Mercedes Benz of U.S.A “The Best or Nothing”- Mercedes Benz Essay

Mercedes Benz is one of the most recognizable names in the world. If you mention car, luxury, dependable, performance and â€Å"The Best or Nothing†, the first name it comes on your mind is Mercedes Benz. History of Mercedes Benz is the greatest out there, but I am going to focus on the Mercedes Benz USA, also known as MBUSA. MBUSA is a division responsible for distribution and marketing of Mercedes Benz products in the U. S. The headquarters of MBUSA are in Montvale, New Jersey. There are two dealership locations of MBUSA in northeast Ohio, one in Willoughby and the other one in Bedford. Also included in their division are Maybach, Smart and Sprinter. Although founded in 1965, MBUSA started importing Mercedes Benz in 1952, and the iconic car that started it all was 300SL Gullwing. It was founded under Max Hoffman; the current CEO of MBUSA is Steve Cannon. Other key personnel at MBUSA are Harald Henn CFO and VP, Inigo Mazquiaran GM of Corporate Finance and Joachim Schmidt Executive Vice President of Sales & Marketing for Mercedes-Benz. Over the following years, MBUSA grew into a nationwide organization, now employing over 1500 people. The company also has 356 associated dealerships that employ 21,500 people themselves. MBUSA operates in the Car Dealership industry, in the distribution and marketing division of car sales industry to be more specific. With 305,072 passenger vehicles sold in the U. S. in 2012. SWOT Analysis Strengths: 1. Mercedes Benz has a strong brand value and global leader in premium cars 2. Leader in innovation i. e. 1st to introduce diesel engines, fuel injection and anti-locking brakes Weaknesses: 1. High maintenance cost of Mercedes Benz car 2. High prices compared to competition Opportunities: 1. Developing hybrid cars and fuel efficient cars for the future 2. Fast growing luxury automobile market & increased income Threats: 1. Ever increasing fuel prices 2. Intense competition from global automobile brands

Adopting a Healthy Lifestyle Essay

Every day the people in this nation zoom around in their busy lives. People cut corners to save time and often take the easy route in many tasks. Sometimes by cutting these corners, an impact can be made on the world around us and the people we love. Eating is just one of the many things that people forget to take care of. Food is the foundation to our bodies. Food is what keeps people going and fuels them to do what they need to do. In 337 BC, Hippocrates stated, â€Å"Let food be your medicine and medicine be your food.† Most of the food people consume is not good for them. Poor nutrition is damaging and causes mood swings, behavioral issues, problems in growth development, cancer, sickness, disease, diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, and the list goes on. The artificial fillers, colors, dyes, excess salts and sugars in food cause the body to break down. This deterioration of the body leads to many types of ailments. People need to stop eating fast foods, genetically modified foods, processed and refined foods. It is killing the people in this country day after day. It is severely important to eat healthy nutritious foods. â€Å"A poorly nourished child will fail to grow properly; a poorly nourished adult will have a decreased resistance to infection and disease (The Columbia Encyclopedia, 2008).† The body needs a certain amount of vitamins and minerals to stay functioning properly on a daily basis and to keep sickness out. If people do not start eating and living healthier, sickness and chronic disease will only increase and continue to occur. 45% of Americans have at least one chronic condition and 26% of the population has two or more conditions (AACC, 2009). Poor eating habits are being passed down to children and these habits are going to be detrimental to our communities and to this nation. Eating nutritious organic fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes (beans) will prevent and diminish many health issues as well as maintain a healthy body and mind. In the past 3 decades, there has been significant increase in hyperactive beh avior, ADD and ADHD in children. A 3% increase per year has been recorded from 1997 to 2006 and a 5.5% increase from 2003 to 2007 (CDC, 2011). In America today, 5.2 million children are diagnosed with ADHD and 63% of those children are currently taking medication as a treatment (CDC, 2011). Fast foods, processed foods, candy, soda, chips and pizza are all attributing factors for hyperactive behavior. Research has linked food additives, dyes and poor nutrition with behavioral issues. The debate continues over the actual cause of hyperactivity however, a solid body of evidence points to food additives, allergic reactions to food and excess sugar in the diet. Food additives cause adverse responses that a child’s natural body is incapable of warding off. Aggressive behavior and restlessness will occur in a child when refined carbohydrates and sugars are present (Kirschman, 2007). Good eating habits are critical for the proper growth and development of a child. Studies have proved that removing artificial additives from a child’s diet will provide a substantial improvement on one’s behavior. One study demonstrated a 70% behavioral improvement after just 5 weeks (Stevenson, 2010). People need to take more care when making choices on what to feed their kids. Children also need to be educated on the effects of a poor diet. This will help them to become conscious adults and less likely to develop chronic diseases. Junk food filled with empty calories, sugars, salts and fats are like drugs to children. Their bodies are not developed enough to handle this sort of distortion in body activity. Food is medicine. Therefore, the body requires proper nutrition to function correctly. There will be a considerable increase in risk of chronic disease in upcoming generations if poor eating habits are not addressed starting at a young age (AACC, 2009). The World Health Organization (WHO) has been compiling information since 1989 about the direct link between poor nutrition and chronic disease. The WHO has concluded that there is a growing epidemic of chronic illness. Evidence has shown a direct relationship between poor diet and unhealthy lifestyles. America has been a world leader in the areas of technology, medical and scientific research, and higher education for generations. However, as people spent billions of dollars and millions of man-hours solving the crises of infectious diseases around the world, a more silent and deadly crisis grew; chronic illness (Rose, 2011). Obesity is the most prevalent of all chronic diseases. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in 2010, overweight and obesity counted for one third of the adult population. Overweight and obesity can lead to chronic illnesses like hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, respiratory problems and some cancers. U nfortunately some aspects of appetite come from an emotional nature, often times not feeding the body but feeding the need for love and comfort (Kirschman, 2007). Other factors include hormonal malfunction, emotional tension, boredom, habit or malnutrition. â€Å"According to a June 23, 2011 report published in the New England Journal of Medicine, participants gained weight with the intake of potato chips, potatoes, sweetened beverages, unprocessed red meats and processed meats. They lost weight with the intake of vegetables, whole grains, fruits, and nuts (Rose, Para 9, 2011).† Additives and preservatives take the place of nutrients and minerals removed from the original food sources. Even though processed food may taste good, it is lacking all the beneficial nutrients needed to nourish the body, maintain blood sugar levels, and ensure proper digestion. Our bodies store all the things that our digestive systems cannot process therefore making more fat tissue which contributes to obesity (Rose, 2011). Statistics show that people who are average weight will live longer, have more energy and feel better overall. A well-balanced, whole foods diet high in all essential nutrients and absent of offending substances will result in healt hy body, healthy mind and healthy body weight (Kirschman, 2007). People need to realize just how serious the consequences are related to poor diet. Conscious living and healthy eating habits are essential to a healthy, long life free from ailments and chronic illness. It is never too late to start making a change. The time has come for the people of this nation to take control of their lives. People need to stop making choices based on how they feel and from what they see when they wake up and step out into the world each morning. Changes in diets and lifestyles have occurred through industrialization, urbanization and economic development. These changes have impacted what people chose to eat as well as their activity levels (WHO, 2002). There has been a significant impact on the health and nutritional status of our population. The access to food has increased and diversified and this direction is not beneficial. The more people evolve and find new technologies; the sicker, the bigger and more in debt people become. These changes in dietary and lifestyle patterns; chronic illness including obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension and stroke, and some types of cancer are becoming increasingly significant causes of disability and premature death. This places additional burdens on already overtaxed national health budgets (WHO, 2002). Expressing the importance for changing the way people consume food is tough but the consequences of poor diet outweigh any sort of excuse. People’s minds are being filled with attraction to the wrong types of food. People need to take charge of their habits and recognize the importance of adopting a healthier lifestyle. This society needs to stop overeating and consuming overloaded amounts of non-nutritious foods. Food may look and taste absolutely delicious, but that does not mean it has the same satisfying benefit to our bodies. People need to start making choices that matter over the ones that feel good in the moment. This is needed for the well-being of every person in this nation. Food is a person’s foundation and without consuming it properly; a long life of sickness awaits. When people fuel their bodies with proper nutrients it is virtually impossible to get cancers and other chronic diseases. If a person’s body is balanced; when a person nourishes all their systems and all the functions of the body are intact, sickness is powerless (Gerson, 2012). The University of Berkeley, California (2008) writes that one of the biggest preventative measures in avoiding disease is to quit smoking, reduce your blood cholesterol, avoid hypertension, stay active, maintain a healthy weight, avoid diabetes, and balance alcohol consumption. In fewer words, eat healthy and stay active. Testing shows that vitamins A, C, E, B3 and B6 prevent the growth of cancer cells. They stimulate the body’s immune system and act as free-radical scavengers. Free radicals are chemicals produced by the body when exposed to harmful elements such as food and drink contaminants, rancid fats or air pollution. Lipotropes, which prevent the accumulation of fat in the liver, protect the cells from the transformation to cancer cells. Free radicals damage parts of the human cell, especially DNA (a hereditary material present in nearly every cell in the human/animal body) and RNA (similar to DNA except that it is a single stranded molecule). DNA and RNA direct the actions of each cell. Once this process is disturbed by free radicals (poor nutrition), cancer and other chronic disease can develop. (Kirschman, 2007) The result of poor diet, lack of nutritious foods, and absence of activity will result in sickness, disease and chronic illness. People can prevent these things from happening by making simple changes in the way they live their lives. Avoid junk foods like candy and chips. Soda and manufactured juices that pose as being healthy, reduced in calories/sugar or low in fat can be replaced with water. A juicer is also a great investment. An assorted variety of colorful fruits and vegetables can be mixed into a juice extractor which can substitute for a snack or fill the desire for a delicious beverage. Juice from natural juicing requires little digestion and goes directly into the body system Haynes, 2012). It is beneficial to the earth, to communities and to this nation to grow food locally; to purchase food locally. People need to include a large range of fruits, veggies, whole grains, beans and nuts in their diets. It is vital to eat these foods in their most natural and unprocessed forms. Pesticides, chemicals and hormones added in foods can alter the capabilities of the nourishment naturally presented (Kirschman, 2007). This nation needs to step out of consumerism and go back to the basics of eating. Humans are gatherers (herbivores) and meant to eat foliage. People do not have enough land, time or money to consume at the level they are devouring (Andrews, 2009). â€Å"A meat-cancer connection has been reported in over 100 epidemiological studies from numerous countries with assorted food habits. Diets can be healthy when including moderate amounts of meat from healthy source s. Yet, unlike plants, which we can’t live without, we don’t need meat to survive (Andrews, 2009).† If people were to provide their bodies with nutrient packed fruits and vegetables, whole grains and beans, chronic illness, disease and sickness could be diminished. According to the National Center of Health Statistics, 65.2% of American adults are overweight and obese because of poor nutrition (CDC, 2010). That is just one result of this chronic issue. With eating conscious, people can eliminate the risk of developing a sickness or having different types of chronic illness. Eating crunchy peppers, carrots, apples, celery, nuts or radishes can be consumed as a snack instead of chips and candy. Water should be substituted for all sodas and commercial juices. Boil and steam fruits and vegetables instead of frying them. Eat them raw or juice them in a juicing machine. Foods that are fried, processed, genetically modified and refined tend to lose of their nutritional value thus destroying the body. Too much sugar stored in the body basically just turns into fat. Excess fat stored in the body and the lack of energy from poor nutrition can cause people to become inactive. To avoid all of this the answer is very simple. Eating healthy is imperative to one’s health. Nutritious, mineral and vitamin packed food must be consumed to keep the body functioning properly. People need to take care in what is being served on their dinner tables. People need to be conscious and aware of what they are choosing at the grocery store. People need to watch their portions and take care in the way their foods are being cooked. Chronic illness and sickness can be prevented by eating healthy. If people take the steps and watch the way they consume food they would live longer, disease free lives. If they take care in what they are eating there would be less sickness, disease and debt in our nation. References American Association for Clinical Chemistry (AACC). (2009). July 2009 Clinical Laboratory News: Rates of Chronic Disease Expected to Rise Sharply. Clinical Laboratory News, 35(7). Retrieved from http://www.aacc.org/publications/cln/2009/july/Pages/newsbrief0709.aspx# Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC). (2011). Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Behavior (ADHD). Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/adhd/data.html/ Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC). (2010). Overweight and Obesity. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/adult.html/ Columbia University Press. (2008). The Columbia Encyclopedia. Retrieved from http://lib.kaplan.edu/login?url=/login?qurl=http://www.credoreference.com.lib.kaplan.edu/entry/columency/nutrition Gerson, C. [gersoninstitute]. (The Gerson Institute). (2012, April 24). Charlotte Gerson at the Rock Church’s Cancer Care Ministry [Video file]. Available from http://youtu.be/WtHujJeEguI Haynes D., Haynes, V. (2012). Health Benefits of Juicing. Retrieved from http://juicerrecipesnow.com/health-benefits-of-juicing/ Kirschman, J., Nutrition Search Inc. (2007). Nutrition Almanac Sixth Addition. New York, NY: The McGraw-Hill Companies Rose, C. (2011). Obesity in America. Down to Earth. Retrieved from http://www.downtoearth.org/health/nutrition/obesity-america References (cont.) Stevenson, J. (2010). Recent Research on Food Additives: Implications for CAMH. Child & Adolescent, 15(3, 130-133. Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com.lib.kaplan.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=4a239b06-faf5-442b-90fa-f212cc52100d%40sessionmgr12&vid=7&hid=9 University of Berkeley California. (2008). Preventing Heart Disease. Retrieved from http://www.wellnessletter.com/ucberkeley/foundations/preventing-heart-disease/# World Health Organization. (2002). Diet, Nutrition and the Prevention of Chronic Disease. WHO Technical Report Series, 916, 1-160. Retrieved from http://whqlibdoc.who.int/trs/who_trs_916.pdf

Islam and Secularism in Turkey Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Islam and Secularism in Turkey - Essay Example The provision which declared that the religion of the state was Islam was removed through the constitutional amendment. A great percentage of the citizens in Turkey subscribe to Islam. However, the current constitution which came into effect in 1982 does not recognize or promote an official state religion, including Islam (Kuru 28). Secularism in Turkey did not strictly advocate that the state and religion be separated. It simply describes the stance of the state as one that supports dynamic neutrality. Turkish position on religion and its relationship with the European Union has caused some issues with how it relates to the West and the East. Turkey’s history of secularism can be traced back to the Ottoman Empire (Kuru 56). During this period, the toleration of diversity was a major issue for country’s the administration. The beginning of secularism in Turkey is said to have been very dramatic as it negated the Islamic system of the Ottoman Empire. Islamists spent the entire 20th century opposing

Managing Human Capital Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Managing Human Capital - Essay Example Recently, there has been surging demand of designing, developing and implementing a total Performance Management system which will assist the organisation in conducing the strategic human resource planning process. Traditionally, the appraisal was done at year-end by the manager or supervisor of an employee in an informal way. The appraiser had to rate the performance of the employees on predetermined standards. This technique was ineffective as it reviewed the past performance of the employees and there was lack of feedback mechanism and suggestions for future developmental opportunities for the employees. In order to address the discrepancies in the outdated appraisal processes, it was recommended that a Performance Management system is developed. This concept allows the organisations to not only evaluate an employee’s performance but the individual is made part of the process. Also, the employees have clarity about their roles, accountabilities, responsibilities, expected outcomes and behaviours. As a result, the employees are able to designate their best efforts and make sure that they make valuable contribution in organisation’s long-term objectives. Hence, the performance appraisal process has to be developed in alignment with the organisational strategy and the corporate objectives so that the individual’s goals are effectively and strategically determined. Every organisation is run and managed by people who assist them in attaining the desired goals and objectives. A company’s performance is dependent on the total sum of the members’/workforce’s performance (Biron, Farndale & Pauuwe, 2011; Hutchinson, 2013). As a result, the success of a firm relies on its ability of measuring the performance of employees accurately and objectively so that individuals can be utilised at optimum level as a valuable resource (Aguinis, 2013; Sharma et al., 2011). On the basic level, an individual’s performance is the record of the results or outcomes

Companies Act 2006 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Companies Act 2006 - Essay Example The new law hopes to reduce regulation that will allow companies to run their companies better and even cheaper. The changes brought about by the new law will result to savings of 250 million per year for businesses, inclusive of 100 million for the small businesses (http://www.bytestart.co.uk/ content/ legal/35_2/companies-act-guide.shtml) The new law brought anxiety to company secretaries in private firms because of possible abolition of the position. As part of the deregulation measures of the United Kingdom government, the requirement to have a company secretary is removed such that private companies can abolish the company secretary position starting April 6, 2008. A private company, however, has the option to retain its company secretary. The registrar of companies must be informed of the appointment of a company secretary to a private company and recorded in the company's register of secretaries. The private company secretary will perform the same obligations as a public company secretary as stipulated in the Companies Act 2006. ... Small private companies, on the other hand, may likely abolish the company secretary since the position is just created to be able to comply with the legal and administrative requirements of the old company law (Thomas, 2007). The position is often occupied by the spouse or a friend of management or a director of the company. Abolition of the company position in a small private company will reduce their operating costs. The company secretary of a small private company has limited administrative work and is often combined with other roles such as "advising the directors on legal matters, overseeing board papers, and generally acting as the conscience of the company" (http://www.netlawman.co.uk/info/role-duties-company-secretary.php). For large private companies, the company secretary has enormous responsibilities and the company is largely dependent on the expertise of a company secretary. With the implementation of the Companies Act 2006, the company secretary has to study the new law carefully, implement the changes and make sure that the company complies with the requirements of the law. The Companies Act 2006 includes significant changes of the old company law that was in force in the past 20 years. Company secretaries are now busy preparing their companies internally to iron out the processes to facilitate smooth company compliance. Based on the calendar of implementation of the new law, significant portions of the New Act were implemented on October 1, 2007 and April 6, 2008, with the remaining provisions to be in force by October 1, 2008 up to October 1, 2009 (Goold, 2008). According to Bridget Salaman of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators, company secretaries anticipate increase i n minute-taking requirements since

Now that we talked about the rise and fall of primary civilization Essay

Now that we talked about the rise and fall of primary civilization around the globe, discuss the factors or combinations of factors associated with the collapse of civilization - Essay Example Similarly, desertification which is a â€Å"serious environmental problem confronting the world† has always led to continued environmental degradation (Geist 4). The negative effects originating from desertification has been cited throughout the history to have contributed to the collapse of empires and civilization. This is owed to the fact that such conditions usually hamper communities practicing farming, agricultural production and also displaces the population thereby in the community. The other environmental factor that has caused collapse of civilization is deforestation. In most cases, deforestation occurs whenever there is cutting of trees for trees for timber, firewood and for manufacturing purposes which generally lower rainfall and cause soil infertility thereby making civilizations unstable to support itself and its people especially those that lived near the rivers. Political Factors: Historically, politics has played a significant role in the collapse of various world civilizations. For examples, through politics the barbarians managed to invert empires which in Frassetto’s view, was caused by â€Å"uncivilized people who began to pressure on† by causing war in the empire (33). Eventually, these people succeeded with their effort to invade and trespass the majestic frontiers thereby destroying the old civilization as a result of hatred. On the other hand, various political changes and reorganizations of political institutions that existed in different civilization cause a lot of stability thereby resulting to collapse of civilizations. Lack of well organized political institution to govern the society and maintain law and order meant disintegration of the societies that formed such civilizations. Social Factors: Historically, social unrest has been cited to have caused â€Å"collapse of rigid social orders† (Fagan 18). For instance, whenever

Career planing Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Career planing - Assignment Example cognizes the trends in the modern changing world in terms information and technology by constantly researching and acquainting myself with current concepts in mathematics, assessing, evaluating, and applying new strategies and techniques in an appropriate and continuous manner. I want to be involved in action research that will help test the effectiveness of class-specific strategies in order to be used to improve the performance of my students and others by availing them for adoption by other teachers. As a teacher, I will put my skills to task in finding and developing better learning resources and also share them with other educationists in the community. For the fact that my goals revolve around facilitating learning in young people, I will practice a learning lifestyle, share my personal learning with other educationists, and model lifelong learning. In this form of lifestyle, I will be able to gain self-actualization and fulfillment through continuous achievement of performance targets. It will also give me great pleasure to realize that the future is guaranteed of good leadership as a consequence of my

Ethnography The Quarry and the Lot by Mark Wallace Research Paper

Ethnography The Quarry and the Lot by Mark Wallace - Research Paper Example Discussed in the novel are the aspects of memory as well as the history of the suburban culture in American life. The novel thematically focuses on love imminent in the community in spite of the conflicts had. This is evaluated in reference to the human limits exposed in the character’s conducts, interactions, and dialect. The author focuses on love as a theme in an insightful way which presents the reader with an interesting literary piece which is both captivating and interesting to read. In as much as there is evidence of instances of conflict in the narration, what comes out strongly is the love that holds most members of the community together. The book starts with the information about Joseph Klein’s death. Wallace states, â€Å"The evening after I heard that Joseph Klein had died in a fire†¦ †1. The events that follow the death of Klein bring the community together. In some way, the death overshadows the conflicts that were in the community. For insta nce, the narrator calls many people who had been silent from the community for a significant time. Martha insists they call, Joseph’s father, Walter. ... The silence between them portrays the conflict that characterizes the other members of the community. On the other hand, the love that holds them reflects the greater love that brings the community together even in times of grief. The love comes out even in the case of conflicts. For instance, Joseph Klein was not such a loveable character in the narration. His violent ways could have made many to shun him. However, his death revels that in spite of his traits, the members of the community still appreciated him. The conflict in this case comes in the fear they had over him. Wallace states, â€Å"We had all been powerless where Joseph was concerned.†2 This highlights the fear the Joseph evoked amongst his community members. However, the love is later revealed when it is stated, â€Å"So Martha and I sent the proper flowers and condolences to the family and called a few other people we thought should know.†3 This reflects the twists that characterized the communityâ€℠¢s culture. When Joseph was alive, he could have passed for a bad character in terms of behavioral traits, however, the community members assume this on his death. The love in the community makes them overlook what could have been viewed as secrets. Joseph was not a character whose behavior was unacceptable. Therefore, it appears rather ironical that his death causes a stir in the community. The anticipation would have been his death could have been celebrated. The culture reveals that secrets are overlooked. The plausible reason could have been that the overall feeling of love could have been the cause. Love is brought through relationships as well. For instance, the relationship between the

Human Evolution Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Human Evolution - Assignment Example This study outlines that human evolution took many years in the process. There are many stages which evolution undergone and indeed human being has come from chimpanzee like creatures to Apes which also entails many stages and finally to the upright being. Archeologists have taken a lot of their time on this as they do research on the existence of fossils and whether the human beings originated from those artifacts. Charles Darwin in His book Human Evolution depicts the non-existence of God. He argues that there was no creation done by God as most religions believe. As the paper highlights the taxonomic status of Mystery Skull #1 is Neandertals which first existed in early years of evolution and are coded this name because of their characteristics such as edge-shaped jaws, long elongated forehead, much wider nasal openings and very well-developed crest. The taxonomic status of Mystery Skull # 2 is Anatomically modern Homo sapiens have smaller faces and mandibles, thinner bones and more vertical foreheads, and taller with an indices of a larger Porion.

Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 4

Assignment - Essay Example In the light of the concepts mentioned above, this report will aim at analysing the different approaches to organisational design as well as organisational effectiveness in order to evaluate why most managers find rational approaches to organisations and organising appealing. Corporate strategy is among the important factors that affect organisational design; however, numerous other contingencies such as â€Å"environment, size and life-cycle, technology, and organisational culture† are found to be influencing organisational design. In order to manifest effectiveness, an organisation should be â€Å"designed to fit the contingency factors† (Daft, 2009, pp.73). This has been depicted in the form of the figure appended below. Organisational effectiveness is one of the major objectives of organisational design and efficient organisations have a tendency to generate growing amounts of riches to be shared out among employees, management, and the society as opposed to the fact that such organisations are relatively more occupied with their internal functioning in comparison to effective organisations. One of the major challenges faced by organisational evaluation is to find out the most practicable methods for differentiating between ineffective and effective organisations. Hence, managers should design the companies that they lead, taking into consideration the fact that this is predominantly a creative endeavour. It has been said that â€Å"by far the predominant view of how decisions ought to be made is the rational approach†, and Mintzberg et al. (1976) have summarised the stages associated with it as recognition, diagnosis, search, design, evaluation, choice, authorisation and implementation (Butler, 1991, pp.43). It has been theorised that â€Å"rationality as applied to organisations considered the actions of the

ICAS Report Planning Template Essay Example for Free

ICAS Report Planning Template Essay ABC Ltd supplies a complete range of carpets and furniture to the general public. ABC Ltd has over 75 nationwide high street shops in all major UK cities and many large towns. ABC Ltd also has a 24/7 online shop which is on the head office site in Aberdeen. Over the past seven years the company has grown steadily and now has revenue of over  £29 million. It employs around 400 full-time staff. Who are the businesses major stakeholders (internal and external) and why? Major stakeholders of the business could be anyone who has an interest in the business. The business is the sole supplier of a range of furniture. The relationship with this supplier is crucial to the success of the business due to the competitive advantage that it offers ABC. Accounts Department (PIC 1.1, 1.4) How big is the Accounts department? What is the purpose of the accounting function? What type of organisational structure is there? Where does the accounts department get its information from? How does the accounts  department inter-relate with other departments within the business? At ABC Ltd the accounts department consists of the Finance Director, Company Accountant, General Ledger and Inventory Clerk, Accounts Payable Clerk, accounts receivable clerk, costing technician As well as payroll and personnel database clerk. The departments deal with the payments of invoices, comparing them to the  purchase orders and the stock receipts. They also monitor the stock and requirement for purchase orders. The department is also responsible for the credit control function, monitoring customers and the payment of the staff wages. In order to carry out these roles Accounts are forced to interact with the whole of the organisation to gather information. ABC use an account spackage which is fully integrated with the rest of the business software. The use an Enterprise Management System called PRONTO. This software allows for multi user access which can be restricted based on job roles. Non accounts users can see, but not change essential financial data, such as supplier and customer balances. Describe (in relation to the organisation) the 3 main financial statements – Income statement, SOFP and Statement of Cashflow. (PIC   What do they show? Who uses them? What decisions are made based on them? Income Statement SOFP Statement of Cashflow Income statements illustrate ABC Ltd profit or loss over a certain periods of time. The income statement records all revenue, losses and operating expenses for the business. The IS can be used to show profitability of the  company. Income statements are used by stakeholders, company accountants, financial directors and  managing directors. The income statements compared with other income statements within ABC Ltd over a period of time or  companies within the same sector will be able to determine the operating performance of ABC Ltd. Managers and the company accountant may be able to find out what areas of the business are over budget or under budget and make necessary changes. Statements of Financial Position (SOFP) illustrate a snap shot of the business financial condition. The SOFP includes the assets and liabilities of ABC Ltd. This is ia good indicator of the liquidity of the business. This statement will again be used by stakeholders, company accountants, financial directors and managing directors. Managers and the company accountant may be able to quickly get a handle on the financial strength and capabilities of the business, it’s also demonstrates if ABC ’s assets is enough to cover its liabilities, how liquid its assets are if ABC was to declare bankruptcy, if the business is in a position to expand etc. Statements of Cash flow illustrate the amount of cash generated and used by the business in a given period of time. Again this gives an indication of liquidity and working capital management. This statement will again be used by stakeholders, company  accountants, financial directors and managing directors. Managers  and the company accountant may be able to determine whether the business has enough cash to cover payroll and other immediate expenses or liabilities, as well as allow potential lenders to decide whether or not ABC Ltd is able to pay of its liabilities. What accounting regulations cover the preparation of the above financial statements? (PIC 2.1) In the UK, financial statements are governed by UKGAAP (UK Generally Accepted  Accounting Principles). They are also governed by the Companies Act What other accounting regulations and industry specific regulations does the company have to comply with? Does the company have to deal with Money-Laundering regulations? Does the company come under Sarbanes-Oxley? (PIC 2.1) The company also has to comply with the data protection act as they hold customer and staff information. Non compliance with this act can have severe financial and reputational implications. They are also required to comply with any rules set out by HMRC when paying employees and also calculating the tax liability of the business. The company does not have to comply with Sarbanes Oxley as this only affects companies registered with the New York Stock Exchange When the company has to deal with a change to the above regulations how does it organise this? In what way are system users affected by the change How do they get to find out about the change? (PIC 1.5) The Finance manger and HR manager monitor all regulations and alert the business when changes are made that will affect how the business operates. Changes are implemented by ensuring all staff are made aware of the change via internal communication methods. If need be employees are trained to ensure they fully understand the changes taking place.

The Salafi Movement In Global Context Theology Religion Essay

The Salafi Movement In Global Context Theology Religion Essay Salafism (al-Salafiyyah) is a contemporary Islamic global movement, which is concerned with a search for the pure teachings of Islam as prescribed in the Quran and the Prophet Muhammads tradition (sunnah) by rejecting any external influences and human involvement in the interpretation of religious texts. The proponents of Salafism define themselves to be the inheritors of the pre-modern Ahl al-Hadits (people of the Prophet tradition). In their view, this school of thought was the only group that remained faithful to the pure teachings of Islam as prescribed in the Quran and the Sunnah so that it was considered the saved sect. They base their claim on a hadith (the Prophet Muhammad sayings) that the Prophet Muhammad was reported to have said that there would always be a group of his people who remained committed to the truth, whom the Salafis identify as the Ahl al-Hadith (Duderija, 2011). By claiming to be the inheritors of the Ahl al-Hadith and followers of its footsteps, the propon ents of contemporary Salafi movement attempt to assert that they have privilege and take pride to be the guardians of the pure Islam in modern period. The proponents of contemporary Salafism identify themselves, and are proud to be, as salafi (plural: salafiyyin), the followers of al-salaf al-shalih(the righteous ancestors). For them, the term salaf refers to the first three Muslim generations in the early Islam, who were considered as the best Islamic generations as they were directly guided by the Prophet Muhammad and his Companions. This self-ascription is based on their belief that their understanding and practicing Islam is in complete accordance with the footsteps and methodology of the salaf (manhaj al-salaf). Abdullah ibn Baz, one of the main Salafi authorities, said that Salafi ideology is derived from the Quran, Sunnah and Consensus (ijma`) which govern the method of acquiring din [religion] and understanding the Quran and Sunnah according to the principles agreed upon by the righteous predecessors (salaf) (Cited in Duderija, 2011:54). Due to this strong emphasis on the Salaf as the only model of understanding and practic ing Islam, Salafism can be said as a movement of return to the forefather (Marshallsay, 2004). Major Authorities of the Contemporary Salafi Movement Within contemporary Salafi movement, the most influential proponents are the Middle Eastern Muslim scholars with Saudi nationality or Saudi-educated, university educated, many gained PhDs in Islamic sciences from Saudi universities. These include Nashir al-Din al-Albani (d.1999), Abd al-Aziz ibn Baz (d. 1999), Muhammad ibn Shalih al-Uthaymin (d. 2001), Muqbil ibn Hadi al-Wadii (d. 2001), Rabi ibn Hadi al-Madkhali (b. 1931), Yahya al-Hajuri, and Shalih al-Fawzan. The dominance of Saudi Arabian or Saudi-educated religious scholars (ulama) asserts the centrality of Saudi Arabia as the birth of modern Salafism. As the main representative of the Salafi movement, these ulama become major references that Salafi leaders and ordinary followers in the Muslim world turn to for guidance and advice in their lives. Outside the Middle East, leading personalities of Salafism in Western countries such as Jamal Zarabozo and Bilal Philips (Duderija, 2011) mostly become the mouthpiece of these Middle East authorities, translating their Salafi messages for the Western Salafi followers. The same is true for the leaders of the Salafi movement in Indonesia. Most of them went to Saudi and Yemen universities or Islamic religious learning institutions (mahad) to study Islamic knowledge. These include Abu Nida, Ahmad Faiz, Yusuf Baisa, Jafar Umar Thalib, Ayip Syafrudin, Luqman Baabduh and Muhammad Umar Sewed (Hasan, 2007; 2009). Compared to their locally trained Salafi proponents, these Middle East graduates commonly enjoy more authority and recognition from their followers due to their highly-esteemed learning in Mecca or Medinah, two holy cities of Islam. Yet, all of these Salafi exponents make the Saudi and Yemeni Salafi authorities as major, and to some extent, the only references in learning and preachi ng Salafi ideas among Indonesian Muslims. The Middle East Salafi authorities write treatises on Salafi ideas exclusively in Arabic. But, this is not a major barrier for Salafi followers from non-Arabic speaking countries to understand the messages of these Salafi ulama. The Salafi followers and sympathizers have attempted to translate the works of these Salafi ulama into local languages. For this purpose, in Western countries, they have established publishing houses, including Tarbiyyah Publications in Toronto, Invitation to Islam and Al-Khilafat Publications in London, and Salafi Publications and Maktabah Darussalam in Birmingham. Mobilizing the information and communication technologies, they have created websites such as www.salafipublications.com, www.tarbiyyahbookstore.com, http://sunna.com, www.salaf.com, and www.fatwa-online.com. Individual Salafi authorities websites have been also established by the Salafi supporters, such as www.binbaz.com (on the works of Abd al-Aziz ibn Baz), www.rabee.net (on the works of Rabi i bn Hadi al-Madkhali), and www.ibnothaimeen.com (on the works of Muhammad ibn al-Uthaymin) (Duderija, 2011). The Puzzle of the Origin and Meaning of Salafism For decades, there has been conviction among Western and Western-educated scholars that history of Salafism is a history of Islamic modernism; that Salafi ideas are regarded as similar to those of Islamic modernist movement; and the Salafis are representatives of Muslim modernist. It is believed that Salafism dates back to the 19th Islamic modernism, which was associated with Jamal al-Din al-Afghani (d. 1897), Muhammad Abduh (d. 1905), and Rashid Ridha (d. 1935), whose principles and ideas include rejection of taqlid (blind following), promotion of ijtihad (independent interpretation), and support of progress and rationality in its responses to the decline of the Muslim world. As Lauziere (2010) identifies, this conception can be seen in the standard academic works of Islamic thought such as Brills Encyclopedia of Islam, Malcolm Kerrs Islamic Reform (1966), M. A. Zaki Badawis The Reformers of Egypt (1978), and Daniel Browns Rethinking Tradition in Modern Islamic Thought (1996). Some recent studies by scholars of contemporary Islam, such as Ali Hassan Zaidi (2006) and Dumber and Tayob (2011), also connect Salafi orientations with Muslim reformists in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. However, this conception is problematic in some respects. First, there is no convincing evidence to the claim of the connection among Salafism, al-Afghani, and Abduh. According to Lauziere (2010), there are no primary sources including al-Urwat al-Wuthqa, a flagship journal of al-Afghani and Abduh, that substantially prove the claim that al-Afghani and Abduh coined the term Salafism and used it to identify themselves and their reform movement in the 19th century. It is true that Abduh mentioned the term al-Salafiyyin (the Salafis) in Al-Manar (Al-Manar 5, 1902 cited in Lauziere 2010) to designate Sunni Muslims who were against Ashariyyah, a 10th century school of speculative Islamic theology,  [1]  in terms of theological issues based on their strict adherence to the creed of the forefathers (Lauziere, 2010). But, Abduh clearly did not claim to be a Salafi nor identified his followers as Salafis. He simply referred al-Salafiyyin in the context of theological debates as Sunni Musl ims who differed from Asharites based on their strict adherence to aqidat al-salaf (the creed of the forefather) (Lauziere, 2010). Moreover, Rasyid Ridha, one of Muhammad Abduhs main disciples, recognized the fundamental differences between Salafism and Islamic modernist school, which his mentor promoted. According to Ridha, following the Salafi creed did not necessarily make one committed to Islamic modernist school. During his time, Ridha identified Salafism as Wahhabism to which he called al-Wahhabiyyah al-Salafiyyah. Later, in 1928 he and some of his disciples declared their passage to becoming Salafis not only with respect to Islamic theology but also in fiqh or Islamic jurisprudence (Lauziere, 2010). Second, the unconfirmed claim of ideological connection between contemporary Salafism and the early 20th century Islamic modernism can be seen in the issue of how each defines the term Salaf. While the two movements shared the idea of the importance of the pious ancestors, they differ in the issue of to what extent the Salaf is defined and how it should be modelled. The proponents of Islamic modernism conceived that the term Salaf includes virtually the Muslim scholars of all schools of thought in the medieval period whose success and achievements should be contextually propagated and imitated within modern Muslim contexts. The early 20th century Salafism understood the Salaf as Muslim scholars in religious science as well as in secular science of the golden age of Islam in the medieval period that should be contextually followed. In contrast, the proponents of contemporary Salafism restrict the Salaf to the first three generations in the early Islam, namely the companions of the Prophet Muhammad (al-shahabat), those after them (al-tabiin) and the next generation after them (atba`u al-tabiin). They also include religious scholars (ulama`) in the first and second centuries of Islam who were considered to adhere to the way of these first three Muslim generations, particularly Ahmad bin Hanbal and the followers of his textual school. These Salaf generations and Salafi ulama` were considered rightly guided forefathers and, hence, role models to whom Muslims are obliged to follow their ways in any circumstances. In addition, when the proponents of contemporary Salafism speak about the Salaf, they use it in its narrow religious sense. Practically, they exclude, show suspicion and hostility towards social, cultural and scientific heritage of the Muslim forefathers. In their view, the perfect method of modelling the S alaf in the contemporary Muslim societies is preserving and imitating their footsteps without contextualizing them in the present contexts. Third, the issue of the unconfirmed ideological connection between Salafism and the late 19th century Islamic modernism can be discerned in differences between them with respect to methodology and objectives. In response to the decline of the Islamic world, the Islamic modernism of al-Aghani and Abduh was committed to islah (reform) in Muslim society through promotion of itidal (moderation and balance) by which Muslims were expected to conduct conciliation between Islam and Western civilization. It encouraged the appreciation and adoption of social, political and scientific achievements of Western civilization and at the same rooted firmly in Islamic principles and civilization. In other words, al-Afghani and Abduhs Islamic modernism was a moderate approach to Islam and Western civilization in that it was able to balance between revelation and reason, and between strict Islamic conservatism and blind following of the West (Lauziere, 2010). Contemporary Salafism, in contrast, aims to revive the golden age of Islam by adhering strictly to the ways of the first three Muslim generations in the early Islam understood and practiced Islam to protect its purity from forbidden religious innovation. From this perspective, the making of the Salaf as a perfect model requires strict applying the Salaf method in social and cultural vacuum, without contextualizing their ideas and practices within present contexts of the Muslim world. Subsequently, this movement regards revealed texts as the only primary sources so that its proponents tend to be anti-rationalistic approach to revelation. The proponents of contemporary Salafism are also suspicious of anything not textually written in the scripture, taught or done by the Prophet Muhammad, his companions and religious scholars adhered to their ways. Conservatism, or even ultra conservatism, is highly represented in contemporary Salafi movement. As a result, there is no adequate evidence to claim ideological connection between the late 19th and early 20th centurys Islamic modernism and the contemporary Salafi movement. There is no support that Al-Afghani and Abduh proclaimed they were Salafis or exponents of the Salafi movement or their ideas were in accordance with contemporary Salafism. The modernist conception of Salafism substantially differs from the contemporary Salafisms understanding of the same term. Within contemporary Salafi movement, salafism is conceived first and foremost as label by Sunni purist-literalist-traditionalists to designate their particular approach to Islam. Conceptual History of Salafism Undoubtedly, the uncertainty of the origin and meaning of Salafism within modern scholarship has caused the substance of Salafism remain puzzling. Fortunately, a recent study by Henri Lauziere (2010) is helpful in solving this puzzle and gaining relative certainty in the issues of the origin and meaning of Salafism. He argues that the puzzle of the meaning and origins of Salafism is attributable to the faulty scholarship and the fact that there is little scholarly attention to the examination of the history of knowledge production of Salafism (Lauziere, 2010:369). The First Use of the Term Salafism Historically speaking, Salafism as a religious orientation is not purely a modern phenomenon. Rather, it rooted in the Islamic scholarship in pre-modern history of Islam. The early use of the term Salafism (Salafiyyah) as an approach to religious texts is found in a number of religious scholars works in the medieval period. For example, Ibn Taymiyya (d. 1238) writes in his al-Fatawa al-Kubra: As for the Salafiyya it is as [Hamd ibn Muhammad] al-Khattabi and Abu Bakr al-Khatib [al-Bagdadi] and other have stated: The way of the Salaf is to interpret literally the Quran verses and hadiths that relate to the Divine attributes (ijra ayat al-sifat wa ahadits al-sifat ala zahiriha), and without indicating modality and without attributing to Him anthropomorphic qualities. So that one is not to state that the meaning of hand is power or that of hearing is knowledge (Cited in Haykel, 2009:38). However, as Haykel (2009) and Dumbe Tayob (2011) suggest, the historical precedent of the Salafi orientations even dates back earlier to the 9th century theological and juridical debates between the Ahl al-Ray (people of opinion), which was associated with the Mutazilah,  [2]  and Ahl al-Hadith (people of the Prophet Muhammads tradition), which was related to Ahmad ibn Hanbal (d. 855), the inspirer of the Hanbali school of law (Hanbaliyyah).  [3]  Particularly, the early use of the term Salaf and its derivatives in this period can be traced back to the Ahl al Hadits. It is reported that Ibn Hanbal said: It has been transmitted from more than one of our ancestors (salafina) that they said the Quran is the speech of God and is uncreated, and this is what I endorse. I do not engage in speculative theology and I hold that there is nothing to be said other than what is in Gods Book (Quran), the traditions of His messenger or those of his companions and their followers- may God have mercy on them. It is not praiseworthy to engage in theological discussion in matters not contained therein (Cited in Haykel, 2009:38). These statements not only refer to the early use of the terms Salaf and Salafism within Islamic scholarship, but also points out the way of thinking that the early Salafis advocated in regard to theological issues such as the nature of the Quran as Gods messages revealed to the Prophet Muhammad. With respect to the approach to the interpretation of religious texts, the Ahl al-Ra`y represented Muslims scholars who sought explanations from personal opinions and borrowings from other cultures and intellectual traditions, while the Ahl al-Hadits sufficed themselves with literal meanings of the texts and tradition of the Prophet and his companions believed as pure and original sources of Islam. Another corresponding term, madhhab al-salaf (the school of forefathers), is found in the literature of Muslim scholars of medieval period. As Lauziere (2010:372) suggests, written sources also indicate that medieval Muslims scholars used this term primarily in the theological debates within early schools of theology in Islam. The notion of madhhab al-salaf was used to designate those who hold a theological purity in a time when early Muslims were not faced yet with speculative theology (ilm al-kalam) resulted from the encounter of Islam and other world civilizations. The proponents of madhhab al-salaf showed hostility towards Islamic speculative theology (ilm al-kalam) which was influenced by Greek inspiration and rationalism such ilm al-mantiq (syllogistic logic) and falsafah (philosophy). Contrary to Islamic theologians (mutakalimin) such as Mutazilis and Asharites, the people of the madhhab al-salaf distanced themselves from intellectualizing the divine issues, such as al asma` w al sifat (the divine names and attributes). However, the word Salafi or Salafism was not commonly used by medieval purist Muslims to refer to themselves and their approach to Islam. Instead, the common epithets used to refer to the purists at the period were not derived from the word salaf, but rather from the terms associated with the Prophet Muhammads tradition, such as Ahl al-Sunnah (people of the prophetic tradition), Ahl al-Hadist (people of prophetic sayings and sayings) or al-Atsari (the follower of the prophetic report) (Lauziere, 2010:373). The Origin of the Confusion of Salafism: Louis Massignon and the Salafyah Review A recent study by Lauziere (2010) revealed the origin of the confusion between Salafism and Islamic modernism in scholarly literature. He argues that puzzle of Salafism lies in the fact Massignon and scholars who quoted him were not aware of the complex development of the Salafi epithets within Muslim scholars in the Middle East. They simply relied on al-Majallah al-Salafiyyah, a monthly reformist journal published by Salafiyya Bookstore in Egypt -whose key role in Salafi discourses will be examined in the following section- that reached overseas including Paris. Being established in 1917, the journal was edited by Abd al-Fattah Qatlan and rendered by him into English as Salafyah Review. The journal was purported to serve as a marketing vehicle for reaching a wider readership of the Salafiyyah Bookstore. More importantly, the journal was created in the period in which the reform spirit overwhelmed the Salafiyyah Bookstore before the coming of the Saudi-Wahhabi influence on the type o f literature it published. So, in line with the reform spirit, the journal aimed to spread the achievements of the pious ancestors (al-salaf) in a wide range of scientific, cultural and intellectual fields. In line with this spirit, the content of the journal encompassed various themes such as literature, linguistics, and astronomy in addition to religious topics (Lauziere, 2010:379). It was through this journal that the term Salafism caught the attention of Western scholars (Lauziere, 2010). Louis Massignon, a well-known French orientalist and the major contributor to the leading journal Revue du monde musulman, subscribed to Arabic journals including al-Majallah al-Salafiyyah. When the first issue of the journal reached his journal office, Massignon provided explanation of the Majallah al-Salafiyyah to the readers of his journal. He said that the Salafiyyah was an intellectual movement that emerged in early 19th century India at the time of Sayyid Ahmad Barelwi (d. 1931) [and] Siddiq Hasan Khan (d. 1890), the founder of the Ahl-i Hadith movement, had later rehashed its ideas (Cited in Lauziere, 2010:380). Then, he added that from there, [the Salafiyyah] was spread by Jamal al-Din al-Afghani and Syaikh Abduh and established itself in Baghdad, Damascus, Cairo and even in the Maghrib and Java (Revue du monde musulman 34, 1916-18 in Lauziere, 2010:380). But, later M assignon abolished the connection of the Salafiyyah with the 19th century Indian movement and focused more on its link with al-Afghani and Abduh. Then, he associated Salafiyyah with a relatively transnational Islamic modernism in the 19th century, whose proponents were committed to reform in Islam and Muslim societies (Lauziere, 2010). However, Massignons claim of Salafism is problematic as it raised questions with respect to conceptual and historical foundations of Salafism he based on. It is not clear how he came to this claim though it is known that he studied Islam in Baghdad and made contacts with some reform-oriented Muslim scholars like Jamal al-Din al-Qasimi. Due to this, it can be said that Massignon misinterpreted the term Salafiyyah and inadequately made Salafism and Islamic modernism of al-Afghani and Abduh synonymous (Lauziere, 2010). Nevertheless, as Lauziere (2010:381) shows, some leading scholars welcomed Massignons definition of Salafism and even took its validity for granted despite its factual limitations. The famous The New World of Islam, published in 1921, repeated this misinterpretation when made reference to Salafiyyah. In 1922, the leading journal The Moslem World published by Hartford Seminary did the same when it translated an article of Massignon from the Revue du monde musulman. This is further misinterpreted by Henri Laoust, a scholar who spread Massignons ideas in French, when in his seminal article in 1932 defined Salafism based on Massignons conception. Even influential scholar Sir Hamilton Gibb took Massignons claim of Salafism for granted in his famous Modern Trends in Islam. Hence, it is through this intellectual transmission that the term Salafism with the sense of Islamic modernist movement was created within Western scholarly literature on Islam. The Evolution of Salafism If there is no connection with al-Afghani and Abduhs Islamic modernism of the late 19th century, who first used the Salafi label as understood today? And how was it defined? As Lauziere (2010) argues, to remedy this puzzle requires considering the origin and development of the term Salafism from the perspective of conceptual history. According to Lauziere (2010, the growing popularity of Salafi epithets as well as overlap between Salafism and Islamic modernism can be attributed to a key role played by the Salafiyah Bookstore (al-Maktabat al-Salafiyyah). It was established in 1909 in Cairo by Muhib al-Din al-Khatib (1886-1969), a Syrian activist, well-known figure in the Egyptian publishing business, and pupil of Salafis-cum-modernists ulama`, Jamal al-Din al-Qasimi (d. 1914) and Tahir al-Jazairi (d. 1920). Al-Khatibs involvement in cultural and political affairs opened the opportunity to establish the bookstore aimed at spreading his interests in Islamic scholarship and reformist ideas under the label Salafiyyah (Salafism). The name Salafiyyah for the bookstore was inspired by al-Khatibs mentor, Tahir al-Jazairi, who had inclinations to the madhhab al-salaf (school of the forefathers) with respect to Islamic theology. But, it seemed that al-Khatib misinterpreted the term Salafiyyah or understood it in a broader sense than al-Jazairi meant (Lauziere, 2010). This is reflected in the way he and his partner, Abdul Fattah Qatlan (d. 1931), operated the Salafiyyah Bookstore, particularly in terms of the type of literature they published. Being motivated by desires to encourage educated Arab readers to rediscover the glory of their religious, social and cultural heritage for the advancement of their society, al-Khatib and Qatlan were not confined themselves in printing and selling books on the Salafi theology. Rather, they published works on progressive nature of Islams golden age as well as a wide range of issues not connected to religious reform. They used the Salafi epithets to refer virtually to any Islamic intellectual heritage in medieval period, not in a narrow sense of a particular school of theology. In addition to treatises on religion, the Salafiyyah Bookstore published works on Arabic literat ure, Arabic grammar, and work of medieval Muslim philosophers such al-Farabi (d.950) and Ibn Sina (d.1037). In short, the literature that the Salafiyyah Bookstore published and sold in the 1910s was in accordance with the spirit and concerns of Islamic modernism (Lauziere, 2010:378). The selection and publication of this type of literature suggest that al-Khatib and Qatlan attempted to revive the works of the great Muslim scholars and underline the Muslimss contribution to modernity in the West of modern age. Under the label Salafism, they sought to emphasize the compatibility between revelation and modernity as shown by the works of great and pious forefathers (Salaf) in the past by which Muslims in the modern age should model for the revival and advancement of the Islamic world. In turn, all this resulted in turning Salafiyyah into a common and popular term among producers and consumers of Arabic literature in the Middle East and other Muslim regions (Lauziere, 2010:382). More importantly, an impression built up that the Salafiyyah Bookstore intertwined the term Salafism with Islamic modernism projected to the revival of Arabs and Muslims in the modern period. The label Salafism it used was then considered as to represent the success and greatness of the Islami c past. The bookstore expanded the scope of the term Salafism beyond its initial theological meanings and gradually created the association between Salafism and the project of Islamic modernism (Lauziere, 2010:377). The later development of the Salafiyyah Bookstore, however, determined the association of Islamic modernism and Salafism and brought about decisive changes in the nature and development of Salafism after the establishment of the Saudi Kingdom in the early 1920s. The bookstore experienced a shift with respect to choices of works for publication. This began with the change in the choice of works for publication. In the early 1920s, al-Khatib and Qatlan began to print works that appeared contradictive to the progressive and rationalist ideas of the Islamic reform movement though they kept promoting Islamic modernism. For example, the Salafiyyah Bookstore published works of those who strongly opposed the secular and controversial works of Ali Abd al-Raziq and Taha Husayn. It also published anti-rationalist treatises by Hanbali and his school followers ordered by Saudis. This shift in the choice of publications was more clearly discernable in the establishment of the Saudi branch of the S alafiyyah Bookstore in Mecca in the late 1920 initiated by Qatlan in partnership with a Hijazi Muhammad Salih Nasif (d.1971). In 1928, to suit the local needs, this Saudi branch began to publish works on Ahmad ibn Hanbal and his supporters as well pro-Wahhabi books such a theological treatise by Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyya (1292-1350), which was printed with the request and fund from Ibn Saud (d. 1932), the first monarch of Saudi Arabia (Lauziere, 2010:383). This shift within the Salafiyya Bookstores choice of publications, according to Lauziere (2010), should be seen in the context of political change in the Muslim world in the mid 1920s. The fall of the Ottoman Empire and the abolition of Islamic caliphate in the early 1920s brought about political and cultural turbulence within the Muslim world. At the same time, however, the rise of the Saudi Kingdom in Hejaz offered Muslim ummah (global Muslim community) a great hope of social and political renaissance in the Muslim world. Therefore, many Muslims intellectuals and religious scholars, including Rasyid Ridha, supported the young Saudi state and turned toward religious conservatism, particularly Wahhabism,  [4]  founded by Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab (1703-1792), and endorsed as an official school of Islam and promoted by the state. Al-Khatib showed the same response to these circumstances. He opted to support the young Saudi state and showed respect to the Wahhabism and its propone nts. These religio-political stances influenced the activities of his Salafiyyah Bookstore. This was reflected in the change of choices of editing and publishing when it began to publish the Wahhabi treatises and pro-Saudi works. Although Lauziere missed to capture the complexity of social and political transformation in the Muslim world in the first quarter of twentieth century, his argument was sufficient to overcome to the puzzle of Salafism by making sense of the evolution of Salafism. By publishing pro-Wahhabi works to cater the religious and political needs of the Saudi elite and proponents of Wahhabism, the Salafiyyah Bookstore brought its commercial label Salafism closer to Wahhabism. Though the Cairo Salafiyyah Bookstore still published modernist themes, the popularization and commodification of the Salafi epithets by the Saudi branch of the Salafiyyah Bookstore had brought the Wahhabi religious orientation to the fore. The unfounded intellectual association between Salafism (Salafiyyah) and al-Afghani and Abduhs Islamic reform as well as the absence of the monopoly over Salafism as a marketing brand that al-Khatib and Qatlan might have opened opportunity to the proponents of the Wahhabi-oriented pur ist movement kept using Salafiyyah as the label of their publications ignoring any modernist agenda as initiated by the original Salafi Bookstore in Cairo (Lauziere, 2010). It can be added that given that they shared the strong reference to the pious forefather (al-salaf al-shalih) with respect to theological issues with the Salafiyyah Bookstore, at least in its early years of operation, the proponents of Wahhabism had no difficulties in taking the advantage of using Salafism as their label of spreading the purist ideas of Ibn al-Wahhab. Through these religious-political processes, consequently, the Salafi epithets experienced re-definition and counter-definitions. More importantly, this gradually created the impression that the term Salafism and Wahhabism of Saudi Arabia were synonymous. The opening of the Saudi-connected Salafiyyah bookstores outside Saudi Arabia, such as in Syria and Pakistan, enforced this impression (Lauziere, 2010). Undoubtedly, this evolution of Salafism explains the state of the contemporary development of the Salafi movement with Saudi Arabia as its major supporter. Due to the fact that it is a contemporary phenomenon that assigns the epistemological value to traditions, Adis Duderija (2007:2011) labels the proponents of this contemporary Salafism as Neo-Traditional Salafis. In its later development, in the 1960s Wahhabi-inspired Salafism encountered with religious-political ideas brought by the Islamic activists who fled from their ruling governments repression and persecution found Saudi Arabia safe haven. This has to do with the Saudi Arabias policy under King Faisal (d. 1975) to support Islamic solidarity in its attempts to oppose Egypts pan-Arabism promoted by President Jamal Abdel Nasser (d. 1970), which was regarded as a threat to the existence of the kingdom (Lacroix, 2010). Among these refugees were the members of al-Ikhwan al-Muslimun (the Muslim Brotherhood), a religious-political movement that first emerged in Egypt in 1928 and then spread to the Muslim world. The political aspects of the ideology of al-Ikhwan al Muslimun encountered with the puritanical ideas of Wahhabism (Wahhabiyyah) brought about an intellectual hybrid identified as al-Sahwa al-Islamiyya (th

Analysis Of The Teenage Magazine Market Sector

Analysis Of The Teenage Magazine Market Sector The following section of the plan provides a brief analysis of the teenage magazine market sector. In particular, total volume and value of sales is investigated and critically discussed. Furthermore, it is necessary to provide an assessment and analysis of the key competitors in the market sector and the target group of consumers. Advertising expenditures are also explored in this section. In addition, it will be relevant to scan the external environment of the industry which includes political, economic, social and technological factors unified under PEST framework. Thus, this section will attempt to make a contribution to the identification of the potential opportunities, which may be used for a new brand. The following graph illustrates the total yearly subscriptions for the UK magazines by sector. As it may be seen from the histogram, children and teenage magazines constitute the most numerous and dominant sector. They account for as much as 32.7% of the whole magazine market. The second largest sector is womens traditional magazines. Its market share is equal to 12.9%. Other sectors with the market shares ranging from 10% to 11% are TV listings, mens monthlies, sports and music and the remaining sectors. The least popular type of magazines is home interest as they were found to account for only 4.2% of the market. These findings reveal that children and teenage magazines are most popular among the UK readers. The next graph reveals that the total volume of sales of teenage magazines in the UK has fallen in the recent past. It may be observed that in 2008, as many as 47,535,000 units of magazines were sold. The indicator decreased to the level of 41,794,000 units in 2009. Moreover, in 2010, the total volume of sales constituted only 38,040,000. Hence, the market for teenage magazines in the UK has been going down. This reduction of sales may be explained by the growing popularity of on-line media and portals for teenagers. Printed magazines are often substituted by social networking and entertaining web applications. This tendency may be discussed in the light of the standard product life cycle (PLC) curve. As presented by the following graph, the PLC curve consists of the four main stages: introduction, growth, maturity and decline. These stages imply different changes in the volume of sales. The recent fall of the volume of sales of the UK teenage magazines indicates that the product passes through the decline stage. It means that the producers of the UK teenage magazines will not achieve the maximum volume of sales unless the product is improved or changed. Correspondingly, the total value of sales of teenage magazines has reduced recently. In 2008, the value of sales constituted  £99,039,000. The indicator decreased to the level of  £88,245,000 in 2009. In 2010, the reduction of sales value continued and the indicator reached  £86,138,000. The fall of volume and value occurred during the period 2008-2010. Hence, it may be concluded that the UK market for teenage magazines has been shrinking and narrowing. Among the major competitors in the UK market for teenage magazines it is valid to mention Elle Girl, Glamour, GQ, Grazia Magazine, Heat, New!, OK! and Yours. Their relative market shares are reported in the following figure. As it may be seen from the histogram, New!, Ok! and Glamour are the most popular teenage magazine brands in the UK. Their market shares are equal to 15.7%, 15.4% and 13.5% respectively. The market share of Heat constitutes as much as 12.4%. Such brands as Grazia, Yours, Elle Girl and GQ occupy 6.7%, 6.5%, 5.1% and 3.1% of the market. Other brands, which are less popular, account for 21.6% of the market. Critical analysis of these brands may reveal that GQ is the worst performing magazine. Its market share is the smallest among major magazines. This may be explained by the narrow specialisation of the magazine. The target audience of the magazine are males from 16 to 24 years old. Teen girls are more inclined to reading magazines than teen boys. The researchers reported that girls read more screen and confession magazines . On the contrary, the most successful teenage magazine brands are New! and Ok! (these magazines have the largest market share in the UK market). This success can be explained by the proper and suitable content. The teenage magazines include celebrity interviews, dating tips, fashion tips and descriptions and samples of the popular cosmetic products. Such content is highly appreciated by the target audience. Another advantage over the rivals in the market segment is availability of the magazines. Teenage magazines have relatively low prices in comparison with other glossies. Furthermore, these magazines are universal. They are read by teenage girls as well as medium-aged women. Brand positioning of the major teenage magazines in the UK can be presented as follows. Kumar developed a special framework, which differentiates between economy brands, bargain brands, cowboy brands and premium brands. The differentiation is based on the two dimensions: quality and price of the production. The brand positioning framework can be graphically presented as shown below. None of the mentioned magazines refers to the category of economy brands. The major teenage magazines do not combine the two qualities, i.e. low quality and low price, at once. However, New! and Ok! can be classified as bargain brands. They belong to the moderate price category, but have very rich and diversified contents. Grazia Magazine, Yours and Heat are of lower quality, but more expensive. Hence, it allows for classifying them as cowboy brands. Finally, Elle Girl, Glamour and GQ are positioned as premium brands. It has already been mentioned that girls read teenage magazines more often than boys. Hence, the major target audience are teenage girls. The following graph provides a comparison of the percentage of teenage girls and teenage boys reading magazines. It may be observed that 55% of male teenagers are found to enjoy reading magazines. However, the female readers of teenage magazines are even more numerous and constitute 63% of all female teenagers. These findings reveal that the target group for the majority of the magazine producers are female teenagers. Another fact, which proves these findings, is that male teenagers are also inclined to reading other specialised magazines besides teenage publications. The alternatives include sports magazines, technical magazines, PC and IT magazines and others. In accordance with Kaiser Family Foundation all magazines discussed above are targeted at clearly specified groups of consumers. For instance, Elle Girl is targeted at younger sisters of the readers of Elle. Furthermore, it has been revealed that girls from 12 to 17 years old comprise up to 26% of the total number of females reading different magazines. Nevertheless, these magazines can hardly be segmented by their contents. The point is that all of them contain articles about celebrities, fashion, relationships, etc. In addition, it can be stated that the market could not be segmented according to the social classes of the teenage reader. It may be explained by the fact that teenage readers have mostly the same interests at this age regardless of the social background of their family. It is argued by Form (1995) that segmentation theory deals with the problems of coordinating huge entities like institutions, sectors, strata, or society; it holds that individual groups generally place their inter ests above those of the groups with which they interact, creating problems of intergroup coordination (Form, 1995). Relying on this statement, it may be argued that there are no many conflicts between the segments of the teenage magazine market in the UK. The point is that the difference between the demands and interests of teenage girls is not very large. It has been mentioned that they have similar interests. Hence, the majority of magazines can be easily substituted with other types. As it may be seen from the following graph, the publishers of teenage magazines use different media for advertising their production. Newspaper advertisement comprises as much as 29%. It may be stated that such a considerable percentage of newspaper ads cannot be justified since teenagers are expected to spend more time in the Internet than reading newspapers. However, if their parents subscribe to newspapers, teenagers can see the advertisement in the papers. Radio ads, TV ads and internet ads comprise 22%, 22% and 18% respectively. Outdoor advertisement constitutes only 9% of all advertising. The costs of advertising are summarised in the graph below. The figure has reported that the total teenage magazine advertising expenditure has been reduced recently. In 2008, the UK publishers of the teenage magazines spent about  £14,593,000 on advertising of their production. In 2009, the indicator decreased to the level of  £12,043,000. However, the advertising expenditure was equal to  £11,452,000 in 2010. The reduction of the total advertising expenditure may be explained by the overall decline in the market. It has already been stated that the total number of units of magazines produced yearly decreased too. Furthermore, the influence of the global financial crisis could have additional pressure on companies and make them reduce advertising costs. The advertising to sales ratio constituted 0.28 in 2005. In other words, the UK magazine publishers spent on average  £0.28 on advertising a  £1 worth magazine. It is understandable that premium brands and cowboy brands had different advertising budgets. Nevertheless, the indicator illustrates the average ratio. As it may be seen from the graph, the main types of retail outlets where teenage magazines are sold are supermarkets, other multiples and independents. Another important thing, which should be grasped from the histogram, is that the percentage of sales in each type of outlets has changed recently. In 1997, supermarkets were the least popular outlet for selling teenage magazines. Only 19% of all teenage magazines were sold there. Nevertheless, in 2007, supermarkets contributed to the sales of up to 32% of all teenage magazines. The percentage of teenage magazines sold in other multiples in 1997 and 2007 changed insignificantly. The indicator had fallen from 34% to 33% by 2007. However, the sales by independents had reduced from 42% to 37% by 2007. Delivery to retail outlets is the final stage of the teenage magazine supply chain. Today, supermarkets are becoming more and more popular as teenage magazine retailers as the graph above has revealed. However, supply chain of teenage magazines is much more complex than it may seem from the first sight. The timing of the average teenage magazine supply chain is presented in Appendix.

Contracts and Change Orders in a Small Business :: business, contracts, customers,

I began to use change orders in business because customers always want more than they have paid for, and the longer you work with a customer the more they feel entitled to free services. A change order takes place after an original contract has been signed by both parties, and additional work is required. A change order is most often used in construction and service trades when more work must be performed than originally agreed to, because conditions arise that were not originally known to either party. A change order does not nullify the original contract, on the contrary, it adds to the original scope of work and cost of the project. I knew a contractor who owned a motor yacht with a small dinghy attached. The dinghy was named Original Contract, and the yacht was named Change Order. I started a business named AAA Computer Repair. Unaware of what services the customers would require, an hourly rate was charged that began when I arrived at the place of service, with a minimum of one hour for a service call. The charges per hour did not vary at all, for all services provided, including installing software, fixing hardware, or software training. Most service calls required less than one hour of time and customers were willing to pay for the one hour rate of service without any questions or disputes. However, I began to develop long term relationships with many of the clients, especially if they required software training. A decision was made to design a software training package, which would allow for a more manageable hourly rate and defined what was included in an eight hour training package. The more time spent with each client, the more work was acquired for their businesses, home offices, and preparing computers for college. A general contract was creat ed for seven services provided, after speaking with a lawyer to make sure the contract would be legally enforceable. "A contract is a legally enforceable agreement between two or more competent parties to perform or avoid performing, certain acts that they have a legal right to do and meet certain legal requirements (pg. 79)." The description of the services performed the cost of the specific service, the hours involved, and a place for all parties to sign and date.

Consequences of Ambition Exposed in Macbeth, The Maids Tragedy, and Th

Consequences of Ambition Exposed in Macbeth, The Maid's Tragedy, and The Duchess of Malfi      Ã‚  Ã‚   Twenty-first century America praises the ambitious. The American dream urges us to set lofty goals and then rely on the Protestant work ethic to achieve them-regardless of potential obstacles. Parents encourage their children to consider any and every career choice. Companies and schools stress goal-setting and celebrate productivity. Even a contemporary catchphrase like "The sky's the limit" or the Army slogan "Be all you can be"-the stuff of graduation cards and commencement addresses-promote ambition. Yet ambition has not always been valued. Seventeenth-century Jacobean drama often casts it in a negative light. Unbridled ambition yields deadly outcomes, the literature suggests. Macbeth, The Maid's Tragedy, and The Duchess of Malfi each illustrate the severe consequences of boundless ambition. John Milton takes the idea a step further in Paradise Lost, depicting the most ambitious of characters as well as the proper way to handle ambition, according to God 's will.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In Macbeth, ambition first arises in Lady Macbeth, distorting her values. Immediately, she recognizes her husband's chance to rise in power. She craves it so intensely that she willingly invites "spirits that tend on mortal thoughts" to fill her "from the crown to the toe top-full/ Of direst cruelty" (I.v.40-41)!   Lady Macbeth instinctively associates ambition with cruelty. She considers cruelty necessary in her rise to power. She also fears that her husband is "too full o' the milk of human kindness" to execute her plan (I.v.17). Ambition and kindness are mutually exclusive, she insinuates. Therefore, she views the virtue as a wea... ...t, Francis and John Fletcher, The Maid's Tragedy, ed. T.W.Craik (Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1988 Bowers, Fredson. Elizabethan Revenge Tragedies, 1587-1642. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1940. Hallett, Charles and Elaine. The Revenger's Madness: A Study of Revenge Tragedy Motifs. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1980. Keyishan, Harry. The Shapes of Revenge: Victimization, Vengeance, and Vindictiveness in Shakespeare. Atlantic Highlands: Humanities Press, 1995. Middleton, Thomas, and William Rowley. Three Jacobean Tragedies. Ed. Gamini Salgado. Middlesex: Penguin Books Ltd., 1969. 255-344. Shakespeare, William.   Tragedy of Macbeth . Ed. Barbara Mowat and Paul Warstine. New York: Washington Press, 1992.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Webster, John. The Duchess of Malfi. Ed. John Russel Brown. Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1986. Consequences of Ambition Exposed in Macbeth, The Maid's Tragedy, and Th Consequences of Ambition Exposed in Macbeth, The Maid's Tragedy, and The Duchess of Malfi      Ã‚  Ã‚   Twenty-first century America praises the ambitious. The American dream urges us to set lofty goals and then rely on the Protestant work ethic to achieve them-regardless of potential obstacles. Parents encourage their children to consider any and every career choice. Companies and schools stress goal-setting and celebrate productivity. Even a contemporary catchphrase like "The sky's the limit" or the Army slogan "Be all you can be"-the stuff of graduation cards and commencement addresses-promote ambition. Yet ambition has not always been valued. Seventeenth-century Jacobean drama often casts it in a negative light. Unbridled ambition yields deadly outcomes, the literature suggests. Macbeth, The Maid's Tragedy, and The Duchess of Malfi each illustrate the severe consequences of boundless ambition. John Milton takes the idea a step further in Paradise Lost, depicting the most ambitious of characters as well as the proper way to handle ambition, according to God 's will.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In Macbeth, ambition first arises in Lady Macbeth, distorting her values. Immediately, she recognizes her husband's chance to rise in power. She craves it so intensely that she willingly invites "spirits that tend on mortal thoughts" to fill her "from the crown to the toe top-full/ Of direst cruelty" (I.v.40-41)!   Lady Macbeth instinctively associates ambition with cruelty. She considers cruelty necessary in her rise to power. She also fears that her husband is "too full o' the milk of human kindness" to execute her plan (I.v.17). Ambition and kindness are mutually exclusive, she insinuates. Therefore, she views the virtue as a wea... ...t, Francis and John Fletcher, The Maid's Tragedy, ed. T.W.Craik (Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1988 Bowers, Fredson. Elizabethan Revenge Tragedies, 1587-1642. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1940. Hallett, Charles and Elaine. The Revenger's Madness: A Study of Revenge Tragedy Motifs. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1980. Keyishan, Harry. The Shapes of Revenge: Victimization, Vengeance, and Vindictiveness in Shakespeare. Atlantic Highlands: Humanities Press, 1995. Middleton, Thomas, and William Rowley. Three Jacobean Tragedies. Ed. Gamini Salgado. Middlesex: Penguin Books Ltd., 1969. 255-344. Shakespeare, William.   Tragedy of Macbeth . Ed. Barbara Mowat and Paul Warstine. New York: Washington Press, 1992.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Webster, John. The Duchess of Malfi. Ed. John Russel Brown. Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1986.

Generic Skills in Career and Technical Education :: Skills Work Careers Essays

Generic Skills in Career and Technical Education Career and Technical Educators Employ a Variety of Strategies for Teaching Generic Skills The Secretary's Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills (SCANS) identified the general skills that most workplaces require, thus providing a basis for programs that prepare students for employment. Reform programs such as Tech Prep and High Schools that Work strive to incorporate these "generic" skills as they offer students a rigorous academic background, technological literacy skill development, and learning experiences that are situated in the context of real-world environments (Pucel 1999). Integrated academic and CTE programs and contextual learning efforts offer similar opportunities to promote the learning of generic skills by linking them to specific workplace and social practices. Workplace learning experiences are another way of highlighting generic skill development by placing students in job situations where these generic skills are used in combination with occupational or technical skills. Although the United States has adopted a variety of strategies for the teaching of generic skills, it is not the only country to do so. Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom have initiated similar programs to address generic skill development. In Australia, integrated curriculum that infuses literacy into specific vocational courses has served to illustrate the necessity of contextualized, multiple literacies (Searle et al. 1999). Case Studies to Advance Skills and Employability, a project conducted at the Universities of Northumbria and Newcastle, emphasized the development of employability skills within the academic curriculum (Holmes and Miller 2000). The contextual integration of employability skills into curriculum has become a recent trend in Canada and the United Kingdom (Overtoom 2000). Although there is evidence that generic skills are being taught in schools, there is great ambiguity about what they are. Many terms have been used to describe them: key skills, core skills, transferable skills, personal transferable skills, and employability skills. The list of skills defined by whatever term is being used varies across countries; however, most lists include communication skills, interpersonal and social skills, organization and planning skills, problem-solving skills, creative thinking, literacy, and technology skills. The Australian key competencies add "cultural understanding" as a generic skill (Werner 1995). Most attempts to define generic skills more closely "have resulted in a plethora of superficially similar but often significantly different lists" (Drummond, Nixon, and Wiltshire 1998, p. 20). Guile (2002) contends that definitions of generic skills are grounded in the complexity of relationship that they imply, which in turn directs how the skills are being taught.

Letter to child about personal success Essay

I am writing this letter in a hope that we will meet one day in the future. At this state I am a seventeen year old high school student. I have been given an assignment to write to my future child about personal success. To let you know right here at the beginning of my letter, I really believe that being a good parent is a sign of personal success. At this point I am not sure if I want to have a boy or a girl but I am certain that I have every intention of being a pillar of strength and support for my child. I know some people in their thirties that do not want to have children and I must say that I admire them for recognizing that parenting is not what they desire in their life. Do not let this contradiction confuse you. Knowing yourself and accepting yourself is a great success! As a seventeen year old teenager it is not easy to write about success especially to a future child. My values and beliefs may change in the process of growing up – however I will try to honestly and truthfully describe my idea of being successful in life. I am convinced that first step to personal success takes place in your thought. It is important to believe in yourself and decide what important things that you desire are. My mom was determined to put a writing on the wall in my room that spells â€Å"go confidentially in the direction of your dreams†. She says that only limits to your dreams are those that you place in your mind. The more I think about it the more I agree. When I look at myself in the mirror I realise that the person staring back at me is the only person responsible for my personal success. I need to figure out my desires and learn to visualize them and work hard on developing plans how to achieve my desires. I have to fill my mind with positive thoughts and give my self-affirmation. This sounds very easy but let me tell you something my child, it is very complicated. Especially for a seventeen year old who changes his mind about everything quite frequently including his desires. All of us want to succeed in life, to accomplish something, to feel that we â€Å"won†. Some people see success in having a loving family, others in having a job that pays a six figure salary. Some people see success in stuff they own. At this point you are probably wondering what success means to me. A big bank balance might be nice to look at but I believe that it can never replace the love of family and friends or the sense of satisfaction gained by doing the work you enjoy doing. I believe that there is no single definition of personal success. Success is about living your best life and only you can say what that means. Defining personal success is up to you my child. I have intention of reading you this letter once you are my age. I honestly hope that my definition of success will not change since I am quite proud of my idea of success right now. So, my advice to you is to be open, honest, and true to yourself. Find what motivate you and go boldly after your desires. Your loving father, Name

Birth Control in China: the One Child Policy

Population Control In China â€Å" There are many ways to make the death rate increase† (Robert McNamara). The regulation of population via forced abortions, forced sterilizations, infanticide, and government programs does not only hurt the economy, but continuously damages it to a point of weakness and downfall. Population control in China has been hurting the Chinese people and destroying the Chinese economy for a span of 65 years, and continues to cause conflict even today. The one-child policy that exists within China’s communist government has and will continue to devastate the Chinese economy if forced sterilizations and abortions continue.Population control in China has been prevalent in the Chinese economy ever since the communists took over china in 1949. When Mao Zedong took over as the dictator of China in the 1950’s, he proposed what he called â€Å"The Great Leap Forward† (â€Å"China Passes the One-Child Policy† 1). This giant movement encouraged the peoples of China â€Å"to have as many kids as possible in order to prove China’s greatness as the world’s most populous country† (â€Å"China Passes the One-Child Policy† 1). Due to a major increase in China’s population, â€Å"famine and disease† became a major concern for the Chinese government (â€Å"China† 1).The â€Å"Wan Xi Shao† Program was introduced as a way to regulate China’s population by â€Å"promoting later marriages, longer intervals between births, and fewer children† (â€Å"One-child Policy† 1). â€Å"Deng Xiaoping† proposed the â€Å"wan Xi Shao† program in 1978 when he came to power; however, it was not passed until 1979 (â€Å"China† 2). The Wan Xi Shao program eventually evolved into the one-child policy which Encouraged and promoted the same ideals as the Wan Xi Shao program, but provided government funds to those Chinese families that followed th e policies (Friedman 5).With no â€Å"birth-control policy before the communists took over China in 1949, the fertility rate was 3. 7% per year†; As of a census in 2002, â€Å"the annual fertility rate in china has been reduced to 1. 2%† (â€Å"One-child Policy† 4,5). Chinese families are currently being pressured into having only one child by the communist government and the policies held by the government in China. The one-child policy was â€Å"designed to curb the overpopulation from the 1950’s-1980’s by limiting families to having only one child† (â€Å"China Passes the One-Child Policy† 1).The One-child policy is mostly encouraged on â€Å"a local level† instead of a federal level (â€Å"China† 4). For each extra child, or â€Å"surplus† child, the family is required to pay fines and financial penalties. Also, these â€Å"surplus† children are ineligible for â€Å"extra bonuses and special programsâ €  funded by the Chinese government (â€Å"China Passes the One-Child Policy† 4). In many rural parts of china, where the policy is less enforced, a family who has a first born female child may be allowed to have a second child â€Å"without being subjected to fees† (â€Å"China Passes the One-Child Policy† 5).This is because of the country’s traditional preference for boys; boys will regularly carry on the family name and care for their elderly parents. This is an example of the policy being enforced less federally and more locally where families can be accounted for. Also, in order to â€Å"promote ethnic minorities†, non-Han/Chinese families are encouraged to have more than one child without being subjected to any fees (â€Å"China† 6). However, even with these birth control policies in effect, â€Å"China’s population still ranks first in the world with 1,306,313,812 residents as of 2006† (â€Å"One-child Policy† 6).At this rate, â€Å"the number of people living in china is predicted to be as high as 1. 5 billion in 2025† (â€Å"One-child Policy† 7). If population regulation policies continue to be in effect in China, a massive gender imbalance may occur within the population of China. The Han, or Chinese culture’s, â€Å"traditional preference for boys† has led to many acquisitions of â€Å"female infanticide and abandonment† (Friedman 2). This means that because of the Han’s traditional preference boys, they have participated in killing off their female children.This may result in a large gender imbalance and may prove â€Å"disastrous to Chinese society in the future† (â€Å"One-child Policy†3). This imbalance within the Chinese population will eventually create a â€Å"shortage of women and leave some men unable to marry and reproduce† (Friedman 1). When these men will not be able to reproduce, a steady rise in â€Å"the il legal trafficking of women for marriage and prostitution† will occur in order to satisfy their needs (â€Å"One-child Policy† 13). Along with the rise in prostitution and trafficking of women, an increase in â€Å"the spread of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases† will be imminent (Friedman 4).There are not many solutions to this particular problem and all of these solutions are delicate topics to discuss. The controversy on human rights in china is not likely to go away as long as it is argued in terms of â€Å"freedom vs. stability† (Shanor 2). As long as we are arguing for the people’s freedom of choice against the stability of a communist nation, a debate will never be won. Change may only come to china as it continues â€Å"to modernize and begins to see the extension of the rule of law not as a threat but as an advantage to its development† (Shanor 2).Winning this debate on human rights means â€Å"understanding that too much p ublic pressure of human rights† will only worsen the matter (Shanor 1). Only quite and gentle pressure could help such a change. The one-child policy is destroying the Chinese economy and social life within the Chinese government. The one-child policy has been in place for over 50 years and if it continues to prosper then life in china will not. Life in china will only head in a downward spiral. Population control must be terminated or it will continue to wreck and hurt the world’s economy. Birth Control in China: the One Child Policy Population Control In China â€Å" There are many ways to make the death rate increase† (Robert McNamara). The regulation of population via forced abortions, forced sterilizations, infanticide, and government programs does not only hurt the economy, but continuously damages it to a point of weakness and downfall. Population control in China has been hurting the Chinese people and destroying the Chinese economy for a span of 65 years, and continues to cause conflict even today. The one-child policy that exists within China’s communist government has and will continue to devastate the Chinese economy if forced sterilizations and abortions continue.Population control in China has been prevalent in the Chinese economy ever since the communists took over china in 1949. When Mao Zedong took over as the dictator of China in the 1950’s, he proposed what he called â€Å"The Great Leap Forward† (â€Å"China Passes the One-Child Policy† 1). This giant movement encouraged the peoples of China â€Å"to have as many kids as possible in order to prove China’s greatness as the world’s most populous country† (â€Å"China Passes the One-Child Policy† 1). Due to a major increase in China’s population, â€Å"famine and disease† became a major concern for the Chinese government (â€Å"China† 1).The â€Å"Wan Xi Shao† Program was introduced as a way to regulate China’s population by â€Å"promoting later marriages, longer intervals between births, and fewer children† (â€Å"One-child Policy† 1). â€Å"Deng Xiaoping† proposed the â€Å"wan Xi Shao† program in 1978 when he came to power; however, it was not passed until 1979 (â€Å"China† 2). The Wan Xi Shao program eventually evolved into the one-child policy which Encouraged and promoted the same ideals as the Wan Xi Shao program, but provided government funds to those Chinese families that followed th e policies (Friedman 5).With no â€Å"birth-control policy before the communists took over China in 1949, the fertility rate was 3. 7% per year†; As of a census in 2002, â€Å"the annual fertility rate in china has been reduced to 1. 2%† (â€Å"One-child Policy† 4,5). Chinese families are currently being pressured into having only one child by the communist government and the policies held by the government in China. The one-child policy was â€Å"designed to curb the overpopulation from the 1950’s-1980’s by limiting families to having only one child† (â€Å"China Passes the One-Child Policy† 1).The One-child policy is mostly encouraged on â€Å"a local level† instead of a federal level (â€Å"China† 4). For each extra child, or â€Å"surplus† child, the family is required to pay fines and financial penalties. Also, these â€Å"surplus† children are ineligible for â€Å"extra bonuses and special programsâ €  funded by the Chinese government (â€Å"China Passes the One-Child Policy† 4). In many rural parts of china, where the policy is less enforced, a family who has a first born female child may be allowed to have a second child â€Å"without being subjected to fees† (â€Å"China Passes the One-Child Policy† 5).This is because of the country’s traditional preference for boys; boys will regularly carry on the family name and care for their elderly parents. This is an example of the policy being enforced less federally and more locally where families can be accounted for. Also, in order to â€Å"promote ethnic minorities†, non-Han/Chinese families are encouraged to have more than one child without being subjected to any fees (â€Å"China† 6). However, even with these birth control policies in effect, â€Å"China’s population still ranks first in the world with 1,306,313,812 residents as of 2006† (â€Å"One-child Policy† 6).At this rate, â€Å"the number of people living in china is predicted to be as high as 1. 5 billion in 2025† (â€Å"One-child Policy† 7). If population regulation policies continue to be in effect in China, a massive gender imbalance may occur within the population of China. The Han, or Chinese culture’s, â€Å"traditional preference for boys† has led to many acquisitions of â€Å"female infanticide and abandonment† (Friedman 2). This means that because of the Han’s traditional preference boys, they have participated in killing off their female children.This may result in a large gender imbalance and may prove â€Å"disastrous to Chinese society in the future† (â€Å"One-child Policy†3). This imbalance within the Chinese population will eventually create a â€Å"shortage of women and leave some men unable to marry and reproduce† (Friedman 1). When these men will not be able to reproduce, a steady rise in â€Å"the il legal trafficking of women for marriage and prostitution† will occur in order to satisfy their needs (â€Å"One-child Policy† 13). Along with the rise in prostitution and trafficking of women, an increase in â€Å"the spread of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases† will be imminent (Friedman 4).There are not many solutions to this particular problem and all of these solutions are delicate topics to discuss. The controversy on human rights in china is not likely to go away as long as it is argued in terms of â€Å"freedom vs. stability† (Shanor 2). As long as we are arguing for the people’s freedom of choice against the stability of a communist nation, a debate will never be won. Change may only come to china as it continues â€Å"to modernize and begins to see the extension of the rule of law not as a threat but as an advantage to its development† (Shanor 2).Winning this debate on human rights means â€Å"understanding that too much p ublic pressure of human rights† will only worsen the matter (Shanor 1). Only quite and gentle pressure could help such a change. The one-child policy is destroying the Chinese economy and social life within the Chinese government. The one-child policy has been in place for over 50 years and if it continues to prosper then life in china will not. Life in china will only head in a downward spiral. Population control must be terminated or it will continue to wreck and hurt the world’s economy.