Tuesday, December 31, 2019

World War II The Great Wars Of The Modern Era - 870 Words

World War II is often seen as one of the great wars of the modern era. The allies and axis powers both accomplished major scientific advancements and brought about projects of great engineering marvel. Both sides place enormous efforts into the research of new and improved war machines, firearms, and weapons of mass destruction. Nazi Germany jump-started their nuclear project in the mid-1939, a whole three years in advance of the British and the Americans joint effort. Despite Germany’s head start, the Americans still managed to surpass them and eventually dropped two atomic bombs on Japan. Consequently, the Japanese surrendered and it effectively ended the war in the Pacific. Why did the Germans fail in spite of their head start? Questions are often raised about the confidence of German scientists more specifically regarding the well-respected physicist Werner Heisenberg. The play Copenhagen by Michael Frayn acts out two conversations Heisenberg has with another respected phy sicist Niels Bohr. It brings to light the different possible reasons for Germany’s failure in developing a nuclear weapon. In the first act of the play, Heisenberg travels to Copenhagen to consult Bohr about the feasibility of nuclear energy and its potential application on a bomb. Heisenberg initially attempts to hide the intent of the project saying, No! A reactor! That s what we were trying to build! A machine to produce power! To generate electricity, to drive ships (Frayn 26). Bohr wasShow MoreRelatedIn The Modern Era, Technology Has Become The Driving Force1699 Words   |  7 Pages In the modern era, technology has become the driving force of the world and has led to many positive advancements, however when incorporating technological advancements into war, it can be said that technology has had more negative effects rather than positive ones. Technological advancements have had a negative effect on wars because the number of casualties increases, civilians are more s usceptible to getting accidentally killed, and arms of mass destruction can easily fall into the wrong handsRead MoreThe First World War I Essay1144 Words   |  5 PagesThe First World War was a global war that started in Europe and lasted from 1914 to 1918. It was one of the deadliest war which caused many political changes including revolution in some of the countries involved. It all started when a Serbian nationalist assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria. This was done in protest to Austria-Hungary having control over the region. Serbia wanted to take over Bosnia which led to Austria-Hungary declaring war on Serbia. This caused Russia to get involvedRead MoreHitler s Influence On World War II862 Words   |  4 Pagesone of the most influential people in the interwar era. His actions during the interwar era caused World War II, which had enormous impacts on almost every country in the world. There are three reasons why he gained so much influence in Germany. First o f all people were disappointed in the current German government and wanted a change. Secondly, Hitler and his Nazi party were similar in ideology to the majority of people and finally he was a great orator who used his similarity to the rest of theRead MoreWorld War Ii And The United States Economy. When People1296 Words   |  6 PagesWorld War II and the United States Economy   Ã‚  Ã‚   When people think about World War II, they normally associate it with Hitler, genocide, the Great Depression, the Cold War, and other negative things; however, there were some positive impacts it had on the United States. Economically, the United States and other countries around the world were devastated by the crashing of the stock market. Unemployment rate was at a high point, Hitler was gaining control of Europe, and we were trying to remain isolationistsRead MoreThe Halves That Were Not Equal1168 Words   |  5 PagesColton Padgett Mr. Steen, Ms. Cucinelli 5/ 55 B March 18th, 2015 The Two Halves That Were Not Equal After Nazi Germany’s fall in the civil war, Germany was split into two parts separated by the Berlin Wall. The soviets had control of the east and the allied powers controlled the west.The division of Germany was not beneficial to both the allied west and the soviet east because the soviet eastRead MoreMovie Review: Oh What a Lovely War999 Words   |  4 PagesOh What a Lovely War: Oh what a lovely misrepresentation of history? The 1969 film Oh What a Lovely War is a British, anti-war satire created during the height of the anti-Vietnam sentiment in the U.S., which undoubtedly permeated the consciousness of British filmmakers. The film focuses on World War I, a war largely demonized as a pointless war that resulted in the death of Britains finest young men in senseless trench warfare. The generically-named Smith family is shown to embody the typicalRead MoreThe Modern Era And Its Impact On The World1086 Words   |  5 PagesThe Modern period is a cultural movement that has a lasting impact on the world. The Romantic period provoked everyone to rebellion and two of the greatest revolutions, the American and French, were an outcome of that period. Thus, the Modern period was born when the Romantics faded out and this shift in culture changed the world forever. Modernism changed the way people lived in a number of different reasons, but there are three that stood out from the rest. The Modern Era changed the world throughRead MoreEurope During The Era Of Two World Wars872 Words   |  4 PagesBook Review #1 – Europe in the Era of Two World Wars Changes were happening all over Europe between World War I and World War II, and the book Europe in the Era of Two World Wars highlights a lot of them. Volker Berghahn, the author, discusses how violence escalated all across Europe during this time frame. The book digs into the desires and upsets of countries like Germany, Britain, France, and Russia, during war times more than others I have read do. Economies of each country and the escaladingRead MoreThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald Essay986 Words   |  4 Pagespeople or white women. In 1776, it only meant the free, property-owning males that lived in America. The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, is a famous literary piece that takes place in the 1920s in Long Island, which is the modern day New York. This novel gives the perfect impression on how the American Dream was obtained and how people act when they come into a great amount of money. In The Great Gatsby, Gatsby’s parents are â€Å"shiftless and unsuccessful farm people†; yet, he made a life for himselfRead MoreCatherine The Great Of Russia1560 Words   |  7 PagesBriana Espinoza Global 9 Per. 9 May 08, 2015 HRP Draft Catherine the Great of Russia I shall be an autocrat: that s my trade. And the good lord will forgive me: that s his (Catherine II: quote on leadership). In history there have been many good examples of good and powerful leaders. A person who exemplifies good leadership; protects one’s nation, is a strong speaker and communicator, is confident, and can organize a well developed government system. Catherine the second, was a Russian ruler

Sunday, December 22, 2019

Sirius Xm and Its Monopoly - 650 Words

Sirius XM has established a deep economic mote in its industry. Sirius Satellite Radio and XM Satellite Radio were the two largest satellite radio providers in the U.S., but these competitors were both losing. In 2008, they merged to become Sirius XM and are now the only satellite radio provider in the U.S. Due to high startup costs for a satellite company, Sirius XM does not have any competition. In 2014 Sirius XM had 27 million subscribers or about 13.5 % of the total market with annual sales approaching 4 billion. Sirius XMs signal spreads throughout the entire country and it has brand recognition countrywide. Contrary to free charge, ad driven radio such as Pandora, Spotify, and iHeartRadio, Sirius XM is a subscription-based model,†¦show more content†¦Sirius XM Has a Monopoly on Satellite Radio, a Growing Subscriber Base, and Loads of Free Cash. Bamboo Innovator. 24 Nov. 2013. Web. 28 June 2015. . Peoples, Glenn. Business Matters: How Good Is SiriusXMs Business Model? Its Raising Its Price Again. Billboard. 24 Oct. 2013. Web. 26 June 2015. . Sirius XM Holdings The Subscription Media Business. Punch Card Investing. 10 Apr. 2015. Web. 26 June 2015.Show MoreRelatedThe Sirius Xm Merger And Antitrust Considerations3042 Words   |  13 Pages The SIRIUS-XM MERGER And Antitrust Considerations By Matthew Sachs SCH-MGMT 783 Nov 29, 2014 â€Æ' Executive Summary In last 10 years there has been a major emergence of a company called XM / Sirius Satellite radio. When fellow competitors XM Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio announced plans for a merger in 2007, most thought that an answer from the FCC would be coming the usual window of six months, allowing for a smooth transition of these two companies. Ignoring a self-imposed rule to handleRead MoreSirius Xm Holdings, An American Broadcasting Company1947 Words   |  8 PagesIntroduction : Sirius XM Holdings is an American broadcasting company that provides three satellite radio and online radio services operating in the United States: Sirius Satellite Radio, XM Satellite Radio, and Sirius XM Radio. The company also has a Canadian subsidiary called Sirius XM Canada, an affiliate company that provides Sirius and XM service in Canada. At the end of 2013, Sirius reorganized their corporate structure, which made Sirius XM Radio Inc. a direct, wholly owned subsidiary of Sirius XM HoldingsRead MoreXm Satellite Radio Case Essay1901 Words   |  8 PagesXM Satellite Radio 1. Value proposition of XM to different consumer segments and primary target segment. XM had developed the capability to provide 50+ high quality (near CD quality) digital radio channels to cars and homes via satellite throughout the country. Such a service was not available before and has the ability to deliver uninterrupted service without any retuning needed. The value proposition here is high quality and ubiquitous radio broadcast, in addition to the variety ofRead MoreXm Satellite Tv For Pc Radio1781 Words   |  8 PagesSirius XM satellite TV for PC Radio is an American broadcasting business enterprise that gives three satellites TV for PC radio and online communication services running inside the U.S.A. Sirius satellite TV for PC Radio, XM Satellite Radio, and Sirius XM Radio. The business enterprise additionally has an initial funding in Canada called SiriusXM Canada, an associate-employer that gives Sirius and XM provider in Canada. At the end of 2013, Sirius reorganized their company structure, which made SiriusRead MoreSirius Xm Case Study3198 Words   |à ‚  13 PagesSirius Xm (SIRI) Turnaround post 2007 merger Industry: * Prior to change: Sector: Consumer Services / Industry: Broadcasting - Radio * After change: Sector: Consumer Services / Industry: Broadcasting - Radio Challenge Years: Pre and Post 2007 (merger) †¢Introduction: * Sirius and XM, separate companies, began to compete in the satellite radio business in 2001 and 2002. Target market was car drivers and daily commuters who listened to their local radio stations that they preferred, butRead MoreSirius XM Strategic Analysis Capstone Project Proposal2427 Words   |  10 PagesOrganization. I plan to conduct a strategic analysis on Sirius XM, Inc. I do not have direct access to this company; however, I submitted a letter to the Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer, Dara Altman, requesting access to requested information and data that may not otherwise be available. I will use information from the Sirius XM website, the U.S. Securities and Exchange (SEC) 10-K and associated reports for Sirius XM. I also plan to research as much relevant information asRead MoreMonopolies, Oligopolies and the Economy2018 Words   |  9 PagesMonopolies, Oligopolies and the Economy Monopoly is a term to describe an industry where a seller of a product or service does not have a competitor offering a close substitute. The word is derived from the Greek words monos (meaning one) and polein (meaning to sell). Rarely does a pure monopoly exist. In a pure monopoly there is only one company making and selling the item in question; however there can also be the situation where there is one company who has the bulk of sales and the otherRead MoreXm Radio Case Analysis Essay2722 Words   |  11 PagesCase Study 1) What is the value proposition of XM to different consumer segments? Who should be the primary target market for XM? XM satellite radio’s value proposition for their customers is XM’s ability to provide radio service throughout the entire country regardless of a consumers’ location. Furthermore, terrestrial radio offers limited selection and is becoming increasingly cluttered with commercials. Therefore, XM satellite radio provides a greater selection of radio for the various preferencesRead MoreEssay on Major Federal Anti-trusth Laws in the United States663 Words   |  3 Pagesthe FTC.gov website on The Antitrust Laws. The first of the three major Federal antitrust laws is the Sherman Act that was created in 1980. This act will not allow for competitors to set a fixed price on a good or allow for one company to become a monopoly. Breaking the Sherman Act can be punished normally as a criminal felony with individuals being fined up to $350,000, businesses being fined up to $10 million and corporations up to $100 million per offense. There is also jail time that can be servedRead MoreEssay on The History of Music Industry 1611 Words   |  7 Pagesradio (Sirius Satellite Radio as of 1999) and the American Mobile Radio Corporation (XM Satellite Radio as of 1998), began to appear in the early 1990’s. These satellite radio services were made available to consumers via subscription. In exchange, the customer was given access to many more radio stations than available locally. The two satellite radio stations, Sirius Satellite Radio and XM Satellite Radio merged in 2007 in the U.S. market as Siriu s XM Radio. Despite the fact that Sirius XM Radio

Saturday, December 14, 2019

Short story The Musician Free Essays

It was a cold winter’s day, the snow lay thick on the ground but surrounding the house there were no footsteps left from visitors bringing packages on the cold icy morning. We were the only visitors calling on this freezing day.I’d arrived at the house many times before, even dreamt about it as a smaller child, it was the kind you read about in books. We will write a custom essay sample on Short story: The Musician or any similar topic only for you Order Now Well I say big it was bigger than ours but then most houses in the county were. It was white and wooden with a broken swing on the porch, maybe a little run down but it wasn’t anything that a few hours of hard grafting wouldn’t fix. Well the drains they leaked too but I could live with that, as in the summer when I came walking down here with my friends I could smell daisies and all kinds of flowers growing in the fields. We always peeped through the window at the man inside. He interested us so much,not that we ever saw him but all the stories that we’d heard about him from our parents about the myths of his life before telling us we shouldn’t come and torture that nice old man, well what were we to do? We were just curious. We approached the house as we did each weekend with a bag of stones†¦.. Inside the house sits a musician trying desperately to write a decent song a song that’s listenable to. He waits in his rocking chair swaying to and fro, pipe in one hand pen in the other, desperately searching for the right words to touch the paper. As he begins he names his song â€Å"The Song of The World† Why? I don’t know; maybe he thought it would bring hope to his sad lonely life or perhaps he could think of nothing better. The man lives alone. He dreams of days gone by and wishes that he could relive those moments of his youth. Nobody visits. Nobody calls. The grey trees outside growl a lonely kind of call to the man as if trying to tempt him outside so they can warn him of something. The floorboards below him creak as if there is another presence in the house. There isn’t of course. There never is. He used to have so much, wife, children but now he has little more than a hovel. He visits the graveyard every day and has done since the accident. Many myths have built up around him in the town. Well that’s just what our town is like; every ones business is your own. No one ever wanted to help him but still he continues to create beautiful music for everybody. How do I know so much about him? Well I am the first visitor he’s had for twenty years. He doesn’t speak much but when he does he seems upset as if he is recalling the past, the past no one has cared about for what seem like an eternity. The first smile I have seen from him is after he’s succeeded with the first line and as he continues his smile grows. The phone continues to lie dormant. No relatives call, No friends from days gone by give him a second thought, perhaps it’s easier to forget he exists. He moves his pipe, puts down his pen. Slowly he stands the smile no longer on his face. He begins to weep. I am not sure what to do till he finishes crying. He describes how people used to want to listen to his music though now they prefer to make up stories and throw things at his home. Suddenly I was wrapped with guilt; it had only been a bit of harmless fun I decided I was going to help the man whom I had tormented for so long. Each day during my summer holidays I would take fresh pies from my mother to him and I would listen to his stories. I would not know how much was real and how much was make-believe but I didn’t really care we became best of friends and now he was happier he found it easier to write his songs again. One day I stole his songs and took them to a recording company. I came running back eager to tell him I’d got him a recording contract. Apparently I had broken his trust. That was the last I ever saw of him. He felt heed sooner be as he was. Even so, after that summer we never threw things at his house again. How to cite Short story: The Musician, Papers

Friday, December 6, 2019

Negotiation and Relationship Management

Questions: The Facts Pharmax is a pharmaceutical company that needs the chemical compound from the juice of the rare fruit Olenge. The chemical compound from Olenge juice is used to make the vaccination for the deadly Z virus. However, the worlds supply of Olenge was recently bought up by Miramas, a cosmetics company. Miramas uses Olenge husks to make their world famous face cream, Omas, which supposedly reverses aging. Pharmaxs CEO, Max Barr, and Miramas CEO, Mitch Barr, are brothers, but are at loggerheads because Max hid, and never returned, Mitchs favourite stuffed bear, Mickey, 20 years ago. Mitch is refusing to speak to Max about Olenge unless Max returns Mickey. Max has no idea where Mickey is. Max has told Mitch that the real issue is Miramas unethical practice of having all the Olenge producers tied up in 25 year supply contracts, which is exploitation of the Olenge producers, and they should be negotiating about releasing the Olenge producers from their onerous contracts. Although Max has also indicated to Mitch that he is willing to buy the available Olenge stock at $8 per kilogram (knowing that Mitch paid $12 per kilogram), Max also told Mitch that he is being an unreasonable brat, just like when they were growing up. Max has also told Mitch that if they cannot come to an agreement by tomorrow, he will tell mother about Mitch not sharing. Question 1List the negative negotiation tactics used by Mitch and Max.Question 2Apply the appropriate countermeasure to the negative negotiation tactics identified in Question 1.Demonstrate how the countermeasure will work in each case (i.e. what the particular brother could say or do).Question 3(a) Analyse Maxs interests.(b) Analyse Mitchs interests. Answers: 1. List the negative negotiation tactics used by Mitch and Max The negative negotiation tactics used by Mitch and Max in the case study are as: After 20 years also Mitch decided not to talk Max as he has hidden his favorite bear Mickey 20 years ago. This shows the unprofessional behavior of both the brothers Max and Mitch. Max threatens Mitch for making agreement decision by tomorrow otherwise he will complain to their mother. As Mitch is CEO of Miramas Max told him that he should cancel the 25 years of contract with Olenge a supplier which is resulting as an unethical practice according to Max ('Negotiation and Conflict Management Research - Call for Papers', 2010). Mitch and Max are of unprofessional as they always threaten each other by saying that will tell to mother that you are not sharing or by giving direct decision for cancelling any contract which presenting any genuine reason. Max decided to buy available stock of olenge at $8 per kilogram as it is available in market at $12 per kilogram. This can increase the cost of expenditure of Max organization. Mitch and Max are in hurry of negotiation for the olenge product for their final product. There is no planning for negotiation, market survey and etc which will effect there organization work (Cleary, 2001). The negotiation by both Mitch and Max is done by ignoring the future scenario or they are having no future plan. If the owner of organization is having unprofessional behavior and are involving their personal matters in business decisions then the working environment of organization will also be effected (Bazerman, 2005). Max and Mitch should avoid there conflict as it will give adverse effect on final decision and working environment of organization. Max and Mitch should work as a team forgetting their conflict so that the environment of workplace is motivating for others (Menken, 2009). The final decision of negotiation should be taken by Max and Mitch common decision taking into consideration the changes of market in future. There can be adverse effect on the negotiation process of the personal dispute between Mitch and Max. 2a. Apply the appropriate countermeasure to the negative negotiation tactics identified above Mitch and Max should plan before starting any negotiation process. Mitch and max should avoid completing negotiation process in hurry, as there is chance of selecting the wrong plan. Negotiation should be done by taking into consideration future scenario. Mitch and Max should try to keep their personal and business matters separate to make their subordinates work properly (Nixon, 2005).Wrong decision regarding the olenge product can create problem in future, so before taking any final decision for supply of olenge product both brothers should plan and discuss ('Issue Information', 2013).Mitch and Max should have conversation regarding the final decision. Before deciding anything both brothers should do market survey properly to know the future, present and past scenario of olenge product (Eunson, 2007). For making decision or agreement for supply of olenge Mitch and Max should stop threatening each other. Mitch and max both by combine decision can stop any agreement not by one person decision. Both are having equal authority in organization. Mitch and Max before making decision for supply of olenge should consider the extreme demand and reverse condition. The least expenditure supply method should be decided by Mitch and Max who can only be done when they both talk to each other forgetting the past things. Max and Mitch should understand the importance of conflict management before working together (Corvette, 2007). Mitch should stop threatening Max for the past incident which is related to their personal life not the professional life ('Issue Information', 2014). And max should also stop threatening Mitch as it will give a negative impression on their subordinates. The negotiation process has done in hurry, which shows the differences between Max and Mitch. The negotiation done in hurry can affect their work in future as the market rate of olenge in present date will be different from its future rate. May be in future the rate can increase by such a rate which may decrease their profit. 2b. Demonstrate how the countermeasure will work in each case The first thing which Mitch and Max should do is they should solve their personal and profession matters separately. The benefit of doing so will be that they will not combine their personal matter in business matter and the decision taken will be beneficial for organization (Lewicki, Saunders Barry, 2015). If they will keep there both matters separate then they Mitch will talk to Max by forgetting the 20 years before incident. When Max and Mitch will have conversation the decision take will be beneficial for the organization. Both Mitch and Max can do the planning by considering thoughts, ideas of both which will be helpful for final decision. The decision should not be taken in hurry, both Max and Mitch should do survey research of the market and then decide. Before finalizing both of them should compare the expenditure cost for olenge product of different suppliers (Tracy, 2013). Max and Mitch should maintain the professional environment in the organization which will motivate th eir subordinates (Zartman, 2008). They should divide their roles and responsibilities before starting work so that they are clear what they have to do to incur the profit. The unprofessional behavior of Max and Mitch towards their work should be changed to improve the working environment of the workplace and to increase their productivity. 3a. Interest of Max Here, after went through the mentioned case, it can be considered that what interest Max is possessing is a very serious one. Being the CEO of a pharmaceutical company, he is intending to use the rare fruit olenge in a very authentic manner. He would like to use the rare fruit resource of olenge to produce a sought of medicine vaccination, this vaccination is very essential to protect peoples from a dangerous daisies caused from Z virus. Olenges are much required to produce the vaccination medicine for Z virus. But most of the olenges goes to a cosmetics producing company, there olenges are used to produce a special facial cream to reduce anti aging fictions. Mainly olenges are used to produce beauty products (Watson, 2009). By virtue of that the cosmetics producing company, Miramas, contracted to most of the olenge fruit producers to deliver their olenges to the company known as Miramas. Because of this Pharmax, the pharmaceutical company could not get enough quantity of olenges for producing that life saving vaccination medicine. According to Max, rare and important fruits like olenges should not be used unethically and unnecessarily, which is done by the cosmetics company, Miramas, which deprived human beings from getting a life saving medicines. Here the main interest from the part of Max is to get most of the olenges by forcing Mitch to cancel the contracts, for production of life saving vaccination (Van den Hoven, 2002). He wants to by the olenges at a very cheap price, irrespective of the fact that Mitch has to suffer from a good amount of loss (Swedberg, 2005). It signifies another interest of Max, though Maxs primary intention is to get the olenges for producing medicines but he also wants to make a good amount of profit, by causing loss to his brother Mitch (Nelmes, 2011). 3b. Interest of Mitch As per the information given in the context, it can be assumed that Mitch is the inferior one among the two brothers. He is the CEO of a cosmetics company, known as Miramas, he made a contract with the producers of rare fruit olenges for producing the anti aging facial cream. Mitchs inferiority show from his attributes, as he did not wanted to make any discussion with his brother unless he get returned back his toy, Mickey, which was hide by Max. Mitch is forced by Max to sell out the in stock olenges at a very minimum price which will cause a good amount of loss to Mitch. Max wanted to comply undue influence upon Mitch by coercing him that he shall make a complaint to their mother. Mitch also wants to earn money but the main motive from the part of Mitch was to get his toy, Mickey back, he did not wanted any complaint to be made to his mother in his name. Apart from all this, Mitch is a business man, he also wants to earn profit, and nevertheless no businessman would like to suffer from any kind of loss. Though he was forced by Max to sell the olenges to him at a very cheap price but Mitch do not wants to sell those olenges as it will not only cause huge loss to the company of Mitch but also it will affect the market position of the company as to the products (Taylor, 2005). He was also forced to cancel the contracts with the producers of the olenges but it might shake the base of the company and the position of Mitch as well, as he is empowered to take such decisions as a CEO (Nixon, 2005). References Bazerman, M. (2005). Negotiation, decision making and conflict management. Cheltenham [u.a.]: Elgar. Cleary, P. (2001). The negotiation handbook. Armonk, N.Y.: M.E. Sharpe. Corvette, B. (2007). Conflict management. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall. Eunson, B. (2007). Conflict management. Milton, Qld.: Wiley. Issue Information. (2013). Negotiation And Conflict Management Research, 6(2), i-i. doi:10.1111/j.1750-4716.2013.00105.x Issue Information. (2014). Negotiation And Conflict Management Research, 7(2), i-ii. doi:10.1111/ncmr.12018 Lewicki, R., Saunders, D., Barry, B. (2015). Negotiation. New York, N.Y.: McGraw-Hill Education. Menken, I. (2009). The business relationship management handbook. [Australia?]: Emereo. Negotiation and Conflict Management Research - Call for Papers. (2010). Negotiation And Conflict Management Research, 3(4), 400-401. doi:10.1111/j.1750-4716.2010.00067.x Nixon, P. (2005). Negotiation. Singapore: Wiley. Tracy, B. (2013). Negotiation. New York: American Management Association. Zartman, I. (2008). Negotiation and conflict management. London: Routledge. Nelmes, J. (2011).Analysing the screenplay. New York: Routledge. Nixon, P. (2005).Negotiation. Singapore: Wiley. Swedberg, R. (2005).Interest. Maidenhead: Open University Press. Taylor, M. (2005).Negotiation. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press. Van den Hoven, A. (2002).Interest group influence on trade policy in a multilevel polity. Florence: European University Institute, Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies. Watson, R. (2009).Analysing practical and professional texts. Farnham, England: Ashgate.

Friday, November 29, 2019

JFK Essays (4811 words) - Assassination Of John F. Kennedy

JFK (Part 1 - The first Ricky White News Story) NOV. 22, 1963: ANOTHER STORY BLURS THE FACTS SON OF DALLAS COP SAYS DAD WAS 1 OF 3 WHO SHOT KENNEDY By Andrew Likakis In another bizarre twist to a mystery that has haunted Americans for more than a quarter century, the son of a former Dallas police officer plans to tell the world that his father was one of the assassins of President John F. Kennedy. Ricky White, a 29-year-old, unemployed oil equipment salesman in Midland, says he "had no conception of ever, ever giving this story out" but decided to do so after FBI agents began asking questions in May 1988. "I'm telling you a story that has touched me, not only others, and I feel uncomfortable just telling it to strangers," White said during a recent interview with the Austin American-Statesman. Monday in Dallas, White is scheduled to show reports material implicating his father, Roscoe Anthony White, in the 1963 assassination. It suggests that White, who died in 1971, was a member of an a ssassination team of three shooters, that he fired two of the three bullets that killed the president, and that he also killed Dallas police officer J. D. Tippit during the manhunt for Lee Harvey Oswald. Among the material: a rifle with telescopic sight that uses the same kind of ammunition as Oswald's gun; records showing that Oswald and White served together in the Marines; three faded messages that appear to be decoded orders to kill someone in Dallas in November 1963; and a son's recollections of his father's incriminating diary - a document that is missing. The press conference is being sponsored by two private groups - the JFK Assassination Information Centre of Dallas and the Assassination Archives and Research Centre of Washington - and some Midland Businessmen. The possibility of Ricky White's story being a hoax - a falsehood concocted either by Ricky or his father - has not been dismissed by the people urging him to publicly talk about the matter. During the last 27 years, many private researchers have claimed to have found evidence of a conspiracy, only to be proved wrong or deceitful. Bernard Fensterwald, executive director of the Assassination Archives and Research Centre, says if there was a conspiracy, Ricky White may have the key. "I think it's our best shot," he says, "and we better take it." J. Gary Shaw, co-director of the JFK Assassination Information Centre, says he hopes White's story will result in an investigation of the assassination by Texas authorities. Two Washington-based probes - the Warren Commission in 1963-64 and the House Select Committee on Assassinations in 1976-78 failed to resolve the enigma of the Kennedy shooting, Shaw maintains. As with previous conspiracy theories, White's story is tantalizing, the evidence intriguing. Yet, as with other theories, it raises more questions than it answers -- such as: Who issued the orders to the so-called assassination team? Why was the assassination ordered against Kennedy? And why is Ricky White telling this story now? AN OSWALD CONNECTION Using clues discovered in his father's effects and relying on available government records, Ricky White says he has determined that Roscoe White and Lee Harvey Oswald probably met in 1957. Ricky White's mother, Geneva, is gravely ill and unable to be interviewed, family members say. According to Military records, both White and Oswald were among a contingent of U.S. Marines, who boarded the USS Bexar in San Diego that year for the 22-day trip to Yokosuka, Japan. In its final report, the Warren Commission published a photo of Oswald with other Marines in the Philippines. All but one of the Marines was squatting on the ground. Ricky White says his father claimed to have been the standing Marine and claimed to have become acquainted with Oswald in Japan and the Philippines. Military records show that Roscoe White took frequent unexplained trips in the Pacific, and Ricky White says that his father's diary described those as secret intelligence assignments. It has been established in previous investigations that Oswald was discharged in 1959 and defected to the Soviet Union. He returned to the United States in mid-1962, settling first in Fort Worth with his

Monday, November 25, 2019

Essay on General Electric’s Revolutionary

Essay on General Electric’s Revolutionary Essay on General Electric’s Revolutionary Essay on General Electric’s RevolutionaryHistorically, GE was one of the leading companies operating in the energy industry of the US. However, in the course of time, GE progressed and diversified its operations. By the late 1970s, the company operated in different industries, but its performance was stumbling because after the economic and energy crisis of the mid-1970s, the company confronted substantial problems in its business development. In such a situation, the new CEO of the company, Jack Welch, became a true savior for the company, who helped the company to regain its position and improve its financial and marketing performance. In fact, Jack Welch was one of the prominent CEOs that helped GE to overcome the considerable downturn in its business development and regain its position in the US as one of the largest employers and one of the most successful companies.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Jack Welch had extensive experience of work within GE, where h e started to work and kept progressing till he reached the CEO position. The personal experience of work at GE was very useful for the company because Jack Welch knew perfectly all the drawbacks and weaknesses of the company that prevented its fast and successful growth. The extensive experience and the understanding of GE, its organizational structure, its strengths and weaknesses helped Jack Welch to determine accurately needs of the company and elaborate the effective strategy that helped the new CEO to make a breakthrough in the business development of GE. The extensive experience of Jack Welch of work within the company became the cornerstone for his further work as the CEO of the company.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Furthermore, Jack Welch focused on the elimination of bureaucracy within GE that contributed to the consistent improvement of the organizational performance and efficiency of internal business operations. From his past experience of work in GE, Jack Welch knew perfectly that bureaucratic barriers were unsurpassable and they prevented many perspective ideas from their successful implementation in GE. This is why he was aware of the negative impact of bureaucracy on the performance of the company. The elimination of bureaucracy within GE opened the way for the development of effective business policies and helped the company to improve its performance fast.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In fact, the development of GE under the lead of Jack Welch involved the consistent reduction of the personnel of the company accompanied by the refusal of the company from unprofitable outlets. As a result, the company sold out unprofitable businesses and reduced the staff that allowed to save costs and to optimize its financial performance. The enhancement of the business development occurred due to the focus on profitable businesses only. The company has managed to enhance its marketing performance through the increase of revenue s and decrease of financial losses. Unprofitable outlets of the company were unbearable burden for the company. The sale of those outlets allowed the company to decrease its financial losses and helped to use revenues from profitable outlets to invest into new projects and improvement of their performance.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Jack Welch fired 10% of bottom managers annually to maintain the competition within the company and keep managers motivated to improve their performance constantly to stay within the company. This strategy was tough but it stimulated the growth of the company because GE managed to improve the financial performance and improve its marketing performance steadily.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In addition, Jack Welch contributed to the development informal, personal relationships within the organization that also helped to eliminate bureaucratic barriers and improve the communication within the company. The development of inte rpersonal relations and elimination of bureaucratic barriers within GE contributed to the improvement of the organizational culture. The improvement of the atmosphere within the company contributed to the improvement of the organizational performance. Employees worked better in the light of the shift from the organizational performance that was deteriorating because of high bureaucratic barriers to the effective organizational performance.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Furthermore, Jack Welch diversified the business development of GE by shifting toward financial services from traditional industries, where GE operated. The diversification of the company’s business performance contributed to the enhancement of the position of the company because the company could compensate financial losses in some branches of the company by revenues from others. New industries and new businesses opened wider opportunities for the business development of the company and expansion of its market share.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Thus, Jack Welch became the CEO, who has managed to reform and reconstruct GE consistently, making it one of the leaders in the US market. Jack Welch became the CEO, who has managed to introduce effective methods of the business development. In such a way, the company has managed to regain its position in the market. Moreover, Jack Welch has changed the business development of the company and the corporate philosophy. As a result, GE became the company with the effective business development, organizational structure and overall improvement of its business performance.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Liberalism and Realism - International Relations Essay

Liberalism and Realism - International Relations - Essay Example Looking from the above text, we can infer the position that realism proposes the understanding that politics is a game played between individuals for their personal gain and that the whole agenda of international politics goes beyond morality, ideology and social reconstructions, and the focus is generally relied upon national security and stability within the political framework of the country. Realism is a pessimistic theory which emphasis the fact that national security and development has to happen due to the competition which the nation state possess from outside its borders, and therefore the need for change and adaptation comes more as a necessity rather than a luxury. A realist sees the world from the perspective of his nation state, where the crucial element is the fact that the nation state has to strengthen its own military and national affairs to compete with the rest of the world as politics is at the state of antagonism. â€Å". A liberal, on the other hand, sees interdependence in the world system, a system in which every state cooperates on some level with other states. This cooperation is facilitated by institutions and established norms and ensures that every state maximizes its gain. Absolute gains, therefore, rather than relative gains, are the focus of liberals.† A liberal is in direct contrast to a realist, as he is an optimistic at heart and sees the nature of politics as a means of building relations with the rest of the world. Liberal internationalism idealises the fact that nation states should intervene in each other’s space with regard to military invasion and humanitarian aid, as well as seeking cooperation with respect to the functioning of the governments in different nation states. The theory emphasises the fact that it is important to have interdependency within the framework of working as nation states and one cannot be isolated it total

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Economics Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Economics Paper - Essay Example On the other hand if the local currency is strong, the foreign rate of exchange will be high thus making company's products to be expensive. At this situation, the company may opt for a domestic market for its products. In domestic market, the company has some power to decide on the price of its products. However this will depend on market structure of its product i.e. Whether it is a perfect competition, monopoly, or duopoly. In perfect competition market, the pricing strategy will be based on the forces of demand and supply of its product, which will be determined by the level of competition from other players in the market. Perfect competition market has a perfect elastic demand curve. Here the market determines the equilibrium price level. At this equilibrium price, the company will sell as much as it can. A slight increase in price will mean the company will sell nothing. In monopoly market structure, the company has the sole power to decide on the price it will sell its product. That is why monopolist is known as notorious in charging higher price of their products. Monopoly can interfere with the demand of its product by lowering it's output here the prices will go up and make more profit. In case of the company being a duopoly, it may collude with the other company that produces the same type of product and charge high prices provided that, there is trust between them. Therefore pricing strategy here will be dependent on trust and cooperation among the two market participants. Question two Most companies are profit maximizing and therefore their core objective is to maximize profit. However others aim at maximizing their sales. Profit oriented searcher will aim to produce the quantity and charge the price given by the point where marginal revenue equals marginal cost. This is as illustrated in the diagram below Price searcher aiming at maximizing sales will produce as a point total cost curve (TC) cuts total revenue curve m (TR) i.e. at the highest point possible. This is as illustrated below. Price searcher aim at maximizing sales, if his intentions are to promote the welfare of the producers i.e. to create the market to the producer's products. In a nutshell, price searcher must therefore choose between maximizing profit and maximizing sales. Question three Elasticity refers to the responsiveness of quantity demanded or supplied due to change in prices or income i.e. Change in quantity demanded or supplied due to a unit change in price or income. In this scenario I would expect demand for a specific brand of running shoes to be less elastic than the demand for running shoes in general. This is because specific brand limits the taste and preferences of a customer. This in turn limits the ability of the customer choice from a wider variety. Therefore a change in price of that specific brand is likely to be highly elastic. Consumers do not have substitute. Demand for a general brand of shoes will be more elastic since customers have

Monday, November 18, 2019

Communication Theory- Article Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Communication Theory- Article Analysis - Essay Example Through a process of self-disclosure, communication gradually moves from shallow to intimate as a function of immediate and forecast outcomes as the interpersonal relationship develops. The movement from superficial to intimate levels follows the stages of; orientation, where superficial disclosure following social norms and appropriateness are made. The next stage- exploratory affective- entails moderate disclosure on general topics, followed by the affective stage where disclosure of private and personal matters takes place. The stable stage is a plateau level in which personal things are shared and emotions predicted, while the last stage- depenetration- entails a breakdown of the relationship following withdrawal of disclosure (Greene and Burleson 693; Gibbs, Ellison and Heino 152-177). This study analyzes Daniel Chornet-Roses’ â€Å"Using Students’ Prior Knowledge to Teach Social Penetration Theory† in terms of the main purpose, hypothesis, methodology and r esults before arriving at an appropriate conclusion on the implications of the Social Penetration Theory. Analysis â€Å"Using Students’ Prior Knowledge to Teach Social Penetration Theory† Chornet-Rose (150) acknowledges that appreciating student’s existing ideas and beliefs about a given subject enhances the experiences of learning. The scholar seeks to hone the student’s skills in analyzing information, inductive reasoning and self-reflection. To do this, the scholar plans to activate the prior knowledge of the students in relationship development through letting them watch the film Before Sunset. This will be followed by introducing the students to the intended new knowledge in Social Penetration Theory. Although not expressly stated, the hypothesis tested by the scholar is that acknowledging and incorporating the student’s prior knowledge into the classroom enhances student’s learning experience and outcomes. The researcher’s sele cted method comprises of four sections. First, the students were assigned to watch the film Before Sunset at home. The second activity is an in-class one, where the students were required to informally formulate a theory of relationship development through analyzing the film. The study provides a guide towards analysis and inductive creation of the relationship development theory through asking the students to pay close attention to; the type of information shared (superficial, important, intimate); the tone of conversation (serious, friendly, cheerful, angry); non-verbal communication (proxemics, eye behavior); and lastly, the accomplishments of their communicative interaction. The third activity entails a 75-minute in-class lesson introducing Social Penetration Theory, discussing the student’s relationship development theories with SPT and how SPT may be used to discuss relationship development in the theory. In the first 15-20 minutes, the instructor presents a lecture on Social Penetration Theory, highlighting its key concepts. In the next 10-15 minutes, the students discuss and contrast their informal theories with SPT while in small groups. The remainder of the lesson involves the instructor leading the class to discuss the students’ theories in relation to SPT and relationship development in the film. The final activity entails the students writing a paragraph on how their knowledge on relationship development has developed since learning SPT. The essay assignment is given as an end-of-class or

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Structure and Function of Biomolecules

Structure and Function of Biomolecules All Biomolecules have certain functions and these molecules all have a unique structure which is why they function in these ways. These molecules are known collectively as macromolecules, these molecules are grouped into four main categories which each have their  own structure. These structures are the key to the macromolecules functions as each of them do a specific task in the body. Macromolecules are grouped into carbohydrates, nucleic acids, proteins, and lipids. In most cases macromolecules are polymers, which is a long molecule which are made by linking together a large number of small, similar compounds called monomers. Polymers are formed by a dehydration reaction, this happens by the -OH group being removed from one monomer, and a hydrogen atom (H) is removed from the other monomer, then the polymer is formed (as shown in Figure 1). This reaction is also used in the linking of fatty acids to glycerol in lipids. This reaction is referred to as a condensation or dehydration reaction, because the reaction produces a water molecule from the -OH and -H groups removed, and for each monomer that is added a water molecule is given off. The opposite reaction is the hydrolysis reaction which breaks down polymer to there respective monomers. Water is added to the macromolecule splitting the bonds between the monomers and the -OH and -H are attached to form the monomers (as in Figure 2). Carbohydrates Carbohydrates are a group of molecules made of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen in a molar ratio 1:2:1. Carbohydrates have a general formula of (CH2O)n, where n is the number of carbon atoms. These carbohydrates contain a lot of carbon-hydrogen bonds, which releases energy when oxidation occurs, as carbohydrates are well suited for energy storage. Sugars are some of the most important energy sources and they exist in several different forms, such as monosaccharides, disaccharides and polysaccharides. Monosaccharides are the simplest of carbohydrates, they may contain as few as three carbons but the ones that have a key role in energy storage have six carbons. Disaccharides serve as transport molecules in plants and provide nutrition in animals; they are used by plants for transporting glucose around the plant as disaccharides are not easily metabolised, but disaccharides are usually consumed by humans and animals. Polysaccharides provide energy storage, such as starch consists entirely o f ÃŽÂ ±-glucose molecules linked in a long chain. Cellulose is a structural polysaccharide which also consists of glucose linked in long chains, but these molecules are ÃŽÂ ²-glucose. Carbohydrates are used as a source of energy for processes in the body such as muscle movement (Raven et al 2008). Proteins Proteins are linear polymers made up of a combination of 20 different amino acids, which contain amino group (-NH2) as well as an acidic carboxyl group (-COOH). The specific order of amino acids determines the proteins structure and function. The amino and acid carboxyl group go through a dehydration reaction to form a peptide bond which joins the amino acids together to form proteins. Proteins have many different functions which are placed into seven categories; Enzyme catalysis, Support, Defence, Motion, Transport, Regulation and Storage. Enzyme catalysis is when enzymes which are globular proteins with a three-dimensional shape that fit around some molecules to facilitate chemical reactions (Raven et al 2008). Support proteins fibres play a structural role, these fibres include keratin in hair fibrin in blood clots and collagen which forms the matrix of skin, ligaments, tendons, and bones, and is the most abundant protein in a vertebrate body (Raven et al 2008). Defence proteins a re globular and use there shape to recognise foreign microbes and cancer cells, these cell-surface receptors are from the core of the bodys endocrine and immune system (Raven et al 2008). Muscles contract through the sliding motion of two kinds of protein filaments: actin and myosin (Raven et al 2008). A variety of globular proteins transport small molecules and ions. The transport protein Haemoglobin, for example, transports oxygen in the blood stream (Raven et al 2008). Small proteins called hormones serve as intercellular messengers in animals. Proteins also play many regulatory roles within the cell-turning on and shutting off genes during development (Raven et al 2008). Calcium and iron are stored by binding as ions to storage proteins (Raven et al 2008). Lipids Lipids are varied in structure and function, most of them are non soluble in water. Lipids have a very high proportion of nonpolar carbon-hydrogen bonds; so long chain lipids cannot fold up like a protein to sequester their nonpolar portions away from the surrounding aqueous environment. Lipids are hydrophobic so when they are exposed to water there hydrophilic (polar) sections of the lipids cluster together while the hydrophobic (nonpolar) sections gather together with the inside the polar sections to stay away from the water. Fats and oils are a type of lipid which are formed from glycerol and three fatty acids. Fatty acids are long chain hydrocarbons with a carboxylic acid (COOH) at one end. Fats and oils, also known as triglycerides, can be saturated where the fatty acids contain at least one carbon to carbon double bond or they can be unsaturated which means there are no double bonds. Phospholipids are also lipids and they are composed of a polar head, a phosphate group, glycero l, and two fatty acids. Phospholipids form the cell membranes and they use the previously mentioned method for holding together cells. The hydrophobic heads gather towards the water inside and outside the cell forming the membrane, which certain molecules can go through to get inside or outside the cell. Nucleic Acids Nucleic acids are polymers of nucleotides and each nucleotide is made up of a sugar, a base and a phosphate group. Nucleic acids are the information carrying devices of each cell containing the code for all proteins. There are two main forms of nucleic acid which are deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ribonucleic acid (RNA). Unique among macromolecules, nucleic acids are able to serve as a template to produce a perfect replicate of it. DNA is usually found in the nucleus of cells, which contains the genetic information necessary to build specific organisms (Raven et al 2008). Cells use RNA to read the DNAs encoded information and to direct the creation of the proteins. RNA and DNA are similar in structure and consist of duplicate copies of parts of DNA. The duplicates serve as a blueprint specifying the amino acid sequences of the proteins. In addition to serving as subunits of DNA and RNA, nucleotide bases play other critical roles in the life of a cell. For example adenine is a key co mponent of the molecule adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the energy currency of a cell (Raven et al 2008). Two other important nucleotide-containing molecules are nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) and flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD). These molecules function as electron carriers in a variety of cellular processes (Raven et al 2008). So Biomolecules have certain functions which they carry out in the body because of there unique structures. These structures are unique as they contain certain bonds between molecules which are all formed in similar reactions. But the four groups of macromolecules are formed in similar reactions, dehydration and hydrolysis reactions, but they all act in different ways.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Fredrick Douglass Essay -- essays research papers fc

The purpose behind Fredrick Douglass’s Narrative was to appeal to the other abolitionists who he wanted to convince that slave owners were wrong for their treatment of other human beings. His goal was to appeal to the middle-class people of that time and persuade them to get on board with the abolitionist movement. Douglass had a great writing style that was descriptive as well as convincing. He stayed away from the horrific details of the time, which helped him grasp the attention of the women who in turn would convince their husbands to help by donating money and eventually ending slavery. He used his words effectively in convincing the readers that the slave owners were inhuman and showed how they had no feelings for other human beings. Although Douglass appealed to the middle-class people, he upset other Northerners at the same time, mainly the slave traders, because he was destroying their business. Through personal anecdotes, Douglass draws an accurate picture of slave l ife. Simultaneously, he chooses these events for how they will affect the Northern audience’s opinion of southern slaveholders (Quarles ii). Douglass uses family relationships, starting with his own birth, to gain the compassion of his target audience. He never knew the identity of his father, but it was â€Å"whispered† (Douglass 2) that it was his master. Douglass mentions this to demonstrate how the â€Å"master in [many] cases, sustains to his slaves the double relation of master and father† (2). This was so...

Monday, November 11, 2019

Disk operating system Essay

MS-DOS (Microsoft Disk Operating System) is a single-user, single-tasking computer operating system that uses a command line interface (CLI). †¢ It also works as an interpreter between user and computer. †¢ The term DOS can refer to any operating system, but it is most often used as shorthand for MS-DOS (Microsoft disk operating system). Originally developed by Microsoft for IBM, MS-DOS was the standard operating system for IBM-compatible personal computers. The initial versions of DOS were very simple and resembled another operating system called CP/M. Subsequent versions have became increasingly sophisticated as they incorporated features of minicomputer operating systems. However, DOS is still a 16-bit operating system and does not support multiple users or multitasking. For some time, it has been widely acknowledged that DOS is insufficient for modern computer applications. Microsoft Windows helped alleviate some problems, but still, it sat on top of DOS and relied on DOS for many services. Even Windows 95 sat on top of DOS. Newer operating systems, such as Windows NT and OS/2 Warp, do not rely on DOS to the same extent, although they can execute DOS-based programs. It is expected that as these operating systems gain market share, DOS will eventually disappear. In the meantime, Caldera, Inc. markets a version of DOS called DR-OpenDOS that extends MSDOS in significant ways. †¢ †¢ Components of MS-DOS †¢ MS-DOS consists of four essentials programs and a set of additional utilities. Four main programs are †¢ Boot Record †¢ IO.SYS †¢ MSDOS.SYST †¢ COMMAND.COM What is BOOTing ? †¢ †¢ †¢ It is a process that starts up a computer. It checks for proper functioning of all the peripheral devices attached with the system. It searches for the operating system and, when located, loads it into the main memory. OR When the computer is switched on, the firmware program in Read Only Memory(ROM) also called Basic Input-Output System(BIOS) reads programs and data i.e. Operating System and loads it into memory (RAM). This process is known Bootstrapping(Booting). The OS once loaded takes control of the computer, handles user interaction and executes application programs. BOOTing Sequence During Booting process, computer loads the operating system into its memory. DOS booting involves reading following files into memory namely IO.SYS, MSDOS.SYS, and COMMAND COM. The Basic Input/Output Program (IO.SYS): This program provides interface between the hardware devices and software of the system. It takes care of the keyboard input, character output to monitor, output to printer and time of the day. The File and Disk Manager Program  (MSDOS.SYS) : It contains the file management and the disk buffering management capabilities. It keeps track of all the disk access of an application program and remains permanently in memory. The Command Processor (COMMAND.COM) : It is also called command interpreter. It is the program that displays the system prompt and handles user interface by executing the command typed in by the user using keyboard. The CONFIG.SYS file : This file contains reference to device drivers which are loaded when OS takes control of the computer. This device drivers are required for configuring operating system for running special devices. The AUTOEXEC.BAT file : This is a special batch program that is automatically executed when the system is started. It can be used to define keys, define the path that MS-DOS uses to find files, display messages on the screen etc. It will be executed only if it exists in the root directory or the diskette from which the system is loaded. Each time the system is started, MS-DOS executes the commands stored in AUTOEXEC.BAT file. One can run it without restarting the system by typing AUTOEXEC at the command prompt. Warm and COLD Reboot Switching on of the computer from Power off and loading the operating system is called â€Å"Cold Boot†. This generally starts with memory test and chips initialization. There may be case when the computer is already on or has hanged up and we want to reboot the system. This is known as â€Å"Warm Boot† and is done by pressing ctrl+alt+del keys simultaneously or just by pressing â€Å"Reset† button on the system. Naming DOS directories and files †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ There are two name in DOS and is divided into 2 parts. 1. Primary Name 2. Secondary Name or extension. Primary name is separated from the Secondary name/ extension with the help of a dot (.) look at the following example. Example: ENVOICE. TXT †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Primary name can be from 1 to 8 characters long. Secondary name contains 3 or less than 3 characters and is optional. The extension tells DOS about what kind of file it is. A valid Character for naming a file are: from A to Z and the digit 0 to 9 Types of DOS commands †¢ C :> Is known as DOS command prompt, where we give the commands. DOS command divided into 2 parts. 1. Internal Commands or Memory-Resident Commands 2. External Command or Disk-Residence Commands †¢ Any instruction given to the computer to perform a specific task is called command. The DOS has several commands, each for a particular task and these are stored in DOS directory on the disk. The commands are of two types : (a)Internal Commands : These are in built commands of MS-DOS i.e. these are stored in Command interpreter file (COMMAND.COM). These commands reside in the memory as long as the machine is at the system prompt(C:>) level. To use these commands no extra /external file is required. E.g. DATE, TIME, DIR, VER etc. These are also called Memory Resident Commands. These commands are automatically loaded into the computer‟s memory during the booting process. They actually included in the Command.com file. So these commands are executable immediately after getting the DOS prompt. Example: mkdir, cd, rd, copycon etc. (b) External commands : These are separate program (.com) files that reside in DOS directory and when executed behave like commands. An external command has predefined syntax. for e.g. HELP, DOSKEY, BACKUP, RESTORE, FORMAT etc. These are also called Disk-Resident Commands. These commands are meant for special purpose. These are found in separate files on Hard Disk or Floppy Disk, hence they don‟t typically consume valuable memory space. They are loaded into memory only when called. Example: xcopy, move, doskey etc. Microsoft Disk Operating System Introduction to the Operating Systems: An Operating system is software that creates a relation between the User, Software and Hardware. It is an interface between the all. All the computers need basic software known as an Operating System (OS) to function. The OS acts as an interface between the User, Application Programs, Hardware and the System Peripherals. The OS is the first software to be loaded when a computers starts up. The entire application programs are loaded after the OS. Whenever an application needs information it requests the OS which in turn queries the System clock on the motherboard. User interacts with the computer through the OS then OS interprets inputs given by a user through the Keyboard, Mouse or other input device and takes appropriate actions. An Operating System can be of Three Types: Single User MS-Dos, MS-Win 95-98, Win-ME Multi User UNIX, Linux, XENIX Network Novel Netware, Win-NT, Win-2000-2003 1. Single User: If the single user os is loaded in computer’s memory; the computer would be able to handle one user at a time. 2. Multi user: If the multi-user os is loaded in computer’s memory; the computer would be able to handle more than one user at a time. 3. Network: If the network os is loaded in computer’s memory; the computer would be able to handle more than one computer at time. Command Prompt Interface: Operating System provides a text based interface called command prompt. From the command prompt commands can be issued to perform file and disk management and to run program. Results of these commands are presented to the user as text message. C:>The command prompt can be an alphabet followed by one colon (:), one back slash (), one greater than sign (>) and one blinking element called cursor (_). Where C: represents the Drive letter (Current Drive) represents the current folder / Directory > represents the end of the Prompt and _ blinking element (represents the Cursor) Always a cursor position decides that the current typed letter from the keyboard will appear on that position. The operating system (OS) is the first program that must be loaded into the memory of your PC before you can use it for any application. You can start your computer with disk operating system (DOS) or some other operating system such as Windows 95, 97, 98 or Windows NT that might be installed in the Hard disk. In this chapter, we shall discuss the basic facilities available in DOS. Switch to MS-DOS and go through most of the text given in this and the next two chapters. If your computer is running under windows 95/98 or Windows NT, perform the following steps to switch to MS-DOS, otherwise move to section 2.1. ï‚ · Click the start button in the taskbar and press the windows logo key to open the start menu then click programs in the start menu. ï‚ · Windows displays the program submenu. ï‚ · In the program menu click MS-DOS Prompt and your screen displays a window that contains MS-DOS Prompt, such as â€Å"C:windows>_†. ï‚ · If you like you can also restart your computer in MS-DOS mode by using the following steps: o Close any open programs o Click the Start Button in the TaskBar or Press the Windows Logo Key to open the Start Menu. o Click â€Å"restart in MS-DOS Mode† and then click OK. Wait for some time and your PC restarts in MS-DOS Mode. After your PC starts in MS-DOS Mode or window, skip the next section and move to section 2.2. What is a File? In computer terminology, file is a collection of text or data stored on a storage device, such as a Floppy Disk or Hard Disk. If you new to computers, it may sound a bit complicated. Well, a computer file is not much different from a conventional paper file that you must have used, or at least seen being used. Just as you stored different types of documents (invoice, letters, reminders, memos etc.) in conventional files, computer files too store information. File Name Each file is given a name so that it can be referred to later. This name is called Filename. The filename in DOS can be up to eight alpha-numeric characters long. Optionally it can also have a period (.) followed by an extension name. The extension name the up to three characters long. For instance, consider the following filename: REPORT2 PROGRESS.DOC Here REPORT2 is a filename. This filename does not have an extension name – „DOC‟. The use of an extension name in a filename is optional. However, the extension name helps in organizing and identifying a file. For instance „DOC‟ may suggest that it is a document file; and „COM‟ may suggest that is a command file. If you use an extension name with a filename, normally you will have to specify the complete file name, normally you will have to specify the complete file name (i.e. including the extension name) while using it with DOS commands. While naming files, you can use the following characters in filename: A- Z, a- z, 0 – 9, @, #, $, %, ^, &, -, _, { },`, ~,( ) You cannot use other characters, such as coma (,) colon (:), semicolon (;), , , /, etc. in filename. Moreover, you cannot use space in filenames. Some examples of invalid file names are: Filename Reason SALE 2 Contains space PROGRESSER Contains more that eight characters MY, File Contains commas CHAP_01.DOC3 Extension name contains more than 3 characters If you use more than eight characters in the filename or more than three characters in the extension name, DOS may automatically truncate the filename by removing extra characters. Further, some file names, such as COM 1, COM 2, LPT1, com and PRN are reserved by DOS for its own use. Therefore, do not use these names to name your file. Also, remember that all DOS application programs including Word, Excel, WordStar, Bbase III PLUS AND Fox Pro follow the same file naming convention. WHAT IS A Directory? As you know, the storage capacity of the hard disk is usually quite large (10 MB to a few GB). You can store hundreds or even thousands of files in your hard disk. Even the capacity of a floppy disk is large enough to store many files. A directory is nothing but a named section of a storage device, such as hard disk, floppy disk. In other words, to organize file on hard disk or floppy disk, these are divided into various segments (sections), called directories. You can store any number of files in each directory. The directory helps to organise your file in an efficient manner. Using directories in a storage devise is similar to keeping different types of files in an office in separate drawers of a filing cabinet. For instant, Xyz Company may keep all sales files in the first drawer, all purchase files in the second drawer and all employees‟ files in the third drawer of a filing cabinet. In the same way, when XYZ Company computerizes its operation, it may store all sales files in the SALES directory, all purchase files in the PURCHASE directory and all employees‟ files in the EMPOLYEES directory. Similarly, the user Raj Kumar may keep his personal files in the RAJ directory and the secretary of XYZ Company may store the letters in the LETTERS or DOC directory. Like a file name, the directory name can also have up to eight alpha-numeric characters. The directory name can also have and extension name up to 3 characters long. However, normally, the extension name is not used with the directory name. When you start your PC, it usually responds with „C :/>‟ and selects the main or the root directory of drive C. Any file that you create or copy to drive  C is added to this root directory. If you continue to add files in the root directory, after a few days, the root directory will have too many files. This will not only confuse you, it will also make the PC slow. The PC may take too long to locate or open the files if there are too many files in a directory. There for you should try to use directories (and sub directories) in your hard disk DOS always creates a root directory in each story device. You can create new directories in the root directory of the hard disk or floppy disk. You can store files in these directories. Moreover, beside files, each directory can also have directories. Those, the file and directory organization in DOS looks like the roots of a tree, as show in figure 2.1.here, the root directory in drive C contains if you files in two directories – WORD and EXCEL. The WORD directory contains a few files as well as a directory TENDER. Sometimes, the second level directory (TENDER in this case) is called sub-directory. The root directory contains another directory – EXCEL. This directory contains a few files as well as two directories – SALES and EMPLOYEE. Both these directories contain files. At any level in the directory structure, can be created. For example, another directory, say FOXPRO directory may contain files as well as more directories. If you want, you can remove files from any directory or more files to another directory. You can also delete an enter directory. Comments to copy, move, rename and delete files and to create and change directories are discussed letter in this chapter. Additional file and directory comments are discussed in the next chapter.

Friday, November 8, 2019

USA Patriot Act essays

USA Patriot Act essays To borrow a term from Shakespeare, the arguments against the U.S. Patriot Act (USAPA) are much to do about nothing. Upon exploration of major concerns regarding USAPA, the arguments made are weak and often over exaggerated claims designed to inflame those concerned with protecting civil liberties. This paper discusses the opponents' major points against USAPA and finds each assertion to be inane or false. The reality is that USAPA simply allows the investigation of all suspected terrorist activity using surveillance common to other criminal investigations and improved communication across government agencies. Opponents of the USAPA argue that the expanded definition of terrorism to cover domestic as well as international terrorism expands the type of conduct that the government can investigate too broadly (How the USA Patriot Act redefines "domestic terrorism). They believe that the government will unfairly use this broader interpretation to monitor the activities of activist organizations such as Greenpeace and Operation Rescue. And, opponents are also concerned that the government can spy or suspected computer trespassers without a court order and can add samples to DNA databases for those convicted of any crime of violence (EFF analysis of the provisions of the USA Patriot Act). The notion that the government should be restricted from investigating domestic terrorism is absurd. Americans were responsible for approximately seventy-five percent of the 335 incidents between 1980 and 2000 that the FBI has classified as suspected or confirmed terrorism (American militant extremists). USAPA defines domestic terrorism as criminal acts that are "dangerous to human life", a category that clearly warrants government investigation. And, accusations that USAPA allows the federal government to secure secret search warrants with no probable cause are not true (Herron, M. an...

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

The eNotes Blog Before I Die Communities, Art, Purpose,Reflection

Before I Die Communities, Art, Purpose,Reflection A few years ago, artist Candy Chang lost a good friend. The experience left her thinking a lot about death, what in her life was of value, what she wanted to do while she had time, and with whom she should spend those hours.   While she knew she wanted to define these objectives, Chang says that she struggled to maintain perspective.   She wondered if others felt similarly adrift. Chang noticed that there was an old, abandoned home in her New Orleans neighborhood, a perfect canvas for expression. She, along with a group of friends, painted one side of the home in chalkboard paint and created a Before I die ___________________ stencil: Chang had no idea what to expect. But she and her friends attached little baskets of chalk to the sides and stepped away to wait and see: To Changs great delight and surprise, the very next day,   the wall was bursting with handwritten responses and it kept growing:  Before I die I want to†¦ sing for millions, hold her one more time, eat a salad with an alien, see my daughter graduate,  abandon all insecurities, plant a tree,  straddle the International Date Line,  be completely myself†¦. The project did what Chang had hoped it would do and more. It made her feel connected. It focused her thoughts and attention. Moreover, she came to know her neighbors in unexpected ways which were sometimes comic, sometimes tragic. The project soon had many enthusiastic supporters and requests poured in for more of the Before I Die _______ walls. Chang and her colleagues responded by creating a  toolkit  and the  project site beforeidie.cc  to help people make a wall with their community. You can also download all files for free to remix or create your own stencils. To date, one hundred   Before I Die ___________ walls have been created in over ten languages and in thirty countries.   The Atlantic  calls Before I Die _____________  Ã¢â‚¬Å"One of the most creative community projects ever.†Ã‚   Chang, who has given a popular TED Talk on the project, says:   Each wall is a tribute to living an examined life. Our public spaces are as profound as we allow them to be.  The historian Lewis Mumford once wrote that the origins of society were not just for physical survival but for sacred things that offer â€Å"a more valuable and meaningful kind of life.† At their greatest, our public spaces can nourish our well-being and help us see that we’re not alone as we try to make sense of our lives.  Regularly contemplating death, as Stoics and other philosophers encourage, is a powerful tool to restore perspective and remind us of the things that make our lives meaningful.  Each passerby is another person full of longing, anxiety, fear, and wonder. With more ways to share in public space, the people around us can not only help us make better places, they can help us become our best selves. Here are a few more images from the original New Orleans site. You can visit other walls here.   Follow projects on Facebook or Twitter. What do you want to write?

Monday, November 4, 2019

Hinduism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Hinduism - Essay Example Therefore, those that do bad deeds, such as rob or steel, are polluting their karma, which will lead to unfortunate events and vice versa for good deeds. It is also important in the concept of reincarnation, as how good your karma is will determine what an individual is reincarnated as. This is especially important because a person must have very good karma in order to escape the cycle of reincarnation in order to achieve a higher state of enlightenment known as moksha. An avatar is a manifestation of a Hindu deity on Earth. Each sect of Hinduism has a different view regarding these types of manifestations. The manifestation does not have to occur solely as a human, but can be in the form of an animal or any other sort of creature. They appear as a source of divine influence and often speak to people offering sage’s advice. In addition, each avatar has unique qualities, which separate them from one another. Each sect of Hinduism acknowledges the existence of a different number of avatars. In the basics of Hinduism for someone who is unfamiliar to the religion, it would sound unique in comparison to its Christian counterpart.

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Leadership and managment Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Leadership and managment - Assignment Example Longmore (2005) states that ‘Conflict is an inevitable aspect of life’. Coming to the organization, the name of the organization is Greenland and it deals with developing and maintaining the structures of houses and other buildings. The working structure of the organization is that there are sub contractors who take orders from the management to get them completed in the time given by the management of that specific organization. There are three departments of the organization. First department is the information department which gathers information regarding presence of any contract opportunity in any specific area. The head of this department is information manager whose role is to supervise all work related to his department and submit the weekly report to the management department. The second department is the management department whose role is to analyze the weekly report given to them by the information department and assign different contracts to different sub co ntractors depending upon their experience and capabilities. The head of this department is executive manager who is responsible for all the acts not only related to the management department but also related to the whole organization as he is the head of the organization too. The third and the last department is of the selected sub contractors who take contracts from the management department and get them completed in the given time frame by the management. The head of this specific department is the chief contractor whose role is to manage all other sub contractors and submit their weekly efficiency report to the management department. Now, let’s come to the conflict which has occurred among some of the employees of the management and the sub contractors’ department. Bhushan (n.d.) said that ‘Conflicts are inevitable in ones organizational life and personal life’. Here, the conflict is that one of the sub contractors has

Thursday, October 31, 2019

Adolescent Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Adolescent - Essay Example The paper will also address some of the areas that a person working with an elderly person should consider. Moreover, the paper will elaborate why these areas can be considered as key issues while working with elderly persons. Lastly, the paper will address alarming issues about a situation whereby a parent neglects a girl aged two years. More specifically, the paper will look into deviations from normal development and the legal, ethical, and procedural responsibilities of a community worker in such a situation. Case Study Question 1 Introduction Teenage years signify the transition from childhood to adulthood; a teenager can be considered as a person who cannot be termed as either a child or an adult. Puberty, which normally starts at the age of 14 years, signals significant changes in physical, cognitive, psychological, social, and emotional aspects. A girl aged fourteen years encounters major hormonal changes, which have an impact on the self image of the teenager, affect moods, the relationship with other people, and the overall outlook that the teenager has about life. A girl aged fourteen years will undergo changes in the named aspects. These changes are as discussed below. Physical Changes According to Rathus (2007), some of the physical changes that can be experienced in a 14-year girl include the development and enlargement of breasts as well as the nipples. The size of breasts becomes larger, signifying the impact of hormones present in the body of the teenage girl. Another physical change that could be experienced in a girl at the age of fourteen years includes growing tall as their hips, legs and thighs become taller. The tone of the voice changes as the voice of the girl becomes high pitched, and the skin also becomes light in color. The girl would also start experiencing acne as the skin becomes oily, thus making the girl prone to having pimples. Another change that could signify deviation from normal growth in a 14-year-old girl includes conside rable weight gain experienced by the girl. The gain in weight for girls usually takes place after the girl experiences the first menstruation. Other changes, which would indicate deviation from the normal, include an increase in height whereby the girl becomes taller than other girls below her age. The girl would also experience physical growth in terms of broadening of shoulders. There would be changes seen in the lower portion of the head, which begins to grow since the nose grows in both length and width and the chin lengthens. Changes in the proportion of the face can also be experienced due to changes attributed to tissue distribution; in a girl aged fourteen years, the contours of both the body and face become round (Malina, Bouchard & Bar-Or, 2004). Psychological Changes As much as puberty contributes to the development of the body, it also impacts on the development of the mind. At the age of fourteen years, a girl may feel the burden of the world on them. The girl loses chi ldhood innocence, thus developing a mind that can process thoughts and concepts that tend to be abstract. Psychologically, the girl strives to find and establish some identity. Psychological changes that the girl will undergo include an increase in self-awareness and development of a feeling of self-consciousness. At fourteen years, the girl will develop the ability to question what happens in the world around her. As a result, they start seeing the bigger picture of life; as a result, they develop a sense of how they want to fit into the bigger picture (Rathus, 2007). Another psychological change that will be experienced in the girl includes feeling sensitive. This emanates from the fact that the girl’

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Levels of Judiciary Essay Example for Free

Levels of Judiciary Essay The Judiciary body in India functions independently from the Executive and Legislative bodies in the country. The Judiciary plays a major role in the maintenance of law and order in India. There are various levels of Judiciary bodies that play a key role in ensuring smooth functioning of the judicial system in India. Levels of Judiciary As per decreasing order of importance, the different levels of Judiciary bodies that operate in India have been listed below. * The Supreme Court of India * The High Courts * The District Courts * Lok Adalats The Judiciary system followed in India is a replica of the British Legal System. Over the years, very few modifications have been made to the Indian judicial system. The Supreme Court The Supreme Court, the highest judicial system in India, came into existence on 28th January, 1950. The Chief Justice of India heads the Supreme Court. The maximum number of judges that the Supreme Court can have, apart from the Chief Justice, is 25. Some of the important roles and responsibilities of the Supreme Court of India include: * Protector of the Indian Constitution * Highest Court of Appeal The High Courts The High Courts exist in almost all the Indian states and Union Territories. Out of the 19 High Courts that function in India, the oldest one is the  Calcutta High Court. The High Court judges are elected by the President of India. The High Courts are authorised to handle all kinds of civil and criminal cases. The Supreme Court controls the activities of the High Courts in India. The District Courts District level, judicial matters are referred to the District Courts in India. Administrative and judicial affairs of the District Courts are taken care of by the state High Court. Tribunals Tribunals in India also have a critical judiciary role to play in India. Some of the important tribunals that operate in the country have been listed below. * Income Tax Appellate Tribunal * Intellectual Property Appellate Tribunal, Chennai * Appellate Tribunal for Electricity * Debts Recovery Tribunal II, Chennai * Debt Recovery Tribunal, Coimbatore * Central Administrative Tribunal * Railways Claims Tribunal * Debts Recovery Tribunal I, Chennai * Central Excise Service Tax Appellate Tribunal

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Companies In Controversial Industries Management Essay

Companies In Controversial Industries Management Essay Is it possible for companies in controversial industries to be socially responsible if their products are detrimental to human beings and the environment. Many claim it is impossible for them to be socially responsible because their CSR will always be an inherent contradiction since their business goal is at odds with the aims of public health policies. However as these companies already have a bad reputation, they have no need to be associated with doing good in order to boost sales. Hence when they engage in CSR, it could mean that they are genuine CSR practitioners. This paper examines CSR of firms in alcohol, tobacco and gambling industries and determines whether they can be socially responsible through their CSR implementation by using Porter and Kramers concept of shared value. However while assessing any motives companies may have to determine whether they are genuinely interested in CSR, it may be presumptuous or even unjust to these companies to assume their motives based on the consequences of their actions. Also, the approach used to determine whether the companies have been socially responsible may be too narrow. Nonetheless, companies need not have the best intentions for the society to be socially responsible. Introduction At the mention of controversial industries such as alcohol and tobacco industries, some may be quick to conclude that these industries cannot be socially responsible since they are producing goods that are detrimental to human beings and the environment. Even when firms in these industries practice Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), some may still find it difficult to start regarding them as being socially responsible. The motive behind these companies for practicing CSR is also often disputed over. As these firms already have a bad reputation, they need not be associated with doing good for consumers to demand for their products, unlike inherently good companies. When these firms practice CSR, does it then mean that they genuinely have the societys welfare at heart? Or could they be doing CSR as a way of obscuring their questionable business and gaining social acceptance? Keeping these arguments in mind, we will now look at specific firms in alcohol, tobacco and gambling industries and their CSR practices in particular to evaluate the possible incentives behind their CSR initiatives as well as to determine whether they can be socially responsible through their CSR implementation. In consideration of the controversies of CSR, in particular, the view that CSR should be conducted in such as a way that it benefits both the society and the owners of the firm, rather than only one side of the parties, we will be using Porter and Kramers concept of shared value to decide whether a company is socially responsible. This requires firms to adopt CSR practices that concurrently benefit the society and the owners of the firm, by addressing societal weaknesses or harms while improving the financial performance of the firm, to be socially responsible. Alcohol Alcohol is an important risk factor for disease. It has implications in birth defects, cases of assault and family violence, alcoholism-related abuse, traffic accidents, reduced workplace productivity and lower life expectancy (Collins Lapsley, 2008; WHO, 2011). Consumption of alcohol is estimated to cost the American society a staggering $223.5 billion/year in health care, road-related accidents, reduced workplace productivity, violence and crime in 2007 (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). In comparison, federal alcohol tax revenue only amounted to $9.3 billion/year in 2007 (Congressional Budget Office). Case Study Take Diageo for instance. It is the worlds largest producer of spirits and an influential producer of beer and wine. It has 59 brands including Johnnie Walker and Guinness, two of the best-known brands of alcohol, under its portfolio. It generates $25 billion in sales revenue yearly. Diageo uses public awareness campaigns as part of its CSR initiative. It creates advertisements that educate drinking responsibly, including those aimed at discouraging excessive drinking, drink driving as well as underage drinking. However, these may have been the companys subtle attempts at bypassing regulations to advertise its alcoholic beverages to consumers. In Diageos the choice is yours campaign in 2008, it has also conveyed the message that overdrinking would inevitably lead to social disapproval, such as the embarrassing consequences of being thrown out of clubs. However, the University of Bath has found that such incidents are actually perceived as fun by youths (EUCAM, 2009), putting the intended effect of the campaign into question. Furthermore, the website of the campaign highlights the logos of Diageo drinks, casting doubts on whether it may have been aimed at advertising the companys alcoholic beverages to the consumers. The company also has campaigns that are aimed at reaching out to minors in schools. By claiming that they are contributing solutions to alcohol-related problems, the company is able to reach out to a target audience that they would otherwise not be able to reach due to alcohol marketing regulations. By using CSR as marketing gimmicks to make greater profits, the company has failed to manifest itself as a genuine CSR practitioner who does not have the societys best interests at heart when carrying out CSR practices. However, Diageo is making improvements to its corporate governance and has created a multi-prong strategy to take care of the interests of all its stakeholders. This year, it has reduced 9.4% of carbon emission in spite of its increased production and has increased water efficiency by 20% in Uganda through its implementation of better water recovery systems. In addition, it has organized internal DRINKiQ workshops to educate employees on responsible drinking. It also conducts independent audits on its suppliers with issues relating to health, safety and hygiene, working hours and wages. It also provides a confidential whistleblowing service, SpeakUp, to allow anyone who has come across a breach of its Code to report it. This ensures that Diageos Code of Conduct is strictly adhered to. Looking at the various Diageos CSR initiatives and going back to Porter and Kramers concept of shared value, Diageo would be considered a socially responsible company. Through its public awareness campaigns that concurrently discourage excessive drinking and advertise its brand of alcoholic beverages, the company is able to reduce the societal harm of its products and improve the profitability of the firm at the same time, although the effectiveness and the intended effect of the campaigns may be questionable. The implementation of better water recovery systems could also help the company save cost. These show that Diageo is a socially responsible company. Tobacco The health effects of tobacco have long been known. Smoking in particular is a major risk factor for heart attacks, strokes, chronic obstructive pulmonary heart disease, hypertension, peripheral vascular disease and cancer. Each year, 6 million deaths are caused by the inhalation of tobacco smoke. The irony becomes salient when tobacco becomes the single greatest cause of preventable death globally. With products deemed universally harmful allowed for sale, can tobacco companies be socially responsible? Case Study Altria Group Inc. is one of the largest tobacco companies in the world. It is a pioneer of the tobacco corporate responsibility movement in the late 1990s. Recently, it has come out tops in social responsibility rankings, placing 15th on CR Magazines 100 best corporate citizens list and 4th in Fortune magazine. Altria has implemented a comprehensive corporate responsibility program targeting nine specific issues: tobacco product management, marketing practices, combating illegal trade, environmental management, sustainable agriculture, supply chain responsibility, employees, investing in companies and governance and compliance. Despite the multi-faceted approach, its CSR practices have been a subject of constant criticism, with critics questioning their motivations behind the acts of responsibility. Most argument centers on tobacco product management and marketing practices. Over the years, Altria has sought to manage its tobacco product issues and marketing practices as ethically as possible. They voluntarily communicate health effects with transparency, including health warnings on all its packages and websites. They undertake research and development in developing products with lower risks and also actively partner and collaborate with governments in support of cessation. In marketing practices, they voluntarily limit their reach of marketing to unintended audiences. Based on their actions, we can see the moral duty that Altria has undertaken as a company. Critics however argue against the motivation of their CSR, likening it to the washing of blood money. Some even argue that it is used as a sword and shield against product issues (Friedman, 2009). Yet it can also be seen as an atonement of sin. The term blood money seems to convey a form of coercion or illegal means to gain, yet from how Altria practices its CSR, we can clearly see their admittance to liability, transparency and the absence of coercion. Ironically, Altria has been embarking on initiatives to discourage people from smoking, which is counterintuitive of a profit-oriented business model. This seems to highlight the effort Altria has undertaken as a moral duty to doing right what it has done wrong, clearly fulfilling Kantian and even virtue ethics, and is a display of an ethical practice of social responsibility. Critics also argue that CSR allows tobacco companies to improve their image, leveraging CSR to add value to the otherwise evil company, thereby concluding that such a motivation may be of a selfish cause. However, unlike other corporations with the freedom of liberal marketing practices, tobacco companies including Altria undergo some of the strictest regulations on advertising and marketing. In fact, the company is creating advertisements that devalue its products, essentially decreasing the companys value further. There seems to be no tangible benefit for their bottom line with the implementation of CSR; instead, a greater amount of losses are being incurred. This thus further support the ethical motivation behind their CSR practices, as not much value can be leveraged off CSR for the benefit of the companys overall bottom-line. It is evident that a tobacco companys CSR does fulfill Porter and Kramers concept of shared value for both the company and society. However, it is more of a transactional value rather than a transformational one (Palazzo Richter, 2005), after all if tobacco companies really want to change society, the greatest impact will come from its voluntary demise. Therefore, it is justified for tobacco companies to do CSR, but it will never be able to transform or make good itself. Casino Casinos, like tobacco and alcohol, have contributed to a range of social and economic harms to the society (Hancock, Schellinck Schrans, 2008), with the most apparent social impact being the increase in problem gambling. It has been estimated that 1.2% of U.S. adults are pathological gamblers and another 1.5% are problem gamblers at some point of their lives, with the likelihood doubling for people living within 50 miles of a casino (Community Research Partners, 2010). Problem gambling impacts peoples lives in many negative and consequential ways; this includes unemployment, poor physical and mental health, risked social relationships as well as increased crimes (Community Research Partners, 2010). Large sums of social costs, including those spent on bankruptcies, imprisonments and divorces; have to be spent every year as a result of these impacts. Case Study Caesars Entertainment Corporation is the largest gaming company in the world with $8.83 billion in revenue in 2011. The company has carried out CSR extensively. It launched its comprehensive sustainability program, the CodeGreen, in 2004 and has displayed a strong commitment to achieving a broad set of sustainability goals for carbon emissions reduction, energy conservation, water consumption as well as waste recycling. Harrahs Lake Tahoe Casino and Harveys Lake Tahoe Casino, two of the companys casinos, have received the prestigious Gold Certification from Travelife, a certification body that recognizes companies within the tourism industry that adopt sustainable practices. Only four U.S.-based hotels out of 400 worldwide are Gold Certified in 2013 and three of them are Caesars properties (Stevens, 2013). Besides their commitment to responsible stewardship of the environment, the company also has codes of commitment to treat all their employees with respect and to provide them with good career opportunities, to promote responsible gaming as well as to help make all their communities healthy and vibrant places to live and work. To foster responsible gaming, the company only allows adults to visit their casinos, trains their employees on how to offer help to customers who may need it and provides toll-free helpline numbers for problem gambling. They have also adopted a policy to donate part of the company profits to community and charitable causes (Caesars Entertainment). As casinos fundamentally offer products that have adverse social and economic consequences, it may be unnecessary or even irrelevant for the company to conduct CSR to appear altruistic to the public. This may therefore imply that any CSR efforts from such companies could only be genuine. However, companies nowadays are increasingly expected to embrace wider responsibilities and roles and adhere to greater ethical, legal and responsible standards. Companies that fail to do so are found to receive weakened public support and less positive views from the media (Yani-de-Soriano, Javed Yousafzai, 2012). Therefore, it remains unclear as to whether Caesars Entertainment Corporation is a genuine CSR practitioner, or that they have conducted CSR to gain social acceptance. Caesars Entertainments CodeGreen sustainability program is a great example of creating a shared value through CSR. Through committing to responsible stewardship of the environment, the company strives to conserve energy, save water and recycle waste. These are environmental-friendly practices that also bring about cost-savings for the company. While not all the companys CSR initiatives, such as those targeted at promoting responsible gaming, directly bring about economic benefits to the stockholders of the company, they can help to gain social acceptance of the public, increasing sales and thereby giving rise to indirect economic benefits. Since Caesars Entertainments CSR practices create shared value for both the society and the owners of the firm according to the Porter and Kramers model, it is a socially responsible company. Limitations In evaluating the respective companies on whether they are genuine practitioners of CSR given that there do not seem to be a need for them to appear socially responsible, we have looked at how conducting CSR could benefit them to assess the motives that they might have in executing their CSR initiatives. However, it may be presumptuous or even unjust to these companies to assume their motives based on the consequences of their actions. The companies may indeed have been genuine practitioners of CSR, even if their CSR initiatives turn out to benefit the company as well. The approach that has been used to establish whether the specific companies have been socially responsible may also have been too narrow. In applying Porter and Kramers concept of shared value, our criteria for determining whether the companies are socially responsible only lies on whether the companys CSR initiatives benefit both the stockholders and the other stakeholders of the firm; however, we did not apply the model to take into account the inherent nature of the company that their products are detrimental to the society in determining whether they are socially responsible. As a result, all the three firms examined can easily be classified as being socially responsible. On the other hand, to take into consideration the inherent nature of the company, which could only create value for the owners of the firms at best, would mean that these companies could never be socially responsible so long as they continue to operate, according to Porter and Kramers model of shared value. Conclusion Corporate social responsibility is a complex and contentious subject that many businesses have to address and commit their resources to implement. When companies whose products are detrimental to the society practice CSR, their motives are often questioned and their ability to be socially responsible may still be contested. However, as have been discussed and elaborated on above, companies do not need to have the best intentions for the society to be socially responsible. In fact, companies who are not genuine practitioners of CSR, but have both the firm and the society at heart when practicing CSR are the ones who are the most socially responsible. Finally, we conclude that companies whose products are detrimental to the society can be socially responsible companies.