Review Of The Remembered Village - 1189 Words

Book Review Of Mysoore Narsimhachar Srinivas’ â€Å"The Remembered Village† by Ashmik Pratik Roll No.142241006 M.A. Development Studies [Dept.:-HSS] Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati (IIT-G) The Remembered Village by M.N.Srinivas was first published in 1976.From then till date, it has been deemed as a classic for sociologists and social anthropologists alike. In this book, he deals in details the social nuances and social dynamics of the various castes, genders and religion in a village called Rampura in the Mysore area in Karnataka state in Modern India. The naming of the book has an incredible story attached to it. All three copies of his work was burnt in a fire and so he had to redo hi work based on reminiscences and burnt fragments of his work, hence the name â€Å"The Remembered Village†. The novel like fluidity of these 365 odd pages of this first hand ethnographic report is like an exotic vicarious journey that one experiences rather than labyrinthine ordeal. It is like a romantic story of meeting a village, falling in love with it , learning a lot from it, then moving on as one does in life yet still get reminded of its nuances every time in life. The book is precisely divided into three distinct parts. The first three chapters of the books tells us a lot and it precisely sets the base for further penetration. Srinivas elaborates to us us how he selected Rampura, selfishly and partially as an emotional desire to uncover his own origins and also because it fit mostShow MoreRelatedThe Lottery By Shirley Jackson811 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"Although the villagers had forgotten the ritual and lost the original black box, they still remembered to use stones†. During 1948, promptly world war II ,â€Å"The Lottery† was published by Shirley Jackson. The story was true expression of Jackson’s genuine thoughts about human beings and their heinous competence in an annual village event for corn harvest . First, her used to word symbolized main point of the story. Second, Jackson was inspired by few historical events happened in the past andRead MoreWitchcraft Hysteria Of Salem, Massachusetts891 Words   |  4 Pagessplit up into two distinctly separate settlements. The village of Salem was characterized by farmers who depended heavily, if not exclusively, on agriculture for their livelihoods. The town of Salem, as it was situated on the water, was comprised primarily of well-off merchants. The two technically made up the same town, but it was as if there was a boundary line separating them. This divide was not just one of housing; the incomes of the village and the town were vastly different. The town inhabitantsRead MoreMemoirs of a Geisha Review1273 Words   |  6 PagesBook Review   in History 2 Memoirs of a Geisha Date: January 6, 2011 Summary Well done! I couldn’t say more. This is one of the greatest master pieces ever written. The alluring literary book of Arthur Golden’s Memoirs of Geisha has totally hit the rock! The story of Nitta Sayuri, a very renowned geisha of Japan shared her spiced up childhood and her struggle of becoming a geisha. Taken away from home as young as nine, little Chiyo Sakamoto (Sayuri’s birthRead MoreReasons Behind The Salem Witch Trials1568 Words   |  7 Pagestime progressed and the farms became more thoroughly settled and the land passed to second and third generations, some families proved more successful than others. What emerged was a rough hierarchy maintained not by force but by respect. Arranged village marriages patterns created a network of kinship which reinforced this hierarchy (Hoffer 41). The Puritan community had zero tolerance for many things, such as; gossiping, cheating and lying, they were strictly religious people. Originally, rumorsRead MoreChinua Achebe s Things Fall Apart1719 Words   |  7 Pagesevery neighbor some money and a few cowries to an extensive amount. As a result, Okonkwo is ashamed of his father and becomes an overly ambitious and aggressive man who despises anything that reminds him of his father. In Umuofia; a clan of nine villages that lies deep in Igbo land where Unoka lives, it is expected that a father teach his children right from wrong. Unoka did not upload this tradition with his son Okonkwo. Okonkwo relies on his own analysis of what defines a good man, and to himRead MoreChild of the Dark written by Carolina Maria De Jesus Essay1336 Words   |  6 PagesJesus, is â€Å"A desperate, terrifying outcry from the slums of Sau Paulo† says Newsweek. Testimony written by Victor Montejo is referred to as a â€Å"clear storytelling voice that makes it chillingly human.† Says San Francisco Sun. After reading theses reviews, neither piece of literature, written about 30 years apart gave me any disappointment during reading, besides the disappointment in how humans can treat other humans in such a horrendous way. The books can both be referred to as diaries or journalsRead MoreThings Fall Apart and Chapter1699 Words   |  7 Pagesmen in his village. 2. Page #______ How did Okonkwo bring honor to his village as a young man? 3. Page #______ What other achievements make him an important man? 4. Page #______ Why does Okonkwo have no patience with his own father, Unoka? 5. Page #______ What good qualities does Unoka have, that his son fails to appreciate? Chapter Two 1. Page #______ How does Okonkwo reaffirm his greatness as a warrior to the people of his village? Read MorePlot And Themes Of Madam Bovary1127 Words   |  5 PagesINTRODUCTION TO THE AUTHOR Gustave Flaubert (1821-1880) was a French writer best remembered for his debut novel madam Bovary. Flaubert, as a author, was notoriously a compulsive, avoiding such techniques as clichà © and finding â€Å"le mot juste† (â€Å"the right word†). Flaubert was born in Rouen, the son of a doctor. author began writing as a toddler and was educated at the lyceumin Rouen. In 1840, he emotional to Paris so as to review law, however found the town distasteful. one in every ofthe few folks he metRead MoreGrave of the Fireflies -------- My Personal Reactions1582 Words   |  7 Pagesin a sudden burst of desperation, cries out: Where am I supposed to get food? These two questions stabbed my heart like spears the moment I heard them. These are questions that never really need to be answered but they nevertheless need to be remembered. In the last scene, the ghost of Setsuko lays sleeping comfortably in the lap of her older brother, while he gazes at the night sky over the skyline of a fully modernized city. As one critic elaborates on this last shot, and here I quote, TheyRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book Ramona 1689 Words   |  7 PagesLuiseà ±o tribe members in the book. In the introduction we get a comparison of Alessandro and his t ribe members. Jackson introduces Alessandro and wrote, â€Å"No wonder Alessandro seemed to be the more ignorant and thoughtless young men and women of his village, a cold and distant lad. He was made old before his time. He was carrying in his heart burdens which they knew nothing† (Jackson 53). She is reinforcing the point that Alessandro is different from the normal ignorant and thoughtless members of his

The Debate Over Global Warming Essay - 1249 Words

As the threat posed by global warming continues to mount, there has been much debate over how to stem the rise in global temperatures. Nearly all experts agree that the primary driver of global warming has been human activity. Over the last century and a half, human activity has released immense amounts of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, altering the Earth’s climate. Yet, although there is a pressing need to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels, it is impossible to advocate a return to pre-electric, preindustrial times. Modern life depends of the flow of power, and although we must wean ourselves off of fossil fuels, we must have an alternative source of energy. Although green, renewable energy sources like wind and solar have been hailed as the technologies of the future, they are not yet mature enough to shoulder the burden of being our sole source of energy. Until renewable energy technology advances sufficiently, natural gas can serve as an effective bridge fuel, lessening the toll we are taking on the environment while ensuring that we can meet our energy needs. As fuel sources, solar and wind power seem to be ideal. They are abundant, renewable, and green. Although these are certainly valid points, they do not tell the entire story. While wind and solar energy are indeed abundant, as they are readily accessible nearly everywhere, they are also intermittent. The wind does not always blow and the sun does not always shine. Without someShow MoreRelatedThe Debate Over Global Warming1499 Words   |  6 PagesThe global warming debate has been at the top of the list for environmentalists increasingly over the last twenty years. The controversy of global warming is either considered due to human activity or natural causes. Although the earth’s climate and temperatures have changed, that does not mean it is humanly caused. Despite the pretense linking the association between man and global warming, which is heavily s upported by consensus of scientists, eco-sensitive politicians, and the effort to restrictRead MoreThe Debate over Global Warming1406 Words   |  6 Pagesindustry and production of this age, our population releases environmentally harmful substances like greenhouse gases into the air every day. In recent decades’ findings, these substances have been found to trap heat in the atmosphere over time, contributing to global warming. To cut these emissions completely would bankrupt the world’s struggling, industry-dependent economy. Knowing that this isn’t a threat that will peak in our life time or even the next generation’s causes political progression to moveRead MoreThe Debate Over Global Warming1063 Words   |  5 Pagesclimate change debate has been ongoing for nearly thirty years now, the debate is over the causation(s) of global warming. Temperatures on earth have increased approximately 2.0 °F since the early 20th century. Levels of greenhouse gas es such as carbon dioxide and methane have drastically increased within the atmosphere. Both sides within the debate surrounding global climate change can agree on these points. However; disagree on a number of other possible causations of global warming. Even though thereRead MoreThe Debate Over Global Warming2192 Words   |  9 Pagesown thoughts about global warming, it’s not real or it’s too late for humans to fix the issue, the list goes on. The global warming debate would not be so heated if it didn t involve politics and it just reverted back to simple science. With many people looking to blame someone or something it’s hard for politics and science not to collide. Below i will focus on how politics are lacking in effort to stop global warming between the huge oil companies having more influence over the government, toRead MoreThe Debate Over Global Warming1159 Words   |  5 Pages The date is 450 years into the future. The calendar reads March 1st, 2465. The world is much different than how it was 400, 500 years ago. Your know those warnings scientists have been crying out for years about global warming? Well, they were true, and their effects were much more severe than anticipated†¦ Johanna is 15 years old. She lives in Kansas City, but this Kansas isn’t the one that our readers from the past may know. This Kansas is more like an island, surrounded by water on all sidesRead MoreGlobal Warming: Fallacy or Truth Essays1142 Words   |  5 PagesOver 35 years ago, climatologist Wally Broecker coined the term global warming in a paper outlining the trends that he was noticing with temperature and C02 levels (Stefan). Ever since then, the debate has heated up on the controversy of global warming. Politicians have even used the issue to boost their campaigns. Some question whether the earth’s temperature is rising at an unusual rate. Scientists perform experiments from glacial ice to observe the correlation between carbon dioxide levels andRead MoreGlobal Warming And Its Effects On The World1074 Words   |  5 PagesIt would be a rare week indeed without hearing about global warming on the television or radio, or reading about it in the newspaper or a n online blog. There have been many opinions from an abundance of points of view on the subject. Scientists, politicians, and environmentalists have all weighed in on the debate, and each of them is passionate about their beliefs. Some issues brought about due to global warming are polar ice caps melting, glaciers receding more and more each year, and risingRead MoreGlobal Warming Has Become A National Distraction1071 Words   |  5 PagesIt would be a rare week indeed without hearing about global warming on the television or radio, or reading about it in a magazine or an online blog. There have been many opinions from an abundance of points of view on the subject. Scientists, politicians, and environmentalists have all weighed in on the debate, and each of them is passionate about their beliefs. Some issues brought about due to global warming are polar ice caps melting, glaciers receding more and more each year, and rising oceanRead MoreGlobal Warming: Fact or Fiction1089 Wo rds   |  5 PagesGlobal Warming: Fact or Fiction Lower Capstone – Unit 3 Independent Project Rozlynn Mundy American InterContinental University Online July 4, 2010 Title: Global Warming: Fact or Fiction Abstract Introduction I. Overview of Global Warming A. Signs of global warming a. Support b. Skepticism II. Effects of Global Warming A. Contributors to global a. Manmade b. Natural Summary Abstract The information found in this paper is designed to raiseRead MoreHuman Activity Is Responsible For Our Current Warming Trend1598 Words   |  7 PagesHumans Are To Blame The biggest problem with climate change today is the debate on whether or not human activity is responsible for our current warming trend. According to Jonathon Schuldt (2014:219), around 99.7% of climatologists agree that man-made climate change is a reality, while only 40% of Americans believe that humans are the main driver. This is because we live in societies in which, thanks largely to the internet, everyone is free to express an opinion. On the issue of climate change

Mass Media and Its Influence Free Essays

Mass Media and Its Influence Spoken, written, or broadcast communication whose medium may include television, radio, advertising, movies, newspapers, magazines, books, cell phones and the Internet becomes a mass media that affects our society’s perception of ourselves and others and influences the structures of our society as well as the reactions of the individual. Americans perceive the political, economic, class, educational, and other structures of American society because of, by, and through the media. The American understanding of these structures within its society as well as those structures outside of the United States are manipulated and directed by the media. We will write a custom essay sample on Mass Media and Its Influence or any similar topic only for you Order Now Similarly, the media influences the perceptions of individuals within American society by what and how the media is communicating. The media communicates and influences through the key motivators of our society today: sexual, monetary, and violent images. The most widespread form of this communication media is television, followed by the Internet. With the increased use of computers and multi-media cell phones, the Internet is on the road to exceeding the television as a communication media. How these media venues affect the world in which they operate shows how far and how deep the communications can reach, the speed in which the messages are delivered and accepted, the cultural impact that is experienced. Media has converted individual communication into group communication and has allowed for wonderful advances in civilization. Through mass communication, people groups, organizations, governments, and nations have found the media for the spread of information in business and industry, education, politics, technology and science, medicine and healthcare, weather and climate, and all levels of culture. It is in technology that the media’s most obvious advancements are visible. In addition, the widespread distribution of information has allowed the world to respond to natural disasters, political oppression and exploitation, and in mass multi-national cultural events. In the area of culture, sex is not only a physical motivation in individuals, both male and female; it is also psychological motivation of people. Although, people express it in different cultures differently, the basic human need for sexual expression is one of basics of marketing and advertisement. It motivates sales and sales are best motivated in mass fashion for mass return on investment in massive profits via mass media. All forms of media use the basic instinct to identify a product for sale and manipulate the individual’s perception to cause him or her to identify their individual sexuality with the product. Everyone wants to be sexy, attractive, wanted, desirable, in demand, and therefore, powerful. People will buy whatever they believe or perceive will provide this to them. Similarly, another motivator of power is violence. Whether the perpetrator-the inflictor, or the violated-the victim, there is no doubt about how powerful violence is. It also motivates sales indirectly through the marketing and advertisement of products supporting violent venues such as horror and R-rated films and television shows, sporting events such as boxing, wrestling, and football, war coverage, and the 11 o’clock news shows. The mass media clearly shows that violence motivates power and power motivates violence. The most vulnerable segment of society to the images and messages of mass media are America’s youth. Young people are in a stage of life where they want acceptance by their peers, they want to be desired and loved, and they hope to be successful and powerful. They also seek to explore and express some of the same human motivations as the mature citizen: sex, violence, and power. The children and teenagers of America find all of these elements on the TV. In fact, as Arthur Asa Berger states, â€Å"the amount of time young people spend â€Å"media multi-tasking† has increased from 16% to 26% of media time, the actual amount of time devoted to media use has remained steady, at under just 6 1/2 hours per day (going from 6:19 to 6:21) 0r 44 1/2 hours per week (http://kff. org/entmedia/entmedia030509nr. cfm) (Berger, 12). Television and its self-directed version, cable, allow for the mass influence of these elements in both positive and negative ways. The positive aspects of violence and competition within the socially accepted structures of competitive youth sports and athletics promoted on TV and in video games and equally, in the fashion, dance, and young love seen in sitcoms, movies, and MTV music videos. Conversely, the use of junk foods, cigarettes, drugs, and alcohol combined with irresponsible, casual sex, excessive and explicit violence dominate much of the negative influence of media on America’s youth. Joseph Dominic concludes, â€Å"that youngsters that are heavy TV viewers would display a pattern of beliefs and perceptions consistent with media portrayals (Dominick, 446). Regarding violence in mass media, again the young are exposed to a culture of violence reflected in the media. How the media sells or promotes those perceptions is the â€Å"reality† of the media. From a war somewhere in the world to the wars in someone’s home, the media directs the interpretation of what is necessary, correct, moral, and immoral. From what is happening, is not happening, should happen, might and will happen, and what is and is not the cost the media influences our realities and reactions. This has resulted in Saturday morning cartoons that are as full of shootings, stabbings, explosions, and other forms of violence as is CSI or the nightly news; it has resulted in video games like Grand Theft Auto that allow children to be pretend drug lords, gang members, and pimps; it has promoted murder and abuse as entertainment for the masses. In the case of American youth, the effects of media violence on the developing mind and values of children and the personalities and beliefs of those children are increasingly negative. Aggressive behavior, lawlessness, and distorted views of reality are becoming commonplace among the children of today and mass media is one of the greatest influences. As these children mature into teenagers and young adults, the media blurs the realities of war in their minds and makes entertainment out of both virtual war games and actual wars on this earth. â€Å"More speci? ally, research provides strong evidence that in the short term, exposure to media violence causes increases in children’s, adolescents’, and young adults’ physically and verbally aggressive behavior, as well as in aggression-related variables (such as aggressive thoughts and emotions) that are theoretically linked to aggressive and violent behavior (Anderson et al, 104). The young people of the United Stat es are an identified and targeted demographic of the advertisement industry due to their large discretionary income from family and employment and due to their lack of experience and nowledge combined with an almost insatiable need to experiment and acquire. The use of sex and violence to market to America’s youth, epitomized in the overwhelming success of the book and television series about teenage vampires, Twilight, has become a multi-billion dollar, multi-media industry. The media creates and promotes the ideal image of what is beautiful, desirable and sexy and what are the characteristics of a successful and power person, usually psychological and/or physical violence. Because these two instincts are so universal, primal, and strong, they are almost irresistible advertising vehicles. However, if sex and violence are the vehicles, money is the fuel. Consequently, the purpose of marketing and advertisement is to sell and make money. Mass media sells the belief to a person, young or old, that he or she can attain the characteristics of power, if they can buy the products that the powerful and violent own. It sells them on the belief that they can attain the characteristics of the sexy, if they can buy the products that makes one attractive and desirable–all as they are presented in the movies, TV, Internet or other media. The estimated revenue of all forms of mass media is in the 100’s of billions of dollars. The cost of reality in relation to these perceptions is often much more expensive. An example of some of the more costly areas of influence is in the area of politics. In this area, political offices and careers both are promoted and destroyed. The media has a great influence over public opinion. The media has a huge influence over public opinion as can be seen by the use of opinion polls that it controls and manipulates. The use of polls and news coverage by the media can affect, positively or negatively, candidates and their ideas that, in turn, can change the political control of the nation. In addition, media control shapes the way people see their realities and it has a tremendous impact on our society. The War on Terrorism is a clear example of media influence on American society that resulted in the war in Iraq to stop weapons of mass destruction that did not exist in reality. This example shows how media can use information that is not real to create another reality it chooses. Because media is so powerful, it is owned by the powerful. In the United States, six corporations own 95% of all media nd the money they make are proof of their power: 2009 revenues of General Electric, $157 billion; Walt Disney, $36. 1 billion; News Corp. , $30. 4 billion; Time Warner, $25. 8 billion; Viacom, $13. 6 billion; and CBS, $13 billion (Freepress. net). â€Å"We find that media firms nearly universally have ownership structures with large controlling shareholders and that these shareholders are either families or governments. This evidence is broadly consistent with the ideas that there is large amenity potential (control benefits) associated with owning media–be it political influence or fame† (Djankov et al, 373). What this control costs American citizens in their freedoms and democracy cannot be calculated. In conclusion, the control of the media and its impact on American society, both positively and negatively, is important to the quality of our lives and to the freedoms we believe in. The media appears to be some huge, uncontrollable monster, but in reality, it is made of people just like our government is made of people and our country is made of people. Corporations, companies, governments, media are all people. Therefore, if the negative impacts and influences of media are to be controlled and limited, these people need to be challenged. In order to challenge these people’s influence and control through the media, we must challenge what the media is selling, be it sexual, violent, moneymaking or otherwise. We must begin with ourselves and exercise our control over what we are buying. References Anderson, Craig A. , Leonard Berkowitz, Edward Donnerstein, L. Rowell Huesmann, James D. Johnson, Daniel Linz, Neil M. Malamuth, and Ellen Wartella. â€Å"The Influence of Media Violence on Youth†. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, Vol. 4, No. 3, Dec. 2003. 81-110. Berger, Arthur Asa. 2007. Media and Society: a critical perspective, 2nd ed. (Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield Publishing Inc. ) Djankov, Simon, Caralee McLiesh, Tatiana Nenova, and Andrew Shleifer. 2003. â€Å"Who Owns the Media? † The Journal of Law and Economics. (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. ) 27 Dec. 2010. Dominick, Joseph R. 2010. The Dynamics of Mass Communication: media in transition, 11th ed. (New York, NY: McGraw -Hill) Freepress. net. 2009. (Florence, MA: Free Press and the Free Press How to cite Mass Media and Its Influence, Papers

Fundamentals of Corporate Finance

Question: Discuss about the Fundamentals of Corporate Finance. Answer: As per the most recent statement of cash flows, the following information can be derived (Aura Energy, 2015). The net cash inflow from operating activities in FY2015 amounts to -$ 2,493,886. The net cash inflow from financing activities in FY2015 amounts to $ 2,879.083 The net cash inflow from investing activities in FY2015 amounts to -$ 3,285. Net increase/(decrease) in cash = Sum of all the above cash flows = -2,493,886 + 2,879.083 - 3,285 = $ 381,912 Cash position of the company Aura Energy Based on the cash flow statement for the last two years, it can be inferred that while cash position at the end of FY2014 was critical but there has been an improvement in the cash position at the end of FY2015. This is apparent from the fact that net increase in cash at the end of FY2014 was -$1,457,089 as compared to the net increase in cash at the end of FY2015 which stood at $ 381,912. However, having said that considering the quantum of cash outflow at the operating, the cash position of the company still needs further improvement so as to reach a comfortable position (Aura Energy, 2015). This can be understood from the following. The current cash balance at the end of FY2015 stands at $ 943,011 and it is significant lesser than the operational cash outflow in each of the years FY2014 and FY2015. Thus, this implies that with the current cash balance also, the company would need to arrange for additional financing sources. From the cash flow statement corresponding to FY2014 and FY2015, it is apparent in the year FY2014, $ 234,943 was raised through equity financing while in the year FY2015, $ 3,065, 806 was raised through equity financing (Aura Energy, 2015). As a result, equity financing cannot be continued as the company does not seem to generate any profit at the moment. Thus, equity financing cannot be pursued in this manner and has to be used sparingly. Besides, debt financing also seems improbable as the company lacks any fixed assets to provide comfort to the lenders and also the entity is not profit making at the moment and it seems this trend is going to continue in the near future (Parrino et. al., 2 014). As a result, it is imperative that the company in the near future should make robust efforts to minimise the negative operational cash inflows and gradually look to bring out a successful product before the company experiences severe cash crunch and thereby might have to wind up. Hence, to prevent this, it is imperative that the company should look for sustainable long term financing in case the project gestation period is longer (Aura Energy, 2015). References Aura Energy 2015, Annual Report-FY2015, Available online from https://www.auraenergy.com.au/investor/Reports/Annual%20Reports/Annual%20Report%202015%20.pdf (Accessed on May 20, 2016) Parrino, R, Kidwell, D, Yong, A, Morkel-Kingsbury, D Murray, EK 2014, Fundamentals of Corporate Finance, 2nd Australasian edn, John Wiley and Sons, Milton

Feathered Soul free essay sample

My earliest memories are of teetering along Baker’s Beach with my great-grandmother, watching the seagulls and reaching up frantically for her wrinkled hand when the waves crashed just a little too close for my comfort. Even though I felt small compared to that great, loud ocean, holding my Nana’s hand made me feel just a little bit braver. Long before a child understands language, she comprehends love. My faintest memories are not of words but of the uncanny power of one person’s love to make a frightened little heart feel stronger. My Nana gave me the bird when I was very little. It used to perch on the kitchen windowsill of her beach house in West Port Point many years ago. Yesterday I dug it out of safekeeping, and now it graces my bedroom windowsill with its silent song and uplifted wings- a little porcelain bird the size of my closed fist. We will write a custom essay sample on Feathered Soul or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page It is plain, brown, and ordinary, but it is very dear to me. It is a curious thing how objects from our childhood seem to recover in us a sense of who we are. My little bird reminds me of how cherished and adored I was as a little girl, and even now that she’s passed away, my Nana’s love reaches through my memories to make me feel strong again. In a time of my life when it is easy to forget the girl I have been in the wake of the woman I am trying to become, simple reminders like the bird on my windowsill help me to find the young lady I am. My Nana loved birds, something that was passed down to me at a young age. Birds have always enthralled me, and in their simple, carefree way they have played a significant role in my life. The first birds I remember are the seagulls I used to lean over my Nana’s porch railing to watch as they wheeled through the gray New England sky, crying their â€Å"good mornings† to me as they swooped by. The birds that share my family’s home on a quiet, forgotten country road in Connecticut have become an unforgettable part of my girlhood as well. Since we moved here when I was eight years old, the countryside birds have held me captivated. Our house sits on the lazy end of a river, where a snowy egret spends his summers, a crotchety great blue heron makes his home, and a pair of mute swans has raised its cygnets each spring for the past ten years. Along the back edge of our property runs a thick stretch of evergreens, where hundreds of chickadees, cardinals, blue jays, wre ns, goldfinches, and especially robins make their home. Our days, our nights, and our seasons here are marked by the birds that share our river valley, and their happy presence has always held an innocent, childlike magic for me. Every morning just before dawn, when the world swims in a soft, sleepy yellow, the robins sing our little neighborhood valley awake as they fly overhead by the hundreds from their evergreen nests behind our house to the oak trees that line the dairy farmer’s fields on the hill across the river. Every night at dusk, when a dying sky turns the air a dusty pink, the steady traffic of robins fly by our front porch one by one to their nests from wherever their day’s travels have taken them. Their chirping chatter as they settle down for the night reminds me of a mother’s whispered wishes of sweet dreams, and I feel safe and loved as the robins bid each other good night. Although robins far outnumber the other birds in the valley, they all share a part in our day. The chickadees are gregarious little fellows, and will often join my six and seven year old sisters as they peg sheets over the old swing set to play a feminine version of pirates. I watched one chickadee the other day as he hopped along the monkey bars, cocking his head and observing the girls as they decorated their â€Å"ship.† Eventually he tired of watching, and swooped down to snatch a sunflower seed from the feeder on the clothesline and carry it back to his perch in the nearby wisteria bushes. There I watched him crack open his precious seed and turn his head toward the girls every so often to chirp his apparent puzzlement. Other birds are shyer, such as the barn swallows that have made their timid nest in my horse’s stall for the past three years. When the stall was occupied, I would duck in quietly to muck out every morning, softly apologizing the inconvenience to the flustered couple perching on the fence nearby. They didn’t seem to mind the horses, but it took them a while to grow accustomed to my presence. By the end of the first summer, however, they had made a habit of swooping down to greet me as I traipsed out to the barn every morning and landing on the fence by the shed to chatter with me as I dished out the pony’s grain. When I had finished my chores and joined my sisters for breakfast, thinking of the swallows I would remark to my mother that sometimes conversations were the most enjoyable when you hadn’t the faintest idea what the other was saying to you. This year my barn was empty of horses, and the swallows did not return. As much as I had delighted in their company, I was still surprised how much I missed their cheerful good-mornings. While the rest of the countryside hibernates beneath the winter snow, most of the birds thrive in the freezing weather. The woodland birds are easy to spot in the snow, and many emerge from their hiding places in the woods when it gets cold to populate the feeders that dot our property. The river comes alive this time of year as well. Although the snowy egret finds our New England winters a bit too frosty for his liking, the herons and the swans make the river their winter home as well. By the time the ice sets in, they’ve been joined by a hundred or so mallards who’ve emerged from the marsh, numerous seagulls, a dozen puddle ducks, and several hundred Canadian geese that arrive to winter here as well. Years ago I raised half a dozen Indian Runner ducks, and when they spent their first winter on the pond, I took to trudging out to feed them cracked corn every morning. That same winter was one of the coldest we’d ever had, and the rest of the river had frozen ove r. The channel that ran deepest by our house was the only remaining open water on the river left for the birds, and I was soon feeding not only my runner ducks and the puddle ducks from downtown, but the mallards, swans, seagulls, some of the geese, and even a pair of wood ducks as well. I discovered the next fall that birds may have small brains, but they surely remember where to find food. Since that winter, they’ve returned every year for the corn, and I’ve happily tramped out into the snow to feed the winter residents their cracked corn every morning, no matter the weather. Some of my happiest memories of my teen years will be of teaching the wild ducks to eat from my hands. Having your hair nibbled by an affectionate duck who likes the sound of your voice is something special that stays a part of you forever. These and many more memories are what come to mind and touch my heart when my Nana’s little porcelain bird catches the corner of my eye from my bedroom sill. Its silent pose reminds me of the winged friends that have always brought me peace of mind when my heart’s wings spread in eager anticipation to soar. My Nana loved simple beauty, something I remember most about her. My birds are beautiful simplicity in a complicated world. When a wood duck squeaks at me suspiciously for a half an hour before he decides to waddle up and nibble corn from my otherwise-impatient hands, and all that matters for the moment is love and trust, the world feels like such a simpler place. Happiness is not a state of possession; it’s a position of peace. The little bird on my sill makes me smile, because it stands for my happy and secure girlhood, and the precious people that have flown in and out of my life just like the swallows that graced one summer and haunted the next. My birds are happiness to me, because they teach me that sometimes the simplest things are the most precious. For all the high-level technology that rushes our world along at a breakneck pace, the most important things in life are still love and trust. A little frozen piece of porcelain is happiness to me for its reminder that if my heart needs simplicity to stay young, perhaps the rest of the world needs a soft reminder as well.

How to Use the Past Participle in Italian

How to Use the Past Participle in Italian Compound tenses such as the passato prossimo are formed with the present indicative of the auxiliary verb avere or essere and the past participle (participio passato). The past participle of regular verbs is formed by dropping the infinitive ending -are, -ere, or -ire and adding the appropriate final ending: -ato, -uto, or -ito (see tables below). Using Auxiliary Verb Avere The appropriate tense of avere or essere (called the auxiliary or helping verbs) and the past participle of the target verb forms the verb phrase. Avere is used in a myriad of grammatical and linguistic situations. Learning the many conjugations and uses of the verb is crucial to the study of the Italian language. In general, transitive verbs are conjugated with avere. Transitive verbs express an action that carries over from the subject to the direct object: The teacher explains the lesson. The past participle is invariable when the passato prossimo is constructed with avere. Oggi Anna non lavora perchà ¨ ha lavorato ieri.Today Anna isnt working because she worked yesterday. The others worked yesterday too.Anche gli altri hanno lavorato ieri. When the past participle of a verb conjugated with avere is preceded by the third person direct object pronouns lo, la, le, or li, the past participle agrees with the preceding direct object pronoun in gender and number. Avere is an irregular verb (un verbo irregolare); it does not follow a predictable pattern of conjugation. Using Auxiliary Verb Essere When using essere, the past participle always agrees in gender and number with the subject of the verb. It can, therefore, have four endings: -o, -a, -i, -e. In many cases intransitive verbs (those that cannot take a direct object), especially those expressing motion, are conjugated with the auxiliary verb essere. The verb essere is also conjugated with itself as the auxiliary verb. Some of the most common verbs that form compound tenses with essere include: andare - to goarrivare- to arrivecadere- to fall, to dropcostare- to costcrescere- to growdiventare- to becomedurare- to last, to continueentrare- to entermorire- to dienascere- to be bornpartire- to leave, to departrestare- to stay, to remaintornare- to returnuscire- to exitvenire- to come Regular Past Participles Of -ARE Verbs INFINITIVE FORM- PAST PARTICIPLE camminare (to walk)- camminatoimparare (to learn)- imparatolavare (to wash)- lavatotelefonare (to telephone)- telefonato Regular Past Participles Of -ERE Verbs INFINITIVE FORM- PAST PARTICIPLE credere (to believe)- credutosapere (to know)- saputotenere (to keep)- tenuto Regular Past Participles Of -IRE Verbs INFINITIVE FORM- PAST PARTICIPLE capire (to understand)- capitofinire (to finish)- finito(to accept)- graditosentire (to feel, to smell)- sentito Below are examples of the passato prossimo with conjugated forms of the verb avere. Passato Prossimo With Regular Verbs PERSON IMPARARE (TO LEARN) CREDERE (TO BELIEVE) CAPIRE (TO UNDERSTAND) (io) ho imparato ho creduto ho capito (tu) hai imparato hai creduto hai capito (lui, lei, Lei) ha imparato ha creduto ha capito (noi) abbiamo imparato abbiamo creduto abbiamo capito (voi) avete imparato avete creduto avete capito (loro, Loro) hanno imparato hanno creduto hanno capito

Credit Crunch Uk Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Credit Crunch Uk - Essay Example The US seemed to have the biggest problems, if only by the sheer magnitude of their economy and its impact on other nations around the world. Still, Great Britain felt the shock and their economy suffers many of the same ills as the system has stagnated with the same symptoms. Though the political leaders portrayed the problem as an emergency that suddenly erupted, it was actually the culmination of years of under-regulation, neglect, abuse, and corruption. The credit crisis in the United Kingdom has come about as a result of over-extended consumer credit and a banking system that has exploited the concept of free market economics. To understand the vulnerabilities in the global banking system it is helpful to understand some of the history that got it where it is today. Six hundred years ago the population of England was largely agrarian and lived as subsistence farmers. Wages earned came almost exclusively from farm labor and were very sensitive to the law of supply and demand. When times were good, the population rose and the labor supply increased. This drove down farm wages and the resulting poverty would decimate the population. As the labor supply fell, wages increased again and the cycle repeated. In fact, the real wages earned in 1740 were the same as the wages earned in 1400 (Khan 10). However, the Industrial Revolution created a larger demand for labor and created concentrated centers of capital. Technological advancements contributed to the growing economy and real wages have risen by approximately 2200 percent in the 200 years since the turn of the 19th century (Khan 10). The escalating wage scale and the concentrated capital resulted in an economy that was ever more dependent upon credit and increasingly demanding consumer goods. According to Khan, "in the 19th century, a steady rise in living standards began that has, in some sense, never ceased. As a result,

The difference between the firm's operating cycle and its cash Essay

The difference between the firm's operating cycle and its cash conversion cycle - Essay Example It would only include time for the initial payment of cash by the company and the receipt of cash from the customers. Operating cycles are either short or long and both of these have serious implications for the company. An operating cycle which is short would mean that the company`s return on investment is rapid. A longer operating cycle, on the other hand, means that the company is not getting a quick return on investment and this probably affect the company in the long run. Operating cycles also differ according to the nature of the economy. If there is an economic downturn, then the operating cycle of a company would probably last longer than the one during a period of an economic growth. The operating cycle of a company is also helps in the estimation of the amount of the working capital required by the company to maintain its growth. There are a number of factors influencing the duration or the time period of the operating cycle and these include the payment terms extended to t he company by its suppliers. Also, a higher order fulfillment policy would increase the duration of the operating cycle. The credit terms and payment policies of the company also affect the time period of the operating cycle. Therefore, operating cycles of a company are often affected the policies and decisions of a company as well as the policies of other companies towards the said company. The cash conversion cycle of a company is the time period required for a company to convert its resources cash flows. This cycle shows the time, in days, which a company takes to sell inventory, collect its receivables as well as pay all its bills. This process of cash conversion shows the financial position of the company during a certain period of time. The cash conversion ratio is calculated through the collection of three ratios which are related to the inventory turnover which is the accounts receivable. This cycle shows how long an investment is in the production stage before being turned into cash. This cash conversion cycle is also known as the net operating cycle of a company. A company`s cash conversion cycle lengthens when it takes a longer time in collecting its accrued payments. For small businesses especially, longer cash conversion cycles show the difference between its profits and bankruptcy as these companies highly rely on cash from such sales of inventories. One of the major differences between an operating and a cash conversion cycle is the difference in the calculation of both of these. In order to calculate the operating cycle, the duration of each component of the operating cycle needs to be determined and this includes raw materials, finished goods, work in progress etc. the operating cycle is found out by summing these individual components. The requirement for working capital would be higher if the operating cycle is longer. On the other hand, cash conversion cycle is calculated using the days payable outstanding ratio as well as those elements us ed in the operating cycle calculation. The days payable outstanding is the average time taken by a company to pay its suppliers. The formula for cash conversion is days inventory outstanding + days sales outstanding – days payable outstanding. All of these activity ratios are expressed in days and show the cash conversion cycle of the company. Both operating cycles and cash conversion cycles are really important for an owner as well as the company as the whole. The cash conversion cycle is extremely important for the financial analysis being done by the owner. This is because it shows the factors related to cash which is really important

Urban Water Cycle Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Urban Water Cycle - Essay Example Most urban centers receive their supply of water from a definite water entity such as a river, lake or a dam. The land area that surrounds the water source is its catchment. The level of cleanliness of a catchment area determines the water quality of the dam or river. A town that uses a dam or several dams as water reservoirs will receive water from rivers. In this regard, the state of the river will determine the water quality that enters the dam. The dam is the storage point for the water from rivers. It is normally built adjacent to a river to block a section of the flowing water and store it. It is from the dam that the urban population receive reliable water supply for their use. Although the water in the dam might look clear, it is not fit for human consumption yet. This is because it contains pollen, soil particles and dust. These particles contain viruses, bacteria together with several other microorganisms that can be harmful to human health. To remove these microorganisms, the water from the dam is first processed in a water treatment plant prior to its use. The water goes through some specific stages and steps at the treatment plant. Such stages include pre treatment, flocculation, filtration and chemical dosing. At the pre treatment level, a polymer called coagulant and alum is added to the water. The substances help to capture the solid particles that provide host to bacteria and viruses. The water free of the particles remains less turbid and clean. At the flocculation level, there is the removal of solid particle from the water. Mixing and circulation occurs for the solid particles captured in the pre treatment step to float on top in the form of froth. At the filtration level, the water is pumped through filters to get rid of the remaining particles. Finally, there is the addition of chlorine to get rid of the remaining microorganisms or germs, if any at the chemical dosing stage. This stage also involves the addition of fluorine for teeth prote ction and the adjustment of the pH level of the water.     After the above stages of treatment, the bulk main pipes supply carries the treated water to reservoirs allowing its distribution into smaller pipes into households. The reservoirs help the water stored to adjust with the changing demands. It also assists in the management of the pressure from users so that it flows to taps at expected speeds. Reservoirs can be either above or below the ground. The reservoirs supply water into homes through the service lines than branch from the mains pipe. After use at home, the water goes down the drain from where it enters the network of wastewater. The wastewater then flows into the sewerage system.

ASDA Business Strategy

ASDA Business Strategy ASDA is the UKs second largest supermarket chain, holding a 17.2% market share in the UK over 2013/2014 (Kantar Worldpanel, 2014). It was purchased in 1999 and became a wholly-owned subsidiary of the US Public Limited Company, Walmart. In order to analyse the business environment, this essay will first consider the ASDA Groups internal environment, including their objectives, policies, organisational structure and reputation. The second focus will be the external environment; first the range of competitors in the market, followed by a PESTLE (Political, Economic, Socio-cultural, Legal, Environmental/Ethical) analysis, to develop a holistic summary of the external environment. Where appropriate, several sections of the PESTLE analysis have been merged to create a more accurate summary of the external environment. Internal Objectives and Policies ASDAs primary operations consist of retail of food, apparel, general merchandise and other services (ASDA Group Ltd, 2013). Their strategic objectives are to provide high quality products, exceed consumer desires and reduce costs (ASDA Group Ltd, 2010; ASDA Group Ltd, 2013). They have an additional series of sustainability objectives designed to reduce environmental impact and reduce operating costs simultaneously. Walmart, ASDAs ultimate parent company, are focused on the opportunities provided by the e-commerce market (Walmart, 2014). To that end, ASDA provides both online shopping and delivery services and a Click and Collect programme, allowing customers to order products online for collection from a local ASDA branch (ASDA Group Ltd, 2013). ASDA have developed a growth strategy, combining expanding reach online and physically, with reduced operating costs overall. They have also identified the need for innovation and expansion into new product ranges, expanding their brand identity. As part of the Walmart group, they benefit from the research and development of other Walmart subsidiaries (ASDA Group Ltd, 2013; Walmart, 2014). In 2013, in the midst of the recession, ASDA continued to open 15 new stores and has opened more in 2014 (ASDA Group Ltd, 2013). Structure Walmart purchased ASDA in 1999, demonstrating a strategy of growth by acquisition. Following this, ASDA has used its core competencies of providing low-cost, good-quality products to gain market share and has become the second largest supermarket brand in the UK. As a subsidiary of Walmart, ASDA is provided with certain benefits. ASDA particularly benefits from the IT expertise from its parent company, in addition to benefitting from the research and development of other Walmart group members (ASDA Group Ltd, 2013). Walmart also benefits by adopting best practices developed by ASDA from their online grocery shopping service (Walmart, 2014). Members of the Walmart group are also able to take advantage of intercompany loans to provide internal financing opportunities. ASDA has over 500 locations in the UK, ranging from supercentres down to supermarkets. This range of shopping facilities is designed to meet customer needs at different levels (ASDA Group Ltd, 2010; Euromonitor International, 2014). They have implemented a price guarantee, ensuring prices remain consistent across ASDA stores, regardless of their size; this is intended to challenge other brands with higher prices in smaller, local supermarket branches (ASDA Group Ltd, 2010). Reputation ASDA have also been able to leverage the reputation of their US parent company and were the first major UK retailer to introduce a Black Friday shopping event in 2013. This was repeated in 2014 by many retailers and drew many customers to take advantage of the low-cost goods. ASDAs reputation for low-cost, high-quality goods can also be leveraged in their growth strategy. Their efforts to reduce operating costs and subsequent price reductions for consumers is intended to be appealing to price-conscious consumers (ASDA Group Ltd, 2013). As detailed below, this is a growing attitude among the UK supermarket customer-base and provides a possible avenue for growth. External Competitors ASDA faces direct from ALDI and LIDL, two supermarket chains who share similar core competencies to ALDI, in that they offer low-cost, high-quality goods. Unlike ASDA, however, ALDI and LIDL offer a range of limited availability products, alongside their food retail. ASDA, by contrast, offers a wider range of general products, available via their online services and in their larger hypermarkets. ASDA is second of the UKs four largest supermarkets. Tesco holds the largest UK market share with 28.7%, and Sainsburys and Morrisons are next with 16.4% and 11.1% respectively (Kantar Worldpanel, 2014). ALDI and LIDL have grown significantly in recent years (Ruddick, 2014), it has been predicted that the profit margins of larger supermarkets, including ASDA, will have smaller profit margins in the short term (Beardsworth, 2014). Political, Legal, Environmental Ethical The House of Lords released a report in early 2014 challenging food waste in the EU and particularly in the UK (Harriet, 2014; House of Lords European Union Committee, 2014). In their report they argued that retailers, including supermarkets such as ASDA, bear significant responsibility for preventing food waste. Specifically, retailers have a responsibility to ensure that customers are aware of how to store food, ensure date labelling is appropriate, avoid cancellation of grown food orders after it has been produced (Harriet, 2014; House of Lords European Union Committee, 2014). Additionally, it explicitly stated: It is clear that retailers must assume a far greater responsibility for the prevention of food waste in the home. Retailers must ensure that incentives and promotions offered to consumers do not transfer waste from the store to the household. (House of Lords European Union Committee, 2014, p. 26). The House of Commons Business Select Committee also considered investigating reports of supermarket aggression when dealing with suppliers, using their market power to demand prices that suppliers cannot sustain (Armitage, 2014). This was motivated by reports of behaviour from Tesco, a competitor of ASDA. ASDA submitted evidence to the House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee summarising their dedication to sustainability and positive mutually beneficial relations with suppliers in 2011 (House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee, 2012). Additionally, they have instituted a policy of minimising food waste by sending no food waste to landfill sites. Instead, food is either given to charities or converted into alternative products. Another source of difficulty is the Food Standards Agencys year-long survey on campylobacter contamination in supermarket chickens. This bacteria is the most common cause of food poisoning in the UK, however it can be killed via normal cooking processes as long as food is properly cooked. The interim findings of this survey showed ASDA to have the highest rate of contamination of raw chicken products across UK supermarkets, above the industry average (Food Standards Agency, 2014) ASDA has agreed to install a new steam sterilisation technology to test the efficacy in reducing contamination. The press have publicised these contamination rates in a pejorative manner, with headlines such as Asda exposed as supermarket with dirtiest chicken (Hyde, 2014) and Supermarket chickens: 70% affected by food bug (BBC News, 2014). This, combined with the condemnation of consumer groups, including Which? (Which?, 2014), poses a significant threat to ASDAs reputation. This political environment could provide new difficulties for ASDA, with the need to introduce new decontamination facilities in their factories and the associated costs this entails. Additionally, the pejorative press response could have a severe impact on ASDAs reputation. The House of Lords Committees criticism of supermarket promotions and incentives could also impact ASDAs retail activities. If such promotions are legislated against, ASDA would be deprived of a major means of drawing price-conscious consumers. Economic Socio-Cultural In 2011 Mervyn King, Governor of the Bank of England, announced that the global financial crisis had significantly impacted standards of living and would continue to do so for the foreseeable future (Bank of England, 2011). 2014 was the first time in 5 years that average pay increased more than inflation, suggesting a possible upturn in the economy (Peston, 2014). This has led to a reduction in consumers disposable income and this in turn has impacted their spending habits in stores. ASDA has been aware of this and has taken efforts to reduce operating costs to offset inflationary pressures on prices (ASDA Group Ltd, 2013). Traditionally, supermarkets had a close link to cultural identity among UK shoppers, based on the British class system (Wallop, 2013). Supermarkets such as Waitrose and Marks Spencer were traditionally associated with upper-middle and upper class customers, while ASDA was traditionally seen as a working class supermarket (Jeffries, 2004). In recent years however, this sense of identity has been disrupted by a combination of the global recession, and the rise of the budget supermarkets ALDI and LIDL. Both brands have been widely accepted by the British middle class, and a wider cultural attitude of thrift and pride in finding savings and low-cost products has developed. In the 2014 Christmas season, Aldi and Lidl, the discount supermarket chains drew a significant portion of the market from other supermarket brands (Butler, 2014) indicating that consumer buying decisions are motivated by price over other socio-economic factors. This could explain ASDAs recent rise to the second largest market shareholder in Britain, due to its core competency in providing low-cost, good-quality products to customers. Where previously, consumers may have had a negative association with ASDAs emphasis on low-cost products, in the recession era, consumers are more concerned with product prices. Technological Walmart, ASDAs ultimate parent company, have noted the rising significance of e-commerce and have begun developing this across Walmart and its subsidiaries (Walmart, 2014). In the UK, there has been a particular focus on ASDAs Click Collect service (Walmart, 2014), through which customers order products online and can collect them from a local ASDA store, widening the range of products they can access. The strategy consultants, OCC, identified Click and Collect as the probable largest source of growth in e-commerce in 2015 (Felsted, 2014). ASDAs competitor, Tesco, offer a similar service, available in over 350 collection points (Felsted, 2014; Tesco, 2014). ASDA is well-suited for this focus on Click Collect and other e-commerce services; as a subsidiary of Walmart, they are provided with IT services from their parent company, giving them access to the resources of a larger firm, with a wide range of experience in e-commerce (ASDA Group Ltd, 2013). Summary Overall, ASDAs external environment is relatively troubled; UK standards of living were significantly reduced by the global economic crisis and only recently have signs indicated that this could improve. This has reduced the disposable income of ASDAs target markets. However, because of ASDAs focus on low-cost products, this could have actually benefitted ASDA, allowing them to become the second largest supermarket brand. The economic crisis has altered the UKs socio-cultural trends, encouraging a savings-focussed attitude, with customers altering their buying habits to pursue better deals. ASDA has also faced difficulties in its public reputation, particularly due to the Food Standards Agencys survey into campylobacter contamination in chicken. ASDAs chicken stocks and suppliers were found to have the worst contamination rates among supermarkets, above the industry average. This finding was well publicised in the press in late November and its full impact may not have been identified yet. ASDA have identified the difficult external environment of UK retail and have oriented their policies to suit the situation. They have endeavoured to gain price leadership, charging the same as or less than their competitors for many household products, in order to draw price-conscious customers. Additionally, they have taken efforts to minimise their own operating costs, using these savings to offset inflationary pressures and passing the savings on to consumers. ASDA have chosen to diversify their focus beyond store-based services. They have invested significantly into technological development, particularly with their Click and Collect service. External strategy consultants OCC have identified these services as having high growth potential in coming years. ASDA have chosen to capitalise on the troubled economic environment by reinforcing their core competency, providing customers with low-cost, good-quality goods, leveraging their reputation as a low-cost supermarket to take advantage of the low disposable income. They have also used this period to advance their technological development, with technical support from their parent company. References Armitage, J. (2014, September 25). MPs considering investigation of supermarkets dealings with suppliers in wake of Tesco crisis. Retrieved from The Independent:  http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/mps-considering-investigation-of-supermarkets-dealings-with-suppliers-in-wake-of-tesco-crisis-9755557.html ASDA Group Ltd. (2010). All About ASDA. Retrieved from ASDA Group Website:  http://your.asda.com/system/dragonfly/production/2012/01/04/12_59_19_568_All_about_Asda.pdf ASDA Group Ltd. (2013, December 31). Report and Financial Statements. Retrieved from Companycheck:  http://companycheck.co.uk/company/01396513/ASDA-GROUP-LIMITED Bank of England. (2011). Speech given by Mervyn King, Governor of the Bank of England at the Civic Centre, Newcastle. London: Bank of England. BBC News. (2014, November 27). Supermarket chickens: 70% affected by food bug. Retrieved from BBC News:  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-30227342 Beardsworth, T. (2014, October 17). Aldi and Lidl to Capture 10 Percent of U.K Grocery Market. Retrieved from Bloomberg:  http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-10-17/aldi-and-lidl-to-capture-10-percent-of-u-k-grocery-market.html Butler, S. (2014, December 16). Merry Lidl Christmas for German discount supermarkets. Retrieved from The Guardian:  http://www.theguardian.com/business/2014/dec/16/lidl-christmas-supermarkets-aldi-asda-tesco-morrisons-sainsburys Euromonitor International. (2014). Passport: ASDA Stores Ltd in Retailing (United Kingdom). Euromonitor International. Felsted, A. (2014, April 21). Click and collect poised to overtake home delivery. Retrieved from The Financial Times:  http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/3ac9e120-c653-11e3-ba0e-00144feabdc0.html#axzz3NNAjRRvL Food Standards Agency. (2014, November 27). Retail survey on levels of campylobacter in chicken published. Retrieved from The Food Standards Agency:  http://www.food.gov.uk/news-updates/news/2014/13251/campylobacter-survey Harriet, D. (2014, April 6). MPs accuse supermarkets of morally repugnant food waste. Retrieved from The Telegraph:  http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/10748455/MPs-accuse-supermarkets-of-morally-repugnant-food-waste.html House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee. (2012, May 10). Written evidence submitted by ASDA. Retrieved from Parliament Publications and Records:  http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201012/cmselect/cmenvaud/879/879vw21.htm House of Lords European Union Committee. (2014). Counting the Cost of Food Waste: EU Food Waste Prevention. London: The Stationery Office Limited. Hyde, D. (2014, November 27). Asda exposed as supermarket with dirtiest chicken. Retrieved from The Telegraph:  http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/shopping-and-consumer-news/11257553/Asda-exposed-as-supermarket-with-dirtiest-chicken.html Jeffries, S. (2004, March 12). Im rich and Im living well. Shopping here is part of that. Retrieved from The Guardian:  http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2004/mar/12/foodanddrink.shopping Kantar Worldpanel. (2014, November). Market share of grocery stores in Great Britain, for the 12 weeks ending November 9, 2014. Retrieved from  http://www.statista.com/statistics/279900/grocery-market-share-in-the-united-kingdom-uk/ Peston, R. (2014, November 12). End of UKs long living-standards squeeze? Retrieved from BBC News:  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-30019567 Ruddick, G. (2014, August 28). Lidl sales to reach  £4bn as pressure on supermarkets grows. Retrieved from The Telegraph:  http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/11059821/Lidl-sales-to-reach-4bn-as-pressure-on-supermarkets-grows.html Tesco. (2014). Click Collect. Retrieved from Tesco:  http://www.tesco.com/collect/ Wallop, H. (2013, January 18). How supermarkets prop up our class system. Retrieved from The Telegraph:  http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/9808015/How-supermarkets-prop-up-our-class-system.html Walmart. (2014). Walmart 2014 Annual Report. Retrieved from Walmart Investor Relations:  http://stock.walmart.com/annual-reports Which? (2014, November 27). Six in 10 consumers concerned at high levels of campylobacter in chicken. Retrieved from Which? Press Office:  https://press.which.co.uk/whichpressreleases/six-in-10-consumers-concerned-at-high-levels-of-campylobacter-in-chicken/

Glacial Processes :: essays research papers

There are many different glacial landforms created by glacial erosion, one of these landforms is U-shaped valleys or glacial troughs. This glacial landform has many distinct characteristics. One of these characteristics is that it has very steep valley sides caused by the glacier as it moves down the valley eroding the sides of the valley by the processes of abrasion and plucking. Abrasion is when the boulders and moraine carried by the glacier rubs and erodes the valley side as it physically moves down the valley. Plucking happens when the water in the glacier freezes inside of the cracks in the individual rocks on the valley side then the water freezes and as the glacier moves the rock is plucked or torn from the valley side producing the steep side to the valley. The valley also has wide flat floors caused by ice movement aided by large volumes of melt water and moraine has greater erosive power than that of rivers. This results in the wide floors. The greater erosive power of the glacier than that of a river also causes the valley to be very straight compared to the valley shape that a river has eroded, it has no interlocking spurs because the shear power of the glacier has slowly smashed through the original spurs of the valley. Just before the glacier forms and when the temperatures are cold enough known as the the â€Å"pre glacial† period the process of freeze thaw takes place, this aids the formation of the u shaped valley. Freeze thaw is when the water in the summer enters the cracks of rocks and the in winter when the temperatures have gone below 0 degrees centigrade the water freezes in the cracks and because when water has frozen the particles in the water have less movement and expand causing the rock to shatter. Freeze thaw therefore helps in the formation of the u shaped valley by breaking up the valley floor so that the floor is weakened so the glacier can easily and speedily erode the valley floor by all the conventional forms of erosion like plucking abrasion but with greater ease. There are many of examples of u shaped valleys around the world because wherever there has been a glacier there will be a u shaped valley that has been formed as it moves down the valley. One example of a u shaped valley is that of the valley in the Swiss Alps near san moritz

Comparison of The Arrival of the Beebox and The Love Song of J Alfred Prufrock Essay

In Sylvia Plath’s â€Å"The Arrival of the Bee Box† and T. S. Eliot’s â€Å"The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock† both speakers are burdened by great mental anguish caused by their feeling of insignificance and powerlessness in the world. They both fear and accept the prospect of death, while acknowledging life as its opposite. These are the two sides of the human experience. Through an internal monologue, Prufrock explores his feeling of uselessness and displacement in society, while in â€Å"The Arrival of the Bee Box†, the speaker is concerned with their powerlessness over their mind, and impending consequences. Throughout â€Å"The Arrival of the Bee Box†, the speaker is concerned with their powerlessness to the noises in their mind. The speaker tends to contradict or argue with themselves as shown by contrasting tone and opinion. While the speaker knows that â€Å"(the box) is dangerous† they still â€Å"can’t keep away from it†. The speaker wishes to â€Å"be sweet God†, yet denies desiring power by proclaiming that â€Å"I am not a Caesar†. This bi-polar behaviour is also shown by inconsistent rhyming throughout the poem. In the first stanza â€Å"lift† is rhymed with â€Å"midget† and â€Å"it†, yet in other stanzas no rhyming is found at all. Inconsistently throughout the poem, internal rhymes are found – â€Å"square as a chair†, â€Å"din in it†, â€Å"It is dark, dark† – which add to the staccato feel of the poem. The â€Å"din† of the ‘bees’ is emphasised profusely by using consonance and onomatopoeia – â€Å"It is the noise that appals me most of all. The unintelligible syllables† – that highlight the true noise and confusion in the speaker’s mind. The noise of their mind is highlighted by many metaphors that compare the sound to â€Å"furious Latin†, a â€Å"Roman mob†, â€Å"angrily clambering†, â€Å"a box of maniacs† and â€Å"unintelligible syllables†. The tone of the end of the piece seems to ask for help as the speaker asks many questions such as â€Å"how hungry they are?†, â€Å"if they would forget me?†, â€Å"how can I let them out?†, and â€Å"why should they turn on me?†. The speaker expresses a desire to be in control, but accepts that they are insignificant to the power of the noise in their mind. In T. S. Eliot’s â€Å"The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock†, Prufrock is concerned with his sense of his insignificance and displacement in society. Eliot makes use of metaphors – â€Å"measured out my life with coffee spoons†, â€Å"When I am pinned and wriggling on the wall† – to show that Prufrock compares life to coffee and feels like an insect on a wall. Contrastingly, Plath uses metaphors to emphasise an exact sound, the noise of the bees in the speaker’s mind. Eliot also uses much more alliteration than Plath in his poem – â€Å"Before the taking of a toast and tea†, â€Å"fix you in a formulated phrase†, â€Å"When I am pinned and wriggling on the wall† – whereas Plath nearly did not use any alliteration at all apart from â€Å"black on black† perhaps since her piece sounds more like a story using conventional words when compared to Eliot. Both Eliot and Plath personify many objects in their pieces. Plath describes the bees as a â€Å"Roman mob† and Eliot compares the yellow fog and smoke to a cat as it â€Å"licks its tongue†, â€Å"leap(s)†, â€Å"rubs its muzzle† and â€Å"curled†¦ and fell asleep†. A unique literary device that Eliot uses is anaphora – â€Å"To have†¦ To have†¦ To roll†¦ To say†¦Ã¢â‚¬  – which in this instance describes all the things that Prufrock could have done, but never did. The central connecting burden that both speakers are plagued with is a powerlessness to their Sword of Damocles; the bees ruling the speaker’s powerless mind and Prufrock’s feeling of alienation and uselessness in the real world.

Why You Should Avoid Checkbook Journalism

Why You Should Avoid Checkbook Journalism Checkbook journalism is when reporters or news organizations pay sources for information, and for a variety of reasons most news outlets frown on such practices or ban them outright. The Society of Professional Journalists, a group that promotes ethical standards in journalism, says checkbook journalism is wrong and shouldnt be used- ever. Andy Schotz, chairman of the SPJs ethics committee, says paying a source for information or an interview immediately puts the credibility of the information they provide in doubt. Exchanging money when youre looking for information from a source changes the nature of the relationship between the reporter and the source, Schotz says. It calls into question whether theyre talking to you because its the right thing to do or because theyre getting money. Schotz says reporters thinking about paying sources for information should ask themselves: Will a paid source tell you the truth, or tell you what you want to hear? Paying sources creates other problems. By paying a source you now have a business relationship with someone youre trying to cover objectively, Schotz says. Youve created a conflict of interest in the process. Schotz says most news organizations have policies against checkbook journalism. But lately there seems to be a trend to try to make a distinction between paying for an interview and paying for something else. This seems to be especially true for TV news divisions, a number of which have paid for exclusive interviews or photographs (see below). Full Disclosure is Important Schotz says if a news outlet does pay a source, they should disclose that to their readers or viewers. If theres a conflict of interest, then what should come next is explaining it in detail, letting viewers know you had a separate relationship other than just that of a journalist and a source, Schotz says. Schotz admits that news organizations not wanting to be scooped on a story might resort to checkbook journalism, but he adds: Competition doesnt give you license to cross ethical boundaries. Schotz advice for aspiring journalists? Dont pay for interviews. Dont give sources gifts of any kind. Dont try to exchange something of value in return for getting a sources comments or information or access to them. Journalists and sources shouldnt have any other relationship other than the one involved in gathering news. Here are some examples of checkbook journalism, according to the SPJ: ABC News paid $200,000 to Casey Anthony, the Florida woman accused of killing her 2-year-old daughter, Caylee, for exclusive rights to videos and pictures that ran on the network and its website. Earlier ABC had paid for Caylee Anthonys grandparents to stay three nights at a hotel as part of the networks plan to interview them.CBS News reportedly agreed to pay Caylee Anthonys grandparents $20,000 as a licensing fee to participate in the networks news coverage.ABC paid for Pennsylvania resident Anthony Rakoczy to pick up his daughter in Florida after a fake kidnapping attempt and for return plane tickets for Rakoczy and his daughter. ABC covered the trip and disclosed the free air travel.NBC News provided a chartered jet for New Jersey resident David Goldman and his son to fly home from Brazil after a custody battle. NBC got an exclusive interview with Goldman and video footage during that private jet ride.CNN paid $10,000 for the rights to an image taken by Jasper Schuringa, the Dutc h citizen who overpowered an alleged Christmas Day bomber on a flight from Amsterdam to Detroit. CNN also got an exclusive interview with Schuringa.

Dell essays

Dell essays SWOT analysis of Dell Computers History: The company was founded in 1984 by Michael Dell, now the computer industry's longest-tenured chief executive officer, on a simple concept: that by selling personal computer systems directly to customers, Dell could best understand their needs, and provide the most effective computing solutions to meet those needs. Today, Dell is enhancing and broadening the fundamental competitive advantages of the direct model by increasingly applying the efficiencies of the Internet to its entire business. Company revenue for the last four quarters totaled $19.9 billion. Through the direct business model, Dell offers in-person relationships with corporate and institutional customers; telephone and Internet purchasing (the latter now exceeding $18 million per day); customized computer systems; phone and online technical support; and next-day, on-site product service. Dell arranges for system installation and management, guides customers through technology tra nsitions, and provides an extensive range of other services. The company designs and customizes products and services to the requirements of the organizations and individuals purchasing them, and sells an extensive selection of peripheral hardware and computing software. Nearly two-thirds of Dell's sales are to large corporations, government agencies and educational institutions. Dell also serves medium and small businesses and home-PC users. Dell's Unique Direct Model: Dell's award-winning customer service, industry-leading growth and consistently strong financial performance differentiate the company from competitors for the following reasons: Price for Performance With the industry's most efficient procurement, manufacturing and distribution process, Dell offers its customers powerful, richly configured systems at competitive prices. Customization Every Dell system is built to order. Customers get exactly what they want. Reliability, Service and Su...

Knowledge Managment Initiative Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Knowledge Managment Initiative - Assignment Example The new system allowed all employees to constantly gain detailed information on products and helped them to adequately solve the problem of resigning sales people due to lack of information and resulting commission. The product pricing and availability reports incorporated by cubes to boost system functionality were only available to the retail managers who worked to set the market policy, thereby creating a knowledge barrier and hindering development. Although ample training was provided to all the managers to gain sufficient knowledge of the online repository system, the rest of the employees’ learning and development was limited to 10-minute sessions per employee and minimal encouragement to learn the rest on their own time. Despite the high traffic of customers coming to the stores, the repository system’s usage did not increase accordingly. So even though, values, accessibility, and goals were set for all employees, the circle the of learning and organization came to a gradual halt.

Sex and Relationship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Sex and Relationship - Essay Example hese are often no longer connected to how a person is seen in legal or individual terms but some differences still divide people and cause debate where there should be none. Homosexuality or being gay is one such position where unwanted discrimination or even harassment may be conducted against a person. As discussed by the article, relationships between gay individuals should have as much legal value as they hold between straight couples. Denying this right becomes a negative influence on the relationships between gay couples. I feel that such positions are not only harmful for the gay individual against whom they are committed but also against the social setup since they harm the interests of a just and free society. What society needs to create is a legal structure for rights regarding homosexuals because the current situation offers protections to gays only pertaining to their individual rights but does allow them equal rights when it comes to creating a family. Heterosexual couples can adopt children much easier than homosexual couples. The tax/economic benefits given to heterosexual couples are much better than the ones awarded to a homosexual couple (IGLHRC, 2006). Of course, the single cause of the discrimination between the two sets of couples is their personal sexual lives. If our country remains divided on the issue and continues to enforce a pattern of discrimination against homosexual unions in marriage, we would only be reducing our total output as a country. By creating lesser human beings in legal terms and not allowing gay unions in marriage or gay rights as groups of individuals, the law makers of today would create problems for the society of tomorrow. There may not be an armed resistance movement, but the country would certainly be treating some of its citizens as lesser than the others. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights as given by the United Nations declares as its first article that, â€Å"All human beings are born free and equal in

Employee Retention Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Employee Retention - Essay Example ty of a company to entice their work force to maintain allegiance and exhibit superior performance delivery in order to satisfy the organization’s clientele. A compromise on the latter may be equated to increased staff turnover and decreased employee retention which can, thus, rescind the organization’s services and customer care (Mohr et al., 2008). Several studies and researches have aimed to analyze the marketing impacts, causes and financial aspects that govern employee retention in order to make an accurate prediction and overall formula to help organizations maximize their human resources capital, minimize the negative feedback from the consumers of their goods or services and continually improve the quality of service that a company offers. However, despite these efforts, there may be no universal policy that can accurately predict employee turnover. In most cases, it is affected by the individual characteristics, nature and environment unique to a particular field of work and the labor environment it is subject to. Nonetheless, these researches have served as a basis for designing developing programs that can aid any human resources group to come up with a suitable plan to fit their diverse objectives and eventually execute a pioneering human resources program that benefits workers without endangering incomes (Etchings, 2005). This paper aims to consolidate the recent results of these studies and, eventually, come up with a general theme that can assess employee retention in work places. One of the major concerns of a company that elicits these kinds of researches on job retention and turnover is the balance in the expenditures incurred while maintaining new and old personnel. The reason being that low employee retention results in increased costs to the company due to the increasing costs of separation pay, job announcements, staff rehiring and employee training and upgrading. Estimated values show that these costs may be in the range $3000 to

The most noticeable fallacy Essay Example for Free

The most noticeable fallacy Essay There are numerous examples of bias, fallacies, and specific rhetorical devices in the speech. First of all, none of electoral speeches can be regarded as unbiased for the ample reason there are implicit political, ethical, and pragmatic considerations influencing the impartiality of any such speech. It is evident that the speaker is biased against Jim W. Gettys and regards this person as the cause of all problems in the state. As concerns logical fallacies, they are abundant. The most noticeable fallacy is Ad Hominem: ‘An Ad Hominem is a general category of fallacies in which a claim or argument is rejected on the basis of some irrelevant fact about the author of or the person presenting the claim or argument’ (The Nizkor Project, 2008, ‘Fallacy: Ad Hominem’). In this case, the speaker is attacking Jim W. Gettys’ personality rather than specific proposals or policy. In this particular case, Ad Hominem Abusive, or Personal Attack, is present because the speaker uses abusive remarks instead of evidence. For instance, the speaker makes unsubstantiated claims about Gettys’ extension of powers. Another fallacy committed is the Slippery Slope: ‘The Slippery Slope is a fallacy in which a person asserts that some event must inevitably follow from another without any argument for the inevitability of the event in question’ (The Nizkor Project, 2008, ‘Fallacy: Slippery Slope’). The speaker assumes that he or she will definitely become the Governor simply because opinion polls say so. Appeal to Pity can also be regarded as employed in the rhetoric surrounding the issue of working mean and slum children. Speaking about rhetorical devices, the speech features repetition (‘The working man The working man and the slum child ’), hyperbole, or using exaggeration to achieve greater effect (I will do everything in my power to protect ), and various forms of emotive language. The speaker often employs the so-called ‘rule of three’: ‘The rule of three is based on the technique that people tend to remember three things’ (Presentation Helper, 2008, ‘The Rule of Three’). For example, this rule is used in the promise to protect ‘the underprivileged, the underpaid, and the underfed’ or in the announcement of the intent to arrange for ‘indictment, prosecution, and conviction’ of Gettys. In fact, there are few fully developed arguments presented in the speech and no counterarguments. The speaker makes a constructive case trying to press his or her own agenda through without paying due attention to the position of the opponent and avoiding the real debate. Assessing the overall effectiveness of the speech, it is necessary to admit that it might have a limited appeal to people who rely on emotional rather than rational judgment. The speech uses affirmative language that has potential of influencing certain segments of society on subconscious level. Yet any in-depth analysis of the arguments delivered by the speaker will unveil the unsubstantiated nature of all the claims, coupled with numerous logical fallacies. In order for a speech to be effective, emotional and rational appeal should be both present and well balanced. References Presentation Helper. (2008). ‘The Rule of Three. ’ Retrieved January 21, 2008, from http://www. presentationhelper. co. uk/rule_of_three. htm The Nizkor Project. (2008). ‘Fallacies. ’ Retrieved January 21, 2008, from http://www. nizkor. org/features/fallacies

A Moral Theory Of The Consequentialist Ethic

A Moral Theory Of The Consequentialist Ethic The consequentialist ethic is a moral theory. This theory is based on the idea, that the moral value of an action is based upon consequences. Decisions to act are taken according to the consequences, that favour most either one individual or one group. The main objective is the maximisation of happiness. Therefore, moral ethics is based on the obtaining of good results. The consequentialist ethic is based on two main and different theories. The first one is based upon the obtaining of good consequences and benefits for an individual. This is the Egoism. The second one focuses upon the benefits for the group or society of the individual. This is the Utilitarianism. Jeremy Bentham has defined the human action in this extract: The consequentialist ethic could be a support the Eastern textile industry. Asian textile producers have a strong competitive advantage compared to Western producers. Indeed, the Asian labour is cheap compared to Western labour. It ruined the textile sector in the West. Wages cannot be lowered to match competition from Asia, prices are not lowered, either at the risk of bankruptcy. The ultimate consumers selected Asian textile products, because they are less expensive. This vicious circle destroyed the economy of western textiles. Western producers have two choices to survive. Either specializes in markets not occupied by their Asian competitors (market demanding high quality products). Or relocate their production to East Asia to benefit from cheap labour. Otherwise they are doomed to disappear. This is due to the choice made by the Asian producers, who distribute low wages. This decision is consistent consequentialist. Indeed, the Asian manufacturer that uses the cheap workforce that cares for its own benefit. In taking this decision, it ignores the consequences for competitors and for its employees. It is only based on its profit to come, either the positive consequences of his action for him. He therefore considers this action as good, because it will be profitable. This is a good example of egoism. This situation the Asian producer is the individual. His decision to pay its workforce more weakly than its competitors is its action. The search for maximum profit, symbolizes the positive consequence of his action. The egoism in this case, is characterized by the fact that this situation benefits only for him. It is also an example of utilitarianism. The search for personal gain is acting in the interest of the group. This contributes to the effect of Invisible Hand enunciated by Adam Smith. In doing so, the producer increases his personal benefit, but also that of his family (Wage increase), firm (Increase turnover), and his country (GDP growth). Its action based on the positive benefits for the group. Furthermore, consequentialist ethics, applies a slightly different way to Asian workers. Their ways of doing things is closer to the universal egoism. That is to say that the choices they are still dependent on their consequences. But it maximizes the happiness of the group, not more than one. Wages earned by workers, can feed families, permit children to go to school and raising living standards. Universal egoism permits the association of egoist if they have a common goal or interest. In summary, Asian producers may be used the consequentialist ethic, taking decisions based on analysis of the consequences. If the action can be beneficial enterprise for him including his profit-maximizing, then it must execute. Producers need to assess the consequences of each decision before applying. Only decisions leading to positive consequences should be retained. Producers should not take into account the negative impact on their foreign competitors. The consequentialist ethic can also concern the Western Consumers. At the individual level the Western consumer will search the product with the best value. The consumer is faced with two choices possible when it wants to buy textiles. Either buys the cheap Asian product often of poor quality-. Either buys a Western product, a greater range -ensuring the quality in general-. To choose its product, the buyer can act by egoism or utilitarianism. That is to say that he will rely on consequentialist ethics, analyzing the consequences of his act before acting. If the consumer decides to support the western producers face, it will consume Western. The future customer will therefore seek to consume local or national and avoid products imported from Asia. From an Individual Egoism point of view, the consumer will move towards the cheapest product. The consequence of this act is the acquisition of a product at the lowest price offered on the market. The consumer only thinks the consequences of his act that directly affect them. It will therefore have difficulty in using Western. From an Universal Egoism point of view, the consumer will evaluate the impact of purchase for the group. That is to say to his country. It will consume Western because it is what produces the most positive consequences for their group. Eating local helps stimulate the economy of his country. This could lead to rising employment, wages, for example, which ultimately produces an overall growth for the country. Utilitarianism theory based on the acts, leads consumers to ask themselves the following question: The act of buying the Western product, in this context, there positive consequences? (From Wikipedia) The future customer will evaluate the context before acting. The context here is the loss of competitiveness of textile companies faces the West Asian competitors because of higher wage costs. This context has a direct influence on price. In his quest protectionist the consumer will buy Western to support its economy. This theory ignores the positive consequences before carrying out the act. It is based on the decision context. This theory is defined by Harsanyi in the following extract: Utilitarianism theory based on rules, leads consumers to ask themselves the following question: The adoption of the rule must consume Western did have positive consequences? (From Wikipedia) According to this theory, the transition to action should not be based on the consequences of the act but on the monitoring of a pre-established rule. The ruling covers all of the consequences of the adoption of a rule. This theory is explained by Harsanyi as follows: If the rule is followed by all consumers in the market, then it will maximize the positive consequences of these actions. If this rule applies only to a single person or a small number it will not help, nor a positive effect. Consequentialist ethic is based on seeking the maximization of happiness. To do this the agent must evaluate the future consequences of his act, before the realization. If satisfied that the property will be maximized by the consequences of his act so he can achieve. In the example of Asian textile producer and the Western customer, both can adopt a consequentialist philosophy. This may have the effect of the object, then they are two players in a given market, and they therefore have to interact together. The analysis of the consequences of an act prior to its implementation may seem quite realistic in the economic framework. In general the research of an economic agent is to maximize its profit, not its happiness. This is particularly true in the context of a company whose goal is to create wealth. To achieve business operates through rules. This helps avoid the unexpected. The actions follow rules and procedures. They are rarely judged individually. A Chinese textile producer organizes its production to achieve the best returns while having low labour costs. This organization allows it to be more competitive in terms of selling price compared to its Western competitors. But for that it must abandon the qualitative aspect of the product, focusing only on the quantity (economies of scale). But the quality of a product creates happiness. This is reflected in the pride of the worker and the satisfaction of the purchaser with respect to product features (comfort, strength ). Consequentialist ethic which relies on the Chinese producer take a highly competitive market, may also justify the opposite strategy. Thanks to this example, it is easy to see that consequentialism is not an absolute theory. It is also criticized by some authors. In the above excerpt focuses on the proportion of uncertain when an individual makes a decision. This uncertainty is due to the possible lack of information. Indeed, the agent is acting when consequentialist believes that its actions will maximize happiness. Now to be sure, the officer must be informed of the situation surrounding before acting. That is not always possible. The agent will then make a decision based on his morality, but also information that may no longer be valid. The other limitation of consequentialism highlighted by Ruegger (University of Fribourg) is the emotional bond that can exist between the actor and another individual involved in the action. The author explains that a relationship, or friendship, necessarily guide the choice of the agent. This factor will be stronger than the will to follow consequentialist ethics. In the case of Western consumer, this argument can easily be proved. Indeed, if the consumer chose the product with Western may be influenced by the fact that work-or a parent-for the Western firm that sells the product. He will choose the product it is indirectly linked to the detriment of the Asian product. These arguments can question the merits of consequentialist ethics. The consequentialism is a theory that seeks to promote the best actions. But the notion of morally good action seems random. It varies depending on the position of the individual faced with a situation. What are the influences experienced by the individual which are implicated here. More precisely: the lack of information, which may influence the decision of the agent (Hare, 1976). The existence of a link between the agent and another actor in a situation will influence the final decision (according to Ruegger). In the case of the Asian producer and consumer Western consequentialism also has its limits. The ultimate consumer may judge that would allow him to eat Asian savings and thereby increase its profit. For the Asian manufacturer, it could decide to increase the salaries of its workers to increase their happiness. Consequentialism can be interpreted as a philosophy, but not as an ethic. In A Theory of Justice, Rawls challenges utilitarianism. It highlights the fact that the actor is the sole judge of its actions according to this theory. But the individual judgments cannot be regarded as necessarily just. The ethics of virtue is based study knew the character of the individual. This ethic is composed of virtues that is to say, of character traits. For Aristotle, the four cardinal virtues are courage, modesty, Generosity, and spirit of justice. Today its list of virtues is longer. The actions of individuals are considered good when they are consistent with these principles. In addition to considering the character of the actor must take into account the circumstances of the action. For example, an honest person is defined as follows: For Aristotle, the virtuous man is he who chose the voice of moderation. Asian Textile producer must follow this path to adopt the ethics of virtue. It must change its behaviour. Here are some examples of virtuous behaviour. Higher wages and improved working conditions. That is to say be fairer. Increase the quality of products on the market. To do this we must invest in machinery, but also in training workers. That is to say, to show courage by taking a different route from Asian competitors. The Asian manufacturer must rethink the way they act to adopt the ethics of virtue. By adopting this ethic, it may present on the market products that meet the expectations of Western consumers: the best quality products. And also improve its image. Some producers still use child labour. It hurts their image. By adopting the ethics of virtue, this situation could change. The product quality can be improved. This can be guaranteed by winning international awards such as ISO Standards. The quality of the work environment and the training of workers can also be improved. The use of virtue ethics should lead to the adoption of virtuous behavior. This may allow the Asian producers, to respond differently to Western consumers. This requires a change of image. Improving the image can give confidence to consumers and thereby attract and retain them. Campodonico show in the excerpt below, the place of ethics of virtue today: In this excerpt, the author argues that the adoption of the virtues described by Aristotle is still possible today. An Asian textile producer can adopt the ethics of virtue. The author focuses on the rapidly changing environment. But he thinks that ethics defined by Aristotle can cope with this kind of context. However, it should be noted that the ethics of virtue is not always applicable in todays business environment. Indeed modern management organizations are often based on different values à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¹Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¹of ethics. The main example is the corporate management. It is the management of the company by shareholders. This form is becoming increasingly important in modern economies. In this type of management decisions are often made à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¹Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¹in relation to their potential profitability. On the other hand, decisions are often made by groups (board of directors, lobbyists ). The decision to act based on the judgments of several individuals. This makes it difficult to apply under behavior, as all individuals within a group dont necessarily virtues. The final decision may be devoid of ethical virtue. Given this context of virtue ethics seems to be a good idea, but impractical. He should remember that virtue ethics is another way for the Asian manufacturer to behave on the market. She has differences with consequentialism. The main principle of this ethic is the study of the character of the actor, rather than the consequences of his actions. The goal is similar, is act morally right and good. The principles of virtue, whose bases were designed by Aristotle, remain valid even today. But there are serious doubts on the possibility of applied in modern company.