Wednesday, November 27, 2019

3 Questions To Guide Your Marketing Program With Michael Brenner

3 Questions To Guide Your Marketing Program With Michael Brenner Successful marketing takes more than just running ads, publishing articles, and designing newsletters. With so many moving parts, running a successful marketing program can be elusive. So, use a thoughtful and simple framework to cut straight to the heart of what it means and what it looks like to get consistent results. Today, we’re talking to Michael Brenner, the CEO of Marketing Insider Group and co-author of The Content Formula. He shares his global perspective and the secret to success when it comes to content marketing. Michael discovered that he had an aptitude for helping customers at scale Counter-intuitive nature of life applies to marketing; there’s a lot more to marketing than just advertising, which we hate and tune out We perceive marketing in the wrong way; it’s a two-way communication between a company and its customers What type of marketing works? Things that are not selfish, promotional, and interruptive, but aligned to what customers are wanting and what helps them Marketing starts with culture, and growth equates to the amount of empathy a company has for its customers, employees, and world Mission Statement: What is your purpose? Meaning? What do you achieve for the people you touch? Step 1: No matter what you are working on or what role you play in the company, always ask: What’s in it for the customers? Do less promotion in advertising and more content marketing or education Identify the amount of integration and interaction that occurs across the company Step 2: What’s in it for your colleagues? Marketing goes beyond the marketing department; it’s a collaborative and magical effort Step 3: What’s in it for the company? Conversions and ROI of content marketing Culture, empathy, and performance lead to effective and successful marketing Michael tries to do 2 things every day: Be thankful and show empathy (T E) Links: Michael Brenner Michael Brenner on Twitter Marketing Insider Group The Content Formula Jim Stengel’s Grow AMP on iTunes leave a review and send screenshot to podcast@.com If you liked today’s show, please subscribe on iTunes to The Actionable Content Marketing Podcast! The podcast is also available on SoundCloud, Stitcher, and Google Play. Quotes by Michael Brenner:: â€Å"If you just help your customers, or help your buyers buy, and answer the questions that they have in that journey, then you can really succeed.† â€Å"There’s a lot more to marketing than just advertising.† â€Å"Selling is helping buyers buy, and marketing is helping buyers buy, as well, but at scale.†

Saturday, November 23, 2019

The Ancient Practice of Bloodletting in Archaeology

The Ancient Practice of Bloodletting in Archaeology Bloodlettingpurposefully cutting the human body to release bloodis an ancient ritual, associated with both healing and sacrifice. Bloodletting was a regular form of medical treatment for ancient Greeks, with its benefits debated by scholars such as Hippocrates and Galen. Bloodletting in Central America Bloodletting or auto-sacrifice was a cultural trait of most of the societies in Mesoamerica, beginning with the Olmec perhaps as early as 1200 AD. This type of religious sacrifice involved a person using a sharp instrument such as an agave spine or sharks tooth to pierce a fleshy part of his own body. The resulting blood would drip onto a lump of copal incense or piece of cloth or bark paper, and then those materials would be burned. According to historical records of the Zapotec , Mixtec, and Maya, burning blood was one way to communicate with the sky gods. Artifacts associated with bloodletting include sharks teeth, maguey thorns, stingray spines, and obsidian blades. Specialized elite materialsobsidian eccentrics, greenstone picks, and spoonsare thought to have been used for elite bloodletting sacrifices in the  Formative period and later cultures. Bloodletting Spoons A so-called bloodletting spoon is a type of artifact discovered on many Olmec archaeological sites. Although there is some variety, the spoons generally have a flattened tail or blade, with a thickened end. The thick part has a shallow off-center bowl on one side and a second, smaller bowl on the other side. Spoons usually have a small hole pierced through them, and in Olmec art are often depicted as hanging from peoples clothing or ears. Bloodletting spoons have been recovered from Chalcatzingo, Chacsinkin, and Chichà ©n Itz; the images are found carved in murals and on stone sculptures at San Lorenzo, Cascajal, and Loma del Zapote. Olmec Spoon Functions The real function of the Olmec spoon has long been debated. Theyre called bloodletting spoons because originally scholars believed them to have been for holding blood from auto-sacrifice, the ritual of personal bloodletting. Some scholars still prefer that interpretation, but others have suggested spoons were for holding paints, or for use as snuffing platforms for taking hallucinogens, or even that they were effigies of the Big Dipper constellation. In a recent article in Ancient Mesoamerica, Billie J. A. Follensbee suggests Olmec spoons were part of a hitherto unrecognized toolkit for textile production. Her argument is in part based on the shape of the tool, which approximates bone weaving battens recognized in several Central American cultures, including some from Olmec sites. Follansbee also identifies several other tools made of elite greenstone or obsidian, such as spindle whorls, picks, and plaques, that could have been used in weaving or cord-making techniques. Sources Follensbee, Billie J. A. 2008. Fiber technology and weaving in formative-period Gulf Coast cultures. Ancient Mesoamerica 19:87-110. Marcus, Joyce. 2002. Blood and Bloodletting. Pp 81-82 in Archaeology of Ancient Mexico and Central America: An Encyclopedia, Susan Toby Evans and David L. Webster, eds. Garland Publishing, Inc. New York. Fitzsimmons, James L., Andrew Scherer, Stephen D. Houston, and Hector L. Escobedo 2003 Guardian of the Acropolis: The Sacred Space of a Royal Burial at Piedras Negras, Guatemala. Latin American Antiquity 14(4):449-468.

The Ancient Practice of Bloodletting in Archaeology

The Ancient Practice of Bloodletting in Archaeology Bloodlettingpurposefully cutting the human body to release bloodis an ancient ritual, associated with both healing and sacrifice. Bloodletting was a regular form of medical treatment for ancient Greeks, with its benefits debated by scholars such as Hippocrates and Galen. Bloodletting in Central America Bloodletting or auto-sacrifice was a cultural trait of most of the societies in Mesoamerica, beginning with the Olmec perhaps as early as 1200 AD. This type of religious sacrifice involved a person using a sharp instrument such as an agave spine or sharks tooth to pierce a fleshy part of his own body. The resulting blood would drip onto a lump of copal incense or piece of cloth or bark paper, and then those materials would be burned. According to historical records of the Zapotec , Mixtec, and Maya, burning blood was one way to communicate with the sky gods. Artifacts associated with bloodletting include sharks teeth, maguey thorns, stingray spines, and obsidian blades. Specialized elite materialsobsidian eccentrics, greenstone picks, and spoonsare thought to have been used for elite bloodletting sacrifices in the  Formative period and later cultures. Bloodletting Spoons A so-called bloodletting spoon is a type of artifact discovered on many Olmec archaeological sites. Although there is some variety, the spoons generally have a flattened tail or blade, with a thickened end. The thick part has a shallow off-center bowl on one side and a second, smaller bowl on the other side. Spoons usually have a small hole pierced through them, and in Olmec art are often depicted as hanging from peoples clothing or ears. Bloodletting spoons have been recovered from Chalcatzingo, Chacsinkin, and Chichà ©n Itz; the images are found carved in murals and on stone sculptures at San Lorenzo, Cascajal, and Loma del Zapote. Olmec Spoon Functions The real function of the Olmec spoon has long been debated. Theyre called bloodletting spoons because originally scholars believed them to have been for holding blood from auto-sacrifice, the ritual of personal bloodletting. Some scholars still prefer that interpretation, but others have suggested spoons were for holding paints, or for use as snuffing platforms for taking hallucinogens, or even that they were effigies of the Big Dipper constellation. In a recent article in Ancient Mesoamerica, Billie J. A. Follensbee suggests Olmec spoons were part of a hitherto unrecognized toolkit for textile production. Her argument is in part based on the shape of the tool, which approximates bone weaving battens recognized in several Central American cultures, including some from Olmec sites. Follansbee also identifies several other tools made of elite greenstone or obsidian, such as spindle whorls, picks, and plaques, that could have been used in weaving or cord-making techniques. Sources Follensbee, Billie J. A. 2008. Fiber technology and weaving in formative-period Gulf Coast cultures. Ancient Mesoamerica 19:87-110. Marcus, Joyce. 2002. Blood and Bloodletting. Pp 81-82 in Archaeology of Ancient Mexico and Central America: An Encyclopedia, Susan Toby Evans and David L. Webster, eds. Garland Publishing, Inc. New York. Fitzsimmons, James L., Andrew Scherer, Stephen D. Houston, and Hector L. Escobedo 2003 Guardian of the Acropolis: The Sacred Space of a Royal Burial at Piedras Negras, Guatemala. Latin American Antiquity 14(4):449-468.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

E-Banking and the Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

E-Banking and the Leadership - Essay Example Leadership and management are closely related but it can be easily said that leadership ability is an essential part of managing effectively. The differences between management and leadership lie in their motivation styles. For leaders, the leadership styles tend to be transformational or transactional whereas mangers tend to be more authoritative. Leaders have a vision and they are oriented towards driving a change. As for managers they are more focused on adapting to changes and implementation and achievement of goals. There is also a difference between the personality types of leaders and managers. While managers tend to try to achieve stability leaders are more inclined towards risks from changes. (Brown, 2009) Thus it may seem that management and leadership emerge from different ends of the spectrum but in reality the qualities of a good leader and manager compliment and enhance each other. Thus though these are two different approaches they tend to work well with each other bri nging about the best in the organization and from its people. Leadership and management has been a focus of many studies which have traced the roots of leadership characteristics as well as studied the different kinds and dimensions of leadership. A brief overview of these studies done over a long period of time is taken to draw conclusions about leadership and the basic differences between management and leadership.... There are multiple theories of leadership which explain whether leaders are born or evolved. They also describe the kinds and the qualities of effective leaders. There are also studies which identify different types of leaders. As compared to this the basic management functions consist of Planning, organizing, leading, controlling, decision making and problem solving. The University of Iowa studies The University of Iowa studies in the 1930's identifies 3 broad styles of leadership. They were labeled authoritarian, democratic and Laissez fair. The authoritarian leader was directive I his style and did not encourage participation from his followers. The democratic leader encouraged discussion and participation and tried to be objective. Nevertheless he was the one who made the decisions. In contrast the laissez fair leader allowed complete freedom to the followers to make and follow their own decisions. (Martin, 2005, p. 351) Trait theory These traditional theories of leadership inclu de the Trait theory of leadership which distinguishes leaders from non-leaders. It says that there are personal qualities and characteristics which define a leader and that leaders are born and cannot be made. Leaders are described as courageous, enthusiastic and charismatic and examples include Mahatama Gandhi and Nelson Mandela. Research later validated that all leadership traits can be broadly categorized under the Big Five traits of leadership which were extraversion, conscientiousness, openness to experience, agreeableness and emotional stability. Recent studies have also found that emotional intelligence is strongly linked to effective leadership. (Robbins, 2010, p. 174) Behavioural theories The behavioural theories of leadership focused on observable behaviours

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

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

Self-Evaluation Paper - Essay Example Having learned all the above, I can confidently say that I have attained my educational goals for this course. My goals in this course were not as deep and wide as what we have already covered in this course. The course being about Academic Reading and Study Skills, I never anticipated that we would go as deep as to studying topics such as analyzing an annotation and Academic vocabularies. One of my prime goals was to formulate a plan on how I can understand written materials in a shorter time period than I was before the course. I have achieved this goal. The skills acquired in ESL 23 come in handy in academics writing and in professional work. I expect to use note-taking skills in writing core information dictated by lectures in classes. Reading skills are also vital in understanding day to day material that we read such as newspapers and comprehensively understanding questions asked during examinations. Skills acquired in this course can be effectively applied in professional work such as research writing, journalism and report writing. Here, one needs to know how to write good summaries by separation the main and minor points in writings. There were lots of things to enjoy in this course. This is directly as a result of the professionalism and friendly learning environment created by the lecturer. Students also made the lessons interactive capturing my attention during the entire class period. The efficient course system was quite good since it ensured that vital knowledge in the course content was excellently passed to students throughout the semester. The least impressive situation regarding this course was the unanticipated urgency of the time line near the end of the semester. Having learned and increased my knowledge regarding vast skills in reading and writing, there are some strategies that I need to acquit myself to more. One of these is the SQ3R strategy. This is because it needs a lot of practice

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Hamlets Psychological Aspect Essay Example for Free

Hamlets Psychological Aspect Essay I decided to do this research work because I have enjoyed a lot reading this play: Hamlet. The inner motivations and psyche of this character have captured my attention. Therefore, the aim of this research is to depict Hamlet’s attitudes during the play. I will try to approach to his real feelings on life and death taking into consideration what critics and researchers have said about Hamlet. In order to clarify Hamlet’s personality and behaviour, I will provide some aspects of the historical context in which Shakespeare was inspired to write this play, and a brief summary of it to take into account the plot. Finally, I will make a conclusion in which I will try to summarise the most important impressions of this research. Historical Context of the play Shakespeare wrote Hamlet in the last years of the reign of Queen Elizabeth 1, who had been the queen of England more than forty years. As she had no children the question of who would succeed her was a situation that provoked anxiety at that time. Due to this fact, researchers agree that many of Shakespeare’s plays from this period concern transfers of power from one monarch to the next. Another important issue dealt with in his plays is the general sense of anxiety, fear, uncertainty, betrayal and revenge. For instance, Hamlet displays all the themes mentioned above. Shakespeare was able to sum up the most impotant values of the Renaissance. Cultural phenomenon that began in the fifteenth-century and proclaimed the humanism: a new thought that revalued the social and popular aspect of life. People who belonged to the Renaissance period claimed that human beings lived in a world of appearances, in which they tried to hide their realities, that is to say, their deepest desires and what they actually were. Hamlet had to face one of the most difficult realities: injustice. A task that presents a dilemma to him: â€Å"to be or not to be†. While pointing out questions that cannot be answered, the play as a whole chiefly demonstrates the difficulty of knowing the truth about other people: who are guilty or innocent, which their motivations and feelings are. Brief Summary of the play Shakespeare begins the play with the death of the King of Denmark and the possession of the throne by the King’s brother Claudius, instead of the King’s son, that is to say the prince Hamlet, who was supposed to be the next in line. What is more, the new king Claudius suddenly married Gertrude, the dead king’s widow. Thus, the prince Hamlet got depressed by the unexpected situation. One night, Hamlet’s father appears as a ghost to tell Hamlet that he had been murdered by his own brother Claudius, that is to say, Hamlet ´s uncle. In his anger, Hamlet decides to fulfill his father’s request, which is to avenge his death. In order to confirm what the ghost has said, Hamlet organizes a play in which he represents the assessination scene. While the play is being performed, Claudius stands up and goes out feeling guilty. At the moment, Hamlet confirms the truth and discusses the situation with his mother. As Hamlet notices that someone is spying on them behind the curtains, he stabs his sword without checking who this person is. As a result, he kills Polonius, Claudiuss chief councillor. When Ophelia, Polonius ´s daughter, is informed about her fathers death she reacts with madness and eventually falls in a stream and drowns. After that, Laertes, Ophelia’s brother, is told that Hamlet is involved in Polonius’s death and Ophelia’s madness. Therefore, he wants to avenge his father’s and sister’s death trying to eliminate Hamlet. As Claudius promised Laertes to help him with the revenge, they plan to kill Hamlet as if by accident with a poisoned sword in a fencing match. Claudius also plans to offer Hamlet a poisoned drink during the fight. When the fencing contest begins, Hamlet’s mother Gertrude drinks the poisoned drink before Caludius can stop her and she dies. Hamlet turns away and Laertes wounds him with the poisoned sword, but Hamlet goes on fighting. During the struggle, they exchange swords and Hamlet wounds Laertes, who confesses the plan telling Hamlet that he is also sure to die from the effect of the poison. After hearing the truth, Hamlet stabs Claudius with the poisoned sword and forces him to drink the poison, too. Finally, while Hamlet is dying by the effect of the poison, he orders one of his friends called Horatio to tell the terrible story of the happening to everyone.

Friday, November 15, 2019

The Published Financial Statement Accounting Essay

The Published Financial Statement Accounting Essay Annual report and accounts consists of different elements. A financial statement contains the financial information which is communicated to various users depending on their needs. The users can be internal or external users. The importance of this information varies, depending on the needs of specific users but according to the framework, the publication of financial information serves to reflect and to provide a clear image of the financial situation and performance of the entity which will help them to make a financial decision. Thomas and Marie (2012, 55). Users need financial information to assess the way the company uses its liquidity to fund its operations and investment, to be informed about its financial position and the nature of its resources for daily transactions, to estimate or predict the circumstances that may affect them, to be informed about the extent to which the company follows the laws and regulations. Usually the performance information is represented on the in come statement, the financial situation is represented on the balance sheet, and the information about changes in financial position is supplied in the notes to financial statements. Financial statements are the principal means of communicating financial information to various users. The framework defines seven essential users (Jill and Roger, 2007) but in contrast, Peter and Eddie (2002p 3) state that there are internal and external users who already have a relationship with the firm in economic terms or those who are interested in a future relationship. Starting with managers, Petter and Eddie (2002.3) noted that managers need information to assist them to make the decision and adopt and strategy of planning for the future. Furthermore, the manager who has been put in charge of presenting financial statements also needs this information to be sure that the management style, strategy and planning adopted are beneficial to the financial performance of the company. The conceptual framework states that the employees are principally interested in the type of information which permits them of having a clear idea about the stability and the performance of the company that they work for (Thomas and Ward,56 2012). Employees need information in order to ensure the stability of their jobs in the future, and to measure their ability to determine if there is a chance of getting a higher pay or promotion, and other benefits. The Investors need information about management policy, performance, stability and financial position of the company as well as to assess the risk and benefits provided by the investment in order to make a decision. Also, they need information to help them choose the proper time for transactions like buying and selling. Thomas and Ward (2012:56) Lenders are always taking risks which is why they choose the contract with lowest risk the framework noted that they are interested in information about performance and economic stability of the company, and also the information about the situation of liquidity available in the present and the future, in order to ensure whether the borrower is able to meet the deadlines for the payment of their loans and the interest. (Thomas and Ward, 2012:57). Regarding suppliers and other creditors, Thomas and Maries said that giving a loan and outputting goods without immediate payment is the same. This is the reason, they will be interested in the information that will help them at the beginning to decide whether to engage with company or not, and also to study the duration and the amount of credit to offer. According to the framework, suppliers and other creditors are interested in information that enable them to know whether they will be repaid at due date. Yet Suppliers and others creditors are interested in engaging with the enterprise for a shorter period compared to lenders who are concerned about liquidity position and the supplier seeks to know if there is a growth within the company and compare it with these production capacities. Jill and Roger (200741) states that the customers are interested in the information that enable them to evaluate the performance and ability of the company to continue its business and to know their capacity to meet the requirements of quality, the quantity and time to provide goods and services depending on customer needs. Governments and their agencies are composed by the tax authorities, financial and organization like central bank that has authority of control and regulations. Principally, the information is used as basis for calculating dues and taxes that the company has to pay. It has noted that the government and their agencies are interested in information about profitability and how it is distributed, with the aim of determining the tax policy, as they need information on the conduct of activities of entities to adjust them. (Thomas and Ward, 582012) The public is also interested in information about the performance of the company in order to define the level at which the company is progressing and its impact on economic development and social environment. To ensure that the information is useful to users for decision making, four qualitative characteristics need to be present in the information. Understandability the user must understand the information directly but should have basic knowledge of accounting and the economy. Relevance information must meet the needs of users in order for them to make decisions and enable them to compare the events of different periods. Reliability information must be reliable to give a real image of transactions and other operations. Comparability the information has to be available for comparison over time to determine the situation and the economic performance. (Jill and Hussey, 422007) It is true that the financial information addresses different user groups under standard characteristics, but it still has limitations on the usefulness of the information. The financial statement is based on historical costs. That is to say it is only monetary operations but the declaration is not correct. Also, with regards to the intangible assets there is no possibility of measuring the values of all of them in the sector of accounting. For instance, human resources are also ignored in most financial statements, and the brand value of the company is not on the statements either. Inflation is not included in the present value and all the information are based on estimates, so there is no real value on which the user can rely on. The financial statement does not take into consideration any anticipated financial condition that can happen in the industry and market which might affect the performance of the company and the decision taken by the different users of the financial statement which contains only financial information and ignores the non-financial information which is not sufficient for certain users as the case of public and employees. In contrast, investors are more concerned than other users by information presented in the financial statement. To conclude, the company is obliged to communicate the information under financial quality standards that are useful to different users, which are a total of eight. They are; managers, investors, customers, suppliers and other creditors, employees, lenders, government, and the general public. The objective of this information is to reflect the performance, position and stability of the company for the user to make a good decision. Despite the quality and control, the rest information is still not reliable and useful for certain users to make a decision.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

ECONOMIC CONSEQUENCES OF GLOBALIZATION ON TELECOMMUNICATION INDUSTRY Essay

While discussing the topics of trade, development and political economy, globalization is often discussed. In general, globalization means a process in which world economies become highly integrated, leading to a global economy and highly global economic policymaking, through international agencies such as the World Trade Organization (Todaro & Smith, 2006). Since late 1980s, the increasing globalization in the manufacturing sector and service sector has also globalized the telecommunication industry. A large number of telecom companies are expanding rapidly from their home countries to other countries in order to increase their customer base and their sales, off course. Globalization has with it many challenges and economic benefits too. For many economists, globalization can cause serious troubles in the whole world, such as inequality is accentuated, environmental degradation, and dominance of rich countries etc. But at the same time proponents of globalization are of the view tha t globalization leads to the rapid growth of knowledge and innovation and improved living standards. ECONOMIC ANALYSIS OF GLOBALIZATION How globalization occurred or which forces gave birth to this phenomenon? The three chief economic and financial indicators that led to globalization are:  The international trade of goods and services, the widening and freeing of trade has led to globalization to increase at a rapid pace. The greater flow of capital because of growth of global capital markets. Globalization of financial sector is the most influential aspect of economic globalization. The greater movement of people around the globe has also contributed to rapidly growing globalization, breaking down cultural barriers. Globalization means integration of different markets in the global economy. Globalization may occur in different markets such as financial markets, commodity markets and even in the service sector (Scholte, 2000). Producers and consumers and national economies as a whole benefit from the process of globalization. For example, economies may benefit from specializing themselves in particular products in which they have comparative advantage. Firms may become cost competitive through globalization by accessing to cheap raw materials from other countries. Similarly, benefit of economies of scale is achieved through access to large markets and higher demand for products, thus reducing average production cost of the firm. Large multinationals are the main carriers of economic globalization. They are globally aligning their production and resources according to the principle of profit maximization. GLOBALIZATION OF TELECOMMUNICATION INDUSTRY- CASE OF VODAFONE Initially telecommunication industry was owned and controlled by state-owned national telecommunication companies. But with the passage of time, innovation in technology and globalization has transformed the nature of telecommunication industry. Globalization has opened up markets and brought competition in this sector. National telecommunication companies were being privatized and the industry deregulated to make it competitive. All over the world, the multinational companies have become the main vehicle for accelerating globalization. Vodafone, a British multinational telecommunication company, is the world’s leading telecommunication having significant existence in Europe, United States, Middle East, Asia Pacific and Africa. It is one of the most rapidly flourishing global companies, which started as a holder of one of the first two mobile communications licenses in the UK and now it’s a dominant global brand. (Ibbott, 2007) provides a view that Vodafone created a social network that was involved in mergers and acquisitions and  deployment of a global network of mobile technology that serves a proportionate mobile customer base of 198.6 million in 2006. Ibbott (2007) explained what really globalization means as â€Å"A global company is one that permits its local operations to act in the image of the market locally and yet can act in a truly homogeneous way with respect to the supply and provision of its core products and services† Vodafone is a global company as its sourcing and supply chain activities are transferred to be entirely global for the major part of its investment, while services remain local (Ibbott, 2007). Globalization does not mean to open operations and branches in other countries but to make its operations global, not directed by the head office located in the parent country. CONSEQUENCES OF GLOBALIZATION ON TELECOMMUNICATION INDUSTRY- CASE OF VODAFONE Globalization has become a vital aspect of the global economy and strongly influences the comparative advantage of economies. (Salvatore, 2004) examined the effect of globalization on the comparative advantage of Europe for several goods and concluded that Europe has a comparative disadvantage in telecommunication with respect to Japan, United States and Dynamic Asian countries. The degree of globalization is a significant element in examining the international competitiveness of economies. Large multinational corporations are enjoying the benefits of globalization, the most. Almost 50 percent of total profits of Vodafone came from foreign sales, i.e. Asia Pacific and Middle East region. The CEO of UK-based Vodafone Group talking about global leadership said (Yunker, 2008), â€Å"Less than 5 percent of our profits comes from UK. We have had to fundamentally redesign this company as a global company. We are a highly consumer-centric company. In Germany, we feel German. In Italy, we feel Italian. In Spain, we feel Spanish. In India, we feel Indians.† Vodafone has experienced fall-out in Japan in 2005. It released â€Å"Converged-Handset† mobile phones in December 2005 in 13 countries concurrently, including Japan. Being, one of the world’s largest global companies, it did so without taking into account the domestic environment of each country. In this way they incurred great loss in both, number of  subscribers and profits. The company lost 200,000 subscribers in the first few months of the year and profits declined by 15.4 percent (Fackler & Belson, 2005). Customers also got many troubles like; lack of functions, the expensive bills and bad signals. Thus it failed to introduce same technologies in different countries. In order to regain its position in the market, they offered such services which are being provided by their competitors such as; low prices, flat monthly bills for calls and emails. Hence market competition forced Vodafone to survive in the market by competing with the same products at same rates as its competitors are offering. Due to globalization, consumer became more aware of their decisions. They take their decisions by taking into account their ethical and environmental concerns. This new dimension poses pressure on industries to improve their business through new public initiatives and laws. Likewise, increased global competition put serious pressure on Vodafone to evaluate its CSR policy and ethical stance. When globalization reached its pace and mergers and acquisitions among firms take place, multinational companies get authority to hire and fire their workers (Carlson, 2002). This was happened in Motorola, when they fired their 3000 workers on 2000 by shutting down their plant in Scotland. Similarly, in 2009, Vodafone restructured its business model, in order to save costs and to accommodate more customers-facing roles. Around 400 workers were made jobless from its headquarters or being deployed to some other places. Hence, it is being proven over the years that in large multinational organizations, large number of workers have been made jobless, thus, creating a sense of insecurity among workers. Taking into account the fact that globalization may also have adverse impact on workers; The European Globalization Adjustment Fund (EGF) has been established. The EGF aimed to support redundant workers, mainly in the areas where globalization has adversely affected the workers. The European Globalization Adjustment Fund has been established under Regulation (EC) No 1927/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 December 2006. It has an annual budget of EUR 500 million to assist worker for their employment. EVALUATION AND CONCLUSION The growing integration of the economies has been a heated debate all around the world over the last two decades. The consequences of globalization and its various dimensions have been widely debated and examined by academics, politicians, policymakers, and even the private sector. According to the United Nations Development Program, Human Development Report, 1999 â€Å"Globalization is shaping a new era of interaction among economies and people. It is increasing the interaction between people across national boundaries, in economy, technology, in culture and in governance. But it is also splitting production processes, labor markets, political entities and societies. So, while globalization has positive and dynamic aspects, it has also negative, disruptive, marginalizing aspects.† Critics of globalization argue that globalization is detrimental to economic growth, such as it increases income inequality among nations, economic instability may arise, workers are being exploited and governments become unable to raise taxes, on the other hand, the advocates of globalization are of the view that it brings higher rate of sustainable economic growth and improved living standards. In a study from the Centre of Economic Policy Research by European Policy Advisors, while analyzing the economic impact of globalization, it was found that the true benefits of globalization overweigh the costs associated with it. Similarly globalization has been affecting the telecommunication sector too. Due to increasing globalization, the telecommunication policy all around the world has widened their cross-border implications as compared to the past. According to the analysis of (Siochru, 2004), media and telecommunication sectors are the leading sectors in facilitating globalization. The globalization of financial transactions and manufacturing products is due to globalization of media and telecommunication sectors. REFERENCES 1.Carlson, B. A., 2002. Job Losses, Multinational and Globalization: The Anatomy of Disempowerment. Santiago: United Nations Publications. 2.Fackler, M. & Belson, K., 2005. A Major Backfire in Japan Deflates Vodafone’s One-Size-Fits-All Strategy. [Online] Available at:

Sunday, November 10, 2019

American history since 1876

Wars often have a significant impact upon the domestic development of a nation. Every nation at one point or the other has experienced a war of some sort and this has gone a long way in shaping economic, political and social lives of citizens. United States in particular had a fair share of wars especially looking back at the last two or so decades. The World War and the Cold War were very instrumental in shaping what the United States of America is today. This discussion looks at how these two wars brought about changes in the political, social and economic arenas (Martin, G.S. 2004). The Second World War commonly referred to as World War 2 was conflict in the military that was felt throughout the world by all nations. The Cold War on the other hand was subsequent to the Second World War and it was a conflict between the western region of the world led by U. S and the Soviet Union. The effects of the world war were evident in many countries and United States was no exception. The ef fects were both negative and positive. They were negative in the sense there was a lot of destruction of property and many lives were lost.However there are also many positive effects in that many developments were achieved. The first notable development was in the area of technology. It is during the world war that the forerunner was developed which would later bring about the development of television. This paved way for the growth of the economy of what was later to become the world’s superpower. It was not all about growth. As already mentioned the Second World War also had far reaching negative effects.One of the greatest economic devastations that have always been associated with the Second World War was the Great Depression where banks closed unemployment soared as factories closed down, people starved, there were long queues for bread and the rural folks lost their mortgages. It was due to deteriorated housing conditions, unbearable working conditions and unavailabili ty of essential commodities that is said to have brought the economic growth down. The government’s ability to control the economy through control over spending and consumption emerged during the great depression.It is thus believed that the Great Depression did contribute indirectly to the growth of the economy of the U. S. It is also clear that the Cold War left the U. S as the only super power with Russia having collapsed (Martin, G. S. 2004). The World War 2 and the Cold did also have effects on the social and cultural life of the Americans. It was evident that after such a long period of war American citizens were finding it hard to adjust to the ordinary life. It took them a couple of years before they could adjust but finally they were able to.However from research conducted there are clear indications that the general living standards of American citizens improved. In conclusion it is clear that the Second World War and the Cold war did have a great impact in the inte rnational community and United States in particular. The effects were both positive and negative. However in most cases the positive effects are more visible as America emerged as the world’s super power due to these wars. Words: 555 Reference: Martin, G. S. (2004). The Second World War: A Complete History, New York: SAGE.

Friday, November 8, 2019

How long is needed to digest starch Essay Example

How long is needed to digest starch Essay Example How long is needed to digest starch Paper How long is needed to digest starch Paper I am investigating the time needed for enzymes at different temperatures to digest starch. Enzymes are small protein molecules made in the pancreas and stored in the stomach. They are a biological catalyst that means they increase the rate of reaction in digestion. For enzymes to digest they need to be denatured; this is the term used to describe when enzymes are heated to reach their optimum temperature; when the enzyme is heated over its optimum temperature its bonds are broken and the shape of its active site changes therefore preventing the substrate from fitting into it, as each substrate is specific to one enzyme it will therefore stop reacting. After the enzyme is denatured it can never return to its previous state and because enzymes have a high specificity they can only catalyse one reaction. I am going to test for starch using iodine, when the iodine turns brown this will indicate that the starch is digested. Variables A variable is anything you can measure or change in an experiment. In this investigation there are certain variables, which must be taken into consideration before carrying out the experiment. These include: The pH of the experiment (input variable) If the pH is changed this will dramatically affect your overall results. I found this out through the preliminary work. As the pH of an enzyme increases (becomes less acidic) the enzyme activity increases until there is an optimum pH. As pH increases further (becomes more alkaline) the activity decreases. At very low pH and very high pH, the enzyme is denatured and does not work. The type of enzyme (input variable)- The type of enzyme you use is also very significant to your results. This is due to the fact that different types of enzymes have different optimum temperatures and therefore are denatured at different temperatures. The temperature of enzyme (input variable) This is another input variable which if changed will alter your overall results. This is due to the fact that enzyme activity increases as temperature increases, until an optimum temperature is reached; then the activity rapidly decreases until the enzyme no longer works. At high temperature the enzyme is denatured this is normally 50?C and above. When an enzyme is denatured its shape changes so that the active site shape is changed permanently and the enzyme does not work. In conclusion, it is obvious that altering the temperature of the enzyme will dramatically change your results. The temperature of enzyme and starch (input variable)- As you increase the temperature the rate of reaction increase. This is because when the particles are heated they gain kinetic energy and so vibrate and move faster than before. This would increase the amount of successful collisions; therefore making the reaction faster and changing your results. Sweetness of the solution (output variable) This is an output variable (it can be measured). When mixed with the amylase solution starch will break down into the sugar, maltose. This tastes sweet and so by tasting the solution you can guess how much maltose there is and compare it against the other temperatures. Time taken for the starch to be broken down (output variable) In this particular experiment we will only be changing one of the input variables temperature. The rest will be controlled in order to make it a fair test. The output variable that we will measure will be the time taken for amylase to digest the polysaccharide starch. Prediction I predict that the amylase will break down the starch most effectively at 40oC, and with decreasing efficiency towards 0oC, at which time the amylase would be unable to break down the starch at all. This is because body temperature is around 40oC, and enzymes are designed to work at this optimal temperature. The reason for enzymes behaving like this involves kinetic theory. Kinetic theory is the idea that, when a substance is heated e.g. enzymes are heated their particles gain more energy and are therefore more energetic and move quicker which results in more collisions per second so therefore the rate of reaction with the starch increases. When they are at a low temperature e.g. 3c they will take a longer time to react because they the particles will have less energy and move slower which will result in less collisions per second and a slower rate of reaction. Therefore, at temperatures over 40oC, I predict, the amylase will begin to denature to an extent that, at temperatures much over 50oC, it will be totally ineffective. This is because enzymes denature at around 40-50c because at higher temperatures the shape of the active site changes therefore prevents the reactant from fitting into the active site and so the reaction stops. Preliminary study The aim of my preliminary study was to investigate how long was needed to digest starch using enzymes at different pHs. I planned to determine the exact range of times to test and the volumes of starch and amylase to use after conducting the preliminary test for my final experiment. My results showed that the enzymes at pH 7 digested the quickest. Therefore this is its optimum pH. At pH 1 and pH 14 there was hardly any reaction this is because the rate of reaction for very low pHs (acid) or very high pH (alkali) are very low and often result in no reaction at all. After the preliminary test had been carried out, I decided to use 10cm3 starch solution and 5cm3 of amylase solution in the two initial test tubes for the main experiment. It proved easier to, before the experiment was started and while the starch and amylase were heating up, set up a tile with iodine drops already on it. A drop of the solution collected during the experiment could then simply be added to this. In order to decide at which point there was no more starch present, glucose solution was mixed with iodine in a beaker. This provided an indication of what colour the iodine would turn if there were no starch present, but there was glucose, produced by the enzyme. Based on the preliminary test results, the main experiment would be conducted at 10oC intervals between the temperatures in order to obtain an adequate number of sufficiently different results. Risk assessment Throughout the experiment, I took safety precautions to ensure that the experiment was conducted in a safe style: safety goggles were to be worn at all times. All parts of the experiment would be undertaken with care, to ensure that there was no spillage. Any spillages of iodine or starch would be washed thoroughly with soap and water. If any starch solution, iodine indicator or amylase were accidentally ingested, medical attention would be sought immediately. To make my experiment even safer I be used a water bath for all of the temperatures, water baths are a safer option than Bunsen burners and often more effective. Less equipment to deal with, heat not as extreme and no open flames equal less of a chance for accidents. They are often more effective because the temperature of the water can be controlled more easily and the heat gradually increases, unlike the Bunsen burner where it is very difficult to control the heat. The heat increase is almost instant and low temperatures are hard to achieve because of the severe concentration of heat.

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Sexual Expression Essays

Sexual Expression Essays Sexual Expression Essay Sexual Expression Essay When one speaks of sexual expression, the increasing phenomenon among humans is greatly affected by changes in sexual behavior and attitudes which suggests that expression comes to lie near the core of energy that structures the society (Schwartz, 1998: 191). Humans with a curious nature have produced complicated sexual behaviors more than any animal by experiment; however societies have defined sexual activities in an acceptable realm and tend to limit sexual expression in a manner that society condones. Sexual expression however has greatly increased over time for both men and women thus driving political battles and arguments for and against it. It has likewise enhanced sexual diversity and the acceptance of sexual behavior and union that society and conservatives once shunned and alarmingly regard as inconvenient in a well-principled and moral society. Yet people may have forgotten that sexuality is a positive force that polarized genders and is often dich otomous with human functions (Kottak, 1979: 250). Though sexual behavior varies across regions and cultures, Thomas agrees that environmental and cultural conditions play a significant role in the satisfaction of sexual needs among individuals and groups (1999:77).The human developmental state influences the drive for sexual expression as maturation is achieved when sex organs and glands allow sexual stimulation enhancement coupled with the presence of other sensory stimulus (Thomas, 1999:77). Cultural factors likewise illustrate environmental conditions that are likely interpreted by the individual as the allowance and acceptance of sexual activity as an opportunity to achieve certain goals. The American society who has always been considered as highly egalitarian is inclined to believe that the laws should change with the times and be realistic (Allot, 2005). Nevertheless, personal and social ambivalences, as well as a strong moralistic streak in the different states even to this day tend to complicate and confound the usual American legal approach (Swartz, 1994:351). The ongoing debate regarding marriage for transsexuals has been introduced in the United States by the Federal Marriage Amendment (FMA,2003) which proposes to change the American Constitution’s discrimination against same-sex couples (Allot, 2005). However, most states have absolute bans on same-sex marriage covered by constitutional and state laws except for California, District of Columbia, New Mexico, New York and Rhode Is. (United States data, 2008). Practically, only Vermont and New Hampshire allows same-sex unions although Oregon and Alaska at one point allowed such, recent laws have decided to ban it ultimately.murdoch.edu.au/elaw/issues/v8n1/sharpe81_notes.html n66Sexual acts and expression are governed by state laws where most states remains steadfast against public display of sexual behavior sparking heated debates on the validity of classification. In Doe v Ventura, sodomy la ws faced a declaration of violation on the right to privacy that was guaranteed by the Minnesota Constitution under State Laws. This law has now been applied and categorized to private, consensual, noncommercial oral sex and other acts of sodomy by consenting adults, without regard to sexual orientation, including heterosexual married couples. With respect to the principle of evolution, the close similarity between man and primates in sexual expression definitely obeys the laws of nature (Darwin, 2004:551). Were it not for education and morals that society has sought to establish in order to govern man and his sexual behavior, sexual expression would be freely enhanced as a surrounding physiologic condition necessary to life. By the simple observation of primate sex life where sex functions as a source of pleasure and in conflict resolution among the sexually active primates, one sees an inherent sexual activity similar to humans (Darwin, 2004:553). In primate culture where the natu ral order of needs prevails, sexual activity produces a certain kind of bonding that is seen to resolve any aggression where a majority of mating occurs after conflict, thereby projecting a common idea that sex is used as a weapon for submission and control among aggressive primate males particularly of the Bonobo origin (Hamid, 1998:146).In the observance of primate culture and behavior, human behavior can be traced on primate heritage where sexual response is used to reconcile or avoid conflict (Hamid, 1998:147). The human custom of shaking hands where body contact is enhanced among aggressors is seen as the similar behavior among primates of Bonobo origin which uses sexual contact for the resolution of conflicts. Although sexual limitation is practiced among humans through mechanisms of control, behavioral similarities exist but are subdued among humans due to a coherent use of language communication that can help enlighten the degree of understanding. Thus in the study of sexual expression among humans, it is interesting to note and scientifically accepted that several factors work to subdue the natural human sexual response and expression. Such modes of control that the society has established has aroused conflicts but could be subdued by relative forms of conflict resolution. Embracing a primate-led concept might be of help in this aggressive society!

Sunday, November 3, 2019

The Enron case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Enron - Case Study Example d the corporation and it was realized that their reported financial condition was sustained considerably by an institutionalized, methodological, systematic and crafted planned accounting fraud, which was to be known as the Enron scandal. The corporation did this through a complicated arrangement of special purpose entities they referred to as the Raptors. The Raptors were expected to cover their expenses if the stocks in their start-up businesses collapsed. Most surprising is the fact that the corporation took spent 16 years to grow from about $9 billion assets to $60 billion, but only spent about a month to go bankrupt. The Company collapsed so fast and so entirely. In fact it made history as the largest bankruptcy and accounting scandal in American. The absence of truthfulness by management about the company led to their downfall. The overriding benefits and public trust ended immediately. For years the management lied about the financial reporting thus worsening the economic ability. They made employees loos job and lack of investors trust was evident. The senior management team believed Enron had to be perfect in everything it did and that they had to safeguard their reputations and their compensation as the most successful management in the US. Three most common forms of accounting frauds above where witness that led to the downfall of the company. The corporation followed these illegal accounting practices in financing which subsequently ensure the company be valued more attractively and appealing to the investors by the by Wall Street analysts and rating agencies. Most notably was the fact that Enron as a company used various related parties in increment of equity and crafted its financial arrangements using various loopholes in laws. All these was surprisingly was conducted trying to not consolidate into its reports and accounts by at will not fulfilling certain ethical conditions. This was a principle and a plan that proposed by both Andrew Fastow and

Friday, November 1, 2019

Why obesity a serious problem and how should we solve it Essay - 1

Why obesity a serious problem and how should we solve it - Essay Example To some extent, obesity has also contributed to the loss of work hours in the work places not to mention the billions of dollars used annually in managing those with obesity (EOPUS). Concerns have been raised over the contribution of fast food companies like McDonald in the development of obesity. They have been accused of giving adverts that do not contain warning signs as that of cigarette and that thus the contribution of fast food to the worsening human population in America is comparable to that of the cigarette, which was fiercely fought in America generation after generation (Kava, Gilbert, and Elizabeth, 34). Obesity is thus feared to be taking the lead as one of the health hazards in the US particularly among the children and if remained unchecked, the country will not only spend much of their resources in medication but will also lose a significant segment of their population (Washburn, 98). This paper has considered the following essays on obesity to assert the dangers associated with obesity. In the essay, Zinczenco starts by recounting in his own life experience about the separation of his parents that made him lead latchkey life. From school he did not have any option but to seek the services of the fast food stores; MacDonald, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, and Kentucky Fried Chicken. This kind of life he says made him develop obesity but thanks to his joining one of the Health Magazines that prompted in him the need to take precautionary measures in the type of food he eats. He enumerates the problems that come with obesity and the statistical report from the Center for Disease Control about the expenses incurred by the government in treating obesity related diseases. The writer also gives a substantial recount on the children who have filed a civil litigation about the companies that are dealing in fast food for contributing to their worsening health. He takes