Executive summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Executive summary - Essay Example Wal-Mart is sociologist’s organization, this is because it employs three main theoretical perspectives which offer them sociologists paradigms of the way the organization influences people and how people influence organization. Each perspective exceptionally conceptualizes organization, human behavior and social forces. This includes the symbolic interactions perspective, the conflict perspective and functionalist perspective. The symbolic interactionist perspective also referred to has symbolic interactionism, directs Wal-Mart to consider the details of every days’ life and symbols, their meaning, and how people interacts with one another (Schein, 2004). The functionalist perspective also known as functions, each organizational aspect is interdependent and contributes to organization’s functioning as a whole. Functionalists believes that organization held together by cohesion, social consensus in which all members of the organization agree upon, and together work to achieve, the best for organization as a whole. Finally, the conflict perspective which prevents organization in a varied light than the symbolic interactions and fuctionist (Schein, 1990). Schein’s defines culture to be consisting of a range of levels from overt outside cultural manifestation to the deep underlying assumptions driving organization action. Wal-Mart in reference to Schein’s cultural model, artifacts are the visible processes and structures, espoused values and beliefs to the Wal-Mart goals, strategies and philosophies not forgetting underlying assumptions to the unconscious beliefs, thoughts, perceptions and individual feeling in the organization. This model helps in demonstrating the significance of culture to the organization since it unites or isolate people (Schein, 2004). Leadership styles are ways, approaches and the manner of implementing plans, providing direction and motivating individuals. The major leadership styles include authoritarian or autocratic,

Most Beautiful And Interesting Buildings In History Construction Essay

Most Beautiful And Interesting Buildings In History Construction Essay During modern era nowadays, exciting new innovations in the world of building construction has brought soaring skyscrapers and fresh new approaches to building design. Actually since many years ago building construction was a significant part of our industrial field. If somebody asks what is the most significant, most beautiful and most interesting of the past 1000 years, there will be no single correct answer for this question. Some will choose the Taj Mahal or Eiffel Tower while others might choose the soaring skyscrapers as the most significant building. Perhaps the most innovative building is not fixed for the grand monument only but sometimes obscure home and temples also. These are some of overlooked treasure that still exists till now. The first one is Forbidden City in Beijing,China or some people called it as Purple Forbidden City or Gugong Museum in Chinese. It is one of the largest and best-preserved palace complexes in the world. In Gugong Museum there are over a million rare and valuable objects. It is built between 1406 and 1420 during the Ming Dynasty by a rectangular area of more than 720000 square meters. The Forbidden City was the imperial home for 24 emperors of the Ming ( 1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties. http://s1141.photobucket.com/albums/n589/nadiahasbullah/?action=viewHYPERLINK http://s1141.photobucket.com/albums/n589/nadiahasbullah/?action=viewcurrent=pic1.jpgHYPERLINK http://s1141.photobucket.com/albums/n589/nadiahasbullah/?action=viewcurrent=pic1.jpgcurrent=pic1.jpg Next is Basilica Palladiana building. The architect who was Andrea Palladio gave the Basilica in Vicenza, Italy two styles of classical columns which are doric on the lower portion and ionic on the upper portion. Originally, the Basilica was a 15th century Gothic building that serve as the town hall for Vicenza and also contained shop. When the old building collapsed, Andrea Palladio won the commission to design a reconstruction of this building. He grabbed this opportunity and created a great stunning transformation covering the old gothic facade with marble columns and porticos modelled after the classical architecture of ancient Rome. http://s1141.photobucket.com/albums/n589/nadiahasbullah/?action=viewHYPERLINK http://s1141.photobucket.com/albums/n589/nadiahasbullah/?action=viewcurrent=pic2.jpgHYPERLINK http://s1141.photobucket.com/albums/n589/nadiahasbullah/?action=viewcurrent=pic2.jpgcurrent=pic2.jpg Eiffel Tower in Paris is also one of past greatest building construction. Eiffel Tower was built on 1889 and pioneered new uses for metal construction. Perhaps it was the most famous example of this new use for metal. With 324 feet, Eiffel Tower was measured as the tallest building structure in the world for 40 years. The metal lattice-work formed with very pure structural iron make the tower both extremely light and able to withstand tremendous wind force. During the construction, the Eiffel was considered as an eyesore for the French but the criticism died down once the construction was completed. http://s1141.photobucket.com/albums/n589/nadiahasbullah/?action=viewHYPERLINK http://s1141.photobucket.com/albums/n589/nadiahasbullah/?action=viewcurrent=pic3.jpgHYPERLINK http://s1141.photobucket.com/albums/n589/nadiahasbullah/?action=viewcurrent=pic3.jpgcurrent=pic3.jpg The Fuller Building in New York is one of the worldà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s earliest skyscrapers and has been designed by Daniel Burnham architect. It was built on 1902 with a height of 285 feet. The wedge shaped like a clothing iron of this building make it became known as Flatiron Building. This unusual shape of building is because to maximize the use of the triangular lot. A sturdy steel skeleton that has been used during the construction of this building allowed it to achieve record-breaking height without the need for wide supporting walls at the foundation. http://s1141.photobucket.com/albums/n589/nadiahasbullah/?action=viewHYPERLINK http://s1141.photobucket.com/albums/n589/nadiahasbullah/?action=viewcurrent=pic4.jpgHYPERLINK http://s1141.photobucket.com/albums/n589/nadiahasbullah/?action=viewcurrent=pic4.jpgcurrent=pic4.jpg Nowadays, there is many and more big challenge facing us. The technology shifts had made the construction technology today more advanced and the world is getting smarter. The construction methods, structure or sustainable building, design and the construction system are rarely important not only at national level but also globally. The example of advance construction building in the world now are the CCTV headquarter in China, Bird Nest Olympic Stadium, Khalifa Building at Dubai and some of other buildings. One of the form that being used today is insulated concrete from construction technology. Insulated concrete form are lightweight, highly durable foam blocks or forms composed of an expanded or extruded polystyrene and recycled materials. These are the formwork that stay a permanent building insulation fore cast in place, reinforced concrete walls, floor and roofs. The forms are consisted of interlocking modular units that are dry stacked and concrete filled. The forms just like LEGO bricks that create form for structural walls or roofs. The concrete is pumped into cavity and stacked in shape. The reinforcing steel bar is placed inside to give flexural strength. The forms are left permanently for the reason of thermal and acoustic insulation and the space to run electrical conduit and plumbing. The advantage of insulated concrete form is that it reduces the consumption of energy, the concrete will absorb solar heat and release it slowly so that heat is distributed throughout the home. Besides it create lower noise from outside world as it high in sound absorption and the system contribute to more peaceful and healthy environment. Over the past 30 years, construction practices had not really changed much because many people thought that there are no problems using the traditional practices. However, for current situation the old practices might be not practical anymore due issues that involved limited area and construction costs that continue to rise in the country and also around the world. Therefore, by using the effective method of construction, we actually can overcome these problems. After several researches that consider all of the elements, there are some methods that believe can practices in the future such as modular construction and sustainable construction (green construction). By using these methods to construct a building, a lot of benefits we could gain in terms of time consuming, capital cost, labour cost and so on. In Malaysia, modular coordination or construction in building had been practiced such a long time ago. It is well documented in Malaysian Standard MS 10064: Part1-10 2001. This practices can provides dimensional basis for the coordination of the dimensions and of those buildings incorporating them, however it also acts to rationalization and industrialization of the building industry. In addition, modular construction can be applied by adding or reducing the size or removing certain components. For developing country likes Malaysia, this method will help the contractor to face the project that running in busy area or high capacity area because it is speed construction and faster returned in investment. In common method of construction, once projects might need to be done in 12 months but by practicing modular construction the work can be done in 90 à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 120 days only. This is because, the buildings are sectional prefabricated buildings that consist of multiple modules or sections which are manufactured in a remote facility and then delivered to the site. Modular construction allows the building and the site works to be done simultaneously and this will reduce the time until 50%. Furthermore, the quality of modular buildings is made to match and adhere to all the same building codes as standard construction. Thus, when the building is rebuild the structure become high in quality compared with the previous structure. Moreover, by using this method, all problems involve weather delays, logistical problems and legal hassles increase in turn can be solved because the structure is not build in the site. A lot of advantages we can gain based on modular construction and it is not hard to imagine if the future commercial developments are completed by using this method. http://s1141.photobucket.com/albums/n589/nadiahasbullah/?action=viewHYPERLINK http://s1141.photobucket.com/albums/n589/nadiahasbullah/?action=viewcurrent=pic5.jpgHYPERLINK http://s1141.photobucket.com/albums/n589/nadiahasbullah/?action=viewcurrent=pic5.jpgcurrent=pic5.jpg Modular house by Broadway Malyan for Sime Darby Property as a first carbon zero house in Southern East Asia. http://s1141.photobucket.com/albums/n589/nadiahasbullah/?action=viewHYPERLINK http://s1141.photobucket.com/albums/n589/nadiahasbullah/?action=viewcurrent=pic6.jpgHYPERLINK http://s1141.photobucket.com/albums/n589/nadiahasbullah/?action=viewcurrent=pic6.jpgcurrent=pic6.jpg The house not only pushed costs expand but also speed up the construction process On the other hand, sustainable construction is one of the practices that might be used widely in future. It involves a greater emphasis on the environmental implication of policy and business decisions in addition to the traditional focus on economic and social objectives. Sustainable building can include measures to reduce energy consumption and associated emissions of carbon dioxide, minimize the use of resources such as water, construction material, etc., reduce the release of pollutants, maximize the use of sustainably sources and recycled materials likes timber, promote sustainable travel choices through public transport and cycling provision, save and enhance biodiversity. Example of sustainable building is building that use sunlight through passive solar, active solar and photovoltaic techniques and using plants and trees through green roofs, rain garden and for reduction of rainwater run-off. Besides that, by using packed gravel or permeable concrete instead of conventional c oncrete or asphalt to enhance addition ground water, are used as well. Nevertheless, based on the study done by some researchers, the department usually failed to achieve target ratings and environmental assessment by the government. 80% of the projects are not attained the required standards. Various factors lead to these problems are lack of coherent monitoring on the progress of the projects by the government bodies, lack of sufficient knowledge and expertise in sustainable procurement among those department staff responsible for them, negative perception about the conflict between sustainability and value for money and so on. However, this barriers can be solved by establish a clear information to the division of policy that responsible on sustainable construction to the public sector so that the public will acknowledge clearly about the policy of sustainable construction. Then the responsible division can also establish a source of expertise that available to all departments to provide advice on sustainable construction for smaller construction and refurbishment projects. http://s1141.photobucket.com/albums/n589/nadiahasbullah/?action=viewHYPERLINK http://s1141.photobucket.com/albums/n589/nadiahasbullah/?action=viewcurrent=pic7.jpgHYPERLINK http://s1141.photobucket.com/albums/n589/nadiahasbullah/?action=viewcurrent=pic7.jpgcurrent=pic7.jpg Bird Island is currently developed in Kuala Lumpur. Designed by Grafts Lab Architect for YTL Green Home Competition. In a nutshell, for future building construction, all elements of environmental friendly must be considered in order to construct a building or structure. This is because as we know, we need to save our Earth by reducing energy costs such as electrics, reduce air quality and construction materials and many more. Therefore, by applying modular construction and green construction will lead us to help our nature.

James Joyces Araby - Setting in Araby Essay -- Joyce Dubliners Araby

Setting in James Joyce's Araby  Ã‚   In the opening paragraphs of James Joyce's short story, "Araby," the setting takes center stage to the narrator. Joyce tends carefully to the exquisite detail of personifying his setting, so that the narrator's emotions may be enhanced. To create a genuine sense of mood, and reality, Joyce uses many techniques such as first person narration, style of prose, imagery, and most of all setting. The setting of a short story is vital to the development of character. In the opening paragraph, North Richmond Street is introduced as "blind," and "quiet", yet on it rests another house which is unoccupied. The narrator states that the house is, "Detached," from the others on the street, but that, "The other houses on the street, conscious of decent lives within them, gazed at one another with brown imperturbable faces" (379). This creates an image of isolation, and uncertainty, for the one uninhabited house. The image of the lone house, lays in the shadows of the crowd of other houses who stand so remarkably calm, and collected. This enhances the image of the adolescent narrator, and perhaps foreshadows, his blind inclination towards self discovery on the road of life. The image also evokes that of the uncomfortable affect a group of peers may cast upon the isolated teen. Will steady doses of rejection and alienation drive the narrator to darker days ahead? He lives with his aunt and uncle, and there is no mention of his real parents. Whether he was abandoned, unwanted, or orphaned remains a mystery. In fact it may be that the narrator simply has no outlet through which to exercise his fragile emotions and thoughts. He has friends, but none to any degree of intimacy, his playful innocence pron... ...y perception of the reader, with the placement of the physical aspects conveying double meaning. Briefly foreshadowed, the religiousness with which he experiences his boyhood fancy, has all but abandoned and betrayed him. He recognizes the, "...silence like that which pervades a church after a service" (382). The bazaar has been emptied all the life within in it and become a cold inhospitable environment. The narrator is left again in his isolation in the middle of the bazaar, failed and dejected. He states, "Gazing up into the darkness I saw myself as a creature driven and derided by vanity; and my eyes burned with anguish and anger" (383). Perhaps it is life itself that is the religious experience worth living for, but one evolving from the inner spirit of the self in a great moment of epiphany. Works Cited: Joyce, James. â€Å"Araby†. Kirszner and Mandell 226. James Joyce's Araby - Setting in Araby Essay -- Joyce Dubliners Araby Setting in James Joyce's Araby  Ã‚   In the opening paragraphs of James Joyce's short story, "Araby," the setting takes center stage to the narrator. Joyce tends carefully to the exquisite detail of personifying his setting, so that the narrator's emotions may be enhanced. To create a genuine sense of mood, and reality, Joyce uses many techniques such as first person narration, style of prose, imagery, and most of all setting. The setting of a short story is vital to the development of character. In the opening paragraph, North Richmond Street is introduced as "blind," and "quiet", yet on it rests another house which is unoccupied. The narrator states that the house is, "Detached," from the others on the street, but that, "The other houses on the street, conscious of decent lives within them, gazed at one another with brown imperturbable faces" (379). This creates an image of isolation, and uncertainty, for the one uninhabited house. The image of the lone house, lays in the shadows of the crowd of other houses who stand so remarkably calm, and collected. This enhances the image of the adolescent narrator, and perhaps foreshadows, his blind inclination towards self discovery on the road of life. The image also evokes that of the uncomfortable affect a group of peers may cast upon the isolated teen. Will steady doses of rejection and alienation drive the narrator to darker days ahead? He lives with his aunt and uncle, and there is no mention of his real parents. Whether he was abandoned, unwanted, or orphaned remains a mystery. In fact it may be that the narrator simply has no outlet through which to exercise his fragile emotions and thoughts. He has friends, but none to any degree of intimacy, his playful innocence pron... ...y perception of the reader, with the placement of the physical aspects conveying double meaning. Briefly foreshadowed, the religiousness with which he experiences his boyhood fancy, has all but abandoned and betrayed him. He recognizes the, "...silence like that which pervades a church after a service" (382). The bazaar has been emptied all the life within in it and become a cold inhospitable environment. The narrator is left again in his isolation in the middle of the bazaar, failed and dejected. He states, "Gazing up into the darkness I saw myself as a creature driven and derided by vanity; and my eyes burned with anguish and anger" (383). Perhaps it is life itself that is the religious experience worth living for, but one evolving from the inner spirit of the self in a great moment of epiphany. Works Cited: Joyce, James. â€Å"Araby†. Kirszner and Mandell 226.

Flight Centre Case Study

Flight Centre Graham Turner structured the company as families, villages and tribes. The creation of this unique system has also worked to the company? advantage. It provides incentives based on outcomes. The Flight centre? system is based on the idea that people work best in their preferred environment within the larger organisation rather than trying to fit them into the company? mould. The employees believe ? hat gets rewarded gets done.? they are hard workers but also enjoy the many social aspects of the company including buzz nights, award ceremonies and team get-togethers. This essay would focus on how flight centre has structured with the four aspects of the organisation structure. Explains how flight centre has integrated the Mintzberg? five elements to its structure. This essay would also highlights the roles of functional and social specialization. Finally, the metaphors used by flight centre would be discussed. Structure of Flight Centre The importance of organisational structuring and restructuring to organisational effectiveness cannot be over emphasized. Effective organisational design or organisational structuring pays immense dividends, no matter how large or small the organisation is (HRODC , 2006). The founder of the Flight Centre Ltd, Graham Turner claims that people are hard wired to work in small groups within larger groups. To understand this unique structure the four aspects of organisation structure, complexity, formalization, centralization and coordination, can be used. Complexity refers to the way in which the organization is divided into different divisions, departments, groups, or individual roles, each with its own tasks and responsibilities. Vertical differentiation refers to the number of hierarchical levels in an organization (Robbins & Barnwell, 2006). At the Flight centre, the operation level involves retail shops. Each shop involves three to seven people working on one brand which is called a family. The area or a ? illage? involves 7 or 10 families within one geographical region. The tribal country is a set of three or four villages. Each tribe is a different brand, brands include corporate traveler, flight centre and student flights (refer appendix 1). In horizontal differentiation, different parts of the organization become specialized in different activities to increase efficiency (Robbins & Barnwell, 2006). All shops of flight centre sell similar services even though the names (corporate traveler, flight centre and student flights) are different which makes it easy to coordinate activities and to communicate among families. Moreover, due to the similarities of jobs within a family, there are no differences between the staff. However, a special horizontal clustered family consisting of HR, IT and marketing professionals, provides administrative services for retail shops. By clustering different types of functions and activities on any one level of the hierarchy has the advantage of application of higher technical knowledge for solving problems and greater group and professional identification (Luthans, 1986). Flight centre has more than 800 shops spatially dispersed. High-rise of overseas shops would increase the number of tribes, villages, families and employees. As a result, it would be difficult to communicate, coordinate and control. According to Baumard & Starbuck (2006), the members of spatially dispersed organizations seek appreciation within networks of friends and relatives, and they form subcultures that spread across several organizations and that may be more important to them than their focal organization. These communities encompass more aspects of their lives than the strict duties of their work contracts so work and leisure infiltrate each other. Formalization refers to the extent to which rules, regulations, job descriptions, policies, and procedures govern the operation of an organization. Robbins & Barnwell, 2006). Although the flight centre has a flat structure; it has three levels (tribe, village and family) which shows that there is a hierarchy within the structure. Flight centre also follows certain standards to sustain in the business. Flight centre maintain the levels and number of families, villages and tribes. Each family can sell a single service, Entry age to Flight centre is normally 25 y ears. Managers of the shops can take 10% profit and may own up to 20% of their shop. Some rituals include ? uzz nights? one a month and formal get-togethers. Centralization refers to the degree to which decision-making is concentrated at one point in the organization. At flight centre, there are no confusions about people's goals, tasks, style of functioning, reporting relationship and sources of information. The ? ountry? buys services for villages and families. A centralized structure provides people with a clear picture of how their work fits into the organization. The SWOT teams analyze innovations and new ideas. However, at flight centre, there is no centralized control of the head office. Coordination is integration of activities of specialized units towards the common objective. (Anderson, 1988). Programmed coordination requires advanced planning and is often used where there are a small number of expected occurrences (Argote, 1982). Programmed coordination is common in the flight centre. A head office team coordinates administrative services and marketing. Like wise, SWOT teams direct new businesses. All the retail shops are individually coordinated by the shop managers. Furthermore, get-togethers and Buzz-nights are informally coordinated. Common Elements in Organisation One framework proposed by Henry Mintzberg suggests that every organization has five parts (illustrated in appendix 2). The five parts of the organization may vary in size and importance depending on the organization? environment, technology and other factors (Robbins & Barnwell, 2006). At the bottom of the organization is the operating core. At the flight centre, it is referred to the members of the family (retail shops), employees who do the basic work of selling or delivering the services. The Strategic apex is charged to ensure that the organization executes its mission. Flight centre has a unique way of distribution of powers where all authorities are not given to the tribes. However, the tribal country or the regional office is the centre that administrates the brands (corporate traveler, flight centre and student flights) which are retail shops. They also facilitate training and recruitment, buying holiday packages and other employee related services to the villages. Moreover, the head office or the board could also be taken in to consideration because they would be establishing and monitoring the company? visions, goals and strategies. Each family or the retail shop has a manager who connects the operating core to the strategic apex. Moreover, managers of the administrative families (head office teams) would also be included. They are responsible for implementation and coordination at the departmental level. The technostructure of the flight centre involves the HR, IT and marketing professionals who have the responsibility for effecting forms of standardization in the organisation. According to the flight centre report (1999), due to the recruitment system, they have changed the way they identify and attract the best staff. Moreover, technostructure would also include the flight centre SWOT teams where they focus on innovations and try new ideas. Support staff refers to the people that provide indirect support services. Support staff of flight centre includes legal Counselors, cafeteria Workers, security guards and peons. In any organisation, one of the above five (strategic apex, operating core, technostructure, middle line and support staff) would be dominant. The organisation is formed according to the dominating element. When the strategic apex is dominant, control is centralized and it forms a simple structure (Beshears, 2006). At the Flight centre, functions the strategic apex appear to be more dominant than the other aspects. Firstly, the powers of the organisation are dispersed to some level at the flight centre, regional office or the tribal country administrates the brands (corporate traveler, flight centre and student flights) which are retail shops. They also facilitate training and recruitment, buying holiday packages and other employee related services to the village and can be considered as more centrally controlled. Secondly, the SWOT teams and the administrative teams are specialized; all other families do a standardized work, which involves servicing customers and selling products. The structure of flight centre could also be considered flat because it only has three levels and the operating core reports to their respective managers. Some advantages include clear accountability and flexibility to respond to the issues of the customers. Decision-making at the Flight centre appeared to be limited. The tribal country makes decisions regarding administrative the technical matters. The tribal country facilitates brands and other employee related services to the villages and families. Moreover, shop managers make decisions at the family level although the travel consultants are empowered. Even though Flight centre have more similarities of a strategic apex it also has a few differences. As the flight centre has more than 800 retail shops worldwide and in each year 150 more shops are adding up, the operations would be complex because it would have more families, villages and tribe which would make communication and coordination barriers. Furthermore, some authorities are decentralized from the tribal country, such authorities include buying products from wholesalers. Roles of functional and social specialization As organisations become large and physically dispersed, it requires people with specialized knowledge and skills to attend to problems professionally and reduce waste. The main functional areas in the flight centre include HR, marketing and information technology. In the rapidly changing business environment Information technology has becomes a vehicle for helping firms to reach their business goal more effectively. Flight Centre is well placed to keep pace with industry changes. As the flight centre is geographically dispersed, information technology enables them with quicker and more effective communication and customer support. Social specialization that is required by the IT professionals includes attending to faults 24-hours because flight centre is worldwide organisation where they deal with traveling and ticketing. If an IT personnel is not available, all the operations might come to a halt because tickets and holiday packages are sold worldwide. In a successful organisation, employees are seen as their primary source of competitive advantage. One of the success factors of Flight centre is that they continuously identify and adopt innovative human resource management policies and practices to sustain that advantage. It also include how they have structured their work and designed their training, performance management, pay, and reward policies to help members of flight centre to succeed in achieving desired outcomes. In other words, they have aligned their HRM policies and practices to reinforce employee behaviors that can best realize the leaders' strategic intent. As HR professionals, they would ensure that equal employment opportunities (EEO) are not violated. The marketing department of the flight centre is like the center of a wagon wheel with each spoke connected to other departments (in- and out-side the company) including sales, production, research, advertising, etc. The center of the wheel connects the various parts so they work in harmony. With this analogy, it is easy to see that the main function of marketing is managing relationships in the organization, with outside vendors, and the consumer. Without marketing there is no consumer and without the consumer there is no use for the product or service the company is producing (University of California, 2005). Standards that are required by the marketing professionals include, caring all stakeholders: customers, employees, suppliers and distributors, local communities in which they do business, society, and the environment. For example, in promotional activities such as advertising, they would respect the host country? culture. Centralizing and Decentralizing Decentralization refers to decision making at lower levels in the hierarchy of authority. In contrast, decision making in a centralized type of organizational structure is at higher levels. The degree of centralization and de-centralization depends on the number of levels of hierarchy, degree of coordination, specialization and span of control (Luthens, 1986). The main reason that the ? ountry? as a business unit buys services for villages and families is to achieve economy of scale and to reduce waste. If the villages or the families buy services, it would increase the cost and repetition. To reduce complexity and to make coordination easy, a head office team facilitates HR, IT and marketing services. To follow a certain reporting duty each family is empowered with a manager. It would reduce the volume of day-to-day communication between the tribe and the family and have a clear accountability. Decentralizing the authority to the travel consultants would reduce the probability of information overload and would facilitates rapid response to all customers. It would also reduce the stress and burdens of senior management. As travel consultants, they would have a better knowledge of local conditions affecting their areas of work. This would allow them to make more informed, well-judged choices. Moreover, motivates travel consultants and can enhance their skill development opportunities. However, decentralizing would reduce consistency in decision-making and some sometimes customers may perceive it as unfair. Advantages of using metaphors To recognize and cope with the idea that all theories of organization and management are based on metaphors that persuades people to see, understand, and imagine situations in partial ways. Moreover, Metaphors create ways of seeing and shaping organizational life. Any metaphor can be very persuasive (Morgan, 1997). The metaphors that are used at the Flight centre are family, village and tribal country. As all the retail shops are considered as families, it shows the equality among shops, which would create less comparison and competition among families. Moreover, giving uniform service to the customers. As employees are bonded up in small teams like a families, it gives them identity where they belong. It would also create close relationships within families and also gives the manager a clear picture of the capabilities of individual staff. Moreover, makes decisions more effective. Creating families, villages and tribes in areas of countries would allow flight centre to adjust their services according to the specific culture of the region rather than generalizing to the whole county or state. For example, in Australia a certain area would dominate Indians, so rather than adjusting their services and marketing strategies to the Australian community they could adjust their services to the Indian market. Conclusion This essay has discussed how flight centre has structured with the four aspects of the organisation structure. At the Flight centre, the operation level involves retail shops. Each shop involves three to seven people working on one brand which is called a family. All shops of flight centre sell similar services. Flight centre has more than 800 shops spatially dispersed. High-rise of overseas shops would increase the number of tribes, villages, families and employees. Programmed coordination is common in the flight centre. A head office team coordinates administrative services and marketing. As the flight centre is geographically dispersed, information technology enables them with quicker and more effective communication and customer support. Social specialization that is required by the IT professionals includes attending to faults 24-hours because flight centre is worldwide organisation where they deal with traveling and ticketing Decentralizing the authority to the travel consultants would reduce the probability of information overload and would facilitates rapid response to all customers. As employees are bonded up in small teams like a families, it gives them identity where they belong. It would also create close relationships within families and also gives the manager a clear picture of the capabilities of individual staff. Moreover, makes decisions more effective. Reference: Anderson, C. (1988). Management: Skills, Functions and Organization Performance. USA, Allyn and Bacon. Argote, L. (1982). ?nput Uncertainty and Organizational Coordination in Hospital Emergency Units,? Administrative Science Quarterly (27:3). Beshears, F. (2006). Mintzberg's Taxonomy of Organizational Forms, Retrieved September 07, 2006, from http://socrates. berkeley. edu/~fmb/articles/mintzberg/ Baumard, P. & Starbuck, W. (2006). Where Are Organizational Cultures Going?. Retrieved September 07, 2006, from http://pages. stern. nyu. edu/~wstarbuc/where. tm Robbins, S & Barnwell, N. (2002). Organisation Theory. (4th Ed. ). Australia, Pearson HRODC (2006). Organisation structure, Retrieved September 07, 2006, from http://www. hrodc. com/ORGANISATIONAL. DESIGN. htm Luthans, F. (1986). Organizational Behaviour. Singapore: McGraw-Hill. University of California. (2005). Public Relations, Advertising & Marketing – What's the Differ ence? Retrieved September 07, 2006, from http://career. berkeley. edu/Article/021011a. stm Morgan, G. (1997). Images of Organization, (2nd Ed), Sage Publications, Thousand Oaks. Appendix 1 – vertical differentiation of flight centre

Water Runs Dry – North American Water Crisis

Water Runs Dry – North American Water Crisis Collectively the United States is ranked as the greatest consumers of water worldwide; a startling fact for a country that cannot support its own unrivaled demands (Barlow, 2007). The United States is now crucially dependent on nonrenewable groundwater for a staggering 50% of its daily water usage (Barlow, 2007). In addition to such formidable numbers, citizens of the United States use and waste up 80-100 gallons or 454 liters of water per day (Perlman, 2009). The United States simply doesn’t possess enough fresh water or renewable sources of water to keep up with its gross demands. Nearly 40% of U. S waters are deemed unsafe for recreational activities such as fishing and even swimming (Barlow, 2007). The Ogallala Aquifer accounts for 95% of the United State’s groundwater, but it is being pumped so rapidly, that not enough rainwater is provided the chance to replenish the source. As a result 12 billion cubic meters (bcm) a year is extracted a year which amounts to 325 bcm of total depletion; equal to the yearly flow of eighteen Colorado Rivers (BBC, 2000). At the current rates, thirty-six states stand to confront similar water crisis compared to California within the next five years (Barlow, 2007). As, the United States water crisis continues to spiral violently downhill, its neighbor, Canada has already quickly followed this American trend. Dramatically changing climates has had an indelible impact on North America’s water crisis; being the root to many distressing issues. The most physically visible of these issues is the rapid melting of glaciers in the North that have been wearing thin due to increasing temperatures. The result of these melting glaciers means rivers in Canada such as the Alberta Bow’s in 50 years will be left with absolutely no flowing water aside from occasional flash floods that won’t be able to permanently restore the river (Barlow, 2007). Melting glaciers overseas will also become a very important concern as water from glaciers account for half of the worlds freshwater which at this current rate will not be able to sustain future generations. Glaciers that are melting in the seas translate to tremendous and unaffordable loss of drinking water as the freshwater diffuses into the saltwater. Further effects of climate shift will lead to evaporation of lakes which is already transpiring in the St. Lawrence River, Prairies and Great Lakes. However, one catastrophic problem that arises which may silently extinguish entire populations of life is the surging levels of acidity in the oceans; something that is being overlooked. In conclusion, the water crisis in North America has created overwhelming ecological changes, and heavy economic strain as a product of reckless over-consumption of water by humans. The effect of water pollution and vast lack of renewable water will cause great conflicts between the nations. With the water supply rapidly draining, practically Canada’s ‘abundance’ of freshwater, there needs to be a global consciousness towards the crisis. In order for North America and the world to curb the water crisis, there must first be realization and acknowledge by everyone that it exists. The next step to hindering the crisis is to sacrifice and reduce as much wasting of renewable water resources as possible, especially here in the developed world, where people are fortunate to have the surplus of resources to have access to water; whereas billions endure a daily struggle to find a glass of water. The water crisis affects everyone worldwide and the perception of this crisis being a nation versus nation, every country for themselves affair will ultimately lead to catastrophic war over water. We need to be unified in finding plausible solutions and start treating renewable water for what it is-a finite resource. Our generations always discuss about how the future will never see beautiful national parks and magnificent landscapes, but at this rate they may not ever lay eyes on lakes or rivers as the water runs dry. References BBC. (2009). World Water Crisis. _ BBC_. Retrieved April 21, 2009, http://www. bizjournals. com /losangeles/stories/2009/04/20/daily19. html Los Angeles Business. (2009). California to restart 5,000 projects. Los Angeles Business. _ _ Retrieved April 21, 2009, http://www. bizjournals. com/losangeles/stories/2009/04/20/ daily19. html Perlman, H. (2008). Irrigation water use. USGS. Retrieved April 21, 2009, http://ga. water. usgs. gov/edu/wuir. html Perlman, H (2009). Water Q&A: Water use at home. USGS. Retrieved April 21, 2009, http:// ga. water. usgs. gov/edu/wuir. html Science Daily. (1999). Water Over Water Predicted by United Nations Environmental Official. Science Daily. Retrieved April 21, 2009, http://www. sciencedaily. com/releases/1999/ 01/990106075344. htm Yi, M. (2009). Water projects to get $260 million of stimulus. San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved April 21, 2009, http://www. sfgate. com/cgi-bin/article. cgi? f=/c/a/2009 /04/15/MNUQ1735QH. DTL

Du pont Co Essays

Du pont Co Essays Du pont Co Essay Du pont Co Essay However, between 1969 a ND 1972, an new environmental protection legislation was enacted and quire the company that use sulfate to spend more on produced wastes. Meanwhile, retile ore, the feedstock of chloride process, also in shortage, which cause the increase Of the price Of retile ore. The increasing cost on both processes will cause the price oft to increase. Meanwhile, the De valuation of US dollars will also affect the import. Under this market change, all companies that produce Tie would focus more on developing the limonite process or improving other two processes to be more environmentally friendly and profitable. The main weakness of Du Points competitors, also the main strength of Du Pont, is that Du Pont is the only company that has the operational knowledge to make production economically viable. Moreover, the main competitor of Du Pont, NIL industry, was less profitable than Du Pont and rely more on debt to finance its growth. Therefore, NIL industry is more financially sensitive to market change than Du Pont is. Also, because Tie is the second smallest division of Du Points total sales, the market change of Tie market will not affect too much on its earnings while NIL rely on Tie for almost one quarter of its total sales. 2. Maintain strategy: The main advantages of maintain strategy is that the capital expenditure will be much less than growth strategy does. Therefore, the company will perform well on its balance sheet and income statement by decreasing its debt. The main disadvantages of maintain strategy is that the market share will maintain 45% in the future and will not grow continuously. This will limit the total capacity it produced and its futz ere development. 3. Growth strategy: The main advantage of growth strategy is that it will increase the market share of Tie production rapidly and its total capacity. Due to the increasing need oft in the future, this will help the company to gain more profits and be able to finance its capital expenditure. Moreover, other division of Du Pont and its investments on financial market are also able to help the Tie and pigment division to provide necessary fund in early period. Also, by exercising three tactics of the strategy, especially limit the licensing of limonite chloride process to Its competitor, the company is able to limit its competitors production and expansion. The main disadvantage of growth strategy is that the capital expenditure would reach 500 million dollars in 1985 and there is risk that the pigment division cannot finance such a high expense during its expansion. 4. The main reason for Du Pont to lower the price of Tie if choosing growth strategy is that it is an efficient way to gain market shares faster than other company. By lowering the pence, 3 pigment that made by Tie would be more attractive than other companies. Therefore, the total capacity of Tie will increase rapidly and would help the growth of Du P onto Company. 5. 4 5 6. 6 Terminal value in 1984 of maintains strategy is calculated as cash flow o firm in 1985 / (cost of capital growth rate). According to the spreadsheet, the cash flow to firm in 1985 is 21. 14. The cost Of capital is 12%. According to the note of Exhibit 4, the demand oft is growing at a rate of 3%. However, it is not considered to be very sensitive to price. In this case, the sales and cash flow should also grow at a rate of 3%. Therefore, the terminal value in 1984 equals to 21. 14/ ( 234. 89 Terminal value in 1984 of growth strategy is calculated as the same as of terminal value. According to the spreadsheet, the cash flow to firm is 56. 73. The cost of capital is 12%. The annual growth rate is 3%. Therefore, the terminal value in 1984 equals to 630. 33. 7. For calculating the rate of return of growth strategy, we decide to use the incremental capital expenditure on new capacity as the initial investment. Because it is a well managed, high profits company and has a high longer AAA bond rating; we also decide to use the return rate of AAA corporate bonds as the discount rate, which is 7. 2%. The initial investment could be calculated by using UP of incur mental capital expenditure on new capacity from 1973 to 1985, which equals to 185. 93. By calculating the UP of incremental cash flow from 1973 to 1985, we have the discounted cash flow, which is 12. 13. 12. 13 also represents the NAP of growth strategy. By using the equation of NAP INITIAL INVESTMENT+CB/AIR, the AIR is equal to 6. 52%. For calculating the rate of return of maintain strategy, we using the same method as the growth strategy did. The Initial investment is 111. 56. The discounted cash flow is 7. 97. 7. 97 is also represents the NAP of maintain strategy. Of NAP = INITIAL INVESTMENT+CB/AIR, the AIR is equal to 7. 14%. 7 8 By using the equation When evaluating the maintain strategy and growth strategy, we find out that the maintain strategy is more risky than growth strategy. The AIR by using maintain strategy, which is 7. 14% , is higher than AIR of growth strategy, which is 6. 52% . However, because the NAP of growth strategy (12. 13) is much higher than maintain strategy (7. 97) , we cannot use only AIR to determine which strategy is more risky. By considering that the NAP of growth strategy is 12. 13 , the growth strategy is more attractive. Also, the cash flow of growth strategy generated is also higher than maintain strategy, which means that the fund of growth strategy is more liquid than maintain strategy. In this case, although using growth strategy could cause temporary lack of operating fund, it is an efficient strategy for company to gain more market shares and benefits the company in long terms. According to exhibit 1 , it also performs well on rate of return on equity before 1972, which has more than 10% annually. It indicates that Du Pont is able to finance the increasing capital expenditure by using its profits in previous years. In this case, growth strategy is the best strategy for the company to ad opt.

An Overview Of Tirupati Tourism Essay Essays

An Overview Of Tirupati Tourism Essay Essays An Overview Of Tirupati Tourism Essay Essay An Overview Of Tirupati Tourism Essay Essay Tirupati Tirupati is one of the most of import pilgrims journey finish in India. The metropolis is located in the southern Indian province of Andhra Pradesh at the foothills of the Eastern Ghats. The metropolis is celebrated for the Sri Venkateshwara temple as draws 1000s of tourers and fans every twelvemonth. Significance The metropolis of Tirupati seems to deduce its name from the hallowed Tirumala hills which are allegedly the 2nd oldest stone mountains in the universe and happen a reference in pre Christian Tamil spiritual Bibles. The metropolis, if history is to be believed, was an established Centre of Vaishnavism, an ancient Hindu religious order and the temple rites were formalized by the Vaishnavite saint Ramanujacharya in the eleventh century AD and the metropolis has stood the trial of clip despite the Muslim invasions of South India. Attractions Sri Venkateshwara Temple: The Sri Venkateshwara temple is cardinal to Tirupati s rise to fame as a august spiritual finishs. Though the exact beginnings of the temple are shrouded in antiquity, it is by and large accepted that the temple was an on-going piece of work undertaken by consecutive dynasties for several hundred old ages. The Sri Venkateshwara temple holds the record for being the most visited and the richest topographic point of worship in the universe. The temple is located on the celebrated Tirumala hills and is besides known as the Temple of Seven Hills. The presiding divinity is Sri Venkateshwara, an embodiment of Lord Vishnu, and is besides sometimes referred to as Srinivasa , the one in whom Sri or Goddess Lakshmi, Lord Vishnu s consort, resides. Kodanda Ramaswamy Temple: Is a brilliant piece of architecture, the white ornately carved ceiling is mounted on a brown base resplendent with finely carved pillars. This temple is dedicated to Lord Ram, Sita and Ram s brother, Lakshmana. A statue of Lord Hanuman, Lord Rama s ardent and loyal follower sits besides Lord Rama s pess. Kapila Theertham: Is a temple dedicated to Lord Shiva and his married woman Parvati. This temple, at the entryway to a mountain cave, is said to hold been the topographic point where saint Kapila Maharishi lived and meditated to Lord Shiva. Devotees and passer-by are greeted by a stone carving of the heavenly bull, Nandi. Lord Krishna Temple: The Lord Krishna temple is a alone work of architecture with the towers coloured in gold and white. The temple is adorned with glass pictures picturing the life of Lord Krishna and the ceilings are glorious with colorful pictures resembling Tanjore art. How to Reach You can acquire to Tirupati by get oning a flight from Hyderabad and Chennai. Tirupati besides has a train station though your best stake would be debarking at Renigunta, approximately 10 kilometers off. Renigunta is good connected by rail with other metropoliss in India. If you would wish to go by route, Tirupati is good connected by route to other metropoliss by coachs and other manners of route conveyance.

Quotations and Block Quotes in Chicago Referencing

Quotations and Block Quotes in Chicago Referencing Quotations and Block Quotes in Chicago Referencing When writing an academic paper, you may need to quote something you’ve read somewhere. But how to do this depends on the referencing system being used, so it pays to do some research. In this blogpost, we’re looking at how quotations work in Chicago referencing. Quoting vs. Paraphrasing When citing a source, you can either use a direct quotation or paraphrase what you’ve read. Direct quotation involves using the exact words written in the source you’re citing. To do this, you should place the quoted text inside double quotation marks (i.e., â€Å" †). It’s a good idea to quote a source directly if your argument depends on the exact wording of what you’re quoting. Air quotes are a bit different.(Source: Rob Cottingham/YouTube) If you don’t want to quote a source directly, you can paraphrase it instead. This means explaining what you’ve read in your own words. However, you still need to cite a source when paraphrasing, and you should be careful not to accidentally copy the original author’s wording. Footnotes or In-Text Citations? Since Chicago referencing offers two ways of citing sources, the exact rules will depend on which version you use. With the footnote and bibliography system, you should indicate citations using superscript numbers (e.g. 1, 2, 3) after the quoted text: Mitchell investigates â€Å"possible causal pathways connecting genetic replicators and social behaviors.†1 The first time you cite a source, you then need to give full bibliographic information in the accompanying footnote (including page numbers for the section quoted). With the author-date version of Chicago referencing, sources are cited in the main text of your paper. When quoting, this means giving the author’s surname, year of publication, and relevant page numbers in parentheses after the quotation: It is important to investigate â€Å"possible causal pathways connecting genetic replicators and social behaviors† (Mitchell 1996, 132). If the author is named in the text, however, the citation is given after their name: Mitchell (1996, 132) investigates â€Å"possible causal pathways connecting genetic replicators and social behaviors.† Full bibliographic information of all cited sources is then given in the reference list. Long Quotations The other key fact to remember is that longer quotations are formatted differently in Chicago referencing. These are known as â€Å"block quotes† and should be: Prose quotations of five or more lines Not enclosed in quotation marks Preceded and followed by a blank line Indented .5† from the left margin The rules for citing a block quote are the same as when quoting a source elsewhere in your text. As such, a Chicago-style block quote using footnote citations would look something like this: Discussing genetics and behavior, Mitchell writes that: In order to evaluate the legitimacy of such explanations it is, thus, necessary to explicate the variety of possible causal pathways connecting genetic replicators and social behaviors. If phenotypic variation is the direct object of natural selection, one must understand the underlying relationship between the phenotypic expression and genetic replicators to argue that any such phenotypic trait is, or can be, an adaptation.1 This suggests that the relationship between genetics and behavior in animals is†¦ The full citation for the source would then be given in a footnote at the bottom of the page.

First-hand narrative of a Gilded-Age Prostitute Essay

First-hand narrative of a Gilded-Age Prostitute - Essay Example The father’s joblessness ensured their discontinued education while her mother’s ill-timed pregnancy, sickly child and poor health rendered her incapable of doing much to help her family. It is in their neighborhood that Madeline got involved with the wrong company and came pregnant outside wedlock, a situation of often warranting phenomenal stigma at the time. Mrs James, a former servant in Missouri sends for her and she goes to work in a factory; however, due to her pregnancy she runs off with her saving to hide herself from the shame. This is when she realizes that surviving in the town without a job is next to is exceedingly difficult and getting a job without references and experiences is impossible. When her savings run out, she starts taking men to bed for money although it is not easy for her and she is at times â€Å"robbed† of her earnings. She tries picking clients in the streets, but she finds she lacks the â€Å"brass† for it and ends up being a kept woman for a man who looks after her In addition to infecting her with, a venereal disease and expects payment in sex. She finally entered a brothel and commenced, her career as a prostitute under the management of the owner of the â€Å"house† Miss Laura and it is here that she acquired the name Madeline. That was the beginning of her life as a prostitute and she went on to ply her trade, from Butte, Montana, and she later became the Madame of her own house in San Francisco. Life in the gilded age was characterized with aspects of acute social stratification distinct in the differences between members of different classes, with the gap between the upper and lower classes being predominantly based on financial prowess. For instance, one of the most brutal beatings she got form her father was because of playing with the child of one of the servants whose friendship was frowned against (Lindsey 6). Society was highly patriarchal and men in most institutions be it family or work had the last word, while women were often subject to harsh and unfair treatment and could not take control of even their own lives. After their father abandoned them, it is Madeline’s brother who takes up the responsibility of â€Å"Man of the House† evidently a house had to have a man to run properly. The moral condition in Kansas City according to the writer was abominable, there were vice flourished all over and there were many houses of pleasure not only in Kansas but also the other cities such as Texas. This was the period of industrialization, rural decline and urbanization; the rural decline is seen in the way her idyllic life in the country comes to an end due to her father’s failure and like many who failed to survive in the rural areas, her family moved to a town and she later moved to town and thus completed the cycle of urbanization. It is here that she comes face to face with the reality of industrialization urbanization and they significant ly affect her life, she works in the dressing factory as a check girl a job she didn’t dislike although the noise of machines haunted her for many nights. The rural urban migration inevitably leads to overcrowding in towns which as well as unemployment, and this hit her hard when she runs out of her job and tried to secure another one.

Real time(virtual) translation service Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Real time(virtual) translation service - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that the world is indeed getting smaller. People continue to innovate ways to make communication easier. Through real-time translation, a message with a different language can be relayed exactly to a different language at the exact time and place. People around the world can get to understand each other fast and easy. Travellers can easily get to relay their message without having them to bother with learning various languages from other languages. Real-time translation is now a possibility. There are many innovations and researches done in the field of technological communications to better make the human activity more convenient as well as to make the world smaller. This technology is made possible through Virtual Cloud Technology. In fact, many applications in most of the Smartphones in the market are virtualized in the cloud. That is, phone applications are subscribed in cloud services. There may be subscription fees and dues for every app downloaded in Smartphones. This would further enrich business to business and business to customer relationships. Encryption and virtualization are also used nowadays for the higher protection of mobile users connected to the service provider. Due to the fast-paced technological researchers, there are proposed real-time translations that can be applied to Smartphones. This technology aims to build bridges between nationalities. There are ready to download applications for Smartphones with higher OS to allow translation from one language to another. This technology does not really rely on internet connection. If the app has been downloaded into the phone, then, at anytime the user can input text and have it translated into another chosen language. Various downloadable apps have languages to choose from depending on the user’s preference. There is also a technology called â€Å"speak and translate† that has already made possible. Through the cloud technology services, your speech would be translated real time into your desired language. This technology allows non-English speakers to relay their message to many English speaking countries. At any time they can call for booking of hotels, reservation of flights, get services from salons and many more. They don’t have to struggle to get the right words to say what they exactly meant. The translation can be done on real time basis. That is, users can instantly get to get the translation of their desired messaged through the exact current location they are in. With the GRPS technology, the desired language necessary for them to relay a message to localities can be done fast and easy. The application for real time translations is not really dependent on WAP. That is, if the app has been downloaded on the unit, anytime a user can get to translate something even if he don’t have a network signal or don’t have wireless internet. The apps will just work on its own fast and easy. The user would just enter the text needed to be translated, and right there and then, the context has been translated. Same is true with voice translation. Also, understanding signs and symbols in a certain place can be made comprehensible through this technology. It works through using the camera. The user can just take a photo of a symbol from his real world. Using the application, he can have it distinguished and translated. The stored database for the preferred language can decipher what is shown in the photo taken. It is fast and easy. No need to go through operators and the World Wide Web. Less cost is needed for this business as capital expenditures would be focused on the making of the applications for Smartphones. The database rich applications require sophisticated platforms and complex methods to make it accept and identify many languages. The cost is dedicated into the completion of the intricate human and machine interface. Human labor and material cost is at the minimum. The real time translation business offers global solutions for all the people. It overcomes language barrier, culture issues, language

An outline marketing plan for the next year for Atlantic Quench 306 Essay - 2

An outline marketing plan for the next year for Atlantic Quench 306 - Essay Example Moreover, alliance with brands like Coca-Cola and Gerber has also boosted the market presence of Atlantic Quench. The marketing plan for the concerned firm focuses on developing a new product for entering the mass consumer market and providing the consumers a cheaper alternative against highly priced pure juices. With an aim to sell 250000 units of 250 ml tetra packs of the new product, Atlantic Quench will begin by streamlining the functional aspects of the company to reduce their cost. The product introduction is developed with differentiation focus and the control of the marketing activities will focus on cost leadership. Based on this, the price skimming has been selected as the pricing strategy. The budget developed also reflects the estimated earnings and expenses for the new product segment of Atlantic Quench in the next 4 years. With appropriate market presence and brand development activities for creating consumer awareness, Atlantic Quench can enter the global market of jui ce and nectar segment. Atlantic Quench operates in the fruit industry mainly in its home market i.e. US and is a co-operative business process. Established in the year 1934, the co-operative has become one of the most famous brands in agricultural product market with their extensive and highly demanded product base. Jointly owned by 630 cranberry and 46 grape fruit farmers, the production channel of the company is also steady and growing. As the co-operative saw the demand of their products growing in the market, they entered the retail sector with bottled fruit juices. However, the primary concern of the business is related to control its growth in an organised manner and also ensure a good relationship with the farmers. In order to overcome the financial crunch, Atlantic Quench CEO Chuck Berry decided to develop the brand of the company by converting into a full-fledged business houses. Atlantic

How Might Different Types of Offenders Best Be Deterred From Crime Essay

How Might Different Types of Offenders Best Be Deterred From Crime - Essay Example Therefore with the use of rational theory, criminologists often assume that those who commit criminal acts had the option of rationalizing their decision against those of the basic social norms. For one reason or another they chose to commit a crime but again, this theory depicts the fact that it was their choice, they were not forced to do so (Blossfield & Prein 1998, p.5). Of course, rational theory is neither a sociological nor a criminological theory that can be used to analyze all offenders because there are relative differences between individuals, even those who commit crime. Let's take for instance criminals who engage in white collar crime. This form of crime is concisely opposite crimes that include acts of brutal murder, rape, and kidnapping, etc. The reason this is stated is this form of crime takes initiative on the criminals' part and in fact they rationalize their choices before they ever break the law. Therefore, because these types of offender's are generally rational in their though processes and in their actions to engage in criminal activity, law enforcement would have to use a varied deterrence technique to try and sway and deter this types of offenders from repeating their criminal intentions and also to prosecute them correctly through the judicial system (Uggen & Piliavin 1998). It has been found that because these types of offen ders think logically and weigh the consequences of their actions the more traditional forms of law enforcement work well to keep them and others from becoming repetitive in their criminal attitudes. Law enforcement officials have learned that when a white collar criminal is prosecuted and punished severely for their actions it often acts as a deterrent in society, such as with the Martha Stewart case and the issue with falsifying documents on the stock market, etc. Once one white collar crime is prosecuted correctly it minimizes how many more there would be to follow, there is no doubt about this. In cases of criminal violence and murder, the use of deterrents would of course not be the same as the one's used for white collar crime, simply because of the variations to the types of crime in particular. For example, prosecution of someone who commits murder is definitely not enough of a legal influence to prevent other violent offenders from committing this same form of crime. What it can do however is prevent that one individual from going out and committing the same type of violent act, but again it won't persuade other offenders who have not been caught and faced punishment themselves (Uggen & Piliavin 1998). However, for those criminals who don't seem to be able to rationalize their own actions it has been found that the best way to deter them from being repeat offenders is by incarceration because releasing them back into society has shown that there is a great risk of them repeating their actions. This is all in how they view their behavior and don't think logically such a s how an offender of white collar crime analyzes their own actions. White collar offenders weigh the pro's and cons of their actions that are going to take place. If they find that the consequences will be harsher than any benefit that they could gleam out of breaking the law then they simply won't do it. Violent offenders do not rationalize in this manner. They are more

What it means to receive my Black Belt in Kung Fu Essay

What it means to receive my Black Belt in Kung Fu - Essay Example I perceive this accomplishment as a major achievement in my life, and am grateful to the almighty that I had followed the eight essential elements that constitutes such a feat. A positive mind serves the purpose of keeping one constantly motivated. Whatever one does in life, whether it leads to success or failure, has to be augmented with a positive attitude. This will enable one to accept the facts of life and to emerge stronger out of any situation. Kung Fu had always provided me some reason to look up to myself. I was always required to set some standards to myself and to live up to it. This made me a highly positive individual who is willing to turn any negative aspect in life to something positive. For instance, whenever I found myself lacking in energy or focus, I told myself that what any other person could achieve could be achieved by me as well. I always considered my mentor a role model and followed the regime he suggested. And I was never disappointed by this attitude in life, for I was never defeated by any amount hard work. The very fact that I had to practice martial arts on a daily basis helped me maintain my body healthy. I realized that a healthy body is the best asset one could have. It made me feel ultimately confident in taxing situations. I also realized that my physical appearance was highly enhanced by a healthy body, which resulted in a lot of respect and admiration from those who were associated with me. This did boost my self-confidence and motivated me further to follow a strict regime of exercises and Kung Fu practice. I started slow and steady, but progressed to a stricter, more systematic regime, which could have led to a very healthy body which I can be proud of. Balanced relationships matter the most in human life. I was not really convinced at first of maintaining a balanced relationship with the help of learning martial arts. But, after

Major Paper 2500 words - subject religions of asia Essay

Major Paper 2500 words - subject religions of asia - Essay Example g of expansion of open communes, to promote education in Muslim nations, and to recognize and prioritize radical asylums so as to engage with greater efficient in the war against terror. According to certain approximations there is an estimated number of 1.2 billion Muslims globally, and of these around 60% are to be found in Asia. 15% are Arab Muslims and one third of the Muslim population is living in South Asia (Malbouisson, 2006). Islam in Southeast Asia is more temperate in nature as compared to in most of the Middle East. This is partially due to the manner in which Islam has developed in Southeast Asia. Islam was first introduced in Southeast Asia by traders instead of military invasions as was the case in most of South Asia and the Middle East. Buddhist, Hindu, and animist cultures in Indonesia also covered Islam. It was at the end of the seventeenth century that Islam reached most of Southeast Asia. Asian Islam is more politically varied as compared to the Middle Eastern Islam. In Asia Islam has been experiencing a renewal. RAND analyst Angel Rabasa clears out many elements that have contributed to this Islamic revival in Asia. Those factors are national as well as external. Domestically, the influence of globalisation and the effect of western tradition are responsible for it, particularly the influence of speedy industrialization and the resultant urbanization. In 1997 there was the Asian economic disaster due to which the dictatorial Suharto government was overthrown and it resulted in political space for Indonesian Islamists. Muslim nationalist rebels have been continuing their effort in the Philippines and Thailand whereas the Parti Islam se Malaysia has exerted through the political organisation so as to encourage an Islamist programme at the same time as in antagonism in Malaysia. External factors consist of the present circumstance of Iraq and Afghanistan, the Arab-Israeli dispute, the 1979 Islamic transformation in Iran, the taking out of

What it means to receive my Black Belt in Kung Fu Essay

What it means to receive my Black Belt in Kung Fu - Essay Example I perceive this accomplishment as a major achievement in my life, and am grateful to the almighty that I had followed the eight essential elements that constitutes such a feat. A positive mind serves the purpose of keeping one constantly motivated. Whatever one does in life, whether it leads to success or failure, has to be augmented with a positive attitude. This will enable one to accept the facts of life and to emerge stronger out of any situation. Kung Fu had always provided me some reason to look up to myself. I was always required to set some standards to myself and to live up to it. This made me a highly positive individual who is willing to turn any negative aspect in life to something positive. For instance, whenever I found myself lacking in energy or focus, I told myself that what any other person could achieve could be achieved by me as well. I always considered my mentor a role model and followed the regime he suggested. And I was never disappointed by this attitude in life, for I was never defeated by any amount hard work. The very fact that I had to practice martial arts on a daily basis helped me maintain my body healthy. I realized that a healthy body is the best asset one could have. It made me feel ultimately confident in taxing situations. I also realized that my physical appearance was highly enhanced by a healthy body, which resulted in a lot of respect and admiration from those who were associated with me. This did boost my self-confidence and motivated me further to follow a strict regime of exercises and Kung Fu practice. I started slow and steady, but progressed to a stricter, more systematic regime, which could have led to a very healthy body which I can be proud of. Balanced relationships matter the most in human life. I was not really convinced at first of maintaining a balanced relationship with the help of learning martial arts. But, after

Arguments upon the American dream Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Arguments upon the American dream - Essay Example As stated by renowned American author, F. Scott Fitzgerald, in the novel ‘The Great Gatsby’, the American dream is the pursuit of happiness. Every American man has been trying his best in order to do better and earn more by getting a better job. In the novel, the protagonists, or the members of the family try their best to achieve as many possessions as they can as well as acquire wealth and make something of themselves. They each have a dream of their own and try their level best to achieve the status of a rich person. In the modern day and age as well, most Americans share the same dream and have tried their best to climb up on the wealth ladder in order to be able to have a higher purchasing power so that they can earn a higher status for themselves in society and be able to demand for more products. (The American Dream - F. Scott Fitzgerald) However, this very dream has been denounced according to the American people, commonly known as the Whites, because of the influx of a large population that has been setting and establishing itself within America, for a very long time. The Whites feel prejudice within their hearts against immigrants for the sole reason that they feel that the other people have been taking their jobs away and have thus, in the process, taken away their ‘American dream’. Because of this, the Whites are not being able to fulfil their desires due to the shortage of jobs and employment opportunities as well as seats in educational institutions, schools and colleges. The White race within the confines of the United States has also been shifting over the years because of migrations by people from different countries, belonging to different races. According to a number of reports, over the years, the shift has been so much that half of America consists of the Whites now and the rest of it consis ts of people belonging to other races, mostly the Blacks and the Browns. (Government Census) A race is a line of people measured on the basis of their skin colour; there are a number of people that are ‘racists’ or those that discriminate on the basis of a person’s skin colour and do not offer him jobs or educational opportunities because of the same reason. For a long time, White people have been known to be racists because there has been a history of them discriminating against people belonging to other races. Today in America people belonging to other races have been facing this problem very harshly and are finding it difficult to survive there. The Whites simply mention that they are forced to take these steps in order for them to be able to retain their jobs and other opportunities and not have everything being given away to other people. Being racist is a bad thing because discrimination on any ground is not a civil action to carry out. However, for the mos t part, there is a certain amount that the country might lose out on by losing a White majority because a vast amount of industrialization has been brought about by the Whites. They have been able to contribute a great amount to the world of modern information and technology with the help of the advent of the internet as well as other global communication facilities. They have set the bar for the

Impact of Detention Centres on Asylum Seekers

Impact of Detention Centres on Asylum Seekers BUSINESS REPORT: Asylum seekers Executive Summary This report outlines the impact of detention centres where those seeking asylum in Australia are placed. It examines the issues relating to detention centres and consequences of them. As it is repeatedly demonstrated by research, there is a uniform trend highlighting the trauma and the sufferings of asylum seekers during their stay at Australian detention centres. This is due to the inadequate facilities and the lengthy duration of time which asylum seekers are forced to spend in these detention centres. Adequate facilities are especially important for young asylum seekers as they endure sorrow to a greater extent. When viewing this issue from a global perspective, approximately 51.2 million people are displaced as a result of conflict or prosecution every year and close to 50% of this number are children (UNHCR 2014). These numbers provide reasons for provision of all the required facilities and faster processing systems to reduce the time at the detention centres. This report examines the main causes of mental health issues and the difficulties of integrating into a new society amongst asylum seekers especially, young asylum seekers and provides possible solutions to ensure that asylum seekers transit into the new society comfortably.   Ã‚   Issue Discussion Facilities Rwandan genocide and Syrian war (caused by the Arab spring) cause a large inflow of asylum seekers to Australia (Keller 2003, p.1721). Asylum seekers are detained indefinitely in conditions that abuse their human rights. This occurs in mandatory detention centres in breach of Australias commitment to Universal Declaration of Human Rights which states Everyone has the right to seek and to enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution (United Nations 1995 p.1). A large number of asylum seekers are genuine refugees that are fleeing from atrocities such as torture, rape, imprisonment, threats of death and murder. Australias mandatory detention policy in conjunction with the lack of facilities and health treatment aggravates the trauma of these experiences and severely affects the mental health and well-being of asylum seekers. Furthermore, Australias lack of cooperation in providing facilities violates international human rights standards (UNHCR 2014). Recently, the movement of thousa nds of Syrian refugees make their way into Europe via Hungary was stopped and held in detention-like environment increasing asylum seekers trauma (Al Jazeera 2006). It is essential for nations to accept asylum seekers and provide them with care and facilities as they endure traumatizing experiences and flee prosecution. Figure 1.2 Irregular arrivals by sea, selected countries (Phillips 2015) Figure 1, (Irregular arrivals by sea, selected countries) shows the approximate number of refugees entering Australia and four other countries.   According to the figure, there is a great difference in the number of refugees entering the five countries. Further noted in Figure 1.2, the data provides information on the fluctuating number of refugees entering a country in a particular year within the given 7 years. This suggest that the refugee inflow into a country depends on the countrys refugee acceptance policy. However, in the case of Australia, there is a progressive increase in the number of refugees entering despite the stricter border policies. Lengthy delays and offshore processing    The length of time spent at detention centres by asylum seekers is indefinite and this aggravates the trauma as they remain uncertain of their future (Couldrey Herson 2013, p.7). In Australia there are long processing steps where the asylum seekers are interrogated of their reasons of arrival. This lengthens the time spent at detention centres for getting a humanitarian visa. From figure 1, Australia is one of the countries with lower asylum seeker intake. Despite the increase in asylum seekers entering Australia, it remains the only western country to have a mandatory detention policy.   Mandatory detention can take place by detaining asylum seekers offshore. A piece of legislation was passed requiring all asylum seekers arriving on Australian shores are sent to offshore processing facilities (Kaldor 2014, p.3). This legislation puts strain on asylum seekers by detaining them in centres with inadequate facilities but also on the finances of the Australian government (Kaldor 2 014, p.4). The lengthy processing system and sending asylum seekers offshore for processing is a disadvantage for both the government and asylum seekers. Issue Outcomes Mental Health Issues Mental health is a significant factor that needs to be addressed by the host nations government. Placing asylum seekers in detention centres for a long duration of time without providing the adequate facilities has a significant negative impact on asylum seekers mental health and well-being (Cornelis et al. 2004, p.848). Despite Australias low intake of asylum seekers, it has adopted harsh laws that fuel the trauma faced by asylum seekers. Some of the detention centres in Australia are located in remote regions where facilities are not easily accessible hence the asylum seekers are not able to address their mental health issues (Keller et al. 2003, p.1721). Research conducted 2 years ago shows that refugees living in Australian detention centres, suffered up to 19 chronic mental health conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and social anxiety disorder. During the initial stages of the research, approximately 42% of adults and 59.1% of children showed symptoms o f mental health disorder (Hadgkiss et al. 2012, p.17). This result conveys that children are more vulnerable and are largely affected by mental health illnesses due to their experiences and lengthy stay at the detention centres. Social cohesion Asylum seekers who stayed in detention centres for a long duration and with inadequate facilities showed a slower rate of integrating into a new country as interviewed by the VU University Medical Centre of research due to mental health issues (Gerritsen Bramsen 2005, p.14). Those diagnosed with mental health issues could not easily or comfortably integrate into the new society. Close examinations of research suggests that the lack of facilities hinders the asylum seekers ability to enter a new society as most of them come from backgrounds where they have not had a chance to educate themselves. At the detention centres asylum seekers are kept idle and in solitary confinement which fuels their insecurities therefore inhibiting them to find opportunities and success once they are out of detention centres. Research also shows that many young asylum seekers between the ages of 6 to 15 that have come out of detention centres show a slower rate of learning in comparison to the local stude nts (Couldrey Herson 2013, p.9). Inadequate facilities degrades asylum seekers in an effective transition into a better lifestyle. Recommendations Mental Health Treatment Treatments and heath care facilities can reduce the impact of major issues such as pre-migration trauma, depression and anxiety. Such treatments at detention centres not only benefits the asylum seekers but also the Australian society as it is cost effective and creates jobs for Australian medical and health professions (Hadgkiss et al. 2012, p.23). Cases of mental health illness can reduce an individual life expectancy and can also lead to various other problems such as suicidal thoughts and violence. However, installation of programs that allows the asylum seekers to address their mental health issues can improve their mental health and also their lifestyle once they are released from detention centres. Key findings in studies show that the number of mental health issues such as alcohol abuse, drug abuse and violence reduces where proper treatment is provided which can be accessed (Keller et al. 2003, p.1722). This important step of providing health care will allow asylum seekers t o integrate into the society. Workplace skill development It is important to provide facilities that contribute to gaining skills so that when asylum seekers enter the new society, they are better able to find jobs and there is reduced imbalance in socio-economic status (Gerritsen Bramsen 2005, p.15). The lengthy processing time could be effectively used by the host nations government to install educational facilities that engage asylum seeker in workplace and work related skills such that they can find jobs much easier when they are out of detention centres. It is also important to provide education and language skills for young asylum seekers so that language does not act as a barrier but as an aid to get opportunities. It is vital to engage young asylum seekers in education as this will empower them and decrease the gap between them and Australian schooling standards (Phillips 2015). Taking this measure of providing facilities that may provide equal opportunity in getting employment once asylum seekers are out of detention centres is an effective way of not increasing unemployment rates and hence making a smooth transition into society. References Websites Al Jazeera 2006, Hungary seizes refugee train arriving from Croatia, viewed on 18 September 2015, http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/09/hungary-seizes-refugee-train-arriving-croatia-150919003810139.html> United Nations 1995, The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, viewed on 15 September 2015, http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/>. Journal Articles UNHCR 2014, Wars Human Cost, UNHCR Global Trends 2013, viewed on 10 September 2015, http://unhcr.org.au/unhcr/images/Global%20Trends%202013.pdf> Phillips, J. 2015, Asylum seekers and refugees: what are the facts?, Parliamentary Library of Australia, viewed on 8 September 2015, http://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Parliamentary_Departments/Parliamentary_Library/pubs/rp/rp1415/AsylumFacts>. Keller, A., Rosenfeld, B. Trinh-Shevrin, C. 2003, Mental health of detained asylum seekers, The Lancet, vol. 12, no. 362, pp. 1721-1723, viewed on 15 September 2015, http://ac.els-cdn.com/S0140673603148465/1-s2.0-S0140673603148465-main.pdf?_tid=60f28634-5f74-11e5-bd3f-00000aab0f6cacdnat=1442739095_b3b162da84af0a2c0dd5353d4321195d> Couldrey, M.    Herson, M. 2013, Detention, alternatives to detention, and deportation, Forced Migration Review, vol. 18, no. 44, pp. 4-14, viewed 15 September 2015, http://www.fmreview.org/en/detention.pdf> Cornelis, J., Bettine, A., Hajo, B., Gernaat, E. Ivan, H. 2004, Impact of a Long Asylum Procedure on the Prevalence of Psychiatric Disorders in Iraqi Asylum Seekers in the Netherlands, NERVOUS MENTAL DISEASE, vol. 13 no. 12, pp. 843-851, viewed on 5 September 2015, http://www.researchgate.net/profile/Ivan_Komproe2/publication/8143453_Impact_of_a_long_asylum_procedure_on_the_prevalence_of_psychiatric_disorders_in_Iraqi_asylum_seekers_in_The_Netherlands/links/00b7d5304b6381a575000000.pdf> Hadgkiss, E., Lethborg, C., Al-Mousa, A. Marck, C. 2012, Asylum seeker health and well-being, St Vincents Health, vol. 24, no. 1, pp. 17-31, viewed on 20 September 2015, https://svha.org.au/wps/wcm/connect/cb7b96fc-6653-42ea-9683-749a184d3aed/Asylum_Seeker_Health_and_Wellbeing_Scoping_Study.pdf?MOD=AJPERESCONVERT_TO=urlCACHEID=cb7b96fc-6653-42ea-9683-749a184d3aed> Kaldor, A. 2014, Offshore processing: Australias obligations with respect to asylum seeker children who may be sent to Nauru, Never Stand Still, vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 1-9, viewed on 20 September 2015, http://www.kaldorcentre.unsw.edu.au/sites/default/files/Factsheet_Offshore_processing_asylum_seeker_children_BIA.pdf> Gerritsen, A. Bramsen, I. 2005, Physical and mental health of Afghan, Iranian and Somali asylum seekers and refugees living in the Netherlands, Original Paper, vol. 20, no. 3, pp. 12-19, viewed on 19 September 2015, http://epiresult.com/downloads/refugees/SPPE.pdf>

Holden Caufield in Catcher In The Rye by J.D Salinger :: essays research papers

The setting of this story takes place in Agerstown, Pennsylvania. The home of Pency bording school. Pency is one of those college prep schools that advertises only the best aspects and never mentions how much the students will hate going there. On the brochure there is an unrealistic, imaginary student that does not exist playing polo. In real life Pency, there are a couple hundred spoiled little rich students whose parents do not want the burden of raising them. The point of view in this story is expressed in first person. Throughout the story Holden tells of other characters and of course his opinion of them. Always criticizing them and their decisions and labeling most of them phonies. In the beginning of the story Holden is watching the Friday night football game from atop a hill. He had just gotten back from a fencing match that had to be cut short in New York because the captain of the fencing team, which happened to be Holden left all of the equipment on the subway. Needless to say it was a long trip home for Holden. After all of this has happened Holden gets back only to learn that he has been released from Pency and placed on academic probation. Holden was not stupid by any means but if he did not desire to learn what was being taught he refused to try. The professors on the other hand did not agree with Holden’s reasoning. Therefore, he was failing all but one of his classes. Holden had a friend that was a teacher at Pency. He was perhaps the only person that halfway understood him. The only problem was that Mr. Spencer was old and senile and did not have much pull with in the school board, which meant he did not serve as much help in Holden’s current situation. Mr. Spencer was always trying to prepare Holden for life, and was always telling him that â€Å"life is a game and you have to make the right moves†. Holden rarely listened but felt obligated to say good-bye to him because he had tried to understand him, which is more than most people had ever done for him. Holden went to visit Mr. Spencer before he left. As usual he did not get much out of his usual â€Å"life is a game† lecture but he would have felt guilty if he had not gone by to say fair well.

Theatre Royal in Winchester production of 1984 :: Drama

Theatre Royal in Winchester production of '1984' 1984 Evaluation =============== On the 19th November 2002 myself, and a group of year eleven students went to the Theatre Royal in Winchester to watch a play named '1984'. The plays main theme was about a society being treated unfairly and not being able to have rights or individuality. It showed people being extremely restricted on what they could do both physically and mentally. Watching it, it made me feel fortunate to have the rights I have and that I am not constrained on what I can do. The director wanted you when watching, to feel uncomfortable and distressed as you were watching one individual being tortured. The more torture shown, the more privileged I felt to possess the rights I do have. A variety of techniques were used to enforce the powerful message this play presented. At the beginning, a group of soldiers pointed at the audience and shouted 'Die Die' continuously, which made you feel threatened and also at the same time involved within the play. The set was quite basic yet effective. All the scenes featured two large wooden walls, which were moved for different scenes. These walls were used as a technique to change scene. When a new scene was started the walls would be spun round to illustrate a new scene, which was very effective. Throughout the play short videos were shown for a variety of reasons. These included: emphasizing a point within the play, to give new information to the audience or to add to the dramatic effect of a particular scene. Various lighting techniques were used including a spotlight. A spotlight makes you focus on one particular part of the stage where usually a scene is being acted. A spotlight can add tension and increased dramatic effect to a scene, for example when soliloquies are used. An additional lighting method used was to flash bright lights at the audience to illustrate a scene change. This was very effective as afterwards a new scene was taking place. As well as lighting techniques, the props used were very successful in making the scene more exciting and attention grabbing. One prop used was a counterfeit electric chair. In this scene the main character was being tortured using the electric chair. The smoke and sounds the chair was making made the scene even more dramatic and made you sympathise with him even more. The main characters included a man named Winston, and a woman called Julia who has already had already a couple of illegal love affairs. Both characters were deprived of their rights and wanted the same thing, freedom.

Akbar the Great Mughul Emperor

Akbar: The Great Mughal Akbar's Education and Education Akbar short for Jalal-ud-Din Muhammad Akbar also known as Akbar â€Å"The Great† was born on October 11, 1542 to the 2nd Moghul emperor â€Å"Humayun† and Hamida Banu Begam. His mother was a Persian Shi’ Muslim and â€Å"the daughter of a famous Persian scholar who served his youngest uncle, Hindal, as a civil servant† (Moujloum Khan, 172). His birth came at â€Å"an astrologically propitious hour. The unique pear l of the vice regency of God came forth in his glory,’ wrote Abu-l-Fazl, ‘and at his birth the first opening of his eyes on the visible world, rejoiced the hearts of the wise with a sweet smile’† (Andre Wink 7). It was a very auspicious time to be brought to this world and his everyone rejoiced, as it is a sign of wisdom to be born with the eyes open on the stars. In addition he was born at time when his father Humayun was struggling with maintaining his power and expanding his empire even prior to his birth.Humayun’s father Babar, the founder of the Mughal Empire, had left the empire’s administration unstable and unorganized therefore Humayun had to face many problems soon after his father’s death as the successor of the empire. First he had to take action against the aggression of his biggest rival Sher Shah, founder of the Suri dynasty, to regain his power. He was then forced to flee for from time to time to Persian and Sindh and that is where he met Akbar’s mother.In addition Humayun’s rebellious and treacherous brothers Mirza Kamranm, Askari and Hindul were plotting against him and contributed immensely in his defeat and banishing by the Afghans, therefore he took military action against them and as a result he subdued them and took back Lahore, Punjab, Delhi and Agra, and reclaimed his power. After years of attempting to get his kingdom back, Humayun finally was able to get back his rule but not for to o long. When Akbar was only 13 years old, his father died of an unfortunate accident in the palace while rushing to answer the call to prayer.The sudden turn of events changed Akbar’s life and he was suddenly thrust into an empire in jeopardy. * Akbar was born at an adverse political period, which prevented him from attaining a proper education. When he was just a year and three months he was separated from his parents. The royal couple fled to Hijaz to preform pilgrimage and to solicit support from the emperor of Persia in order to regain control of Hindustan leaving baby Akbar with his uncle Askari. He was then taken to Qandahar where his uncle’s wife, Sultan Begam, took him in and raised him for a short period.In 1944, about a year after being separated from his parents, Akbar’s father Humayun returned to Qandahar with Persian auxiliary troops and took control while Akbar was taken to Kabul where he was to be handed over to Khazanda Begam, a sister of the lat e emperor Babur. He was a very fortunate little boy as his caretaker was very fond of him and took him in as her own son. Soon after his father-captured Kabul, Akbar was reunited with his parents after being away from them for more than two years.This period of time is known to be â€Å"the beginning of the beating of the drum of victory and conquest of His majesty† (Wink 9). Since the beginning of his life, Akbar did not have a proper home as his family was on the run from one place to another and he was deprived of formal education. For this reason he remained unlettered and he â€Å"failed to gain proficiency in literacy† (Moujloum Khan, 172). At the age of none he was given governance of the village of Carkh and just a year later when his uncle Hindal died he was given charge of his servants and entourage.As one could see that Akbar was given great responsibility despite his young age, which prepared him for his reign after his fathers demise. It is said that this great responsibility was given to him so â€Å"that his greatness might be tested†¦ [and] that all might know his abilities, and also that he might have practice in the art of rule† (Wink, 10). When Akbar was twelve years old, his father succeeded in the re-conquest of Hindustan and ordered that the conquest be inscribed in Akbar’s name â€Å"indicating thereby that Akbar was nominally in command of the entire campaign† (Wink, 10).After the great occurrence of reclaiming Hindustan, Akbar was sent to Sirhind in the Panjab where he was given a tutor to educate about Indian manners and customs and â€Å"who brought the Indians after the unique age† (Wink, 10). By surrounding himself with other educated people Akbar did not only learn about the customs and manners of India but he also grasped and mastered an extensive variety of objects including philosophy, art, history, religion and poetry without great efforts.He proved himself to be an intelligent pe rson with a sharp intellect and a prodigious memory. He is described â€Å"as a man of excellent judgment and good memory who had attained a considerable erudition in many fields by listening to others, †¦[and] no one who did not know that he was illiterate would suppose him to be anything but very learned and erudite† (Wink, 14). Through constant communication In addition to his intellectual abilities, he was also well trained in all aspects of political military and civil affair.When his father established himself on the imperial throne in 1555, Akbar just like his forefathers was trained in archery, horse riding, wrestling and swordsmanship, which prepared him for the battlefield. As his grandfather at the age of twelve, the first Mughal emperor, and his father Humayun at the age of eleven, Akbar went to on his first military operation when he was only thirteen. He was instructed by his father to prepare a safe route from Kabul through the Punjab and â€Å"keep the r emaining Afghans at bay in the northern hills† (Wink, 11).Also while he was in Punjab, Akbar took the opportunity and acquired skills in artillery by the finest available Ottoman tutor, Rumi Khan. Akbar also attained skills in drawing with prominent Persian artists and in learning the Hindi language as well. When he was about fifteen or sixteen while in his 3rd year of kingship, he was started diving into Sufi mystical writings like that of Hafiz. He was put in an educative program that taught refinement of character, Qur’an, historical knowledge and poetry.Notwithstanding his illiteracy Akbar was well rounded, intelligent and most certainly a person with a sharp intellect and prodigious memory. He later son Jahangir writes about him in his memoirs saying: â€Å"My father always associated with the learned of India, and although he was illiterate, so much became clear to him through constant intercourse with the learned and the wise, and in his conversations with them, that no one knew him to be illiterate, and he was so acquainted with the niceties of prose and verse composition that this deficiency was not thought of† (Tuzuk, I, 33).Akbar's Military history * Humayun’s death meant many things to the Mughal empire and especially Akbar; he was to succeed his father and step to the throne as the emperor of a troubled land. Akbar came to power at a fairly young age and it seems that it did not stop him from making military judgments as a result of his extensive military and practical training when he was younger.At the start of his journey as a ruler, â€Å"he instigated military in order to regain the lost territories, and thereby restore political stability, social peace and security across the Mughal dominion† (Moujloum Khan, 173). He was operating under Bairan Khan, his civil servant and regent, who trained him in all aspects of governance to prepare him in succeeding his father as the ruler of the Mughal dynasty. By general agreement he was far too young to rule autonomously so on that account Bairan Kahn who also assisted his father Humayun when he was ruling operated over him.Under his supervision and stewardship, Akbar â€Å"took action against all remaining rebellious governors and sultans, before winning a decisive victory at Panipat in 1556, where he inflicted a c rushing defeat on Hemu, his most powerful Hindu rival, who at the time ruled both Delhi and Agra†(Moujloum Khan, 173). Despite the Hemu’s strength and history in battlefields, Akbar was not intimidated and marched fearlessly into the battlefield with his army and overpowered his adversaries’ forces.As Bairan khan’s influence grew, he started to take advantage of his role in making decisions without Akbar’s consent and became a liability as opposed to a benefit to the Mughal Empire. He was heavy-handed when it came to military tactics. Six years into his role an emperor under his authoritative guide an d mentor, Akbar had enough of him and dismissed him and sent him to Mecca to preform the sacred pilgrimage. Akbar was only eighteen when he became fully-fledged and responsible for the political and military affairs of his empire.His decision enabled him to think for himself and to make decisive actions in consolidating the empire. He was keen to expand the empire further onto the bordering countries and then battled with them in order to gain new territories. His intent in conquering other lands was not only to expand the empire but only to liberate the oppressed from tyranny. Abul-al-Fazl writes: â€Å"In conquering countries and cities his first thought is to inquire into and sympathize with the condition of the oppressed† (Wink, 21).In 1568 he marched with his military to the lands of Rajasthan in response to the Rajput’s threatens against the Mughal empire. Despite their resistance they were eventually defeated due to Akbar’s superior military force. After he succeeded in capturing Rajasthan, his next target was the state of Gujarat. It was an important commercial city in a prominent location with prosperous ports and coastal resorts. For this reason, Akbar took the stance in capturing it and sett off with his military forces as soon as he received the news of riots in the capital of Gujarat, Ahmedabad, in just over a week covering six hundred miles en route.He was effective in his planning and military strategies and captured the province without conflict and hence joined his empire with the Arabian Sea, which opened up a naval route to the rest of the world. To him expanding the empire did not just mean more land but also joining and uniting a people. After he annexed Gujarat, he went to the wealthy northern Indian in Bengal, Kabul, and the beautiful basin of Kashmir, Orissa, Sind and Baluchistan and captured them all in a matter of less than 20 years.His achievements in conquering lands are astonishing and how he managed to establi sh his authority in the Mughal Empire throughout Northern India is an astounding accomplishment that many rulers would not be able to triumph as he did. According to his son Jahangir Akbar â€Å"passed his days his nights in wakefulness and slept little in the day†¦He counted his wakefulness at night as so much added to his life. His courage and boldness were such that he could mount raging, rutting elephants, and subdue murderous elephants† (Moujloum Khan, 174).As a tactical and strategic leader, Akbar was well aware that without employing and developing an effective civil and political governmental system it would not be possible to unite and strengthen the territories. He was resolute to transform his empire especially because he did not want the history to repeat itself from when the Mughal Empire was disintegrated. He had to come up with a long-term plan and increase the growth of the financial treasury. He also knew that he could reform his empire without winning t he hearts and minds of his people-Muslims and Hindus alike.This meant promoting dialogue between the two prominent religions that is Islam and Hinduism in the subjects of religion and culture. * He â€Å"hoped to establish lasting political stability, social solidarity and cultural understanding and tolerance throughout Mughal India. In order to achieve this objective, Akbar reformed the existing Mughal political and administrative structure which depended heavily on the goodwill and support of the wealthy, independent feudal chiefs to function effectively†(Moujloum Khan, 174).To prevent economic corruption, political disarrangement and social dissatisfaction, Akbar assigned regional administrators who were fairly responsible and reliable for overseeing the affairs of their own provinces and frequently reported to him. He subsequently went out of his way and created ties with the influential Hindu groups. The Rajputs, who were one of the most influential Hindu groups shortly, joined the Mughal Empire’s political, military and civil services.This approach that Akbar took in forging alliances was very affective because it ensured that Muslims and Hindus work together in running the administration of the Mughal Empire. Both the Muslims and the Hindus came together to â€Å"consolidate Mughal political power and authority across India. Thus politically speaking, Akbar’s efforts to unite Muslims Hindus proved a success† (Moujloum Khan, 174). Akbar and Religion * In addition to uniting the Hindus and the Muslims together in the civil, political and civic realm, but Akbar was rather ineffective when he tried to harmonize Islam and Hinduism.Islam and Hinduism are two very different religions; Islam on one hand preaches the absolute oness of God while Hinduism the worship of multiple gods. Islam considers the association of god with other deities’ disbelief. The two religions are more completely opposed to one another than any other m ajor world religion. There is no doubt that Akbar’s intention to bring the two groups together is a praiseworthy and admirable intention but his approach to inter-faith discourse proved both heavy-handed and impulsive. Akbar was reacting to the constant conflicts and disagreements that have been occurring between the two groups.He and â€Å"his advisors began to explore ways in which they * could end these bitter conflicts by emphasizing the common elements between the two faiths, rather than focus on the differences; this eventually inspired them to create a religious synthesis by combining aspects of Islamic mysticism and Hindu philosophy. But, fat from uniting the two rival religious factions, this only served to make matters worse, because both orthodox Muslims and Hindus considered Akbar’s religious eclecticism very offensive† (Moujloum Khan, 175).Unfortunately both Hindus and Muslims alike labeled him as a heretic and a freethinker because of his views on religious tolerance. Despite these accusations, Akbar was a devout Muslim who prayed his five daily prayers and was very much afraid of displeasing god with the choices he made. His idea to join the religions was highly questionable hence it was contradictory to the Shariah. In the beginning of his reign, Akbar reformed many laws that were highly problematic from an Islamic point of view although it was done in respect of other religions.For example, the abolishment of non-shariah trade and market taxes and the taxes that were â€Å"imposed on certain Hindu pilgrimage, normally associated with fairs; †¦but he also forbade the questionable jizyah tax on dhimmi non-Muslims throughout his reign† †(Marshall G. S. Hodgson, 71). Because of the reforms he has made, it appears that it did not matter to Akbar whether the reforms he made were contradicting the shariah as long as they were acknowledging people from other faiths especially the Hindus.He also banned the slaught ering of animals on certain days of the year and in areas that are deemed sacred to the Hindus. He disallowed child marriages, which was a common practice among the Hindus and the Muslims and the Hindu forced practice of widows that burnt themselves alongside their husbands’ corpses unless it was voluntary by the widows. It was not an easy task for him to do because some people would not submit and let go of their traditions but he was very patient very patient with them.To support other faiths he contributed financially† to the building of temples of other faiths. In this way he put practice into a universalist orientation in religion itself, which formed an important component of the interconfessional cultural climate of the court†(Hodgson, 72). To further take the idea of having a universalist orientation Akbar organized, Akbar was very interested in religion, especially Islam therefore he organized â€Å"a house of worship† where Muslim scholars various points of view could gather to dispute and discuss their respective faiths and claims.In order to consolidate his power, Akbar introduced a series of reforms of religious beliefs. Besides his strong belief in the holy Qur’an, he also believed all the other faiths were true and that there is a way to bring unity of all the faiths. This became the basis of his new â€Å"religious synthesis, namely din-i-ilahi (or the Devine Religion†), which as expected, was vigorously opposed by both orthodox Muslims and Hindus†(Moujloum Khan, 175). It was a dedicated to a universalist outlook, moral purity and personal devotion.This was indeed a questionable and controversial religious matter because it was a deviation from Islamic dogma. Akbar was told by one of his devotees, Abul al-Fazl, that he was a spiritual leader and he was responsible of his people’s lives and the source of sorting out the common truth by uniting the world religions. This was a continuation of hi s past project when he established the â€Å"house of god† where people from different faiths could debate at his court, as it did not work out because the intolerant Jesuits who wanted to convert.Akbar was a devout Muslim and he always cared about pleasing god, it is said that he â€Å"would spend whole * Nights in religious discussion. ‘ And from a feeling of thankfulness for his past successes he would sit many a morning alone in prayer and meditation on a large flat stone of an old building which lay near the palace in a lonely spot, with his head over his chest, gathering the bliss of the early hours of dawn’†(Wink, 97). Although his new religion was meant to synthesize and consolidate the world’s religions into one it was predominately based on Islam.The main dogma of din-i-illahi is that the world is a creation of God and is a unified and single place, which manifests the unity and ones of God. In addition to the fundamental beliefs of the â €Å"Divine Religion†, Akbar derived from Zoroastrianism sun worship and the idea of kingship and from Jainism the care and respect of all living things. This is obviously contradictory to Islam and the Ulama were very disturbed and considered it as â€Å"outright heresy† (Unity of Religions). * Conclusion As a leader, Akbar was determined, tolerant, ruthless and dedicated to his empire. He not only expanded his empire but also established political stability, promoted economic prosperity and reformed the civic administration that his forefathers worked for but also built one of the most beautiful and breathtaking monuments ever built in the Islamic civilization. Although he was illiterate, he managed to hold stimulating political and religious intellectual discussions.He was also very fond of poetry especially Persian poetry. The Mughal Empire became one â€Å" of the most influential political and military powers of the time. And having once fallen out with his only surviving so, Salim (Emperor Jahangir), Akbar became reconciled with him just before his death; he died at the age of sixty-three†(Moujloum Khan, 175). He was buried in Sirkandra in a mausoleum that he had prepared for himself before his demise west of Agra, India. * * * Works CitedAkbar, the great Mughal: his new policy and his new religion. Delhi: Aakar Books, 2009. Print. Bedi, P. S.. The Mughal nobility under Akbar. Jalandhar: ABS * Publications :, 1985. Print. Khan, Muhammad Mojlum. Muslim 100: the lives, thoughts and achievements of the most influential Muslims in history. Leicestershire: Kube, 2008. Print. Lal, Muni. Akbar. New Delhi: Vikas, 1980. Print. Malleson, G. B.. Akbar and the rise of the Mughal empire,. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1890.Print. Srivastava, Ashirbadi Lal. Akbar the Great. Agra: Shiva Lal Agarwala, 1967. Print. * Akbar. Oxford: Oneworld, 2009. Print. * â€Å"THE LIGHT OF TRUTH For the Respect and Honour of Islam. † Unity of * Religions . N. p. , 2 Oct. 2004. Web. 20 May 2012. *