Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Should CEOs turn to Machiavelli for business strategies Essay

Should CEOs turn to Machiavelli for business strategies - Essay Example Machiavelli is considered as one of the Masters of Leadership as his philosophy on leadership offered a different insight into how leaders can be successful and what needs to be done in order to remain successful. What is critical to note that Machiavelli’s Prince has been one of the most controversial books which have been banned by Catholic Church also and still being demonized due to its different interpretations? The strategies prescribed by Machiavelli are often considered as important in terms of how a leader should deal with situations where the organizations are specially facing difficult competition and external environment. Machiavelli therefore serves as an important reference point for leaders and CEOs to develop strategies to deal with the competition and achieve the relative degree of superiority over the competition. (McAlpine) This paper will discuss and argue on whether CEOs should turn to Machiavelli for developing business strategies or not. Machiavelli- the Prince Before discussing as to how the CEOs and leaders should refer to Machiavelli for developing strategies, it is important to first understand and explore the philosophy of Machiavelli and how it relates to strategy. Machiavelli is considered as a political theorist, diplomat as well as historian who wrote the famous book â€Å"The Prince† advising young Italian Prince of what he needs to do in order to overcome his opponents and establish his kingdom. As such The Prince is technically the work of advice given to a Prince to manage various aspects of running a State and how to deal with and manage the opponents. The Prince therefore is considered as one of the important works in both philosophy as well as political theory with implications for business strategy also. Such diverse range of application of this book makes it one of the important books in business world. (Boa) The overall strategies as well as advice contained in this book are often considered as immoral in nature. Some of the critics of Prince accuse it of suggesting strategies which may not be morally right under all circumstances. The strategies of deceit are considered as immoral by the critics of this philosophy however, they are considered as important also to work in certain situations. As such the context within which Prince was actually written and advised may justify its philosophy as well as advice for a Prince who lost everything and was in process of recapturing what was his legitimate. As such Machiavelli emphasize on the use of realism rather than idealism while making strategies and executing them in order to remain a successful leader and deal with the competition. The use of realism therefore allows leaders to commit acts which may be considered as immoral or deceitful. Machiavelli and Business Leaders Along with Sun Tzu’s Art of War, Machiavelli’s The Prince has been influential on CEOs and leaders regarding the development of leadership and management insight necessary for CEOs to operate their businesses. CEOs not only use above works to understand how they can improve the overall competitiveness of their enterprises but can also advance their careers using some of the strategies defined in both these books. Over the period of time, CEOs have therefore been using both these works as reference points for understanding the inherent dynamics of competition and how to advance their ca

Monday, October 28, 2019

Exploring the Organization Culture within McDonalds

Exploring the Organization Culture within McDonalds McDonalds Here I choose a McDonalds of New Zealand for my assignment. I choose this organization because it is very up growing organization of New Zealand. The biggest reason for choosing this organization is that because I am working here and I know much more about that. A milkshake salesman by the name of Ray Kroc in USA in 1954 received an order from the McDonald brothers hamburger in California. He was fascinated by their operation the menu was simple and cheaper and the hamburgers were good; the fries were made in-store with vegetable oil; and the shakes were thicker than usual. The first restaurant in New Zealand is opened in 1976 in Porirua.   Today there are around 150 McDonald restaurants in New Zealand and McDonalds is serving around 1 million people in one week in New Zealand. 80 percent of McDonald restaurants are franchised by local business men and women who own and operate their restaurants as independent business. McDonalds employees respect their customers and deliver them outstanding quality, service, cleanliness and value (QSCV). Reference: http://mcdonalds.co.nz/about-us/organisation BUSINESS DEMOGRAPHICS McDonalds business model is based on providing regular levels of service and good quality products and quality, service, cleanliness and value is important to all those people who work for McDonalds New Zealand. For a successful business it is very important to fulfill the changing needs of customers. The way people eat and what they eat is changing people are becoming more aware than ever of the importance of health and nutrition, McDonalds offer so many healthy choices to the customers such as salads, deli wraps, fruits weight watchers etc. Customers are also becoming more interested in having information about their food, their production methods etc. McDonalds supply all the information to their customers very easily. Direct communication to customers is very important for McDonalds. Some of the methods McDonalds uses are: Television Advertisements. Brochures, tray mats. McDonalds website (www.mcdonalds.co.nz) Magazine and newspaper advertisements Public relations Internal newsletters Country-specific websites. Reference: SSC (Shift Supervisor Course) Handbook ORGANISATION GOALS McDonalds want to make its relationship deep with customers by providing them great service and experience. There are so many different activities that make a good relation between customers and McDonalds. Mission Statement: McDonalds vision is to be the worlds best quick service restaurant experience. Being the best means providing outstanding quality, service, cleanliness, and value, so that we make every customer in every restaurant smile. (http://www.samples-help.org.uk/mission-statements/mcdonalds-mission-statement.htm) Vision Statement: To be our customers favorite place and way to eat. McDonalds Goals and Objectives: 1. McDonalds vision is to be our customers favorite place and way to eat. 2. McDonalds is committed to maintaining and providing best food and fast service restaurant in market. 3. In order to deliver best and safe food, company has made so many commitments for food safety. 4. McDonalds have an objective to continual enrich and improve their menu. McDonalds time to time bring new items in its menu. This will satisfy their customers and give customers more reason to visit. 5. To be a socially answerable and responsible company. 6. To provide good earnings to its shareholders. 7. To provide its customers with food of a great standard, speedy service and importance for money. Reference: Shift Supervisor Workbook, Managing Shift (2006 McDonalds) Organization Culture and Ethics McDonalds has a vision that includes employees and the surrounding communities. They believe that satisfied employees give best in quality customer service. McDonalds also maintain promise to stakeholders. McDonalds culture is to do the accurate thing for their employees, the community and the customers; this promise is as important to them as serving food. McDonalds also provide support to school and youth programs and the Ronald McDonald house provides support for the comfort of children around the world. A program of conduct and beliefs is helpful to running any business. By encouraging this positive action allover the company they should be clear and include all people involved throughout the company. These policies should have a clear view on how to treat your customers in a respectful manner. Community involvement McDonalds is actively participated in New Zealand communities since 1976. Our restaurants and franchisees play vital roles in their local area, and we take responsibilities seriously to make sure we are a good neighbor and a good corporate citizen wherever we go. Junior sport: soccer and touch rugby McDonalds New Zealand is a long-term sponsor of junior sport in New Zealand, joining with both junior soccer and touch rugby. Our supports help more than 150,000 Kiwi kids active playing sport each weekend. Clean Up New Zealand Week We want to keep New Zealand beautiful thats why every year in September McDonalds participates in the cleanup New Zealand week. Reference: Systems Management, Managing People Practices Training (2007 McDonalds) Management of Knowledge Resources By way of one of the leading companies in the world and attacking every country, there is no doubt that McDonald is the leader in fast food industry. This statement has been proven for so many years and this will not happen if the company did not apply any plans with their capitals and calculating their abilities. The strategy may come in planning in the business setting. The process of developing and maintaining the goals and abilities is reflected to its changing marketing opportunities. Resources and Capabilities of McDonald For the company, the strategy is worried with matching a companys resources and capabilities to the occasions that rise in the outside environment. The growing reputation on the role of resources and capabilities as the basis for strategy may come in to two factors. First, the business where the firm belongs became unbalanced so the internal resources and capabilities of the firm are given more focus in expressing strategies. And second, the mixture of the resources and capabilities of the firm became the higher competitive advantage and profitability. The linking between the resource and capabilities of a firm in the area of business makes a competitive advantage. It is because the capabilities and resources allow the business to create value and gain some form of benefit from the competitors. The capabilities and resources may include the point of business cycle learning of the top of management team; placement of various forecasting resources, and broadcasting of macroeconomic information as well as timely decision making relative to competitor and a supportive organizational culture that supports the firms management activities. By way of concern of knowledge management, McDonalds companies are primarily affecting the McDonalds system. The principle of systematization of knowledge is followed by every outlet with a detailed set of rules. So, the operating practices became part of every employee and given a detailed attention from the management through the training platforms. Reference: Systems Management, Managing People Practices Training (2007 McDonalds) Group Dynamics Actually, Group dynamics is a combined act by two or more people, in which each person contributes with different skills and states his or her individual interests and opinions to the unity and productivity of the group in order to achieve common goals. The most effective teamwork is produced when all the individuals involved match their contributions and work towards a common goal There is a saying that many hands make light work. The core of this statement is that more can be achieved as a collective than individually. There are several benefits of Group Dynamics. 1. Creativity As we all have different skills, knowledge and personal qualities. By consuming all of these different sides in a team, more ideas can be created. As more ideas are created, more creative solutions are generated, leading to better results. 2. Satisfaction Shortage of job satisfaction is often one of the key things highlighted in surveys of employees. Individuals working together as a team to achieve a common goal are repeatedly developing. As they relate more energy and interest is created. When this energy is utilized, it produces results which positively effects on motivation and leads to even more success. 3. Skills Even the best skilled individual cannot have all of the skills to do everything. Some people best at coming up with the ideas. There are others who can be counted on when it comes to applying and follow through of a plan. The important point is that when a team works together, it has a huge range of skills available that it can utilize to deliver extraordinary results. 4. Speed Suppose that you have a project that needs research, drawing together a plan, financing it, fulfilling it and delivering specific benefits. If one person was owed this task, it could take months and maybe years to make it happen. By splitting up the project, work can move forward in similar and the ultimate goal achieved faster. 5. Sounding board We all have a range of options open to us. If we are trying to number out what is best, we might never move forward. In a team, other team members can act as a sounding board, allowing us to cut through the options and get on with those most likely to achieve the desired goal. 6. Support It is wonderful the amount of friendship that is created in teams, especially when the going gets tough. People will often go to what seems like extreme lengths when they know that they can rely on the support and encouragement of the team. Never miscalculate the significance of this in achieving results. Reference: Systems Management, Improving Operational Efficiency (2007 McDonalds) Meeting Management Board Meetings The Board of Directors sits at least six times a year. Extra meetings are arranged as necessary. The Chairman heads all meetings of the Board of Directors. The Chairman, in discussion with the CEO, establishes an agenda for each meeting. Agendas are set so as to ensure that the Board will be able to fulfill its oversight responsibilities. Directors can at any time suggest the addition of any matters to a meeting agenda or raise for discussion at any meeting any subject that they wish. The Secretary attends all meetings of the Board and records the minutes. The Vice Chairman, Chief Financial Officer and General Counsel also attend meetings of the Board. Restaurant Meetings The McDonalds management team has meetings every week where they reveal over what has occurred since the last meeting and discusses any problems. The best way to have a good idea is to have a lot of ideas. This shows the purpose of having the meeting and it is clear McDonald follow this theory. The minutes and agendas are recorded for each meeting and if any managers are absent, they are kept up to date by the Store Manager who also distributes summaries of the meetings to everyone via email. An example: as a short term goal on the Christmas holidays , all staff has been sent memos and have been emailed on the importance of this weeks. The activities and expectations they are holding are made clear for them to set the example. If the communication had not been made clear to all staff from the beginning the communication would not have had an overall staff contribution to the expected success of the promotion. STAKEHOLDERS Each business has stakeholders individuals, organizations or groups that have an interest in the organization and how it operates. Successful companies take into account the needs and supplies of their stakeholders. Most of the Companies commonly accept if their sales are good, then their brand and reputation must be strong. But they dont have a clear understanding of the ethics that drive brand and reputation and actually stand long-term profitability and growth. This leaves companies helpless to dangerous reaction between corporate values, and those of their stakeholders: customers, employees, shareholders, media, government, and community. Even well-known and successful brands and reputations have suffered from this criticism. Every stakeholder applies their personal and professional values to judge the performance of a company. Stakeholders for McDonalds NZ are: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Customers à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Franchise holders à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Employees à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Supplier à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Community groups à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Shareholders. Reference: Systems Management, Managing Inventory (2007 McDonalds) Networks McDonalds IT Limited can provide the following services: * Audits * Reviews * Implementation * Consultancy * Design Messaging / Communications Email and instant messaging allows your business to keep in touch with the companies without them you cannot survive. Electronic communications have become an essential part of everyday life whether at work or at home. McDonalds IT supports by enabling cooperative messaging solutions that allows you to send and receive electronic collaborative communications, throughout your computer network and to other customers via the internet. By Microsofts latest email offering, Exchange 2010, McDonalds IT provides the necessary elasticity for secure contact from any user, allowing teams to collaborate and communicate more effectively, regardless of location. McDonalds IT also focuses in email migrations from other email platforms, including Lotus Notes, Exchange 5.5, Exchange 2000, 2003 and Exchange 2007. We have designed and applied one of New Zealands few Unified Messaging solutions. Remote Access Solutions 1. Microsoft ISA and TMG McDonalds IT has applied both ISA 2006 and TMG to our customers. We can modify these products to your requirements, be they web proxy, VPN or email protection. TMG can be scaled up to a Network Load Balanced configuration for an Enterprise client. 2. Microsoft Direct Access By the application of Windows 2008 R2, Windows 7 and IP v6, McDonalds IT can leverage Microsofts User Access Gateway (UAG). This method removes the difficulty that normal VPNs have. It allows continuous access to the corporate LAN regardless of location. Standout Features File sharing supports public and shared folders with permissions Free Drop box iPhone/ iPod Touch app available Can sync across multiple computers Syncs Windows, Mac and Linux computer Unlimited undo available Reference: Systems Management, Transition to Systems management (2007 McDonalds) Conclusion According to the findings, we came up with the conclusion that due to the different background and culture of the stay members and managers, language becomes a barrier as far as communication is concerned. Because most employees are from different culture and they are new in this work might hesitate to talk to the manager about their problems. In the meetings, employees are always asked by the managers are they satisfied with their jobs and with the environment of Mc Donalds, which will ultimately motivate them to satisfy the needs of their customers as well. Indian and Chinese staff member hesitates a lot because English is not there first language. We find that the level of satisfaction depends on the quality of service a customer receives. In this restaurant, both men and women deal with the customers because they are trained well before they join the staff. While dealing with different customers of different background they have to communicate accurately to satisfy the customers needs. In this family restaurant every staff member communicates well with the customers to fulfill the customers needs. They speak well in English. References http://mcdonalds.co.nz/about-us/organisation SSC (Shift Supervisor Course) Handbook Shift Supervisor Workbook, Managing Shift (2006 McDonalds) Systems Management, Managing People Practices Training (2007 McDonalds) Systems Management, Managing People Practices Training (2007 McDonalds) Systems Management, Improving Operational Efficiency (2007 McDonalds) Systems Management, Managing Inventory (2007 McDonalds) Systems Management, Transition to Systems management (2007 McDonalds)

Friday, October 25, 2019

Using the Formalistic Approach to Analyze Neuromancer :: Neuromancer Essays

Using the Formalistic Approach to Analyze Neuromancer The formalistic approach to an open text allows the reader to decide what is important about the words on the page as well as the reasons and actions of the characters themselves. The reader is then able to derive a reasonable explanation for the plot or even an overall theme of the text. "According to the Handbook of Critical Approaches to Literature "when all the words, phrases, metaphors, images, and symbols are examined in terms of each other and of the whole, any literary text worth our efforts will display its own internal logic" (Guerin 75)." When practicing the formalistic approach, the reader must scrutinize the text for tools such as form, texture, style, symbolism, point of view, theme, and so on to portray the beauty of the novel. William Gibson's Neuromancer portrays many of these tools, but it is most important to focus on the overall tone of the story, which is quite evident in the setting. Concentrating on the portrayal of dystopia and the diction that is used to desc ribe it, as well as the repetitive imagery of the color pink, the reader can detect the dark and dreary tone at a more critical level. Neuromancer continuously represents a dystopia, which is a "bad place", in the setting. This is in contrast to a utopia, which represents a dream world. Neuromancer's settings remain dark, dreary, futuristic, and phony throughout the novel. These characteristics give the reader a sense of sorrow or even a foreshadowing of bad situations. The author portrays this type of setting in the very beginning when he writes, "The sky above the port was the color of television, tuned to a dead channel," (Gibson 3). Already, the reader has an initial look at death and confusion, creating a dismal tone in just the first line. The words even create mystery, leaving the audience in question of what could possibly happen next. Later on in the story, the portrayal of dystopia is still evident when the text states, "Lost, so small amid that dark, hands grown cold, body image fading down corridors of television sky," (Gibson 31). The characters in the novel are unable to escape this dystopian lifestyle since it has taken control of their every thought and action. Besides acting as a dystopia, or "bad place", a fake and phony setting illustrates the tone as well.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Greco-Roman influence on Mediterranean Society Essay

Mediterranean society, a name manifesting proximity to Mediterranean Sea, flourished around 6th century BC and was dominated in its early years by Greek and Roman influence. Greek and Roman periods came sequentially and at times are collectively referred as Greco-Roman. This influence not only defined characteristics of Mediterranean society for many centuries that follow but also had articulate influences on contemporary societies in western world. Similarities between Greeks and Romans Both Greeks and Romans developed art with their own peculiarities. Forms of art like poetry, drama, mythology, philosophy and architecture defined these civilizations. These contributions are now also known as â€Å"classical antiquity† in history which Mediterranean society enjoyed during Greco-Roman period. Greeks and Romans also had strong military legacies. They both military might to counter any threat against their way of life. Romans also developed a strong naval legion which helped them strengthen their empires. Both Greeks and Romans developed agriculture with a focus on its commercial side and promoted trade. In religion, both did not enforce a universal religion instead promoted concept of tolerating other religious beliefs. Differences between Greeks and Romans Although historians at times refer to Greek and Roman periods in Mediterranean society’s history collectively, both have some clear differences in approach to society and governance. Greek culture is more towards lifestyle and seems to be more focused on development of a society. On the other hand, Roman civilization was oriented towards creating an empire of which Mediterranean region and society was a part. So, while Greeks had more cultural impact on Mediterranean society, Roman influence was more towards developing governance and systems. Politically, Greeks had a decentralized form of government with many city-states flourishing during their period. On the contrary, Romans developed an empire while developing less independent cities and more focus on creating specialized regions. Romans also were more focused on enhancing their empire while maintaining a strong linkage with developed transportation networks and administrative control. While Greeks gave Mediterranean society the philosophical works of Plato and Socrates, it was Romans who gave concept of governance, including civil service, public administration and tax collection. Greco-Roman influence on Western world Modern day politics has always been influenced by Greco-Roman influence on Mediterranean society. A broader case in point would be that modern political systems prevailing in many western countries mirror key elements from Greco-Roman period of Mediterranean. Roman concept of senate and Greek idea of city-state is sprawled around the globe as political systems. Further, concept of constitution and republic instigated in thoughts of Greek philosophers and was later materialized in Roman Empire. So much so, there is an intriguing presence of various elements in modern constitutions, which arguably were formulated by Greco-Roman. For instance, in United States constitution, President can only be a citizen born on American soil. This is akin to Roman concept of citizenship in which citizens having full rights were free, naturally-born, land-owning individuals. In art, contemporary art has genesis in Greco-Roman influence on Mediterranean world. For instance, architectural concept of Corinthian, Ionic or Doric columns which was developed in Greco-Roman period is basis of classical architecture in Western world. In order to govern a vast empire, Romans developed concept of public administration not known to human civilization and also created an extensive civil service and formalized methods of tax collection. These innovative concepts can still be found in Western world. Conclusion Greco-Roman influence on Mediterranean society had strong impact on human civilization. Both had differences but of lesser depth compared to strong similarities which existed in both civilizations. This is one of the reasons that for common understanding Greeks and Roman civilizations exist collectively in history under the label â€Å"Greco-Roman†. Bibliography Bentley, J. H. , Ziegler, H. F. , & Salter, H. S. (2010). Traditions & Encounters: A Brief Global History (2nd Edition ed. ). Virginia, United States of America: McGraw-Hill Humanities/Social Sciences/Languages. Pomeroy, S. B. , Burstein, S. M. , Donlan, W. , & Roberts, J. T. (2007). Ancient Greece: A Political, Social and Cultural History. USA: Oxford University Press. Stearns, P. N. , Adas, M. B. , Gilbert, M. J. , & Schwartz, S. B. (2010). World Civilizations: The Global Experience. Prentice Hall.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Internet and culture Essay

Introduction Technology affects culture in various ways. As the industrial revolution made its impact in Europe in the nineteenth century, the factory mode of production and assembly line operations had a significant impact on family structures. In the twentieth century the popularity of radio and television gave way to large scale broadcasting media that reached out to a large population. The post second world war era saw a proliferation of mass media shaped by new age advertising that attempted to create new markets, sometimes by determining people’s needs and sometimes by shaping their wants. This has been seen by many as a culture shaping mechanism that attempts to harmonize the entire world. One of the first models that studied this phenomenon is the Frankfurt School, which analyzed the processes of cultural production and political economy, the politics of cultural texts, and audience reception and use of cultural artifacts (Kellner 1989 and 1995). The Frankfurt school studied this trend in both the US and in Germany and was witness to the rise of modern media and a culture that evolved around the cinema, popular music, radio, television, and other forms of mass culture (Wiggershaus 1994). The Internet Revolution However the internet revolution that came on the heels of the collapse of the Berlin wall and the dismantling of the Soviet system, putting an end to the cold war unleashed other forces that would counter the unifying theme of global corporate controlled media. The Internet allowed people to access specific information, it made it possible for the ordinary person, cutting across digital divides to upload his or her won thought and through various websites, blogs and contributed material enabled a large amount of personalized information to be shared and debated. The forces of globalization coupled with individual thought and attitude made the internet a forum that could counter the uniformity that mass media was prone to develop. The future of the internet is one where larger communities develop of like minded individuals or of individuals who debate and discuss issues of their concern. The digital divide, thanks to cheaper broadband, is already dwindling and larger communities across the globe getting connected. The web, with its search engines and portals that carry loads of information, already is a seamless source of information that is easy to access and offers information for free. Email that developed along with the web is now something everyone uses and has brought back people in touch with each other without having to send slow snail mail or spend money in calling their contacts over the phone; Email will continue to be one of the most important tools on the web used by large populations for easy communication. Search engines have already developed to a large extent and the contribution of encyclopedia like Wikipedia to those wanting to share information and learn new things is already well documented. As Zittrain (2006) argues, â€Å"The most plausible path along which the Internet might develop is one that finds greater stability by imposing greater constraint on, if not outright elimination of, the capacity of upstart innovators to demonstrate and deploy their genius to large audiences. Financial transactions over such an Internet will be more trustworthy, but the range of its users’ business models will be narrow. † Conclusion However, what is yet uncertain is how this new technology shapes the future of culture in an international setting. Will it cause further stress as more people use the technology to spread terror, child abuse, sell spurious drugs over the net and indulge in petty financial fraud? Will it be an invasion of privacy as more and more personal information is stored in web pages across the net? Would it lose its current free flowing inclusive character and get regulated by various governments worried about the nature of the Internet that allows everyone to be the author and the reader at the same time? The future will answer these questions, but till then as we surf the web getting more and unique information, individual thoughts and insights, send email and blog, the power of this new technology captivates those of us who now spend hours on the net. REFERENCES †¢ Kellner, D (1989) Critical Theory, Marxism, and Modernity. Cambridge and Baltimore: Polity and John Hopkins University Press. †¢ Kellner, D. (1995) Media Culture. Cultural Studies, Identity, and Politics, Between the Modern and the Postmodern. London and New York: Routledge. †¢ Wiggershaus, R (1994), The Frankfurt School. Cambridge, UK: Polity Press. †¢ Zittrain, J. L. (2006) â€Å"The Generative Internet†. Harvard Law Review, Vol. 119. pp 1974 -2040. At http://www. harvardlawreview. org/issues/119/may06/zittrain. pdf. Last Accessed May 1, 2007.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

American Identity White Privilege and Racial Oppression Professor Ramos Blog

American Identity White Privilege and Racial Oppression Emma Hurtado English 261 08 April 2019 In a post World War I era, America was struggling in trying to navigate its way through the World War II as well as the Great Depression. Trying to define what American identity was in a time like this is complex and almost impossible to do so. The reason for this is because not every American had the same kind of privilege or money. Some Americans didn’t have privilege at all, some were wealthy, others were poor. Their economic and social statuses were two prominent factors that determined what kind of life they would live and the kind of perspective they would have on the world, including themselves. Major events such as WWII and the downfall of the economy are what helped transform and shape what American identity would become during this era. At this time, many Americans such as authors Zora Neale Hurston and F. Scott Fitzgerald experienced different kinds of obstacles and tragedies in life, but were able to encapsulate and portray what life as an American was like in thei r stories. Both authors drew inspiration from their own experiences and hardships to write their stories. There were many different aspects that played a part in creating the American identity, but overall the identity of an American was individually unique. The reason why it was unique is because each person in the country endured distinct kinds of oppression whether it was social, racial, or economic. It can be said that F. Scott Fitzgerald was privileged and had good fortune for the majority of his life. Despite his father being unsuccessful, his family was wealthy which allowed Fitzgerald the opportunity to become successful, which did happen, but only to a certain extent. He was known for living a luxurious and extravagant life which would eventually lead to his economic and social downfall. He was able to become successful in the way he wanted so that he could continue living this over-the-top, excessive life he had grown accustomed to, but eventually he and the main character in his short story would find out that this way of living would not be worth the cost. From the title of the story â€Å"Babylon Revisited†, readers can begin to tear apart the title to determine its meaning. According to Merriam Webster, the word ‘Babylon’ was used to describe â€Å"a city devoted to materialism and sensual pleasure† (Merriam Webster). The title suggests that the story will be similar to the author’s life in the way that Fitzgerald was known for his materialistic lifestyle. â€Å"Babylon Revisited† seems rather intimate and personal in the way that it shows contains many parallels between his life and the main character, Charlie. Some of the main parallels between Fitzgerald’s life and the story are alcoholism and the Great Depression. This story depicts what life was for those who were able to achieve a rather comfortable and affluent lifestyle that most people at the time would not have been able to live. During the beginning of the story, the main character points out that â€Å"It was not an American bar any morehe felt polite in it, and not as if he owned it. It had gone back into France† (Fitzgerald). This quote shows the kind of privilege Charlie felt and knew he had before the market crashed, despite being in a different country. He has a become a stranger in a place he could once be himself. Not only this, but he comes to the harsh realization that he â€Å"spoiled this city for [himself]. [He] didnt realize it, but the d ays came along one after another, and then two years were gone, and everything was gone, and [he] was gone† (Fitzgerald). At this point in his life, he doesn’t have his family anymore and he feels miserable because he regrets not slowing down and appreciating what he had at the time. The story shows how the Great Depression took a toll on Fitzgerald’s personal life. Because of the economic crash, his life changed when it became clear that â€Å"his wife’s emotional crash and the ensuing depression that overtook his life and work were, for Fitzgerald, so closely connected with the stock market crash and economic depression as to cause an interpenetration of the two narratives† (Hess). This story can be interpreted as a cautionary tale because of the way that Fitzgerald chose to share some of the most intense details of his own life to show the consequences of this lifestyle. Zora Neale Hurston’s â€Å"How It Feels To Be Colored Me† offers a completely different yet interesting perspective than Fitzgerald’s work, but they both share the idea of conformity in society. Hurston reminisces on the â€Å"very day that [she] became colored† (Hurston). When she brings up this moment, the readers begin to understand how society and different geographical locations can change one’s perspective of themselves. Her life was completely uprooted when her family moved from Eatonville, Florida. Hurston shows that she is having difficulty trying to understand why she is being treated differently for her skin color for the first time in her life. She grows tired and exhausted because she knows she is â€Å"not tragically colored. There is no great sorrow dammed up in my soul, nor lurking behind my eyes. I do not mind at all† (Hurston). Everyone around her is trying to victimize and define who she is, even though she doesn’t c are about their perception of black people. It shows how during this time it was difficult to define an American because of the way Zora changed in others’ eyes. She only moved from one town to another and still continued to live in the same state, but this helps readers understand the way that small factors such as geographical ones can play a major role in racial discrimination and oppression. According to Stephen J. Whitfield, â€Å"the problem of prejudice was not widely believed to be urgent† before the 40’s (Whitfield). People were looking at Hurston in a biased way because they weren’t able to understand life from her perspective and they only knew about her history rather than learning more about who she was as a person. As a child, Zora was protected from racial discrimination and the perspectives of both black and white people, so when she first realizes that these white people only see her for her past, she is taken aback. She begins to separate herself from everyone else’s idea of what it is to be black, but not because she is ashamed or terrified of her culture, but because of the fact that she wants to re-define herself as Zora. Both Hurston’s and Fitzgerald’s stories were unlike yet alike in different ways. Both narrators were struggling with how they were going to deal with society’s expectations and perspectives. Black people suffered from racial oppression, but Hurston did not let it confine her and hold her back from becoming the person she wanted to be. Unfortunately for Fitzgerald, he let his ambitions get the best of him which resulted in him losing his family and having to redefine who he is and changing his entire life. Both stories include messages that are still prevalent in society today such as making sure that as a society we don’t view others with prejudice or bias, and instead we should take the time to learn more about other cultures instead of labelling them. As for Fitzgerald’s story, it teaches us about the consequences and unhealthy habits that can come with having a luxurious lifestyle. With these two stories, we can learn more about the privilege tha t white people had and we can connect it to today and how that privilege still continues to exist in certain situations, as well as the oppression that people of color also experienced back then and today. Hess, Heather L. N. â€Å"‘The Crash!’†¯: Writing the Great Depression in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s ‘Babylon Revisited,’ ‘Emotional Bankruptcy,’ and ‘Crazy Sunday.’† Journal of Modern Literature, vol. 42, no. 1, Fall 2018, pp. 77–94. EBSCOhost, doi:10.2979/jmodelite.42.1.06. Whitfield, Stephen J. â€Å"The Theme of Indivisibility in the Post-War Struggle against Prejudice in the United States.† Patterns of Prejudice, vol. 48, no. 3, July 2014, pp. 223–247. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1080/0031322X.2014.922773. â€Å"Babylon.†Merriam-Webster, Merriam-Webster, merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Babylon.nbsp;

Monday, October 21, 2019

The Secret of Quiche Maya Essays

The Secret of Quiche Maya Essays The Secret of Quiche Maya Essay The Secret of Quiche Maya Essay When creation begins, according to Popol Vuh, there is nothing but the sky and the darkness. The face of the earth is not yet formed and the seas cover the surface. The Gods are the only ones who exist at this point in time. â€Å"Whatever might be is simply not there: only murmurs, ripples, in the dark, in the night.† (Tedlock 72) This shows the emptiness of the universe and the need for creation by the Gods.In the first decision about creation there are many aspects of the Gods present. Three of these, Thunderbolt Hurricane, Newborn Thunderbolt and Raw Thunderbolt are aspects of one God, Heart of Sky. Plumed Snake consisted of many entities: the Bearers, Begetters, Sovereign Plumed Snake, the Maker and the Modeler, all of which were the water. â€Å"So there were three of them, as Heart of Sky who came to Sovereign Plumed Serpent, when the dawn of life was conceived†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Tedlock 73) So Heart of Sky along with Sovereign Plumed Serpent discus ses the creation about to unfold and how they should go about it. They discuss the options and rules for creation before they begin. The Gods here represent the sky and the ultimate creator.When the Mayans go to create the world they begin by speaking the word â€Å"Earth†. When they do this, the seas begin to recede and the mountains rise above the sea. Trees begin to grow on the mountainsides. â€Å"Now they planned the animals of the mountains, all the guardians of the forests, and creatures of the mountains: the deer, birds, pumas, jaguars, serpents, rattlesnakes, yellowbites, and guardians of the bushes†¦when this deed had been done, all of them had received a place to sleep and a place to stay.† (Tedlock 76, 77)The motive for creating humans was to have someone to speak the names of the Gods and praise their works. They wanted to be â€Å"†¦invoked and remembered on the face of the Earth.† (Tedlock 79) The animals they had created could not speak and so could not sing their praises. Another motive was that someone was needed for the â€Å"time of planting and the dawn†¦So now let us try to make a giver of praise, giver of respect, provider, and nurturer.† (Tedlock 79)The early humans were created out of earth and mud. They crumbled easily, could not turn their heads and spoke nonsense at first then not at all. They dissolved in water and had no mind of their own. The Gods dissolved them and started over. The next humans were made of wood and were humans in looks and speech. They multiplied with daughters and sons but, â€Å"There was nothing in their hearts and nothing in their minds, no memory of their mason and builder. They just went and walked wherever they wanted. The Gods were angry about this and destroyed them with a mighty flood.† (Tedlock 84)The Popol Vuh is a representation of the Mayan culture and beliefs. This manifests that they are polytheistic in nature, where they believe in many gods, an d that these gods were the ones that created them. According to the Popol Vuh, Mayans see destruction as a way of life, since it leads to the creation of new things. In the Popol Vuh, it can be seen that in order to come up with the â€Å"perfect human creation,† the gods underwent several destruction procedures at the times where their creations have gone wrong. The Mayan concept of creation was like other concept of creation of other cultures, where there was nothingness at first, only the gods exist. And out of their boredom, they decided to create living creatures, something that would keep them company, creatures that would acknowledge their power.The Popol Vuh was able to serve two major purposes. The first one was before the year 1550 when it was written for the first time in a European language and therefore made available to the world. Thus, before 1550 it was a communication device that gave information and of course was used to entertain the native Indians when the re was a gathering. More than that, it gave the natives of Central America a sense of identity. This then translates to unity, a backbone for nation building. It can be said that the magnificent Mayan civilization would not have been possible without having the social glue that holds people together and organize them into their social ranks. The myth contained in Popol Vuh allowed them to accept why things are the way they are. This also gave them a thing to look forward to since the Popol Vuh includes in its multiple books the exploits of their past leaders. This can serve as a motivational force for the present leadership of that time to do good for they are assured of immortality when historical accounts are handed down from generation to generation.The second major purpose of the Popol Vuh is the rich information it provides for the people in the modern age. Specifically, it will surely help in peeling away the layers of the enigma that shrouds the sudden and total collapse of t he Mayan civilization. By unlocking it by way of translation, the world is now privileged to look deeper and far into the ancient world of the Mayans. Ditchburn was able to trace back the connection between the Popol Vuh and that great Mayan civilization and he wrote, â€Å"In the sixteenth century, the territory immediately to the south of Mexico, which is now the Republic of Guatemala, was inhabited by various independent nations which were descended from the ancient Maya†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (2003). So whoever was the original author of the Popol Vuh manuscript was able to record what happened during the last days of the Mayan civilization. It is now up to the anthropologist to look at the evidence and offer some clue to finally solve the mystery. To give a clear perspective of why this is so important, Arthur Demarest put it succinctly, â€Å"The rise of civilization in a rainforest was baffling [†¦] The rain forest setting of the Maya continues to challenge our interpretations a nd understanding of this environment (2004).The Popol Vuh may have been created as a form of resistance to the Spanish, since at that time, Spanish invaders came and seized their lands. If you look closely at the text where the Mayan gods destroy the men they created because they weren’t doing what they wanted, it could be associated with how the invaders do things. They force the Mayans to do things, and when the Mayans resisted, they get harmed, and worse, they get killed.The myth and saga found in the multiple books of Popol Vuh helps to see the ancient world in a different light. Together with the majestic temples and public structures built by the Mayans and the pieces of history found in the Popol Vuh it does not cease to amaze any serious student of history the capabilities of ancient peoples. This in turn inspires future anthropologist and archaeologist to not only continue digging but also to continue looking for lost treasures not only in terms of objects but also l iterary works such as the Popol Vuh.

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Beginners Guide to Using an IDE Versus a Text Editor

Beginner's Guide to Using an IDE Versus a Text Editor The best tool for Java programmers as they begin writing their first programs is a debatable topic. Their goal has to be learning the basics of the Java language. Its also important that the programming should be fun. Fun for me is writing and running programs with the least amount of hassle. The question then becomes not so much how to learn Java as where. The programs have to be written somewhere and choosing between using a type of text editor or an integrated development environment can determine just how much fun programming can be. What Is a Text Editor? There isnt a way to spruce up what a text editor does. It creates and edits files that contain nothing more than plain text. Some wont even offer you a range of fonts or formatting options. Using a text editor is the most simplistic way to write Java programs. Once the Java code is written it can be compiled and run by using command-line tools in a terminal window. Example Text Editors: Notepad (Windows), TextEdit (Mac OS X), GEdit (Ubuntu) What Is a Programming Text Editor? There are text editors that are made specifically for writing programming languages. Were calling them programming text editors to highlight the difference, but they are generally known simply as text editors. They still only deal with plain text files but they also have some handy features for programmers: Syntax Highlighting: Colors are assigned to highlight different parts of a Java program. It makes code easier to read and debug. For example, you could set up syntax highlighting so that Java keywords are blue, comments are green, string literals are orange, and so on.Automatic Editing: Java programmers format their programs so that blocks of code are indented together. This indentation can be done automatically by the editor.Compilation and Execution Commands: To save the programmer having to switch from the text editor to a terminal window these editors have the ability to compile and execute Java programs. Therefore, debugging can be done all in one place. Example Programming Text Editors: TextPad (Windows), JEdit (Windows, Mac OS X, Ubuntu) What Is an IDE? IDE stands for Integrated Development Environment. They are powerful tools for programmers that offer all the features of a programming text editor and much more. The idea behind an IDE is to encompass everything a Java programmer could want to do in one application. Theoretically, it should allow them to develop Java programs faster. There are so many features an IDE can contain that the following list contains only a selected few. It should highlight how useful they can be to programmers: Automatic Code Completion: Whilst typing in Java code the IDE can help by showing a list of possible options. For example, when using a String object a programmer might want to use one of its methods. As they type, a list of methods they can choose from will appear in a popup menu.Access Databases: To help connect Java applications to databases IDEs can access different databases and query data contained within them.GUI Builder: Graphical user interfaces can be created by dragging and dropping Swing components onto a canvas. The IDE automatically writes the Java code that creates the GUI.Optimization: As Java applications become more complex, speed and efficiency become more important. Profilers built into the IDE can highlight areas where the Java code could be improved.Version Control: Previous versions of source code files can be kept. Its a useful feature because a working version of a Java class can be stored. If in the future it is modified, a new version can be created. If the modifications cause problems the file can be rolled back to the previous working version. Example IDEs: Eclipse (Windows, Mac OS X, Ubuntu), NetBeans (Windows, Mac OS X, Ubuntu) What Should Beginner Java Programmers Use? For a beginner to learn the Java language they dont need all the tools contained within an IDE. In fact, having to learn a complex piece of software can be as daunting as learning a new programming language. At the same time, its not much fun to continually switch between a text editor and a terminal window in order to compile and run Java programs. Our best advice tends to favor using NetBeans under the strict instructions that beginners ignore almost all of its functionality at the beginning. Focus purely on how to create a new project and how to run a Java program. The rest of the functionality will become clear when its needed.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

History and Nature of Crime Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

History and Nature of Crime - Essay Example This leads to the inconsistency in reporting between jurisdiction, region and states. Klaus (1981, p 68) notes that the UCR only reports the crimes reported to the police. One can clearly observe whether crime rates are going up or decreasing with the use of UCR. The National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) is the leading source of information on criminal victimization on the number and types of the offense not reported to police. The NCVS objectives are to get comprehensive information about the victims, punishment of crime, determine the number of unreported crimes to the police. It provides unvarying trial of selected crimes and allows comparison over time and residents types. The NCVS was implemented to supplement the UCR. Schmalleger (2011, p 150) says that the main reporting programs in the U.S are; National Incident Based Reporting System (NIBRS), Uniform Crime reports (UCR), and the National Crime Reporting Survey (NCRS). Each crime reporting program has its own pros and cons towards the criminals and victims as well as the law enforcement present. UCR usually has detailed administrative information about criminal deeds that have been forwarded to the (FBI) from the law enforcement agencies where the crime was first reported to. Some of the pros of UCR programs are that people can be up to date on the crimes that take place in certain areas as well as, the types of crimes. The disadvantage is that the program only shows the offences that have been recorded by the law enforcement authorities leaving out the unreported. National Incident Based Reporting system (NIBRS) is an incident-based reporting method used in the U.S, to report crimes. Local and federal agencies create NIBRS information from their report management systems when an incident comes to their attention (Bottomley & Coleman, 1981). The data taken includes the nature of offence, characteristic off the victim and the lawbreaker

Friday, October 18, 2019

Share Trading Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Share Trading Assignment - Essay Example Trading Activities Buying of Shares with the notional ?100,000 888 Holdings PLC (888.L) ?31.25 as at September 30, 2011 11:07 Prev Close: 32.75 Open: 32.25 Bid: 35.50 Ask: 36.00 1y Target Est: 1.05 Beta: N/A Next Earnings Date: N/A Purchase cost ?54,000.00 1,500 shares times the ask price of ?36.00 per share. Stamp Duty ?270.00 ?32,750 times 0.005 (Note: 0.005 = 0.5%) Brokers commission ?10.00 It is ?10.00 whatever the size of the trade. Total ?54,280.00 Shares of 888 Holdings Plc seemed to be very lucrative hence the desire to buy them. What’s more, there has been an increasing trend in the value of shares of 888 Holdings Plc, which made it even more lucrative. Vodafone Group PLC (VOD.L) ?166.25 as at September 30, 2011 Prev Close: 166.25 Open: 167.15 Bid: 168.30 Ask: 168.35 1y Target Est: 199.14 Beta: N/A Next Earnings Date: N/A Purchase cost ?45,454.50 270 shares times the ask price of ?168.35 per share. Stamp Duty ?227.27 ?13,300 times 0.005 (Note: 0.005 = 0.5%) Brokers co mmission ?10.00 It is ?10.00 whatever the size of the trade. Total ?45,691.77 Despite recent drop in the value of shares, Vodafone Plc shares seemed attractive to invest in given the status of the company. The company has grown considerable thus proving that there is possibility of future prospects. What’s more, there were indications that the firm’s share is very attractive in the market hence trading on the shares may be very easy. The total amount invested in the two firms is given by 1,500 shares of 888 Holdings Plc ?54,280.00 270 shares of Vodafone Plc ?45,691.77 Total ?99,971.77 Selling of Shares 888 Holdings PLC (888.L) ?72.00 3.25(4.73%) 11:07 (April 16, 2012) Prev Close: 68.75 Open: 68.25 Bid: 71.50 Ask: 72.00 1y Target Est: 1.05 Beta: N/A Next Earnings Date: N/A Selling Revenue ?107,250.00 1500 shares times the ask price of ?71.50 per share. Brokers commission ?10.00 It is ?10.00 whatever the size of the trade. Total ?107,240.00 Vodafone Group PLC (VOD.L) 71. 54 2.09(1.23%) 11:12AM (April 16, 2012) Prev Close: 169.45 Open: 169.35 Bid: 171.50 Ask: 171.55 1y Target Est: 199.14 Beta: N/A Next Earnings Date: N/A Purchase cost ?46,305.00 270 shares times the ask price of ?171.50 per share. Brokers commission ?10.00 It is ?10.00 whatever the size of the trade. Total ?46,295.00 Total Revenue obtained from selling the shares 1,500 shares of 888 Holdings Plc ?107,240.00 270 shares of Vodafone Plc ?46,295.00 Total ?153,535.00 Percentage Profit from the Trading * 100 = 53.53% FTSE All-Share index is 5,300 on September 31, 2011 and 5,678 on April 16, 2012 at 1400 hours. = 7.13% Therefore, on the basis of the above calculations on Percentage profit and FTSE All-share index, there is no doubt that the trading was able to beat the FTSE All-share index. Critical diary Trading within the stock exchange market is a tricky and challenging aspect of commerce. Every individual involved in investment or trading within the stock exchange market has to be equip ped with adequate and up to date information on the performance of the various stocks or shares within the stock exchange market. One way of attaining such adequate and up to date information is extensive reading and listening to business news. Consequently, before engaging in this trade, I read many articles, journals, listened to and watched much business news. From the articles, journal

Paper one Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Paper one - Essay Example For me personally I think that the creation story is not really based in fact because there is no proof for any of it. The myth sounds really good and it does provide some kind of explanation for how the world began, but there are so many unanswered questions about it. For example, it has been scientifically proven that the world is billions of years old yet according to the Bible it has only been a few thousand. Something doesnt add up because the difference between these two points of view is rather extreme. I could somewhat believe the Biblical account if it was more in line with what science has proven is real. Another thing that I fail to understand is that global warming is something that is completely dismissed by most Christians. There is no argument for this because evidence shows that the earth is experiencing extreme weather, and this will affect our lives in the future also. It is almost like Christians dont care about the world because they believe that they will go to heaven one day anyway. I can understand that but what they dont realize is that by ignoring the claims of global warming they are making the environment worse for their children and grandchildren. I appreciate the right to free speech, so I am not against Christians for what they believe about the world. I might be attracted more to the religion if it could be modernized and take more of a scientific view of the world. We now live in the 21st century and some things are now fact rather than fiction because they can be proven to be real. Finally, I would say that the Christian world view is becoming less and less popular simply because it has failed to take into account significant changes in our modern society. Nothing lasts forever, but that does not mean that everything about what Christians believe should be thrown away. There are some good things that they believe, yet there are also some things that hold them back. One such example is the

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

Robotics - Research Paper Example Plurality of identity refers to chosen or multiple identities (Miller 2013, 2). Real identity is an aggregate of selves or identity aspects in various contexts and real identity is not subject to manipulation (Cocking 2009, 127; 135). Online identities might correspond to real identity and multiple identities are virtually possible on the same or different online platforms (Ellison 2013, 10; 14). Basically, social media enables users manipulate, diversify or distort identities for legitimate reasons such as privacy or deliberate misinformation. Cocking (2009) asserts that computer-mediated communication enables showcasing of users, entrance and contribution to interest groups and communities (123). Digital technologies have enabled modification of identity or creation of several identities (Ludovico, n.d.). Miller (2013; Ludovico, n.d.) refers to the 1993 New Yorker cartoon of a dog telling another that virtually, nobody knows it is a dog to explain virtual identities (3). The dissolution of the real life identity by technological advances results in fragmentation illustrated by multiplicity of identities and interconnections in various digital media. Private content postings results in partial representations of real life identity which is disjointed and rarely matches the original. Ludovico likens the phenomenon to opening up to strangers not likely to be met again. These online identities are unpredictable since they are constantly updated to create fictitious characters and exaggerate of real ones in identity experimentation. In pre and post web 2.0 standards, social media influenced formation of plural identities. The web 2.0 sites enable user generated content as opposed to the preexisting commercially and institutionally generated content (Vallor 2012; Pasquier 2010, 21). Vallor 2012 asserts that early use of these sites linked

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Professional international business law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Professional international business law - Essay Example Wally Solar Manufacturer hereinafter referred to as â€Å"Principal†; a corporation organized and registered in accordance with the laws of _________, having a registered address at ____________ and herein represented by ___________. Japan Sun Power Ltd., herein after referred to as â€Å"Agent†; a corporation organized and registered under the laws of Japan, having a registered address at ____________ and herein represented by ______________;† There are many ways of arranging the sections of an agreement to make in understandable and coherent. I propose that this agreement will be divided into sections with headings and subtitles for easy references. Statement of Purpose. The draft agreement you provided me has no statement of purpose. This provision is important as it will define the whole document and will guide the reader as what purpose it will serve. This should appear as section 1 in the agreement. Definition of Terms. In an agreement, as well as any other contracts, it is highly desirable to define the terms we use in the provisions thereof. There are words, which may have dual meanings or connotes a deferent interpretation when conjunct with another word or phrase. My recommendation is that we include a definition of terms in the agreement and put it as Section 3. Appointment and Territorial Coverage. A clear provision appointing the Agent and defining the territory upon which the agent shall have authority to operate should be included. This should be included as Section 4. I would like to suggest that provisions for this section should read as follows: The Principal hereby appoints the Agent to serve as its exclusive sales agent and representative in Japan and shall act in accordance with the terms of this agreement. The appointment should limit the coverage of the Agent within the Japanese territory as you already mentioned that the Agent is a small company with no capability of handling transactions outside Japan. Non-Transferability

Privacy and Digital Investigations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Privacy and Digital Investigations - Essay Example Therefore, upon the detection of suspicious computer incidents, the organization immediately launches a forensics/digital investigation which is fully compliant with a policy which has been jointly drawn up by both the legal and the IT departments. This report will begin with a brief overview of privacy considerations, following which it will describe the organization's policy and highlight both its strengths and weaknesses. According to federal employment laws, employees have a reasonable expectation of privacy. Aftab (2006) notes that the Electronic Communications Privacy Act of 1986 explicitly prohibits employer monitoring of employee private electronic communications, even if the medium of communication was owned by the employer, occurred in the workplace and on the employer's own time. Employees should reasonably expect that the electronic equipment assigned to their use, whether computers or telephones, are not going to be used for the purposes of monitoring their activities and private communiqus. At the same time, Aftab (2006) notes that it has become increasingly important for employers to monitor employee use of these equipments, especially in instances of investigation. Therefore, to overcome the strictures placed on employers by the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, organizations typically have employees sign an organization-specific Electronic and Communication Equipment policy. This p olicy, according to Merkow and Breithaupt (2002) and Aftab (2006), clearly specifies that that the employee has the right to review all documents and materials which were created, sent or received via corporate equipment and, indeed, to subject the equipment to forensic investigations which would expose employee use of the equipment. In other words, employees are often required to legally waive their legal right to privacy. According to our Legal Director, our organization has such a policy in place and all employees are required to sign it. 2.2 Patient Privacy Patient privacy is protected by federal legislature. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996, clearly outlines the inviolability of patient confidentiality. Jacobs (2005) explains that it is contingent upon companies in the healthcare sector to ensure that patient data is protected against unauthorised access and, of course, public dissemination. If violations occur and investigations reveal that the organization did not do all that was possible to securitize patient data, it could be held liable for negligence and subsequently sued by patients. Therefore, the priority for ant healthcare organisation should be the securitization of patient data (Jacob, 2005). 3 Investigation Policy The organization's investigation policy, as explained by the Legal Department Director is simultaneously informed and enabled by the privacy considerations outlined in the above. Investigation policy is driven by the objective of identifying ant possible violations of patient privacy and the identity of the violator and the forensics investigations which are integral to the fulfilment of the stated objectives are enabled by employee waiver of their right

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Professional international business law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Professional international business law - Essay Example Wally Solar Manufacturer hereinafter referred to as â€Å"Principal†; a corporation organized and registered in accordance with the laws of _________, having a registered address at ____________ and herein represented by ___________. Japan Sun Power Ltd., herein after referred to as â€Å"Agent†; a corporation organized and registered under the laws of Japan, having a registered address at ____________ and herein represented by ______________;† There are many ways of arranging the sections of an agreement to make in understandable and coherent. I propose that this agreement will be divided into sections with headings and subtitles for easy references. Statement of Purpose. The draft agreement you provided me has no statement of purpose. This provision is important as it will define the whole document and will guide the reader as what purpose it will serve. This should appear as section 1 in the agreement. Definition of Terms. In an agreement, as well as any other contracts, it is highly desirable to define the terms we use in the provisions thereof. There are words, which may have dual meanings or connotes a deferent interpretation when conjunct with another word or phrase. My recommendation is that we include a definition of terms in the agreement and put it as Section 3. Appointment and Territorial Coverage. A clear provision appointing the Agent and defining the territory upon which the agent shall have authority to operate should be included. This should be included as Section 4. I would like to suggest that provisions for this section should read as follows: The Principal hereby appoints the Agent to serve as its exclusive sales agent and representative in Japan and shall act in accordance with the terms of this agreement. The appointment should limit the coverage of the Agent within the Japanese territory as you already mentioned that the Agent is a small company with no capability of handling transactions outside Japan. Non-Transferability

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Individuals Relationship to the Community Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Individuals Relationship to the Community - Essay Example Sartre's existentialism and Human Emotions talk about how an individual can get the essence of his individuality through his existence. According to him, humans are thrown in this world without essence and with the span of time that he spends in the world, he has the chance to make decisions for there are choices available no matter what kind of situation circumstance he will be. He also added that since the people are born in the environment where there is no external value, it is already his chance to achieve the internal value that he desires. This optimistic view of existence can be related to how people base their decisions, most of which depend on what will people say and how people will judge. The individual and the community can never be separated although that is the aim and the goal of each one, still to depart from what is real and existing as a factor of survival is absolutely impossible. That is because of the reality that man cannot live and interact with himself alone. The interaction with other people that is needed for the nourishment of his physical, mental and emotional aspects is quite significant to be disregarded. This is the same reason why the community, the place for interaction is indispensable for his survival. The disadvantage comes in when free will and personal decisions get replaced by what we call "rules," rules which Freud said to be a kind of mutual relationship which replaces the individual's freedom by the rules of the society. This means that one is restricted to do things of his desire to give way to order and justice. Individual instincts for happiness are also controlled so as to reach the level of civilization which is thought to be progr ess. And since we talked about progress as another goal of every society, we can't remove the fact that progress deals with new technology which just like what Said mentioned in his book Representations of the Intellectual can somehow alter the real meaning of freedom. This is due to social conformity that needs to be accomplished to get the work done riding along with technology. The improvements and progress being the aim of every community and society, or group of individuals which usually follow a rule will always violate the so-called "norm of freedom" which Said partly talked about in the said book. The point being raised here is that even if there is a choice for man to be totally free at a given time or place, there is always a big possibility for him to be submissive to the rules which to him will bring forth bigger advantages. The violation then comes in when the expectations of the man who went struggling to deprive himself from personal satisfaction for a bigger cause gets corrupted by a bigger longing not from an individual but from the society, which supposedly is the on that would protect and or work for his desires to be achieved. A violation can also be done to personal freedom of choice and decision is when at a moment, the basis for a particular action or agendum is already the reaction of the community which cumulatively formed the rules in the society. What went wrong between the individual and the community was the interlocking of desires both from the individual and the community. No matter how mutual the so-called rules can be, there is always a greater desire that may pass over the well-made rules of the

Monday, October 14, 2019

Factors That Affect Streptomyces Growth Biology Essay

Factors That Affect Streptomyces Growth Biology Essay The growth of a microorganism is extremely dependent upon the surrounding environmental conditions. Every organism has a range of optimum conditions at which members of its species will grow ideally. Inoculum, temperature, pH and dissolved oxygen concentration (among other factors) within the media is often carefully controlled in industrial applications as deviations from the optimal conditions often have profound effects on the growth rate and activity of the organism (Shuler and Kargi, 1992). When directing experiments involving microbial growth, the preparation and quality of the inocula are as important as any other parameter control. In Streptomyces if mycelia are used in the inoculum, many uncontrolled variables will emerge. These variables include age, stress level and growth stage of the cells, all of which obligatory should be controlled (Kieser et al., 2000). This problem gets even worse when attempting to initiate trials over a period of several months as even small variations in the population size of the inoculum can result in large changes in the level and rate of growth. Streptomyces vegetative inocula are often prepared through the addition of several colonies sometimes from many starter plates to small amounts of media. This is afterward incubated until sufficient biomass is produced, as determined through optical density measurements of the media. This method of vegetative inoculum used by Jakeman et al. (2004) is effective in obtaining biomass; neverthele ss it does not provide the consistent inoculum required for comparative trials. The number of cells within the inoculum is hard to directly measure and the inconsistent manner of initially adding cells can result in cells at different stages of growth or stress level. Another method of preparing an inoculum is to harvest spores from the selected culture and store under conditions not satisfactory for germination. The cells within a spore suspension remain in a consistent state while still providing an instant inoculum (Kutzner and Nitsch, 1970). This technique also allows long term storage of a viable inoculum that should produce reliable results. By suspending the spores in a soft agar spore suspension, Kutzner and Nitsch (1970) have proven that a suspension of Streptomyces spores will remain viable as an inoculum over a year. Temperature The bacterial growth behavior is greatly influenced by many factors such as environmental conditions and the physiological state of the bacteria. The temperature of the environment directly affects the activity and growth of cells; every species has an ideal temperature for growth that is influenced by its physiology (Shuler and Kargi, 1992). This optimum temperature for growth may not be the same as the temperature at which metabolites are produced most efficiently. Streptomyces venezuelae ISP 5230 are mesophilic bacteria, which means that their optimal growth temperature is between 15 and 40 Â °C. For every increase of 10 Â °C closer to the optimum growth temperature, the growth rate of bacteria approximately doubles (Truelstrup-Hansen et al, 2002). If the media temperature is above optimal, the rate of growth is reduced. The temperatures used for Streptomyces venezuelae growth have been cited as 30 Â °C Â ± 2 Â °C (Wang and Vining, 2003; Jakeman et al., 2006). At 42 Â °C Str eptomyces venezuelae express heat shock genes that motivate sporulation and antibiotic production (Yang et al., 2008). pH Similarly to temperature, the pH (hydronium ion concentration) of the media affects the growth rate of bacteria by influencing the activity of cellular enzymes (Shuler and Kargi, 1992). To achieve the maximum growth rate level, current literature recommends growing Streptomyces venezuelae in a media with the maintenance of pH between 6.0 7.8 (Jakeman et al., 2006). The optimal pH levels are often different when maximizing growth rate and highest product yield (Shuler and Kargi, 1992). However, bacteria are often able to grow within a huge range of pH. Studies on the Streptomyces species by Kontro et al. (2005) have found the optimal pH ranges of growth and sporulation for this species to be between 5.5 and 11.5. The study executed by Kontro et al. (2005) has also found that the media strongly affects the acid tolerance of Streptomyces species. When grown at pH 4 in a media that contains yeast extract most species included in the studies were unable to grow, while at the pH of 7 the majority of species displayed maximum growth rate on most types of media. In order to buffer the pH of the growth medium to near neutral values, a buffer called MOPS (3-(N-morpholino) propanesulfonic acid) is normally used for this species of Streptomyces. While studying the effects of carbon sources on antibiotic production by Streptomyces venezuelae, MOPS was added to jadomycin B production media by Jakeman et al. (2006) however, no buffer was added to the Maltose yeast extract malt extract (MYM) agar that was used for the growth during the study. Glazebrook et al. (1990) studied the effect of different carbon sources on Streptomyces venezuelae sporulation in minimal LS media. In this media, enough amounts of MOPS were added to maintain the pH of the media at near neutral values for every carbon source except glucose. During growth in glucose-based LS media, a high production of oxo-acids was observed resulting in growth inhibition. Dissolved Oxygen The dissolved oxygen available to bacterial cells within the media can be a limiting factor if the rate of consumption exceeds the rate of supply (Schuler, 2000). There is a critical oxygen concentration exclusive to each bacteria species, above which the growth rate is independent of the media dissolved oxygen concentration. This value is usually 5 10 % of the maximum saturation level; however the maximum saturation is influenced through the existence of dissolved salts, organics, and the medias temperature (Shuler and Kargi, 1992). The production of secondary metabolites can also be influenced through dissolved oxygen concentration. During antibiotic production Streptomyces clavuligerus, increased oxygen saturation above the critical dissolved oxygen concentration which resulted in additional product and biomass yield (Yegneswaran et al., 1991) up to the maximum saturation limit of oxygen in the media. Substrate The substrate used in the media is an important factor that can affect growth rate of the bacteria as well as its characteristics. For instance, Kontro et al. (2005) found that Streptomyces species changed its behavior as acidophiles, neutrophiles or alkalophiles, depending on the growth media. Most species would grow optimally at pH that is near to neutral or slightly alkaline conditions on a media that included yeast extract (Kontro et al., 2005). Streptomyces venezuelae is grown using many carbon sources including glycerol, glucose, lactose, mannose, maltotriose, maltose starch and more. The effect of these carbon sources on growth and secondary metabolite production is dependent upon many factors such as pH (Kontro et al., 2005). For example, studies on the sporulation of Streptomyces venezuelae in liquid media by Glazebrook et al., (1990) found that while maltose supported the growth and sporulation of Streptomyces venezuelae, glucose significantly inhibited sporulation. Specifi cally, when grown in minimal LS media using glucose as the main carbon source, the pH of the media dropped rapidly with the production of oxo-acids by the bacteria. The increased acidity likely contributed to growth inhibition; however the glucose was reported to also have an inhibitory effect on sporulation that was un-related to the increased acidity of the media. As the jadomycin family of antibiotics is linked to the sporulation pathway (Wang and Vining, 2003), it is visible that the media has a huge effect on the growth and antibiotic production by Streptomyces venezuelae. Work by Jakeman et al. (2006) found that the carbon source supplied in to the media also has an influence on the antibiotic production by Streptomyces venezuelae. The effect of several sugars on jadomycin B production was studied and important differences in antibiotic production between sugars were found, where glucose was found to be optimal. Heat Balance The bacterial behavior is greatly influenced by the environmental temperature; however the metabolism and activity of bacteria also affects media temperature. Naturally about 50 60 % of energy produced during the metabolism of nutrients within a system is transformed into heat energy (Shuler and Kargi, 1992). The metabolism of sugar is a great source of thermal energy that must be taken into consideration in bioreactor design (Ben-Hassan et al., 1992). Streptomyces venezuelae aerobically metabolize sugars for energy and the production of metabolites. In industry, the amount of substrate used by the microorganism for growth and product synthesis determines the economic viability of the process. The heat energy produced can be determined through the utilization of a heat balance model (Ghaly et al., 1992). Once the heat of mixing is determined, the energy generated by Streptomyces venezuelae can be determined. The work by Ghaly et al. (1992) on the heat generated through mixing and me tabolism during lactose fermentation showed that the temperature of media increased from 22 to 32 Â °C with bacterial growth (Figure 3.9). This increase in temperature was due to the heat generated by the yeast (7.4 JÂ ·s-1) as well as the heat of mixing (1.01 JÂ ·s-1). The amount of heat generated by the organisms in a bioreactor can be estimated by modeling the heat flux over the boundary of the enclosed system. This mathematical model or heat balance balances the thermal energy generated within a system with the energy stored and lost from the system (Ben-Hassan et al., 1992). To develop a heat balance using this method, a trial must first be executed on the system through normal stable state operation to evaluate the heat generation during operation of the bioreactor. A heat balance can be performed on a bioreactor to determine the amount of thermal energy generated within the system during normal operation due to mixing. To model the system under different operating circumst ances the reactor can be run at several agitation speeds (e.g. 200, 400 and 600 rpm) until a state of thermal balance is reached. At thermal balance the amount of energy generated within the bioreactor is equal to the amount of energy lost; this state of stability can be used to eliminate unknown parameters within the heat balance model.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

The Benefits of Medical Marijuana Essay -- Pro Marijuana Legalization

INTRODUCTION Marijuana, also known as weed, hemp, cannabis, pot, herb, grass, etc., is the most common illegal drug in the United States. Marijuana is also known to be a gateway drug because it can lead people to do more serious drugs. Marijuana is a dried plant often smoked like a cigarette or in a bong or pipe. A common argument today is why marijuana should be legalized for medicinal purposes. Although some will claim marijuana should not be legalized for medicinal purposes because it has harmful effects and is a gateway drug, I feel that it should be legalized. Marijuana should be legalized for medicinal purposes because it has many positive effects on diseases and health conditions. Marijuana should also be legalized for medicinal purposes because it is safer and less toxic than many other drugs that physicians are prescribing every day. For over 10,000 years, the marijuana plant has been used by humans. Marshall (2005) stated, â€Å"The first record of human consumption of marijuana for medicinal or recreational purposes dates back to 2737 B.C., when the Chinese emperor Shen Neng recorded the use of cannabis to treat gout, malaria, beriberi, rheumatism and poor memory.† (p.136). In India, marijuana was being used for medicinal purposes by 1500 B.C., in Greece by 70 A.D., and by the early 1500’s in Europe. (Marshall, 2005, p.136). Over centuries, it continued to grow around the world as people used it for different reasons. Seppa (2010) reported that today medicinal marijuana is legally used to treat different medical conditions in fourteen states in the United States. This requires some paper work and a recommendation from a doctor stating the medicinal purpose of the marijuana. If the patient does not w... ...ription and OTC drugs. Retrieved August 15, 2010, from http://blog.marijuanamedicine.com/?p=50 Marshall, P. (2005, February 11). Marijuana laws. CQ Researcher, 15, 125-148. Retrieved July 30, 2010, from CQ Researcher Online. http://library.cqpress.com/cqresearcher/cqresrre2005021100. Seppa, N. (2010, June 19). Not just a high: Scientists test medicinal marijuana against MS, inflammation and cancer. Science News, 177 (13), p. 16(5). Retrieved July 30, 2010, from Academic OneFile via Gale. University of California - San Diego (2007, October 25). Smoked cannabis proven effective in treating neuropathic pain. ScienceDaily. Retrieved August 15, 2010, from http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071024141745.htm Wilson, C. (2005). Miracle weed. New Scientist, 185, 38-41. Retrieved July 30, 2010, from OmniFile Full Text Select database.

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Written Music Essay -- Music History

Written Music For a very long time music was not written down. It was sung or played from memory. As it was passed on from person to person, many changes crept into the tunes. A way of writing music down was needed so that it would be sung or played exactly as it had been composed. The name for written music that man developed is notation. The system of musical notation generally used today is the result of centuries of development- from about the end of the ninth century to the early 1700’s. This development began in the cathedrals in monasteries of the Roman Catholic Church. Since many of the Church’s services were sung, they were sung from memory. Towards the end of the ninth century dots and dashes and squiggles were written over the words in the church books. These signs, called neumes, showed the direction in which the melody should go. But they were still very vague. About 900 A.D. the music was made a little easier to read. The neumes were written at certain distances above or below the horizontal red line, representing the note F, to show how high or low...

Friday, October 11, 2019

Memorandum of Law and Letter Sample

Memorandum of Law To: Al Smith, Senior Partner From: Research Associate RE: State and Federal Court System for California: Bob v. Al, Kathy, Dan Date: January 3rd, 2012 Questions Presented I. Overview of the State and Federal Courts in California. II. Which California court or courts hold jurisdiction for the amount in controversy in the three lawsuits that Bob wants to file? III. Why should Bob file his lawsuits in a particular court or courts? IV. Which case Bob must represent himself? Statement of FactsOur client Bob resides in Los Angeles, California and has asked for our advice in three separate cases in which he has loaned people money. In the first case, Bob loaned $500 to Al. Al signed a promissory note which says that Al will repay the loan in one month. Al has not paid anything. In the second case, Bob loaned $7,000. 00 to Cathy 14 months ago. Cathy signed a promissory note which states that she would pay the note in full in 12 months. She has not paid. In the third case, B ob loaned $55,000 to Dan 24 months ago. Dan signed a promissory note stating he would repay the loan in 18 months. Dan has paid nothing.Al, Cathy, and Dan all reside in Los Angeles, California. California Statutes of Limitation Written agreements (promissory note): 4 years, calculated from the date of breach. Oral agreements: 2 years. The statute of limitation is stopped only if the debtor makes a payment on the account after the expiration of the applicable limitations period. Brief Answers I. Superior courts now have trial jurisdiction over all civil cases including family law, probate, juvenile, and general civil matters. For monetary issues under $10,000 a person in pro-per living in Los Angeles could file a complaint in small claims court.All filings over $10,000 would have to be made in Los Angeles County Superior Court Civil Division. If we were to receive an unfavorable ruling above in a court other than small claims court we would file an appeal to the 2nd District Court of Appeal also located in Los Angeles, California. If that ruling was not in our favor we could than appeal to the California Supreme Court if necessary. Federal courts are similar in structure to State courts in California. The Supreme Court is the highest court in our country’s judiciary. There are two levels of Federal courts under the Supreme Court, they are The U.S. District Courts (the Trial Courts), and The U. S. Courts of Appeals (the Appellate Courts). II. The three lawsuits could be fled in Los Angeles County Superior Court. To save himself some time and money Bob could file the cases against Al ($500) and Cathy ($7,000) in small claims court. However, we would not be able to make appearances for Bob in those two cases since they are in small claims court, we could advise and prepare him on what he needs to say while he is in court. If Bob wants us to make the appearances for him we could file all three cases in Los Angeles Superior Court Civil Division.If Bob elects to handle the first two cases on his own in small claims court we could represent him on the third case against Dan ($55,000) in Los Angeles Superior Court Civil Division. Bob does have the option of filing against Dan in small claims court but he would only be able to receive $10,000 and would forfeit the remainder of the loan forever. Bob should also know that any of our fees would not be recoverable in small claims court except in rare cases. III. Bob should file the two smaller cases in small claims court to save him time and money in getting a judgment that can be enforced.Our firm can represent him in the third case against Dan and we should be able to recover attorney fees and cost for him when we win a judgment for him. After a judgment is made we can assist Bob in filing the appropriate liens in his case to make sure he has a way of recouping his losses from the defendants. IV. Bob must definitely represent himself in the first case with AL in small claims court. Since it i s such a low sum of money it would not be worth it for him to use our firm for anything other than legal advice in what documents he needs to file and things he needs to say while in court.If Bob feels comfortable after he does the first case he should have no problem proceeding on his own in the second case in small claims court. Discussion I. The State of California Supreme Court gains authority and jurisdiction through the Constitution of California, Article 6 Section 1. The authority of dividing the state into division creating the Court of Appeals jurisdictions is giving to the legislature through the Constitution of California, Article 6, Section 3. The legislature has set up six districts for the Court of Appeals based on geography. Within the jurisdiction of the Court of Appeals are the Superior Courts of California.The Superior Courts have been created by the authority of the Constitution of California, Article 6, Section 4. The authority of the Supreme Court is given via t he 14th Amendment of the United States Constitution and is subdivided into the different circuits and districts by authority of the United States Code Title 28, Part 1. In this Code are the needed statutes giving power and jurisdiction to the various federal courts. The court of appeals are comprised of thirteen separate judicial circuits as stated in United States Code Title 28, Part 1, Chapter 3,  § 41.This same statute covers the area of California, placing California into the Ninth Circuit Jurisdiction. United States Code Title 28, Part 1, Chapter 5,  § 84, (C), Section (1) divides the Central District into Divisions placing Los Angeles into the Central District Courts and the Eastern Division. This division comprises the counties of Riverside and San Bernardino. Court for the Eastern Division shall be held at a suitable site in the city of Riverside, the city of San Bernardino, or not more than 5 miles from the boundary of either such city. II. Bob is requesting information on three different cases that have similar fact patterns.Bob’s case Vs. Al will need to be filed within California Superior Court, Small Claims Court Title Three based on Civil Rules 3. 1 – 3. 2120. This division will hear Bob’s claim for the amounts under $10,000 SB221. A plaintiff may not file a claim exceeding $2500. 00 more than twice per year, so this should be kept into consideration should Bob have subsequent claims in the near future. Bob’s claim against Cathy based on the $7,000. 00 promissory note should be filed as an action as a Small Claims Case to be tried within the Superior Court Small Claims Division, of Los Angeles.Both cases against Cathy and Al can be handled similarly since the only difference is the dollar amounts. Bob can see how comfortable he feels after the first case is completed and then decide if he wants to handle it in small claims court or if he would like our firm to represent him in Superior Court Civil Division. In Danà ¢â‚¬â„¢s case if Bob didn’t think he would ever recover more than $10,000 he could handle this case in small claims court and save himself time and money although he would be taking a major loss.If Dan has the assets and ability for Bob to get his money back than our firm should represent him in the civil division of Los Angeles Superior Court and Bob with a judgment Bob would be able to recover attorney’s fees. III. By filing the first two cases in small claims court Bob will save money and time and be able to enforce a judgment he receives sooner instead of the two cases being tied up in court. Obtaining a Lien after judgment under CALIFORNIA CODES CODE OF CIVIL PROCEDURE SECTION 697. 310-697. 410 would be the only way to make sure our client can recoup his claims.The case with Dan should be filed in Los Angeles Superior Court Civil Division so Bob has a chance at recouping all of the money he has loaned. IV. Bob must represent himself in any case he wants to file in small claims court pursuant to California Civil Code, Section 116. 540 stating that except in circumstances that will not relate to this inquire about attorney representation, and â€Å"no individual other than the plaintiff and the defendant may take part in the conduct or defense of a small claims action. __________________________ Research Associate Client Letter Dear Bob, You have asked me to do some legal research regarding the overview of the State and Federal Courts in California and where to begin the recovery of three loans you made at different times to three different people in Los Angeles, California using promissory notes. For monetary issues under $10,000 a person living in Los Angeles could file a complaint in small claims court. All filings over $10,000 would have to be made in Los Angeles County Superior Court Civil Division.If we were to receive an unfavorable ruling above in a court other than small claims court we would file an appeal to the 2nd District Court of Appeal also located in Los Angeles, California. If that ruling was not in our favor we could than appeal to the California Supreme Court if necessary. Federal courts are similar in structure to State courts in California. The Supreme Court is the highest court in our country’s judiciary. There are two levels of Federal courts under the Supreme Court, they are The U. S. District Courts (the Trial Courts), and The U. S. Courts of Appeals (the Appellate Courts).It is my understanding that Al, Cathy and Dan are refusing to repay the generous loans that you made to them. Under California Statue of Limitations you have 4 years to file a claim for breach of a promissory note and you are well within your rights to do so as long as you don’t wait longer than four years from the date that the breach occurred. In order for you to start your two cases against Al and Cathy you will need to file a claim in Los Angeles County small claims court as the amounts of $500 and $7,000 i s well below the small claims court allowable limit of $10,000. I would be happy to ssist you in filing your claim and can also assist in preparing you for your court date but small claims court rules do not allow you to be represented by an attorney at court. By filing this case in small claims court and then obtaining a judgment this would be the cheapest and fastest way in helping you to recover your money in this case. The third case against Dan would have to be filed in Los Angeles Superior Court Civil Division. In this case you could also file for reasonable attorney’s fees and cost as well as the $55,000 loan. Please let me know whether there is anything else I can do for you. Respectfully, Al Smith

Thursday, October 10, 2019

Dell Culture

Dell is also one of the in the market setting the tone for horizontal structure communication. It has adopted Hofstede’s low power distance dimension. In the Retention, Acquisition, and Development account, communication involves much horizontal communication with lean hierarchy. The organization has been able to run much like an entrepreneur startup even though it has reached gargantuan size. The lean hierarchy is one of Dell’s key success factors because it creates more efficiency in the workplace. Further, Dell takes specific actions to maintain control and monitoring of employees.The first step that Dell uses for micromanagement of employees is through senior advisory groups. These groups of highly educated employees in the field with a long track record of experience give certain employees monthly conference calls to check up on high-level issues that affect Dell worldwide. Second, Dell performs quarterly financial reviews to monitor how employees are spending thei r time and thus to ensure that these workers are using efficient use of time in order to accomplish the priorities for the company.For example, the sales team needs to maximize time spent with customers, as customer service is Dell’s differentiation. Lower priority tasks such as checking email are expected to be accomplished during off hours as opposed to prime meeting time. Next, Dell gives client report cards measuring criteria such as clear and concise direction. Through this method, Dell coaches its workforce and provides coaching feedback on how to improve. Finally, Dell enforces training of employees as the last important step to maintain control.All employees are required to attend Dell University in order to understand their product completely. Employees who do not understand their products will cause the corporation to lose credibility. Thus, Dell invests a lot of money in education of employees in order to maintain its competitive edge in the marketplace as a whole and more specifically, to continue gaining market share from its major competitor in China, Lenovo Computers. The managements not only must maintain control but also help to establish communication between Dell headquarters and their specific departments.In order for local agencies to maintain communication with the home offices, managers delegate much of this role to the employee communications department. This department is responsible for facilitating exchange of communication between headquarters and the separate agencies worldwide. Communication is a crucial issue, which Dell aims to maintain and continually improve with the advent of new technology. The Internet revolution has made control between the home office to the separate branches far more manageable in recent years.All of the specific agencies are required to communicate via one common extranet. Agencies are all involved in the activity of Dell and its vision. Agencies can voice their opinions on any plan in progress t hrough this extranet. Further, Dell pushes communication through email. Phone calls are less common as they have little time flexibility and raise costs tremendously, especially if across countries. In a market where Dell prides itself on cost leadership, telephone usage is simply not nearly as effective as Email.