A Tragedy Revealed: A Heroines Last Days

A Tragedy Revealed: A Heroines Last Days Today you are going to read an amazing story wrote by a man named Ernst Schnable, this story is about a young girl named Anne Frank. Anne Frank lives in Amsterdam. Anne and her family must go into hiding at the Secret Annex to hide from the Nazi’s. After two years of hiding they are found and taken away to a concentration camps. Today I will be telling you about Anne and some characteristics about her. Anne is very confident, energetic, and also very caring.Anne is confidant in many ways, she is confident because when things go wrong or people start to think negative Anne stays strong, and positive. Anne always sees things on the bright side why think negative when you can think about things in a positive way. Anne also does not give up when she is taken away from her family and friends and sent away to a concentration camp. While Anne is away at the concentration camp she is kind of happy to be there because she gets to feel the cool b reeze, smell the air, and see the sky.When other people saw how confident Anne was they thought why not be confident to and have hope in being free soon. Anne is energetic because she is always talking, smiling, and playing around trying to have some fun. Before Anne went to the Secret Annex, she went to school and did normal things just as we do now. One day while she was at school she was talking so much that her teacher called her Ms. Quack Quack. Even though Anne has went into hiding she still trys to have some fun, though she must be quiet all day she still manages to have fun in any way possible.Anne is also caring because she loves to be around people. She always loves to help anyone when they are in need of something. Though at times Anne may argue with her mother about helping her do house work Anne really has a soft heart. The one thing that I found very touching was that Anne stayed by her sister Margot’s side the whole time she was ill until she passed away. Now y ou know some characteristics about Anne Frank, but their are many more than just the three I have listed. I recommend this story to any age or skill level reader.This story teaches you a lesson on what we should think about people and things, and that we should take a second look at the different things in life. I hope this story will delight you as how she did me, and to imagine what she felt when she was in this situation, and try to relate with one of your own experiences. I hope you enjoy this lovely story about a girl named Anne Frank. Also think of other characteristic than just confident, energetic, and caring, and see the bright side of things as did Anne. Do pass on this story as a reminder that threw good or bad everything happens for a reason.

Dramatic point Essay

This is the pivotal moment in the play, as it is when John realises he would rather die than have his name blackened. John does not want his sons to have a name associated with witchcraft, â€Å"I have three children – how may I teach them to walk like men in the world†¦?†Ã‚  He also does not want his friends and family to think that he had dealt with the devil. He says that he has confessed to God, and that is enough, â€Å"God knows how black my sins are! It is enough!† John then rips up the parchment. This is a very dramatic point in the play as the ripping of the parchment can be seen as a metaphor for his own life; being destroyed at his own will, as he has chosen to die at this point. Therefore John takes back his confession and is condemned to death. This shows how John has great courage, as he feels he only has to answer to God.  The relationship between John and Elizabeth it at its peak, during the end of the scene. Their relationship is at the highest point in the play, as they are saying goodbye for the very last time. John and Elizabeth are very emotional at this point, as a result this causes dramatic tension on stage, which is felt by audience causing them to become further engaged in the couple’s relationship. During this scene, when the couple realises that it is their last moment together, Elizabeth expresses the guilt she had suppressed for so long. She blames herself for the affair, because she thinks she did not show love to John, â€Å"myself so plain, so poorly made, no honest love could come to me†¦ it were a cold house I kept†. John asks Elizabeth for her forgiveness however she insists that she is in no place to forgive him, only God can do so. This can be quite a shock to the audience as they would expect her to forgive John. However it shows how they have both united in the belief of Gods Judgement, not of any man or woman’s. Elizabeth expresses tells John how in heaven God will forgive him â€Å"He have his goodness now.†Ã‚  Throughout the play there are many points at which tension is created which leads to a very dramatic overall effect. Stage directions, language and punctuation and effects are all key elements in creating tension in this novel. This engages the audience and can help them to empathise with characters and understand the plot. For example dramatic tension if effectively created during the scene in which Elizabeth is called to the court room and asked why she sacked Abigail. John and Abigail have their backs turned, so Elizabeth cannot communicate with either of them, Elizabeth’s actions show how she is uncertain whether she should tell the truth or not and therefore blacken her husband’s name, or commit a sin by lying to save her husbands integrity.  There are many different ways in which tension is effectively created in the Crucible, all of which have a dramatic impact on the audience. for In the Crucible Miller uses allegory which helps the themes run throughout the play and to comment indirectly to the events happening during America in the 1950’s.

Health and Medical Technologies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Health and Medical Technologies - Essay Example Radiographs play an important role by helping dentist detect dental problems that would otherwise be undetectable. Digital radiography is a major technological breakthrough as it plays a major role in ensuring quality dental care delivery. However, this technological advancement comes at a cost that society must bear. Additionally, more costs develop through need of skilled personnel, staff training, demand for utilization of the technology, and facility upgrade programs. Nevertheless, the benefits of digital radiography overshadow the costs of the technology (Shi & Singh, 2012). The implementation of a digital radiography technology is likely to increase satisfaction and improve physical comfort for patients. On the other hand, the dental team will be able to dedicate more efforts to services that utilize their skills, which will in turn raise morale and improve job performance. Additionally, installation of digital radiography will positively affect the cash flow of a health facility. Incorporating digital radiography not only leads to better dental care but also cuts the expenses of a healthcare facility (Shi & Singh,

An Analysis and Discussion of Joint Venture and Cooperation within the Assignment

An Analysis and Discussion of Joint Venture and Cooperation within the High Entry Cost Market of Biotech and Pharmaceuticals - Assignment Example As a means of better understanding joint ventures and the motivations behind them, the following discussion will be concentric upon defining and discussing the ways in which joint ventures within the biotech and pharmaceutical field can be explained as ultimately rational business choices that are determined based upon ability to engage with the market, success ratios, and potential future profitability. As a guiding entity of the process, the legal departments of the requisite entities must be continually engaged and aware of the process. This represents an added cost and necessity that each and every pharmaceutical firm engaged in research and development must necessarily incorporate a team of legal experts and lawyers to guide them through each and every process of clinical trials, reporting requirements, paperwork, and associated compliance issues. Ultimately, economic theory dictates that that price discrimination corresponds to the following three market conditions: the power of market sellers, the segmentation and overall price responsiveness of the market, and the direct and indirect potential that exists for arbitrage. With respect to market power, this is a concept which can simply be understood as a function of the ability of the seller to raise its prices as compared to the other sellers that exist within the market. Obviously, in the case of a brand name drug that has r ecently been cleared by clinical trials and is available to the marketplace, the ability of the seller to raise his/her prices above that of the competition is very high due to the fact that no perfect substitute exists and there is a near perfect monopoly engaged by the given pharmaceutical manufacturer; albeit for a limited amount of time (Gupta et al 2011).

Illegal Immigrants and Their Effects on Crime in America Research Paper

Illegal Immigrants and Their Effects on Crime in America - Research Paper Example USA, illegal immigrants represent a relatively high percentage of the population – if compared with other countries with similar political and economic frameworks. The reason is probably that job market in the USA is highly developed – following the high performance of the country’s industries; another reason could be also the fact that the countries surrounding USA – referring especially to the countries cited in the south, especially Mexico – have weak economies– compared to that of USA; therefore, USA is considered by immigrants as an exceptional chance for improving the quality of life; under these terms, immigrants decide to enter USA even illegally – most of them do not meet the requirements for entering the USA legally. This practice has led to the increase of the number of illegal immigrants across USA; at the next level, the increase of criminal activity developed in most states has been related with illegal immigrants. This i ssue is set under examination in this paper; it is proved that the rate of illegal immigration in USA has started to be decreased; however, the crimes in which illegal immigrants are involved have not been particularly reduced; it is concluded that measures need to be taken by the USA government so that immigrants are discouraged from entering the country illegally; in other words, preventive measures should be rather developed instead of punitive ones. The population of illegal immigrants in USA is high; in accordance with a recent report the illegal immigrants in USA are estimated to 11.9 million – a figure reflecting the country’s illegal immigrants population for 2008 (Americans for Legal Immigration Political Action Committee, ALIPAC, 2010); it is also noted that ‘the nations immigrant population (legal and illegal) reached nearly 38 million in March 2007, one-third of which are comprised of illegal immigrants’ (ALIPAC, 2010). In a series of statistics presented by the Center for Immigration Studies, the

Sociology 269 - Globalization Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Sociology 269 - Globalization - Assignment Example Thus, technological advancement has promoted globalization in several ways. Globalization is not necessarily just the exchange of products among countries. Even the live chat people sitting hundreds of thousands of miles away from one another do promotes globalization in its way. Thus, most of the things we do on a daily basis on individual and collective level promotes globalization on a micro or a macro level. Globalization has opened the gate to multiculturalism that is omnipresent in the contemporary age. Today, when I look around in my classroom, I can see Japanese, Chinese, Indians, Mexicans, Americans, Koreans, Arabs and Indonesians. There are people from every culture, every religion, every class and every ideology around me. This is one of the fundamental reasons why democracy has been encouraged so wildly all over the world in the recent years. From nursery to the high school to the college to the workplace, multiculturalism is everywhere! I am a student of the Grant MacEwan University. When I look around, I can find something from almost every country I place my finger upon while rotating the globe ball. In my University, the Grant MacEwan hoodie is made in Canada, the Grant Macewan sweat pants are made in Honduras, the ball pen in its campus’s book store is made in Japan, Lays Chips in the campus’s convenience store are made in USA, the pocket hair comb in the same store has been retrieved from China, coffee available in its food outlets is made from the coffee beens imported from Mexico while fresh oranges are produced by the farmers in USA. Today, Africa is fed the same Nestle products that are consumed in the United States of America. A man in Pakistan is eating the same mango as another in Chicago. Persian rugs glorify the mansions of American elite. Chinese cuisine is endorsed by the people of Texas and Japanese cars are being driven on

Modern Architecture in Australia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Modern Architecture in Australia - Essay Example However, Australia’s distinctive and unique climate necessitated adaptations in the architectural designs. Notable Australian adaptations include the Queenslander and Federation styles of residential architecture. Over the years, Australia has developed some iconic designs which include: the UNESCO, Sydney Opera House, and the Royal Exhibition Building in Melbourne. Early buildings in Australia had European fashions such as the Georgian style. This is a style that is exhibited in early government buildings and homes of the affluent. Francis Greenway, the architect who appears on the Australian ten dollar note designed early buildings in Georgian style with examples such as, the Hyde Park Barracks and St. James’ church. Further, another European style that gained fame and favour in the early 19th century in Australia was the Gothic Revival architecture which was particularly used in churches. It had its distinctive features which included pointed arches, turrets, and bat tlements and gothic ornaments. One of the best examples that exhibits this style can be seen at the lower end of Collins Street in Melbourne.1 The Australian gold rush of the mid-19th century saw major buildings especially in Sydney and Melbourne and to a minor extent in regional capitals being built in the style of Victorian architecture. Italian architecture also found favour from the period of about 1850-1893 as it allowed greater displays of prosperity through its rich and complex features such as slate roofs and cast iron work.2 A significant leap in architectural movements in Australia was the development of the Federation architecture style of the 20th century where Australia began to develop a sense of personal identity that was not related to the previous European designs. Technically, they began developing a style of their own. One of the most important local introductions to Australian architecture was the veranda which was introduced by pastoralists who took up land and built single storey houses with the addition of the veranda which provided shade and looked attractive. Like almost everywhere around the world, the movement in Australian architecture have been influenced by socio-political factors. For example, during the early 20th century, cities across Australia had placed height limits to buildings at typically 150 feet (45 metres) hence hindering the development of very tall buildings (skyscrapers) in the American style until the limits were lifted in the late 1950s3. Similarly, the Australian families sought to own their own free standing houses with space in the backyard which hence meant that high density houses were rare in Australia until the end of the 20th century. However, significant concerns were raised during the 1960s with the skyscraper boom which had led to the destruction of earlier historic buildings. A green ban was thus set in place to protect historic 18th – century buildings in The Rocks from being demolished to pav e way for office towers and also prevented the Royal Botanic gardens from being transformed into a car park for the Sydney Opera House.4 In the city of Melbourne the battle to preserve history was the one fought to preserve the Carlton from slum reclamation for setting up public housing. In the 21st century Australian architects have taken a more innovative approach to designs. Many buildings have emerged that truly reflect the unique Australian culture and values. As a result,

HR 499 Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

HR 499 - Article Example 1. What is beriberi? (Hint: see paragraph above and your notes from the PowerPoint slides). Beri-beri is a disease caused by a thiamine (vitamin B1) deficiency. Symptoms include weight loss, weakness, fatigue, muscle pain, nervous disorders, diarrhea, and irregular heart rate. 2. What was the health problem and when and where did it occur? During the year 1905 in the lunatic asylum of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, a beri-beri epidemic broke out. 3. Describe the experiment in your own words. What year did the experiment start, how long did it last, who were the study subjects, what steps were taken during the experiment (methodology)? The experiment began on Dec. 5, 1905, and ended a little over a year later—Dec. 31, 1906. Patients at the lunatic asylum in Kuala Lumpur were randomly divided into two groups. After counting off, the odd numbered patients became the control group, and the even numbered patients became the experimental group. Both groups had identical housing, but they w ere separated from one another. Both groups also were given the same diets except for the type of rice. The control group continued to receive white (uncured) rice as the entire population of the asylum had been given in the past. The experimental group, however, received brown (cured rice). Both groups were tested for edema and their knee-jerk response at the outset of the experiment. 4.

Will China Become a Superpower in the Future Essay

Will China Become a Superpower in the Future - Essay Example This essay discusses the People's Republic of China, called China in day to day parlance, that has become synonymous with the term ‘emerging superpower’ today. Whenever the world talks about China, reference is made to the country’s future global prowess. Riding high on near-double digit economic growth for the last more than three decades, China has turned from a closed, impecunious economy into a self-assured and flourishing global trading partner. China’s performance on various parameters strengthens the belief that the country indeed has the potential to become a superpower. China is the second biggest economy of the world, next only to the United States. The researcher of this essay focuses on the analysis of China’s success and a million dollar question, that looms large. Will China be able to tread the distance and be able to shed the ‘emerging superpower’ tag and actually become a ‘superpower’? It is mentioned that w hile there are parameters on which China has scored wonderfully well to be termed as a hot contender for becoming a superpower, there are many challenges in the way, such as the rate of urbanization, safe drinking water, it's citizens and the villages. These challenges are truly daunting and are prevalent in the economic, social, demographic and political environment of the country. The researcher then states a conclusion of the aforesaid discussion, that is China is not, and will not be a Superpower. At best, it will be an influential power on the world stage.

John Steinbeck Essay Example for Free

John Steinbeck Essay Of Mice and Men (to now be referred to as M+M) is full of human suffering for a number of reasons. The foremost is that Steinbeck wants to paint a picture of the real life for men, and women, working in the unstable environment that was 1930s America. His book, although it is fiction, is based upon the reality of ranch life during the Great Depression. As Steinbeck released M+M in 1937, he would have had ample fact to base the novella upon truths. The book centres on the real tragedies of real men and the dream that was fantasised about and yet rarely achieved. By using reality as a base for his novella, Steinbeck allows the reader to empathise with the harshness and fear that is represented by ranch life. Although some parts of the book seem as though the characters have been through unbelievable scenarios, we must remember that to create the feeling of real human suffering, Steinbeck used a microcosm of all ranch workers. This is so we can see the full extent to which ranch life, the Dust Bowl and 1930s America, actually affected the masses. A main aspect of this suffering is the loneliness which all of the characters, bar George and Lennie, experience. In M+M Steinbeck has a small, yet effective, cast of characters, all of whom embody suffering in one way or another. The main characters are George and Lennie and Steinbeck uses them to express the longing for freedom. George is a victim of suffering in many ways. He suffers because he is bound to Lennie and must look after him. Although at points in the book, George expresses regret about having Lennie; he will not let him go for fear of being alone. George would rather look after Lennie than be on his own. Cause I want you to stay with me. George experiences the loss of jobs and therefore the loss of money through the Great Depression and also Lennies naivety, which often causes trouble for the pair, especially when coupled with Lennies strength. Reasons, for which, the pair was forced to run away from jobs in Weed. This, in turn, makes their lives harder as they struggle to stay financially stable and to find a place in which to live in relative comfort. George also suffers the loss of a dream. For a time, George has envisioned a house of his own in which he lives with Lennie. It has become a reassurance for the men, that everything will turn out right and that they should keep hope. It is the opposite of their suffering. Were gonna have a little house When George shoots Lennie all of this becomes false. There is no longer a sanctuary for the men because without Lennie the microcosm, their microcosm, of the American Dream cannot, and will not, come to fruition. This is where George experiences the mental anguish and suffering at losing both his best friend and his hopes for the future. Psychologically the suffering overwhelms anything that George has felt before and Steinbeck shows us the fragility of life and the unpredictability of the ranch. For Lennie, the suffering is that of a different kind. Due to his mental disabilities, he isnt affected by a fear of loneliness as the others are. To him, George will always be there. This does not mean that he feels no suffering throughout the story; in fact he perhaps suffers the most without realising it. Lennie is angry and scared when Crooks suggests that George might not come back. This is where Lennie suffers the most, he is victimised by Crooks and he doesnt know what to do. Crooks chooses Lennie to attack because he cannot do it to anyone else. In this there is a certain irony, as it is Lennies innocence and naivety which lend themselves to Crooks in bullying him. Spose he gets killed or hurt so he cant come back. Lennie shares the same ideals as George, especially that of the dream home they could have. In Lennies case, he is more preoccupied with tending the rabbits than what the benefits of not working could bring him. How I get to tend the rabbits. Lennie suffers as a child suffers; this is because, mentally, he is a child, despite the fact that he is physically a grown man. We see evidence of this child-like suffering when he blames himself for what has happened to their jobs, when he hallucinates by the brush. You do bad things He suffers from grief when he kills his mouse and his pup by accident and he also suffers at the hands of Curley, although he fights back, he still feels scared and vulnerable, as a child would. George is the one who tells him what he should do. Get im Lennie!.. I said get him. It is easy to assume that George uses Lennie for his own ends but, as we see in the story, this is not true. In fact when it comes to the ultimate suffering, Lennies death, George makes it more bearable for Lennie and shoots him with mercy. Steinbeck is trying to show that although ranch life was full of suffering, there were cases where true friendships/relationships might occur. However, Steinbeck also uses Lennies death to mean that hardly anything survived life on the ranch, whether it were friendships or people themselves. Slim and Carlson do not have their own cases of suffering, instead they symbolise the average ranch workers life. They suffer from low pay, poor quality of life and loneliness. The hardships of the ranches are shown in Carlson especially, as he has no feelings for Candys dog or Candy, only that the dog is making his life worse than it already is. God awmighty, that dog stinks. Although Slim suffers from the same difficulties as Carlson; he reacts in a different way. He is calm and considerate, embodying those who were kinder in the harsh life of the ranch.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Effective Budget Control

Advantages and Disadvantages of Effective Budget Control This paper will look at what is required of an effective budgetary control mechanism and try to assess the advantages and disadvantages of using a system imposed from above, or externally, over a decentralized system controlled by lower level management as task level. Using an empirical case study from the international banking sector, it will be shown that too much managerial autonomy can lead to disaster not just for the manager concerned but also for the whole organization. In contrast the role of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund in imposing nation-state loan budgets will be critiqued to highlight the potential flaws of centralizing and dominating budget control management. Effective budgetary controlHenderson (2003) notes that regardless of the situation or workplace, in order to be effective it is crucial that budgetary control systems: Account for money received and spent Make sure that the organizations financial policies are adhered to Ensure that money is not wasted Assist managers to run, and develop, services or departments These controls have developed from the need to account for large sums of money but are equally applicable to any budgetary situation. However, from a managerial perspective they have often been criticised for being insensitive and restrictive at the lower levels of management. As the number of stakeholders increases so does the need to be fully accountable and therefore more controls are also needed. This is particularly noticeable in the public sector National Health Service. Here lower level management are extremely subservient to imposed and tight budgeting restrictions from a distantly senior level. This is arguably a result of the need to satisfy a multitude of stakeholder interests and a concern that empowering lower management with the autonomy to control their own budgets would fail to include the number of interested parties from politicians to doctors and patients. With organisations as complex as the NHS whether public or private sector – It is safer and easier to p lan and control from above using imposed budget control methods. Politically imposed budgeting is preferably because senior managers, directors, or institutions who set the budgets are arguably best placed to recognise the wider implications of budgeting decisions but, according to Marginson (1999), financially imposed budget controls make sense too. Financial losses, which can occur for such damaging reasons as incompetence, error, negligence or fraud, are most likely to be minimised, or avoided altogether, by well constructed control systems. Imposed budgets benefit from the experience, acquired knowledge and full backing of senior management. They arguably encourage a sense of confidence in lower level management to do their job whilst reducing the massive levels of stress that come with having to create and manage your own budget. Another advantage of imposed budgeting is that it encourages regular monitoring, reporting, progress reports and ultimately improvements in the budgetary system. This enables problems to be uncovered and dealt with quickly and efficiently. Henderson (2003) states that it is advantageous to review arrangements occasionally. Even if procedures within your work area operate well, you should ensure that the budgetary responsibilities of staff at all levels are clear and understood by everyone. It would be unfortunate if problems arise because people do not know the extent or limit of their responsibilities (p33). Autonomous managers are arguably less likely to self-review their processes if they are deemed to be working well. Whereas senior management may be able to employ the use of an external or dedicated process-auditing team, lower level management are unlikely to have the resources or inclination to do the same especially if a process is deemed to be largely successful and given that any negative results will reflect directly and negatively on their managerial budgeting ability. There are further problems with lower level management dictating their own budget. As a budget manager, you are in charge of producing an annual cash flow forecast detailing accurately all of your income and expenditures. Budget managers are also expected to collect a range of information throughout each year, both financial and non-financial, to supplement their cash flow predictions and help better manage their finances. Finally they are then expected to critically compare the planned figures and the actual revenues and expenditures that occurred and act to ensure that the inflows and outflows of cash are within budget limits. In short, managers who are given control over their own budgets are required to be financially adept. Often, even if the manager is financially confident, proof of budgetary ability will only be learned from success or failure by which time it may be too late to rectify any problems. Marginson (1999) suggests that the concept of self-managing a budget at all levels through an organization is essentially flawed. If a manager has responsibility for a budget they he argues should not be expected to regulate and monitor is on their own. Ideally a system would be in place to bring any relevant or potentially important information to the managers attention. The flaw of any budgeting system that encourages managerial autonomy is that, eventually, in the case of poor performance a reporting system will eventually alert senior management to the crisis. Inevitably, senior manage will then try to rectify the situation costing time, resources and money. This often lengthy process would almost certainly be entirely avoided if senior management imposed budgetary control measures tightly from the top. A potential hazard in using imposed budgetary controls Imposing financial authority from the top-down may be one method of ensuring that the commands of senior management (or external bodies such a the Government) are carried out but this strict system of financial control is not necessarily the most productive method of financial management. The most commonly cited problem with a top-down method of strict budgetary control is the message that it permeates down the hierarchy. This invariably is translated as a lack of trust in the ability of lower-level and middle-management from those above them. As Benston (1963) explains: Decentralization contributes to effective motivation. The firm’s accounting system that facilitates decentralization hence has an indirect but important impact on motivation. The direct use of accounting reports, such as budgets, for motivation can result in reduced performance, if the budget is imposed on the department manager. (p347) The financial advantages of imposing budgetary control – such as less risk of money being wasted, tighter adherence to company financial polity etc are potentially offset by the negative effects on motivation (and therefore productivity and profitability) such a gesture could make.According to Petrova (2004), autonomy and motivation are commonly considered to be extremely closely associated to one another. Given the value of a motivated workforce, the use of imposed budgets could be limiting the success of the business as well as its employees. Case Study:  Too much managerial autonomy – Nick Leeson and banking crises Over the last two decades crises the banking worldwide and the subsequent global financial instability they have invariably caused have occurred with alarming regularity and always at a huge, often crippling, cost. According to estimates by the International Monetary Fund, more than a dozen banking crises in the past 15 years have cost the countries afflicted 10% or more of their gross domestic product (Economist, 2003). Although the majority of banking collapses seem to occur in the less developed and therefore poorer nations of the world, rich countries are also susceptible, as Japan demonstrated before the world in the 1990s. The blame is frequently – and correctly – laid on macroeconomic policy: an unsustainable exchange rate has no doubt often exacerbated problems but it is poor budgetary control that has been at the root of the majority of banking crises in recent times.. It is not just the banks who are to blame for this. Imposed budgets do not necessarily have to come from within the organisation. Bank regulators, too, should have done, and should do, more to help avoid these crises. The Basel Accord is the main external control that is used to protect the financial safety of banks. The Accord established a set of international rules that limit banks exposure to risk by requiring that their capital must at least equal a minimum proportion of their assets (Economist, 2003). This proportion is weighted by a calculated risk based on the circumstances of each individual bank. The Basel Accord is effectively the banking industries version of imposed budgeting. The external regulator oversees the business of the banks to ensure that they do not assume too much autonomy. (Economist, 2003) The case of Nick Leeson and the collapse of Barings Banks provides a hugely unlikely yet extremely note-worthy case to act as a warning of what can happen to companies that do not impose strict financial controls on their management. As Van der Stede (2000) warns, this is especially pertinent for companies concerned with achieving tangible results as they are more likely to have managers with a stronger focus on business matters that affect the short-term results (p609) and are therefore more likely to take poorly calculated risks with company money. In the Leeson case the bank were found to be guilty of allowing an unprecedented degree of managerial influence in the trading budget. This eventually allowed just a single employee Leeson to accumulate debts of over  £1.3 billion and bankrupt one of the worlds oldest banks. In a fatal mistake, the bank allowed Leeson to remain Chief Trader while being responsible for settling his trades, a job that is usually split. This had made it much simpler for him to hide his losses. (BBC, 2002). If any case highlights the dangers of allowing managers unbridled participation in budgetary control, the Lesson case is it. Problems with imposed budgets a global political perspective. The World Bank and the International Monetary Fund control the flow of finances and effectively national budgets in every country across the globe. Their role is to promote stable growth in a bid to increase the wealth of citizens across the globe. However, as recently as April 2005, hundreds of members of parliaments around the world are calling on these two institutions lenders of billions of dollars every year, – to renege many of the numerous conditions they impose on borrowing countries in order to secure their loans. These conditions, they say, are eroding national sovereignty and impeding long-term economic planning necessary to achieve positive and sustained growth. Instead, global politicians, most vocally from the less developing countries who are the primary victims of the current restrictive loan scheme, are calling for the World Bank and IMF to let local legislators have the final say in domestic economic policies. Typical IMF conditions imposed on lending nations include devaluation of local currencies, deregulation of state-owned industry, tight public spending caps, liberalisation of trade and exchange controls, withdrawal of subsidies, and more protections for the private sector and multinational companies (Mekay, 2005). Beyond this critics argue that both institutions have been guilty of providing inaccurate and detrimental economic advice that has only helped to compound the economic rigidities created by the loans causing delayed debt relief, increased poverty and undermined democracy, prompting demonstrations and street protests in many countries (Mekay, 2005). According to the petition, in 2003, the former Soviet state of Georgia’s budget deficit exceeded its IMF-set limit. The Fund then asked Georgia to revise its budget for that year, but the parliament refused to pass it. Rather than accepting this decision, the IMF allowed its lending programme with Georgia to expire in retaliation. This led to threats from the World Bank that it, too, would pull the plug on existing projects. (Mekay, 2005) The IMF and World Bank reflect a system of imposed budgeting that is arguably more detrimental than it is effective. Imposed budgets must be careful to provide some degree of flexibility and maneuverability if they are not to cause resentment and productivity problems. This is particularly the case if budgets are being set and imposed from external sources. On a local or company scale there are further problems with the use of imposed budgeting in trying to link financial failures with those responsible for them. It is important to be able to link levels of activity, the consumption of resources and the achievement of targets with the managers primarily responsible for making decisions about these issues (Henderson, p33). If budgets are imposed from above, it is potentially difficult to identify the source of budgetary failure. If managers are autonomous, any budgetary failure is attributed directly to them. This arguably generates stricter budgetary discipline, responsibility and better management. Unless you have the authority to control financial resources, you cannot effectively manage the services for which you are responsible (Henderson, p23). Conclusion Henderson (2003) argued that successful budgetary control resulted in; being able to account for money received and spent, making sure that the organisations financial policies are adhered to, ensuring that money is not wasted, and assisted managers to run, and develop, services or departments. There is no single correct way of managing budgets but from the evidence presented above it is arguable that imposing a set of budget controls is a more effective method of safeguarding company finances. Certainly this method guarantees that company polices are adhered to and money is accounted and, if employees and managers are motivated, imposed budgets do not necessarily detract from department development or cause money to be wasted. It is the assumption that motivation is sapped by reducing autonomy that is the major criticism of imposed budgeting but this is little proof that this is the case. Petrova (2004) writes in her article on motivation and autonomy that motivated employees may gain more from autonomy but autonomy in itself is not a guaranteed method of increasing employee motivation. In addition, Petrova concludes that the likely benefits for increasing autonomy for already motivated employees are unlikely to be returned in financial gains but rather in changes in leadership styles and organizational structure. Given that the foremost concern of budgeting is to secure the financial future of the company, rejecting imposed budgeting on account of its effect on organizational structure and leadership style arguably inappropriate. Bibliography Mekey, E (2005); MPs demand more budgetary control from IMF and World Bank; Finance Customwire, Public Agenda/All Africa Global Media Economist (2003); Guiding the pack; Vol 368, Issue 8334 Henderson, Prof. E (2003); Budgeting Part Two; Nurse Management Vol 10, Issue 2, p32-37 Van der Stede, W (2000); The relationship between two consequences of budgetary controls: budgetary slack creation and managerial short-term orientation; Accounting, Organisation Society; Vol 25, Issue 8, p609-623 Marginson, D.E.W (1999); Beyond the budgetary control system: towards a two-tiered process of management control; Management Accounting Research; Vol 10, Issue 3, p203-231 Benston, G.J (1963); Accounting Review; Vol 38, Issue 2; p347-354 Petrova, K (2004); Does Motivation trigger Autonomy, or Vice-Versa?; Econometrics of Labour Demand; VXXXVIII International Conference Applied Econometrics Association; www.aea.fed-eco.org 10/05/05 BBC News Website (2002); Nick Leeson and Barings Bank; Crimewatch Case Closed; www.bbe.co.uk/crime – 10/05/05

The Media :: essays research papers

The Media   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The media has been causing problems and clashes in opinions probably ever since the television was invented. The media probably started out OK, but after a while, they started twisting opinions and stories, and taking sides. I think that the media is going to twist a story to make it more interesting once too many times, and someone is going to sue them badly for it. I would like to prove that the media sometimes messes up the truth.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The media sometimes finds a certain person and makes his/her story sound worse and sadder so that they can get sympathy for that person and then asks people to send money to help the person out. Not that that is a bad intention, but it is none of our business. I think that the media should just publish pictures, and then let you choose who you want to feed.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There is also the possibility that the only reason that big news companies just need filler for their network, so they go to another country to find some story on miserable people. If I was in some tribe in Africa or something I would not want anyone bothering me by putting a camera in my face. I would want the money to buy food, but if someone over in America just needed my story for filler, I wouldn't be too happy.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It should be the tribe's leader that should have to get the tribe out of trouble in any way that he could. It is not our business to send them our money to get food for the people that got themselves into trouble, but I think it makes people feel good to donate things to needy people. I just think that the media isn't telling people the whole story. Maybe the starving people spent all their money on drugs? I doubt that many people would send their hard earned cash if they knew that the person was just going to buy more drugs with it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I think that the media has been messing up stories and opinions, but I'm sure that they did some good work also. It would be pretty hard to get

Defense Mechanisms :: Free Essays Online

Defense Mechanisms People use defense mechanisms so often that it is perhaps difficult to pick out individual cases to deal with. Additionally, it would be markedly easier for me to look for evidence of these mechanisms within myself. However, others do display such defenses against anxiety-inducing thoughts, memories, and impulses. In the healthy range of defense mechanisms, repression is key. Simply not thinking about something for a long period of time is often quite helpful. This particular mechanism can at times be rather obvious, as when, in a discussion, a person states that he or she would 'rather not talk about this.' Of course, repression is not always this aware, but in this case it is made manifest by a conscious effort to avoid the topic. Of the neurotic defense mechanisms, humor is perhaps most seen on this campus. Self-deprecating humor helps soften the glare of our shortcomings, especially when they surface in public. Sometimes, jokes are made specific to the situation (I tripped; I'm such a clutz!) but they are often generalized. These jokes are also often not very funny, on the order of "I'm a dumbass...hahaha!" Of the psychotic coping mechanisms, denial is much more obvious than reaction formation. I can think of one specific case, a friend who set his sights too high in sending out transfer applications. As rejections have come in, my notion that he was a non-starter for most of his choices because of grades was proven correct, but this is not something that he can seem to come to terms with. He claims not to understand why myself and several other friends, with near-4.0 GPAs have gotten into several prestigious schools, while he has not. Seems like denial: an inability to face his failings. Reaction formation also interests me a lot, because it is rather counter-intuitive as a defense mechanism. I can't really identify it in others very well, but I can see it in myself. In the case of a couple of failed friendships, in which I felt hurt by the actions of the other person, I compensate for my desire to get closer to them again (which produces anxiety because I am afraid of a repeat) by being very bitter towards them and going out of my way to avoid them.

Rheumatoid Arthritis :: essays research papers

Rheumatoid arthritis is an inflammatory disease, primarily of the joints, with autoimmune features and a complex genetic component. INHERITANCE Occasional families show a considerable number of cases of this common disorder. A simple Mendelian mechanism could not be proved, however. Indeed, some (Burch et al., 1964) could not demonstrate significant familial aggregation. Lynn et al. (1995) conducted family studies and segregation analyses of RA based on consecutive patients with RA ascertained without regard to family history or known risk factors. Included in the analyses were first-degree relatives from 135 simplex and 30 multiplex families. A highly penetrate recessive major gene, with a mutant allele frequency of 0.005, was identified as the most parsimonious genetic risk factor. Significant evidence for heterogeneity in risk for RA was observed for proband gender but not for proband age at onset. Kaplan-Meier risk analysis demonstrated significant evidence for differences in the distribution of risk among first-degree relatives. Although both proband gender and age at onset were identified as important risk factors, proband gender appeared to be the more important determinant of risk, with relatives of male probands having the greatest cumulative risk for RA. For future genetic analyses, Lynn et al. (1995) suggested that families with an excess of affected males having a young age at onset might be most informative in identifying the putative recessive gene and its modifiers. Hasstedt et al. (1994) studied 28 pedigrees ascertained through pairs of first-degree relatives with RA. RA was confirmed in 77 pedigree members, including probands; the absence of disease was verified in an additional 261 pedigree members. Members of the pedigrees were typed serologically for HLA. Analyses supported the existence of an HLA-linked RA susceptibility locus, estimated the susceptibility allele frequency as 0.0216, and estimated the lifetime penetrance as 41% in male homozygotes and 48% in female homozygotes. Inheritance was recessive in males and was nearly recessive in females. In addition, the analysis attributed 78% of the variants with HLA genotypes to genetic or environmental effects shared by sibs. The genetic model inferred in this analysis was considered consistent with previous association, linkage, and familial aggregation studies of RA. The inferred HLA-linked RA susceptibility locus accounted for approximately one-half of familial RA, although it accounted f or only approximately one-fifth of the RA in the population. PATHOGENESIS In a T-cell receptor transgenic mouse model, an inflammatory arthritis that resembles human RA is initiated by T cells but is sustained by antibodies to GPI (172400).

Laughter Therapy Essay

â€Å"Laughter is the best medicine!† We’ve all heard that before, but is it true? Studies show 20-25 minutes of laughter every day is healthy for the body. Laughing also helps with depression, cancer patients, making our hearts healthy. It also strengthens our immune systems, relieves stress, helps us look younger and so much more. Laughing Therapy relates to positive thinking. Most diseases are related to stress, tension depression. When we have tension, we start various problems in our body such as; high blood pressure, heart troubles, lowers our immune systems, etc. Laughing helps relaxes our muscles and helps in relieving stress. Muscular tension is released when you laugh. Your digestion is better. It helps heart rate and helps blood flow. The blood vessels carrying blood in our body expands which results in increased blood supply to various body parts. When we laugh, our mind stops the thought process, we don’t think of anything, keeping our stress at lowest possible level. Laughter also helps in keeping the level of stress hormones low. Laughing also helps in fighting against mental stress, anxiety, depression, insomnia and various other mental disorders. This reduces our dependencies up on various medications required to stay away from the illness. People who try laughter therapy say they feel much better, tension-free, mentally balanced and they sleep better than before. By laughing, it improves our immune system. As I stated above, the base of laughter therapy relates to positive thinking. It is proved scientifically that if a person has negative thoughts while he/she is sick or prey to depression or anger about his/her illness, then it results in weakening of his/her immune system and then it takes more high doses of medications to cure that person. At the other end, positive thinking helps a person improve his/her immune system and become healthy again as soon as possible. Laughter therapy helps in removing negative thoughts from our mind and not letting our immune system go down any further. â€Å"According to one research, laughter helps in increasing the number of Natural Killer cells, antibodies levels in our body which fight against diseases that attack us, improving our immune system many folds.† This has proved very helpful in fighting against some deadly diseases such as cancers, AIDS, some mental disorder. The treatment of which requires patient to have a strong immune system. It also helps you feel and look younger by exercising your facial muscles. Laughter provides support in curing some chronicle and hereditary diseases, asthma, obesity problems, addictions of various types by improving conditions of patients such by strengthening immune system, blocking negative thoughts, arresting anger and similar mental conditions. People who cannot exercise because of their physical condition, have found laughter to be very beneficial. Steve Wilson started the Laughter Therapy in 1964. He was a psychologist at the Ohio Reformatory for Women. Wilson was asked to teach his practices in other states and it became a hit! He went from Ohio across to California and he made it to India. In India, he met Dr. K in 1998, who was also a Laughter Therapists. The teachers’ in India who believes in the laughing therapy was completely different from the East side of the world. The East side thought it would just a study to go into for school and to help relieve stress. The West believed it healed the ill ones. With the influence of the India teachers and his colleagues from the East, Wilson decided to start his World Laughter Tour so the methods of the East and the West could be shown to the whole world. There are classes taught everywhere here in Utah. Most are called Laughter Yoga Classes. The Laughter Yoga Classes is learning the unconditional laughter with yogic breathing, also known as Pranayama. You will learn how to just laugh, without even hearing a joke, seeing something funny, or even thinking. Laughter Yoga is non-political, non-religious, non-racial, non-threatening, and non-competitive. It also teaches you to just take a breather and stay positive no matter what situation you are in. â€Å"Laughter Yoga combines laughter with yogic breathing exercises. It is a perfect way to laugh and get exercise at the same time. It approaches laughter as a body exercise so it’s easy to laugh even if you’re depressed or in a bad mood. I’ve tried it, and it works.† – Oprah Winfrey Laughing for about 20-25 minutes a day can make you feel fresh for the rest of the day. Not only does it make you feel fresh but also it helps keep you healthy. Laughing will help keep your blood levels downs, help the blood flow smoothly, relaxes your muscles, and help cure diseases. You will learn how to relax and think positive. Laughter Therapy is known all over the world. However, I have just found out about this. Classes are taught all over Utah. Take a class and get the feel of what Laughter Therapy can do to you. And remember, â€Å"Laughter is the best medicine!† Works Cited: 1. http://www.worldlaughtertour.com/sections/about/history.asp †¢ CeraNet, Inc. World Laughter Tour, Inc. – History  ©2011 †¢ Used September 24, 2011 2. http://www.laughteryoga.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=731:laughter-yoga-as-laughter-therapy&catid=263:laughter-yoga-for-healing-therapeutic-benefits&Itemid=457 †¢ Laughter Yoga International, Dr. Kataria – Last updated September 10, 2011 †¢ Used September 24, 2011 3. http://www.laughteryoga.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=180:what-is-laughter-yoga&catid=85:about-laughter-yoga&Itemid=265

Government policies Essay

Describe, with examples, the impact of government policies on different public services P5 Identify how society is affected by government policies In the UK, policies are in place in order to protect us and help enforce diversity and equality. Sometimes they are not always positively impacted on our society and public services; they can be negative as well. In this assignment, I will cover both the impacts of government policies on the public services and how society is affected. Human Rights The most commonly known policy that has affected all of the services is the human rights policy. This act was passed in the UK in 1998 which protected us and gave us the right to life, education, liberty and security and freedom of expression. Whenever these rights are violated, the victim may take the service or person to take and challenge the actions of the violator. A Police Officer was accused of violating someone rights after hitting a student (Tony Jones) in the face. They violated freedom of assembly and association, freedom of expression and freedom of thought. Just like many cases- This one was also dismissed and the Officer wasn’t charged for the suspected violation. Equal Opportunities Very similar to Human Rights- Equal Opportunities also protect us. While this has been around for a while, the equality act was republished in 2010 which terminates any discrimination against â€Å"age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion and belief, sex and sexual orientation.† If for example you are applying for the Public Service and you are bisexual then the service cannot refuse your application because of your sexual orientation. If you are a male Sikh and you wanted to join the Force, you are allowed to wear a blue police turban with the badge of your force being displayed. This policy stops people from becoming more ‘important’ than others which allow everyone to be treated fairly and not the same. Civilianisation As part of the financial cut back on the Public Services, more civilians are doing non-operational work. This includes more civilians working in the  communication control centre which dispatches emergency services to 999 calls. A key reason for civilianisation is because it is a lot cheaper than employing trained employees who can do the same but with little training or experience. Fire Station Closures Fire Station closures is apart of the Government’s plan to increase savings. In London alone, 10 Fire Stations have been forced to shut down which has led hundreds of Firefighters jobless. Even the oldest serving Fire Station in Clerkenwell has been shut down. This means- For anyone who dials 999 and asks for the Fire and Rescue service, the fire fighters will take longer to arrive to the scene compared to before where there might have been a Fire Station nearby. As a consequence, Communities are not feeling safe which results in protests. Increased use of Technology The use of advanced technology being used during modern warfare has not only saved our armed services from being killed or injured, it also allowed us to get surveillance over areas that we would have never been able to. Drones and satellites have allowed us to spy over our enemies and also kill them. Metal Detectors allowed the frontline to find improvise explosive device (IED) which would have saved hundreds of lives alone. Unfortunately, it isn’t always as expected. Drones are also responsible for thousands of civilians’ life during the Afghanistan War and they have even taken our lives (Green on Blue). In the UK, increase use of technology has also saved lives and helps prosecute criminals. The increase of CCTV in the UK allowed us to record and catch criminals and serves them justice. While some people believe they violate their privacy, some people feel a lot protected within communities. Examples of society affected by Government Policies They’re many policies that affect us both positively and negatively. Examples of a few are; Tuition fees VAT rises Sales of Council Houses Tuition Fees Tuition fees are probably one of the negatives about attending  further-education. If you’re attending University then expect an expensive fee after your course that you are required to pay back each month. Many graduates are still paying their fees even after 5-10 years. The main reason why society is affected by the fees is because less people are attending university purely because it’s too costly. Even after graduation, you are not guaranteed a job so some people become jobless while having to pay back the debt. VAT rises Every item you purchase legally has a VAT which increases the overall cost of the item. This is normally a 20% increase which is quite costly- depending on the item. If you were to buy a computer for  £500(no VAT) then the final price would be  £600. This means many families are forced into poverty while they have to struggle on surviving on minimum wage. Sales of council houses Selling of council houses is becoming an increasing issue in the UK as people and even businesses are buying the house out. This means hundreds of family homes are now owned by private landlords or individual people. As a consequence, families are finding it difficult to find family-homes to live in. How Society is affected by Government Policies When Society does not agree with a new policy that the Government put into place, it normally results in protests near Governmental Buildings with signs criticising the work of Government. However, protests are both peaceful and violent. There are several types of protests such as: -Sit-ins -Marching -Legal Action -Striking -Violating Laws Sit in This is one of the common types of protests. This means staying in one location while refusing to leave. An example of a previous sit-in is the protest outside the United Nations (U.N). Marching This involves walking from different locations while holding signs and normally shouting. One of the most famous marching was led by Martin Luther King in 1963. This protest was to promote civil rights and equality for the ethnic minority. Legal Action Though this isn’t a mass-protest, it is still a form which people still use. This involves taking a person or company to court in order to press legal charges against them. In 2012, the Democratic Party sued Florida because of the presidential election results. Striking This is commonly scene among Teachers who believe they are not paid enough or the Government plan on cutting their pay check. Striking means refusing to cooperate with your employer till your demands are met. This is normally a mass-protest since you are highly likely to be fired if you general didn’t listen to your Boss. Violating Laws (Riots) Riots are normally as a result of the Public feeling angry against the Government’s decision. Riots involve people burning down buildings, looting, criminal damage and even murder. During the 2011 Riot, 5 people were murdered, over 100 Police Officers injured and over 10 protesters injured.

How to Manage International Joint Venture Successfully Essay

There is serious increase in the number of organisations seeking to operate in today’s highly competitive global markets with sustainable competitive advantage. (Taylor, 2004; Ernst & Halevy, 2004). In order to achieve this international expansion, companies use different market entry strategies. Earlier study on IJVs reveals that international joint ventures are the most common means of internationalization (Ernst & Halevy, 2004). This paper shall present a review solution on how to achieve successful IJV alliance In general, international joint venture (IJV) is an equity sharing arrangement between a local firm and a foreign cooperation (government or private) coming together by putting all necessary resources together, sharing risk and operational controls to operate as one independent business entity to accelerate profit and growth or in order to achieve some strategic goals. (Craig C. Julian. 2000). In most IJVs, two companies merge together for the matter of ease and con venience, the two companies involve become the parent of the organization that surface from the merger (Geringer & Hebert, 1989). But there are situations where more than two companies form IJV, this is true in cases where already merged companies try to merge with other bigger companies to establish a single organisation â€Å"T0o compete in an international business environment, firms are forming joint ventures as a mechanism for the enhancement of global competitiveness.† (Cyr, 1995)† IJV can aid an organisation in achieving their business objectives in hostile and uncertain markets (Miller et al., 2007). Clayton-Smith (2012). Suggest that IJV â€Å"offer a great opportunity for multinational businesses to facilitate growth, to gain skill, capabilities, market access, etc.† (For example businesses can cut cost and boost growth by using the same human resources, deliver services with the same computing facilities and even share office infrastructures). IJV comes with many benefits, Kumar &Pavan (2012) describe benefits of IJV to an extent, that is, when companies partner together, they pro vide themselves strength, capacity and expertise to conquer new geographical markets, expand their product portfolio and also for diversification. There are few success stories associated with IJV, (Xerox &Fuji) decade of stormy partnership has survived well, with both companies praising their success on IJV alliance IJV alliances over the past decade have shown a promising future (Kumar&Pavan, 2012). Earlier research on IJV growth and risks by KPMG supports Kumar &Pavan (2012) claims. In (2005), A KPMG finding showed that 64% of US companies will opt for IJV alliances, and Also 52% decided to create a new alliance within two years. Various studies on IJV partnership showed a very optimistic future. Vast majority of executive’s reports show that their IJV alliance has generated about 40% in their annual revenue, Most times, IJVs are created so as to gain access into hostile and uncertain markets (Abroad), which might not be possible otherwise. Definitely two heads working together are better than one, in the same philosophy; two companies would work better than one. Obviously, there will be more resources available when you have two or more companies merged together This optimism of IJVs comes with huge risk, IJVs suffer from several draw backs, these draw backs are the primary reason behind the failure of a large number of IJV partnerships. Research by Kalmbach & Roussel (1999) reveals that 80% of IJVs have failed and only 20% were successful. Another similar study by Neal R. Goodman (2011) estimated 50 to 70 percent failure in International Joint Venture. Matthews (2001). produced a great piece of literature on the reasons behind the failure of IJVs, Matthews (2001) stated the following as defining characteristics of IJVs, â€Å"IJVs need strategic objectives, IJVs are full of management problems, IJVs need to adopt a viable organisation form, IJVs are always transitional structures You have to inject stability into IJVs- it is not there naturally† These characteristics can serve as possible drawbacks of IJVs. Hence giving room for criticism We can shuffle out some vital points from the above mentioned characteristics. The most important one of them is the â€Å"difficulty at the level of operation†. The concept of power control from multiple firms creates troubles and as a result affects the administration of the organisation. Before a merger, each company operate differently with their own set of policies, methods and strategies, when they merge and these fundamentals clash, it might result to problems within the organisation such inter- Organisational issues need serious attention and need to be dealt with in order for the venture to last. So, IJVs can serve as a backbone of organisational problems. These problems can as well cripple the growth of the organisation. Sometimes IJV fails due to the collaboration, culture, structured plans, control procedures, financial and legal mechanisms, and consensus management agreements in place (M.Nixon et al., 2012). Many of the Case Studies on IJV all tend to point to conflicts with vision ,trust, corruption , leadership struggles between both firms and as a result of this, troubles begins to fly in the face of IJV success, Typically. The company with the most shares in any IJV set up tend to have the highest form of authority or sometimes it is decided by voting, these are the methods used in setting up the management of the organisation in most cases. However this can be quite problematic in situations where companies involve have equal shares or even when one company has the minority. Proper representation of each company’s ideals and policies is off course a difficult job it becomes more difficult when the companies involve wide cultural differences. Failure to understand the ethics, values and norms of each other result to IJVs failure. Furthermore, Stability is always not associated with IJVs as it is very difficult to sustain stability in a venture. Many academics associate IJVs with a lifecycle, It is said that any organisation comprising of many different firms tends to be unstable short lived, Multiple firms forming an organization impart this inherent stability simply because of the variation in their individual nature, their culture, their role and their attitude. These cultural issues that adhere to IJV remain a major concern for an effective IJV collaboration. After a serious pounder on the drawbacks of IJVs, There are quite a few theories in place that can help achieve a successful IJV partnership. Kumar&Pavan (2012) defines collaborative strategy as the essential supporting structure for building successful alliances. According to Kumar&Pavan (2012), â€Å"collaborative strategy defines the factors the companies need to look at before forming a Joint Venture alliance. The following are the ‘Golden rules of partnership success’ as given by Cyr (1995)- * A balance of trust and self interest * Anticipation of conflicts * Clear definition of strategic leadership * Flexibility * Acceptance of cultural differences at the level of both the national culture and the corporate culture * Orchestration of technology transfer * Learning from the partner’s strengths In other to deal with some of the challenges that face IJVs today, it is very necessary to have a very strong strategic leadership in place, a leadership that is based by rules and procedures. With a stable leadership clearly in place, chances of conflict are minimized. The leader most be able to incorporate all the attitudes and views of both patties into policies and strategies that will help the organization prosper as a single entity Obliviously, when there are two or more companies within the alliance, every individual will be after the interest or profit that emerge from the venture, this is where the second point drift in, which is â€Å"Balance of self interest and trust† even supposing the international joint ventures has a dominant parent company in control, then interest of all companies involved must be kept intact. The companies involve must have a mutual trust in place and at all times be ready to share risk for the benefits of the organisation as a whole. The organisation at all time must be ready to resolve conflict between firms when they arise and also developing long term strategies for the future of the organisation. With trust in place within the organisation, companies tend to adjust to accommodate and have a clear understanding of each other’s nature of business. A clear understanding of each other’s nature of business (culture) can give a useful insight on how to create newer ways of operation in the organisation. In situations where companies come from different countries, National cultured is there to be coped with. Companies may emerge from the same country but different regions with different cultural setups, even in such cases the difference of cooperative culture is still there to be dealt with. Fair enough, this issue of culture difference can positively turn out as innovations in the field by learning from each other’s strength and weaknesses. Flexibility is a key to creating successful joint vent ures. Variation in cultural backgrounds is seen as a threat to the success of IJV, but it is as well considered that, the more the gap between the cooperating countries less is the chance of survival of the IJV (Barkema & Vermeulen, 1997). Adaptation is very important here. Obviously cultural variation can be quite problematic, but at the same time they can be useful when taken as lessons, and when mixed together to derive newer and better strategies of operation, by putting two or more cultures together not only will it boost growth but can also add to the consumer base. There is issue of management too, the management problem happen to be the most troublesome in IJVs, It is not the control that is the problem but the lack of effective communication. One of the industries that excel in IJV venture is the insurance industry, and good communication channel is among all partners is among the characteristics that contribute to the success of insurance IJVs, They try to maintain viable and con sistent internal harmony that is base on rules and procedures. Effective communication must be maintained at all time and throughout decisions making so that policies don’t appear unilateral or one sided More examples of successful IJVs emerge from Hungary where Hungarian companies inherit experience and knowledge from the parent companies. This is true of several companies from Hungary that have partnered with western organisation (Lyles & Salk, 2007). The western companies come in with new and better technology and also better ways of management and production, and this method have worked for the Hungarian companies with them having good results in return. So, it depends on the level of understanding and adaptability between the companies. Information, market and raw materials are mostly the necessary resources that are available during an IJV alliance.Utilization and circulation of these resources depend on the companies involved. However, the company that fails to utilise these resources end up getting terminated from the Venture alli ance. In 1997-98 up to 20000 IJVs deals were sealed in China (Zhang & Rajagopalan, 2002). One characteristic that help all these IJVs survive was that they were all formed under a governmental pressure. In this case, the intervention from government brought about stability within the organisation. Also companies were relieved off the tension of mutual dependencies which made the inter organisational relationships much easier. In this manner Inter partner credible threat was largely reduced. The rise of globalization and emerging economic power houses of Brazil, Russia, India, and China is seeing more new markets created. IJV will play a commanding role for multinational companies looking to partner with domestic businesses in those markets. As this review has shown the history of IJVs has not always been clear cut (it is a very difficult task to build a successful international joint venture alliance). The 80% failure in IJVs (Kalmbach & Roussel 1999) should not scare multinational companies as there are many different ways of facing this challenges that adhere to IJVs. Management and operation of the organisation must be clearly understood and controlled in a proper way and by the most appropriate individuals. All companies must involve in the operation of the organisation. No firm should be excluded in the affairs of the organisation. The companies involved should be open to change and adaptability so as to combine the best they can all offer. If these few aspect are properly practiced the IJV is doomed to survive Clayton-Smith, . (n.d). What makes a successful joint venture?. Available: http://www.growingbusiness.co.uk/how-to-make-your-joint-venture-work.html. Last accessed 10th Dec 2012. T.K. Das, Rajesh Kumar, (2010) â€Å"Interpartner sensemaking in strategic alliances: Managing cultural differences and internal tensions†, Management Decision, Vol. 48 Iss: 1, pp.17 – 36 KPMG International & IESE Business School. (2009). Joint Ventures: A Tool for Growth During the Economic Downturn. Available: http://www.kpmg.com/LU/en/IssuesAndInsights/Articlespublications/Documents/Joint-Ventures-2010.pdf. Last accessed 4th Dec 2012. Killing,P (1983). Strategies for joint venture success. Westport, CT : Praeger Publishers Inc . p13-38. Gomes-Casseres, B. (1997). Competing in Constellations: The Case of Fuji Xerox. Available: http://www.alliancestrategy.com/PDFs/BGC%20Fuji%20Xerox%20%20SnB97.pdf. Last accessed 4th Dec 2012. M I L L E R , R., G L E N, J., S P E R S E N, F., A N N I S K A R M O KO L I A S, A.. (1997). International Joint Ventures in Developing Countries . Available: http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/fandd/1997/03/pdf/miller.pdf. Last accessed 10th Dec 2012. Perkins,S., Morck,R., Yeung, B.. (2008). INNOCENTS ABROAD:THE HAZARDS OF INTERNATIONAL JOINT VENTURES WITH PYRAMIDAL GROUP FIRMS. Available: http://business.illinois.edu/ba/seminars/2009/perkins_paper.pdf. Last accessed 7th Dec 2012. Gomes-Casseres, B. (2004). Strategy:Managing Beyond the Alliance. Available: http://www.alliancestrategy.com/PDFs/BGC%20AllianceStrategy%20CriticalEYE04.pdf. Last accessed 4th Dec 2012. Girmscheid,G., Brockmann,C.. (n.d). Trust as a Success Factor in International Joint Ventures. Available: http://crgp.stanford.edu/publications/conference_papers/Brockmanntrust.pdf. Last accessed 3d Dec 2012. Ernst, D ., Halevy T . (2005). When to think alliance. Available: http://www.mckinseyquarterly.com/When_to_think_alliance_941. Last accessed 4th De 2012.

From Africa to the Americans Essay

The first pages of Kelly and Lewis’ To Make Our World Anew: Volume I: A History of African Americans to 1880 had opened the eyes of its readers about the real nature of the African race. While discussing the slave history of Black in the Western Hemisphere, he redirect the focus in discussing the great history of the Black people in its homeland in Africa. Prior to the slave trade and during the peak and climax of the numerous Black civilizations that existed, the Black people had managed to construct and established huge empires that were characterized with civilized systems like language and systems of writing. In many cases, the achievements of the Black people during their stay in their homeland can be compared to the successes of some of the greatest empire and civilizations that had existed in the East and in the West. It is just disappointing that the heritages of the Black people in Africa are undermined when compared to the heritage of the Asians or Americans for example. Rather, what is plotted in the mind of many people is the Blacks history as a slave. As the modern world had managed to reverse its perception on Black in relation to slavery period, it is important to note what happened in the past and the real history. Lewis and Kelly with their objective approach of the situation and history had provided us a new way of perceiving the Black people. With their reminders that great civilizations like Egypt that impacted other great civilizations like Greece and Rome, we are now starting to appreciate the beauty and wonders of the Black culture and descent. Today more than ever, we now see them not as ‘other people’ but rather a person that is equal to us that just happened to be created with a different color. Indeed, this is an improvement in the way of life in the modern world. Works Cited Kelly, Robin & Lewis, Earl. To Make Our World Anew: Volume I: A History of African Americans to 1880. 2000. Oxford UP. Oxford. pp. 3-52. Print.

Personal Leadership Development Plan Assignment

Personal Leadership Development Plan - Assignment Example On the other hand, people have the have dreams, often have a firm vision that they follow with dedication and motivation. Successful leaders in the world of business, politics and other important dimensions are those that are motivated and driven by the beauty of their dreams (Jasper 12). It is important to realize that having dream is one thing and following it is another thing. In this case, the beauty of a dream is not in how good it sounds, but in the steps being taken towards its actualization (Field and Phil 29). In this case, it is always important that a person develop a path upon which he has to follow earnestly in achieving the dream. This calls for the development of assessment strategy and plan in order to use it in the process of achieving excellence in the identified dream, this paper examines the strategies I have developed in order develop a personal leadership plan that will enable me actualize my dream. 2.Background information Currently, I am still a junior taking my undergraduate studies where I am majoring in Pharmacy. My interests remain to excel and get an admission in Purdue University, where I hope to advance my studies and achieve my professional goals. During the summer holiday, I intend to use my time to offer my services, working at the CVS pharmacy until my time of graduation.

Compensation, Rewards, and Incentives Research Paper

Compensation, Rewards, and Incentives - Research Paper Example The various compensation, rewards and incentives programs designed By IBM have facilitated the organization to draw quality and skilled workforce and maintain workplace satisfaction of the existing employees. Furthermore, the monetary and non-monetary incentive programs practiced by IBM have facilitated the organization to prevent competent and quality employees from leaving the organization along with motivating them to perform dedicatedly in the workplace. The benefit programs have enabled the organization to foster and deliver enhanced employee development. Furthermore, the benefit programs of IBM have facilitated the organization to profitably respond to the rapidly altering market and industry trends. The benefit programs have also facilitated IBM to maintain skilled and agile workforce within the organization. The increased level of employee satisfaction within the organization has enabled IBM to quickly and effectively meet the supply and demand scenario as well as positively manage and develop costs and other revenue generation prospects associated with its performance (Boudreau, 2010). These factors have had a deep-rooted impact on IBM’s attainment of being on the ‘Best Places to Work For’

Over 30 Workers Trapped After Chilean Copper Mine Collapse Essay

Over 30 Workers Trapped After Chilean Copper Mine Collapse - Essay Example Information is powerful. It can have devastating effects if it is not handled with the necessary caution. In the case of the collapsed Chilean mine, the people involved had diversity, (O’Rourke, 2010). They happened to come from different backgrounds, beliefs and culture. This means they receive information differently. Some can become extremely frightened the mere thought that their loved ones, friends and relatives might die (BBC news, 2010). The company had to bear a lot with this disaster that took place. This involved keeping the families of the miners calm and fully assured that their interests are going to be taken care of. This had to be a message of hope and patience against a precise enthusiastic mainstream media which presented raw information to the audience. The employees too were totally scared of losing their colleagues. They were expecting an exceptionally strong assurance from the mining company, as well. This left the copper mining company with the responsibility of knowing how to regulate the release of communication and how much information to release to both the relatives and the employees. The company needed to establish communication between families and the employees. The families needed to know whether their relatives handled enough food and other resources. They needed someone to assure them that enough was being done to rescue them, (BBC news, and 2010). At the same time, they wanted commitment b y the company that all of their relatives would be rescued alive. The company needed to sound more convincing that the mainstream media. This is because the media did was doing sensational reporting without paying much attention to the plight of families and employees. The media were also looking for whom to blame which deed little to address the need of the families. The company needed to communicate with the relatives of the tapped employees, detailing how it was going to meet the needs of the trapped copper

What it feels like to skydive Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

What it feels like to skydive - Essay Example Then there is a downward acceleration, where someone falls with no expectation to land. This occurs at high speeds of about 150 miles per hour and surprisingly, it is hard to feel the speed (Mattern, 2010). At one moment, it feels like there is zero gravity where there is a floating sensation. After a while, an individual realizes that there is an upward push from the strength of the wind. The environment is contradictory because it is calm and so loud at the same time. After a successful adventure, it is time to pull the chute. This immediately changes the excitement and the mood of the experience. The chute goes down in a slow manner that someone can get dizzy and only the wind reminds someone of the heights. In a moment, the chute makes landing easy and enjoyable. At this point, a person feels dizzy and their ears could pop due to the changes in atmospheric pressure. Skydiving is indeed a worthy

Information and Communication in Next Life Essay

Information and Communication in Next Life - Essay Example This includes the use of the word of mouth to communicate, body languages, and other modes of communication that are not facilitated through the use of technology. It is important to explain that there are a number of issues that determine the manner in which an individual communicates and behaves. These issues include their perceptions regarding a particular concept, their attitudes towards a person that they are communicating with, and the skills of communication that these people possess (Stout, 2006, p. 53). The society that we live in has a variety of beliefs and expectations. One of the expectations is on the aspect of connection. This aspect of connection has the capability of influencing the manner the behaviors of people, regarding their beliefs in the next life. There are a variety of issues that are always expected in the next life, and these are important in determining the behavior and communication ability of people, hence playing a significant role in developing their communication skills. Reincarnation, a Hinduism belief, is one of the concepts that explain the expectations of people in the next life. This belief also plays an influential role in shaping the behavioral patterns of people who belief in it. Some of the issues explored under this concept is how to live moral life, and how communication helps people to live such kind of a life (Sout, 2006, p. 29). This soul thereafter passes through a series of life cycles, or sequence of bodies. At the sub-human level, the soul manages to pass through a series of complex bodies, until it reaches the human body, which is an exalted habitation. At this exalted level, Hinduism beliefs that the soul, as a human being, is responsible for its actions (Kagan, 2013, p. 34). Furthermore, the present condition of the life of an individual is a reflection of their past activities. This concept further denotes that the present thoughts, decisions, and acts of an individual would determine their next

Environment impact and health risk assessment Essay

Environment impact and health risk assessment - Essay Example The problem of air pollution has increased rapidly since the onset of the industrial revolution. Factories, trains, automobiles, and planes produce tons of emissions that damage both the environment and effect the health of the general population. There is little doubt that the environment has been effected by the corrosive nature of air pollution, for example recent studies have shown that holes in the ozone layer has occurred over the Antarctic and Arctic. The effect on health is even more dramatic. The 1952 London killer smog made headlines throughout the globe. It was estimated that air pollution caused about 4,000 deaths. Carbon monoxide emissions cause apathy, fatigue, headache, disorientation and decreased muscular coordination and visual acuity. Research is underway to assess the long-term effects of chronic exposure to low levels of air pollution most people are exposed to, especially in developed countries. There may well be a link between air pollution and cancer, birth de fects, and genetic mutations. The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia â€Å"Air Pollution: Effects† Acid Rain Acid rain (and snow) impacts the environment is several ways including water, land, infrastructure and forest ecology. In lakes and rivers, acidic precipitation lowers the ph level affecting fish and other aquatic life. It also facilitates the erosion of rocks and increases metal, mostly lead in the water. People who walk in and swim in water with a relatively low ph generally suffer no ill effects. Similar to water, acid precipitation lowers the ph in soil. Some plants and crops are adversely affected by a low ph. In addition soil nutrients can leach out of the topsoil and into the groundwater and eventually into the water table. In the United States acid rain occurs virtually everywhere and is especially prevalent in industrial areas. The infrastructure is also affected by acid rain. Recently in the U. S. there have been numerous bridge and highway failures. One of the main causes is corrosion. Acid rain is a major contributor to this phenomenon. Structures of cement, limestone and marble are also susceptible to weathering enhanced by acid precipitation. Acid rain damages trees especially at high elevations. Wildlife is affected negatively. Answers.com â€Å"how does acid† There are also negative effects on human health. The pollutants that cause acid rain are the culprits. Sulfur dioxide and nitric oxides cause a myriad of health problems in humans (and animals). The sulfate and nitrate particles are inhaled and can cause lung inflammation, asthma and emphysema. Fortunately the Acid Rain Program is working toward reducing acid rain and lowering the mortality rate and hospital visits due to this pollution. EPA Home â€Å"Effects of Acid Rain† Global Warming Some people question whether there actually is global warming. It is my opinion that there definitely is. If nothing is done to stop this trend the results will be devastating an d probably irreversible. Even the skeptics cannot argue that ice is melting at the poles. Continued melting will cause an increase in the sea level. There will be other unpleasant consequences. The melting arctic tundra may be causing an increase in methane levels in the atmosphere. A mysterious spike in the methane level in the atmosphere was measured in 2007. Have you noticed the increase in severe storms? I have. Effects of Global Warming â€Å"Global Warming Effects†

Evaluating Performance of Starbucks Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Evaluating Performance of Starbucks - Case Study Example These ideas are closely connected with concepts of growth, achievements and satisfaction which help Starbucks to increase productivity and ensure stable market position. Motivational principles are based on equity theory. The theory is based on idea that "people need to feel that there is a fair balance between inputs and outputs" (Equity Theory 2007). The core of the staff works full-time in the organization while next to them or with them are employees on temporary assignments, part-time workers, and people working in joint venture settings. The result may therefore be individuals working together whose allegiances and concerns may involve differences that are highly important to Starbucks. Relationships, views, and expectations among those who are all part of one group-or who view themselves as part of the same company or as "insiders"-are different from the types of relationships and communication patterns that develop among those who view themselves as belonging to different gro ups. The aim of HR is to motivate both part-time and full-time employees and level possible differences. Equity has a great impact on satisfaction and achievements of employees. Starbucks provides provide financial and other resources for developing and implementing career programs for full-time and part-time employees, particularly programs emphasizing personal growth. They provide recognition of the frequently temporary nature of contemporary work settings while at the same time encouraging positive relationships between individuals and organizations over the long run. To achieve growth, Starbucks develops skills in the employees not previously realized and thus eventually prove beneficial to the individual and the organization. Starbucks uses such strategies as financial rewards and recognition to motivate and inspire employees of all ranks and positions. These accounts are linked to individual work patterns and individual work behavior in a more immediate manner. These plans foc us on health and welfare benefits as much as if not more than pay and pension concerns.). Equity theory can be seen as a strategy for achieving organizational growth and success rather than as a fixed cost of doing business. Also, these motivational strategies support high performance teams and influence cohesiveness and friendly atmosphere, cooperation with the workers, managers, and leaders, personal commitment and high productivity (Robbins, 2004).

Japanese Culture Essay Example for Free

Japanese Culture Essay social forces which influence the society and its values. Every culture has its own unique qualities not found in other cultures. Japan is no exception. It is culture is centered on the core values and traditions. They lead Japanese people to have different ways of looking at the world largely from differences in language and religion. Japanese culture determines specific way of living and social relations, cultural and religious views. History, Culture and Lifestyle Japanese history rises mistily out of the period known to archeologists as the Tomb or Tumulus period. During this important period Japan was unified under the imperial court of Yamato and became intimately involved with South Korea, pathway for many cultural elements of continental origin into Japan. Writing was one such element. Japan began to have historico-legendary records of its own and gradually moved from its protohistoric to the historic period. The main historical period were â€Å"Asoka period (522-710), Nara Period (710-784), Early Heian (784-897), Middle and Late Heian (897-1185), Kamacura period (1185-1336), Murimachi Period (1336-1393), Memoyama period (1573-1614), Edo Period (1615-1867), Meiji Restoration (1867-1911)† (Martines, 1998). During all historical period, Japanese lifestyle was influenced by political, economic and social changes, new perception of the world and religion. Japanese culture is based on unique traditions and values influenced by religion and life style. The Japanese learned to view the world from the perspective of traditional versus modern values after the Meiji Restoration in 1868 following the opening of Japans doors to the world. This attitudinal structure started to fall apart in 1978, and its disintegration became definite by 1988. For example, the conquering nature was an important value during the era of Japans modernization process, but it has since been replaced by the following nature. In the middle of the XX century, the traditional perspective of catching up with the West and categorizing what is Western and Japanese has become meaningless (Oxtoby 2001). While the industrialization process produced divergent values for Japan and the West, it also is responsible for the development of some homogeneous cultural values. Researchers found three levels of similarities: (1) frequency distribution of single variables, (2) similar impacts of age and gender on attitudes, and (3) similar structures in the way people categorize their experience (Oxtoby 2001). Modern Japanese lifestyle is influenced by industrialization and innovations coming from other countries. Thus, Japanese value their old traditions and rituals adapting them to new social environment. For instance, Japanese take off shoes inside the house, they pay 5% commission tax for purchases, they follow bath and toilette design according to norms and practices of century old traditions (Oxtoby 2001). In short, the Japanese self, characterized by its diffuse nature or collective orientation, represents a self who lost its space to be free of the omnipresence of the giri-ninja social network in Japanese society in return for being taken care of by its group. The strong sense of belonging to ones company and family assures one materially a comfortable life at the individual level and stability and safety at the social level, making Japan relatively free of violent crimes. Such a life is stifling and meaningless to Americans even if they must pay a high price of alienating from the rest of society (Shelley, 1992). Japan managed to keep a sense of alienation to a minimum as it industrialized and urbanized by maintaining its virtually village mentality and social network. However, the value the Japanese gain by observing the traditional code of conducts, the giri-ninjo, is material and psychological welfare, which is provided to members of Japanese society more or less equally and fairly at the individual level, and public safety, which is provided at the collective level in Japan today. Another pair of terms often used in discussing Japanese culture is tatemae and honne. The former refers to the proper role expectation as defined by society and the second to ones real inner feelings, however irrational they may be. Often, to act in accordance with giri is to act in conformity with the norm of a community (tatemae). The role language plays in culture cannot be underestimated, for it offers a way of organizing ones life experience in a particular way that is shared by its speakers but not necessarily by people in other cultures (Davies and Ikeno, 2002). Family is one of the most important social institutions which keep century old traditions and human relations. In response to the traditional call for harmony, the Japanese are expected to conform to group norms. This proclivity yields situational ethics based on flexible standards (Shelley, 1992). There are no absolute criteria by which one passes judgment. The Japanese spend a disproportionately large sum of money for socializing, as embodied in semiannual gift exchanges between friends, relatives, and colleagues and after-work drinking of working men and women among co-workers and friends. Religion In Japan, nearly 100 % of the population are Buddhists and in many cases Scientists. The Japanese are, of course, not religious in the sense that they believe in God. Christians constitute about I % of the total population. Most Japanese are not very concerned with religion. They celebrate the birth of children in accordance with the Shinto rituals and bury their dead with the help of Buddhist priests. Meanwhile, they may get married in civil ceremonies, Christian churches, or other facilities. That is perhaps what makes it possible for the Japanese to accept more than one religion at the same time, an unthinkable option for monotheistic people of the West and West Asia, accustomed as they are to dialecticism. The Japanese approach the world in a diffuse fashion or inclusively. The number of Japanese with a religious faith increases with age (Davies and Ikeno, 2002). Fewer than 10 % of the Japanese in their early twenties and about 50 % of Japanese senior citizens over sixty years of age are religious. The older one becomes, the more religious one becomes. Likewise, Japan never had any revolutions such as experienced by China, France, and the United States. Revolutions are carried out by those who believe in the total destruction of the old regime and the establishment of a radically different doctrine. The Japanese seem to be incapable of totally denying their past. They are always interested in improving (kaizen) their existing systembe it via fax machine, Buddhism, or television sets. The majority of the Japanese do not take religion very seriously from the Western perspective (Oxtoby 2001). Japanese mythology distinguishes two categories of deities, the heavenly gods and the native or territorial gods. Some myths represent the heavenly deities as descending to the land of Japan to conquer or rule its autochthonous deities. The myth of land transfer in Izumo is one instance. Two generals of the heavenly gods were dispatched to Izumo to demand of O-Kuninushi, chief of the native gods and master of the territory of Japan, that he hand over sovereignty to the heavenly gods (Oxtoby 2001).