Advance strategic management. Consumerism Essay

1. What is consumerism? DEFINITION Consumerism can be defined in two different ways; 1. Consumerism is a theory which states that buying and consuming goods and services in a large amount are more beneficial to the economy. Thus this theory appreciates gradually increased consumption of goods and services. 2. Consumerism means ‘consumer protection’. It is a movement or policy that protects the interests of consumers via truthful packaging, honest advertisement, improved safety standards and product guarantees. Consumerism involves policies that regulate methods, products and services, standards, selling and advertising in the interests of the consumers. These protect buyers from defective products, misleading advertising, unfair practices etc. Such policies can be mandatory, legislative, institutional or voluntarily accepted by the industry. e.g., consumers’ interests can be harmed by mispricing, adulteration, artificial demand etc. IMPORTANCE Consumerism encourages economic growth by providing good quality goods and services to the customers. Increased consumption by the customers shows the economic growth level. Increased demand would lead to increased production thus raising the gross domestic production. It helps to make informed decisions through truthful advertising, environmental and safety standard laws. Thus consumerism provides protection to buyers. Implementation of consumer protection laws shield consumers against exploitation, discourage anti-social activities and unfair trade practices, provide complete and latest information to the customer which aids in buying  decision making process. 2. What IS STRATEGY? Why it is important? Choose a company, study its strategy and then make its competitive analysis. DEFINITION 1. Strategy is business game plan used by management to stake out market position, conduct its operations, attract and please customers, compete successfully and achieve organizational objectives. 2. It is a process through which a company concentrated its resources on optimal opportunities to achieve short term and long term goals and other competitive advantages. IMPORTANCE Strategy answers three central questions about the company (i) where are we now? (ii) where do we want to go? (iii) how will we get there? Strategy tells about the current position of the company, its future plans and the approaches it will follow to achieve its objectives. Strategy encompasses actions to attract customers, actions to deliver value at optimal price and cost equilibrium, actions to respond to changing market environment, approaches to pursue available opportunities and plans to gain competitive edge. A powerful strategy makes a company distinctive and provides sustainable and durable competitive advantage in creating, producing, distributing and marketing the company’s products/services. An effective strategy results in best possible business performance in terms of financial profitability and market position. Strategies are desperately needed to direct the activities of the company in a way that its goals and objectives are achieved in a right way through right approaches and at the right time. An excellent strategy that is excellently implemented is a good measure to evaluate the management competencies and performance. A strategy-focused company has a strong performance, profitable earnings, revenue growth and favourable return on investment. COMPANY : COLGATE-PALMOLIVE Colgate Palmolive has $17.1 billion consumer products and serves people around the world with renowned brands by offering four types of products/services: oral care, personal care, home care and pet nutrition products. This company operates globally and approximately 75 percent of its sales are from outside the home country while majority of its products are manufactured in its own facilities. Colgate-Palmolive 2011 to 2015 Strategy The main focus of Colgate-Palmolive’s five year strategy is on people, performance and planet with measurable goals in accordance with the company’s business objectives. 1. Promoting Healthier Lives The objective was to promote health and wellness in order to minimize employee health risks by 15 percent, to achieve 5 percent reduced health costs by improving on time diagnosis and treatment of diseases and to focus on safety of employees. 2. Contributing to The Communities Where We Live and Work This parameter of the strategy aims to increase the impact of company on the community by $300 million. For this purpose five objectives were set which will provide greater focus to the company’s contribution towards the community. Partnership is done with dental professions to improve the oral care of the community. A program of â€Å"Bright Smiles, Bright Futures† is scheduled to contact 1 billion children by 2020. To provide hand-washing awareness to over 50 million households. To work with 250 thousand veterinarians to educate pet owners and provide over $100 million pet food. Continue to provide company’s products after natural disasters and to invite more  volunteers in this community program. 3. Delivering Products That Delight Consumers and Respect Our Planet The objective is to increase the sustainability of all the products by (i) ensuring that ingredients continue to meet the standards of safety, health and quality (ii) reducing the impact of environment on the products and packaging. This is achieved by increasing the use of recycled contents and more usage of sustainable materials. 4. Making Every Drop of Water Count The strategy aims to reduce the consumption of water during manufacturing by 24 percent. The objective also aims to take steps to promote access of clean water and water conversation awareness among over two billion consumers. 5. Reducing Our Impact on Climate and Environment The intention was to reduce energy consumption and carbon emission during the manufacturing process by 20 percent. COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS The stated strategy of the company can be analysed on the bases of three broad terms. The following stated questions will determine the goodness of the strategy implemented by Colgate-Palmolive i.e. whether the strategy was able to improve the market position and financial performance of the company or not, how good was the company at handling the environmental dynamics and gaining competitive advantage. 1. How well does the strategy fits with the company’s situation? The main competitor of Colgate-Palmolive is Procter & Gamble with the same strategy of sustaining products and environmental safety but Colgate-Palmolive has got a competitive advantage in the year 2011 and 2012 by having strong presence in personal care products and emerging markets in different geographical areas. Due to broad operation bases globally the company has got the strength to lead the market. 2. Is the strategy helping the company achieve a sustainable competitive advantage? Yes the strategy implemented by the company has made it to be a global leader in oral care. Colgate-Palmolive’s market is the single largest market by value shares and is insulated from the downturns. The company’s strategy focuses to meet market challenges, committed to increase product sustainability and focuses on segmentation by function. Colgate-Palmolive has improved sustainability profile in 24 percent of products. 3. Is the strategy helping in better company performance? The strategy has helped the company in attaining better financial and ethical performance. Colgate-Palmolive has shown best environmental performance in past years and is able to sustain its past competitive advantage. The company had $17.1 billion worldwide sales in 2012. Its gross profit margin was 58.4 percent in fourth quarter of 2012. Colgate-Palmolive won 100% Code of Conduct Certification, stood No. 1 in beauty and personal care products and was announced No. 1 at ‘Most Admired Companies in 2013’ by Fortune World. Colgate-Palmolive had operating profit of $4.02 million in 2012. 35 percent of its packaging material is from the recycled material thus fulfilling its goals of safeguarding the environment and reducing costs. Three different products of Colgate-Palmolive have won title of ‘Product of the Year 2012’ and Ethisphere magazine has given the company title of ‘ 2013 World’s Most Ethical Companies’ US E.P.A declared the company to be ‘Designed for the Environment’ for many of its home care products. The above analysis shows the strengths and the competitive advantage earned by the company due to its best performance and leading activities. Surely the above mentioned performance is only attainable because of an excellent strategy and its excellent execution. _________________________________________

Decadence in Death in Venice

The premise of decadence was tremendously popular in late 19th century European literature. In addition, the degeneracy of the individual and society at large was represented in numerous contemporary works by Mann. In Death in Venice, the theme of decadence caused by aestheticism appears through Gustav von Achenbach’s eccentric, specifically homoerotic, feelings towards a Polish boy named Tadzio. Although his feelings spring from a sound source, the boy’s aesthetic beauty, Aschenbach becomes decadent in how excessively zealous his feelings are, and his obsession ultimately leads to his literal and existential destruction.Thus exemplifying, as will be examined in the following, how aestheticism is closely related to, and indeed often the cause of, decadence. Although the narrative is about more complexities, the author’s use of such vivid descriptions suggest the physical, literal aspect of his writing is just as important to the meaning of the story. The first an d most obvious instance of aestheticism and decadence as correlating themes in this story is the title, Death in Venice. By shear nature the title relates the concepts of death and dying to the city of Venice, which implies that the location is where a death will occur.However, this is paralleled by the opening of the story when Mann drearily tells of Aschenbach’s stroll through Germany. â€Å"It was early May, and after several cold and clammy weeks, a mock summer had set it. The English Garden, though sprouting only tender leaves as yet, had been as muggy as in August. † In the reading of this passage it proves ironic that the title is Death in Venice as the protagonist seems to be dying in Munich: from his loss of creative ability, depletion of strength to the course of his walk ultimately leading him to a graveyard from which weakness forced him to catch a train home from.There lacks a sense of elegance with Mann’s description of aspects concerning Germany a nd a typical Aschenbach. This can be contrasted with the eloquent description given to Venice, † He saw it once more, that landing-place that takes the breath away, that amazing group of incredible structures the Republic set up to meet the awe-struck eye of the approaching seafarer: the airy splendour of the palace and Bridge of Sighs. † The obvious pleasure that Aschenbach feels as a result of the aesthetically pleasing city foreshadows how aestheticism will ultimately ead to his death and decay, important ideas within the context of decadence.This novella is a decadent meditation on the downfall of man. In an attempt to inspire his writing he decides to take a trip because he believes a change in scenery may add â€Å"those aspects of fiery and playful caprice† to his work. After arriving at his mountain cottage on an Adriatic island off the Istrian coast, he decided that the environment was â€Å"not conducive to making him feel that he had found what he was looking for. His descent into decadence begins after his arrival in Venice. Aesthetic and decadent traits are present within the context of the city – his loss of dignity for falling in love with a fourteen year old boy and subsequent degradation, also the idea that this boy prompts in Aschenbach a yearning for ideal aesthetic beauty. Immediately upon first sight, he became captivated by the boy’s aesthetically pleasing appearance, â€Å"Aschenbach was amazed to see that the boy was absolutely beautiful.His face, pale and of a graceful reserve, surrounded by honey-colored curls, with its straight nose, lovely lips, earnest expression, sweet and godly, all recalled Greek statues of the noblest era; but despite the pure and consummate form, his features exerted such a unique personal char, that the observer felt he had never encountered such perfection in nature or the arts. † Eventually his aesthetic attraction evolves to that of an emotional sort and he falls in love with him, although he at first denies this to himself, and his fixation eventually leads to his decadent demise.Therefore transitively, it could be understood that Aschenbach’s aestheticism directed him toward reckless decadence. However, as he walked down the crowded city streets scrutinizing his second destination he was repulsed. â€Å"The farther he went, the more tortured he was by the dreadful alliance of sirocco and sea air – a condition that both agitates and enervates. He sweated painfully. His eyes blurred, his chest tightened, he was feverish, the blood pounded in his temples†¦wiping his forehead, he realized he had to find a different vacation spot. This idea is a strong instance of aestheticism interacting with decadence in the sense that Venice originally represented to Aschenbach, beauty and renewal. His trip was supposed to refresh him as an author and an aging man but instead he reached a land that, although aesthetically pleasing, was dirt y, crowded, and repugnant. The last moments before Aschenbach slipped into complete decadence, his object of adoration was not enough for him to suffer for. He packed his bags and said his good-bye’s to both the boy and the city that had twice made him ill, prepared to leave.Misdirected baggage was the practical reason for his remaining in Venice but as Aschenbach gazed adoringly at his idol he admits to himself that it was Tadzio, the embodiment of youthful beauty, who had made it so difficult for him to leave. At this point in the narrative it becomes clear that quite literally Tadzio is a representative of the aesthetic muse that Aschenbach, being an artist, was searching for. From this point on he watches as Tadzio eats his meals, plays on the beach, and even goes so far as to trail his family on land and sea around Venice.While following him by way of gondola, Aschenbach addresses his aesthetic intoxication, â€Å"The adventurer felt as if his eyes were drinking in the voluptuousness, as if his ears were being wooed by such melodies; he also recalled that the city was ill, but concealing its illness out of greed, and he peered more wantonly after the gondola floating ahead of him. All that the confused man knew and desire was to keep ceaselessly pursuing the object that inflamed him. † It is interesting how in the midst of the description of Aschenbach’s therapeutic tryst, Mann shows Aschenbach’s thoughts coming back to the retched illness of Venice.This time he goes into more detail by addressing the greediness of the people, in order to not scare away tourists, to lie about the impending disease. This passage gives insight into more than just Aschenbach’s captivation by Venice but of the decadent trance he is put in by Tadzio’s exquisite appearance. It exemplifies Aschenbach’s knowledge of the danger of disease that is taking over the city but proves that he is so deeply enthralled by the beauty of Tadzio that his senses have become greedy and force him to remain in Venice at all costs, despite the dismay that will come to his physical being, to get their aesthetic fix.As disease and panic runs ramped, people flee and the city becomes emptier and emptier, Aschenbach feels relieved at the lessened chance of being caught adoring Tadzio from close and far and begins to disguise his passion less. He begins dressing extravagantly in an attempt to appear more youthful and attract the young boy. â€Å"Like any love, he wanted to please, and he was terrified that it might not be possible. He added cheerful, youthful touches to his suit, he wore jewels and used perfumes; several times a day e spent a long while getting dressed, and was adorned, excited, and anxious when he showed up for meals. Viewing the boy’s sweet, bewitching youth, he was sickened by his own aging body: the sight of his gray hair, his pinched features, mortified him, left him hopeless. He felt an urge for physica l revival and renewal; he frequented the hotel barber. † As Aschenbach changed his aesthetic appearance; donning jewels and perfumes, wearing makeup, dying his hair, he begins to recapture a youthful appearance.With his young and radiant appearance he now resembles the two men featured in earlier chapters of the novella; the stranger who had inspired a youthful craving in him in Germany, and the deplorably exuberant old man from the boat ride to Venice. Both men embody, at least in Aschenbach’s eyes, frivolous indulgence and fraudulent aesthetics. In particular, the moronic drunkard from the boat appeared to Aschenbach bizarre and obtrusive. â€Å"It was repulsive to see the state to which the dandified old man had been reduced by his sham association with youth. † However, now Aschenbach’s outlook, and appearance, has changed drastically.He is now concerned with making his own appearance more youthful and aesthetically pleasing, giving into decadence just like the foppish man he had once scorned. Thomas Mann’s particular use of detailed descriptions throughout the narrative makes obvious the literary importance of aestheticism. As the story progresses, Aschenbach becomes more and more concerned with aesthetics. The reader can see this from his original desire to a change of scenery, to his obsession with Tadzio’s appearance, and finally the changing of his own appearance. Eventually his concern with aesthetics becomes an obsession, which ultimately leads to his decadence.The change of scenery for something more aesthetically youthful and beautiful that Aschenbach had yearned for turned out to be the scene of a crowded, stifling city filled with cholera that eventually leads to his demise. Before this can occur however, he becomes internally decadent through his indulgence in Tadzio’s appearance. He then changes his appearance to please his idol which in turn corrupts himself by turning him into the type of decad ent man he once despised. These themes of aestheticism and decadence, not in juxtaposition but in duality, are used frequently by Mann throughout the novella.

Briefing note performance management

Two purposes of performance management and their relationship to business objectives: Performance management drives employee behaviour to align with business goals and objectives. This alignment happens because job responsibilities and expectations are clear, resulting in increased individual and group productivity; and also better information is available to use for promotion decisions. Having a Performance management system in place will serve the following purposes; †¢Employee decision-making Appraisal information is used as a basis for pay increases, promotions, transfers etc. †¢Employee development Appraisal information is used to guide training, job experiences, mentoring and other developmental activities. Three components of performance management systems: There are several components of a successful performance management system. An effective performance management system is not a one-size-fits-all approach but will generally include the following components: Plan: Setting clear objectives and goals and establish performance standards. Monitor: Identifying key performance indicators and conducting accurate and regular performance appraisals/ reviews and rewarding performance effectively. Review: Regular and honest feedback through performance planning conversations and career development initiatives. The Relationship between motivation and performance management On a basic level people are motivated towards desired outcome such as congratulations from the manager for a job well done or to avoid an undesired outcome such as an argument with the boss about targets not been hit. ?There are extrinsic and intrinsic factors to how we as individuals channel our motivational energy. ?Getting people to ‘opt in’ as oppose to ‘opt out’ is an important part of communication in business. The ideas of Abraham Maslow have had considerable influence on management thinking since the late 1940’s. Maslow has a positive view of human nature; a belief in the individual’s potential for personal growth – what he called self-actualisation which is displayed in his pyramid of Hierarchy of Needs. Maslow suggested that needs only motivate people when they are unsatisfied. When applied to his hierarchy lower-order needs (basic physical needs, comfort, safety and security) have to be satisfied before higher order needs (self-esteem and personal growth) assert themselves. To apply these theories into the workplace you should make sure your workforce is getting its basic physical and safety needs (reasonable working conditions, job security etc. ) Applying Maslow’s model will mean employees are more likely to work towards company goals only when there is harmony with their own personal goals. MaslowHerzberg Fred Herzberg’s two factor theory is based on looking at the main factors which result in either satisfying or dissatisfying experiences at work. The assumption is that if the individual is satisfied in their work, this will mean good performance, or, at the very least a willingness to stay on the job. Factors leading to dissatisfaction were found to do with conditions of work – company policy and administration, technical supervision, salary, interpersonal relations and physical working conditions. Herzberg called these the hygiene or maintenance factors. These are necessary minimum for a healthy workplace – they make people come into work and stay there but, they don’t necessarily encourage people to be productive. It is the other factors, the ‘satisfiers’ or ‘motivators’ such as achievement, recognition, the work itself, responsibility, advancement, that encourage people to work harder. The link between motivation and performance seems to be an obvious one. If individuals are highly motivated, they will perform better. In turn better performance may well lead to a sense of achievement and result in greater motivation. Thus relationship between motivation and performance can be a mutually reinforcing one. Factors to be considered when managing different levels of performance: Many managers mistakenly spend most of their effort on trying to improve their low performing employees, believing that their high performers are low maintenance. The low maintenance belief is prolonged because high performing  employees are self-motivated individuals that need very little daily work direction. However the fact is that high performing employees do need a lot of attention to sustain their high level of performance. They need praise, recognition and collaboration. High performing employees are very skilled at working independently and will become frustrated if their manager give s them too much direction. These employees will seek guidance form their managers when they need assistance, they take ownership and pride, seek challenges and are bored quickly with mundane tasks; they need to feel valued by their manager and the company. As a manager you must make them feel like a business partner, not just an employee. Get them involved in goal setting, seek their advice from their area of expertise, give them exposure to higher management and other executives – all these things will show you value and trust them – in turn they will give you their loyalty. Plateaued Performers have the mind set of either not preparing or wanting to progress any further, they have petered out or are ready and willing to progress but are stuck in their current role due to other factors surrounding them. They are likely to be less enthusiastic, in a sales role they are likely to rely on existing relationships to drive sales, and they will appear to be ‘going through the motions’ with a sense of disengagement. Plateaued performers are experienced, valued employees who once, often recently performed at a higher level. However due to some unseen issue or closely held mind set, they are no longer reaching their potential. The likely outcome, if the problem goes untreated is that a once solid performer will find themselves plateaued stagnated in bit performance and professional development. Managing poor performance, whether related to capability or attendance, raises a number of different issues for employers and their HR professionals. Failure to perform or attend may be related to the following factors, which may or may not be connected and which may not be readily apparent such as lack of application or misconduct on behalf of the employee; lack of the required skills; and/or illness or disability. If poor performance is due to lack of application (unconnected to an underlying medical condition) or following the falsification of qualifications and  experience for the position that the employee holds or simply by a plain refusal to obey lawful orders, then it is appropriate to deal with the matter under normal disciplinary procedures for misconduct. However, the disciplinary procedure may not be appropriate when dealing with employees who are failing through no fault of their own. Where the failure to perform is due to a lack of the required skills, following say a reorganisation or where an employee has been prematurely promoted, then the employee should be assisted, wherever practicable, with further training or coaching and given a reasonable period to reach the required standard. Some employers therefore prefer to operate a gentler capability procedure referring to cautions rather than warnings and greater flexibility with regard to timescales The main purposes of reward within a performance management system are to retain, motivate key employees and to reduce turnover. It’s a known fact that people are the most important asset in the organisation. The Forum for People Performance Management and Measurement also believes that staff rewards have a valid purpose in this process. The groups Leadership and the Performance of People in Organisations: Enriching Employees and Connecting People study pointed out that many companies are using their performance management processes to encourage employees to work towards personal goals such as training and skills development. Claiming that such an approach can result in improved financial performance as well as being beneficial to the individual, the research said: Reward systems need to be adapted to reflect a leadership approach that ultimately satisfies peoples basic needs for achievement, a feeling of control over ones life and a sense of belonging.   Identify at least 3 components of a total reward scheme: The total reward system is a multitude of tools that the employer has in its hand and may be used to attract, motivate and retain employees. From the employee point of view the total rewards represent everything that he/she perceives to be of value resulting from the employment relationship. The reward conce pt covers both financial and non-financial pay. The components of a total reward system are: Compensation – is a critical component of the reward system that includes: basic pay system (annual or monthly salary rate) and variable or incentive pay systems (sales commissions, appraisal/performance-related pay, skills-base pay, etc. ) Benefits – are used to supplement the cash compensation that the employees receive and are designed to protect the employees and the family from financial risks. These can be life insurance, medical insurance, dental, retirement plan, savings scheme, uniform, gym membership, company car, breaks, company holidays, extra annual days, personal days, etc. Work life in this category is included the followings: workplace flexibility, paid and unpaid time off, health and well-being, caring for dependents, financial support, community involvement, and management involvement/culture change intervention. Performance and recognition Performance is a key component of the organisational objectives and involves the alignment of organisational, team and individual effort towards the achievement of business goals and organisational success. The recognition acknowledges and gives special attention to employee’s action, efforts, behaviour or performance. Recognition programs acknowledge the employee contribution immediately after the task has been completed. This type of recognition award can be financial or non-financial (e. g. , verbal recognition, certificates, trophies, tickets, dinners, etc. ) Development and career opportunity – includes learning opportunities (e. g. on the job learning, tuition, seminars and conferences attendance, corporate universities, self-development tools and techniques, new technology training, etc. );coaching/mentoring(e. g.  , leadership training, formal and informal mentoring programs, association memberships, exposure to resident experts, etc. ) and advancement opportunities (e. g. , internal job openings, promotions, overseas assignments, internships, succession planning, career pathways, etc. ) 2 sources of data required by individual involved in performance and reward management processes: Gathering performance information from a variety of sources increases objectivity and ensures all f actors impacting performance are considered. This information should include objective data like sales reports, call records or deadline reports. Other valuable information includes: feedback from others, results of personal observation, documentation of on-going dialogue, records of any external or environmental factors impacting performance many reviews also include an employee self-evaluation. Other documents that help define performance objectives include: past performance appraisals, current departmental and organisational objectives and documented standards related to career goals. In order to gather feedback from other employees, organisations will often use a 360 ° feedback process. Along with the completion of a self-assessment, selected peers, assistants, and managers are asked to contribute feedback around pre-identified areas. The feedback is based upon specifically identified skills or competencies and the final results are compared against the employees self-assessment this type of feedback increases self-awareness and in some cases is used to support the performance evaluation process

Internal assessment for International bacculaureate Essay

Internal assessment for International bacculaureate - Essay Example Megginson, William L., Robert C. Nash, and Matthias Randenborgh. "The financial and operating performance of newly privatized firms: An international empirical analysis." The Journal of Finance 49.2 (2012): 403-452. Introduction General Introduction Organizations within the contemporary environment continue to struggle in order to survive and grow amidst the increased competition. The reductions in the barriers to entrants have been a major factor contributing to increased competition (Altman 591). Classical firms continue to have significant problems in respect to competition despite the fact that they may be commanding high market share. As a result, such firms need to establish an evaluation and analysis into its performance in order to ascertain whether they can continue to survive or grow within the contemporary business environment. Hafeera Contracting Company is one such organization that has existed since 1968. The following is an analysis of Hafeera’s financial and ov erall performance in a bid to establish its survival and growth within the contemporary business environment. ... has been involved in undertaking specific projects that correspond to government industry, housing, road works, building, sewage and drainage, heavy civil construction, and construction of water supply networks amongst others. Indeed, Hafeera Contracting Company has been involved in many activities, which provide further room for both survival and growth within the construction industry. Findings The main question that this assessment and analysis aim at answering is â€Å"Can Hafeera Group continues to survive based on the current performance status?† In order to find the answers to this question, the assessment and analysis employed the use of financial data (Altman 591). The following are some of the findings from the assessments and analyses of financial data for Hafeera Contracting Company. The findings are categorized into the current financial information as well as the comparison of past financial information (2007 to 2010). It is important to understand a firm on the basis of its past performance whilst comparing with the present for the purposes of forecasting into the future. Latest Financial Performance Table 1: Latest Financial Performance 31 December 2011 Total Income $ 3,984,950 Total Expenses $ 3,059,556 Net Profit for the year $ 925,394 Total Equity $ 3,310,348 The above table shows or indicates the latest financial performance of information of the client. These data are useful in understanding the current performance of the firm hence provides a room or an opportunity of forecasting and making inferences about the future (Chadwell-Hatfield 101). The financial information provided in Table 1 can be used to generate various financial ratios, which may provide an understanding of the status and performance of Hafeera Contracting Company thus enhance in

Team Development Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Team Development - Assignment Example ve communication in business depends on a feedback cycle, which encompasses listening to the message, speaking and confirming that whatever has been heard is what was intended to be passed across. Parties that get engaged in communication that is highly interactive often make use of the feedback cycle to reach decisions that are mutually beneficial (Yukl, 2010). When communication is carried out in the organization across different levels, the time frame, and type of the feedback cycle can influence the overall effectiveness of that organization. Leaders of a company who spend some time to pinpoint their most operational, organizational communication form often take lead in the most effective teams in the organization (Boynton & Fischer, 2005). In such manner, team players that acclimatize their styles of communication to align with those of their leaders usually achieve more than peers who have a disparity in modes of speaking and writing. Organizations that have been labeled to be the most effective usually manage to hit a balance between communication and action to prevent them from falling into a phenomenon known as ‘analysis paralysis.’ Communicator type of team players is basically process oriented. They are effective facilitators of conflict resolution, involvement, feedback, consensus building, and they are good listeners. They also help create an informal relaxed climate (Thompson, 2008). In many cases, communicators are â€Å"people person,† meaning he stands with the majority, and they sometimes see the process as the means to an end in itself. They avoid confronting other team members and may not even put a lot of emphasis on making advancement towards the objectives set by the team (Lencioni, 2002).. They are considerate, relaxed, supportive tactful and enthusiastic. Their positive attributes are that they have the voice of the majority. Because of their figure, they are better heard and listened to by people. They are also very enthusiastic

Extinction of Species Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Extinction of Species - Research Paper Example The recent times have shown alarming increase in the extinction rates and the speed at which the endangered species are falling victim to the human activities. Considering this, need is felt for creating awareness, and taking solid steps in this regard to promote eco friendly activities and protect the wild life for activities as such that endanger them directly. This paper aims at highlighting the sources of problem, their consequences, and the solutions finally. Polar bears: The polar bears are characteristic feature and species of North Pole. With ever rising temperatures and melting ice glaciers, these polar bears are directly exposed to it and included in the list of extinct species. An inter related process which includes the emission of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere by human activities namely the transportation means and industries which are increasing the global temperature and directly affecting the North Pole temperatures. The rapid destruction of ozone layer is another means of extinction of animals and birds. Some animals like polar bear need severe cold temperatures and piles of glacier to survive. With increase in temperatures the toll falls directly on the sensitive creatures. As the population grows, the mankind expands its grip on different lands and areas which were once thick forests and house of wild life. As a result of all this, the wild life is getting compromised and their resorts are getting minimal every growing day. The population growth means more demand for land and apparently more forest cutting. The population of the earth is rising at a staggering rate and has surpassed a seven billion digit quite easily. With population rise arises a natural demand for space and human population utilization. Hence a direct threat and sword at the forests. With increase in population means increase in the demands, increase in the resources exploration and naturally disturbances of the natural stratosphere for fulfilling

Financial and Human Resources Management - SEEN EXAMINATION Essay

Financial and Human Resources Management - SEEN EXAMINATION - Essay Example These documents seek to show the possible cost of successfully carrying out the construction project, if it is awarded. In contrast, tendering refers both to the refinement of conditions in order to arrive at the final and most rational price, and the, contractual terms that must be submitted to promoters or their representatives. The second phase (also referred to as bid adjudication), entails evaluation of the probable margins of error in established cost estimates, potential risks, as well as the likely financial impacts of completing the project. Decisions that are made by executive personnel in regard to bid adjudication are usually confirmed at a formal convention as Gray and Larson, (2003) notes. Such a formal meeting to make decisions in regard to bid adjudication occurs several days prior to placement of the final bid. This provides adequate time for clear assessment of bid credentials before actual tendering. The formal meeting also ensures that all the relevant information is taken into account before a contractor is chosen, thus avoiding selecting a contractor that cannot fully deliver on project requirements. The considerations made by managers include factors such as acute competition, uncertainty in cost estimates, inadequate or poor information regarding a particular project, and risks associated with production or project implementation. These aspects must be sufficiently analyzed, since, as Akintoye and Fitzgerald (2000, p. 164) suggest, â€Å"the most significant factors resulting in inaccurate estimates include insufficient time for tender preparation; poor tender documentation; insufficient analysis of the documentation by the estimating team and lack of review of cost estimates by company management.† Despite the wide assortment of challenges, executive personnel have to make appropriate adjudication decisions based on these factors. The aspects that influence management’s decisions during the crucial tendering process and ad judication in particular can be classified, according to Betts (1990, pp. 402-408), into three categories including job, market, and company related factors. The first class of job-related aspects, accounts for elements that are directly linked to the specific project or project type. Most of these factors are evaluated in the course of preparing bids and an analysis of these aspects is conveyed to relevant parties in the adjudication convention. Market-related decision making factors, account for the external influences, such as competition from other contractors. Analysis of aspects like external competition may enable the respective firm to formulate strategies that would aid in increasing competitive advantage. Finally, as Betts (1990, p. 403) states â€Å"company-related factors that influence decision making in the adjudication process, include: the business’ goals and objectives, as well as, its corporate policy on bidding.† Adjudicators, usually comprised of se nior directors or managers, are supposed, as Young, (2003), notes, to evaluate the aforementioned factors and related information, in reviewing project cost estimates and finalizing the price of the contract. As shown in the assessment above, there are numerous considerations in the tendering process. Therefore, decision makers must fully comprehend the stipulated objectives and goals of the process, in addition to estimated project costs, in order to ensure that tendering is fair and that it is aligned with the

Argument against Hiring and College-Admissions Quotas Essay

Argument against Hiring and College-Admissions Quotas - Essay Example This paper will present an argument against airing and college-admissions quotas. Additionally, it will show that using racial quotas in admitting students in colleges and either hiring or promoting employees in an organization is intuitive and substantial. A. To the government Quotas are simply numerical requirements commonly applied when hiring an employee in a company, promoting someone within an education or working center, and/or graduating members of a specific racial cluster to another level (Gildenhuys, 2004). In some cases, it is seeable that some people discriminate against others mainly due to their racial complexity. This aspect hampers growth and interaction from many angles. For example, one may fail to enter a certain college simply because he or she comes from a certain minority group. Such an act promotes racial discrimination, which is an issue that the whole universe has been fighting for many decades (Gildenhuys, 2004). In hiring, quotas are a very significant fac tor to consider since they provide a basis for selecting and thereafter hiring individuals from every social, racial, and/or economic background (Mwakikagile, 2006). Agreeably, some communities color pigmentation fails to accord them certain privileges. Some colleges and organizations do not hire, admit, or promote people of a certain color such as the blacks or Indians (Lindsay & Justiz, 2004). Some cases of racial discrimination show that there are colleges where students of Indian or black decency do not get admission whereas there are some companies that cannot hire or promote such people. People from these minority groups may possess special abilities or knowledge that...   Quotas are simply numerical requirements commonly applied when hiring an employee in a company, promoting someone within an education or working center, and/or graduating members of a specific racial cluster to another level (Gildenhuys, 2004). In some cases, it is seeable that some people discriminate against others mainly due to their racial complexity. This aspect hampers growth and interaction from many angles. For example, one may fail to enter a certain college simply because he or she comes from a certain minority group. Such an act promotes racial discrimination, which is an issue that the whole universe has been fighting for many decades (Gildenhuys, 2004). In hiring, quotas are a very significant factor to consider since they provide a basis for selecting and thereafter hiring individuals from every social, racial, and/or economic background (Mwakikagile, 2006). Agreeably, some communities color pigmentation fails to accord them certain privileges. Some colleges and org anizations do not hire, admit, or promote people of a certain color such as the blacks or Indians (Lindsay & Justiz, 2004). Some cases of racial discrimination show that there are colleges where students of Indian or black decency do not get admission whereas there are some companies that cannot hire or promote such people. People from these minority groups may possess special abilities or knowledge that they can offer and make their respective organizations gain more advantages over the others.  

Evaluate the proposition that the research findings from the use of Essay

Evaluate the proposition that the research findings from the use of animal models has led to new approaches to reduce the effects of ageing in wound healing - Essay Example This might help to identify the targets for novel and effective drug therapy. Normal wound healing is innate host immune response for tissue regeneration and repair involving coagulation, inflammation, epithelialization, formation of granulation tissue and tissue remodeling (Ashcroft et al. 2002). In response to injury stages of wound healing are depicted in figure 1 (Gosain and DiPietro 2004). The number of polypeptide growth factors and cytokines like epidermal growth factor (EGF), basic fibroblast growth factor (ÃŽ ²-FGF), platelet derived growth factor (PDGF) A & B isoforms, the transforming growth factor (TGF-ÃŽ ²), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) plays an important role in wound healing process. It is demonstrated that delayed wound healing in both elderly animal and human individuals is due to decreased inflammatory and proliferative responses, delayed angiogenesis, delayed remodeling and slower reepithelialization (Strigini and Ryan, 1996). Morphology of skin changes with aging process. It involves flattening of the dermo-epidermal junction, disorganized microcirculation, decrease in number of cells as well as dermal cell constituents like fibroblasts, mast cells, macrophages. Also, the morphology, properties and quantity of dermal extracellular matrix content such as collagen, elastin, glucosaminoglycans changes with aging. These variations lead to delayed cellular proliferation, migration, modified binding of growth factor to matrix, alteration in adhesion molecule synthesis and changes in molecular signaling (Ashcroft et al. 2002). These changes affect functional cell response to all the stimuli. The age-related changes in the individual phases of healing are summarize d in Table 1 (Goain and DiPietro 2004). The animal models which are used to study the impact of aging on wound healing are not suitably characterized. Therefore the reported evidences itself are contradictory (Ashcroft et al., 1995). Only well

Describe your background in business and accounting, achieved through Personal Statement - 1

Describe your background in business and accounting, achieved through either academic or professional experiences - Personal Statement Example Carey School of Business. I have always believed that it is practical application which will add completeness to the theoretical skills gained in the classroom. In line with this conviction, I chose to spend last summer working as an assistant for a small accounting firm. I was instrumental in preparing financial reports and balance sheets. Those two months of hands-on exposure to real-time accounting has given me a glimpse into the authentic world of Business and has reinforced my belief that Accountancy is my right career choice. As my father is an entrepreneur and international businessman in China, a business background has always been a part of my life. My father has made me his confidant and I am familiar with many of the practical aspects and difficulties of international business. However, I am convinced that a solid academic foundation is the best route to success in any field. I believe that the MACC Program will serve as my stepping stone to success and equip me with the skills I need to become a formidable player in the business

Business Law Essay Example for Free

Business Law Essay â€Å"We have completed this assignment on our own and have not discussed it with any other individual or used any other unauthorized aids. We acknowledge compliance with the academic requirements (e.g. citation of sources) of the University of Toronto.† Legal Issue #1 Who should be responsible for the men with the broken wrist? Background: On the final night of the haunt, there were two young men who ignored the sign that said danger, upper balcony unsafe this is NOT part of the tour and went upstairs to use the bathroom. Due to that fact that the renovation was not done, thus, plumbing was not fully attached As a result, after they flushed the toilet, it turned out to have a huge water spill and caused one of them to fall and break the wrist. Legal issues: If the young man wants to sue whoever is responsible for this tragedy, he must claim that the occupier of that theatre was negligence; otherwise, he won’t get any compensation for the injury Special Negligence – occupier’s liability The occupier’s liability Act under [RSBC 1996] CHAPTER 337 states that someone considered being occupier if one of the following requirements is met: 1. Someone is in physical possession of the premises. 2. Someone is responsible for and has control over the condition of the premises. 3. Someone is responsible for and has control over the activities carried on at those premises. 4. Someone who has control over who is allowed to enter those premises. 5. Also, tenants and owners are both occupiers. In this situation, we have three different parties who consider being the occupier. 1. Leanne’s parents: As we know, Leanne’s parents are the legal owner of that theatre, consequently, they absolutely could be counted as one of the occupier, now, let’s examine if they were negligence at that time. (1) Duty of care: No matter what, as long as the invitees, licensees, trespassers are in the premises of the occupier; the duty of care automatically falls on the shoulder of the occupier. In this case, the question is: were Leanne’s parents careful enough to make sure the people in their premises were safe? Due to the fact that by the time the accident happened, her parents had already rent the whole theatre to Leanne by a proper contract, even though the renovation of that theatre wasn’t completed yet. Since the age of Leanne is not given, we could not tell if Leanne is over 18 or not. If Leanne is below the age of 18, According to the law, persons under the â€Å"age of majority†: 18 in Ontario (19 in B.C.) – at time contract made she would consider being a minor, and the law says that a minor usually cannot make a rational decision therefore treated as legal incapacity. In this case, the parents should be responsible for making their daughter the person who has control over the place. On the other hand, if Leanne is above 18, due to the fact that her parents have not warned about the possible hazards that the theatre could have to the visitors, they are still responsible for not fulfilling the duty of care. (2) Standard of care: As we know that the man with broken wrist was a trespasser who is not permitted before entering that premise (upstairs). The unfinished plumbing was not deliberately set up to harm any of the people at the theatre. Therefore, her parents have met the standard of care. (3) Physical causation: the unfinished plumbing was not the direct causation of that harm; nevertheless, it was the cause to make the water spilled and indirectly harm the young man. (4) Foreseeable harm: In this case, the harm is a bodily injury. Before this haunt, the theatre was in renovation, after Leanne proposed the haunted theatre plan; her parents accepted it and stopped the renovation instead. It is reasonable for her parents to notice that there should be some potential dangers in the theatre, however, they were just amazed by the idea and forgot about the foreseeable harms that could bring to the visitors. 3-step analysis: (1) Contributory negligence: Since there is a sign to warn the people that upstairs balcony is dangerous, even though they went to the bathroom instead of the balcony, they were still acting careless in a way that they ignored the sign. Plus, the reason for one of them to fall is because of the fact that they flushed the toilet with a unfinished plumbing, causing the water to spill, and made the floor wet, as a result, the man slipped and broke the wrist. Therefore, these two young man should share the liability for this accident. (2) Other defendant: Other defendants might be Leanne and also the contractor that is responsible for the renovation. (3) Vicarious liability: There is also no vicarious liability for this case. 2. Leanne: As a tenant who rent her parents theatre for one week, also the one that is responsible for and has control over the activities carried on at those premises, she is also consider being the occupier. For Leanne’s case, if she is below 18, then the contract between her and her parents are invalid, then she could not be sued. Otherwise she should be going through the following 4+3 negligence analysis as same as her parents. 4-Step Analysis: (1) Duty of care: As I have mentioned before, since the accident happened in haunted theatre was during the time Leanne rented from her parents, plus the activity on that night was under Leanne’s control, so that she automatically had the duty to make sure everyone is safe no matter the person is invitee, or trespasser. In fact, there were just so many visitors while there wasn’t enough staff to take care of the place, even though she had put a sign to warn the visitors not to go upstairs, but, there is still a possibility that somebody would ignore it and go ahead. On the other hand, the man’s wrist was broke right at the time when he fell, according to the relevant time says by the law, it again assures that the responsibilities would fall on Leanne. (2) Standard of care: As we know, after the contractor told Leanne about the plumbing problems she had set up a sign to warn the visitors to stop going forward. Normally if someone sees a sign tells them not to go forward, people would follow, however, during that evening the situation is slightly different. We know that it is a haunted theatre event during Halloween week; consequently the visitors on that evening are most likely to seek challenges and excitements. Therefore, it is reasonable for some risk loving people who would deliberately ignore the sign and go upstairs to seek for more fun. As the planner and the manager of the event, she should have studied the behavior of the potential customers in order to guarantee a better performance and strategies to control the whole activity. Nonetheless, the two young men were considered to be trespasser in this case due to the fact that the haunted event didn’t invite anyone to go upstairs. As a result, the duty owed to trespasser was extremely limited, according to the Common Law Status Approach, as long as the occupier of that particular premises didn’t mean to set up the hazard to trap the plaintiff, then, the standard of care will be satisfied by the occupier. (3) Physical causation: In this case, the wrist of the young man was broken in an indirect way. The plumbing of the toilet had some problems, after the young man flushed the toilet, it caused the water spilled out and the floor became wet. Finally, the young man slipped and broke his wrist. As we can see during the whole process, Leanne had done nothing directly or indirectly to cause the harm of the young man. However, it is the reckless conduct of the young man himself to cause the accident. (4) Foreseeable harm: As I have mentioned, before the haunted theatre, the theatre was in renovation. After Leanne proposed the idea of stopping the renovation for one week and opened the theatre for Halloween event, and the danger can clearly be foreseen. Even though the actual hazard didn’t harm the visitor directly, but it still created a dangerous situation for the two young men. 3-step analysis: (1) Contributory negligence: As I have analyzed in Leanne’s parents 3-step analysis, the plaintiff himself as a trespasser, ignored the sign to warn the dangerous situation of upstairs, and used the upstairs toilet which has a plumbing problem, as a result to make the water spilled on the ground and made the young man fell. Thereby, the young man had contributed to the accident, and should be sharing the responsibilities with whoever is negligence in this accident (2) Other defendants: Other than Leanne’s parents and Leanne herself, the contractor may also be responsible for this accident which I will be examined later. (3) Vicarious liability: There is no Vicarious liability in this case, since the actual harm brought to the young man was mainly caused by himself, therefore we couldn’t claimed that somebody hurt him while doing his/her job. 3. Contractor: The contractor is the one who is responsible for the renovation, naturally the condition of the whole theatre is somehow related to him and he should be responsible for that. As the occupier’s liability Act says that anyone that is responsible for and has control over the condition of the premises is considered as occupier. Due to the fact that the young man was hurt under the premises that was renovated by the contractor, he should consider being one of the potential defendant. 4-Step Analysis: (1) Duty of Care: As we know the contractor is one of the occupiers, therefore, he automatically has the duty to make sure the people are safe, no matter the people are invitees, licensees, or trespassers. (2) Standard of Care: As we know, before Leanne started her haunted theatre plan, the contractor had informed Leanne about the unfinished plumbing and the potential harm that could bring to the visitors. We could clearly tell that as an occupier, he did not try to harm the trespasser (Two young men) intentionally. Meanwhile, he actually tried to protect the visitors from being hurt. (3) Physical causation: As far as we know, even though the contractor is considered being an occupier, but, he didn’t have any control over the place at that particular day, moreover, he is not there by the time the accident happened. On the other hand, due to the fact that he didn’t finish the renovation and caused the plumbing problem and it lead to the water spill which ended up made the man fell down, this whole series of events are just too â€Å"remote†. In conclusion, there is not physical causation of this contractor to make the wounded man the way he is. (4) Foreseeable harm: As we concluded that the accident is just too â€Å"remote† from the contractor, therefore, there is no foreseeable harm caused by the contractor. 3-Step Analysis: (1) Contributory Negligence: As we have proven previously, the young man got into the premises where he was not invited to, thus, he considered being a trespasser. That is the reason for him to share the obligations of this accident. (2) Other defendants: There is no other defendant other than Leanne, Leanne’s parents, and the contractor. (3) Vicarious liability: There is no vicarious liability in this case. Legal Issue #2 Would two of her friends sue Leanne for breach of contract? Background: Leanne recruited two friends and offered them 20% of the net profit or a set amount of $500. Both of them indicated that they were sure 20% of the net profit would be work out to be more. After the operation of business, Leanne gave them each 20% of the net profit ($400) but those two friends asserted that the contract was for 20% of the net profit or $500 and they definitely would choose $500. Two of her friends would probably sue Leanne for breach of contract if Leanne paid them each only 20% of the net profit instead of $500. Let’s consider is there a contract between Leanne and two of her friends: Contract Requirements: â€Å"O+A+C+I† Offer: Leanne (offeror) offered verbally that she would give two of her friends (Offerees) 20% of the net profit or a set amount of $500. Acceptance: Two of her friends (Offeree) accepted offer by saying â€Å"20% would work out to be more† and also by conduct that they started to work next day. In addition, they did not change any terms in the offer so that no counter-offer had been made. Consideration: Leanne (Offeror) would pay money to two of her friends (Offerees) while the offerees would work for Leanne. There is no gratuitous promise between them. Intention: Leanne had a need to recruit the workforce while two of her friends were passionate to work for Leanne, both of the parties showed their serious intention Hence, there was a contract existed between Leanne and two of her friends. Two of Leanne’s friends were able to sue Leanne for brea ch of contract. This contract could be viewed as either a unilateral contract or a bilateral contract. Reasons for a unilateral contract Two of her friends (Offerees) could accept simply by doing what offer required. They needed to work for Leanne and in return they would get money reward. Issue – Did Offerees have the right to claim an option at any time? The key term â€Å"20% of the net profit or a set amount of $500† would be the main argument for both parties in the court. Two of Leanne’s friends would insist that they had the right to choose an option at any time because Leanne had not made a deadline. Undoubtedly, there are different understandings of meaning in regard to this specific contract term. Both parties agreed on contract wording but the term meant different to them. In the eyes of two of her friends, the contract offered them two options that they could choose after they acknowledge the exact amount of the 20% of the net profit. With no doubt that they would go for the option which had higher amount of money. From Leanne’s perspective, she offered them those two options before they started to work. Leanne believed two of her friends accepted the term†20% of the net profit† by the fact that they said that 20% would work out better. In this situation, the court would apply the most â€Å"reasonable† interpretation to the key term: It was unreasonable that two of Leanne’s friends had the right to choose after they realize which option would be higher. Leanne’s offer would be meaningless if two of her friends could do so. The intention of offering an option of 20% of the net profit was to motivate two of her friends. The most reasonable interpretation would be that two of her friends only had the right to choose an option before they started to work, as a step to accept the Leanne’s offer. Therefore, their wording â€Å"20% would work out to be more† would be considered as approving this term only and accepted Leanne’s offer. Reasons for a bilateral contract This was a bilateral contract because offerees needed to trade promises with the offeror. The offerees’ wording â€Å"20% of the net profit would work out to be more† was strong evidence that they accepted this specific term so that they gave this promise to offeror they would work and in return they would get 20% of the net profit. Issue – was there breach of contract? As a matter of fact Leanne gave two offers to two of her friends, one offer with the key term â€Å"a set amount of $500† and another offer with the key term â€Å"20% of the net sale†. As two of her friends chose the second option, they rejected the first offer and accepted the second offer. In this case, two of her friends would not be able to sue Leanne because there was no breach of contract and the court would surely favor Leanne because she did not violate any terms on the contract. As a result, two of Leanne’s friends would not succeed in the lawsuit. In the future, Leanne should be more careful when she makes the contract. She has to list all key terms in details and elaborate on all those terms so that the offoerees would not have a different understanding on those terms. Legal issue #3 – Would the film maker sue Leanne for breach of contract? Background: The independent film maker would like to film in the haunted house and asked Leanne for the offer. Leanne asked for $500 and told the film maker that he could film any night that he liked. The film maker said he needed time to consider the offer. Afterwards, the film maker got very upset when he came to the theatre on Nov 5 and consequently realized that the haunted house was not in operation anymore and the renovation had resumed. Let’s consider is there a contract between Leanne and the film maker: Contract Requirements: â€Å"O+A+C+I† Offer: Leanne (offeror) offered the film maker (Offeree) that he could film on any night he liked and the price would be $500 Acceptance: After Leanne had offered to the film maker, the film maker said he would have to think about it so there was no acceptance at this point. But later the film maker came to the theatre to film on Nov 5 could be considered as an acceptance by conduct. Consideration: Leanne (Offeror) would provide the film maker (Offerees) a place to film while the film maker would pay Leanne $500. Intention: The film maker had a strong desire to film and Leanne was willing to provide the place Hence, there might be a contract or no contract existed between Leanne and the film maker, depends on whether or not there was acceptance and when the offer lapsed. Issue – when the offer lapsed? There was no specific time in the offer that required the offeree to accept. Thus the court would consider a â€Å"reasonable time†. The â€Å"reasonable† time was usually 1 month. Nonetheless, this â€Å"reasonable† time was difficult to tell in this situation. Leanne would consider the offer goes expire after Halloween, because the operation of the haunted house was a seasonal event and it was reasonable to presume that there would be no more people coming after Halloween. Leanne would likely shut down the haunted house after Halloween. From the film maker’s view, the â€Å"reasonable† time would probably be one month because this was usually a standard. It was reasonable for him to believe that the haunted house would continue to operate because he did not know Leanne only ran this event for one week. Thus, the â€Å"reasonable† time was hard to assess. If the court considered the â€Å"reasonable† time was before Halloween, then Leanne would be free from any legal liabilities. If the court insisted the â€Å"reasonable† time was within one month, then Leanne would be sued for breach of contract since she could not fulfill her promise. Leanne had to revoke the contract immediately before she stopped operating the haunted house to avoid any legal duties.

Advertisement Is a Legalised Form of Lying Essay Example for Free

Advertisement Is a Legalised Form of Lying Essay Necessity is the mother of invention is an oft-quoted saying. But now-a-days the reverse of it is more true. In modern business, invention is mother of necessityIn this age of machinery, newthings are produced everyday. Market is created for these things through advertisementBusinessmen advertise their goods in various ways and thus spread a knowledge of their goodsamong the customers. It is through advertisement that people begin to feel a need for even those goods of whichthey had never heard before. Advertisement creates demand. it is the backbone of commerce and Industry. No business can stay in the business world without advertisement. A successful businessman is one who snatches away money from even the most miserly and reluctant customer. Thus, the business world rotates on the pivot of advertisement. As the world is progressing, so the means of advertisement are also increasing. We allknow that big posters are pasted on the walls, and handbills are distributed to advance the sale of goods. Walls are painted and big signboards are displayed on crossings and prominent places toserve this purpose. In a cinema hall, first of all we see the advertisement slides. A major part of thedaily newspapers is full of advertisement. Situations Vacant, Tender Notice, Educational, Lostand Found, Matrimonial, cinema advertisements, and advertisements of so many other commodities are regular features of all newspapers. Radio and Television also are being used asmeans of commercial advertisement. A good advertisement must have certain qualities. First, it should be based on human- psychology. A thing meant for ladies, should be advertised in such a way that they are attractedtowards it. If men are to be customers, then it should appeal to their tastes. Goods for differentincome groups should be advertised, taking into consideration their purchasing power. A motor car is a thing for the rich. Its advertisement must be touch the mentality of the rich. Usha SewingMachine should be advertised in such a way that the family man, with ordinary income, may feelthe economic advantages of the investment of his money on it. Secondly, advertisements should be attractive. This is very essential. People look towardsan advertisement only if it is eye-catching. Good, interesting pictures are very effective form this point of view. We all know about Sanforised cloth. The advertisements to show that quality of the cloth display a man wearing a suit of non-sanforized cloth. He appears funny and uncomfortable ashis suit has gone out of fit by washing. Another man is shown wearing a suit of Sanforised cloth. How smart and active he appears. We immediately learn that Sanforised cloth is best because itdoes not shrink. So a good advertisement must be interesting, attractive and eye-catching. But proper sanctity must be maintained and unnecessary exposure must be avoided. It must also befrequently repeated, otherwise people forget all about the goods advertised. do not like to waste their time on things which do not concern them. So to be successful,advertisement must be brief. Long descriptive stories or certificates of praise about certain thing donot make good advertisement. This is an important point in advertising and a good advertiser mustkeep it in mind. Advertisements are not concerned with the good or bad quality of goods. Even the mostinjurious goods are advertised these days. Advertisements of undesirable drugs and medicines andindecent literature, so common. They simply cheat the public. So we should be careful while purchasing an advertised article. We should use our own mind, instead of blindly following theadvice of the advertisement. In our country, the art of advertising is in its infancy. in progressive countries, likeAmerica, big business concerns have specialists and experts for this purpose. They spend hugeamounts of money on advertisement. But it is not so in our country. Some businessmen consider their products to be very superior. They think advertisement unnecessary. This is undesirable. Toget success in business every big or small business-concern must make effective us of art of advertising goods. To run a business without its aid is not possible in the modern age. â€Å"the advertisement for the body-spray, Impulse. The whole idea of a man absorbed in hisdaily routine being suddenly roused out of it by a whiff of Impulse and then going through a seriesof impulsive actions to compliment the lady wearing it, is romantic and endearing to most women. This combined with the light, tinkling piano accompaniment and soft-focus filming makes theadvertisement an attractive one. Then we have the newspaper and magazine advertisements, invibrant color, interesting graphics and witty slogans. Take a look at most cosmetic advertisementslike Maybelline or Cover girl, where the page is attractively splashed with the newest colors themanufacturer has come up with a pretty, lively girl caught in mid-laughter. Therefore, advertisements today are generally interesting due to the visual and sound effects made possible yadvanced technology in the various mediums of print, sound and film, and a little imagination,especially when rival companies try their best to attract consumers and so try to advertise better. Are they useless? Not necessarily. In many ways advertisements help to keep the cost of most publications low so that we can afford them quite easily. This applies in the case of our dailynewspaper â€Å"The Straits Times†, the Sunday â€Å"Asia Magazine†, the popular â€Å"Readers Digest† andespecially the publication we are all familiar with, our respective school magazines. Theadvertisers pay to advertise and this payment subsidizes publishing cost so that we pay less thanwhat we might otherwise have to pay. Advertisements also help to ease our boredom sometimes. How many times have people been roused out of a bored stupor once they see an interestingadvertisement on a billboard or bus or when lazily flicking through a magazine? Also,advertisements either interesting or otherwise, especially of otherwise, do promote conversationamong friends when they discuss them, how an advertisement is so silly, or another is unusual andimaginative and yet another is introducing an interesting and attractive product which might beworth buying. This then brings us to the last point. Are advertisements misleading? One of their uses is that they inform us as to what is available on the market, but is this informationwholly true? Their main function is to attract buyers so naturally, only certain details regarding a product are highlighted while others are not provided at all. We are made to believe that a productis long-lasting, worthwhile, multi-purpose and bound to give us that happiness we cannot findelsewhere. Perfume advertisements promise to bring the opposite sex falling at one’s feet,dictionary and encyclopedia advertisements promise to give us all the wisdom and knowledge inthe world, cosmetic advertisement for â€Å"Ponderosa Steak Salad Restaurant† promises juicy andtender steak and delicious salad. I have eaten there and found the steak to be of very low quality,for a very high price, but the salad was everything the advertisement led me to believe. conclusion:So in conclusion, I would say that modernAdvertisements are boring, unless and oftenmisleading. †

The Issue Of Bilingualism With Psycholinguists

The Issue Of Bilingualism With Psycholinguists Bilingualism is a controversial issue that psycholinguists vary in the way they define it due to its multidimensional aspects. It should be carefully viewed with great consideration to certain variables appearing in the coming definitions. Auer (1995), states that bilingualism can be referred to the linguistic competences in more than one language. This bilingual competence can be accessible via the analysis of well-formed sentences involving two languages which may be treated as a window on the bilingual mind (Auer, 1995, p.115). Clearly, psycholinguists deem bilingualism as hidden competence in bilinguals minds, and it can be revealed as bilinguals produce utterances. Conversely, Saunders (1988) declares that bilingualism has different associations in peoples minds. Some people assume that bilingualism is native-like control of two languages which is later on called true bilingualism (p,7). However, bilinguals who have no native speakers competence in both languages reject this def inition utterly. Some linguists stress that this definition is restrictively limited to bilingual individuals who master their two languages completely. Dual monolingual is also a term used to refer to bilinguals mastering two languages as if they were native speaker monolinguals in both languages. However, Saunder (1988) argues that many bilinguals comprehend a foreign language without being able to speak it fluently. Therefore, linguists define bilingualism as the ability to speak two languages at any level of competency. After all these various arguments regarding bilingualisms nature, it is clear that bilingual individuals have different degrees of competence in the second language. Saunder (1988). Colin Baker Sylvia Prys Jones (1998). Encyclopedia of Bilingualism and Bilingual Education. UK: Multilingual Matters Ltd. (in the library). *Definition of bilingualism: According to Baker Jones (1998), when asked about bilingualism, most people believe that they know the answers of the following questions, what is bilingualism? How can a bilingual be defined? They would say that a bilingual person is the one who speaks two languages. However, defining bilingualism and bilinguals is more difficult than what the people think. Bilingualism involves a number of dimensions. There are five main issues that show the difficulty to define bilingualism very concisely. Also, they show that there might be degrees of bilingualism which vary in the same person over time. There is distinction between ability in language and use of language. They are two separate things. For example, a bilingual person has the ability to speak two languages very fluently, but he or she uses and practices only one of the two languages regardless whether it is the native language or the second language. Another bilingual person has the ability to speak two languages but he or she has some problems in speaking one of the two languages regardless whether it is the native language or the second language, but this person uses and practices both languages regularly. This distinction can be referred to the degree of difference between proficiency or competence of language (ability) and function of that language (use). Proficiency may vary in a language. For example, the abilities of a bilingual person will vary in using a language among the four skills of that language (speaking, listening, reading, and writing), where that person might be very good in speaking A language but when it comes to writing, the person will use B language to write or read, because his or her ability of writing in A language is weak or low. Another bilingual person might have good abilities (proficiency) in speaking and writing of a language, but he or she cannot use and practice (speak or write) that language, so he or she tends to use another language. This is called receptive competence. Few bilingual people are equally proficient in both languages, but one language tends to be stronger and better developed than the other language. It is called the dominant language and it is not necessarily to be the first or native language. Few bilinguals possess the same competence as monolinguals in either of their languages. This is because bilinguals use their languages for different functions and purposes. A bilinguals competence in a language may vary over time and according to changing circumstances. For example, a child starts to learn a minor language at home or in the childhood. As time goes, he or she learns another language in the school or community and he or she will gradually will lose the minor language, because it is out of use and that person became away from the childhood; the situation where the minor language is used. Leonard Bloomfield (1933). Language. UK: GEORGE ALLEN UNWIN LTD. In the extreme case of foreign language learning, the speaker becomes so proficient as to be indistinguishable from the native speakers round him. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦In this case where this perfect foreign language learning is not accompanied by loss of the native language, it results in bilingualism, (the) native-like control of two languages. (P. 55-56). Romaine, S (1995). Bilingualism (2nd ed.). UK: Blackwell Publishers. Proficiency and function are the factors which are related to the terms of categories, scales and dichotomies in defining and describing bilingualism. In one side of the issue of the definition of bilingualism, there would be a definition like Bloomfields definition (1933 p, 55-56) In the extreme case of foreign language learning, the speaker becomes so proficient as to be indistinguishable from the native speakers round him. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦In this case where this perfect foreign language learning is not accompanied by loss of the native language, it results in bilingualism, (the) native-like control of two languages. This definition identifies native like control of two languages as being the norm for bilingualism. In the other side, Haugen (1953 p, 7) shows that when a person of any language can produce complete meaningful sentences in another language, he or she would be a bilingual. According to Mackey (1967 p, 555), there are four aspects should be taken into account when defining and describing bilingualism. They are overlapped to each other and cannot be treated separately. These aspects are degree, function, alteration, and interference. The degree of bilingualism indicates the proficiency and competence of language, which is the extent to which the bilingual knows each of the languages. The part of function focuses on the use and practice a bilingual has for the languages. How much each language is used and practiced by the bilingual? Alteration concentrates on the extent to which the bilingual switches between the languages (code switching). And interference is the degree to which a bilingual manages to keep the two languages separate or fused. The four questions are overlapped to each other and they cannot be treated separately. For example, a bilinguals knowledge of a language will to some extent specify the functions to which it is put; and the vice ver sa. The contexts in which bilinguals have the opportunity to use language will affect their competence in it. Josiane, F. Hamers Michel H. Blanc. (2000). Bilinguality and Bilingualism (2nd edition). UK: Cambridge University Press. Hamers Blanc (2000) mention a number of definitions of bilingualism, but they are not satisfied with any one of them because they are one sided as they assume. Moreover, they highlight unidimensionality as being one weakness of bilingualism because when defining it, only one dimension would be taken account, ignoring other sides of bilingualism. For example, a definition of bilingualism may concerns competence, without the other significant dimensions. ( p, 3 23). Hoffmann (1991) mentions the same previous point in the way that the most remarkable and significant feature of bilingualism is the multi-faceted phenomenon of it which is expected to be the point of difficulty when defining bilingualism from one dimension. At first sight, the concept of bilingualism seems to be non-problematical and easy to be defined. However, when moving deep down on the many variant definitions of bilingualism, one can recognise how difficult it is to define a bilingual. According to Websters dictionary (1961), bilingual is defined as having or using two languages especially as spoken with the fluency characteristic of a native speaker; a person using two languages especially habitually and with control like that of a native speaker and bilingualism as the constant oral use of two languages. Many people view bilingualism as the ability of speaking two languages perfectly; like native speakers. This approach comes in one side of bilingualism and it is related to Leonard Bloomfield (1953: 56) who defines bilingualism as the native like control of two languages which concentrates on the dimension of proficiency in language. In contrast, on the other most different side there is a definition of Macnamara (1967a) who defines a bilingual as an individual who acquire a minimal competence in only one of the four skills in a language other than the mother tongue. Between these most two distinctive definitions, there is a collection of other definitions of bilingualism, for example, Titone (1972) defines bilingualism as the individuals capacity to speak a second language while following the concepts and structures of that language rather than paraphrasing his or her mother tongue. The previous three distinctive definitions show the degree of difficulty in providing a concise definition of a bilingual and bilingualism, because those three definitions themselves lack specifity and clarity in the main points on them like native-like competence, minimal proficiency in a second language, and following the concept of structures of the second language. (p, 6-7). Hoffmann, C. (1991). An Introduction to Bilingualism. UK: Longman. An oft-quoted definition is found in one of the early books on modern linguistics, Leonard Bloomfields Language, first published in the USA in 1933. Bloomfield pays special attention to users who become so proficient in the new language that they cannot be distinguished from the native speakers and he considers these users are bilinguals. He relates bilingualism to those individuals who speak a second language with high native level of proficiency. According to Hoffmann (1991), Bloomfield has a clear notion of bilingualism, but there is some contradiction on his definition of bilingualism. For example, if a degree of perfection cannot be defined in bilingualism, so how could Bloomfield talk of perfect foreign language learning? Bloomfield To be removed Opposite of Bloomfield General To begin with

Cloning and Mind Zombies :: Cloning Argumentative Persuasive Argument

Cloning and Mind Zombies Cloning, is it the thing of the future? Or is it a start of a new generation? To some, cloning could give back a life. A life of fun, happiness, and freedom. For others it could mean destruction, evil, or power. Throughout this paper, you the reader, should get a better concept of cloning, it's ethics, the pro's and con's, and the concerns it has brought up. You will hear the good of what cloning can do and the bad that comes with the good. Most of the information you will read about in this paper is what might become of the future. Even though the cloning of humans can not be accomplished. When it is the possibilities are endless. What is cloning? How did it get started? Well, it is like this. A clone is a genetic copy or a replica of an living organism. But, when you gear cloning doesn't a Si-Fi movie come to mind. Like when they take a nucleus, place it in a egg, put the egg in a incubator, and when it hatches it's an exact replica of the original being (Lawren). Though this has been done with frogs it has not yet been accomplished with mammals (Lawren). Another way to make a clone, as they do in the cattle buisness, is to split the cells of a early multi-celled embryo which will form two new embryos (Lawren). For it to get started into practice it took more than fifty years of questioning and testing. The first successful cloning experiment involved a leopard frog. It took place in, 1952 with group of scientist from the Institute for Cancer Research in Philadelphia (Lawren). To clone the frog they used an embryonic frog cell nucleus(Margery). 1962, John Gurdon of Cambridge University cloned a toad that survive threw adulthood and was able to reproduce. He was also the first to take a nucleus from a fully contrast tadpole intestinal cell and cloned toads(Robertson). As you can see we are getting close to the cloning of humans. 1981, Steen Willadsen was the first to clone a artificial chimera. He did this by mixing a sheep and a goat getting the result of a "geep" (Lawren). It had the body shape and the head of a goat, and a dappled coat which had large patches of sheep's wool. 1984, Willadsen cloned the first verifiable mammal, using embryonic nuclei transplant into an unfertilized sheep egg. Also in, 1986, when he worked for Texas bioengineering company (Lawren). By using the embryonic nuclei, he produces the first cloned calves from cattle.

Jean De Meun :: Essays Papers

Jean De Meun Jean de Meun, a French poet, was born in 1240 in Meung-sur-Loire and died in Paris around 1305. Some sources state that the name Clopinel comes from the fact that he was lame while others claim that it was his last name. Jean was a member of the bourgeois class, educated at the University of Paris, a Christian, and an admirer of Latin authors such as Cicero. He had knowledge of several languages and this is noted by the fact that he translated "The Consolation of Philosophy" into medieval French. Other than these facts, little is known about his life. His works were satirical and allegorical and influenced later authors such as Geoffrey Chaucer. Jean is most famously known for his work on the allegorical, 21,750-line poem, "The Roman de la Rose" ("Romance of the Rose"). This poem was started by Guillaume de Lorris in 1225 and completed by Jean de Meun four decades later. Lorris wrote roughly four thousand verses before his death and Jean added some 18,000 lines afterwards . This poem is considered to be the most important work to come from Old French literary tradition and it enjoyed a considerable amount of success among medieval scholars, with over two hundred manuscripts made of it at that time. However, scholars today have a hard time understanding the true meaning of the poem. "The Romance of the Rose" was translated into Italian, Dutch, and English by the late fourteenth century, a marvel for a literary work of that time period. Jean strove to convey to the nobility ideas of courtly love and other medieval ideas and as a result, his work converted the poem into a medium to communicate topics and ideas that would captivate his readers. The text contains topics ranging from classical heroes and theories on astronomy, to the importance of the middle class and problems such as greed. Some of these topics created controversy, but nonetheless held the reader's interest. In the poem, Jean tries to dissuade the lover, but the god of Love later reproaches the lover or lending an ear to Reason. In the course of the lover's turmoil he has occasion to reflect, among other things, that possessions are burdens, that charity and justice are by no means equal, that power and virtue never go together, and that, even in destroying, Nature carries on her struggle against death.

Escaping the Chains of Slavery Essay -- Slavery Essays

In the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave Written by Himself, Douglass writes about his life in slavery. Douglass portrays how he overcame being separated from his mother, of witnessing a slave being whipped for the first time and enduring his servitude for multiple masters. However, his major triumphs in life were moving to Baltimore, overcoming illiteracy and gaining his freedom. Douglass was between the age of seven or eight when he was sent to live in Baltimore, a move that would forever change his life. He was introduced to a different way of living for a slave. For example, on the plantation slaves were subject to merciless beatings, hunger, and cold. Clothing was provided, but if slaves did not sustain them throughout the year, they were forced to walk around half-naked. However, in Baltimore slaves were permitted to walk in the street as free men and women; they were properly dressed and well fed. Furthermore, it was considered an embarrassment to the slaveholder if their neighbors noticed they were not feeding their slaves adequately. Baltimore was of great importance since this is where he was sent to live with his new mistress, who forever changed his life. At the beginning of his stay in Baltimore, his new mistress, Sophia Auld teaches Douglass his A, B, C's. However, when her husband find out what was going on, he put a stop to it. Mr. Auld said, "If you teach that nigger how to read, there would be no keeping him. It w...

Foundation and Empire 5. The War Begins

From the radiating point of Siwenna, the forces of the Empire reached out cautiously into the black unknown of the Periphery. Giant ships passed the vast distances that separated the vagrant stars at the Galaxy's rim, and felt their way around the outermost edge of Foundation influence. Worlds isolated in their new barbarism of two centuries felt the sensation once again of Imperial overlords upon their soil. Allegiance was sworn in the face of the massive artillery covering capital cities. Garrisons were left; garrisons of men in Imperial uniform with the Spaceship-and-Sun insignia upon their shoulders. The old men took notice and remembered once again the forgotten tales of their grandfathers' fathers of the times when the universe was big, and rich, and peaceful and that same Spaceship-and-Sun ruled all. Then the great ships passed on to weave their line of forward bases further around the Foundation. And as each world was knotted into its proper place in the fabric, the report went back to Bel Riose at the General Headquarters he had established on the rocky barrenness of a wandering sunless planet. Now Riose relaxed and smiled grimly at Ducem Barr. â€Å"Well, what do you think, patrician?† â€Å"I? Of what value are my thoughts? I am not a military man.† He took in with one wearily distasteful glance the crowded disorder of the rock-bound room which had been carved out of the wall of a cavern of artificial air, light, and heat which marked the single bubble of life in the vastness of a bleak world. â€Å"For the help I could give you,† he muttered, â€Å"or would want to give you, you might return me to Siwenna.† â€Å"Not yet. Not yet.† The general turned his chair to the comer which held the huge, brilliantly-transparent sphere that mapped the old Imperial prefect of Anacreon and its neighboring sectors. â€Å"Later, when this is over, you will go back to your books and to more. I'll see to it that the estates of your family are restored to you and to your children for the rest of time.† â€Å"Thank you,† said Barr, with faint irony, â€Å"but I lack your faith in the happy outcome of all this.† Riose laughed harshly, â€Å"Don't start your prophetic croakings again. This map speaks louder than all your woeful theories.† He caressed its curved invisible outline gently. â€Å"Can you read a map in radial projection? You can? Well, here, see for yourself. The stars in gold represent the Imperial territories. The red stars are those in subjection to the Foundation and the pink are those which are probably within the economic sphere of influence. Now watch-â€Å" Riose's hand covered a rounded knob, and slowly an area of hard, white pinpoints changed into a deepening blue. Like an inverted cup they folded about the red and the pink. â€Å"Those blue stars have been taken over by my forces,† said Riose with quiet satisfaction, â€Å"and they still advance. No opposition has appeared anywhere. The barbarians are quiet. And particularly, no opposition has come from Foundation forces. They sleep peacefully and well.† â€Å"You spread your force thinly, don't you?† asked Barr. â€Å"As a matter of fact,† said Riose, â€Å"despite appearances, I don't. The key points which I garrison and fortify are relatively few, but they are carefully chosen. The result is that the force expended is small, but the strategic result great. There are many advantages, more than would ever appear to anyone who hasn't made a careful study of spatial tactics, but it is apparent to anyone, for instance, that I can base an attack from any point in an inclosing sphere, and that when I am finished it will be impossible for the Foundation to attack at flank or rear. I shall have no flank or rear with respect to them. â€Å"This strategy of the Previous Enclosure has been tried before, notably in the campaigns of Loris VI, some two thousand years ago, but always imperfectly; always with the knowledge and attempted interference of the enemy. This is different.† â€Å"The ideal textbook case?† Barr's voice was languid and indifferent. Riose was impatient, â€Å"You still think my forces will fail?† â€Å"They must.† â€Å"You understand that there is no case in military history where an Enclosure has been completed that the attacking forces have not eventually won, except where an outside Navy exists in sufficient force to break the Enclosure.† â€Å"If you say so.† â€Å"And you still adhere to your faith.† â€Å"Yes.† Riose shrugged. â€Å"Then do so.† Barr allowed the angry silence to continue for a moment, then asked quietly, â€Å"Have you received an answer from the Emperor?† Riose removed a cigarette from a wall container behind his head, placed a filter tip between his lips and puffed it aflame carefully. He said, â€Å"You mean my request for reinforcements? It came, but that's all. Just the answer.† â€Å"No ships.† â€Å"None. I half-expected that. Frankly, patrician, I should never have allowed myself to be stampeded by your theories into requesting them in the first place. It puts me in a false light.† â€Å"Does it?† â€Å"Definitely. Ships are at a premium. The civil wars of the last two centuries have smashed up more than half of the Grand Fleet and what's left is in pretty shaky condition. You know it isn't as if the ships we build these days are worth anything. I don't think there's a man in the Galaxy today who can build a first-rate hypernuclear motor.† â€Å"I knew that,† said the Siwennian. His eyes were thoughtful and introspective. â€Å"I didn't know that you knew it. So his Imperial Majesty can spare no ships. Psychohistory could have predicted that; in fact, it probably did. I should say that Hari Seldon's dead hand wins the opening round.† Riose answered sharply, â€Å"I have enough ships as it is. Your Seldon wins nothing. Should the situation turn more serious, then more ships will be available. As yet, the Emperor does not know all the story.† â€Å"Indeed? What haven't you told him?† â€Å"Obviously – your theories.† Riose looked sardonic. â€Å"The story is, with all respect to you, inherently improbable. If developments warrant; if events supply me with proof, then, but only then, would I make out the case of mortal danger. â€Å"And in addition,† Riose drove on, casually, â€Å"the story, unbolstered by fact, has a flavor of lese majeste that could scarcely be pleasant to His Imperial Majesty.† The old patrician smiled. â€Å"You mean that telling him his august throne is in danger of subversion by a parcel of ragged barbarians from the ends of the universe is not a warning to be believed or appreciated. Then you expect nothing from him.† â€Å"Unless you count a special envoy as something.† â€Å"And why a special envoy?† â€Å"It's an old custom. A direct representative of the crown is present on every military campaign which is under government auspices.† â€Å"Really? Why?† â€Å"It's a method of preserving the symbol of personal Imperial leadership in all campaigns. It's gained a secondary function of insuring the fidelity of generals. It doesn't always succeed in that respect.† â€Å"You'll find that inconvenient, general. Extraneous authority, I mean.† â€Å"I don't doubt that,† Riose reddened faintly, â€Å"but it can't be helped-â€Å" The receiver at the general's hand glowed warmly, and with an unobtrusive jar, the cylindered communication popped into its slot. Riose unrolled it, â€Å"Good! This is it!† Ducem Barr raised a mildly questioning eyebrow. Riose said, â€Å"You know we've captured one of these Trader people. Alive – and with his ship intact.† â€Å"I've heard talk of it.† â€Å"Well, they've just brought him in, and we'll have him here in a minute. You keep your seat, patrician. I want you here when I'm questioning him. It's why I asked you here today in the first place. You may understand him where I might miss important points.† The door signal sounded and a touch of the general's toe swung the door wide. The man who stood on the threshold was tall and bearded, wore a short coat of a soft, leathery plastic, with an attached hood shoved back on his neck. His hands were free, and if he noticed the men about him were armed, he did not trouble to indicate it. He stepped in casually, and looked about with calculating eyes. He favored the general with a rudimentary wave of the hand and a half nod. â€Å"Your name?† demanded Riose, crisply. â€Å"Lathan Devers.† The trader hooked his thumbs into his wide and gaudy belt. â€Å"Are you the boss here?† â€Å"You are a trader of the Foundation?† â€Å"That's right. Listen, if you're the boss, you'd better tell your hired men here to lay off my cargo.† The general raised his head and regarded the prisoner coldly. â€Å"Answer questions. Do not volunteer orders.† â€Å"All right. I'm agreeable. But one of your boys blasted a two-foot hole in his chest already, by sticking his fingers where he wasn't supposed to.† Riose shifted his gaze to the lieutenant in charge. â€Å"Is this man telling the truth? Your report, Vrank, had it that no lives were lost.† â€Å"None were, sir,† the lieutenant spoke stiffly, apprehensively, â€Å"at the time. There was later some disposition to search the ship, there having arisen a rumor that a woman was aboard. Instead, sir, many instruments of unknown nature were located, instruments which the prisoner claims to be his stock in trade. One of them flashed on handling, and the soldier holding it died.† The general turned back to the trader. â€Å"Does your ship carry nuclear explosives?† â€Å"Galaxy, no. What for? That fool grabbed a nuclear puncher, wrong end forward and set at maximum dispersion. You're not supposed to do that. Might as well point a neut-gun at your head. I'd have stopped him, if five men weren't sitting on my chest.† Riose gestured at the waiting guard, â€Å"You go. The captured ship is to he sealed against all intrusion. Sit down, Devers.† The trader did so, in the spot indicated, and withstood stolidly the hard scrutiny of the Imperial general and the curious glance of the Siwennian patrician. Riose said, â€Å"You're a sensible man, Devers.† â€Å"Thank you. Are you impressed by my face, or do you want something? Tell you what, though. I'm a good business man.† â€Å"It's about the same thing. You surrendered your ship when you might have decided to waste our ammunition and have yourself blown to electron-dust. It could result in good treatment for you, if you continue that sort of outlook on life.† â€Å"Good treatment is what I mostly crave, boss.† â€Å"Good, and co-operation is what I mostly crave.† Riose smiled, and said in a low aside to Ducem Barr, â€Å"I hope the word ‘crave' means what I think it does. Did you ever hear such a barbarous jargon?† Devers said blandly, â€Å"Right. I check you. But what kind of co-operation are you talking about, boss? To tell you straight, I don't know where I stand.† He looked about him, â€Å"Where's this place, for instance, and – what's the idea?† â€Å"Ah, I've neglected the other half of the introductions. I apologize.† Riose was in good humor. â€Å"That gentleman is Ducem Barr, Patrician of the Empire. I am Bel Riose, Peer of the Empire, and General of the Third Class in the armed forces of His Imperial Majesty.† The trader's jaw slackened. Then, â€Å"The Empire? I mean the old Empire they taught us about at school? Huh! Funny! I always had the sort of notion that it didn't exist any more.† â€Å"Look about you. It does,† said Riose grimly. â€Å"Might have known it though,† and Lathan Devers pointed his beard at the ceiling. â€Å"That was a mightily polished-looking set of craft that took my tub. No kingdom of the Periphery could have turned them out.† His brow furrowed. â€Å"So what's the game, boss? Or do I call you general?† â€Å"Me game is war.† â€Å"Empire versus Foundation, that it?† â€Å"Right.† â€Å"Why?† â€Å"I think you know why.† The trader stared sharply and shook his head. Riose let the other deliberate, then said softly, â€Å"I'm sure you know why.† Lathan Devers muttered, â€Å"Warm here,† and stood up to remove his hooded jacket. Then he sat down again and stretched his legs out before him. â€Å"You know,† he said, comfortably, â€Å"I figure you're thinking I ought to jump up with a whoop and lay about me. I can catch you before you could move if I choose my time, and this old fellow who sits there and doesn't say anything couldn't do much to stop me.† â€Å"But you won't,† said Riose, confidently. â€Å"I won't,† agreed Devers, amiably. â€Å"First off, killing you wouldn't stop the war, I suppose. There are more generals where you came from.† â€Å"Very accurately calculated.† â€Å"Besides which, I'd probably be slammed down about two seconds after I got you, and killed fast, or maybe slow, depending. But I'd be killed, and I never like to count on that when I'm making plans. It doesn't pay off.† â€Å"I said you were a sensible man.† â€Å"But there's one thing I would like, boss. I'd like you to tell me what you mean when you say I know why you're jumping us. I don't; and guessing games bother me no end.† â€Å"Yes? Ever hear of Hari Seldon?† â€Å"No. I said I don't like guessing games.† Riose flicked a side glance at Ducem Barr who smiled with a narrow gentleness and resumed his inwardly-dreaming expression. Riose said with a grimace, â€Å"Don't you play games, Devers. There is a tradition, or a fable, or sober history – I don't care what – upon your Foundation, that eventually you will found the Second Empire. I know quite a detailed version of Hari Seldon's psychohistorical claptrap, and your eventual plans of aggression against the Empire.† â€Å"That so?† Devers nodded thoughtfully. â€Å"And who told you all that?† â€Å"Does that matter?† said Riose with dangerous smoothness. â€Å"You're here to question nothing. I want what you know about the Seldon Fable.† â€Å"But if it's a Fable-â€Å" â€Å"Don't play with words, Devers.† â€Å"I'm not. In fact, I'll give it to you straight. You know all I know about it. It's silly stuff, half-baked. Every world has its yams; you can't keep it away from them. Yes, I've heard that sort of talk; Seldon, Second Empire, and so on. They put kids to sleep at night with the stuff. The young squirts curl up in the spare rooms with their pocket projectors and suck up Seldon thrillers. But it's strictly non-adult. Nonintelligent adult, anyway.† The trader shook his head. The Imperial general's eyes were dark. â€Å"Is that really so? You waste your lies, man. I've been on the planet, Terminus. I know your Foundation. I've looked it in the face.† â€Å"And you ask me? Me, when I haven't kept foot on it for two months at a piece in ten years. You are wasting your time. But go ahead with your war, if it's fables you're after.† And Barr spoke for the first time, mildly, â€Å"You are so confident then that the Foundation will win?† The trader turned. He flushed faintly and an old scar on one temple showed whitely, â€Å"Hm-m-m, the silent partner. How'd you squeeze that out of what I said, doc?† Riose nodded very slightly at Barr, and the Siwennian continued in a low voice, â€Å"Because the notion would bother you if you thought your world might lose this war, and suffer the bitter reapings of defeat, I know. My world once did, and still does.† Lathan Devers fumbled his beard, looked from one of his opponents to the other, then laughed shortly. â€Å"Does he always talk like that, boss? Listen,† he grew serious, â€Å"what's defeat? I've seen wars and I've seen defeats. What if the winner does take over? Who's bothered? Me? Guys like me?† He shook his head in derision. â€Å"Get this,† the trader spoke forcefully and earnestly, â€Å"there are five or six fat slobs who usually run an average planet. They get the rabbit punch, but I'm not losing peace of mind over them. See. The people? The ordinary run of guys? Sure, some get killed, and the rest pay extra taxes for a while. But it settles itself out; it runs itself down. And then it's the old situation again with a different five or six.† Ducem Barr's nostrils flared, and the tendons of his old right hand jerked; but he said nothing. Lathan Devers' eyes were on him. They missed nothing. He said, â€Å"Look. I spend my life in space for my five-and-dime gadgets and my beer-and-pretzel kickback from the Combines. There's fat fellows back there,† his thumb jerked over his shoulder and back, â€Å"that sit home and collect my year's income every minute – out of skimmings from me and more like me. Suppose you run the Foundation. You'll still need us. You'll need us more than ever the Combines do – because you'd not know your way around, and we could bring in the hard cash. We'd make a better deal with the Empire. Yes, we would; and I'm a man of business. If it adds up to a plus mark, I'm for it.† And he stared at the two with sardonic belligerence. The silence remained unbroken for minutes, and then a cylinder rattled into its slot. The general flipped it open, glanced at the neat printing and in-circuited the visuals with a sweep. â€Å"Prepare plan indicating position of each ship in action. Await orders on full-armed defensive.† He reached for his cape. As he fastened it about his shoulders, he whispered in a stiff-lipped monotone to Barr, â€Å"I'm leaving this man to you. I'll expect results. This is war and I can be cruel to failures. Remember!† He left, with a salute to both. Lathan Devers looked after him, â€Å"Well, something's hit him where it hurts. What goes on?† â€Å"A battle, obviously,† said Barr, gruffly. â€Å"The forces of the Foundation are coming out for their first battle. You'd better come along.† There were armed soldiers in the room. Their bearing was respectful and their faces were hard. Devers followed the proud old Siwennian patriarch out of the room. The room to which they were led was smaller, barer. It contained two beds, a visi-screen, and shower and sanitary facilities. The soldiers marched out, and the thick door boomed hollowly shut. â€Å"Hmp?† Devers stared disapprovingly about. â€Å"This looks permanent.† â€Å"It is,† said Barr, shortly. The old Siwennian turned his back. The trader said irritably, â€Å"What's your game, doc?† â€Å"I have no game. You're in my charge, that's all.† The trader rose and advanced. His bulk towered over the unmoving patrician. â€Å"Yes? But you're in this cell with me and when you were marched here the guns were pointed just as hard at you as at me. Listen, you were all boiled up about my notions on the subject of war and peace.† He waited fruitlessly, â€Å"All fight, let me ask you something. You said your country was licked once. By whom? Comet people from the outer nebulae?† Barr looked up. â€Å"By the Empire.† â€Å"That so? Then what are you doing here?† Barr maintained an eloquent silence. The trader thrust out a lower lip and nodded his head slowly. He slipped off the flat-linked bracelet that hugged his fight wrist and held it out. â€Å"What do you think of that?† He wore the mate to it on his left. The Siwennian took the ornament. He responded slowly to the trader's gesture and put it on. The odd tingling at the wrist passed away quickly. Devers' voice changed at once. â€Å"Right, doc, you've got the action now. Just speak casually. If this room is wired, they won't get a thing. That's a Field Distorter you've got there; genuine Mallow design. Sells for twenty-five credits on any world from here to the outer rim. You get it free. Hold your lips still when you talk and take it easy. You've got to get the trick of it.† Ducem Barr was suddenly weary. The trader's boring eyes were luminous and urging. He felt unequal to their demands. Barr said, â€Å"What do you want?† The words slurred from between unmoving lips. â€Å"I've told you. You make mouth noises like what we call a patriot. Yet your own world has been mashed up by the Empire, and here you are playing ball with the Empire's fair-haired general. Doesn't make sense, does it?† Barr said, â€Å"I have done my part. A conquering Imperial viceroy is dead because of me.† â€Å"That so? Recently?† â€Å"Forty years ago.† â€Å"Forty†¦ years†¦ ago!† The words seemed to have meaning to the trader. He frowned, â€Å"That's a long time to live on memories. Does that young squirt in the general's uniform know about it?† Barr nodded. Devers' eyes were dark with thought. â€Å"You want the Empire to win?† And the old Siwennian patrician broke out in sudden deep anger, â€Å"May the Empire and all its works perish in universal catastrophe. All Siwenna prays that daily. I had brothers once, a sister, a father. But I have children now, grandchildren. The general knows where to find them.† Devers waited. Barr continued in a whisper, â€Å"But that would not stop me if the results in view warranted the risk. They would know how to die.† The trader said gently, â€Å"You killed a viceroy once, huh? You know, I recognize a few things. We once had a mayor, Hober Mallow his name was. He visited Siwenna; that's your world, isn't it? He met a man named Barr.† Ducem Barr stared hard, suspiciously. â€Å"What do you know of this?† â€Å"What every trader on the Foundation knows. You might be a smart old fellow put in here to get on my right side. Sure, they'd point guns at you, and you'd hate the Empire and be all-out for its smashing. Then I'd fall all over you and pour out my heart to you, and wouldn't the general be pleased. There's not much chance of that, doc. â€Å"But just the same I'd like to have you prove that you're the son of Onum Barr of Siwenna – the sixth and youngest who escaped the massacre.† Ducem Barr's hand shook as he opened the flat metal box in a wall recess. The metal object he withdrew clanked softly as he thrust it into the trader's hands. â€Å"Look at that,† he said. Devers stared. He held the swollen central link of the chain close to his eyes and swore softly. â€Å"That's Mallow's monogram, or I'm a space-struck rookie, and the design is fifty years old if it's a day.† He looked up and smiled. â€Å"Shake, doc. A man-sized nuclear shield is all the proof I need,† and he held out his large hand.