Critical Evaluation of Adopting a simple profit-maximizing perspective Assignment

Critical Evaluation of Adopting a simple profit-maximizing perspective can have positive impacts for a firm - Assignment Example As it is figure out by some economists, those existence firms are surviving because they have achieved maximum profit based on profit maximizing level of that firm. The owner of the maximization of profit sets non-profit aims and ideas for its firm managers. The more the load a firm sets on returns and profits, it does not think much about the expenditure, which leads to maximize the profits of the firm (Kaneda & Matsui, 2003). Firms that do not maximize its profit are probably more out competing by proficient rival or acquired by people who can get better evaluation from it by following different plans and strategies (Romer, 2006). Managers are usually changed or fired if they fail to maximize firm’s profit which therefore shows that the profit maximization depends on behaviors of managers that should be consistent and it seems to be staying for long in that firm with the maximization of profits if managers adopt simple profit maximizing perspectives (Romer, 2006). ... The advance literature describes two models in the competitive model of the firm’s profit. The first model is the structure conduct performance model (SCP) that describes the extent of concentration in the industry, decides the behavior of the firm and its profitability (Stierwald, 2009). The higher concentration of the firm involvement can lead to higher profits and if the there is a difference between the characteristics of the firm such as level of efficiency, quality management and structure of organization, than the profitability of the firm is affected. The second model is the effect model, which states that within the industry, the firms are heterogeneous and they can be differentiated with their efficiency level. The firms that are more productive have a competitive benefit over the firms that are less productive and those firms earn high profits due to that high productivity (Stierwald, 2009). It is difficult that this requirement can regularly fulfilled by the firms as auditors have different figures related to profit and in order to maintain the profit maximization strategy, the firm should have regular and clear procedure of auditing. The focus of the firms should be on short-term profits because profit is given only once at a year therefore the firm should invest on long-term basis in order to gain the short-term profits (Anderson, Fornell, & Lehmann, 1994). Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR): A firm deliberately engages itself in social responsible activities to maximize it profits at private level according to some recent speculative and experimental studies (Schuler & Cording, 2006). The maximizing profit perspective of a firm can get hold of further profits

Philosophy Essay Example for Free

Philosophy Essay Fundamentally the term philosophy is the study of different natural phenomena that exists like knowledge, truth, beauty, justice, validity, mind, numerous languages. Anthony Quinton a well known author of his time declared it as thinking about thinking. It is quite dissimilar than mysticism or mythology that are also ways of addressing numerous dissimilar questions. This term has a particular definite meaning as this word is an origin from ancient Greek times and it means ‘Love of wisdom‘. In addition with this it is also segmented into numerous different branches like Metaphysics, Epistemology, Political Philosophy, Logic, Philosophy of Mind, Philosophy of language and several more This branch of philosophy is fundamentally used to study the nature of the mind, mental events, mental functions, mental properties, consciousness and their relationship to the physical body, particularly the brain. Several well known scientists work on this segment of philosophy and gave there numerous theories as well as applications on this but still the relationship of the mind to the body, is commonly seen as the central issue in philosophy of mind. It was also explored that there are other issues too regarding relations with physical body that have to be resolved. According to research it was discovered that chronological mapping of the brain was the initial attempt, which correlates mental functionalities with different segments of brain. Many of us have a thought that the main defining characteristic of a person is either the person has consciousness, mind or soul. Not only this it was also a fact that almost all of us exactly know consciousness, but still there are several problem regarding this as having awareness of consciousness is not the end until we know what consciousness is. Several philosophers gave their thoughts and works in this field to resolve all issues of philosophy of mind. In 427 BC Plato one of the well-known and prominent philosopher of his time share his though and declare the fact that fundamentally what we are is our real soul, and that our real soul will survive after death, and after our death this soul will be release form our body. Similarly in 384BC Aristotle reveal the fact that soul and body are basically related with each other, in addition with this he also explore the point that our soul is not a part of other substance but it is directly related with our body as or material substance, of which the body is made. Beside this Aristotle once said, If an axe had a soul, its soul would be cutting. Furthermore in year 1825 T.H. Huxley gave his views regarding philosophy of mind. As according to him our mind is a product of brain. Not only this he also gave samples to prove his words as he states† if I think that I want some chocolate, this may be because my stomach is sending messages to the brain because my blood sugar level is low†. In addition with this he also explore that this term consciousness didn’t have any sort of power to cause anything, all such situations are reflection of biology as according to him till the time body is alive and is in working position but when body dies, mind will stop its functionalities and dies with it. Several philosopher work in this particular area to resolve mind-body problem, they define the fact that through which techniques and approaches a supposedly non-material mind can influence a material body and vice-versa. Besides philosopher also concerned this particular point that how someones propositional attitudes could become the result of that individuals neurons to fire not only this how his muscles also contract in exactly the accurate behavior as well. â€Å"The diversity of our opinions does not arise from the fact that some people are more reasonable than others, but solely from the fact that we we lead our thoughts along different paths and do not take the same things in consideration.† To resolve above mentioned issues Dualism and monism are explored and declared as the significant thoughts to resolve all such problems of mind and body. Dualism if basically defined as a position in which both mind and body lie down in some categorical way which would separate them from each other. Not only this Dualism is also segmented into three parts as well. Similarly Monism is also a declared as a particular stage where both mind and body are not ontologically distinct kinds of entities. Furthermore many other related things are also completed and different techniques are also designed by philosopher to solve all such issues of mind and body. As the father of modern philosophy Descartes in year 1596 uses his famous writing â€Å"method of doubt to explain the fact that he has no doubt on the existence of his mind. After Descartes master piece writing various more photosphere also contributes in this field and still many of the issues of mind-body problem are not resolved, and these philosopher are looking forward to solve all such issues and gave a clear concept of how this part of body actually works and what is the fundamental relationship of mind and body.

Braveheart/ William Wallace :: essays research papers

B. William Wallace 1. What advice does his father give him?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When William is a young boy, his father dies. Shortly after that he has a dream that his father is lying beside him on a table. He dreams that his father whispers, â€Å"Your heart is free, have the courage to follow it.† Keeping this in his mind, William sets out to live his life to the fullest in great memory of his father. 2. What methods does he use to really the Scots against England?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Wallace uses his speaking skills to help persuade the Scots to rally for their freedom. He feels that you don’t really live your life to the fullest unless you have your freedom. The Scots have freedom to fight for, unlike the English who only fight for the land. 3. Despite the execution, how does Wallace win the war?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Even though Wallace is killed in the end, he still won the battle that he was fighting. His battle was not only for the freedom of Scotland, but also is living his life to the fullest in his father’s honor. He dies a free man and with no doubts that what he had been fighting for was right. Because of this, he would never give the English the satisfaction of seeing him begging for mercy. Also his impact on Robert the Bruce was great and Robert later led the Scots to freedom. 4. Why do you think Wallace is considered Scotland’s greatest hero?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Wallace is considered Scotland’s greatest hero for many reasons. The respect and dignity that he shows is very interesting. He has a great way of leading his people and showing them the way to fight for their freedom. As we found out, he stood strongly for what he believed in until the day that he died. He also never betrayed his countrymen. C. The Message 1. â€Å"Ay, fight and you may die, run and you’ll live. At least for a while. And dying in your beds many years from now, would you be willing to trade all the days for this day to that for one chance...just one chance to come back here and tell our enemies that they may take our lives, but they’ll never take our freedom.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When Wallace says this, he is encouraging the Scots to fight for what is going to make their lives happy. He challenges them to take advantage of every opportunity that comes along.

Jasper Jones Essay Essay

Introduction Although fiction texts are simply narratives, they can also reflect a particular time and place. The novel Jasper Jones written by Craig Silvey follows the character of Charlie, the thirteen year old protagonist, who is forced to rethink his traditional notions of right and wrong, through his friendship with Jasper Jones. The novel highlights Australia’s attitudes towards foreigners and Indigenous people. The small country town held strong beliefs about the value of sport but also the lack of education. Jasper Jones is marginalised in society due to his indigenous background causing him to be the first to be blamed for any matters of trouble. In the novel Jasper Jones written by Craig Silvey the dominant beliefs of society and racist attitudes towards indigenous people are reflected. ‘He’s the first to be blamed for all manner of trouble.’ As Jasper is indigenous he is being stereotyped as being a troublemaker. This puts the reader in a position to picture him as exactly that and might cause Jasper to act up like that. The readers consider Jasper to be questionable and unreliable. The town’s pre judgements of Jasper and his bad reputation cause him to be blamed for crimes he often does not commit. ‘Jasper jones is right. Of course this town will blame him.’ Through Charlie’s narrative point of view we are given an insight in to what his thoughts on this issue are. Of course the town will immediately assume the death of Laura was him. Jasper is being judged unfairly. Readers are put in a position to understand the town are hypocritical and judgemental of Jasper even though he has done nothing wrong. The town hold these assumptions based on his Indigenous background. The white dominated small country town in Australia highlights the lack of value placed on multiculturalism as shown through the treatment of the Lu family. In the novel Jasper Jones written by Craig Silvey the mistreatment of foreign cultures is evident in Australia 1960’s. ‘But Sue Findlay hadn’t finished. Jabbing her finger, she screeched the most horrible words, the nastiest things imaginable, her voice uneven with tears, her eyes crazy.’ During the time the book was published the Vietnam was happening and many  Australians had been sent over to fight. Sue Findlay has been used as a representative of the town as Mrs Lu is picked on and marginalised by the town. Sue is blaming Mrs Lu for the conscription of her son in the Vietnam War, as she was Vietnamese. It focuses on the issues of racism present in Australia society during the 1960’s. ‘I can hear them shouting: Red rat! Fucking red rat!’ These extremely racist and derogatory comments made about the Lu family reflect the racists attitudes held by the citizens of Australian during the 1960’s.the towns’ people were very abusive and did not accept any success associated with the Lu family very well. It clearly shows their lack of value placed on multiculturalism and respect towards others. Australia had a very critical attitude towards foreigners. The small Australian country town represents the dominant beliefs of 1950’s Australia regarding masculinity and sporting ability. In the novel Jasper Jones by Craig Silvey highlights the social issues associated with sport and culture. Charlies’ lack of sporting ability makes him a minority and highlights the value of being good at sport and also the lack of value towards academic achievement. ‘I’m lousy at sport, and better than most at school, which garners me only ire in the classroom and resentment when report cards are issued.’ Charlie is picked on at school merely for his intelligence. Charlie receives goods grades and is intellectual rather than athletic. In the town of Corrigan where sporting ability is highly valued he is somewhat viewed as an outsider. Sport is the social currency. Their hierarchy based on their skill with a ball. ‘They’ll surround him and scruff at his hair in celebration, they’ll applaud and pat his arse, but once the game is over, the pattern returns.’ Jasper although is looked down upon due to his Indigenous background is viewed as any other normal person during a game of football. It is evident that in the Australian 1960’s, the society held the value of sport higher rather than their views on Jasper and his background and their racist attitudes.

Oil Spill Research Essay

I. OIL SPILL Oil spill is the release of a liquid petroleum hydrocarbon into the environment, especially marine areas, due to human activity, and is a form of pollution. The term is usually applied to marine oil spills, where oil is released into the ocean or coastal waters, but spills may also occur on land. Oil spills may be due to releases of crude oil from tankers, offshore platforms, drilling rigs and wells, as well as spills of refined petroleum products (such as gasoline, diesel) and their by-products, heavier fuels used by large ships such as bunker fuel, or the spill of any oily refuse or waste oil. II. IDENTIFICATION OF THE PROBLEM Oil spills create many problems throughout the world, including the United States. The impact on the ecosystem in an area can be severe. Many plants and animals suffer or are killed within a short time after the spill occurs. Many people spend their time and money cleaning up the oil. Scientists also spend their time and the government’s money trying to find different types of technology or methods that clean up oil spills. In the Philippines, the famous Guimaras Oil Spill has affected hundreds of kilometers of coastline and threatens rich fishing grounds. The spill has polluted fishing grounds, dive spots, national marine reserve and adversely affected marine sanctuaries and mangrove reserves in three out of five municipalities in Guimaras Island and reached the shores of Iloilo and Negros Occidental, causing what is considered as the worst oil spill in the Philippines. Oily sludge and dead wildlife have been washing up on beaches, with reefs, marine reserves and the tourist industry all affected. III. CAUSES AND SOURCES OF OIL SPILLS Oil spill is a type of pollution that occurs mostly on water as well as on land and can have devastating effects on plants, animal life and environment. It occurs mainly as a result of human activity like exploration and transport of oil and is the release of oil or liquid petroleum  hydrocarbon into the aquatic environment such as oceans and coastal waters and on land. Spills may occur of crude oil from tankers, oil rigs, platforms and oil wells as well as during the transport of the refined petroleum products in vessels and tankers. Illegal waste oil dumping into oceans by organizations who do not want to invest in the cost of degrading their waste oil also contributes to increasing oil spill. Natural disasters such as hurricanes and earthquakes can also contribute to oil spills from oil rigs as well as during transport of vessels and tankers. Oil spills take place largely because there is a need and demand for oil as a source of energy. Oil is used in one way or another in our day to day activities. We use oil to fuel our cars, trucks, buses and so on as well as to heat or light up our homes. Oil is used extensively in industries to power large machinery and equipment. Oil Spills may happen for several reasons. 1. When oil tankers have equipment faults. When oil tankers break down, it may get stuck on shallow land. When the tanker is attempted to move out of shallow land, abrasion may cause a hole in the tanker that will lead to large amounts of oil being released into the oceanic bodies. However, although this form of oil spill is the most commonly known and has the highest media attention, only 2% of oil in water bodies is a result of this action. 2. From nature and human activities on land. The large majority of oil spilled is from natural seeps geological seeps from the ocean floor as well as leaks that occur when products using petroleum or various forms of oil are used on land, and the oil is washed off into water bodies. 3. Water Sports. Other causes of oil spills are spills by petroleum users of released oil. This happens when various water sports or water vehicles such as motorboats and jet skis leak fuel. 4. Drilling works carried out in sea. When drilling works carried out in the sea, the oil and petroleum used  for such activities are released into the sea, thus causing an oil spill. The most common cause of oil pollution by ships comes from what are called operational oil spills. These are caused mostly by human error or sometimes intentionally when the ship’s crew does not follow the strict regulations and break the law. At the bottom of the ship under the engines is a space called the bilge. It collects water, oil and grease. When the ship’s crew pumps out the engine room bilges, the oil is separated from the water. The waste oil is put into a special holding tank to be offloaded in the next port. The remaining water, which may have traces of oil, is pumped overboard through an oily water separator. This makes sure only the tiniest amount of permitted oil goes into the sea. The amount is so small it cannot be seen by the naked eye. If an oil slick can be seen behind a ship, it means that the ship has broken the law and has discharged more oil than is allowed. Other operational spills may happen when a ship is loading bunker oil or lubricating oil for its engines. A hose can break spilling oil. If someone is not watching the level of oil going into the ship’s tanks, the tanks could overflow. An operational oil spill can also happen after the crew of an oil tanker has cleaned the cargo tanks before loading a new cargo of crude oil. After a cargo oil tank has been cleaned with water and chemicals the oil residue will float on the wash water in the bottom of the cargo tank. This water can be siphoned off and put through an oily water separator leaving only cargo oil residue in the bottom of the cargo tank. The new crude oil cargo can be loaded on top of the remaining old cargo oil. However, sometimes the crew does the wrong thing and illegally pumps the oily waste overboard. IV. EFFECTS OF OIL SPILLS Oil spills are considered form of pollution. The effects of oil spills can have wide ranging impacts that are often portrayed by the media as long lasting environmental disaster. The effects will depend on a variety of factors including the quantity and type of oil spilled and how it interacts with the marine environment. A. Effects of Oil Spill to the Environment Oil spills may impact the environment in various ways. First, the physical smothering of organisms which is caused by oils with a high viscosity, in other words heavy oils. Smothering will affect an organism’s physical ability to continue critical functions such as respiration, feeding and thermoregulation. Second, the chemical toxicity which is a characteristic of lighter chemical components which are more bio-available is absorbed into organs, tissues and cells, and can have sub-lethal or lethal toxic effects. Third, the ecological changes which is caused by the loss of key organisms with a specific function in an ecological community. They can be replaced by different species undertaking similar functions in which case the implications for the ecosystem as a whole may not be severe. However, more detrimental is the niche in the community being replaced with organisms performing completely different functions thereby altering the ecosystem dynamics. Oil spill can somehow results to loss of shelter or habitat through oiling or clean up operations. Oil spill can prove fatal for plant, animal and human life. The substance is so toxic that it can cause massive loss of species that live in the sea. Oil spill penetrates into the plumage and fur of birds, breaks down the insulating capabilities of feather which makes them heavier, disallow them to fly and kill them via poisoning or hypothermia. B. Effects of Oil Spill on Marine and Coastal Wildlife Marine and coastal wildlife exposed to oil suffer both immediate health problems and long-term changes to their physiology and behavior. Oil can cause temporary physical harm to animals like skin irritation, altering of  the immune system, reproductive or developmental damage, liver disease and other chronic effects such as cancer and direct mortality of wildlife. Oil Spills also affect marine plants. The oil forms a thick layer on the water surface, and this layer blocks out light and prevents gaseous exchange. When this happens, not only will the plants not be able to photosynthesize, animals underneath the affected area will find that the supply of oxygen slowly diminishes, and is unable to be continuously replenished by the environment. When plants cannot photosynthesize, they eventually die, leading to a vicious effect on the food chain, ultimately affecting all animals. Oil spills can impact wildlife directly through three primary pathways, namely: ingestion, absorption and inhalation. Ingestion happens when animals swallow oil particles directly or consume prey items that have been exposed to oil. Ingestion of oil or dispersants can cause gastrointestinal irritation, ulcers, bleeding, diarrhea, and digestive complications. These complications may impair the ability of animals to digest and absorb foods, which ultimately leads to reduced health and fitness. Absorption is when animals come into direct contact with oil. Absorption of oil or dispersants through the skin can damage the liver and kidneys, cause anemia, suppress the immune system, induce reproductive failure, and in extreme cases kill an animal. Fish and sea turtle embryos may grow more slowly than normal, leading to lower hatching rates and developmental impairments Inhalation takes place when animals breathe volatile organics released from oil or from â€Å"dispersants† applied by response teams in an effort to increase the rate of degradation of the oil in seawater. This commonly occurs among those species of wildlife that need to breathe air like manatees, dolphins, whales and sea turtles. Inhalation of these harmful materials can cause respiratory inflammation, irritation, emphysema, or pneumonia. Oil spills can also have indirect effects on wildlife by causing changes in behavior, namely: changes in foraging locations, increases in foraging time and disruptions to life cycles. Changes in foraging locations or the relocation of home ranges as animals search for new sources of food. If a spill causes direct mortality to the food resources of particular species, many individuals of this species will need to relocate their foraging activities to regions unaffected by the spill. This leads to increased competition for remaining food sources in more localized areas. Increase in foraging time happens when there are increases in the amount of time animals must spend foraging. Animals may need to make longer trips to find food in unfamiliar areas and they may need to forage on less preferred food that takes more time to acquire or that is digested less efficiently. Decreases in diet diversity due to lower food availability may lead to reduced overall health. Disruptions to natural life cycles may become apparent if particular life forms are more susceptible to the effects of oil than others. Eggs, larvae and juveniles of many species are more vulnerable to harmful effects from pollutants than adults. Changes in the relative numbers of individuals from different life stages within a species may lead to shifts in habitat use patterns which cause ripple effects up and down the food chain. C. Effects of Oil Spill on Economy One of the major effects of oil spill is seen on the economy. When precious crude oil or refined petroleum is lost, it affects the amount of petroleum and gas available for use. This means that more barrels have to be imported from other countries. Then the process of cleaning the oil spill which requires a lot of financing. The workers that are brought on board to clean up the spill face tremendous  health problems later in life as well. Their medical treatment has to be paid for and becomes the responsibility of the government. Putting all the methods of recovery into place and monitoring them takes away resources from other more important works and hits the economy in subtle but powerful ways. D. Effects of Oil Spill on Tourism Industry The local tourism industry suffers a huge setback as most of the tourists stay away from such places. Dead birds, sticky oil and huge tar balls become a common sight. Due to this, various activities such as sailing, swimming, rafting, fishing, parachute gliding cannot be performed. Industries that rely on sea water to carry on their day to day activities halt their operations till It gets cleared. V. RECOMMENDATION The petroleum industry undertakes many measures to reduce the likelihood of oil spills. Proactive technology includes blowout preventers, which cut off the pump pressure in case of an accident, and increased hull strength on oil tankers. These measures help to protect both the environment and the oil companies themselves, which often lose a great deal of profit and public image in the event of a spill. A. Recommendations to Prevent Spills Caused by Human Error at Oil Handling Facilities These recommendations focus on management support for spill prevention programs, commitment of sufficient resources to such programs, and commitments to meeting or exceeding regulatory standards, using redundant safety systems, discouraging risk taking, and establishing annual performance benchmarks. Implementation of formal risk assessment and correction programs, and employee involvement, accountability, and performance incentives are also recommended. Recommendations on work hour limitations are included, as well as  recommendations for corporate programs to ensure physical competency of employees responsible for an activity which could result in an oil spill. Security system inspections are recommended, as are written emergency procedures and drilling of those procedures. B. Recommendations to Prevent Oil Spills by Boat Owners, Marinas, and Boatyards These recommendations stress regular and careful boat maintenance, knowledge of best management practices for fueling, oil changes, or overhauls, and responsible management and disposal practices for used oil and oily wastes. This section also includes recommendations that marina operators implement effective runoff controls, provide technical assistance and education for their boat owners, and develop written agreements with those boat owners committing them to implement best management practices. C. Recommendations to Prevent Spills from Tankers and Tank Barges It is recommended that employee involvement and communications are addressed, and redundant safety systems and annual performance benchmarks are recommended. Several international standards are recommended for certification of management policies and programs. Regarding watch practices, recommendations about covering standards for navigation watch, anchor watch, engineering watch and security rounds are included. D. Recommendations to Prevent Oil Spills Caused by Human Error It is recommended that a tanker or tank barge owner/operator ensure that no crew member is under the influence of alcohol or illicit drugs a coast jurisdiction’s waters, and that regular physical exams and a policy requiring notification of use of prescription medications be required. Also, tank barge tow vessel masters should maintain a record of all crew members, and should have three licensed officers or tow operators on board during  transit of coastal waters. E. Recommendations to Prevent Human Error Spills During Bunkering Operations Persons In Charge (PICs) of bunkering operations on both the receiving and delivering vessels or facilities should emphasize proper procedures and adequate communications during all phases of a bunkering operation, especially with regard to a pre-loading plan, a pre-transfer conference, voice and visual communications, emergency procedures, and safe access between vessels, or between a vessel and a facility. PICs must ensure that the duties of all personnel involved in a bunkering operation are clearly defined and that training is provided. Furthermore, it is recommend that owners and operators of vessels and facilities involved in bunkering operations within a jurisdiction’s waters be required to demonstrate compliance with these standards by making relevant documents (logs, written policies and procedures, standing orders, pre-loading plans, declaration of inspection forms, and training materials) available upon request. The creation of emergency response plans that entails oil transporters to have detailed written plans on what actions they will take if a spill occurs should always be encouraged. The Government should pay more attention to the activities of militants engaged in oil bunkering as some of the spills in the oil rich region occur due to this. In addition, Government should ensure that regulatory bodies have the authority to sanction oil companies who spill oil in the region. More and stricter laws with stiffer penalties should be passed so that oil companies are more mindful of their activities and the spills that they cause. Moreover, a shift from the dependence on oil to other sources of revenue such as agriculture will make it more likely for stricter laws and stiffer penalties for organizations guilty of oil spills to be implemented. Deterrence in oil pollution is the implementation of Republic Act 9483 or the  Oil Pollution Compensation Act which penalizes oil pollution damage and seeks to immediately compensate those who suffer from it. This is to secure the enjoyment and protection of our marine wealth. VI. BIBLIOGRAPHY The Chemistry of Oil Spills http://oilsplat.wordpress.com/about/ WiseGeek: What Causes Oil Spills, Mary McMahon http://www.wisegeek.org/what-causes-oil-spills.htm The Ships and the Marine Environment-Main Causes of Oil Pollution by Ships http://www.ausmepa.org.au/ships-and-the-marine-environment/5/causes-of-oil-pollution.htm Recommendations to Prevent Oil Spills http://www.oilspilltaskforce.org/docs/project_reports/HumanFactorRec.pdf Stopping Oil Spills: Environmental Quality/Recovery of Spilled Oil, Shivani B., Christine C., Kristen D. http://istf.ucf.edu/ISTFSites/98/98325/web1.htm Sarah Toms (15 August 2006). â€Å"Oil spill threatens Philippines†. BBC News. Retrieved 15 July 2013. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4795649.stm Holly K. Ober (May 2010). :Effects of Oil Spills on Marine and Coastal Wildlife† http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/uw330 Understanding Oil Spills and Oil Spill Response http://www.epa.gov/osweroe1/docs/oil/edu/oilspill_book/chap5.pdf Conserve Energy Future: Oil Spill,Rinkesh Kukreja http://www.conserve-energy-future.com/effects-of-oil-spills.php Environmental Effects of Oil Spills http://www.itopf.com/knowledge-resources/documents-guides/environmental-effects/ How Oil Harms Animals and Plants in Marine Environments http://response.restoration.noaa.gov/oil-and-chemical-spills/oil-spills/how-oil-harms animals-and-plants.html

Analysis of Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House Research Paper Example

Analysis of Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House Research Paper Example Analysis of Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House Paper Analysis of Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House Paper Essay Topic: Literature Henrik Ibsen’s short story, A Doll’s House, basically centralizes on the differences between the initial appearances and the true personalities of the characters and the many sacrifices that women make in a marriage. The author evidently illustrated the first theme through all story’s main characters as each of them exhibited a personality that is different from the initial impression they gave when they first appeared. For example, Torvald, at first, appears to be a caring and devoted husband to Nora, the protagonist. However, at the end of the story, it turns out that he is a very shallow man who only cares about his own career and that he never desired to fulfill his promise to share with Nora the burdens of their marriage. In addition, Dr. Rank’s frequent visits to Nora and Torvald appeared to be a gesture of friendship towards the couple. But late in the story it was discovered that his true motives for visiting them was because he is in love with Nora. Moreover, Krogstad initially appeared to be a vengeful and manipulative extortionist until he was reunited with his love, Mrs.  Linde, wherein he showed that he has a kind and generous heart. More importantly, Nora initially gave an impression that she was a selfish and foolish girl. However, it is soon discovered that Nora made a large sacrifice by secretly borrowing money in order to maintain their marriage. From the themes presented in the story, it can said that people are not always what they first appear to be. The story also showed that people can show their true colors when you least expect them to do so. Moreover, the story basically highlights the reality that wives in today’s modern society, play a sacrificial and major role in a marriage, which is normally dominated by the husband. This was best illustrated by the marriage of Nora and Torvald, in which the latter refused to accept the fact that it was Nora who saved their marriage by secretly borrowing money when in fact it was his role as a husband to do so. In other words, the roles of women have evolved over the past years and they are no longer dominated by men.

Nationalistic Strategy of Emiratisation

Nationalistic Strategy of Emiratisation Introduction Emiratisation is a nationalistic strategy which has been adopted by the government of the United Arab Emirates to employ its citizens in a meaningful and efficient manner in the public and private sector with a chief aim of utilizing country’s human resources optimally in the economic process and to transfer skills and knowledge from foreigners to Emiratis (Wayne et al., 1999).Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Nationalistic Strategy of Emiratisation specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Under Emiratisation the local and federal governments solve the challenges emanating from the policy by inviting and even compelling the private and public sector businesses to apply a specific Emiratisation ratio by adopting a quota based system (Suliman, 2006). Interestingly, with a total population of close to 5 million in the United Arab Emirates, 80 percent of this population is foreigners leaving the rest 20 percent to Emiratis. In the labor market the disparity is even bigger with UAE nationals consisting of only 9.3 of the labor market. The percentage of foreign workers therefore varies across the seven emirates with Dubai having the highest proportion instance where 97.13 percent of total labor forces are foreigners followed by Abu Dhabi (Rees, Mamman Braik, 2007). This paper tries to evaluate the characteristics and approaches used by the United Arab Emirates to solve this disparity in a controversial strategy referred to as Emiratisation. The highly skewed nature of the workforce and employment in the private sector has attracted the concern of both the government and the citizens of the United Arab Emirates especially the low level of representation of the nationals in various professions (Godard, 2001). There has been therefore a policy since 2005 that encourage employers to recruit citizens for positions which fit their qualifications and this has been done by setting quotas for local hire (Forstenlechner, 2010).Advertising Looking for research paper on government? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This process however may interdict the realizations of a knowledge economy although it has been viewed as affirmative actions with a difference for the minorities who are the locals. In line with the aim to promote knowledge based economy the United Arab Emirates has made an investment of over US$10 billion for the development of what they call a knowledge city (Rees, Mamman Braik, 2007). The aim of total Emiratisation was prospected that it would interdict the goal of the creation of a knowledge economy unless careful calibration of the process is closely checked. As for now the process is being implemented step by step although there are fears that the creation and sustainability of the knowledge economy in the long run may not be compatible with such a nationalistic aspiration. Characterist ics of Emiratisation The aim of the strategy is to exploit human resource fully in the economic process especially be ensuring the skills and knowledge is transferred from expatriates to the Emiratis but this has become a challenging task for both public and private sector as they struggle to strike a balance in their acts with the new legislation (Rees, Mamman Braik, 2007). This is because in a bid to implement it Companies are faced with the challenge of integrating Emiratisation policies, set by the government, into their human resource strategy. Matching the demand for national employees with existing supply in the most efficient way is also faced with a complication because the United Arab Emirates nationals are comprised of young inexperienced work force.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Nationalistic Strategy of Emiratisation specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This is also countered by a common belief and misconception that expatriates have better work attitudes which means they are willing to take a substantially lower wages and work for long hours (Al-Hamadi, Budhwar Shipton, 2007). This has prompted the Emiratis to prefer being employed in the private sector where they feel the conditions are lenient and better remunerations are assured. Moreover, in trying to integrate and attract UAE nationals and secure knowledge transfer from expatriates to UAE nationals the private sector usually engage themselves in Emiratisation activities such as recruitment fairs, training programmes and corporate university involvement (Wayne et al., 1999). Most of these engagements are costly and there are doubts whether they will ever pay off. In the attempt to retain Emirati staff in the workplace there are some common themes for both private and public organisations which also characterize Emiratisation strategy and some of the challenges are common. There are challenges such as insensitivity of the management to cultural differences (OReilly and Chatman, 1986). Since most of the managers and top ranking staff in both private and public sector are expatriates it became difficult for the management to tolerate the culture of Emirati nationals especially when it came to disciplining and issuing out duties. The culture change also included unpopular shift schedules and uniforms which the emirates are not used to and this brings a lot of complains in the work place and hence compromising human resource relation and performance in general.Advertising Looking for research paper on government? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Another characteristic is a situation where the Emirati nationals lack a coaching and mentoring culture and therefore it is very difficult to manage and sustain skills required by the employer (Forstenlechner, 2010). Emiratisation is also marked by the reluctance of the Emirati nationals to work for long hours and within some set schedules since they were assured of jobs and the government protects their employability. Another characteristic of Emiratisation is high expectations of job promotion by the emirates because the government has decreed that there should be a balance in the workplace ratio but most these nationals lack the required skills and training to fit in the higher posts (OReilly and Chatman, 1986). Other challenges that face Emiratisation include but not limited to lack of performance based culture, the manager’s negative behavior, lack of teamwork collaboration, lack of performance-based culture and family pressures (OReilly and Chatman, 1986). Immediately a fter its inception the strategy was rendered lame by a myriad challenges but there have been concern to seek ways of having it successfully implemented while trying to maintain the UAE investors as well as preparing the prerequisite skills among the nationals. Approaches to Emiratisation However there have been efforts by both the government and the employment sector to correct these challenges in order to achieve the goals of Emiratisation strategy in the United Arab Emirates and several approaches have been adopted. The first approach is that of motivation where is was realized that for the Emiratisation strategy to work Emiratis have to be motivated so as to be retained in the workplace and this can be done through some strategies like aligning the company goals with those of the employees (Wayne et al.,1999). This can be done also by designing the organization in a way that reflect key factors that will enable to boost organisations’ retention of high performing nationals and ensuring that the human resource team match their activities to delivering a highly motivated and performing work force. Another strategy is to assess the culture system and individual needs of the organization and ensuring that the expectations of the organization are set right from the beginning and this will enable the Emiratis to be aware of what is expected of them (OReilly and Chatman, 1986). Further communication among the personnel managers and the workers are encouraged in an honest way so as to change the attitude of both and this can be strengthened by creating clear goals, objectives and expectations whereby employees are encouraged to participate in such initiatives. Other strategies are aimed at; creating a recognition culture and rewarding high performers, offering coaching or mentoring for support and encouragement as well as implementing a strong learning strategy to expand knowledge through further education and development (Rees, Mamman Braik, 2007). Finally there is an established systematic working to improve employee motivation and this helps organisations to reach Emiratisation targets and improve retention rates. There are therefore three approaches that are used in Emiratisation strategy in order to ensure that the mentioned challenges are solved and Emiratisation strategies are successful. Employee Assessment Employee assessment is done before entering into a role within any organization whereby the employee goals are put in line with those of the organization. This is done in order to ensure that the person to be employed meets the requirements of the position both academically and skill wise (Rees, Mamman Braik, 2007). In this assessment the employer is also required to ensure that the employee has grasped the expectations of the organization because this will ensure that there will be less conflict in the work place. In Emiratisation this assessment criteria is an approach which when met in advance of recruitment organisatio ns are expected to obtain the best qualified candidates and fosters confidence that they have the right people in the right positions (Al-Hamadi, Budhwar Shipton, 2007). Career Guidance and Counseling Career guidance and counseling is a key success factor that is expressed by many organisations on retaining Emiratis in the work place because it gives career directed progress that provides a path for further development. The approach is tested and considered to be the best for joining and staying at any organization operating in the United Arab Emirates (Suliman, 2006). When organisations offer career guidance throughout the employee’s career, they foster commitment and maximize the company’s development and success (Wayne et al., 1999). This is done with an understanding that for there to be the required human resource organisations can change the Emiratis’ perception, through guidance on what is expected of them, but not the vise versa. Coaching and Mentoring Coaching and mentoring at work is another strategy that the United Arab Emirates come to find useful in its Emiratisation strategy. This approach is applied because it not only encourages active communication but also allows for mistakes to be shared among the human resource and confidence to be build and thus rewarding recognition (Al-Hamadi, Budhwar Shipton, 2007). This Emiratisation approach will encourage Emiratis to share their concerns and because it provides sufficient support and encouragement the employees will develop skills and this will be reflected in the prosperity of the organisations (Al-Hamadi, Budhwar Shipton, 2007). All these approaches are aimed at selecting and motivating Emirati nationals for successful Emiratisation. The key theme running through all of these is the need to select and motivate Emirati Nationals for successful Emiratisation strategy. References Al-Hamadi, A., Budhwar, P., and Shipton, H. (2007). Management of Human Resource in Oman. Internati onal Journal of HRM, 18(1), 100-113. Godard, J. (2001). Beyond the high-performance paradigm? An analysis of variation in Canadian managerial perceptions of reform programme effectiveness. British Journal of Industrial Relation, 39(1), 25-52. Forstenlechner, I. (2010). Workforce localization in emerging Gulf economies: the need to fine-tune HRM. Journal of Personnel Review, 39(1), 135-152. OReilly, C., Chatman, J. (1986). Organisational commitment and psychological attachment. Journal of Applied Psychology, 71(3), 492-499. Rees, C., Mamman, A., Braik, A. (2007). Emiratization as a strategic HRM change initiative: case study evidence from a UAE petroleum company. International Journal of HRM, 18(1), 33-5. Suliman, A.M. (2006). Link between justice, satisfaction and performance in the workforce, a survey in the UAE and Arabic context. Journal of Management Development, 26(4), 294-311. Wayne, J.S., Liden, C.R., Kraimer, L.M., Graf, K.I. (1999). The role of human capital motivation a nd supervisor sponsorship in predicting career success. Journal of Organisational Behavior, 20(5), 577-595.

10 Warning Signs That Job Offer Is a Scam

10 Warning Signs That Job Offer Is a Scam Job offer scams are designed to prey on job seekers at their most desperate. And if you happen to be that desperate job seeker, it’s hard to tell the good guys from the bad. So how to tell if a job offer is legitimate? Here are 10 warning signs to keep you on the safe path through the wilderness. 1. â€Å"No Experience Necessary†Even if it’s an entry-level position, some experience is always necessary. Some work experience will always be required, and any job that states otherwise is a con. Not everyone can do every job.2. Crazy MoneyIf it seems to good to be true, it probably is. Above average pay offers, particularly without the proper vetting, can be a major red flag. You want the manager to evaluate you on your merits first, then offer you the big money.3. FeesDon’t ever give anyone your credit card information. Don’t ever give anyone money. Any job that asks you for these things is not for real. You don’t have to shell out for training o r new software or insurance on equipment. You just don’t. Run away instead.4. Instant HireYou’re great, but you’re not that great. If someone is willing to hire you without scouring your resume and having you in for at least one interview, they’re not worth working for.5. Requests for Personal InformationNever give out your credit card, bank details, address, or social security number until you’ve been officially hired and are filling out your IRS forms. Anyone who asks for this information first is scamming you.6. Typos in the ListingOr bad grammar. Incomplete sentences. Anything that looks as though it might have been generated or translated by a computer program, not written by an intelligent human being. If there are glaring flaws in the job description, there are probably glaring flaws with the job.7. After-Hours CallsAnything before 7 a.m. or after 9 p.m. is probably out of line. Even in industries that purport to work 24/7, hiring managers s hould have the decency to call you at a reasonable time. You deserve that respect.8. You Didn’t ApplyThis sounds ridiculous, and wouldn’t it be a wonderful world if jobs just fell out of the sky when we weren’t looking for them? But if you didn’t contact them first, you should be extra wary- just to make sure the company is legit.9. Multiple OpeningsIf you’re scanning job search websites and find multiple jobs at the same company: manager, district manager, sales manager, executive, etc., that’s probably a sign that company is a sham company, or at least a revolving door. They’re most likely trying to scam for as many keywords as they can to target job seekers across a wider range.10. MysteryIf you can’t actually summarize what the company is or does or what your job would actually be based on the job description, then it isn’t a very good job description- and likely not a very good job.Make sure to do your homework. Fiv e minutes of Googling can keep you from making a big mistake. Figure out what you can about the company, get a good sense of the job, and make sure you see a real live human being for an actual interview before making any promises. Trust your instincts, avoid these red flags, and you should be fine.

Business proposal - Operations Plan Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Business proposal - Operations Plan - Term Paper Example The importance of operational planning is dependent on the nature of the business. A manufacturing business requires more attention towards the production facilities and operational issues as compared to a retail or service business which involves lesser operational complexity (Lasher, 2010; Ford, Bornstein & Pruitt, 2010; Gaspar, 2013; Maynard, 2012). Business operation Total Alignment is a mattress company who has planned to introduce a system of computerized automatic adjustable mattress named Total Alignment Sleep Mattress 4000 System. The company has entered into an agreement with Ethan Allen, who have agreed to sell the mattresses designed by Total Alignment for a percentage of sales cost. The organization will be using third party distribution channels that are located in Los Angeles. The mattresses are either shipped directly to the stores or to the customers. Thus, the mattresses will be manufactured by Total Alignment and the orders will be distributed by the third party ch annel. Ethan Allen will be selling those mattresses. Daily Operation Firstly, the manufacturing of the mattresses will take place in the manufacturing plant of the Total Alignment, in the presence of technical experts along with other unit members. Quality control team will also be there at the manufacturing plant. The team will be responsible to check each manufactured mattresses for technical failures and to provide approval to the desired quality. The differentiating feature of these mattresses is the technological singularity. So, care should be taken that this aspect of the product meets and retains the expectations. After the product passes the quality check, they are ready to be packed and stored the warehouse. The mattresses will be sold through Ethan Allen who on receiving an order for the mattress will inform the company warehouse. They in turn will immediately deliver the product either to Ethan Allen or directly to the customer. This depends upon the individual delivery dates of the ordered products. If they have an immediate requirement, then the products will be directly delivered to the customers. Otherwise, they will be delivered first to the store and later to the customer. The whole process will be implemented in a computerized manner so that errors are minimal. Figure 1: Operational Flow Source: (Author’s Creation) Planning for increased demand The product that Total Alignment is developing, promises to generate a huge demand amongst the customers because of its long lists of benefits such as, health related advantages, variation in size of the mattresses and lifetime warranty on maintenance and repair. If the customer response to these features is high, thereby leading to high demand, then the organization will be compelled to increase their production in order to cater to the rising demand of the customers. In order to increase the production, Total Alignment will need to increase their manpower along with installation of more equip ment. Increase in only any one of the factors will not lead to the desired outcome. Thus, both the factors must be increased in order to enhance the production. By increasing the number of equipments installed, one can increase the prod

Environmental Impact of Products Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Environmental Impact of Products - Essay Example Their examples can be used to show how companies had to change their products and their processes in order to become more environmentally friendly. Environmental degradation has become a very important topic for the world today watchdog groups as well as concerned bodies focus on various ways and means in which they can force giant companies to help the environment rather than harm it (Green, 2005). Government regulation, think tank pressure, as well as the opinions of various consumer groups, can force companies to become friendlier towards the environment (Schulte, 2006). Undoubtedly, human activities including the actions taken by corporations have had a visible impact on the global environment and this has been noted by the scientific community at large. While the government can make laws to regulate a bare minimum to be done by corporations, consumers have to ensure that they do not support those companies which are hurting the environment (VonAncken, 2006). Consumers who have access to vast amounts of information about the companies they make purchases from can demand that the brands or businesses which they support behave ethically and show their responsibility for not hurting the environment. Organisations have to show that they are ethical producers since consumer wish to be ethical themselves and may make the purchase decisions based on knowing if the company is helping the environment rather than hurting it (Ethical Consumer, 2006). By being friendly to the environment, companies such as Apple and Cadbury Schweppes are helping their shareholders and investors (Phillips, 2003). Through the scientific developments in recycling, proper water conservation, and more efficient technologies for generating energy, individuals and companies have made great advances in becoming more environmentally responsible. At the same time, these efforts fall short of what will be needed in the world for sustained long-term prosperity.

Santeria Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Santeria - Research Paper Example Perhaps, but it depends on the criteria one uses to measure success. For example, there are not many members of Santeria and it is also quite a geographically and racially limited faith (de la Torre, 12). It probably would not appeal to a broad segment of the world’s population. The practitioners of this faith have also not made much of an impact on contemporary life. But before discussing this issue further, some history about Santeria is important. The Santeria developed largely out of a mix of African tribal religions and new world spirituality that meshed together in the plantations of the Caribbean. During the 16th and 17th century many Africans were kidnapped from their homes on the East Coast of Africa and forcibly transferred to the Caribbean to work on sugarcane plantations as slaves (Eltis, 156-7). Their journey in the Middle Passage was a truly cruel and terrifying one. Although the place they were going to was very religious—mostly Catholic—the people there had no real respect for the Africans’ traditional religions. Many new arrivals to the New World found their religion had been criminalized and that they had to be baptized into a new faith (Eltis, 78). They had the vestiges of their old life stripped from them as they were nothing more than rags. Over time, the old religion and the new religions became one and Santeria was born. Santeria has special gods and special priests and interesting ceremonies that sometimes feature animal sacrifices. Music plays a very important role in the rituals (de la Torre, 121). In these respects it is similar to many of its constituent religions, including Catholicism. All of these reasons establish that Santeria is a fascinating religion; this essay will examine some further points that strengthen this assertion. To many, Santeria is looked at with some suspicion as there have been some unfortunate news stories about it in recent years (McQuiston). People sometimes have the ideas

Supply Chain Management in Zara & H&M Dissertation

Supply Chain Management in Zara & H&M - Dissertation Example The study "Supply Chain Management in Zara & H&M" targets to investigate the different supply chain behaviors that are being exercised by the different fashion retailers. Quick refers to the time it takes to release a product in the market, and quality refers to the product as a whole -- its components, or if it is in line with current fashion trend. One way of ensuring customer satisfaction is through the offering of quality goods and quick services. Because of this, firms are pressured to increase their productivity, reduce operational expenditures, and reduce lead times. Apparently, enterprise resource planning (ERP) system is needed so that organizations will obtain market value at this crucial moment. Supply chain networks succeed when the flow of information in organizations is not interrupted by any unwanted trouble. Members of the entire supply chain must be given permission to access timely information, and this information must flow to the direction where each and every mem ber is situated. The main role of ERP in the setting of an organization's SCM is for it to become equipped with an integrated information system. Most companies nowadays are experiencing pressure, and the reason for these is the shifts in demand. They are challenged to devise new ways of creating products as well as in finding various means to address the varying customer demands. The pressure that is being experienced by these manufacturing companies is made even complex as they expand the scope of their operations. both geographically and organizationally (Gattiker, 2007). In connection to the said circumstance, it is indeed timely to study a business strategy that targets to address the dynamic shifts that are already occurring in the manufacturing industry. While many types of manufacturing organizations are encountering such complexities, fashion retailers can become one good example of a firm that has been constantly experiencing the said changes. Supply chain (SC) coordinatio n gained relevance when organizations started to evolve. From then on, more attention is being given to the enterprise level management of supply chains than the factory level management (Gunansekaran, et al., cited in Akyuz & Erkan, 2010, p.5137). Because fast fashion has been becoming a trend in fashion retailing companies, the concept was chosen to become the focus of this study. Another reason why the concept was chosen is because of its correlation with supply chain management, for it has been considered a modern means applied by fashion companies to improve their supply chain which also part of their enterprise resource planning system (ERP). Research Approach: Quantitative Research This research is being built on a quantitative research approach, an approach that is widely used in testing the validity of existing theories. With this kind of approach to research, data collection is considered intense and continuous (Taylor, 2005, p.243). Quantitative research is useful in exam ining case studies that have been derived from theories and hypothesis; one reason why this approach to research analysis has been chosen for the study. In quantitative research, theories are developed through tests theory; thus, requiring the validity and reliability of information before one can begin

The gaze in art and popular culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The gaze in art and popular culture - Essay Example One of the pioneers in the study of gaze within the context of films is Laura Mulvey. She theorized that gaze was traditionally viewed in relation to gender oppression. In her work "Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema† Laura Mulvey introduced the concept of gaze and its dynamics to be a manifestation of imbalance of power between the male and the female where the male dominates the female and thus the term – male gaze. Mulvey’s theory is Freudian in origin where she â€Å"breaks scopophilia down into an active part, which is always  male, and a passive part, which is always female. Women are the objects that are looked† (Finzsch, n. p.). In Mulvey’s male gaze, the male’s patriarchal role is extended to the film where the male imposes a hegemonic gaze to the women as mere objects of desire. Thus, it produces an imbalance relationship as women are reduced to an object of two distinct modes of male gaze where they became Madonna’s in ma le perspective (voyeuristic) or whores (fetishistic). In her work, viewers tend to identify with the protagonist of the film who is typically a male and thus, the perspective conveyed by the film is that of a man and it follows that women will be looked upon as an object of desire. Bell Hooks took a different perspective in defining the dynamics of gaze in film in relation to the viewer. ... e male gaze is punished by white oriented society and therefore, this suppressed desire to gaze in real life is unleashed in film gazing to the effect that it is more intense and radically different than the regular male gaze. In this type of male gaze, Hooks shared the perspective of Mulvey in reducing women to mere sex objects (albeit Hooks did not venture into voyeuristic type or viewing women as Madonna) where white women was always the archetype of beauty . In this regard, this relationship between the black viewers and their idolatry towards white women in films as the idealized beauty produces the oppression among black women as she is pushed further down in the totem pole of power. First, her race is already a subject of oppression that she share among the black men but her lot is more difficult because it is aggravated by the fact that she is a woman which by default is already a subject of imbalance of power between genders. Third, being a black woman subjected her to †Å"triple oppression because of the previous factors that already subjected her to oppression that she has to deny her own sense of beauty to give way to idea that the idea of beautiful and desirable will always be white. Bell Hooks argument may have been valid if this was pointed out decades ago where racial discrimination was still rampant and that the concept of beauty was limited to the female blond or Caucasian girl. The â€Å"triple oppression† that was vehemently argued by Hooks is already outdated today because black women are now also portrayed as desirable objects and no longer does the idea that a black woman has to deny herself of beauty because of the color of her skin. To cite several objects, we can cite several female group and artists who had been packaged as sexually desirable

Supply Chain Management in Zara & H&M Dissertation

Supply Chain Management in Zara & H&M - Dissertation Example The study "Supply Chain Management in Zara & H&M" targets to investigate the different supply chain behaviors that are being exercised by the different fashion retailers. Quick refers to the time it takes to release a product in the market, and quality refers to the product as a whole -- its components, or if it is in line with current fashion trend. One way of ensuring customer satisfaction is through the offering of quality goods and quick services. Because of this, firms are pressured to increase their productivity, reduce operational expenditures, and reduce lead times. Apparently, enterprise resource planning (ERP) system is needed so that organizations will obtain market value at this crucial moment. Supply chain networks succeed when the flow of information in organizations is not interrupted by any unwanted trouble. Members of the entire supply chain must be given permission to access timely information, and this information must flow to the direction where each and every mem ber is situated. The main role of ERP in the setting of an organization's SCM is for it to become equipped with an integrated information system. Most companies nowadays are experiencing pressure, and the reason for these is the shifts in demand. They are challenged to devise new ways of creating products as well as in finding various means to address the varying customer demands. The pressure that is being experienced by these manufacturing companies is made even complex as they expand the scope of their operations. both geographically and organizationally (Gattiker, 2007). In connection to the said circumstance, it is indeed timely to study a business strategy that targets to address the dynamic shifts that are already occurring in the manufacturing industry. While many types of manufacturing organizations are encountering such complexities, fashion retailers can become one good example of a firm that has been constantly experiencing the said changes. Supply chain (SC) coordinatio n gained relevance when organizations started to evolve. From then on, more attention is being given to the enterprise level management of supply chains than the factory level management (Gunansekaran, et al., cited in Akyuz & Erkan, 2010, p.5137). Because fast fashion has been becoming a trend in fashion retailing companies, the concept was chosen to become the focus of this study. Another reason why the concept was chosen is because of its correlation with supply chain management, for it has been considered a modern means applied by fashion companies to improve their supply chain which also part of their enterprise resource planning system (ERP). Research Approach: Quantitative Research This research is being built on a quantitative research approach, an approach that is widely used in testing the validity of existing theories. With this kind of approach to research, data collection is considered intense and continuous (Taylor, 2005, p.243). Quantitative research is useful in exam ining case studies that have been derived from theories and hypothesis; one reason why this approach to research analysis has been chosen for the study. In quantitative research, theories are developed through tests theory; thus, requiring the validity and reliability of information before one can begin

Data Mining Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Data Mining - Essay Example Irrespective of the technique, data mining can be broadly carried out in three steps in generic terms: classification (applied to group data based on set rules), association (the relation between objects within the group is identified) and sequence analysis (the sequence in which a data repeats itself is identified). The major pitfall for data mining is that, in some cases the process becomes disorganized without any set goals or objectives. This results in wastage of time, effort and investment. The other pitfall is that the programmers involved in the data mining process may not have sufficient business knowledge to understand the objectives or the information that can be retrieved. Sometimes, for a given data mining problem, the relevant data in the available data can be insignificant. In the case that has been presented, the airline utilizes the data available about its customers that were collected via. the frequent flier program to identify patterns in consumer behaviour. The airline employed data mining process in order to increase the responses from the customers and also to increase the value of response. Based on this information, the airline can then propose offers based on the results. This will increase the response rate as the offers are planned based on the results of customer preferences. Data mining can be widely applied to many industrial sectors. Retail and Telecommunication companies can make use of data mining in a number of ways to increase their revenue. Retail companies have a vast amount of data on the customer preferences and their purchase patterns. This data can be mined to identify consumer behaviour. In the telecommunications sector, the companies can mine the data they have about their subscribers to make value based propositions targeted at the customers who are of high value to the

Extended Definition †Firewall Essay Example for Free

Extended Definition – Firewall Essay Firewall – (1) A computer program or hardware device used to provide additional security on networks by blocking access from the public network to certain services in the private network. (2) It is an integrated collection of security measures designed to prevent unauthorized electronic access to a networked computer system. It is also a device or set of devices configured to permit, deny, encrypt, decrypt, or proxy all computer traffic between different security domains based upon a set of rules and other criteria. Etymology Firewall is consisting of two words â€Å"fire† and â€Å"wall†. Fire can be traced from the Old English word fyr a Germanic language which means â€Å"fire, torch†. In Old Czech language pyr means â€Å"hot ashes†. Moreover, wall is can be traced from the Old English word weall which means rampart (natural as well as man-made) and defensive fortification around a city, side of a building, interior partition, which apparently a borrowing from Classic Latin vallum which means wall, rampart, row or line of stakes†. However, the term firewall, as we used here, is a recently coined term for network security and technology. History and Background The term firewall originally meant a wall to confine a fire or potential fire within a building, c. f. firewall (construction). It was also used later on as a referral to similar structures, like metal sheet that separates the engine compartment of a vehicle or aircraft from the passenger compartment. Firewall technology emerged in the late 1980s when during that time Internet was a fairly new technology in terms of its global use and connectivity. The forerunners to firewalls for network security were the routers used to separate networks from one another in the mid to late 1980s. Firewalls are important for the following reasons: it can block unauthorized users to access your network; it can protect the network from attacks using the e-mail system; it can prevent vandals from logging into the machines on your network; and it can serve as a tracer for those who attempted to use your network’s data.

Social Reference Groups Family Roles And Status Media Essay

Social Reference Groups Family Roles And Status Media Essay Nowadays, there are more and more products available in the market, often supported by advertising and strong communication. The objective of the study of consumer behaviour or more precisely the customer, is to understand how people buy and consume. This analysis is very complex because each individual is unique and versatile, so not always faithful. In addition, there are many factors you have to take into consideration and there are often uncontrollable. So the actions of buyers are quite difficult to predict. For that you have to understand: What they are What they do What they think How they decide and act According to Schiffman Kanuk, consumer behaviour is principally about the search, the purchase, the use, the evaluation and the disposal of the product and service that they assume will please they needs. Moreover they are some buyer characteristics and psychology, which influence their buyer behaviour. They are four important categories: Cultural: culture, subculture, social class Social: reference groups, family, roles and status Personal: age, life cycle stage, occupation, economic situation, lifestyle, personality and self concept Psychological: motivation, perception, learning, beliefs and attitudes Here we will analyse in which way people are influenced by their psychological need, with their personal and social self-concept. But we will also see the possible influence of the symbolic consumption, the reference group influence and also the cultural group influences. First we have to understand the meaning of these words. Self concept: totality of the individuals thoughts and feelings having reference to himself as an object (Rosenberg 1979) According to Burns and Rosenberg, real self is associated with how a person apprehends herself; ideal self is associated with how a person desire to apprehend herself and finally social self is associated with how a person introduces herself to the others. There are at least two reasons: the self-esteem and self consistency (Epstein 1980) The first is associated with the penchant for the search of experiences that reinforce the self-concept. The second is the penchant for someone to act constantly with her view of herself. These two notions could be rival. Symbolic consumption: According to Levy, it is associated with the penchant of the consumer to concentrate on the meanings, apart from the real physical aspect of tangible objects. This is more a social tool who to communicate between the individual and his references (Grubb and Grathwohl, 1967). If you want that your product or brand act as an emblem it has to be culturally spread and shared (Dittmar, 1992). Reference group: A reference group is the group, which forms a comparison or a reference in their attitudes or behaviour. You can be a member or not, but anyway it has an influence, great or no on your opinions, values or attitudes. According to Hebert Hyman, it also means that you use your group as a point of reference in deciding your preferences and believes. The size can be variable, small to very large like political party or religious institution. Cultural group: Culture is what a person of a society learns from family and other important institutions. It could be some: beliefs, values or customs. (Kotler, 1996). By culture you mean societys personality as the language, laws, religions, food customs, music, artà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Culture is something you acquire. So cultural group is people who shared a same culture, and you can have three levels of subjective culture: Supranational National Group (e.g.: families, friends, shopping group) IN WHICH WAY PEOPLE ARE INFLUENCED? As we have seen before, a consumer can be influence by some factors like personal, psychological or social characteristics. First, the personal characteristics are particular to one person: Age and life cycle (according to the Royal Bank of Scotland it exists 5 life cycle stage segments: youth, getting started, builders, accumulators and preservers) Occupation, which influence the goods and services who are buying by a consumer. Economic situation (personal income, interest rates, savings) Lifestyle: activities (work, hobbies), interests (food, fashion), opinions (business, products) Personality: multi-trait approach (five-factor model), single-trait approach (consumer ethnocentrism, need for cognition, consumers need for uniqueness) Self-concept: self-image The self-concept is a multidimensional assembly (Hamm and Cunfiff, 1969; Hughes and Guerrero, 1971; Guttman, 1973) that allows people to judge them in many circumstances of social situations. :aspects_of_self_concept_002-17.gif (Hunter 2012) Broad aspects of self-concept PERSONAL SELF-CONCEPT Self-concept is often linked to the brand personality (Levy 1959, Sirgy 1982), because people usually buy a brand they think they are matching with (Dent-Read Szokolsky, 1993; Zalthman, 1997). The aim is for the consumer to fraternize with the brand. Landon (1974) thinks that people are interested in brands that fit their self-concept and personality. E.g.: Body Shop: justice and equity Brand personality, according to Jennifer Aaker is the characteristics, which are accompanied with a brand. E.g.: Pepsi is seen as young while Coca-Cola is seen as real and honest According to Kardes et al (2011), if the main goal of the marketers is to do brand awareness, then they have to cultivate a communication with real self-concept. We can take LOreal with is slogan Because Im worth it or Apple with Im a Mac or Im a PC. To the contrary if they want to change beliefs about the brand, they have to focus on ideal self-concepts. For example: US Armys slogan Be all you can be; Pateck Philippe Who will you be in the next 24 hours?) But does the brand personality really count? According to Freling, Crosno and Henard (2011) they have demonstrate in one test the effectiveness of their system based on three constituents: favourability, originality and clarity. These are directly related to the purchase decision. Attributes of products can lead to a characteristic identity for a person. For example, a teenager his with fashion jacket, which is making him self-confident, and permit to feel like a cool guy. Most of the people are carrying about some of their objects that make them what they are. And sometimes if you loose them you feel like you have lost a piece of you. We can take the example of someone who would have been robbed; very often he will have the impression of being raped. It is the same with the natural catastrophes where the people feel very depressed or are experiencing a decrease of their sense of self. Another example is in Ireland nowadays, a tradition wants that people are buried with some of their very important values objects. So we can say that the products can influence the self-concept we use and have. Russel Belk has widely contributed to the development of the extended self-notion, but William James is at the origin of the conviction that the objects we have can help the construction of our identity and that people are thanks to what they have. His physical and psychological aspect does not only define the person but also his wife and his children or the house and clothes he owns. Another example could be the automobile, according to Banning (1996), for a lot of Americans it is a valuable piece of they self. They are spending a lot of time taking care of their car. Other people are decorating their office with personal items or pictures. They also like according to Tian and Belk (2005) people like to express their personality through objects they have on their desk as mobile phone or notebook. Some people think that they could not live without these technologies. They are like a part of their brains. Moreover, the choices of the aspects you decide to affirm in the workplace demonstrate the way you are arbitrating between home and work borders. Most of the products you have are independent from your physical aspect (except from the haircut, tattooà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦we can also talk about diet and plastic surgery). By buying a certain product you can show your singularity. According to Tian et al, the research of the singularity shows the need that people have to develop and improve their social and self-personality thanks to the purchase and use of products. It allows them to make a distinction from those who are buying other products. Due to this need marketers have developed the personalized purchases (e.g. Converse, Nike or some shop where you can do your own tee-shirt). Some objects have become indispensable, like mobile phone that are permitting people to be connected with the others, but also for the adolescent to feel more adult. SOCIAL SELF-CONCEPT According to Whyte, the possession of an innovative property demonstrates the model of the interpersonal communication. With his example about the air conditioner, he says that social conformity is very high in America. So when people are exchanging with their neighbours about their new purchase it animates them to do the same purchase. Nowadays, there are the same things in residential sphere with swimming pools, trampolines, and television satelliteà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Whyte also talk about the corporate norms, which stimulate conventionality in offices. Moreover, the word of mouth (viral marketing can be associated with it) is one of the most relevant things in influencing people, in a bad or a good way. People are widely influences by their relatives and people they are seeing like friends, work partners and journalists for example. As they are submerging by advertising the informal power is even stronger and often decisive. According to Charles Cooley, self-concept is directly related to the intercommunication with other people. :The_looking_glass_self.png Consumers are influenced by their culture. It could be seen as the personality of a certain society. As a human being, culture is made by some proper characteristics like demography, norms, art or traditions. It is not easy for a person of a society to certainly define how his culture is. According to Michael Solomon, as we dont face another type of culture or environment, it is difficult to realize what are the differences about the clothes, foods and way of interacting with each other. According to McCracken, a lot of significations in our everyday life products are developed by our culture. They are giving symbolic qualities to products consistent to our culture through advertising. E.g. Calvin Klein with is ads about thinness. It exists some different rituals according to the country: Wedding ceremony for the Jewish New years celebration in France Senior high school prom in America Moreover, people can also be influenced by subcultures. They possess the same value systems established on shared life experiences. There are some characteristics as race and origins. It exists 4 important subcultures in America: Hispanic African American Asian Mature consumers For example they have common characteristics like for American Hispanics (Mexican, Cubans, Costa Ricans): Shopping is something they do in family, they are willing to buy some goods of good quality (generics are not preferred), they are brand loyal and like companies who are interested in them. We can also talk about another subculture: age, with for example the Generation Y (born 1982-2000) who are willing to use more internet than newspapers, use a lot text messaging and spend time on online social networks. :3690640303001.png Fishbein and Ajzen (1975) The reference groups are groups that can form a comparison or a reference in forming attitudes of behaviour. It can be also aspirational, informal, primary and secondary or symbolic. With the reference groups we face new way of behaviours and lifestyles, but it also inspire our attitudes and self-concept. Moreover it can develop ways of pressure to conform to our group, it could influence our products and brand choices. It can be some rock stars, professional athletes, opinion leaders or group like for example Vocalpoint, a community for moms. Celebrities endorsement is usually use in advertising to convince the consumer to choose this brand. Very often, the consumer is not even aware of the behavioural influence of the group. This is especially true is the development of social networks like Facebook, Twitter or forum where consumers talk about their experiences. You are influenced, as this is a relevant aspect of your social life. But for that you have to share the same interests. (Michener Wasserman, 1995). Kathryn Mercurio and Mark Forehand (2011) have shown that when you are watching a television ad that makes you think about your reference group, it is easier for you to remember it. It exists different types of groups like shopping, work, consumer-action, friendship or virtual groups. Shopping group could decrease the risk of your purchase thanks to the opinion of the others. Consumer-action group is for example who are fighting for a cause like Greenpeace. Concerning the friendship group, we could say that its one of those who have the most important influence on purchases with the family one. They are often more trustful with their friends than the marketers. According to Emmanuel Rosen(2002), more than 43% of the people who are travelling have made their choices of planes and hotels thanks to the advice of their friends and family. So people are very attentive to their advices, also for clothes, for the brands their purchase but also for the magazines and the films they will choose. According to Tobi Elkin (2011), the influence of the peer is the first motive in the shopping behaviour of the teenage girls. Even if they are price-conscious and attentive to interesting deal, the most important thing is that their friends and family agree with their purchase decision. With the appearance and development of Internet, virtual groups are borne. Hoegg et al (2006) recognized five types: Blogs Wikis Podcasts Social networks Social bookmarking This kind of online activity has totally changes the ways people are influenced; it has a relevant role with brand connections. Because people can easily learn about the brand they like and people are sharing recommendations for brand through these sites. Finally they are a lot of ways whereby the consumer is influenced. It could be by discussing the product, or by the pressure of the peer, by imitation or by the influence of social media. We have seen that a reference group can have a wide influence on people, principally by playing an informational role. They could also have an utilitarian influence, because people are looking for acceptance and approval. Reference groups can also be value-expressive, because they are ready to conform to the group due to the psychological need to be part of the group. They can compare their selves to the others. (Schiffman et al., 2008). According to Saul Kassin, Steven Fein and Hazel Markus (2010), we all are animate by the actions of other people. (E.g.: when someone is laughing you are often tempted to laugh too or for the musicians who are putting some of their money to encourage people to donate). Consumer conformity is when people change their behaviour to adapt to the other consumers (e.g.: compliance or private acceptance). According to Solomon Asch(1951), during a study when the judgement of a person is in conflict with the opinion of most of the other participants, he generally changes is mind even if they are wrong. There is also the anti-conformist who is willing to stop buying a brand when it is too popular (e.g.: Apple) CONCLUSION To conclude, we can say that self-concept is not just about our essential values or interests but it is also about people who are around us like family, friends, intimate relationship and group of interest. (William James, 1980). Self-concept can be related to social connections with our peers, our families or even with our reference groups. They are often using the reaction of other people to construct their opinion and themselves but also by using social comparisons. So the personal and social concept is closely related to the symbolic consumption, reference groups and social groups. Relationships are something very relevant for the construction of themselves. We have also seen that we are more willing to process the information that is consistent with our self-concept and that our self-image could be multiple (family self, friend self, student self).

The Political Status of Tibet and China :: Foreign Policy Politics Political

In contemporary society, before major decisions are made, we are often urged to look back at the pertinent historical information and see if we can use this information to help us make clearer decisions and definitions especially in national and international policies. The real problem with this is that those making decisions often have a personal investment in the decision and are able to skew history and data towards the solution that they prefer. In these cases, it is necessary to look at both sides of the information before reaching a decision, and this is what I have tried to do concerning China’s policies and political viewpoint of Tibet. Through using objective and pro-Chinese documents, as well as outside knowledge of pro-Tibet viewpoints, I have attempted to prove whether or not I feel the Chinese are justified in claiming authority over Tibet, and conversely, whether Tibet is justified in claiming autonomy from China. My conclusion is that neither is justified. Through studying the political histories of the relationship of China and Tibet since the Tang Dynasty, constructed as alternating periods of each state’s dominance over each other in different ways, I believe that neither China nor Tibet is justified in their political opinions over the other and instead they historically have been partners unable to clearly be separate from each other. In order to properly come to a conclusion on what the actual historical status of Tibet and China is, one must begin with the first real documented political relationship existing between the two states. This period begins with the Tang Dynasty ruling in China (approximately 618 to 908 AD) and a series of powerful tribal chiefs in Tibet, referred to as the â€Å"‘Tubo’ in Chinese historical documents† (Yin 201). During this period, the Tubo were a highly powerful group, and for almost three centuries, constant battles erupted between Tibet and China, not clearly defined with borders yet. The Tibetans were still a highly nomadic society and sparsely spread along the high Tibetan plains. As the tribal chiefs began to gain more power, larger groups of people would congregate, and battles broke out when the nomadic Tibetans would either travel into Chinese territory or when the Chinese would infringe upon the Tibetan nomads’ lands. Due to the unclearly de fined borders between China and Tibet, many â€Å"minor frontier states† existed as a buffer zone between Tibet and China (Norbu 34). The Political Status of Tibet and China :: Foreign Policy Politics Political In contemporary society, before major decisions are made, we are often urged to look back at the pertinent historical information and see if we can use this information to help us make clearer decisions and definitions especially in national and international policies. The real problem with this is that those making decisions often have a personal investment in the decision and are able to skew history and data towards the solution that they prefer. In these cases, it is necessary to look at both sides of the information before reaching a decision, and this is what I have tried to do concerning China’s policies and political viewpoint of Tibet. Through using objective and pro-Chinese documents, as well as outside knowledge of pro-Tibet viewpoints, I have attempted to prove whether or not I feel the Chinese are justified in claiming authority over Tibet, and conversely, whether Tibet is justified in claiming autonomy from China. My conclusion is that neither is justified. Through studying the political histories of the relationship of China and Tibet since the Tang Dynasty, constructed as alternating periods of each state’s dominance over each other in different ways, I believe that neither China nor Tibet is justified in their political opinions over the other and instead they historically have been partners unable to clearly be separate from each other. In order to properly come to a conclusion on what the actual historical status of Tibet and China is, one must begin with the first real documented political relationship existing between the two states. This period begins with the Tang Dynasty ruling in China (approximately 618 to 908 AD) and a series of powerful tribal chiefs in Tibet, referred to as the â€Å"‘Tubo’ in Chinese historical documents† (Yin 201). During this period, the Tubo were a highly powerful group, and for almost three centuries, constant battles erupted between Tibet and China, not clearly defined with borders yet. The Tibetans were still a highly nomadic society and sparsely spread along the high Tibetan plains. As the tribal chiefs began to gain more power, larger groups of people would congregate, and battles broke out when the nomadic Tibetans would either travel into Chinese territory or when the Chinese would infringe upon the Tibetan nomads’ lands. Due to the unclearly de fined borders between China and Tibet, many â€Å"minor frontier states† existed as a buffer zone between Tibet and China (Norbu 34).

Use of Power: Blade Runner vs. The Handmaid’s Tale

Compare the ways In which the authors of two texts you studied this year explore the use of power. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood and Blade Runner: Director's Cut by Riddle Scott both explore the use of power albeit in similar and dissimilar ways. Power in both texts Is portrayed as humankind's power over the natural world, power over those considered Inferior In society, and power over women. In Blade Runner, the human race is seen to have abused an outstanding amount of power over the natural world, as seen by the environmental decrepitude in the 2019 Los Angels city.There is a large amount of photochemical smog from which the constant acidic rain falls, deteriorating the large buildings. Costuming such as umbrellas and raincoats, dark lighting from unnatural sources, and camera techniques such as the claustrophobic crane shot compile together to create a polluted and dank environment. Apart from the safe fantasy haven of Decker's dreams, not once in the film are flowers or trees shown, and the only animal seen is ‘artificial' or in black and white photographs.Unlike The Handmaid's Tale in which children are a key feature of society, no children are seen in Blade Runner, which suggests that the state of the world is irreparable. There is a large amount of manmade technology however; for example repellents, ever-present blimps, and flying cars or ‘spinners'. This suggests that the progression of technology was far more important to humankind than the preservation of the natural world. In this text, Scott illustrates a world that has quite literally gone to ruin, due to humankind's domination over the natural world.The Handmaid's Tale depicts a world where this dominance is also evident, although it is far less obvious. Contrasting to the Mathew colorless 2019 Los Angels, the world of Gilead boasts rose beds, sunshine and shady streets. But there are also toxic wastelands and skyrocketing infertility rates. The alarm Is described to have â⠂¬Å"got too full, once, of chemicals, rays, radiation† and the water to â€Å"swarm with toxic molecules,† all of which are the consequence of human activity and thus illustrate the power over the natural world.As a result, â€Å"still births, miscarriages and genetic deformities are widespread and on the increase. † The condition and state of the environment in both texts illustrate the vegetating effects of humankind having power over the natural world. Power over those considered inferior in society is also explored in these two texts. In Blade Runner, the replicates are deemed as unequal, which is evident due to the use of language. For example, the euphemism â€Å"retirement† is used to describe their death, and Declared uses the term â€Å"it† instead of ‘he' or ‘she' when referring to them.When Chord Is killed on the street, the lack of reaction from the public suggests that morally incorrect. Besides replicates, however, non-Cauc asian people suffer inequality also. This is evident as the blimps that advertise a â€Å"new life† in the off- world colonies speak in English, despite majority of the population being Asian. Caucasian people in the film are seen to have all the power due to their positions in society, for example Tersely, the lavishly dressed people in Taffy's bar, and Bryant, the head police officer.Bryant is heard using derogatory language, which suggests his power as a Caucasian, as he refers to those below him in the overpopulated streets as â€Å"little people. † Those who are not physically perfect are also shown as powerless in the film. For example, J. F. Sebastian â€Å"couldn't pass the medical† to live in an off-world colony because he suffers from Methuselah's syndrome, despite being a killed engineer (as shown by his ‘living toy creations. ) Bigotry against those considered inferior is also seen in The Handmaid's Tale.In the ‘Historical Notes' it is ex plained that a specific strain of syphilis was produced to drop over India, which is similar to the type of ‘racial cleansing seen in Blade Runner. Moreover, those who cannot serve the â€Å"greater good† are exposed of as if they are mere objects, for instance, abortion actors and homosexuals, both of whom are publicly hung on The Wall. Handmaids also suffer similar inequality and powerlessness. This is largely evident as the Aunts in the Red Centre are explained to have â€Å"scriptural precedent† to hit the handmaids.Offered communicates the power over those considered substandard in society by explaining that â€Å"Better never means better for everyone†¦ It always means worse for someone. † Atwood and Scott both explore power over those considered inferior in order to enhance the already dyspeptic worlds, and to evoke a strong emotional response from their audience. Power over women in both texts is a significant area explored by both Atwood and Scott. In Blade Runner, women are sexualities and objectified for the pleasures of men, which indicates male dominance.Chord, who works as an exotic dancer â€Å"taking pleasures from the snake† is highly sexualities to the point of ridiculousness, for example, her see-through, impractical rain Jacket – paired with knee high heeled boots. Camera techniques also illustrate her objectification as a sex toy. For example, the camera imposes on her privacy by following her into the shower, despite Declared eyeing the only one talking at the time. Additionally, the framing tends to focus on her body.Prism similarly is an example of men's power over women in the Blade Runner world. Although she is seen wearing more clothing than Chord, she also wears a collar, which signifies ‘ownership' as if she is an animal that could belong to someone. This costuming differs to what is described in The Handmaid's Tale, where female clothing is â€Å"long and concealing. † How ever, in both worlds clothing is a means of identification, for example in Gilead, the color red represents the Handmaids, as the liar on Prism supposedly represents a â€Å"basic pleasure model. The creation of Prism as a replicate to serve as a â€Å"basic pleasure model† indicates that women are considered to have no other purpose in life besides their sexual organs. This idea is present in The Handmaid's Tale also. Due to the infertility rates, sexual violence and rape are justified, leading to women becoming no more than â€Å"two-legged wombs, that's all. † Even Rachel, who contrasts from Prism and Chord in her role in society, is powerless in between her and Declared, which presents the idea that women should be observing to men.This is indicated as when she dodges his advances and attempts to leave, he angrily slams the door shut, pushes her against the wall and demands her to kiss him. Similarly in The Handmaid's Tale, women are subject to violence, despite t he desire for their â€Å"protection,† for example the â€Å"electric cattle prods† used to maintain power over the handmaids. Inequality due to gender is also largely evident as women are given only three chances at pregnancy before they are cast off to the colonies to die of â€Å"unnatural causes. It is clear that if infertility is a problem, ales are Just as ‘responsible' as females, but not once are men punished for faulty semen. Although women are not as obviously unequal in Blade Runner, it is evident that both authors have deeply explored the disturbing idea of men's power over women. Atwood and Scott explore the use of power in both The Handmaid's Tale and Blade Runner; particularly power over the natural world, those considered inferior, and women. This evokes strong emotional responses, and despite differing means of exploration, both texts successfully raise questions and provoke thought.