Popular Culture free essay sample

During and after the Great Depression in Canada, the majority of people listened to Jazz or swing music. Upbeat fast paced music, that uplifted moods, despite the rough situation at the time. Among the famous Jazz musicians, Guy Lombard was the most renowned, along with his bad The Royal Canadian. The band consisted of Guys brothers, Carmen, Leerier and Victor, as well as some friends from his hometown of London, Ontario. The band was quickly Internationally recognized selling approximately 250 million photograph records.They were the first Canadians to have a #1 single on Billboards top 100. As Guys fame began to die, a 10 year old Montreal pianist by the name of Oscar Peterson was on the rise. With Guy and The Royal Canadians, its no surprise that 1930-1945 is known as the Swing Era. During this era, fashion took an interesting turn, zippers became ignored and the new craze was rayon and viscose, synthetic material. We will write a custom essay sample on Popular Culture or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Canadian fashion remained dependent on American fashion, adopting any trends and fads.The concept of flappers died down, women began to show less skin, wear longer skirts and fashion became more conservative. Gloves and nylon socks became the mall fashion craze for women in this period. For men, the most noticeable affect on fashion due to the Great Depression was the translator from bright colors to dull, black and white apparel. Suits became popular, Including the drape cut or London Drape suit, a softer, more flexible suit that was meant to enhance a mans figure.This suit was designed by Frederick Schools, the tailor of the Prince of Wales at the time. For sportswear, knickerbockers and plus-fours were dominant as opposed to the previous craze of trousers. Knickerbockers were a cross between modern day shorts and sweatpants. They were baggy, soft trousers that went to a mans knees and were considered ideal for physical activity. Plus fours were similar to knickerbockers, however, they extended four inches below the knees, hence the name.

Importance of Accountability in Health care Essay Example

Importance of Accountability in Health care Essay Example Importance of Accountability in Health care Paper Importance of Accountability in Health care Paper The accountability concept in health care industry includes three essential components namely the loci of accountability, its domains and procedures. Additionally, the loci of accountability in the health care industry may consist of different parties which may be held responsible or hold others responsible. In the accountability domains, parties may also be held answerable for various activities like capability, ethical and legal conduct, financial feat, community benefit, promotion of public health and access adequacy (Emanuel Emanuel, 1996, pp. 229-239). Accountability procedures entail both formal and informal procedures geared towards assessing compliance and distribution of the compliance and reaction by the parties in charge of accountability. Therefore accountability in health care entails individuals responsible for various activities and who answer or justify for their actions based on specific questions of interest that may be raised by concerned parties (Emanuel Emanuel, 1996, pp. 229-239). Accountability: is it important? Accountability ensures a high quality health care which is readily available at an affordable cost and without long waits. Many individual patients as a result will also feel that their health care needs are met despite the patients’ socio economic status. Moreover, other services like cross discipline coordination, proactive management, risk management, long term quality care and preventive care may also be improved on as a result of accountability (American College of Physicians, 2008, pp. 55-75). Additionally, accountability is important in an organization as it equips a health organization with personal and professional resources which can be used to respond to internal and external needs. Subsequently, this helps in ensuring mutual support and promotes growth and learning of staff members. With a good management in place, a good working environment and is enhanced and which leads to satisfaction of patients as well as staff members. Attention to security is enhanced as well as ensuring well management of predictable risk and crisis within the health care organization (Grandi Rubinelli, pp. 1-8). Measuring employee accountability in the health care industry Measurement of employee accountability and performance has become gradually popular in the health care system as a result of the gradual expansion in the health care industry. As a result, employee performance is in most cases measured is assessed and reported publicly. This performance can be measured by use of hospital plan report cards as well as employee profiles where a consistent set of performance measures are used for guidance in the evaluation and measuring process (Ullman Spoeri, 1997, pp. 726-732). Additionally, employee accountability can also be measured through conducting a member satisfaction survey where satisfaction ratings may be used to ensure objectivity and comparability of the performance. What is more, accountability may also be done by enforcing professional standards through consultations, case reviews, hospital privileges reviews among others (Ullman Spoeri, 1997, pp. 726-732). As well, employee answerability may also be measured through pay for performance and which will target the performance, quality, efficiency and patient satisfaction (Rowe, 2006, pp. 695-696). Checks and balance process in a successful organization In a successful organization, a checks and balance process first eliminates all the unnecessary middlemen in the healthcare delivery line such that the healthcare services are maintained at low rates while the patient-physician relationship is also maintained. This implies that in a successful organization, the regulations laid down by the government agencies as well as insurance companies are usually reviewed and streamlined. What is more, a checks and balances system in a successful organization regulates its own activities exclusively with minimal intrusion from government agencies and without facilitation from insurance companies (Bolte, 2008). How accountability affects an organization’s working culture Accountability tends to affect the working culture of an organization by promoting humanity, the principles of dignity, promoting a good corporate image and creating awareness of a staff member doing his work. Moreover, accountability affects relations of all individuals within the organization by ensuring that they work as a team where other factors like mutual support, growth and learning is also enhanced. As a result of enhanced relations, a good working environment is promoted which leads to an enjoyment in give-and-take relationships within staff to staff and staff to community (Grandi Rubinelli, 2008, pp. 1-8). Maintaining a positive working culture and avoid a working culture of blame A working culture involves a specific way of life during a work day by following certain norms and standards of a company. A positive working culture can be maintained by acknowledging people’s accomplishments through rewards, tolerance for risk and change, ensuring that all individuals operate within their areas of responsibility in an organization. A positive working culture may also be maintained through emotional support of the staff, through mutual accountability, interpersonal communication and sociability and open opportunities for growth to all staff members (Evan Carmichael, 2008). A working culture of blame can be avoided by examining ones vulnerability to blame which subsequently helps in analyzing the areas of blame that may lead to a rise in predictable crises. Blame occurs where management is negligent or uncaring. Despite being at fault, one needs to be ready to diffuse and minimize their potential of blame as the blame may have devastating consequences to the company. Blame can also be avoided by doing the right thing and handling crisis management well (Blythe, 2003).

Hitler and the crime against humanity Research Paper

Hitler and the crime against humanity - Research Paper Example Crimes against humanity are described as offenses that are abhorrent in nature, which affects the dignity of a human being. It is grave humiliation or degradation of one or more human beings at the same time. Such events are either part of some government policy or they might be a wide practice of atrocities tolerated or ignored by the government. However, these are not isolated or sporadic events. If acts such as murder, extermination, torture, rape, political, racial or religious persecution are a part of widespread practice, then only they are considered as the crimes against humanity.In other words, crimes against humanity are attacks, which are widespread and systematic on the civilian population, irrespective of the fact whether people are nationals or non-nationals. In addition, irrespective of the fact whether the crimes are committed in times of peace or war. These crimes are such, which are against the humanity, and such that they violate the human values and rights. Accord ing the international law ‘war crimes’ and ‘genocide’ fall in the same category as ‘crimes against humanity’ (Holocaust, genocide and crimes against humanity, pp 7-8). A systematic, state sponsored, persecution and slaughter of round about 6 million Jews and many other ethnic, secular and religious groups by the Nazi regime under Adolf Hitler is popularly known as the Holocaust.Among the six million Jews, two-thirds of the total European Jewish population and two-fifths of the Jews in the entire world were slaughtered. Among the other nationalities which suffered under the holocaust, there were the Poles, Czechs, Greeks, Gypsies, Serbs, Ukrainians, Russians, homosexuals, mentally and physically challenged, trade unionists, prisoners of war, Jehovah witnesses and many others. It was because of the perceived racial inferiority that most of the people suffered. Adolf Hitler Germany was ruled by Adolf Hitler from 1933-1945. He governed as a dictato r. In 1939, Germany was turned into a powerful machine by Adolf Hitler and started World War II. In 1945 before he was defeated, he conquered most of the Europe Death was spread by Hitler as it was never spread by anyone.’ Close your eyes to pity, Act brutally!’ is what he told his soldiers. People who went against him were ordered to be executed or thrown into prison. If his orders were even resisted by one person, an entire family or at times hundreds of people of a town would be shot dead by his troops. Hitler had something against the Jews. He hated the Jewish people and he ordered them wiped out in countries that he controlled. There were numerous concentration camps set by the Hitler in which 6 million Jews and millions of other people were murdered. Before being murdered, many of these victims were tortured or starved to death. Many even died due to various diseases. Hitler wanted to be a priest when he was a young boy and he sang in a church choir. He hated Chr istianity as an adult and he believed that it was a religion for weaklings. Adolf Hitler started to get power and rise in power in 1919. This was in the year, when there was an end to World War 1. In the war, the old German Empire had been defeated. This led the economy of the country to lie in ruins. A small group of men had organized the National Socialist German Workers’ Party of whom Hitler became the leader. The members of the party were known as the Nazis. Hitler infiltrated a ray of hope among his followers that he can win back Germany’s past glory. He promised that he would rebuild Germany into an empire, which would be mighty and would last a thousand years. Hitler threatened to wage a war and lied to gain territory of Europe after he became the dictator of Germany. Leaders of countries such as the Great Britain, France and others tried to prevent the war. They did this so that Hitler can have his way at first. When Hitler’s hunger for power increased t hese countries joined to fight him. Hitler was famously known to be

DEPENDS ON WHAT YOU WRITE IT ON Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

DEPENDS ON WHAT YOU WRITE IT ON - Essay Example The revolution in Russia that occurred in 1917 has a central place in the history of the world as well, the history of states that fall within the league of Baltic nations. These constitute Lithuania and Latvia as well as Estonia. The people of the Baltic nations also played a central role in the revolution of 1917, with significant stress on the Bolsheviks in Latvia, who primarily constituted a significant majority of the famous Red Guards that made it their duty to take side with the Bolsheviks in Russia which was absolutely critical at the initial times of the revolution. In the earlier revolution periods in 1905, which was the pioneer revolution in Russia, peasants that were scattered all over the Baltic states took advantage of the Russian Revolution to aggress against their leaders. At given varied moments in history, peasants from Latvia as well as Estonia had been under the rule of the Tsarist regime in Russia, the Swedish kingdom as well as the nobility in German. Peasants in Lithuania had been under the rule of Russia and prior to that, the Kingdom of Poland (1569-1791). The peasants in the ruled states took advantage of the revolution in Russia to control their destiny in their respective states by agitating for establishment of self rule. Despite this fact, the revolution did not lead into immediate independence as they had to wait until the period ranging from 1918-1940 for independence. The people that formed the citizenry of Baltic States which primarily are the present Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia, had been under the manacles of serfdom that characterised their existence from periods that traced back from the twelfth century to the entire 19th century. The Baltic region has in history formed ground for confrontation. The most notable of its rulers were the nobility in Germany as well as Poland, Sweden as well as the Tsarist regime in Russia. A significant majority of the Baltic Population that constituted Lithuanians, Estonians and Latvians

Between the Birksian theory and the traditional approach in the Dissertation

Between the Birksian theory and the traditional approach in the English law of Unjust Enrichment - Dissertation Example It is necessary to create delineation between the possible remedies that the law offers in case of financial loss, or the enrichment of one-party beyond a reasonable measure of proportionality. The development of this principle throughout the centuries will be touched upon in this analysis, as well as the simplification of the legal landscape regarding unjust enrichment based on the principle of "absence of basis". Unjust enrichment is connected with the principle of restitution, which stands opposed to the principle of compensation. It is a matter of a remedy based upon the gain of one-party, or a remedy based upon loss to another party. RESTITUTION A court-ordered attempt to make restitution requires the offending party to surrender gains into the hands of the plaintiff/claimant. (The defendant must grant reparations to an aggrieved party in response to a loss which has occurred in a manner for which the defendant is found to be liable. The benefits or financial advantages accrued by the defendant are restored to the plaintiff based on an understanding of a legitimate claim to said benefits. In the case of contractual obligations the value of funds or properties included in the contract that will be included in the restitution judgment. Another situation in which restitution is appropriate would be the vindication of property rights which have been abrogated by some action – or failure to take action on part of the defendant. (Graham, 2006). Issues of restitution pertaining to unjust enrichment often hinge upon whether a contract exists in reality, or whether it is simply implied in assumpsit as an outgrowth of other legal processes. Situations or countries where implied contractual obligations are nonbinding challenge the premise of restitution or unjust enrichment. Here the principal issue becomes one of misrepresentation of the legal obligations and subsequent remedies mandated under principles of restitution. (Indian Contract Law, 1872) COMPENSATIO N Compensation represents payment for damages as deemed appropriate by the court. Damages can take the form of injuries or violations of duties based upon pre-existing legal obligations, or as a result of tort law. A principal difference between the gain in based restitution and loss-based compensation is that restitution would require reparation for gains that should otherwise have been shared by the defendant. Where compensation is required, and expectation of gain need not exist – all that is acquired is the ability to demonstrate that actions (or negligence) on part of the defendant was directly attributable to injury, loss, or harm suffered by the plaintiff/claimant. Compensation is also appropriate in cases of breach of contract. If the defendant enters into a binding agreement to utilize the products or services of another party, and that secondary party is required to expend funds or resources in response to work that does not occur as ordered, or a purchase that is n ot perceived as agreed, then damages are appropriate. The claimant could have undertaken agreement with other parties, and the expenditure of resources without agreed-upon compensation involves the loss of those resources without the promised revenue. Where compensation is appropriate, the defendant need not necessarily have profited themselves, as would be the

MAS holdings: An overview

MAS holdings: An overview MAS Holdings is a large apparel manufacturer in Sri Lanka, whose partners are also some other well-known fashion brands in the world including Victoria Secret, Gap, Inc., Nike etc., as introduced by Watson and Story (2006). Its About us website also states that MAS is now a giant in South Asian in undergarment and sportswear manufacturing industry with more than USD 700 million of revenue every year. The companys history was described thoroughly by Watson and Story (2006), from which a number of reasons for its success could be figured out. However, the factors standing out from those reasons were from its management activities. This assignment is going to analyse the above aspects with the MAS case study by Watson and Story (2006). The first thing to be discussed is how the MASs manager helped it flourish. In this case, the roles of a manager in the general context of business should be considered. According to Mintzberg (1973) in Boddy (2008), there are 10 roles for a manager to play in total. Those roles are divided into 3 main categories: informational roles, interpersonal roles and decisional roles then described by Mintzberg (1973) in Boddy (2008). Informational roles are required from managers for the information inside and outside of the organisation to be received and transferred. This includes monitor (finding and acquiring information), disseminator (passing the information acquired) and spokesperson (passing the information to out of the company). Interpersonal roles are required from managers to build and maintain relationships between people in the company and also with people outside, which comprise of figurehead (representing the organisation in formal events), leader (making people do their jobs and help them to improve) and liaison (networking between the business and its stakeholders). Decisional roles are required for managers to make right decisions for the firm including entrepreneur (creating new things, making significant changes, catching opportunities and indicating development routes), disturbance handler (solving accidental problems or changes), resource allocator (distributing the resources of the organisation to the right sector with the right amount and in the right time) and negotiator (convincing the stakeholders). Mintzberg (1973) suggested in Boddy (2008) that every manager plays all of these roles, however the priority of each role may vary depending on his/her position. In the case study of MAS by Watson and Story (2006), there were a variety of evidences supporting the application of the above roles. Firstly, the informational roles could be proved by the way the production line was supervised: The supervisors walk through each cluster of machines, making notes. They sync their Palm Pilots to the central database to post their lines current efficiency and productivity numbers on the electronic boards overhead. (Watson and Story (2006), page 5), which showed the monitor and disseminator roles. With this method, the production management of MAS became very professional that enabled itself and its partner to continuously track the production progress and make changes when necessary to increase efficiency or to meet the new demand, while creating a good image for MAS as a reliable manufacturer. On the other hand, the interpersonal roles were proved mainly by leadership. In this aspect, the MASs managers, especially the Amaleans who chose follow an ethi cal business concept, attempted to motivate the employees by a very high-quality working environment and by the provision of life supports, training, education, as well as promotion prospects, which helped some exemplary persons like TNS Kumari to noticeably change their poor lives. As a result, this again created another good image for MAS, this time as a business doing the right thing (not the sweatshops bias in apparel industry at that time), attracted more local talent who tend to seek opportunities overseas and maintain strong relationships between the company and employees, which were important for further development. Last but not least, the decisional roles were proved mainly by entrepreneurship. The entrepreneurship of MASs managers is illustrated through the fact that the Amaleans started their own business, created new units (two IT branches, an own brand Amante in 2007 as introduced in Amante page on MAS Website) looked for and caught opportunities (creating joint ventur es with several famous fashion brands then learn from them the modern technology and business practice) and decided the paths of development (concentrating on lingerie manufacturing, reaching high technology by partnership with Speedo). These were some of the major decisions that boost MASs growth from a USD 6 million annual revenue firm in 1990 to an over USD 570 million annual revenue one in 2005, according to Exhibit 2, page 18 in Watson and Story (2006). The second topic of this assignment is the management approach. As Worthington and Britton (2009) said, in the general business context, there are 3 main approaches: classical approach, human relations approach and systems approach. According to Worthington and Britton (2009), the classical approach is based on scientific management and bureaucracy, which were studied by Taylor (1856-1915) and Weber (1864-1920) respectively. The former means increasing productivity by the one best way to do the job and by rewarding employees financially toward the common achievement of the organisation. The latter insists on the formality of the organisation (the hierarchy). Next, the human relations approach, instead, focuses on the people, the social and psychological effects on their performance including motivations, leadership, communications and group dynamics and the informal relationships in the formal environment, which was early studied by Elton Mayo (1880-1949). Lastly, the systems approac h views the organisation as a collection of different correlative sections and if a change occurs with one section, the other sections will also have to change accordingly in order that the overall performance will not be undermined. This approach is considered to appear later and to be more complex than the two first ones. In the MAS case study by Watson and Story (2006), in respect of the definitions of different management approaches above, the human relation approach appeared to be most considerable. This approach was obviously supported by the concept of an ethical business in combination with several extra benefits which gives MASs employees a lot of incentives. Consequently, in the case study, it was mentioned that despite the cost of this business practice: Even Sharad, the former CFO, thought that payback came in different forms: employees who embraced the company culture, higher productivity, lower downtime. At this point, the level of employees satisfaction should be measured, which can be done by Maslow needs hierarchy in Worthington and Britton (2009). There are 5 levels in this hierarchy: physiological, safety, love, esteem and self-actualisation. As can be seen from the case study, most of these motives of MASs workers were met. For physiological needs, they were working in well-designed factories, able to have free breakfast and lunch as well as to use the on-site medical centre. For safety, the well-designed factories and the medical centre also gave a hand, in addition to the abuse-free working environment and the right to stop the production line when there are troubles. For love, the strong relationships had been built between the employees and the company itself, the employees and managers and the employees with each other through the friendly working environment and many extra activities. For esteem, the workers were assured that they were working in an ethical business with high labour standard and they also had chances to participate in MAS Women Go Beyond programme. For self-actualisation, they were able to attend different kinds of classes or training and to have promotion opportunities. These examples made the human relations approach in MAS evident. In conclusion, the prosperity of MAS was notably influenced by the proper of different management theories, of which the most outstanding are the roles of managers and the human relations approach. While the roles of managers were well played in MAS and help sharply strengthen the business, the human relations approach did that from the very inside of the firm: the satisfaction of each of the people working for it. MAS would still need these advantages for its further development and the way it runs might be a notable example for other companies. REFERENCE: About us [n.d Online] MAS Holdings. Available: http://www.masholdings.com/ [Accessed 11 November 2009]. Amante [n.d Online] MAS Holdings. Available: http://www.masholdings.com/ [Accessed 11 November 2009]. Boddy, D. (2008) Management: An Introduction. 4th ed. Harlow: Pearson Education. Watson, N. and Story, J. (2006) MAS Holdings: Strategic Corporate Social Responsibility in the Apparel Industry. INSEAD. Worthington, I. and Britton, C. (2009) The Business Environment. 6th ed. Harlow: Pearson Education.

We Must Stop Global Warming Essay -- Climate Change, 2015

"The most important thing about global warming is this....it's everyone's responsibility to leave this planet in better shape for the future generations than we found it." -- Mike Huckabee Over and over, skeptics, regulation-weary industries, and politically minded scientists have done their best to dispute the fact that the change in global temperature is not a natural occurrence. However, after decades of research and speculations, the advancement of technology has allowed us to prove that, without a doubt, climate change is occurring and that we are the ones responsible for this change. One of the most famous representations depicting anthropogenic contribution to global warming is the Keeling Curve. This curve shows the annual readings of CO2 from Mauna Loa,Hawaii since 1958 (read more at http://scrippsco2.ucsd.edu/history_legacy/early_keeling_curve). Alright, so we are causing climate change†¦now what? Every person on earth is in some way responsible for global warming, but who will be responsible for making it stop? There is no way for us to tackle this issue in an in...

Dell’s Business Ethics

Dell Inc’s Business Ethics Gwynedd-Mercy College Abstract Business Ethics is a very important part of having and running a successful business. Your business ethics consist of the behavior that a business adheres to in daily dealings within the world. There are a few key components that are covered under the business ethical umbrella within the Dell Computer Corporation they are as follows: Corporate Social Responsibility, Corporate Governance, Environmental Responsibility and Corporate Accountability. These key components are what make Dell Inc. successful company within the computer industry. Dell Inc’s Business Ethics. Dell Inc. is one of the largest computer manufactures in the world and they have grown tremendously over the years. Their evolving business strategy combines their revolutionary direct customer model with new distribution channels to reach commercial customers and individual consumers around the world. Dell’s Direct Model business approach is la rgely responsible for the success of the company, it provides a fast cost-efficient and customer friendly means of production and distribution (Dell, 2009). Since this market is ever changing, competitors are challenging Dell with new and unique products in effort to overcome the superiority of the Direct Model. The growth and development of the laptop computers is a primary area in which Dell Inc. can work for continued success, despite the threat posed by its competitors. Dell initiates the latest and appropriate technology much more promptly and efficiently than any other computer company (Dell, 2010). Also, Dell’s refined strategy to building an adequate infrastructure establishes market creditability against its better-known rivals. Their approach to the computer industry had two advantages: First they wanted to bypass distributors and retail dealers which will eliminate markups of resellers, and second building to order greatly reduced to the cost and risks associated with carrying large stocks of parts, components and finished goods (Dell, 2009). Business Ethics Business ethics is a personal moral manner where people try to decipher right and wrong within their daily and organizational lives. With the terms â€Å"business† and â€Å"ethics† put together can create a more powerful influential understanding of cultural beliefs of what is important to you on the judgments that are made of good or bad behavior. Dell Inc’s business ethics consist of its Global Ethics and Compliance Team (Dell, 2010). This team initiates education and awareness to all of Dell’s employees on highlighted issues such as privacy and data protection, workplace conduct, and gifts and entertainment. This team also delivers consistent training to prepare all the employees for effectively, legally and safely performing their jobs on a daily bases. Dell has two mandatory training courses for all employees: Winning with Integrity which is the Code of Conduct overview of the company and Information Security Polices and Standards. Employees are also encouraged to complete three additional global ethics courses: Dell Corporate Governance, Records Management, and the newly developed Privacy and Data Protection Awareness. Dell’s code of conduct adheres to the values and beliefs of the Soul of Dell. The Soul of Dell is accompanied by five core elements Customers, The Dell Team, Direct Relationship, Global Citizenship and Winning. These core elements/values define what kind of company they are and have become. Ethically Dell is indeed committed to understanding and respecting the laws, values and cultures wherever they do business. Profitability growing in all markets while promoting a healthy business climate globally contributes positively in every community that they call home both personally and organizationally. Ethical Umbrella Corporate Social Responsibility Corporate Social Responsibility also known as CSR is the actions of an organization that are targeted toward achieving a social benefit over and above maximizing profits for its shareholders and meeting all its legal obligations (Ghillyer, 2010, p. 78). It can also be referred to operating a business in a manner that accounts for social and environmental impact created by the business. Corporate Social Responsibility at Dell Inc. s about demonstrating through action their values of corporate citizenship. In the itinerary of the integration of economic, social and environmental responsibility into everything they do and ensuring diversity remains a Dell cornerstone. Dell has a full-time commitment to being a responsible corporate citizen. It’s a commitment driven by the types of goals, strategies and accountabilities that characterize every part our business. And it’s one that persists through all business cycles (Dell, 20 10). Dell focuses on the ideals of environmental responsibility, corporate responsibility and the social responsibility to further strengthen the beliefs of addressing issues will support the realization of financial goals and can be critical to their long-term corporate achievement. Dell must continue to grow responsibly protecting their natural resources and practicing sustainability in all its forms and improve the communities where they live and work through their financial and volunteer efforts. Their commitment to social responsibility is about making a meaningful difference and seeking innovative ways to help others through their technology resources and employees by partnering with non-governmental organizations to address some of the key issues facing our world today. Corporate Accountability Integrity to inspire trust is Dell’s corporate accountability. They succeed when they earn the utmost trust and respect from their customers through the actions and innovations of the company. Ethics and integrity is built into their key corporate growth, which encourages people to accept the responsibility and enables then to take actions. The undisclosed key to Dell’s corporate accountability is the pride that the employees take in the company. Within that it is more than just simple meeting all the compliance requirements and following the rules it is about creating a culture that people can simply act with integrity. Corporate Governance The Board of Directors and management team have jointly responsibility, thics and integrity at Dell Inc. In that regard, the Board expects each director, as well as each member of the senior management, to lead by example in a culture that emphasizes trust, integrity, honesty, judgment, respect managerial courage and responsibility. Moreover, the Board also expects each director and each member of senior management to ac ethically at all times and adheres to polices as well as the spirit, expressed in Dell’s Code of Condu ct. The Board will not permit any waiver of any ethics for any director of executive officer. Corporate governance is also the commitment to the achievement of business success and the enhancement of long-term stockholder value with the highest standards of integrity and ethics. Primarily the success is an approach to corporate governance that will extend beyond simple compliance with the authorized necessities. Environmental Responsibility Dell Inc. aspires to be the greenest technology company on the planet. They dare to motivate by engaging with others and sharing what they have learned. They strive to innovate by improving the efficiency and design of their products. Dell’s greatest innovation is their leadership. They realized that a top-notch management strategy would not fulfill Michael Dell’s goal. In addition, it would propel Dell’s vision into everyday workings of their business. S. W. O. T. Analysis One of Dell’s greatest strengths in targeting the business executive category is that roughly 75% of all sales revenue comes from large businesses and government organizations. Dell has already established relationships with large companies, and this provides most of their business. These companies pass the relationship on through their employees, providing them with Dell products. Dell has a considerable weakness in targeting the college student segment of the market. This is due to the fact that only 5% of Dell’s total sales revenue currently comes from educational institutions such as colleges. Unlike Dell’s business customers, Dell lacks a large amount of relationships with educational institutions. Many students purchase their PC’s through their schools, Dell is clearly not in a position to take advantage of the college at this time. Their greatest weakness is that buyers can not physically touch or see the product that they want to purchase. The Direct Model provides many great opportunities, however the disadvantage is that customer cannot go to retailers and try a few different products and go home with a computer all in one visit. The thing that differentiates Dell from its competitors is customization. Many computer buyers are suspicious of a product that they can’t personally examine before purchasing. Moreover, an anxious buyer would have to wait a number of days before their computer was delivered. Personal computers are being purchases and used more than ever before. The market for laptops, in particular, is growing much faster than that of the desktop computers. This general trend lends itself as a great opportunity for Dell’s laptop business to grow in all segments. Another opportunity for a; the targeted segments relates to the first trend that was mentioned. Customers are becoming more educated about personal computers, as an increasing number of them are second-time buyers. Consumers who have purchased computers in the past know what they want, and Dell can cater to them. The Direct Model can provide the framework for customers to make truly personalized computers in a qualified hassle-free environment. Increased communication and technological integration also create great opportunities for Dell. Customers can now go on the Internet to personalize their computer, place an order, or just simply get information. This is more efficient and effective for both Dell and the customer, and its benefits are many. In such a volatile market as personal computers, threats are great and many. Because of the ever changing nature of the computer industry, companies are constantly being challenged to produce higher quality, lower priced products, and do it faster and more efficiently than the competition. One to Dell primary external threats is that the prices between brands are getting smaller all the time. Dell’s Direct Model benefits the consumer in many ways, one of which is cost savings. Now that other companies are finding ways to combat the low costs of Dell, they can to pass along savings to their customers. As a result, price differential is becoming less of an issue, if not nonexistent, for buyers. Many of Dell’s competitors are therefore becoming closer substitutes. Another serious threat is simply that the growth rate of the computer industry is slowing. At this current time, Dell owns a greater market share than any of its competitors throughout the world. However, as the market slows down, competition for market shares will intensify. Companies will have to work harder than ever before to distinguish their brand from substitutes. If a company has trouble differentiating its brand from its competitors, they will find it hard to hold a significant market share. Finally, the face pace of technological advancement, while being a tremendous opportunity, is also a great threat. The newest, fastest, most efficient technology and most durable, user-friendly products are going to sell. If the company fails to keep up-to-date with innovations in technology, they will quickly see decline in performance. Conclusion With the competitive advantage that Dell Inc. has they have a product that every consumer and organization wants. Besides the fact that Dell is the preferred desktop and laptop of enterprises in the United States and Europe and winning more than 400 product awards in 2007, Dell is a company that believes in what they are doing and will stop at nothing to become the best in the computer industry. The current market trends in the personal computer industry, for laptops in particular, are being driven by ever changing consumer needs, wants, and demands. As a result, companies like Dell Computer Corporation are forced into constant state of adaption in order to satisfy their customers. By taking full advantage of their strengths, paying close attention to their weaknesses, and identifying both opportunities and threats from the macro-environment, this company can position themselves as significant shareholders in an intensely competitive market. References About Dell. (n. d. ). Retrieved June 29, 2010, from http://content. dell. com/us/en/corp/about-dell. aspx? c=us&l=en&s=corp Corporate Responsibility. (n. d. ). Retrieved June 29, 2010, from http://content. dell. com/us/en/corp/cr. aspx Ghillyer, A. W. , (2010) Business Ethics: A Real World Approach. New York, NY: The McGraw-Hill Companies. Sliver, R. , (2002) the 21st Century Executive: Innovative practices for building leadership at the top, San Francisco, Jossey Bass.

The Three Musketeers Book Report Profile

The Three Musketeers Book Report Profile The first step in writing an excellent book report is reading the book and marking interesting phrases or notable features in the margins. You should use active reading skills to retain the most from the text. Your book report should contain all of the following, in addition to the plot summary. Title and Publication The Three Musketeers was written in 1844. It was published in serial form in the French magazine, Le Siecle over the course of 5 months. The novel’s current publisher is Bantam Books, New York. Author Alexandre Dumas Setting The Three Musketeers is set in 17th century France during the reign of Louis XIII. The story takes place predominantly in Paris, but the protagonist’s adventures take him across the French countryside and as far as England. Though the novel is based on historical information, and many of the events, such as the siege of New Rochelle, really occurred, Dumas has taken artistic liberties with many of the characters. It should not be looked at as a factual account of this period. Instead, the novel should be recognized as a fine example of the genre of Romance. Characters D’Artagnan, the protagonist, a poor but intelligent Gascon who has come to Paris to join The Musketeers and make his fortune. Athos, Porthos, Aramis, the Musketeers for whom the novel is named. These men become D’Artagnan’s closest friend and share in his adventures, his successes, and his failures.Cardinal Richelieu, the second most powerful man in France, the Cardinal is the enemy of D’Artagnan and the Musketeers and the chief antagonist of the novel. He is great statesman and strategist but is driven by a need for control to commit devious acts designed to advance his own cause.Anne de Breuil (Lady de Winter, Milady), an agent of the Cardinal and a woman devoured by greed and bent on vengeance. She becomes a particular enemy of D’Artagnan.Count de Rochefort, the first enemy D’Artagnan makes and an agent of the Cardinal. His destiny is closely tied to that of D’Artagnan. Plot The novel follows D’Artagnan and his friends through several court intrigues and amorous encounters. These accounts are entertaining adventures that not only advance the plot but, perhaps more importantly, describe the fundamentals of court society as well as revealing character. As the story develops, its focus narrows to center on the struggle between Milady and D’Artagnan; the heart of the story is the war waged between good and evil. D’Artagnan and his friends, even considering their immoral actions, are cast as protectors of King and Queen while Milady and the Cardinal represent consummate evil. Questions to Ponder The questions to follow will help you detect important themes and ideas in the novel: Structure of the novel: This book was first published as a serial. How may that have dictated the exposition of the plot?Dumas engages his readers by addressing them directly throughout the novel. What reasons might the author have had for doing this, and how does it affect the overall success of the story? Consider the conflict between individuals: How do D’Artagnan and his friends differ from what we expect of our heroes?Can you find any sympathy for Milady? Why or why not? Examine the traditional roles of this society: What is chivalry?Dumas tells his readers that â€Å"Our modern ideas of pride had not yet come into fashion.† How is the morality of this time different from our own?How does life at court drive the characters toward their destinies? Possible First Sentences Consider these examples as possible first sentences for your book report: â€Å"The genre of Romance always contains the thematic elements of love and chivalry and The Three Musketeers is no exception.†Ã¢â‚¬Å"Milady is a woman centuries ahead of her time.†Ã¢â‚¬Å"Friendship is the most valuable asset one can possess.†

Folkways, Mores, Taboos, and Laws

Folkways, Mores, Taboos, and Laws The social norm, or simply norm, is arguably the most important concept in sociology. Sociologists believe that norms govern our lives by giving us implicit and explicit guidance on what to think and believe, how to behave, and how to interact with others. We learn norms in a variety of settings and from various people, including our family, our teachers and peers at school, and members of the media. There are four key types of norms, with differing levels of scope and reach, significance and importance, and methods of enforcement. These norms are, in order of increasing significance, folkways, mores, taboos, and laws. Folkways Early American sociologist William Graham Sumner was the first to write about the distinctions between different types of norms in his book Folkways: A Study of the Sociological Importance of Usages, Manners, Customs, Mores, and Morals (1906). Sumner created the framework that sociologists still use today. Folkways, he wrote, are norms that stem from and organize casual interactions, and emerge out of repetition and routines. We engage in them to satisfy our daily needs, and they are most often unconscious in operation, though they are quite useful for the ordered functioning of society. A common example of a folkway is the practice, in many societies, of waiting in line. This practice brings order to the process of buying things or receiving services, allowing us to more easily perform the tasks of our daily lives. Other examples of folkways include the concept of appropriate dress, the practice of raising ones hand to take turns speaking in a group, and the practice of civil inattention- when we politely ignore others around us in public settings. Folkways mark the distinction between rude and polite behavior, so they exert a form of social pressure that encourages us to act and interact in certain ways. However, they do not have moral significance, and there are rarely serious consequences or sanctions for violating them. Mores Mores are more strict than folkways, as they determine what is considered moral and ethical behavior; they structure the difference between right and wrong. People feel strongly about mores, and violating them typically results in disapproval or ostracizing. As such, mores exact a greater coercive force in shaping our values, beliefs, behavior, and interactions than do folkways. Religious doctrines are an example of mores that govern social behavior. For example, many religions have prohibitions on cohabitating with a romantic partner before marriage. If a young adult from a strict religious family moves in with her boyfriend, her family, friends, and congregation are likely to view her behavior as immoral. They might punish her behavior by scolding her, threatening judgment in the afterlife, or shunning her from their homes and the church. These actions are meant to indicate that her behavior is immoral and unacceptable, and are designed to make her change  her behavior to align with the violated more. The belief that forms of discrimination and oppression, like racism and sexism, are unethical is another example of an important more in many societies today. Taboos A taboo is a very strong negative norm; it is a prohibition of certain behavior that is so strict that violating it results in extreme disgust and even expulsion from the group or society. Often times the violator of the taboo is considered unfit to live in that society. For instance, in some Muslim cultures, eating pork is taboo because the pig is considered unclean. At the more extreme end, incest and cannibalism are both considered taboos in most places. Laws A law is a norm that is formally inscribed at the state or federal level  and is enforced by police or other government agents. Laws exist to discourage behavior that would typically result in injury or harm to another person, including violations of property rights.Those who enforce laws have been given legal right by a government to control behavior for the good of society at large. When someone violates a law, a state authority will impose a sanction, which can be as light as a payable fine or as severe as imprisonment.

English Composition II Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

English Composition II Assignment - Essay Example 2. Adler explains that there are three definitions when it comes to describing a person who owns a book. These persons are described as: The first has all the standard sets and bestsellers -- unread, untouched. (This deluded individual owns woodpulp and ink, not books. ) The second has a great many books, a few of them read through, most of them dipped into, but all of them as clean and shiny as the day they were bought. (This person would probably like to make books his own, but is restrained by a false respect for their physical appearance.) The third has a few books or many -- every one of them dog eared and dilapidated, shaken and loosened by continual use, marked and scribbled in from front to back. (This man owns books.) (â€Å"Active Reading Assignments† 82) I would like to consider myself an avid reader in this case because I find myself in agreement with Adler regarding his definition of book owners. I would consider my book owning rights to fall under the third type, that of the dog eared and dilapidated book reader because my collection of books stems all the way from my childhood. The books obvioisly changing color within their pages and little â€Å"ex libris† notes and the like scribbled around it in my hand writing. Normally my notes refers to little things that I want to remember from the book I am reading such as words of wisdom and the like. So yes, I would have to agree with Adler in this case. A true book owner is one who can glean knowledge from the pages he reads and then makes an effort to remember this words or pages in one way or another for future reference. 3. It is my belief that the literacy event that Douglass refers to in his essay is that of his mistress opening his mind to the wonders of reading by teaching him the alphabet. This act of help on the part of his once fair and just mistress allowed him the opportunity to become a literate slave even though she did her best to confine the growth of his mind and his con sciousness about the state of his life within a controllable parameter. 4. The revelation that Douglass has within the essay is that his lot in life was something that was not if his own choosing but rather a situation that was thrust upon him because of the way that his people were stolen from Africa and forced into servitude as slaves to the White Man. It made his hate the White Man for the way they were being treated and made Douglass yearn for a life of freedom and equality with the White Man. His thoughts turned to the abolition of slavery and the what if's in life that he could experience from such a move. 5. Reading Adler's essay helped me better understand that Douglass was not a pretend book owner but rather a true book owner who had â€Å"dogged ears and dilapidated pages† within the books (â€Å"Active Reading† 83) that he managed to hide away from his masters and read while he was â€Å"running errands and having lessons with the White children† (â⠂¬Å"Active Reading 89). Douglass took the little opportunities that he had to read and learn as a chance to further his intellect by taking note of certain key words and phrases in the book â€Å"The Orator†, the piece of literary work that helped open up his mind to the plight of the people who were then termed as Negro. He took serious consideration of the discussions being presented and used other resource materials in order to find out the meaning of other key words such as â€Å"abolition† and he took great pains to understand the meaning

Measles and the two vaccination shots given to ensure the child will Essay

Measles and the two vaccination shots given to ensure the child will never catch Measles - Essay Example Another unique feature of AAI is that it improves upon repeated exposure (Levinson and Jawetz 353). Vaccines are preventive agents that contain viral molecules to activate the AAI, so that when the virus is encountered in the environment, large amounts of specific antibodies are already present to act against it. Both humoral and cell-mediated immunity play a role in developing AAI (Levinson and Jawetz 353). This writing tries to explain the reasons behind the timing and the number of dosages of vaccines, particularly measles and diphtheria-pertussis-tetanus vaccines. In particular, basics on immune response and immunization are provided, before a detailed discussion on vaccines is given. Although their mechanisms are different, innate immunity and AAI interact with each other for optimal response against a potential infection. The non-specific innate immunity is responsible for the engulfment of foreign molecules by macrophages or other antigen-presenting cells (APC) like dendritic cells and B cells (Levinson and Jawetz 357-359). Upon phagocytosis of foreign bodies, AAI then ensues when these APCs expose the engulfed antigens to their surfaces through class II major histocompatibility complex (MHC) membrane proteins. The antigen-MHC complex then binds with an antigen-specific receptor on the surface of a helper T lymphocyte, initiating the release of interleukins (IL) that stimulates the maturation of many immune cells (Levinson and Jawetz 359). In turn, the activated helper T cells initiate the release of interleukins (IL), particularly IL-2, which initiates antigen-specific T-cell growth and activates cytotoxic T cells, IL-4, which promotes growth of B cells, and IL-5, which allows activation of B-cells. IL-4 and IL-5 also induce the transformation of IgM to IgG, IgA and IgE. In effect, it stimulates clonal expansion of both T and B cells after exposure with specific antigens. Cytotoxic T cells, in particular,