At WebAd Solutions, we are committed to ensuring the validity of our Essay

At WebAd Solutions, we are committed to ensuring the validity of our Cost-Per-Click Network - Essay Example From software to our sophisticated staff, our goal has become to ensure every click is legitimate. Our staff, software, and products weed out fraudulent or generated clicks. This saves customers money by only having them pay for legitimate clicks. In order to stop fraudulent or generated clicks, WebAd Solution believes communication with the client is essential. Click fraud has increased over the past year. Whether intentionally directed at one advertiser or ‘hitbots’ that target all PPC’s, fraudulent clicks hurt advertisers. Thus individuals become wary about using PPC’s and Search Marketing. If used correctly PPC’s and Search Marketing can reach millions of Internet surfers. However, when competitors or ‘hitbots’ misuse the system, this means of advertising becomes increasingly distrusted. Companies do not want to spend money on clicks that are not being seen by consumers. Advertisers can protect themselves from click fraud by following a few simple rules. The first rule is to communicate frequently with their PPC provider. Secondly, clients can used WebAd’s tools to help protect against fraudulent clicks. WebAd provides Click Observer, which helps the advertiser observe traffic sources, time spent, number of visits, and so forth. This allows the client to observe suspicious clicks that get past WebAd’s software or employees, which in turn can be reported to WebAd. Finally, research into WebAd’s resources can help an advertiser save money on illegitimate clicks. WebAd Solutions want their clients to feel comfortable that the visitors to their websites are from legitimate interest, not false clicks. Our goal is to give the client the advertising that is paid for. Despite the negative impacts of click fraud on PPC Advertisers and Search Marketing, WebAd Solutions strive to inspire confidence in our services. By using Click Observer from WebAd,

Construction resources Essay Example for Free

Construction resources Essay Construction resources make use of physics in many of their products. Two that I have picked are solar collectors and their use of insutation. Insulators have the purpose of preventing conduction, convection and radiation to unwanted areas. There are a wide range of techniques and materials used in doing this and I am going to look in depth at this idea. The company uses solar collectors in many different ways, their main purpose is to collect solar energy and heat energy. They can be used to heat and power many different appliances. Photovoltaic cells: Photovoltaic cells transfer the energy carried by the electromagnetic waves that make up sunlight directly to an electrical circuit in order to make a current flow. Light excites electrons to move from one layer to another through semi conductive silicon materials. Only a fraction of a volt is produced so a large array is needed to produce appreciable currents, usually about 20W to 100W. The Photovoltaic cells produce DC current so if alternate current AC is desired then an inverter is required. AC form is commonly available from the mains. Solar cells: Sunlight may also be used to heat water directly. This can be done in two ways, water can be circulated through pipes which run through the back of the solar cells, producing water at around 60oC suitable for household use. The other method is to focus sunlight from a large are to a small spot using an array of mirrors, this can produce temperatures of up to 4000oC and its quite feasible to produce power stations from this, however it has not been implemented yet. Here is on way in which the hot water can be used, this is quite economical and environmentally friendly. Solar panels are quite versatile and can be put on many roofs of simply in the garden, which makes them popular when it comes to heating swimming pools of hot water for showers. Any material that is a poor conductor of heat and electricity can be used as an insulator. Thermal insulating materials reduce the flow of heat between hot and cold regions. Thermal insulation may have to fulfill one or more of three functions: to reduce thermal conduction in the material, in which heat is transferred by electrons; to reduce thermal convection currents, which can be set up in air- or liquid-filled spaces; and to reduce radiation heat transfer, in which thermal energy is transported by electromagnetic waves. These are three ways in which heat energy can be transferred. Conduction, where heat energy is transferred through solid materials, metals are normally the best conductors. There are a number of factors that affect thermal conductivity. Increasing the area of the cross-section of the solid through which hear flows increases the rate of flow, however increasing the thickness of the wall decreases the flow of heat. Provided that a steady state has been reached (where the temperature of any point is not changing through time) then the rate of flow of heat ? Q/? t is given by: ?Q/? t A ? T/? x Besides the physical dimensions of the materials, another factor affecting rate of flow is the properties of the material, the Thermal Conductivity of the materials ? through which the heat energy is travelling is the constant of proportionality in this relationship, so:?Q/? t = -? A ? T/? x The units for thermal conductivity are watts per metre per kelvin. The Quantity ? Q/? t is called the temperature gradient. On my visit to Construction resources I noticed that they have used these Physical conclusions in there insulation. One in particular is Homatherm a wall and roof insulator. The slabs are thick which means less flow of heat, and have a thermal conductivity is only 0. 04 W/mK. Conduction in terms of particles: The particles in metals and non-metals are arranged differently, which gives them their different characteristics. In a non-metal the particles have forces between them that can be described like springs. When heat is delivered to the solid the oscillations of the particles being heated will increase in amplitude. For heat to be conducted the neighboring particles must also receive the extra energy, as particles oscillations increase in frequency the neighboring particles also gradually increase in frequency as heat is transferred to them. This is a very slow process. In a metal the arrangement is different, metallic boding occurs between metal atoms where a sea of delocalized electrons hold the positive metal ions together in a lattice. It is these free electrons that are responsible for the high conductivity character of metals. When a metal is heated the metals ions vibrate with an increase frequency. When an electron hits these ions with extra energy, they receive this extra energy and move faster. This electron can then travel to another parts of the lattice, to an ion that hasnt received any of this heat energy and collide with it, transferring its energy to this ion. Now that ion has extra energy and vibrates with a greater frequency. This process is a lot faster as there are many electrons in a metal lattice. U-Values: Architects and heating engineers use U-Values to calculate the flow of heat energy through building materials. The U-Values is quoted for a given thickness of a particular material, and is based on actual measurements made using the material. The U-Value is defined as: U-value = Rate of energy flow Area X Temperature difference Construction resources uses this knowledge of U-Values when designing building materials to reduce the energy wasted in the form of heat going out of the build and to achieve the ultimate goal of reducing CO2 emissions. But there are obvious limitations with reducing thermal conductivity, you can only reduce it to a certain amount, 0. 025 in air, so there will always be heat loss. Also too much insulation in the house will lead to what construction resources refers to as internal pollution. This has lead to construction resources researching in trying to lower the energy that is used to build and transport he construction materials. Bibliography: Microsoft Encarta Heinemann Advanced Science Salters Horners AS Advanced Physics Strengths and Limitations of Photovoltaic cells: Since one photovoltaic cell only produces a small fraction of a volt, large arrays are required to produce appreciable voltages. This requires a lot of space and the cells need to be in a place where no shadows will be cast on them. This limits what they can be used for. Also the amount of power produced by the photovoltaic cells directly depends on the amount of sunlight, so they cannot be relied on to produce power for something that constantly needs it. The only way this can be overcome is if some power was stored for a rainy day. But this again would take up space. Also an array of solar collector will be expensive and have a long pay back time. However it is environmentally friendly and after the pay back time, savings can be made. Also photovoltaic cells can be made look attractive depending on where they are placed. Strengths and Limitations of solar cells: The solar cells have similar limitations to the photovoltaic cells in regards to positioning and cost but a small array is only required to produce enough hot water for something like residential showers or central heating. This is economical and environmentally friendly and solar cells are quite versatile.

Total Quality Management And HRM

Total Quality Management And HRM This chapter provides the background to this project termed The role of human resources management in the implementation of total quality management; it consists of an introduction to total quality management and human resources management. It will also provide an introduction to problem/questions the research intends to resolve, highlight the reason for my interest in the research topic, indicate the possible benefactors of this research work, specify the locus and focus of the project and the methodology that will be adopted during the course of the project. The aims, objectives and deliverables of the study will also be clearly defined followed by the project outline. 1.1 Introduction to Total Quality Management and Human Resources Management Organisations that pay special attention to the quality performance of their operations are mostly rewarded in the global business world, for organisations to survive in the tough competitive market they must continuously improve the quality level of their products and services; it is onus on the management to find ways of improving their quality services the question is how? Fortunately the business environment have been able to define certain means of achieving and improving quality in their individual organisations, although different organisations implore variable tactics they all have one method in common which is Total Quality Management (TQM), researchers have different interpretation of TQM, but according to youssef et al (1996) they all agree that based on the proper implementation of TQM, it can improve quality of products and services, improve company performance level, reduce costs thus improving the companys competitive advantage in the global market, in addition to this previous studies all agree that TQM is an approach to improving the effectiveness and flexibility of a business as a whole i.e. its essentially a way of organising and involving the whole organisation; every single individual at every level or department. This implies that for any organisation striving towards continuous improvement, each individual of the organisation must acknowledge the other and recognise that each activity (small or big) matters. From the literature review, it will be established that Human Resource Management plays a crucial role in implementing TQM through reinforcing human relationships, improving employee competence, and achieving culture change. Quality gurus such as: W. Edwards Deming, Joseph M. Juran, Philip B. Crosby, Genichi Taguchi, Kaoru Ishikawa and Walter A. Shewhart amongst others all agree on the importance of a team based culture for organisations to continuously improve on quality, perhaps the most popular of the quality gurus is Deming for hi s contribution to the Japanese industry in the 1950s, all of their quality philosophies had the following points in common: Providing quality goods and services. Customer focused (internal external). Production is optimised through team-work, transformational leadership and statistical measurement. The central focus of Total Quality Management and related approaches is customer (internal external) based, The external customer is the reason for a business to exist, and by directing every operation of the internal customers (employees) of the of the organisation towards the external customer satisfaction through continuous improvement in quality. Research by Wilkinson (1992) and Collinson et al. (1998) amongst other researchers opine that there are two sides to TQM a hard side and a soft side, and that the soft side emphasizes on the management of human resources, relationship between employees and employers (teamwork), customer care and the hard side lay emphasis on the technical aspect of an organisation. The soft side of TQM is mostly adopted by service industries while the hard side is accustomed to manufacturing industries. The issue with this Hard and Soft TQM concept is that most organisations fail to integrate these two parts effectively, especially in the manufacturing industries which tend to focus on production first and quality second due to their desire to meet the schedule. According to Omachonu, V. and Ross, J., (2004) in the United states and other highly industrialised countries the economy has shifted from manufacturing to service industries, indicating that 80% of workers globally are employed in the service sector. This suffices to say that quality improvement can only be achieved through the actions of the humans in the organisation, HRM is the practice adopted by organisations to achieve this goal, HRM can be defined as a strategic and coherent approach to the management of an organisations most valued assets i.e. the people/humans working there who individually and collectively contribute to the achievement of the organisations objectives (Michael, A. 2006). The notion sustaining the practice of HRM is that people are the organisations key resource and organisational performance largely depends on them. Therefore if an appropriate ra nge of HR practices and processes are developed and implemented effectively, then HR will make a substantial impact on an organisations performance. Although previous research has established the fact that HR is crucial to performance, the general consensus from most of the research especially that carried out by Purcell et al (2003) is that HR can make an impact by contributing to the following: The development and successful implementation of high performance work practices, particularly those concerned with job and work design, flexible working, resourcing (recruitment, selection and talent management),employee development (increasing skills and extending the skills base),reward, and giving employees a voice. The formulation and embedding of a clear vision and set of values. The development of a positive psychological contract and means of increasing the motivation and commitment of employees. The formulation and implementation of policies which, in the words of Purcell et al (2003) meet the needs of individuals and create a great place to work. The provision of support and advice to line managers on their role in implementing HR policies and practices. The effective management of change (Purcell et al, 2003.) From the above it is obvious that HRM plays a huge role in TQM, hence this research will be focused on the identifying the HRM practices that are most effective to TQM and how best this practices are implemented in the industry today, the research will focus its attention in the oil service industry of Nigeria thus the topic The role of human resources management in the implementation of total quality management in the oil service industry the research will be done using a multinational oil servicing company (Hercules Offshore) as a case study, the reason for this is that most developing countries still fail to recognise their employees and the role they play in the quality of goods and services, my interest in this topic arose from my experience working in the Nigerian company I realised that most employees lacked commitment to the managerial goals and objectives, emphasis are made more on individual performance rather than a holistic approach which is the main concept of TQM, there was a huge gap between the front office and the back office, this research aims to identify how this gaps could be closed to encourage continuous quality. Most companies in Nigeria and other developing countries that are yet to grasp the advantage of a committed work force will find this project useful, even the country as a whole would benefit from what this project aims to achieve because if every individual lives and performs for a general goal not an individual goal the country would move forward. 1.2 Project Aim The aim of this project is to identify and study the impact of Human resources management in the implementation of Total quality management and the role of the humans (employees) in quality attainment and improvement. 1.3 Project Objectives There are some objectives that fall within this specific aim and the objectives include: Does the Nigerian average worker know what TQM is? What are the perceptions of the companies customer service in Nigeria? How are these practices implemented in Nigerian oil servicing industries? What are the exact HRM practices that assist in the implementation of TQM in the oil service industry? What are the factors influencing employees to adhere or refute company quality policies? The determinants of employee responses to TQM 1.4 Deliverables Understanding the role of HRM in the implementation of TQM Understanding total quality management and the need for organisations to have an effective and efficient TQM model. Understanding how management strategies for continuous quality improvement can reach the roots of the organisation Improving employees commitment to quality in the Nigerian oil industry identify the major limitations to quality improvement practices in Nigeria Recommendations for further improvement. 1.5 Project Methodology This study is descriptive in its entirety rather than experimental. It entails collecting data in the form of literature review survey, questionnaire survey, and interview questions from some selected HR managers including the managers in the organisation for the case study (Hercules offshore). The methodology to be developed will focus on the mechanism through which high service level can be achieved by efficiently managing the human resources available to an organisation, the role of the human in TQM implementation, how TQM practices are implemented using HRM practices in the oil service industry in Nigeria, and to assess the average workers knowledge of TQM. This proposed project will involve a four phase design that will be used for implementation. The first phase of the project is the research planning, the second phase will involve the project planning, the third phase is for result analysis, fourth phase is the project summation. The main tasks to be completed at the end of the fourth phase plan are; i. Analysing the background of the survey through literature review ii. Selection of case study for the project iii. Carry out a feasibility study of the case study iv. Data Collection v. Data Analysis vi. Result Analysis vii. Discussion and Conclusion viii. Recommendation The methodology to be developed for the research and project planning, result analysis and project completion is illustrated in figure 1.1 Phase 1 Research Planning Phase 2 Project Planning Phase 3 Result Analysis Phase 4 Project Summation Figure 1:1 Methodology to be developed Source: Author This study addresses the importance of improving an organisations quality output through improving the efficiency and commitment of the internal customers (employees). Figure 1.2 shows a diagrammatic representation of the methodology giving the steps to be adopted. These steps are: understanding and knowing the aim of the project, designing questionnaires and arranging interviews, administering questionnaires and conducting telephone interviews with employees of an organisation in the oil services industry comprising of human resources managers, project managers, operations managers, vessel managers, shipyard managers and deck hands. Recommendation would also be made to enhance the organisations implementation of total quality management. This will be sent to the organisation in order to gain feedback from the recommended solutions. Understanding the direction of the project Designing questionnaires and arranging interviews Questionnaires and conducting interview Result Presentation and Analysis ng Discussion, Recommendations and Conclusion Figure 1.2: Diagrammatic representation of the Methodology Source: Author 1.6 Project Summary In this section the author provides a brief outline of the content of each chapter in the project. Chapter 1- Introduction to the dissertation, the project aim, objectives and the methodology to be adopted. Chapter 2 A literature review survey of the project that will comprise human resources management practices, total quality management, strategic management, and customer services. A summary of the literature review will be given at the end of the chapter. Chapter 3 A comprehensive study of the organisation background, including its products and services and an exhaustive insight into the oil servicing industry in Nigeria Chapter 4 The methodology to be used will be presented in this chapter. It will show the approach and other considerations that were made in obtaining data and result analysis for this project. Chapter 5 A compressive analysis of the empirical data and results of the study by describing the descriptive findings will be presented. Chapter 6- This will present the discussion of the work done, importance of the questionnaire, interviews and results to the project and issues encountered. The conclusion and recommendations are also presented in this chapter. The order of presentation for the chapters in this dissertation is shown graphically in figure 1.3 Chapter One Background of study Aim, Objectives and Deliverables Introduction Chapter Two Literature Review Related theories Chapter Three Company background and Oil service industry This chapter focuses on the concept of HRM and TQM in the Nigerian oil industry Chapter four Methodology Research design, approach and strategy Chapter five Results and Analysis of Data Results presentation Data analysis Chapter six Discussion and Future Work Discussion of findings Future works and Conclusion CHAPTER 2 Figure 1.3: Project Summary Source: Author LITERATURE REVIEW Introduction The role or effect of Human Resource practices on the implementation of Total Quality management cannot be over-emphasized, because it serves as a basis for ascertaining employees attitudes towards effective and efficient quality practices, simply put if the employees are not quality oriented, there is no quality hence the organisations ability to conform to its customers requirements is low, Several studies investigating the relationship of HRM and TQM have asserted the same ideology e.g. (Lammergeyer, 1991; Wilkinson, 1992; Oakland,1998; Palo and Padhi,2005). Additionally, according to Morrison and Rahim (1993) and Hoogervorst et al. (2005), TQM depends on the effective management of human resources. Considering the TQM model, Murphy and Cleveland (1991) state that the system that is used to appraise performance needs to be congruent with the culture and principles that guide the conduct of the organisation, unless congruence is retained, anything that is developed is liable to be rejected. Hence this chapter presents a literature review closely related to the project, the literature survey will be carried out in a topical format this is necessary to give an exhaustive background knowledge to the terms in the topic ; the first section will be on the definition and principles of human resource management, advantages of HRM in the global business world, the second section will consist of the definition and concept of total quality management, its origin and benefits to the industry, the third section will investigate the work done so far with respect to the role of HRM in the implementation of TQM and its importance, the fourth section will consist of the research background, proje ct justification and literature review summary. 2.1 Definition of Human Resources Management Presently in the dynamic competitive business environment, there has been reasonable doubt as to what the roles and functions of Human Resource Management (HRM) are in an organisation. According to Soderlund and Bredin (2005) previous research by American Business School Professors all identify HRM as an effective organisational tool, but due to the present volatile business environment there has been conflicts on the concept and role of HRM within an organisational structure. One of the main problems contributing to this is that there is no single unified concept of what is meant by HRM. There are a variety of definitions attributed in the literature as to what exactly HRM is. In addition to this philosophy, Brewster and Larsen (2000) stated that due to its diverse nature there is no generally accepted definition for HRM and what it entails. Less satisfactory definitions have been proposed by different authors Soderlund and Bredin (2005) classified HRM as a management philosophy tha t concentrates on people (employees) treatment, Dessler (2006) defined HRM as the process of acquiring, training, appraising, and compensating employees, and of attending to their labour relations and health and safety, Marchington and Wilkinson (2002) defined HRM as the management of employment. These definitions are perhaps simplistic in nature and failed to highlight the true concept of HRM (Michael, 2006). Michael (2006) went further to define HRM as a strategic and coherent approach to the management of an organisations most valued assets (humans/employees) the people working in the organisation who individually and collectively contribute to the achievement of its objectives, Price (2007) also supports Michaels definition with his proposed philosophy of HRM, according to Price, HRM is a philosophy of people management based on the belief that human resources are uniquely important to sustained business success. In addition to his philosophy he stated that an organisation gains competitive advantage by using its people effectively, drawing on their expertise and ingenuity to meet clearly defined objectives. Prof P.S Nel et al (2001) in their book strongly supports Michaels definition of HRM with this quote HRM is the only resource in an organisation that reacts when acted upon i.e. with the exception of human resources all other resources of an organisation are static because other resources derive their dynamic character from human resources. Although there are diverse definitions to HRM, for the purpose of this research the definition proposed by Michael (2006) will be adopted considering the fact that it clearly states that HRM is aimed at recruiting capable, flexible and committed people, managing and rewarding their performance and developing key competencies. 2.1.1 Human resources management in practice Armstrong, (2000) highlighted that HR is of immense importance to modern day organisations, it provides an approach to inducing improved performance levels through the use of the humans (employees) by improving their levels of customers service, productivity, growth, profits and quality control. There are a number of activities, roles, processes covered by HRM, Lado and Wilson (1994) outlined the following to be the HR activities in contemporary organisations Planning. Recruitment and selection Training Performance management Benefits and rewards Compensation Career development Banhegyi et al., (2008) and Robbins and Coulter, (2002) also supports the HR activities stated above as the salient global HR activities in present day organisations. 2.2.1 Planning Planning in Human Resource has been a debated topic in different HRM contexts over the years (Wren, 1994). HR was initially a strategy used to determine the strength and weaknesses among employees and to develop the skills and competences they needed (Gallagher, 2000). With the era of individual career plans, organisations started recruiting individuals with certain desired skills and competences as a method of employing individuals who shared the same orientation or objectives with that of the organisation (Kuratko and Morris (2002), this means that HR planning is essentially a method of selecting employees that align with the succession plan of the organisation. This aspect of HR is still been exhaustively discussed by many researchers, Schuler (1986) proposed that HR planning is a complicated and complex issue of debate within the HR activities. Storey (1995) argues that HR planning today is a very important task of every contemporary organisations HR department. According to him, HR planning mainly involves the identification of skills and competence within the organisation, the filling of identified competence gaps, and the facilitation of movements of employees within the organisation. An essential part of the HR planning is the succession planning which aims to ensure the supply of individuals and filling of gaps on senior key positions when they become vacant and replenish competences to areas where they are most valued (Wolfe, 1996). 2.2.2 Recruitment and selection This is the process by which an organisation places the diverse talents at their disposal in different levels of the organisation. Analoui, (2007) defined the process as an ethical approach by an organisation to find and attract the most efficient individual with the desirable skills for an available position. According to Price (2007), the recruitment process is divided into three approaches: Suitability the most qualified applicant for the position, Malleability moulded within the cultural norms, and Flexibility the most reliable and versatile employee. These factors are quite complicating and can be easily mistaken during the process of hiring employees. Suitability is a critical aspect hence its mainly concerned with the process of hiring the most suitable applicant for the position. Pfeffer (1994) proposed that the ability by an organisation to select and retain talented employees is of great advantage in the global competitive market. It is obvious from the present global market that organisations who possesses the greatest talents prevail in the competitive market hence firms tend to employ renowned managers to lead the thriving future. 2.2.3 Training It is already a well-established fact from the above literature that employees skills and knowledge are of immense impact on an organisations level of quality in goods and services (Guzzo, R A. and Noonan, K A, 1994). Ostroff and Kozlowski, (1992) supported this idea by stressing that for organisations to overcome certain problems and to attain continuous improvement the employees have to be continuously trained individually or as a team, their research also suggested that training also serves as a socialisation tool for new employees to gain cultural knowledge about the organisation, learn about the necessary tasks and how to perform their responsibility; clarifying their roles and relate with others inside the organisation. Additionally, Hackman and Wageman (1995) identified training in their study as the second most commonly used HRM practice in implementing TQM. Rollag Cardon (2003) supported this philosophy in their research as they indicated that the process of socialisation within a firm enhance new employees to integrate speedily within the new organisation. Formal training is a wide-spread method for organisations to enhance the personnel performance level, as important roles are covered also by organisational socialization and multitasking (Chao, 1997 and May, 1997). Research by Bishop (2003) highlights training as a cost effective strategy especially when there is a shortage in talented or skilled labour, employees could be trained on the job (OJB) thereby saving cost in time and resources of finding a competent workers. 2.2.4 Performance Management The concept of performance management within an organisation is to determine how the employers can get the highest level of commitment from their employees (Dransfield, 2000). There are three steps of approaching the performance measurement within an organisation, the three steps are stated below: Objectives Appraisal Feedback (Dransfield, 2000) Dransfield (2000) described the first step (objectives) as goals that are quantifiable, easy to measure and simple to communicate throughout the organisation after which the performance appraisal takes place and subsequently feedback. Although quality gurus like Deming and Juran are of the opinion performance appraisals are deterrent to quality improvement, according to Deming (1986) there are many undermining factors of performance appraisal as stated below It nourishes short-term performance, annihilates long-term planning, builds fear, demolishes teamwork, and nourishes rivalry and politics. It leaves people bitter, crushed, bruised, battered, desolate, despondent, dejected, feeling inferior, some even depressed, unfit for work for weeks after a receipt of an unacceptable rating, unable to comprehend why they are inferior. Soltani (2003; 2006), also supports this idea he believes that performance appraisal disregards the existence of variability in the system, it holds workers responsible for errors that may be the result of faults within the system and it undermines teamwork However, other investigators conclude that performance appraisal is compatible with TQM if it is based on quality criteria (Blackburn and Rosen, 1993; Simmons et al., 1995; Wilkinson et al., 1994; Wood and Peccei, 1995). Shadur et al., (1994) in their research claim that some organisations still have some form of performance appraisal and there is evidence that this HRM practice is useful in implementing TQM. Other researchers affirm that although performance appraisal can be related to individual performance, it can be of more advantage to quality improvement if it should be focused on measuring organisational and group performance (Petrick and Furr, 1995; Schuler and Jackson, 1987; Simmons et al., 1995) 2.2.5 Benefits and rewards The major determinant of human behaviour is the consequences to their actions, if employees know there is a reward for their actions they tend to work towards earning that reward, most managers in contemporary organisations have adopted the benefits and reward system as an incentive besides the wages that would derive that extra commitment from their employees, according to Appleby and mavin (2000) attaining high levels of commitment from employees within an organisation is highly essential. Consequently employee considerable effort will manifest into an intended realisation and fulfilment of a specific desired outcome. Such manifestation enhances the explanation of the crucial aspect of organisational reward system and how it can be sustain and elicit the firm human capital investment Tannenbaum and Dupuree-Bruno (1994). As defined by Manus and Graham (2003), total reward includes all types of rewards/benefits-indirect as well as direct, and intrinsic as well as extrinsic. Each aspect of reward, namely base pay, contingent pay, employee benefits and non-financial rewards, which include intrinsic rewards from the work itself, are linked together and treated as an integrated and coherent whole. The concept of total reward has emerged quite recently and is exerting considerable influence on reward management (Michael, 2006). An equally wide definition of total reward is offered by WorldatWork (2000) who state that total rewards are all of the employers available tools that may be used to attract, retain, motivate and satisfy employees. Thompson (2002) supports this idea with his definition of reward management, where he states that total reward typically encompass not only traditional, quantifiable elements like salary, variable pay and benefits, but also more intangible non-cash elements such as scope to achieve and exercise responsibility, career opportunities, learning and development, the intrinsic motivation provided by the work itself and the quality of working life provided by the organisation. 2.2.6 Compensation According to Patel Cardon (2010) compensation is an essential tool for modern-day organisations as it contributes to attract and retain high skilled employees with superior salaries, and it encourages a desired stakeholder behaviour regarding recognition and legitimacy. Minbaeva et al. (2003) inferred that compensation would enhance motivation among personnel too. Even though non-financial compensation can really work as a positive incentive for the workers, providing monetary benefits is necessary to increase the productivity of the employees on the individual or group level (Gomez-Meja, 1992). Balkin and Swift (2006) suggest a more flexible approach toward the payment issue. They proposed to relate it to the life stage of the organisation with a higher rate of non-monetary benefits during the first years of activity, and a re-equilibration whenever the company enters the mature stage. Non-monetary paybacks are represented by stock options, stocks or other form of equity sharing that enhance the participation and the motivation of employees, while spreading the risks over a larger number of people (Graham et al., 2002). The aforementioned ownership sharing represents also a long-term planning for compensation, as Graham et Al. (2002) stated, but also short-term rewards exist. These are represented by profit sharing policies aiming to encourage the employees toward group work, or to control the organisational outcomes (Heneman Tansky, 2002). 2.2.7 Career development (CD) Many practitioners and scholars within human resource development (HRD) field have claimed that the utmost crucial aspect of the practices is career development (McLagan, 1989; Weinberger, 1998; Swanson Holton, 2001). However, this area of studies has been given little attention (Upton, Egan Lynham, 2003). With the intense competition in the 21 century, many organisations have realised that in order to remain competitive they have to improve their employees and enhance their career development as an holistic approach (Boudreaux, 2001); rather than individual career development (Swanson Holton, Upton, Egan Lynham, 2003). Hence, many organisations are now taking proactive measures towards equipping their staffs (Leana, 2002) or create a climate that supports their staffs at all levels of the organisation to be more resultant and productive (Sullivan, 1999); which Boudreaux, (2001); Brown, (1997) referred to as shared responsibility. However, learning within an organisation is quite critical and expensive (McDonald et al., 2002). According to Power et al (2001) the most common learning methods within organisations are informal (i.e. on-the-job coaching, sessions, lesson learned, development assignment) and formal learning (i.e. as training/workshop and other forms of professional training conducted by professional bodies internally or externally (McDonald et al., 2002). 1.3.1 Reservations about HRM As many other departments within an organisation encounter, HRM has its own challenges, according to Michael (2006) the main reservation have been that HRM promises more than it can deliver and that its morality is suspect, Michael

Essay --

In 1999, INJAZ was established as a non-profit organization that seeks to inspire and prepare youth to become productive members of their society and accelerate the development of the national economy, helping them realize their full potential. Since its inception, INJAZ has benefited over 850,000 youth throughout its various programs, bridging the path from academia to the job market. Our Programs INJAZ brings 46 programs to public schools, universities, community colleges, and various social institutions. Programs are both curricular and extra-curricular and focus on such themes as financial literacy, work skills, leadership, entrepreneurship, career development, and inspiration. INJAZ’ programs aim to develop students' sense of personal ambition and passion for achievement through a diverse spectrum of courses, inspirational activities, volunteer projects, internships, competitions, and opportunities to gain real work experience and training before leaving the education system. Our Students INJAZ reaches out to Jordanian youth across the kingdom, a...

Is Monopoly Necessarily Less Efficient Than Perfect Competition?

Is Monopoly necessarily less efficient than Perfect Competition According to SJ Grant’s Introductory Economics, Monopoly is the only sole supplier of the industry. They would not inherit any competitions as well as having no close substitutes. There are many reasons that cause the formation of Monopolists. Barriers to enter or exit discourages new firms to enter the market (patent rights creates a right to sell that product, abnormal profit, predatory pricing, raw material ownership, high fixed cost, government) being a price maker, firms either merge or get taken over by other firms and economies of scale.In Perfect competition, there are many sellers and buyers; there are only homogenous goods and perfect information. They are price takers so no firm charges either below or above the ruling market price. The demand curve is perfectly elastic. In this type of market, there is consumer sovereignty and advertisement could not be used to influence consumer’s demands. Howe ver both of them are opposite extreme forms of the market structure and in the realistic world, they hardly ever occur. An economist would define efficiency as ‘nothing can be made better off without causing the loss of another’.This is also known as Pareto efficiency. Meanwhile it is also when the resources are allocated in the best possible ways at the lowest possible average cost. Figure 1 Some people view Monopoly to be less efficient than perfect competition because they face no direct competition and so they would not work towards the interest of consumers. They would fail to apprehend productive efficiency using techniques and factors of production to produce at the lowest possible average cost per unit, because the cost of production is not a main concern to a Monopolist.They would simply increase price or restrict output. Monopolies are able to do that because they are price makers; even though the setting price is determined by the demand, they are still capab le of restricting output and increase the price. This demonstrated by figure 1 where the price is set against the AR curve rather than the MR. On the contrary, perfect competition means firms compete against each other: cost in this case is one of the main issues. The firms in that market would aim to produce at the lowest average cost because of the profit maximizing point, MR=MC.But in a perfect competitive market, the firms in the long run would only get normal profit so total revenue equals total cost. Figure 2 Monopolists are able to attain abnormal profit in the long run due to barriers to entry or exit. It illustrates that monopolies have market power and the downward sloping demand curve is one of the causes as shown in figure 2. The quantity and price which the monopolist selects is largely dependent on the marginal revenue and marginal cost. But the marginal revenue curve would always be lower than the demand curve.The reason for this can be illustrated by the figure 2; It shows that at any two random points and using the method of working out the total revenue (price X quantity), you would always get a negative gradient curve. Whilst differentiating the curve’s equation, you would always get the curve being below the demand curve. The quantity or price the firm chooses is based on the marginal revenue and marginal cost because, by increasing output, it causes two contrasting effects, price and quantity.The quantity effect is that by producing one more unit and it being sold, it increases the total revenue by the price that it is sold at. But producing more units, it decreases the price of the good and makes total revenue fall: this is the price effect. The price effect means that the marginal revenue will not be constant and so it would be below the demand curve. Consequently price effect would always occur if the monopolist increases quantity. However in a perfect competition, the MR equals AR: the firms being price takers, they can only acc ept the ruling market price.The AR curve is perfectly elastic because of consumer sovereignty. In figure 3, it shows that the firms only aim the price at the market demand; no firms would produce below the ruling market price because in the long run they would be earning a loss and eventually leave the market and in contrast, they would not set it above the market price because no consumers would buy from them when the goods are homogenous and other firms are there. Figure 3 Subsequently, with the MR curve always being below the demand curve, it causes the monopolist produce inefficiently.This is because all firms desires to produce the profit maximizing point, MR=MC and when the monopoly produces at that point, it will always produce at the point that is lower than the efficient level and so monopolies misallocate resources. Hence deadweight loss occurs and this can happen both in the long and short run as there are no competition pressure for them to become allocatively efficient. Allocative efficient is when P=MC where the cost reflects the price. Another point would be that unregulated monopoly can overcharge consumers as well as not allocating resource in a satisfactory manner.In a perfect competition market, firms are able to obtain allocatively efficient in the long run. Firms can misallocate in the short run due to them either earning abnormal profit or a loss but as soon as market competitions enhances firms to earn normal profit and produce efficiently, it becomes allocatively efficient. Barriers to entry prevent this discipline from market competition to happen to a monopolist and so they continue to misallocate resources. Figure 4 The idea of misallocation of resource closely links to the result of deadweight loss.Deadweight loss is the net loss where there is a loss of goods being produced for the price that consumer pay at. For figure 4, it shows that due to the price being charged against the D curve instead of MR=MC, this causes the area of the consumer surplus , when consumer pay less for the good they were willing to pay for, to decrease and the producer surplus, the amount gained from selling a good to increase. This suggests that the monopolist is X-inefficient as consumer loses out, producers gain from it.Furthermore it can be seen that there is an area of deadweight loss formed as well. Not all resources are used in the market. In comparison to perfect competition, figure 3, all the area above P1 is the consumer surplus and there is no deadweight loss, all the quantity produced is reflected towards to consumer demand. However Monopoly being less efficient than perfect competition is not always the case. The ability of economies of scale is a mass production of a good or when goods are distributed through network or grids (i. e. water supply).This makes the cost of production cheaper thus brings the price down. They are called Natural monopoly and they are more technically efficient. In figure 5, Pm from monopoly is lower than the price from smaller firms and more quantity is produced. If these goods are provided by smaller competitive firms, the cost would be greater leading to the goods being more expensive. Figure 5 Monopolies can earn abnormal profits in the long run means that they can use the profit to invest in research and development. This is known as dynamically efficient.They choose to invest for further development because it would make them become more efficient hence maintaining their market position and also to improve their differentiated goods making demand become more inelastic. In reality, Microsoft uses their profit and invests in the development area. They are a well established company and have customer loyalty due to the quality of their goods and the patent rights they impose. In contrast to perfect competition, firms would not be able to invest because they only earn normal profit.However it is not guaranteed that monopolist would make abnormal profit; it is also possib le that they only earn normal. In conclusion, through analyzing the efficiency in productive, allocative, technical and dynamical, monopoly is not necessarily less efficient than perfect competition. Although they can misallocate resources, resulting in deadweight loss, increase price or restrict output in order to gain profit there are other monopolies that are efficient like natural monopolies.One of the main reasons that monopolies produce less than the efficient level is because they lack competition pressure. If the firm is regulated by the government maybe it would act in the best interest of the society. However others may argue that because of the government, the monopoly is being protected by them. While monopolies is not always less efficient than perfect competition, most of the time is it and that is the reason governments regulate monopolies and prevent firms merging together or get taken over by.

5 Tips on How to Write a Personal Statement for College

5 Tips on How to Write a Personal Statement for College 5 Tips on How to Write a Personal Statement for College When applying to study at college, you might be asked to provide a personal statement. This is a brief explanation of who you are and what makes you a good candidate, going into more depth than simply listing a GPA, qualifications or test scores. But what should a personal statement include? And how can you use yours effectively? 1. Make it Personal As the name might suggest, a personal statement should be personal. This includes your academic achievements, but you’ll also want to add a bit about your life more generally, like your passions and interests outside of studying or significant events from your past. My past? Sure, Ive seen some things(Photo: wikimedia/Dukeofsully3) The important thing is to communicate something about you as a person. Writing about challenges you’ve overcome, for instance, could help to show that you’re resourceful when faced with a problem. 2. Aims and Objectives As well as your education so far, your personal statement should include something about your aims and objectives. In the short term these might be directly related to the course you’re applying to study, but you should also consider how your studies fit into a long-term career plan. Applicant: I want to study marine biology so I can fulfill my long-term ambition to become Lobster Santa.College admissions officer: Welcome aboard! 3. Do Your Research While you can use a template to save time when making several applications, each personal statement you write should be tailored to the specific college to which you’re applying. Taking a look at the school’s website is a good start, as you should be able to find information about the course and faculty there. You could also contact a faculty member to ask about the program, which could help you explain why you want to study there in particular. 4. Show Off! In a personal statement, you need to sell yourself as a student, focusing on what makes you a better choice than the other candidates. It therefore never hurts to show off your subject knowledge and achievements. Don’t go into too much depth, as it’s also important that your personal statement is concise and easy to read. But mentioning specific research interests and any personal qualities that you think would make you a valuable addition to the school community is a great approach. Im mostly interested in heliospheric space plasmas, but I also make a mean mojito. 5. Redrafting and Proofreading Since your personal statement is all about making a good first impression, perfecting and proofreading it before submitting your application is vital. As such, after you’ve written a first draft, take some time away before making revisions. This will help you to spot mistakes you might otherwise miss, helping to maximize your statements impact.

Free Essays on Gandhi

"Nonviolence in its dynamic condition means conscious suffering. It does not mean a meek submission to the will of the evil-doer, but it means pitting one’s whole soul against the will of the tyrant" Mohatma Gandhi "An eye for an eye makes everybody blind" summarizes Gandhi’s view of violence. That statement is one of the greatest things ever said, and was borrowed by other world leaders including Martin Luther King Jr. Gandhi did not believe in violence as a technique of achieving his goal of an independent India. He preached non-violent non cooperation. Gandhi considered non-violent non cooperation as requireing more courage and dedication then violence. Through the methods he used in his campaign for the Free India he proved the previous statement to be true. Many people would find "non-violence in its dynamic condition" ironic. By the word non-violence Gandhi did not mean mere ignorance of the injustices that came upon his people, He supported active non cooperation, organizing non-violent marches and other events to protest the unfairness of the British occupation of India. In the salt marches Gandhi protested the British monopoly on salt and the salt tax Indians had to pay. He tried to a provoke violent a response from the colonial government. Such a response would show him to the world as a victim and not a tyrant. This approach would expose the British injustice and would get the world’s public opinion on hGandhi’s side. As a result, even the English people supported his independence movement. Gandhi’s non-violent non cooperation required much more bravery and devotion then violent techniques used by some other Indian independence leaders. During a march on a salt plant organized by Gandhi, men stood in line to approach the guards. When they approached, the men stood defenseless, while the guards beat them with sticks. As the beaten men were carried away new ones came for... Free Essays on Gandhi Free Essays on Gandhi Many people feel they can change the world and better it for future generations. They try all sorts of ways to change life, and many don’t accomplish their goals. One person who did accomplish his goals was Gandhi. Gandhi took many actions to affect those who were doing wrong. But did Gandhi accomplish his goals when he wanted to? Did Gandhi accomplish his goals at all? I feel Gandhi did accomplish his goals, but not in his lifetime. Born Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi in 1869, the world’s greatest man was born. Gandhi went to school in England to become a lawyer. He was trained in formal law, and was classically trained. His education in law made him a diligent thinker. He then established a law practice in Bombay with little success. Two years later he joined an Indian firm. This firm retained him as a legal advisor in Durban. Arriving in Durban, Gandhi found himself treated as though part of an inferior race. He was appalled at the widespread denial of civil liberties and political rights to Indian immigrants in South Africa. He threw himself into the struggle for elementary rights for Indians. He used his training when forming his beliefs. â€Å"The things that will destroy us are: Politics without principle; Pleasure without conscience; Wealth without work; Knowledge without character; Business without morality; Science without humanity, And worship without sacrifice.†1 Gandhi spent the next twenty years of his life in South Africa, being imprisoned many a time. Why was he imprisoned do you ask? Well, this is where you can find out. Gandhi became a freedom fighter for Indians, minus the fighting of course. Well, sort of, Gandhi had been attacked and beaten many times by the white South Africans. He then formed his idea of passive resistance to, and noncooperation with, the South African authorities. â€Å"Make waves, not war†2 He gained inspiration to be a passive resister from the writer Leo Tolstoy, Gandhi’s greatest influenc... Free Essays on Gandhi This essay will explain the correlation between observations made of the movie Gandhi and personal interpretations of the Bhagavad-Gita. I believe Gandhi practiced Karma Yoga, or the path to God through work. We will explore the concept as stated in The Worlds Religions, written by Huston Smith, â€Å"†¦The drive to work is psychological rather than economic† in this essay. The movie â€Å"Gandhi† showed a young attorney, named Gandhi, was a victim of discrimination at the hands of the South African people. Gandhi vowed to fight injustices caused by discrimination through peaceful demonstrations and defiance of laws found to be unjust. Gandhi immersed himself in his movement (work) by organizing many peaceful demonstrations and strikes as well as developing a newspaper designed to spread the word of the injustices to all. Gandhi defied the Bhagavad-Gita by denouncing the caste system taught throughout the Hindu religion and did all work to show that one man’s job is as important as another’s. Gandhi believed that everybody would do the work regardless of their caste or class. Gandhi made several statements during the movie to reinforce my belief that he was following Karma Yoga. Gandhi said â€Å"Happiness comes from work and from pride in that work†, â€Å"be prepared to die for injustices†, and â€Å"know your duty† In the Bhagavad-Gita there are several passages that allude to what I believe Gandhi was striving for. Passage 3.16 states â€Å"He who fails to keep turning the wheel thus set in motion has damaged the working of the world and has wasted his life†. I believe this passage alludes to Gandhi’s stubbornness and persistence when it came to accomplishing the goals set for him. Many times during the film it was shown that Gandhi would rather give his life, through fasting and civil non-compliance, than fail at his work. I also believe that Gandhi came to the realization of another passage in the Bhagavad-Gita, 3.... Free Essays on Gandhi Preeminent leader of Indian nationalism and prophet of nonviolence in the 20th cent. Gandhi grew up in a home steeped in religion, and he took for granted ahimsa (noninjury to all living beings) and religious tolerance. He studied law in England, but, too diffident to make a successful lawyer, he ended up taking a job with an Indian firm in S. Africa. There he became an effective advocate for Indian rights. In 1906 he first put into action satyagraha, his technique of nonviolent resistance. His success in S. Africa had given him an international reputation by the time he returned to India in 1914, where within a few years he had become the leader of a nationwide struggle for Indian home rule. By 1920 he commanded influence hitherto unattained by any political leader in India. He refashioned the Indian National Congress into an effective political instrument of Indian nationalism and undertook major campaigns of nonviolent resistance in 1920-22, 1930-34 (incl. his momentous march to t he sea to collect salt to protest a government monopoly), and 1940-42. In the 1930s he also campaigned against discrimination against India's untouchable class and concentrated on educating rural India and promoting cottage industry. India achieved dominion status in 1947, but the fact that the country was partitioned into India and Pakistan was a great disappointment to Gandhi, who had long worked for Hindu-Muslim unity. In September 1947 he ended rioting in Calcutta by fasting. In January 1948 he was shot down by a young Hindu fanatic. Gandhi won the affection and loyalty of millions and became known to all as the Mahatma, or great soul.... Free Essays on Gandhi To be measured as one of the most influential men that have graced the planet with his presence is one of the most crowning achievements a person’s memory can have. Gandhi left such a legacy in which he can be considered one of these chosen few. Gandhi was a simple man, a man of God, a man of himself, and most importantly a man of the people. His sole purpose in his latter part of life was to achieve what every person on the planet deserves and must demand, self rule. Though Gandhi’s messages were very clear and clean cut, the way he went about coming to the conclusions he did was quite intriguing and at times confusing to the average person I imagine. Throughout his life, Gandhi surrounded himself with religious people, Christians, Hindus, and Muslims alike, and he was capable of doing something a vast majority of the world has not been able to do for thousands of years; see all religions and people as equal no matter what. His purpose of life can be best described as a lifelong mission to bring about change in society, a change in government, social order, and religious toleration. The reason I believe that Gandhi was so proficient in getting Indian and just people to follow his teachings were that he was not out to rule a country. His purpose was not to tenet vast lands, reform a church, or invent anything†¦ it was simply to bring the civil liberties that should be given to all beings to the people of his native land of India. Gandhi’s journey in becoming the man he was before being tragically murdered was one of great self-revelation and reinvention. At a somewhat early age Mohandas more or less sold out to the British Empire. He shredded his native heritage and began learning their laws, their ways, and in their country, England. Becoming a lawyer at first could definitely be seen as the ultimate sell out, but in fact it paved the way for his understanding of rights and liberties he later taught. The man tha... Free Essays on Gandhi "Nonviolence in its dynamic condition means conscious suffering. It does not mean a meek submission to the will of the evil-doer, but it means pitting one’s whole soul against the will of the tyrant" Mohatma Gandhi "An eye for an eye makes everybody blind" summarizes Gandhi’s view of violence. That statement is one of the greatest things ever said, and was borrowed by other world leaders including Martin Luther King Jr. Gandhi did not believe in violence as a technique of achieving his goal of an independent India. He preached non-violent non cooperation. Gandhi considered non-violent non cooperation as requireing more courage and dedication then violence. Through the methods he used in his campaign for the Free India he proved the previous statement to be true. Many people would find "non-violence in its dynamic condition" ironic. By the word non-violence Gandhi did not mean mere ignorance of the injustices that came upon his people, He supported active non cooperation, organizing non-violent marches and other events to protest the unfairness of the British occupation of India. In the salt marches Gandhi protested the British monopoly on salt and the salt tax Indians had to pay. He tried to a provoke violent a response from the colonial government. Such a response would show him to the world as a victim and not a tyrant. This approach would expose the British injustice and would get the world’s public opinion on hGandhi’s side. As a result, even the English people supported his independence movement. Gandhi’s non-violent non cooperation required much more bravery and devotion then violent techniques used by some other Indian independence leaders. During a march on a salt plant organized by Gandhi, men stood in line to approach the guards. When they approached, the men stood defenseless, while the guards beat them with sticks. As the beaten men were carried away new ones came for... Free Essays on Gandhi In today’s society, violence is a common resolution to conflicts between individuals and the super powers of the world like, America and Afghanistan. Gandhi, a popular philosopher on the ideals of non-violence, could and should be used in society today so all would benefit. Gandhi’s principles of non-violence, if applied to the lives of more people would create a peaceful, more equal and safe society for everyone. They would insure that violence would not be the common resolution. A rational and non-violent way is possible, if it were to be more rigorously applied. Gandhi’s ideals of non-violence should and must be applied in today’s world, if society desires to be a happy, peaceful environment. Non-violent means of resolution is rational and possible. People must see that violence is not the key and it solves virtually nothing. Violence, as a resolution, only brings out hatred and resentment between the conflicting parties, even after conflicts have ended. When Osama Bin Laden commanded the planes to crash into the World Trade Centre to prove his point that America must stop Americanizing other countries, nothing was accomplished. The action only brought more violence and the destruction of the innocent. The event only caused great hatred for not only Osama but towards Afghanistan as well, â€Å"Mankind has to get out of violence only through non-violence. Hatred can be overcome only by love. Counter-hatred only increases the surface as well as the depth of hatred, II-97† (pg.32). Such tragedies could have been a voided if the non-violent method was applied. Non-violence is an action that must be acquired to promote true and absolute peace, â€Å"Peace will never come until the great powers courageously decide to disarm themselves, I-176† (Gandhi on Non-Violence pg.53). Peace must be achieved through the use of rational arguments where a happy medium is to be met, rather than an aggressive method to prove one is... Free Essays on Gandhi Mahatma Gandhi Gandhi was an influential figure in our society. He taught many people about equal rights, honoring their neighbors, and peace and tranquility. Although at times his actions were deemed unbelievable and insane nevertheless, they were effective. In my essay I will be discussing the history of Mohandas Gandhi; the actions he bestowed and took to accomplish freedom for India; and how Mohandas finally obtained freedom for India. Gandhi also known as Mahatma Gandhi was born in the present state of Gujarat on October 2, 1869. He was educated in law at University College, London. In 1891, after Gandhi was admitted to the British bar, he returned to India and attempted to create a law practice in Bombay, which failed. Two years after his failure and India firm with interests in South Africa hired him as a legal adviser to work in their office in Durban. Once Gandhi arrived in Durban he found himself being treated as a member of an inferior race. He was shocked at the denial of civil liberties and political rights to Indian immigrants to South Africa. He then â€Å"threw† himself into the struggle for basic rights for Indians. Gandhi stayed in South Africa for 20 years, being imprisoned many times. In 1896, after being attacked and beaten by white South Africans, Gandhi began to teach a method of â€Å"passive resistance,† to, the South African authorities. Part of the inspiration for this method came from the Russian writer Leo Tolstoy. Christ and Henry David Thoreau, a 19th century American writer, also inspired Gandhi. In 1914 the government of the Union of South Africa made important concessions to Gandhi's demands. They included recognition of Indian marriages and abolition of the poll tax for them. When his work is South Africa was complete he returned to India. Following World War I, Gandhi launched his movement of passive resistance to Great Britain. In 1919, the British Parliament pa... Free Essays on Gandhi Indira Gandhi, Sonya Gandhi, Mother Theresa, Annie Besant... What do all these people in common? Yes these are women, but they're also from India. The clothing that they wear effects the nation’s reactions towards her. One piece of clothing that shows a great deal of symbolism is the sari. The sari, in many cultures, aids the famous and soon to be famous. The sari is a long piece of clothing that women wear around the house, outside, regular occasions and also on very special occasions. The sari is usually about 6 yards in length and fits the whole body more than once. It is worn by wrapping the sari around the waist, then adding pleats and then finally shaping the shawl to put over the shoulder. The many famous women of India include Indira Gandhi, Sonya Gandhi, Mother Theresa and Annie Besant. Indira Gandhi was the first female Prime Minister if India. Because Gandhi is a prominent part in the freedom movement, she was in prison for nine months. Her Gandhi was assassinated when her two personal Sikh bodyguards turned against her, Her assassination caused riots that were hard to calm. (Indira, 1) Sonya Gandhi was a congressional leader that ruled in extreme power in the noble country of India. Mother Theresa was a missionary that went through all of India to aid the less fortunate. She offered food, clothing and money to the countle ss poverty stricken citizens. Mother Theresa was a God fearing and was the Hilary Clinton of today. Annie Besant was a theosophist, author and Indian leader. Her informative and inspirational stories inspire many of the younger children to aim for success. All these women play or have played a crucial role in India. Not only that, but also all these women are robed in a beautiful sari that has more than a meaning than a 6-yard piece of clothing. The sari is the symbolism for success. Ladies like Gandhi, Besant, and Mother Theresa are role models to the inspired young ladies that each carry a little bit o... Free Essays on Gandhi 1. â€Å"In non-violence the bravery consists in dying, not in kill.† I-265 I think that Gandhi is trying to make a very clear point that human beings often miss. He states that bravery is dying, not in killing. A violent act against an enemy could make you feel brave; that one fought for what he/she believed in and killed. Gandhi, using non-violent acts to get through to people thinks dying is more honorable if done non-violently then actually killing someone. I agree with Gandhi in the sense that people should not feel brave when they kill. It is so easy to pick up a gun and kill someone, but it so much braver to die for something you believe in and keep peace among people. Gandhi truly believes that he would rather die making his point and being brave in that sense, then killing someone out of hatred. This statement is applicable to the modern world. We often lose track of dignity and pride and feel or act brave for the wrong reason. Soldiers that go into combat to defend our country are very brave. They are called upon by America to protect our country. Obviously there are going to be acts of violence, however in these circumstances the act of bravery is extended. I also think that the soldiers who do kill do not feel brave for the kill, rather than they feel brave for honoring our country and actually protecting it. 2. â€Å"Imperfect as I am, I started with imperfect men and women and sailed on an uncharted ocean.† I-396 Gandhi admits to being imperfect, which is appropriate. He is saying he believes in something, and knows he can not change the world. He says he started with imperfect men and women and sailed on an uncharted ocean. I think he means he educated those who would listen to him. There are humans out there that do believe what Gandhi has to say, and his options are unlimited once he has them believing in non-violent acts. I agree with Gandhi in the sense that he states he’s imperfect but still tries to get p... Free Essays on Gandhi Gandhi: A Man with Virtues Gandhi was an influential figure in our society. He taught many people about equal rights, honouring thy neighbour, and peace and tranquillity. Although at times his actions were deemed improbable and insane nevertheless, they were effective. In my essay I will be discussing the history of Mohandis Gandhi; the actions he bestowed and took to accomplish freedom for India; and how Mohandis finally obtained freedom for India. Gandhi, also known as Mahatma Gandhi, was born in the present state of Gujarat on October 2, 1869. He was educated in law at University College, London. In 1891, after Gandhi was admitted to the British bar, he returned to India and attempted to create a law practice in Bombay, which failed. Two years after his failure, and India firm with interests in South Africa hired him as a legal adviser to work in their office in Durban. Once Gandhi arrived in Durban he found himself being treated as a member of an inferior race. He was shocked at the denial of civil liberties and political rights to Indian immigrants to South Africa. He then â€Å"threw† himself into the struggle for basic rights for Indians. Gandhi stayed in South Africa for 20 years, being imprisoned many times. In 1896, after being attacked and beaten by white South Africans, Gandhi began to teach a method of â€Å"passive resistance,† to, the South African authorities. _Part of the inspiration for this method came from the Russian writer Leo Tolstoy. Christ and Henry David Thoreau, a 19th century American writer, also inspired Gandhi. In 1914 the government of the Union of South Africa made important concessions to Gandhi's demands. They included recognition of Indian marriages and abolition of the poll tax for them. When his work is South Africa was complete he returned to India. Following World War I, Gandhi launched his movement of passive resistance to Great Britain. ...

Based on the statement from the Director of Preven Essays - Health

Based on the statement from the Director of Preven Essays - Health Based on the statement from the Director of Prevention and Control of Non Communicable Diseases Ministry of Health, dr Lily Sriwahyuni Sulistyowati t he increase of cigarette consumption in Indonesia has become increasingly uncontrolled . It is proved by the data from The Ministry of Health of Indonesia which shows that the increase of smoker prevalence from 27% in 1995 to 36.3% in 2013. She added that the number of smokers in Indonesia currently reaches 90 million people. B ased on the data , we can conclude that Indonesia is emergency on cigarettes. I t is in line with the fact with the environment around us when we find people smoking everywhere in any places which already become a very common thing. I ronically even in public transport that should be free from cigarette smoke , the non-smokers instead become a minority. The fact above is actually make me frustrate because first, t he high number of smokers is certainly affected the health of individuals and the environment. As is known, a lot of diseases can caused by smoking such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes, stroke, and chronic lung disease. Second the other bad impact is not just on the health but social and economic impacts will also be affected by tobacco consumption and exposure to secondhand smoke. The third is t he city where I lived, Pandeglang regency which known as a beautiful part of Banten province region dominated by mountains and definitely has cool air , now filled with cigarette smoke. Don't you wonder why I said that? It is because I really know what it's like to be a minority among smokers in my own place, for the example when I' m using a public transport I almost can't escape from the cigarette smoke it means that in my city the public transportat ion does not apply the smoking rules, when in fact the government has set the rules related to this case. It regulated on the government regulation of the republic of Indonesia no. 19 year 2003 on the safeguards of cigarettes for health stated in article 22 " Public places, health facilities, workplaces and places that are specifically places for teaching and learning, arena of children's activities, places of worship and public transport are declared non-smoking areas. " Actually the increase of cigarette smoke can be overcome by several ways such as double the price of cigarette and the taxes raised can be used to fund the government programs. So what about the role of us as the society? the smallest thing is that we can tell the dangers of smoking to our nearest person. The other way is we can advocate for governments on the enforcement of cigarette regulations and organize anti-smoking campaigns in our own place.

International Comparison Program(2005) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

International Comparison Program(2005) - Essay Example Therefore one can think of investment in either India or China. I took India as the country to develop new product because cosmetic, especially 100% herbal and vegetarian Lipstick with variety of shades can be a new product that can be developed in an Indian Market. The increasing urbanization and a growth in the number of office workers have resulted in a strong focus on grooming in that country. 65% of the total population of India is below 35 years of age but only around 30% of the women use lipsticks in India, so there is a wide scope to flourish in India. The USP (unique selling proposition) of this product is its attribute of being 100% Herbal and Vegetarian as almost 40% of the total population in India is vegetarian and till now no other company has launched this type of product in the Indian Market. Cosmetics and toiletries have seen tremendous growth in 2007. Growth was partly due to high levels of inflation but volume sales also saw dynamic growth. Rising income levels resulted in lower-income groups being able to afford more cosmetics and toiletries and also saw many trading up from unpackaged to packaged products. Meanwhile, mid- and high-income consumers in urban areas began to seek out value-added mass brands and premium products. India can be taken as the country to sell the product as Indian females are considered an epitome of beauty and they are more and more becoming beauty and fashion conscious. The product that can be marketed is a wide range of cosmetics (100%Vegetarian) especially lipsticks and it can be launched in the Indian market by the name: Zebra For the beautiful Diva in you Indian Culture:- Culture is the manner in which things are performed within a society, community or nation. Culture is not a trait that comes with birth but it is learnt over a span of several years. The major things that can be observed amongst Indian culture are as follows:- The Terpstra and Sarathy Cultural Framework helps marketing managers to assess the cultural nature of an international market. The Eight categories are Language, Religion, Values and Attitudes, Education, Social Organizations, Technology and Material Culture, Law and Politics and Aesthetics. 1. Language: - There are as many as 22 official languages in India. The national language of the country is Hindi and most of the people in the country are quite well versed with English as well owning to the British rule in the country for around 200 years. 2. Religion: India is considered to be a land of unity in diversity. Many religions are practiced in the country including Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, Islamism, Sikhism, Christianity etc. The cow is considered sacred in Hinduism. She is the one who should be worshipped for the various graces She bestows on humanity. 40% of the total population is Vegetarian. 3. Values and Attitude:- Generally people in India have a high regard for their elders. Although traditional roles are changing, especially in urban areas, there are important values shared by most Indian families. Normally, Indians hold family progress, unity and support in high regard throughout their lives. Mostly people live in an extended family, in which every member has their own role, often determined by age and gender. There is typically a head of the family who takes the major decision with respect to the family and his decision is respected by everyone in the family. Elders are supposed to use their experience and wisdom to help guide

Contracts As a Common Phenomenon in the Business Sector Case Study

Contracts As a Common Phenomenon in the Business Sector - Case Study Example Formalities required by law have been reduced and currently, only a few formalities get required. Formalities on signing of deals and putting contracts in writing have been abolished. This has made contracting easier as parties have less legal processes involved when making such contracts. This means that oral agreements are acceptable. However, contracting in this way can be disadvantageous as parties can misinterpret, misunderstand or misremember the terms of the contract (Howells & Schulze 2009, pp.125). In a case where the agreement gets made over the telephone, the terms of the agreements should be put in writing for clear future references. Oral agreements should be summarized in writing to protect the terms of the contract from misinterpretation. In the case provided, some of the agreements made got reached over the phone. It could have been advisable that John puts such an agreement in writing. The law further provides for cases when a contract must be put in writing. This includes a case where a contract contains a guarantee. In John’s case, the agreement did not contain any guarantee. Putting the terms of the agreements in writing was, therefore, not necessary. There are several advantages that come with putting the terms of an agreement in writing. One such advantage is that formal writing is less prone to manipulation and misinterpretation as it is the case with oral agreements. When parties put their agreement in writing, copies can be made and preserved by both parties. Both parties get obliged to follow these agreements. Another advantage is that written agreements have the option of including signatures which commit the parties to that agreement (Howells & Schulze 2009, pp.125). However, considering the nature of

Benefit Law Advice Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Benefit Law Advice - Case Study Example Also included in the conclusion is a finality point emphasizing that social services can have positive impacts or negative impacts on the social lives of those who live with disabilities. Obtaining benefits for DLA or Attendance Allowance can be tricky and confusing for many, especially when it comes to understanding what the different eligibility requirements associated with AA and the possible benefits are. Physical limitations are actually categorized in various ways, which often depend on what the Commissioner confirms as applicable for benefits of AA or not. Obtaining an AA varies from case to case (as was stated) but legislative law in Britain does recognize people as being eligible to receive it if they have a terminal illness, mental handicap, physical limitation, and are otherwise incapacitated due to a terminal prognosis that also included surgical procedures which could lead to limitations in their former routines. However, anyone age 65 or older who has received a prognosis of a terminal illness and only have on average 6 months to live is eligible for AA according to the Benefit's agency (Nosowska 2004, p. 284). Nevertheless, there have been cases where people have actually died while awaiting approval from the Commissioner for AA or DLA assistance (Nosowska 2004, p.286). The case that is being referred to is in regards to 22 elderly women who were diagnosed with terminal cancer. The Commissioner approved them for AA but the wait was so long and the financial burden so heavy that as was stated, a number of them died while waiting for approval to receive the care they needed (Nosowska 2004, p.284). It would seem that the Commissioner could have used a "common sense" perspective to process these 22 women's claims faster, yet did not. Also, one would think that it should have also been obvious that these elderly women were suffering from forms of dementia along with their terminal prognosis which limited their abilities to "function independently". A physical limitation or lack of competence is normally enough for the Commissioner to approve AA, which in these 22 cases it was approved but again the delay in achieving it is what lead t o the adversities in health for some of the women (Ariotti 1999, p. 216). When the view switches to individual assessments on personal capabilities in regards to lifting and muscle strength there are also an innumerable amount of variables that are weighed and considered. The Commissioners decision to change the original "lift and carry" assessment has proven to make a great difference when professionals are trying to determine whether an individual has the ability to perform work related duties or not. There have been specific cases in the past that have affected the Commissioner's decision to reform article 8 in the personal capability assessment procedures (Benefits and Work UK 2004). For example, due to a historic case known as "Howker", definite changes were found to be needed because some of the physical assessments in the testing were shown to have placed individuals in far worse conditions than before they were even assessed (Benefits and Work UK 2004). Also, it would appear that the wrong questions were

International Relations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 9

International Relations - Essay Example Whereas some of these developed countries have benefitted from China’s economic transition, certain developed world economies have expressed concern about china’s rapid economic growth. The mar0ket liberalization has been the cause of disagreement among the developed economies that read malice from China’s rapid advancements in terms transitions within the economic paradigms. One of the most interested parties in the case of China’s advancing economic might is the United States of America. Realistically, the rate at which China is developing its economy is a threat to U.S. its economic transition is not good for the country. For instance, according to Pew Research Center, the last one year has seen China’s economy grow at the rate of 7% compared to the U.S dwindling 2-3% growth. Secondly, most of the developing countries have expressed strong desires to work with China as their major trading partner. They have opened their markets for china’s goods and services. This wave of the â€Å"East economy† is affecting the U.S, previously considered the economic powerhouse (Goldstein et al, 465). The Pew Research center also indicated that many Americans have registered their dissatisfaction with the way China’s economic rise and its stands to affect the U.S economy. The Obama administration for instance, filed a complaint against china for subsidizing the exports of the automotive alongside undercutting the American suppliers (Goldstein et al. 467). During the heated campaigns of the U.S 2012 elections, Mitt Romney took a soli9d stand against Chin, promising to label China â€Å"A currency manipulator† and impose high tariffs on China’s goods to the U.S. While this would mean that China’s market in the U.S would be reduced, the prospects would be that it might not stop China from making more transitions even though U.S provides its largest markets. The mercantilist approach may not work effectively

E potfolio Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

E potfolio - Essay Example Consequently, developments in information systems also involve social and political relationships-and thus ethical consideration in how information is used is all the more important. Government records, workplaces and private lives of the people are within the reach of the system and it is a vital responsibility now to balance the needs and rights of everyone. While everything with online security systems seems very user friendly and tends to make life easier for a management team, there is also a significantly dangerous side to the use of online information systems. One of them happens to be cyber crime. Typically, cyber crime can be divided into four categories; theft, fraud, copyright infringement and attacks. With the popularization of the internet and its several weak links, hackers find it possible to break into security systems where they have access to a person's key personal data such as social security numbers, date of birth, driver's license numbers and credit card informa tion. Affected individuals have experienced fraudulent financial transactions, and false accusations of crimes they have never committed which begin showing against their names on their personal record files. Information systems are vulnerable to physical attacks, electronic hacking, viruses and natural disasters.

LONG-TERM OBJECTIVES Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

LONG-TERM OBJECTIVES - Essay Example Executives of companies consider the long-term objectives before deciding the necessary organizational changes. Since objectives have timelines, they serve as guidelines for the organization to determine the strategies used to achieve them. Executive teams involved in strategic planning should differentiate between value disciplines, generic and grant strategies if they seek to gain competitive advantage. Notably, generic strategies denote the ideas that an organization can use to have an advantage over competitors in the market. Three different generic strategies exist. They include low-cost leadership, differentiation, and focus differentiation (Dye & Sibony, 2007). Low-cost leadership involves the reduction of the cost of production. Since a company registers lower production costs, it can offer standard products at relatively lower prices than competitors can. Differentiation involves the improvement of product features in an effort to add value to the customers. Differentiation may result in premium prices for the products. Focus differentiation targets a specific market segment. Companies that indulge in the focus differentiation design unique products that can satisfy the needs and expectations of an identified target market that can pay premium prices. On the other hand, value disciplines include operational excellence, customer intimacy, and product leadership. Finally, executives should give considerations to grant strategies, which denote the basic directions that they should follow in making strategic decisions (Ali, 2014). Understanding the difference between value disciplines, generic and grant strategies are of critical importance when companies seek to gain competitive

International Relations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 9

International Relations - Essay Example Whereas some of these developed countries have benefitted from China’s economic transition, certain developed world economies have expressed concern about china’s rapid economic growth. The mar0ket liberalization has been the cause of disagreement among the developed economies that read malice from China’s rapid advancements in terms transitions within the economic paradigms. One of the most interested parties in the case of China’s advancing economic might is the United States of America. Realistically, the rate at which China is developing its economy is a threat to U.S. its economic transition is not good for the country. For instance, according to Pew Research Center, the last one year has seen China’s economy grow at the rate of 7% compared to the U.S dwindling 2-3% growth. Secondly, most of the developing countries have expressed strong desires to work with China as their major trading partner. They have opened their markets for china’s goods and services. This wave of the â€Å"East economy† is affecting the U.S, previously considered the economic powerhouse (Goldstein et al, 465). The Pew Research center also indicated that many Americans have registered their dissatisfaction with the way China’s economic rise and its stands to affect the U.S economy. The Obama administration for instance, filed a complaint against china for subsidizing the exports of the automotive alongside undercutting the American suppliers (Goldstein et al. 467). During the heated campaigns of the U.S 2012 elections, Mitt Romney took a soli9d stand against Chin, promising to label China â€Å"A currency manipulator† and impose high tariffs on China’s goods to the U.S. While this would mean that China’s market in the U.S would be reduced, the prospects would be that it might not stop China from making more transitions even though U.S provides its largest markets. The mercantilist approach may not work effectively

LONG-TERM OBJECTIVES Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

LONG-TERM OBJECTIVES - Essay Example Executives of companies consider the long-term objectives before deciding the necessary organizational changes. Since objectives have timelines, they serve as guidelines for the organization to determine the strategies used to achieve them. Executive teams involved in strategic planning should differentiate between value disciplines, generic and grant strategies if they seek to gain competitive advantage. Notably, generic strategies denote the ideas that an organization can use to have an advantage over competitors in the market. Three different generic strategies exist. They include low-cost leadership, differentiation, and focus differentiation (Dye & Sibony, 2007). Low-cost leadership involves the reduction of the cost of production. Since a company registers lower production costs, it can offer standard products at relatively lower prices than competitors can. Differentiation involves the improvement of product features in an effort to add value to the customers. Differentiation may result in premium prices for the products. Focus differentiation targets a specific market segment. Companies that indulge in the focus differentiation design unique products that can satisfy the needs and expectations of an identified target market that can pay premium prices. On the other hand, value disciplines include operational excellence, customer intimacy, and product leadership. Finally, executives should give considerations to grant strategies, which denote the basic directions that they should follow in making strategic decisions (Ali, 2014). Understanding the difference between value disciplines, generic and grant strategies are of critical importance when companies seek to gain competitive

Ethics of Peer to Peer downloading and Sharing Essay Example for Free

Ethics of Peer to Peer downloading and Sharing Essay Abstract In the short time that computers and internet have existed in the modern era, the world has seen a complete 360 degree turn and in the various forms of electronic entertainment that people all over the world are now using. In the days before CD’s, DVD’s and the internet, not much was said if a vinyl album (remember these?), VHS cassette (or these?) or an audio cassette was loaned to a friend for their listening / viewing pleasure, but today with the availability of sending an email with three or four megabytes (mb) of information, one can enjoy a borrowed song but is assumed that it is piracy or stealing. Is this a fair assumption? This Author will not give his opinion but rather discuss both sides of the Peer to Peer (P2P) downloading and sharing issues and let the reader form their own opinions. Peer downloading and Sharing: Definition and History â€Å"Peer-to-Peer† technology, what is meant when this phrase is mentioned in the world of electronic entertainment or computers? Usually in today’s environment, this phrase has a negative connotation assigned to it, but this phrase deserves a deeper investigation into all aspects of the concept. Peer-to-Peer technology is defined by the textbook of this class as â€Å"technology which permits easy transfer of files over the Internet by large numbers of strangers without a centralized system or service.† (Baase, 2008) When this definition is read, does it imply an impartial connotation or is the definition insinuating that this technology is wrong without some form of centralized system or service? Who knows? This is up to the reader to decide, but much probably depends on the readers personal opinion on the matter. With the textbook’s definition stated, what is actually meant by P2P technology? In Basic English, P2P technology is the ability share / loan / give an electronic file of any sort, be it music, software, video or documents, with anyone that is logged onto to the same server or network as the person in possession of the file. Another important definition that needs to be stated is that of â€Å"Copyrights.† Copyrights are defined by the Merriam-Webster online dictionary as â€Å": the exclusive legal right to reproduce, publish, sell, or distribute the matter and form of something (as a literary, musical, or artistic work)† (Merriam-Webster 2011) Again in Basic English this translates to that the original owner of a product has all rights to make profits from their product or service. But, there is always a but, as this definition does not state, do these legal rights apply to the sharing of a product or service and thereby not making a profit from the product? There seems to be two main questions that need to be answered and they are: 1) What is the legal definition of â€Å"sharing?† and 2) What is the legal definition of â€Å"making a profit?† It would seem that until someone legally defines these, this will be the never ending question that will continue plague the electronic world of entertainment. These two questions will be discussed later in this document. As with many things in life and technology, when these ideas and concepts were initially invented or designed, apparently these people did not look to the future and what may become of these ideas or designs. When the initial copyright law was passed in 1790, computers, MP3’s and various other forms of electronic technology did not exist and this law only covered books, maps and charts and protected them for 14 years. (Baas, 2008) It wasn’t for almost 130 years that the US Congress updated the law to include photos, sound recording, and movies but again nothing is done to define profit or sharing as it relates to this topic of conversation. As time has passed, various countries, including the USA, have passed and enforced stricter laws, mostly in favor of the entertainment industry. i.e. copyright infringement, illegal sharing of copyrighted material, and profiting from copyrighted material. All of these examples seem very similar but in reality they have some very fine differences that if you ask any judge to define, you may end up with as many different answers from each different judge asked. This is where the dilemma starts. As time has passed and technologies have become available to the average people of the world, including those with lesser amounts of disposable money, the ability to â€Å"share or loan† electronic material has become increasingly popular. The question still remains in the mind of this author; what is the difference between sharing and audio cassette with a friend and sharing an MP3 that has been legally copied from disk or downloaded from Itunes? In the eyes of many people, there is not a difference in these two concepts. In the eyes of many, the concept of sharing a MP3 is that same as sharing a cassette but has followed the theory of evolution and grown from the era of physical items, like cassettes, and evolved to the electronic media market. This sharing concept brings forth another question. Why did music industry and other various media companies not try to enforce the existing laws when it was only video and audio cassettes? Could it be that â€Å"back in the day†, the number of cassettes / albums being shared were not near the numbers of electronic media being shared today? This seems to be the probable answer because to share a cassette or album there needs to be some form of physical contact between the two participants and to share electronic media the two participants can be miles apart and only need a computer with internet or email access. Back in the day, the amounts of profits lost were not worth the legal fees to fight the practice of â€Å"Sharing. Present Day Operations So now let’s jump to the present day and discuss the practice of Sharing as it is being practiced today. By present day, it is to include the modern era of computers and the Internet. With the invention of the Internet, CD’S, DVD’s and other forms of electronic technologies came to associated people that would eventually try to use these inventions to their fullest extent. This too included the sharing of files, music and software. Napster was one of the first agencies to openly advertise that you could â€Å"share† files with their P2P software. What happened? According to History.com, Napster began operation in 2000 and by later in the year, some 60 million users were freely â€Å"sharing electronic media of various forms. This is where the modern practice of enforcing the existing versions of copyright laws was being challenged in court. Napster, as it originally operated, only lasted for about a year and a half before the legal eagles of the media industry came at them with a vengeance and essentially shut them down. These lawyers, representing just about all aspects of the music industry, â€Å"filed suit against the company, alleging vicarious copyright infringement under the U.S. Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1996.† (history.com) Although Napster continued to exist in various forms since 2000, after going legit, they just have not had the same impact on the P2P world that they had back then. As of 30 Nov 2011 Napster, who was owned by Best Buy, has been sold to Rhapsody in an effort to increase Rhapsody leading music subscriber database. (cnnmoney.com. 2011) Along the same time as the Napster rise and fall, other P2P companies were trying to find every legal loop hole to be able to continue operating without worry of legal action from these media moguls. These companies included, but were not limited to Grokster, Kazaa and the nearly legal Limewire. Throughout the years that followed, these companies tried every possible exception to the laws to circumvent the laws but in the end even Limewire was shut down by the US Gov’t. In the past, when you loaded Limewire’s website, their page was loaded with ads, software download links and various other stuff, but now all you get is the official seal of the US Justice department and a warning that you are trying to access a seized webpage and/or to stop distributing their P2P software. What is interesting now is that the P2P software industry and music / movie are not the only ones trying to stop the use of computers and the internet to share files, now TV moguls are also trying to jump on this bandwagon. In recent years, websites and various users have been streaming live sporting events to the internet via their personal paid cable TV services such as Comcast or DirectTV. The websites included rojadirecta and ahdte, but again if you visit these sites you will be met with the justice department seal and a disclaimer saying they have been seized and shutdown for illegal operations such as copyright infringement. The question now is what is considered ownership of the pay per view service? For example, if customer A uses the pay per view option on his/her cable box, does he/she now own the program and therefore has the right to reproduce the item as they see fit? Or, do they still have to obey the original reproduction laws. Another concept is this. If Customer A purchases the right to view a program and then puts said program available for viewing by friends that visit his/her house, is this copyright infringement? The list of questions goes on and on. If customer A purchases the right to view the program and then chooses to stream the program to a free and public website, can others log onto this website, view the program and not be guilty of breaking any laws. Although there may be some ethical and moral questions to answer for, these do not affect the legality of this arena. Customer A did not make a profit by streaming the program to a free website. Customer A did allow friends to view a program that by legal intention of the law was for the viewing of customer A only. Viewing live streaming is not the exact same as that of P2P sharing of files but does have the same implications. Someone is receiving a product or service that was not paid for, At least this is what the media industry would like the legal system to believe. In the 2011 it would appear that the media industry is winning the legal battles, albeit they are having much more success within the USA than other parts of the world. This is especially true in the more disadvantaged countries. This author will use his current country of Colombia, South America as an example. Here it is very common place to purchase or download shared versions of music, movies and computer software. Why is this? Quite frankly this is a poor country and without these shared versions of these products, people here could not afford any of these products at regular corporate pricing. After experiencing the technological environment here, one can understand why the â€Å"shared† file industry is so important. Ethical Questions So! Many views and examples have been shown for both sides of the P2P and file sharing argument. Now the questions need to be presented as to what laws are actually being violated. The media industry would have you believe that by sending a legally purchased MP3, for example, to a friend for their listening pleasure, that both parties are now breaking the copyright laws for that artist. Furthermore, the media industry wants you to think that if you would not have shared this MP3 with your friend, then this friend would have to go to a store and purchase this same song on a disk. The general public counters these arguments with these answers. The persons sharing the MP3, would argue that they are not violating the law because they are only sharing the music with each other and neither party is making a profit off the item and that by sharing the item first, one can make an informed decision on whether to spend more money for the entire disk or possibly only purchase the single. These same arguments apply to almost all portions of the P2P file sharing industry and live streaming of television events as well. Conclusion Basically it comes down to this. The media industries want to continue receiving and growing their profits and the general public would things for the lowest possible price. Whether or not to use P2P file sharing technology or view live event streaming on computers will always be a moral and ethical question that only one person can answer. That person is, the person that is deciding whether to use the P2P technology or not and will always be a personal issue that each and every one that uses these technologies will have live with. Everyone will have to answer this for themselves. References Baase, S. (2008). A gift of fire. (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.Microsoft Server and Cloud Platform (N.D.). Windows Server 2008 R2, Retrieved Merriam-webster online dictionary (2011) Definition of copyright. Retrieved from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/copyright History channel (N. D.). The death spiral of Napster begins Retrieved from http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-death-spiral-of-napster-begins CNN Money(N.D.), Today is Napsters last day of existence, Retrieved from http://money.cnn.com/2011/11/30/technology/napster_rhapsody/index.htm