial crisis and its impact on the tourism industry on developing worlds The crisis that hit the world also affected the developing worlds. In the year 2009, the developing world’s economic growth was projected to be at 1. 7% as compared to the 8. 3% of the year 2007. Consequently, there has been a decline in direct foreign investment, export revenue which also includes the tourism revenue and remittance. As a result, many sectors such as the tourism industry have been affected. Many people have also lost their jobs. Others, who are lucky to have jobs, have been pushed to take low-income jobs. Poverty has resulted as a result of the global financial crisis (Commonwealth of Australia, 2010). The economic crisis that the world is facing has had major impacts on the developing countries. The international financial flows and the private financial flows to the developing countries have rapidly fallen rapidly. The international resource flows as well as the private capital flows have been affected, for instance, the Foreign Direct Investment (Mladenovic & Zlatkovic, 2009). As UNWTO in an article on, Tourism and financial crisis reports, â€Å"The tourism sector is suffering from reduced consumer demand -business and leisure- and tourism business are already feeling the credit crunch† (UNWTO, 2008). The members of UNWTO Executive Council had experienced market deterioration in the tourism sector (UNWTO, 2008). For the last two years, the financial crisis in the world has hit newspaper headlines. The tourism industry just like any other has not gone unaffected by this economic depression. The tourism industry has been greatly affected because it is extremely fragile and volatile unlike other sectors that do not feel any effect. As the United Nations World Tourism Organization observes, the situation is getting even worse in the sector. First, there has been a big drop in the demand of tourist goods as well as tourist leisure. The slow down is greatly felt during summer holidays when there is high expectation of a rise in the number of tourists storming the northern hemisphere (Tourism-review. com, 2010). The UNWTO had however given these predictions that the financial crisis would affect the tourism industry in the years 2008 and 2009. The organization had even set a Resilience Committee whose work was to support the members through providing them with accurate analysis of the economy as well as response mechanisms. The secretary-general of the organization, Franesco Frangiali had admitted that the financial crisis was bound to decrease the travel and the leisure spending. He also admitted that the situation created by the global financial crisis was not as bad as the one that had surfaced during SARS outbreak in the year 2003. The SARs as he claimed caused a lot of harm in the tourism industry (Tourism-review. com, 2010). â€Å"Because the financial crisis is global, the fears and impacts of it are global as well† (Tourism-review. om, 2010). These are words picked from an article, Financial crisis impacts on the tourism industry, by Tourism-review. com. According to a report by the International Monetary Fund, the global crisis made a major impact in Caribbean, an island where the tourism industry is a very important boost to the economy (Tourism-review. com, 2010). In Kenya, the Minister of Tourism, Najib Balala had expected escalation of food prices as well that of other essential comm odities as a result of the global financial crisis. The tourism sector in the country could be badly damaged again just after it had recovered from the violence that erupted after elections in the year 2007. As had been feared, the tourism sector took a downward slide in the two years that followed as a result of the global financial crisis and it has not yet recovered from the shock (Tourism-review. com, 2010). The tourism industry is a very important sector in the economy of Tanzania. For many years, it has had positive effects on the Tanzanian economic development. It is not until recently when the financial crisis set in that the tourism industry was weakened (Lyimo, 2009).

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Personality Theories

Introduction The purpose of this essay is to review theories that have been linked and discussed in regards to personality. It aims to define personality, summarize the main ideas across different articles, pointing out the strengths and weaknesses that are in the articles. It also links my personal experience of personality traits to the theory of personality. The essay begins by defining personality from different articles and books, then analyzing critically the key definitions. Furthermore the essay discusses the relationship between personality and job performance and the relationship between personality and motivation. The essay contains a reflective writing section, based on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, a theory of motivation and personality, in which my personal experience is discussed. Definitions The word personality has many definitions across many fields, in different articles. Hogan and Holland (2003), defines personality as the unique pattern of psychological and behavioral characteristics by which each person can be distinguished from other people. This means each person’s characteristics are different from the other, and people are unique beings. Unlike Griffin (2007), who suggests that personality is understood by some people to mean self concept, by others, the consensus of other people’s opinions about one’s character, and by others, one’s true character. This definition is vague and over simplistic. It places individuals in single categories, ignoring the fact that every personality represents a unique combination of qualities. Walter (1986) goes on further to look at personality from two angles, the actors view and the observers view. Personality from the actors view is a person’s identity, which is defined in terms of the strategies a person uses to pursue acceptance and status, identity controls and actors social behavior. Personality from the observers view is a person’s reputation, and it is defined in terms of trait evaluations-conforming, helpful, talkative, competitive, calm, curious and so forth. However, the common trait on the definitions is restored on the following definitions. Griffin (2007) defines personality as the relatively stable set psychological attributes that distinguish one person from the other. This is often referred to as the long standing debate often expressed as nature versus nurture, that people’s personality is shaped by both inheritance and environment. The next definition implores a new trait that of interaction with others. It is suggested that personality is the term used to describe the overall combination of characteristics or traits that reflect the nature of a person and the way they react to and interact with others (De Janasz, Wood, Gottschalk & Schneider, 2006). Here the authors suggest that personality determinants appear to be shaped by inheritance, environmental and situational factors. Hellriegel and Slocum (2006) also define personality as the overall profile or combination of stable psychological attributes that capture the unique nature of a person. This definition suggests that personality combines a set of physical and mental characteristics that reflect how a person looks thinks, acts and feels. Hellriegel and Slocum’s definition contains two important ideas, the first being what sets people apart and what they have in common and the second refers to personality as being stable and happening overtime. The relationship between personality and job performance Since 1990 analytical reviews have shown that personality measures are useful predictors of job performance. Although these results represent a substantial revision in how applied psychology views personality assessment (cf. Guion & Gottier, 1965; Locke & Hulin, 1962), there is still no agreed theoretical account for the findings. A theory of individual differences in work effectiveness that links assessment to performance would enhance the value of personality measures for forecasting occupational outcomes. The current study organized criterion measures into the broad themes of getting along and getting ahead, and big five personality categories (Hogan & Roberts, 2001). The results suggest that there is some practical utility for the theory driven research. Nevertheless, some researchers have criticized the big five factors as an incomplete taxonomy and have suggested that important relationships are obscured when analysis is limited to the big five rather than a seven factor model. Tellgen & Waller (1987) found seven factors, five of which corresponded to the big five and two additional factors. This goes on to show that more extensive research is needed and current theories are not enough to draw conclusions from. However, research related to personality has recently clarified the utility of using personality variables for predicting job performance. This research by (Barrick & Mount, 1991; Hough, 1992; Salgado 1997) has demonstrated that personality constructs are indeed associated with work performance. Other traits are correlated with specific occupations. However, very little research has examined the mechanisms through which personality traits influence performance. Barrick and Mount (1991) found autonomous goal setting, and to a lesser extent goal setting, to mediate relationships between measures of job proficiency and supervisory ratings of job performance and sales volume for sales representatives. Organizational researchers have long been interested in relationships between personality traits and job performance. With the resurgent interest in theories of personality and the discovery of the big five model structure, research in this area has flourished. Researchers of personality and performance studies frequently make the implicit assumption that performance is a stable construct and thus rely on cross sectional and one time measures of performance to capture something that by its very nature unfolds across time. In depth studies have shown that the relationship between personality and performance measures have been the norm despite longstanding evidence that performance is dynamic (Bass, 1962). *The relationship between personality* and motivation Personality has had an uneven history in work motivation research. Most researchers would implicitly agree that there are individual differences in motivation, and these differences can be traced to dispositional tendencies. In response to a question about what is known in regards to individual differences in motivation, Austin and Klein (1996) commented, â€Å"Despite studies addressing individual differences within each of the perspectives, a considerable amount of research is needed before precise statements can be made about their role†. Gellatly (1996) noted that†attempts to empirically link personality characteristics with motivational variables have produced inconsistent results†. This is a result of lack of theoretical progress and conceptual clarity in the motivational area itself. However, motivational research has made substantial theoretical progress and with respect to the theory for which the most progress has been made it is not clearly defined. As Locke, Shawn, Saari and Latham (1981) noted in their seminal review, the only consistent thing about studies of individual differences in goal setting is their inconsistency. A more likely explanation for the lack of progress in personality and motivation literature is as Hogan and Roberts (2007) put it, â€Å"there are thousands of personality measures in the published literature†. These authors commented further that past personality research was sprawling in conceptual disarray, with no overarching theoretical paradigm and the subject matter was operationalized in terms of a large number of poorly validated scales with different names. With so many traits related to different aspects of motivation, it is no surprise that reviews of the literature have come away apathetic by the observed findings. Reflective Writing Maslow’s hierarchy aims to explain human behavior in terms of basic requirements for survival and growth. These requirements are arranged according to their importance for survival and their power to motivate the individual. The most basic physical requirement, such as food, water and oxygen constitute the lowest level of the need hierarchy. These needs must be satisfied before other higher needs become important to individuals (Scmuttle, 2002). While the order of satisfaction is subject to debate, I have worked as a farm manager and the most of my subordinates only cared about the first two needs. The physiological and safety needs. The basic needs of survival are what seemed to motivate them to work. The farm workers were not driven by ambition, esteem needs or self actualization needs. If by chance the basic requirements were lacking the workers would revolt, but in abundance farm output would double or triple in certain quarters. Although Maslow agrees that other needs do not fit into his hierarchy for example cognitive needs such as curiosity and scientific interest. I feel that in developing countries those needs are not yet valued and hence a forfeited which renders the hierarchy of needs valid. In conclusion, the literature on personality and job performance, and personality and motivation shows a connection between each of the two. In theory a strong connection exists but often that is not the case. Incorrect assumptions about personality in relation to job performance and motivation could result in erroneous conclusions in firms and organizations, which can be costly. However, this does not render the theories invalid, in my personal experience the connection was evident but only on the first two levels of the hierarchy. The differences can be attributed to different cultures and values between developing countries and Western countries. References Austina, J. T & Klein, H. J. (1996). Work motivation and goal striving. In K. R. Murphy (Ed), Individual differences and behaviour in organizations. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Barrick, M. R. & Mount, M. K. (1991). The Big Five personality dimensions and job performance: A meta-analysis. Personnel Psychology, 44, 1-26. Bass, B. M. (1962). Further evidence of the dynamic nature of criteria. Personnel_ Psychology_, 15, 93-97. De Janasz, S. Wood, G. Gottschalk, K. D. & Schneider, B. (2006). Interpersonal skills in organisations. McGrawHill: NSW. Gellatly, I. R. (1996). Conscientiousness and task performance: Test of cognitive process model. Journal of Applied Psychology, 81, 474-482. Griffin, M. (2007). Organizational Behavior. Managing People and Organizations. 8th Ed. Houghton Miffling: Boston. Guion, R. M. & Gottier, R. F. (1965). Validity of personality measures in personnel selection. Personnel Psychology, 18, 135-164. Hellriegel, D. & Slocum, J. (2006). Organizational Behaviour. Thomson South-Western:China Hogan, R. & Roberts, B. W. (2001). Personality and Industrial and organizational Psychology. In B. W. Roberts & Hogan (Eds) _Personality Psychology in the workplace (pp. 3-16). _Washington, DC: American Psychology Association. Hough, L. M. (1992). The Big Five personality variables-construct confusion: Description versus prediction. Human Performance, 5, 139-155. Locke, E. A & Hulin, C. L. (1962). A review and evaluation of the validity studies of activity vector analysis. Personnel Psychology, 15, 25-42. Locke, E. A. , Shaw, K. N. Saari, L. M. , & Latham, G. P. (1981). Goal setting and task performance. Psychological Bulleting, 90, 125-152. Salgado, J. F. (1997). The five factor model of personality and job performance in the European Community. Journal of Applied Psychology, 82, 30-43. Schuttle, D. (2002). Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs. Gale Encyclopedia of Nursing and Allied Health. 3, 1500-1503. Tellegen, A. & Waller, N G. (1987). Re-examining bas ic dimensions of natural language trait descriptors. Paper presented at the 95th annual convention of the American Psychological Association, New York. Personality Theories Answer: c. â€Å"us versus them. † Correct Answer: Question 2 O out of 2 points Because they both thought In terms of privacy an power, Nixon and Singer could relate well to one another, according to Kelly's Corollary. Answer A. Choice D. Sociality Question 3 In order to emphasize that his theory was concerned with the â€Å"nature of the animal† rather than with environmental forces, Kelly called his theory Answer a Jackass theory. Question 4Kelly explained personality change as a result of Answer adjusting to environmental pressures. Successive constructions of the replications of events. Question 5 increase the predictability of events. Question 6 Slot movement describes changing to the contrast pole of a construct. Question 7 â€Å"Is your teacher happy? † a student is asked. The student replies, â€Å"I don't know; I never thought about that. † What interpretation from Kelly's theory is appropriate? B. The teacher is outside the range of convenience o f the student's construct â€Å"happiness. † Correct Answer: â€Å"happiness.Question 8 Despite numerous physical difficulties, artist Friday Kohl believed she could be successful in her work. This is called Answer self-efficacy. Question 9 Michel focuses particularly on variables. Cognitive Question 10 According to Michel, traits contradict describe Question 1 1 behavior. â€Å"If I ask Jane to go to the movies, will she go, or reject me? † This is a question of behavior-outcome expectancies. Question 12 According to Michel, people are not passively controlled by their environment because they can develop to influence their own behavior.Answer self-regulatory systems Question 13 Michel conducted research on the delay of gratification in Answer children. Question 14 Delay of gratification is easier if the child sees models who delay their own gratification. Question 15 Bandanna's concept of describes the mutual influences of the person, the environment, and behavior. Answer reciprocal determinism The main function of the self-system, as described by Bandeau, is to Answer regulate behavior. Question 17 A person high in self-efficacy believes he or she can act effectively in a situation. Question 18

Free Art History Informative Essay

Free Art History Informative Essay technique. In Merrymakers at Shrovetide, there are various distinctive painting elements such as simplicity of treatment, directness of approach, and open fracture. On the contrary, the style of Georges de La Tour seems to be incredibly different and unique from that of Frans Hals. De La Tour devoted his paintings mainly to religious subjects, which are thought to have influenced the space and the content of his Fortune Teller. Furthermore, Fortune Teller has been considered to borrow various specific elements of some other artists such the Caravaggesque style; for example, the use of chiaroscuro and tenebristic techniques in his Fortune Teller picture.

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Hannibalic war essays

Hannibalic war essays The war between Rome and Hannibal can be presented in many different ways. Livy and Polybius are the two main historians on the subject of the Hannibalic war with these two historians presenting the war with both differences and similarities. It is these differences that will be brought forth in the following text with closer attention paid to, the differences between Hannibal and the Roman generals, Hannibals march to Italy, the preparation for battle, tactics that were used during the wars as well as the controversial number of men brought forth to battle by both sides. According to Polybius command in war is the most honorable and serious of all employments (Polyb. 9.20.9). It was the command that won or lost the wars. The qualities for great command were both shrewdness and courage. Courage being defined as leading your men to victory, as well as being the first and last man on the battle field. Generalship on the other hand is defined as more of a skill of shrewdness, gathering intelligence about ones opponents and terrain to lead his men to victory. Polybius (3.48.) tells us that Hannibal had the aid of the Celts that lived near Rhone have crossed the Alps many times and fought side by side the Celts of the Po valley against the Romans. Along with the knowledge of an opponents terrain it is also essential to be able to deploy and maneuver troops in swift decisive movements in order to take advantage of opponents weaknesses. It is with these guidelines that Polybius has set forth that are to be considered the best way to examine the roles of commanders throughout the second Punic war and most importantly the battle of Cannae. The Roman consuls during the battle of Cannae are said to be Gaius Terentius Varro and Lucius Aemilius Paullus. Varro according to Livy (22.26.3) was considered a novus homo who served as a praetor in 218; Varro was also the consul that is to be identified with the lo...

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Persian Empire Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Persian Empire - Research Paper Example King Cambyses, after his successful invasion of Egypt never returns to Persia alive, he died en route (Allen, 2005). At the same time or even before the death of the Cambyses, Bardiya, a brother to Cambyses, took the throne of Persia in the summer. In September, another dramatic transformation of the monarchy led to the enthronement of Darius following Bardiya’s death. According to King Darius, he claims he is restoring the throne to the rightful Achaemenid house (Holland, 2005). King Darius claimed that he descended for a long line of eight kings in a genealogy that linked him to the family of the empire-founder Cyrus II through a mutual ancestor called Teispes. Tesipes was the great-grandfather of Cyrus II; however, King Darius has added a legendary progenitor called Achaemenes. He therefore claims that he belongs to a collateral line of the royal family. The authenticity of his claims notwithstanding, the fact that King Darius’s father and grandfather are still alive and are not kings may lead one to doubt the authenticity of his claims. Even if his claims are true, Darius is not the next in line of succession given that his father and grandfather are still alive. ... Following the death of Cambyses II in 522 BC, Darius rushed to Media, where in September he and his allied Persian nobles kill Bardiya, another son of Cyrus and brother of Cambyses II (Encyclop?diaBritannica, 2011). King Darius admitted but defended this deed and his own assumption of kingship on the grounds that the usurper was actually Gaumata, a Magian, who had impersonated Bardiya after Bardiya had been murdered secretly by Cambyses. King Darius attributed the chaos in Persian to a sinister plot sparked by the evil deed of Cambyses. Darius alleged that Cambyses secretly killed his brother Bardiya and that the new figure who was enthroned just before Cambyses’ death was an impostor called Gaumata. Thus, Darius desire to restore the throne to the rightful Achaemenes house. When the impostor threaten those aware of the usurpation with death, Darius and his allied Persian noble responded by slewing the impostor. The fact that the impostor body was not displayed publicly, as ot her rebel, makes one to think that Darius may have committed regicide (Cook, 1985). Many Persians doubt the legitimacy of Darius accession to the throne. In fact this explains the extent to which the rebellion has gone. Most of the rebels are members of the ruling class, who thought they have equal right to the Persian throne. Appeals have been made to royal rights older than Darius’. In fact, several of the rebel leaders claimed to have descended from archaic kings such as Cyaxares or Nabonidus and have won over support to their sides. Darius has responded by combining his ancient genealogy with the favor granted him by the Persian god, Ahuramazda (Allen, 2005). According to King Darius, Ahuramazda, one of the

Friday, October 18, 2019

HIT project Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

HIT project - Coursework Example To identify obstacles during the management and implementation process of health portal system for a dialysis unit that serves hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis to renal chronic disease patients. To validate with secondary research conducted by way of peer review journals the procedure that sought to implement health portal on patient care system. Hospitals implementing health portal have documented positive results in patient care. A remarkable improvement is noted in Patient Access to heath related Information. It is also worth noting that most physicians have reported that they don’t use this system because of maintenance cost. Health Information Technology: Implementation of Patient Portal within Paragon Organization Information In order to effectively manage our patients, access of data is imperative especially when performing clinical meetings. My interest is on applications within the electronic health record for the treatment of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Patient portals are clinical, administrative and educational-related online applications which facilitate communication between patients and healthcare providers such as hospital and physicians. Terry (2010) said that patient portal is used by care providers and patients (Terry, 2010). Patient portal applications may be a single entity website and sell its services to health providers or it can be intergraded into existing website electronic medical record (EMR). The system exists as software application that is regulated by government legislation. Kannan (2009) outlined the uses of health information technologies and online resources to include; great potential to boast health care quality by improving care access, efficiency, chronic disease management, and patient family involvement (Kannan,2009). Patient portal is a form of communication based on the web between a patient and the doctor. It has the following features; messaging, making requests or new appointments, examine past and pre sent medical fix and modifies patient data. Bodenheimer et al, (2003) reported that patient portals can enhance patient-provider communication, increase overall satisfaction with care, lead to more communication with psychosocial content and increase identification and management of chronic conditions, increase access to health information, and improve disease management for conditions such as diabetes and congestive heart (Bodenheimer et al, 2003). (An illustration of this is provided in appendix B).The reporting system that is implemented here develops monthly report for all our dialysis patients in a safe and timely manner. Information Technology Application Technician is in charge of patient portal application but it is quite unfortunate that the IT department is not within the organization; at this moment we have contracted personnel from a private company who is providing IT related services. Most institutions would hire application service provider to work hand in hand with I nformation Technology Application Technician to setup and maintain health and information system hardware and software. An internet report that was developed provided a screen which displayed three tabs with the capability to be activated and viewed on a separate page as shown bellow: Laboratory (Health view) tab: a screen that provided grouped laboratory results according to patient’

Energy and Balance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Energy and Balance - Essay Example Contamination of the food potions interferes with the energy requirement in the oxidation of the food. The amount of energy required in the breakdown or oxidation of the foods, which contain the carbohydrates, proteins and fats, can be obtained by computation of the energy required in breaking these food components (Hervera, et al, 2008). The figures gotten are then computed and thus the energy requirement for the oxidation of the food can easily be determined. There are specific values of energies required to break down the food components in the various portions. This implies that as the food increase in volume and mass, the amount of energy in them is higher than the ones outlined in the formulation of the energy determination in the foods contain. The determine values of the contained calories in the given foods and the feeding stuffs; will provide exact estimation of the energy present in the foods being tested. The higher the amount needed to oxidize the foods, the higher the number of calories in the foods under examination (Hervera, et al, 2008). Nitrogen balance is the measurement of the input nitrogen and the output of nitrogen within a given set of products in the production line. This involves the nitrogen being taken in by the organism and finding a possible amount of nitrogen the substance produces. The difference between the nitrogen intake and output will determine the amount of nitrogen that the substance is giving out to balance the surrounding (Moya, Tenorio & Bond, 2013). Nitrogen balance can be portrayed in the Blood Urea Nitrogen and urea concentration in urine. The urea is a component of the nitrogen balance of the substance, organism, ecosystem or environments. Energy balances is the outcome of the comparison of the amount calories taken by a body and the amount of the elements or calories taken out. The energy in, involves the energy that is taken in through eating

Dissertation topic about Digital Marketing Article

Dissertation topic about Digital Marketing - Article Example Digital marketing has facilitated the retailers to target their potential customers by maintaining their online presence on the social media network, through mobile shopping, by introducing email marketing campaigns and mobile promotions and facilitating the existing customers to pay using their mobile phones (Rob Stokes, p.21). However, in this rapidly changing world of technology, it is imperative for the retailers and multinational organizations to devise new strategies that would help them to increase and maintain their competitiveness in the retail industry as well as it would also help them to target their potential customers in a more organized manner. As a result, this would make a significant impact on the profitability of the business and customer base. The dissertation will address the problem on how retailers can increase their competitiveness by integrating various digital marketing strategies in their overall business and what could be the possible shortcomings in implementing those strategies. It is imperative to understand that role of digital marketing in reshaping the world of retail industry in this modern era and how retailers can effectively reach their existing and potential customers by using and implementing the digital marketing techniques in their organizations. The purpose of this study is to explore the different digital marketing techniques introduced in the world of business and how the integration of these techniques can enhance the competitiveness of an organization by reaching to the maximum number of customers and increasing the profitability. 1- How retail business can increase their target marketing by communicating to the larger group of people through various platforms like search engine, social platforms and different similar platforms? 2- Retail businesses can integrate their offline marketing to online medium in order to cater larger group of people but how can businesses increase their business sales through this

Thursday, October 17, 2019

The Joint Intelligence Committee model Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

The Joint Intelligence Committee model - Essay Example The most sparkling thing with the Joint Intelligence Committee is that the committee has managed to maneuver all the critics and scandals that are likely to occur in such a remarkable organization and of high value. According to Aldrich (1992, pp.112) Joint Intelligence Committee is a success that the British government has enjoyed for a long period of time. With time, the Joint Intelligence Committee has attained the label of the government’s flagship. Other researchers have traced the reports of the Britain’s central intelligence in the quest for looking for information that answers all questions that pertain to the Joint Intelligence Committee. In fact, other analysts have made a great attempt to trace the works of the Joint Intelligence Committee’s former chairman, all in an endeavor to understand their records and thoughts on the Committee. This essay will undertake a detailed research on the Joint Intelligence Committee by analyzing the works of various analysts who have undertaken a great percentage of their time to conduct a detailed research on the project. For an understanding of the project, it is important to evaluate the parallel systems in other countries, to comprehend the effectiveness of the Committee. In as much the Joint Intelligence Committee has recorded massive failures whilst in its operations, notable- the onset and closing stages of the cold war- it is important that, both sides of the operations are weighed to avoid bias wile taking the final conclusion. For instance, if the Joint Intelligence Committee is judged on the basis that, it was able to predict the attack of the Soviet bomb to the Britons by 1954, but occurred by 1949, would be taking a harsh stand on the ability of the Joint Intelligence Committee to create a situation whereby they are able to come up with workable solutions on the validi ty and reliability of the committee. 2.0. Brief history on the Joint Intelligence Committee (JIC) The Joint Intelligence Committee (JIC) has had the longest history prior to its establishment. Grant (2009, pp.178) indicates that, the Joint Intelligence Committee (JIC) traces its roots to the early 1940s. During this period, the Committee played the role of a synchronizing the founder chiefs of the organizations in order to, have a stable base of operation. The major proponents of this Committee included, the directors and delegates of persons with intelligence form various governments’ settings like, UKs army, navy, Economic warfare as well as, the coordinator of information. The growth and development of the Joint Intelligence Committee (JIC) was hastened by the 1947 National Security Amendment that made room for refurbishing the outmoded approach. It is after 1947, that the Committee witnessed hastened growth with the incorporation of persons with ideas on the advancing int elligence in all forms of the Committees’ systems and departments. For instance, it is at this time that, the Committee aimed at creating a situation whereby military intelligence is combined. However, the Committee did not manage to create a unified military intelligence attributes from Phythian’s (2005, pp.654) argument that, no evidence has been documented on the Committees’ statistics that national intelligence estimations are vivid. In response, research conducted by Aldrich (1992, pp.98), indicates that, the committee had to conduct a series of meetings in an attempt to alleviate the hitches that were present in the system as well as, allocating specific roles to various members of the committee. For

McDonald's Corp as a Best Corporate Citizen of 2010 Research Paper

McDonald's Corp as a Best Corporate Citizen of 2010 - Research Paper Example The idea is to ascertain the strategies of the company that allowed it to earn this status and to write about its socially responsible business activities. The paper will outline how McDonald’s activities improved its sustainability in contributing towards making the world a better place. A discussion will be made of the company’s specific business values that motivate its activities relative to accountability, transparency, and employee engagement for improving sustainability.  The paper will also focus on what further innovations the company might make to continue to improve sustainability. McDonald’s Corporate Social Responsibility For the last several years, McDonald’s Corporation has been setting examples of corporate social responsibility (CSR), which primarily includes the creation of a sustainable supply chain system and engagement in community based developmental projects. CSR basically relates to a company’s behavior whereby it behaves i n a social and responsible manner and deals with other businesses that adopt the same policies. With the increase of public awareness, recent years have seen increasing demand for socially responsible businesses, which is why contemporary companies give importance to CSR while making plans for socially responsible business processes. It cannot be doubted that McDonald’s Corporation has excelled in the implementation CSR practices in most of its functions across its offices throughout the world (McDonald's, 2011). In being the world’s biggest chain of fast food restaurants, McDonald’s considers that CSR is about taking concrete action, accomplishing results and sustaining openness in communicating with consumers and other major stake holders. The company closely collaborates with its suppliers in promoting socially responsible systems within the supply chain in keeping with its supply chain policy and complying with its larger strategy based Framework for Corpora te Social Responsibility. McDonald’s has clearly stated on its CSR website that it abides by its code of conduct prescribed for suppliers, which explains how the company requires its suppliers to deal with their workers. In keeping with its supply chain strategy, McDonald’s will carry forward its policy of social accountability across all its supply chains. It has already been successful in improving conditions of farm workers in several locations who in turn promote positive environmental systems in land based agriculture supply chains, thus creating sustainability in agricultural activities. For instance, by inroducing industry leading growing standards for tomato farmers in Florida, McDonald’s made improvements in the working environment of tomato growing establishments and transformed them into sustainable businesses. Community Involvement through Community Based Projects One of the approaches to engage in CSR is by adopting community based developmental pro jects. Community driven and community based developmental projects are considered important forms of providing development support by international socially responsible organizations. Economic relationships in this regard mean the adoption of strategies involving the larger community in the main business activities of the organization. This allows communities to become effectively involved in corporate supply chain stra

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Dissertation topic about Digital Marketing Article

Dissertation topic about Digital Marketing - Article Example Digital marketing has facilitated the retailers to target their potential customers by maintaining their online presence on the social media network, through mobile shopping, by introducing email marketing campaigns and mobile promotions and facilitating the existing customers to pay using their mobile phones (Rob Stokes, p.21). However, in this rapidly changing world of technology, it is imperative for the retailers and multinational organizations to devise new strategies that would help them to increase and maintain their competitiveness in the retail industry as well as it would also help them to target their potential customers in a more organized manner. As a result, this would make a significant impact on the profitability of the business and customer base. The dissertation will address the problem on how retailers can increase their competitiveness by integrating various digital marketing strategies in their overall business and what could be the possible shortcomings in implementing those strategies. It is imperative to understand that role of digital marketing in reshaping the world of retail industry in this modern era and how retailers can effectively reach their existing and potential customers by using and implementing the digital marketing techniques in their organizations. The purpose of this study is to explore the different digital marketing techniques introduced in the world of business and how the integration of these techniques can enhance the competitiveness of an organization by reaching to the maximum number of customers and increasing the profitability. 1- How retail business can increase their target marketing by communicating to the larger group of people through various platforms like search engine, social platforms and different similar platforms? 2- Retail businesses can integrate their offline marketing to online medium in order to cater larger group of people but how can businesses increase their business sales through this

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

McDonald's Corp as a Best Corporate Citizen of 2010 Research Paper

McDonald's Corp as a Best Corporate Citizen of 2010 - Research Paper Example The idea is to ascertain the strategies of the company that allowed it to earn this status and to write about its socially responsible business activities. The paper will outline how McDonald’s activities improved its sustainability in contributing towards making the world a better place. A discussion will be made of the company’s specific business values that motivate its activities relative to accountability, transparency, and employee engagement for improving sustainability.  The paper will also focus on what further innovations the company might make to continue to improve sustainability. McDonald’s Corporate Social Responsibility For the last several years, McDonald’s Corporation has been setting examples of corporate social responsibility (CSR), which primarily includes the creation of a sustainable supply chain system and engagement in community based developmental projects. CSR basically relates to a company’s behavior whereby it behaves i n a social and responsible manner and deals with other businesses that adopt the same policies. With the increase of public awareness, recent years have seen increasing demand for socially responsible businesses, which is why contemporary companies give importance to CSR while making plans for socially responsible business processes. It cannot be doubted that McDonald’s Corporation has excelled in the implementation CSR practices in most of its functions across its offices throughout the world (McDonald's, 2011). In being the world’s biggest chain of fast food restaurants, McDonald’s considers that CSR is about taking concrete action, accomplishing results and sustaining openness in communicating with consumers and other major stake holders. The company closely collaborates with its suppliers in promoting socially responsible systems within the supply chain in keeping with its supply chain policy and complying with its larger strategy based Framework for Corpora te Social Responsibility. McDonald’s has clearly stated on its CSR website that it abides by its code of conduct prescribed for suppliers, which explains how the company requires its suppliers to deal with their workers. In keeping with its supply chain strategy, McDonald’s will carry forward its policy of social accountability across all its supply chains. It has already been successful in improving conditions of farm workers in several locations who in turn promote positive environmental systems in land based agriculture supply chains, thus creating sustainability in agricultural activities. For instance, by inroducing industry leading growing standards for tomato farmers in Florida, McDonald’s made improvements in the working environment of tomato growing establishments and transformed them into sustainable businesses. Community Involvement through Community Based Projects One of the approaches to engage in CSR is by adopting community based developmental pro jects. Community driven and community based developmental projects are considered important forms of providing development support by international socially responsible organizations. Economic relationships in this regard mean the adoption of strategies involving the larger community in the main business activities of the organization. This allows communities to become effectively involved in corporate supply chain stra

Organizational Communications Strategy Essay Example for Free

Organizational Communications Strategy Essay Leaders are responsible for motivating people to do their work effectively and achieve common objectives. Some believe leaders are born but some of the qualities can also be embedded in leaders through training and learning. Communication is the process when one person conveys thoughts or feelings to another individual or collection of people. The effectiveness of the communication process can be measured by message intended is equal to the message extracted. Feedback is essential for the communication process as this provides a response to on how successful we have been in transferring our message as originally intended. Teams focus on a collective style of working where the team members work together to achieve common goals. In teams the synergy level is positive, that is the performance of the team is greater than the individual efforts. The self managed teams discussed in this case are linked with empowerment, empowering employees enables them to participate better in team decision making processes. Leaders should facilitate and gain the trust of these teams rather than try to control and dictate to them. This allows instant action to be taken against a problem leading to valuable solutions. Communication is the back bone of an organization; it is one of the most important aspects required for the survival and success of the organization, whether the objective is dealing with corporate clients, employees or general public. The aim of the massage is to get across the Messages clearly, convincingly and to the relevant targeted audiences, Content that is delivered should be conveyed using the most effective and efficient channels, and a important aspect which is to be kept in mind is that Communications are customized to reflect cultural, and local diversity so it should be utilized accordingly for the betterment of the organization. Every thing done in the organization is through communication so it is a very significant element of any organization. The company I have chosen of the fortune 500 is FedEx the communication strategy is accordingly to the current trends in the business, I will emphasize on IT for the purpose of communication whether it be with in the organization or out side to customers, the internet will be used in fact for this purpose, as it is the most efficient and effective communication medium of present era. IT internal use it is a blessing as at present organization are moving toward paper less offices and e-mails are the best way to correspond and to Provide timely responses to all questions and feedback received. For external use website is a best source to attract new and maintain present customer as a large population of the world uses the WWW, for socializing, checking e-mails, browsing etc. using this medium will help FedEx in Developing focused, targeted communications at the right time to the correct audience, Communicate concise, pertinent, interesting content with a positive tone to cater the market. Website will be used for the purpose of providing a repository of business wide communications and questions and answers that is easily accessible to all FedEx concern employees. Another vital source I would use for my communication strategy will be the mobile phone, it has been growing rapidly at present and the cell phone has become one of the most vital means to convey messages, as the general public who use cell phones are addicted to it. We could target our customer by mobile massages which are used at present companies to attract customer, further the merge of the mobile and the internet has had a positive impact on the industry. Further, we could use other means of promoting their Internet marketing efforts offline like newsletters, direct mails, etc in order to reach more people nationally and internationally. The same tools can be used to promote not only the website but the company as a whole at the same time based on data gathered about customers online. Conduct online promotion using banner ads, e-newsletters, e-zines, etc. Since internet marketing is a new concept, those people who do go online may not be aware of exactly which companies have websites now. Therefore it would be a really effective idea right now to start placing banner ads on websites, there should be an overall increase in awareness of the use of Websites to interact with their customers online. I believe that the postal system is not very reliable but the usage of online advertisement can increase the interactivity and understanding of consumers and become more personalized. The World Wide Web has got billions of users with a great deal of attention from press and industry analysts. It’s got big names like Amazon and Yahoo which makes it sound even more intimidating to small businesses to use the Internet as a big part of their marketing solution. Like traditional advertising, Web marketing does not need a catchy slogan or striking images or animations. To get started, all one needs to do is state just the facts: who you are, what you sell, where you’re located, and other basic information. It does not cost a lot to fix mistakes, add new information or make other changes. That’s one source of anxiety absent in Web marketing. The same free tools used to develop web pages can be used to fix them, add to them or expand them. Todays consumers rarely wait until they enter a store before they begin to develop a decision to purchase one brand over another. For most businesses this is one of the greatest opportunities of the Internet. By responding to the consumers need for information and providing them with the information they are looking for earlier in the sales cycle, a business of any size can develop the kind of branded relationship that at one time only corporations with large ad budgets could afford. To get maximum benefit one can blend conventional advertising with online advertising to further energize and empower the overall campaign and make it interactive. What is needed is creativity and imaginative thinking. There is no particular, sure-fire way of doing it right and there is hardly a code of conduct. That gives internet-advertising a lot of breathing space but also leaves no excuses for not being innovative. As I have mentioned above if we conduct a cost and benefit analysis it would portray more benefit than the cost, the major target market of this media are the corporate clients as they make up most of the market in using FedEx services, with this innovative medium we will attract new customer for our product as well, the stake holder are the employee, loyal customer, the management of FedEx etc. In order to cater cultural nuances of people from all over the world we will have website customized to match the particular countries culture, and we will endeavor to cater the worldwide culture accordingly for instance Take nudity, Many Mildest cultures are reluctant to displaying women’s skin, while Europeans are far more tolerant of public nudity than Americans, these cultural difference will be catered for the effectiveness of the organizational communications strategy. Culture is a very difficult term to define. However, certain people have gone on and defined culture well by saying that it is a ‘set of shared values, opinions and practices of a community or group of people. ’ (Definition of Culture) The importance of the understanding of a socio-cultural environment of any country is imperative to attaining business advantage and eventually translatable success. This understanding of socio-cultural environment is then translated effectively into business practices so that they appeal to the local crowd and create a positive image of the firm in their minds. (Cultural Barriers) In my opinion this organizational communications strategy will do wonders for the organization, I hope this strategy will be implemented for the betterment of the organization.

Monday, October 14, 2019

Risk Behaviours of Cardiovascular Diseases Study

Risk Behaviours of Cardiovascular Diseases Study Title of the Study To identify the prevalence of ineffective physical activity and unhealthy dietary pattern among MSc Nursing students; could lead to cardiovascular diseases. Significance of the Research Problem Global Burden of Cardio Vascular Diseases: There are many risk factors associated with coronary heart disease. Some risk factors such as age, ethnicity and family history, cannot be changed. Additional risk factors that can be treated or changed which include tobacco exposure, hypertension, high cholesterol, obesity, physical inactivity, diabetes, unhealthy diets, and harmful use of alcohol. In terms of attribute global deaths, the leading CVD risk factor is raised blood pressure 13%, tobacco use 9%, raised blood glucose 6%, physical inactivity 6 % and overweight and obesity 5% (World Health Organization, 2012). Low- and middle-income countries are disproportionally affected: over 80% of CVD deaths take place in low- and middle-income countries and occur almost equally in men and women (Mendis, Puska Norving, 2011). The number of people, who die from CVDs, mainly from heart disease and stroke, will increase to reach 23.3 million by 2030 (Mendis, Puska Norving, 2011). Most cardiovascular diseases can be prevented by addressing risk factors such as tobacco use, unhealthy diet and obesity, physical inactivity, high blood pressure, diabetes and raised lipids. Cardiovascular diseases and Ineffective physical activity: Insufficient physical activity is the fourth leading risk factor for mortality. People who are insufficiently physically active have a 20 to 30 percent increased risk of all-cause mortality compared to those who engage in at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity most days of the week. In 2008, 31.3% of adults aged 15 or older (28.2% men and 34.4%) were insufficiently physically active. Cardiovascular diseases and unhealthy dietary patterns: Approximately 16 million and 1.7 million of deaths worldwide are attributing to low fruit and vegetable consumption (Mendis, Puska Norving, 2011). Frequent consumption of high-energy foods, such as processed foods that are high in fat and sugar, promotes obesity compared to low-energy foods. Adequate consumption of fruit and vegetables reduces the risk of Cardio Vascular Disease. A healthy diet can contribute to a healthy body weight, a desirable lipid profile and a desirable blood pressure (Mendis, Puska Norving, 2011). Risk Behaviors The vulnerable populations of MSc Nursing students are at high risk of developing such risky behaviors that might endanger their own lives. Although, the above behaviors are modifiable but due to shortage of time and increase load of studies, students are seems careless of their diets and physical activity. Purpose The purpose of this study is to look for the two main risk behaviors of cardio vascular diseases among MSc Nursing students. These are: Ineffective physical exercise. Unhealthy diet. Research Questions What is the prevalence of ineffective physical activity among MSc Nursing students? What is the Prevalence of unhealthy dietary pattern among MSc Nursing students? Target Population The target population for this study would be the existing students of, Masters of Science in Nursing of the Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan. Study Design This would be a descriptive cross sectional study design. Key Study Variables The key variables of the study would be ineffective physical activity and unhealthy diet. Operational Definitions of the Study Variables Ineffective Physical Activity Ineffective physical activity can be defined as ‘less than five times 30 minutes of moderate*activity per week, or less than three times 20 minutes of vigorous activity** per week, or equivalent(Mendis, Puska Norving, 2011). *Moderate activity level Your heart beats faster than normal; you can talk but not sing. Examples include fast walking, aerobics class, doing weights, or swimming gently. **Vigorous activity level Your heart beat increases a lot; you can’t talk or your talk is broken up by large breaths. Examples include jogging, running, basketball, or hiking up a steep hill (World Heart Federation Organization, 2014). Unhealthy Diet: High dietary intakes of saturated fat*, trans-fats** and salt, and low intake of fruits, vegetables and fish (white meat) are linked to cardiovascular risk (Mendis, Puska Norving, 2011). *Saturated fats found primarily in animal sources including red meat and whole milk dairy products. **Trans fats found in vegetable shortenings, some margarines, crackers, candies, cookies, snack foods, fried foods, baked goods, and other processed foods made with partially hydrogenated vegetable oils (World Heart Federation Organization, 2014). Hypothesis There is a prevalence of unhealthy diet among MScN students. There is a prevalence of ineffective physical activity among MScN students. Description of the Questionnaire A questionnaire is formulated to test the hypothesis under the light of the research question. The questionnaire comprises of the following three parts. Demographic information: The first part addresses the basic demographic information. The aim of acquiring the demographic information from the participants is to gather a baseline data about the key characteristics of the sample. Moreover demographic variables will be needed to assess the similarities and differences between the participants and characterize them accordingly. A total of 6 items are included in this section. The demographic characteristics included in the questionnaire comprises of name which is kept optional. The other components of this part include age, gender, ethnicity, family history related to (angina, stroke, diabetes, and kidney disorder), use of any medications, language, and family relationships. We make this form with the help of available literature and exclude other points like education level, because it is already known from sample. Physical Activity The second part consists of 12 items modified and derived from the Healthy heart questionnaire, which develops by Colorado Public Health Research. We modified it according to the developing country life style. We adopt the pattern of multiple choice and nominal scale for clarification of analysis (Colorado Public Health Research, 2010). For fulfilling the purpose we include the questions related to WHO definitions and for making user friendly, we have given the conceptual definition of the moderate, light and vigorous exercises in easy English words, and these definitions are also derived from American Heart Association guidelines. Dietary Pattern The third part of the questionnaire comprises questions related to dietary pattern. These questions are derived and modified from American Heart Association and American Nutrition guidelines. The scale includes; more than once a day, about once a day, 2-3 times a week, about once a week, 1-3 times a month, and less than once a month, for accuracy of the data of the nutritional status (Colorado Public Health Research 2010). Assumptions underlying the Statistical tests to be used The analysis of the data would be done through available valid statistical software like SPSS 19.0. For the purpose of analyzing the data three statistical tests would be applied in order to measure different levels of association between the key variables. The demographic information would be presented through descriptive statistical analysis (Beitz, 2008). This would include measures of central tendency like (mean, median and mode) to describe the overall demographic characteristics of the study population. Apart from the measures of central tendency, percent analysis (Beitz, 2008) would be used to determine the presence and overall prevalence of ineffective physical activity among study participants. Also percent analysis would be used to determine the unhealthy dietary pattern. In order to determine the association between various demographic variables like age, gender, height and weight of sample size individuals, univariate analysis would be used while determining that the obse rvations would be independent of each other. Population is normally distributed and assuming the homogeneity among the population variances (Bluman, 2011). Moreover, Pearson correlation analysis would be used to examine the strength and nature (positive, negative, inverse, none) of 2 variables of cardio vascular disease. With unhealthy dietary habit, keeping in mind the four assumptions of correlation i.e. the variables should be measured in interval and ratio scale, variables should have a linear relationship between the two, there, all significant outliers should be predicted and removed and the variables should be approximately normally distributed (Beitz, 2008). Effectiveness and Correctness of the Tool Pre –testing of the tool In order to test the effectiveness and correctness of the tool, the tool was pilot tested among three fellows from the MScN students from our class. The tool was distributed for filling the form. The feedback which was received from fellows is quite helpful .While testing the questionnaire; we identified a few components that needed to be modified. Firstly, they identified that in dietary pattern, if we add the instruction that tick the examples mention in bullets so it would be helpful to analyze that which type of ingredient is more common in our population. Secondly they suggest that the BMI should be added in the questionnaire with that feedback we respond that we asked in our questionnaire about weight and height which is equivalent to BMI therefore it was not added in the questionnaire. The feedback was taken as a positive critical reflection and first advice would be incorporated in the final questionnaire for the study purpose. Reflection Overall the questionnaire development was a stimulating and challenging task. The process of questionnaire development in itself is quite difficult as it requires researchers to critically analyze the hypothesis and research questions and formulate such questions that fulfill the overall inquiry of the subject understudy while excluding the unnecessary those details which are not suitable for developing country. In conclusion, the tool development task was a vigorous exercise that would help us to develop an effective tool for our thesis in particular. The pilot testing was an effective strategy to be kept in mind while developing the final tool. Acknowledgement We would like to thank Dr. Raisa Gul and Ms. Yasmin Parpio for their valuable support and guidance throughout the process of the questionnaire development. We would also like to acknowledge and thank all the three study participants who co-operated with us and provided us their valuable time and required data to test the questionnaire.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

It’s Time We Learn to Listen to Our Bodies Essay -- Health Nutrition D

It’s Time We Learn to Listen to Our Bodies Christine is my best friend. She is the kind of person anyone would love to know. She has the most wonderful personality. She is always there for me and knows just the right things to say. She is giving and caring to anyone she comes in contact with. She is helpful, understanding, and overweight. Like most women who struggle with their weight, she has tried every diet available and none have worked successfully. I see her fight this constant battle and feel her disappointment when she fails. Food is a consuming factor in her life and that is where her problem lies. To lose her weight and keep it off, she must learn to listen to her body's cues and eat when, what, and how much it asks for. Most weight problems start in early childhood. Babies are not capable of overeating. They want to eat when their bodies are hungry and they eat until their hunger is gone. Parents don't realize that they start creating bad habits in their children when they limit their baby's food intake or constantly shove bottles at them whenever they cry. As a c...

Saturday, October 12, 2019

A Comparison of Fate in The Stranger (The Outsider) and Myth of Sisyphus :: comparison compare contrast essays

Fate in The Stranger (The Outsider) and Myth of Sisyphus  Ã‚   In his works, The Stranger (The Outsider) and Myth of Sisyphus,   Camus addresses the consciousness of Meursault and Sisyphus through their fate. Sisyphus knows his fate. He to Because he has the opportunity and does rationalize his fate, he has consciousness. As the rock rolls back down, he is able to look back upon his life and analyze it. Nothing could be more existentialist. Sartre’s Garcin wants to meet his fate face to face. So, Sisyphus, embodies this desire of Garcin, and is thus a hero to him. Similarly, Charles Dickens’ scrooge has the unique opportunity to become an observer to his fate in the past, present and future. While Camus’ Meursault does not care about his past, he expresses the same feelings as scrooge and Garcin in their desire to confront their fate. Indeed, this is why they are every man and Sisyphus is our hero - he has and will always confront his fate. He has the conscious power to contemplate and control his fate. Therefore, if we know that everyone faces death as their fate, consciousness equals the ability to deal with ones fate. If we know our fate, do our lives hold meaning? Meursault remarks, â€Å"Nothing, nothing mattered, and I know why.† He knows he will be executed by a society in which he cannot exist, but he resigns and thereby assures himself that the middle is meaningless. Before his arrest, he knew he would die. Perhaps this knowledge justifies his living moment to moment. His statement compares to Beckett’s Vladimir when he laments, â€Å"Nothing happens, nobody comes, nobody goes, it is awful!† Both Meursault and Vladimir understand their insurmountable fate, but Meursault desires to confront it. This reveals Meursault to have the heroic qualities of Sisyphus. So, what Vladimir recognizes, Meursault confronts, and Sisyphus transcends. Sisyphus conquers his fate in spite of his immortality. Camus addresses the consciousness of Meursault and Sisyphus through their fate. By the ability to recognize his past, Sisyphus shows how Meursault lacks unhappiness. Meursault has nothing with which to compare the pleasure he feels instantly, so he is at the least continually content and possibly perpetually happy. Conversely, Sisyphus understands his past yet chooses not to compare his past to the present or his known future. When the priest asks Meursault if he would prefer a different life to his own, he remarks he wants a life â€Å"where I could remember this one.

Friday, October 11, 2019

Dharavi is an Indian national disgrace

Dharavi has been noted as being one of the largest and oldest slums in Asia. It is located in the heart of India’s financial capital in Mumbai and can be seen as a combination of neighbourhoods, each with their own unique character, which have been shaped by waves of migrants who came from the four rural corners of India. A world city is a city that acts as a major centre for finance, politics, trade and business. A suburb is a residential area outside a city’s central area. Mumbai is situated in the west of India and next to the Arabian Sea, as in figure 1, with a population of 14,350,000 people spreading over 603 KM2 making it India’s largest city, Dharavi is in the south of Mumbai, as in figure 2, with a population of 600,000 people and spreading over 2 KM2. You can read also Waves Mumbai is also India’s financial centre with a major port and industrial area, it is home of the ‘Bollywood’ movie industry and a centre of culture all of which makes it the world city that it is today. As well as being a world city, it is residence to ‘the largest slum in Asia’, Dharavi. A world city is a particular city deemed to be an important point in the global economic structure. A reason why Dharavi can be seen as a disgrace and an embarrassing blot on Mumbai’s wish to become a world city is due to its poor surroundings which triggered the comment of ‘an Indian national disgrace’. I personally disagree with the statement as there are plenty of positives to Dharavi however; I can see why this comment was made due to the negativities that Dharavi has brought with it. I will firstly evaluate why people may think Dharavi is a national disgrace then I will evaluate why Dharavi is not a national disgrace and finally I will conclu de. FIGURE 2 FIGURE 1 As I previously stated, I can see why people will also agree with the above comment. Dharavi is densely populated with one million people per square mile. This amount of people causes massive overcrowding on transport used to travel to and from work in Mumbai, as you can see in figure 3, leaving those who don’t live in Dharavi experiencing the negatives of having ‘Asia’s biggest slum’ in the city they live in. One of the main problems of Dharavi is its poor sanitation, as you can see in figure 4. Dharavi has an open sewer system which attracts rats and disease as well as the chemicals which travel through sewers. The lack of sanitation is something that would be seen as a bad reflection of Mumbai as a whole making some people views it as an ‘embarrassing blot’ on Mumbai.Ap World History Units 1-3 Study Guide Despite this, Dharavi holds thousands of tiny industries within the slum providing jobs for the residents. 80% of the residents in Dharavi work there. The slum also has a very close net community and spirit however, home to many orphans which may doubt Mumbai on its ability to become the world city it desires to be. Due to the increase of FDI (Foreign Direct Investment) there has been talk of redeveloping Dharavi and a committee has been setup called Dharavi Redevelopment Project (DRP) and headed by the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) has been a controversial scheme formed with a goal to rehabilitate the entire slum and to re-house all of the residents which have around 72,000 families, also with the money the committee would look to build better infrastructure in and around the area of Dharavi which would increase tourism and generate more income for those businesses in that area. FIGURE 4 FIGURE 3 Mumbai was originally a series of fishing villages that became a port of which site encouraged Mumbai’s development. The port had access to the sea on both sides meaning that the port as well as its surroundings became known as the gateway to India. The banking, finance and insurance sectors that was associated with the port which allowed Mumbai to become India’s major centre of finance. As India’s economy grows and becomes increasingly part of the globalised economy, Mumbai is becoming a world city. It is seen that Mumbai holds the attributes to become a world city, it is a well-respected city and area of India yet the issue of Dharavi lays centre in Mumbai. Dharavi, as well as Mumbai, holds its own respected attributes breaking the conventions of what we view as ‘slums’, being home to police and fire stations, a post office, high-end shops, two cemeteries, a park and most recently its first ATM was installed. Being originally home to a small fishing village community, I view Dharavi to not necessarily be an ‘Indian national disgrace’ but a relative part of India’s history to becoming the world city it desires to be today. We can also see Mumbai quite similar to Rio and how they have their favelas, but Rio is still recognised as the financial centre of Brazil, as you can see the similarities in figures 5 and 6. Another similarity is that they are both part of the BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, China) economies even though having a vast amount of slums Brazil and India have the biggest economies in world being one of the biggest economies this means more countries would want to trade with you and they would not base their trade on what surrounds the financial centre of the country they are more than likely concentrating on their investment and if its making a profit. Previously I spoke about the DRP and the SRA, they had an initial plan to redevelop the area and provide each family with a 250 square foot apartment, and however this would not allow residents to carry out their businesses due to such small of space. FIGURE 6- Slum of Dharavi FIGURE 5- Favelas of Rio I conclude that despite the negatives Dharavi bring upon Mumbai, I felt the positives overshadow the negatives. Dharavi should be praised on being able to create its own small economy, which other communities may struggle to attain anywhere in the world. Also the city has to recall the history behind the slum due to it being the fundamental to Mumbai’s growth in becoming the world city it wishes to be. This is why I differ with the comment â€Å"Dharavi is an Indian national disgrace and an embarrassing blot on Mumbai’s desire to become a world city†; because in my opinion I consider Dharavi is not a national disgrace of and humiliation to Mumbai.