Consumer Protection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Consumer Protection - Essay Example These are the Trade Descriptions Act 1968 and Unfair Contract Terms Act. To make the situation clear, here is its short description. Duck visited the showroom of Swan and looked at a television set priced at 500. He asked Swan about the set. Swan replied: "It's a beautiful model, never used, a snip at 500." In fact some of the internal wiring was not properly connected and the set had been switched on and used as a display unit in Swan's showroom for three days prior to Duck's visit. In this situation, and according to the Trade Descriptions Act, Swan is subject to the criminal offence as the one who has provided his consumer with misleading information. According to the Act, the description to the consumer may be given verbally or in the written form, thus there is no possibility for Swan to be justified on the basis of the information having been given in the oral form. The Act makes the verbal statement, including misleading information, an offence and thus it is a criminal action. ... The Act includes the following types of descriptions into the trade descriptions category: quantity, gauge or size of the goods; manufacture method; composition; performance, strength and fitness for purpose, which means that the goods should be mechanically sound and unbreakable, etc. In the situation described, it is clear that the misleading information provided by Swan, is included into the paragraph relating to the performance, strength of the TV set, and the fact that it must be mechanically sound. Thus, knowing the problem of the TV set and the wrong connections inside it, Swan has intentionally committed an offence and is subject to the penalties according to the Trade Descriptions Act 1968. As far as it is known that the statement made is false, it is also supposed to be a criminal offence under the Act, and as Swan is not a simple employee but is supposed to be a manager, he can be sued and subjected to these penalties, however the Act presupposes that any person guilty of intentional or unintentional mislead bears responsibility under the law. The maximum penalty is equal to 5,000 per offence. This penalty is provided by the Magistrates' Court; as for the crown Court, the fine size is unlimited, while the person guilty of misleading the customer may acqu ire up to two years of imprisonment. It is possible that Swan may lose his consumer credit license, but according to the situation described it is supposed that he does not have this license, having an agreement with Chicken-Credit Ltd, which provides Swan's customers with hire-purchase credits in case they cannot afford buying the goods in cash. Thus, the action, performed by Swan in relation to Duck, is supposed to

Imaginary Dystopic World Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Imaginary Dystopic World - Essay Example Love is not possible without every member of society being guided to be free (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goldstein%27s_book). In this world full of love, technology plays a very significant love. The Twenty-first Century Bible is the cornerstone of our modern continental society where everyone is led and guided to be free for mutual love through the nonviolent nuclear observation channels of communication, entertainment, prosperity and democracy. This Bible is an ingenious creation of the Best Vanguard of the People made to be creative by the never-governing Leader known as Hero (Davison, 7-81). 7. Marriage, 8. Foreign Policy, 9. Thinking, 10. Crime, 11. Nonviolence, 12. Development, 13. Defence, 14. Morals, 15. Peace. These are the Fifteen Commandments. Everyone is free to read these regularly for 24 hours everyday. When people are at work, then they must freely meditate on these Commandments without fail. Their freedom is possible only through its constant reading and meditation. The world is so developed under The Twenty-first Century Bible that a world without war has come up. Here citizens are all the while busy countering one another. They are also getting ample oppoirtunities for cultural entertainment. Here, Nature, food, rest and love are highly mechanised. Entertainment and Technology: Environment is very clean for even cockroaches

Islam And Human Cloning Religion Essay

Islam And Human Cloning Religion Essay Advances in medical technology in the contemporary world have promised several answers to issues that have remained of concern in medicine. The current advancements in the field of human cloning for example have created new hopes in the minds of most medical professionals and the general public especially in the case of dealing with the emerging and re-emerging infectious and non-infectious diseases (Klotzko, 2001). However, the development of cloning as a technological advancement though anticipated has raised enormous questions with heated debates being raised about the issue. Though it has became a matter of normality for debates to occur in the field of science, scientists, scholars, politicians and religious groups have been the major groups concerned with issues of science. Among the debates concerned with human cloning entails the religious views and arguments. With various religions holding varying arguments and attitudes towards cloning of human beings, the issue has raised several religious ideas (Sadeghi, 2007). In my research, I aim at addressing the various perspectives about human cloning that the Islamic religion holds. In the exploration of the debate about human cloning, I will also make distinct attempts to identify the various risks as well as benefits that are accrued through the procedures involved in human cloning as well as the general aspect. However, my major emphasis will be on the cloning means for religious concerns around conception and life. Further in the paper, I will assess the moral status of the human embryo which has formed the major area of current debate in the Islamic teachings and later conclude the paper with the assessment of the truth behind the religious debates. Outline Introduction Brief context (as show above) Thesis statement- The development of cloning as a technological advancement though anticipated has raised enormous questions with heated debates being raised about the issue especially in the religious field. Description of structure of argument Section 1: The ethical debate surrounding human cloning Paragraph 1- The global debate on human cloning technology. Revisit Klotzko Paragraph 2- Criticisms and skepticism surrounding human cloning Revisit Cahill, Sadeghi and Caplan. Paragraph 3- Issue of ethics and the reaction of governments and key resolutions. Revisit Klotzko Section 2: Implications of Human Cloning Paragraphs 1 and 2- The negative consequences of human cloning (moral and ethical issues). Revisit Howie, Cahill, Gillon, Klotzko Paragraph 3- Benefits of human cloning technology especially in therapeutics. The views of proponents. Revisit Willgoos and Agnihotri Section 3: Human Cloning and Islam Paragraph 1: Islamic debates about cloning as a technology and the key tenets of their religious views. Revisit Sadeghi, Voneky Wolfrum Section 3.1: Human Cloning and Ethics in Islam Paragraphs 1-5: Describes the Islamic social teachings, beliefs, morals and values. The issue of human cloning and human life will be explored. Revisit Howie, Cahill and Klotzko. Section 3.2: Conception and Islamic Religion Paragraphs 1 -2: The Islamic views about conception and life and their connection to human cloning. Use Sadeghi and Al-Mazkur et al. Section 4: Conclusion and Recommendations Annotated Bibliography Cahill, L. S. (2006). Bioethics. Theological Studies, 67: 1, pp 120+. Accessed on 8th February 2011 from This is a journal article that addresses the issue of stem cell research in bioethics literature. The article describes various calls for the banning of the human cloning project and the reaction of governments towards the issue. Further, the article explores debates about the moral status of embryos according to theological perspectives. This article holds strong relevance to my research as it addresses the moral status of the embryo which is the central point in human cloning and Islamic religion. Howie, J. (2002). Ethical Issues for a New Millennium. Carbondale and Edwardsville: Southern Illinois University Press. Accessed on 8th February 2011 from This is an edited book that outlines the current ethical issues. Chapter five of this book which is authored by Richard M. Zaner and titled, what a wonderful world! creates a very interesting issue about human genome project. The chapter addresses several ethical issues about human cloning project that has promised the creation of a replica of human being. This chapter will help me in addressing the issue of ethics in human cloning and the relevant problems that the project has led to. Klotzko, A. J. (Ed) (2001). The Cloning Sourcebook. New York: Oxford University Press. This is an edited book that has unique and concise information on cloning. The books strength lies on its exploration on various aspects of cloning. Further, the book gives notes on each chapter covered that makes it easy to use especially in my research. The book will therefore help me address issues such as the ethical debates about human cloning. Its several topics that cover several aspects of cloning will also help me explore broadly the required ideas in my research paper Sadeghi, M. (2007). Islamic Perspectives on Human Cloning. Bioethics Press, ProQuest LLC, Journal of Human Reproduction and Genetic Ethics, 13: 2: 32+. Accessed on 8th February 2011 from This Journal article describes the Islamic perspectives on human cloning according to the views of jurists and Islamic jurisprudence. The article further explores the extent of current debate on this issue and gives out the probable dangerous outcomes of cloning. The articles will enable me get the required information on the catastrophic outcomes of human cloning as well as the various Islamic views about human cloning especially the views of jurists and Muslim world. Voneky, S. Wolfrum, R. (Eds) (2004). Human Dignity and Human Cloning. Boston: Martinus Nijhoff. Accessed on 8th February 2011 from This is a very detailed book that gives concrete information on the issue of human cloning. The book addresses the issue of human cloning in relation to human dignity. It addresses creation and human dignity in the Islamic religion as well as other religions. This book will therefore help me to relate whether cloning is detrimental to human dignity as well as the dilemmas that human cloning has caused. Running head: Human Cloning and Religion Essay Human Cloning: The Islamic Religion perspectives Name: University: Course: Tutor: Date: Abstract The development of cloning as a technology in genomics and biotechnology has been met by the highest controversies in the world. Though the technology promises answers to several issues that have disturbed the minds of many scientists, it has been met with much criticism and controversies. Scientists have for a long time anticipated about coming up with human beings through the use of cloning techniques basing their facts on the successive applications of the technology in both plants and animals. Though the therapeutic use of this technology has been accepted by most people in the world, the use of the technology in coming up with new human life has been criticized by religious groups and governments. The Islamic religion is one of the religions that have showed differing views and attitudes towards this technology. The religion does not entertain the application of this technology citing its beliefs, teachings, morals, values and ethics. This research paper explored the human cloni ng technology in regard to the perspectives of Islamic religion. Human Cloning: The Islamic Religion perspectives Introduction The issue of cloning gained fame during the year 1996 when a lamb famously known as Dolly, was born in Scotland after the mammary glands of a female adult sheep were cloned using scientific procedures. This raised the reactions that human cloning was also possible basing on the success of cloning procedures in animals. Human cloning, as described by Willgoos (2001, para 6) refers to the process of somatic cell nuclear transfer to create a human embryo which has the potential to be implanted into a womans uterus and develop into a child. Due to advancements in research, several research institutions made several attempts with high efforts to come up with human beings through cloning. However according to Klotzko (2001) these attempts in research on human cloning have been met with mixed reactions in the political, scientific, and religious arenas. Though no scientist has announced success in cloning human beings, most nations have strictly addresses the idea and possibility of achieving positive results in human cloning with several groups citing the potential implications, moral responses as well as the legal aspects involved in the cloning of human beings. The religious sector has been in the forefront in addressing the issue of human cloning with religions having varied views and attitudes about the human cloning issue (Sadeghi, 2007). The Islamic religion is noted as one of the religions that had varied views throughout the advancements in human cloning research. This essay addresses the ethical debate surrounding the issue of human cloning in a broader perspective. The essay briefly explores the major risks and benefits that cloning as a scientific aspect can lead to especially in the case of human beings. In a deeper insight, this essay paper addresses the various religious views about human cloning in respect to the Islamic religion especially around conception and life. The Ethical Debate Surrounding Human Cloning Since scientists identified in 1998 that through isolation and culturing of embryonic cells in human beings they could come up with genetically modified cells of human beings that could be used in therapeutic measures, heated debates arose with concerns over the ethical use of human cells in therapy. Continued advancements saw scientists arguing that they could as well clone human beings. This raised concerns about the perceived success of cloning technology with several politicians and religious groups terming the procedure as primitive and unethical (Klotzko, 2001). The debate about the ethics about human cloning was however met with criticisms with several groups becoming hostile and skeptical. Caplan (2001) describes the ethical debate as having raised hostility and skepticism towards human cloning issue. Skeptical views raised by several personalities as argued by Cahill (2006) were based on the idea that the influential supporters of cloning were only aiming at achieving their hidden agendas hence their committed efforts to advance the scientific idea. Cahill (2006) denotes that further skeptical issues were about the constitutional and fundamental rights of the Americans that allowed them to reproduce through any means. Moreover, scientists argued that the advancement of science should not be hindered by ethical debates against what they perceived as the golden chances of scientific breakthroughs as well as avenues of gaining fame (Sadeghi, 2007). The issue of ethics in human cloning was therefore termed as of low relevance since the technology is seen as having potential in scientific advancements. However, as denoted by Klotzko (2001), governments such as the American government have withdrawn their funding in cloning research projects as well as passing laws banning research in human cloning. As ethical debates had stopped the use of several technologies since the World War II, the success of ethics in regard to human cloning has been seen as of no potency (Klotzko, 2001).The lack of potency regarding ethics in human cloning can be seen through the continuous defeat of bills tabled before the Congress that aimed at banning cloning in human beings. With continued debates and legislative measures and initiatives aimed at banning human cloning, it remains doubtful whether these initiatives will be fruitful (Klotzko, 2001). Implications of Human Cloning The idea of cloning human beings as noted by Gillon in Klotzko (2001) has not been positively addressed. With several countries banning research in human cloning and having been termed by the World Health Organization as ethically unacceptable and contrary to human integrity and morality (Gillon in Klotzko, 2001, p 184), only the negative implications and disapprovals of this technology are highly perceived. Gillon (in Klotzko, 2001, p 184) denotes that human cloning; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ treats people as means and not as ends, undermines human dignity, human rights, personal autonomy, personality, individuality, and individual uniqueness; it turns people into carbon copies, photocopies, stencils, and fakes; it would be dangerous and harmful to those to whom it was done, as well as to their families; it would particularly harm the women who would be bearing the babies (p. 184). Further, human cloning has been cited by the European parliament as an unjust procedure that contravenes the equality nature of human beings as well as leading to discrimination in women (Cahill, 2006). There are two major types of cloning that have raised negative concerns. The first one is the type of human cloning that involves the extraction of a human embryo cell and then cloning it to achieve an embryo of identical nature. The other type of cloning that was exercised during the cloning of the Dolly sheep includes the extraction of the nucleus from a cell and then inserting it into a sac of the other nucleus cell to be cloned (Howie, 2002). Despite the discussed moral and ethical issues that term human cloning as a detrimental procedure, there are several proponents of the procedure who cite several benefits (Willgoos, 2001). Scientists and politicians as noted by Willgoos (2001) have cited that research on human cloning must be continued since this procedure promises a great potential in the development of science and medicine as well as benefiting the existence of human beings. Agnihotri (2008) argues that the procedures and techniques involved in human cloning can be used in the production of therapies for cure of infectious and serious diseases such as diabetes, cancer, heart diseases as well as in the transplantation of organs. Further, cloning can be used as a research tool that can be useful in the scientific revolution especially in revolutionalizing study of cells. Therefore, cloning becomes useful in the study of cell differentiation in biotechnology and medicine (Agnihotri, 2008). Human Cloning and Islam The issue of cloning has taken central debate in the Islamic religion. Though Muslims are rarely interested in the technology, they are much concerned with the overall biological, social and ethical impacts of the procedures involved in cloning. The central tenets of Islamic perspectives on human cloning are centered on at least three major perspectives (Voneky Wolfrum, 2004). The first issue is on how human embryonic cloning goes contrary to the ethical teachings and beliefs of Islam and whether it can be accepted in the religion. Secondly, the consequences of cloning to the Islamic society in particular and the general society is of particular interest and thirdly, the Islamic consideration of the stage at which a developing embryo can be termed as a living being is also a central issue (Sadeghi, 2007). Human Cloning and Ethics in Islam The Islamic ethical frameworks as well as the religious and social teachings regarding human life are the most critical issues about human cloning in the Islamic religion. As argued by Cahill (2006), Muslims question about human cloning basing their arguments on the teachings of the Quran that view human beings as distinct creations from God and hence no person should try to act as God. Cahill (2006) further denotes that the Islamic teaching relate the cloning of human beings as attempts to copy the work of God and is bound to lead to various errors in marital relationships. As argued by Caplan (2001), this has the capacity of disintegrating the family composition as well as tampering with the social lives of most human beings. Further, the Islamic religion questions the procedure arguing that it automatically interferes with the growth of families as well as affecting aspects of motherhood and fatherhood. Rab Khayat (n.d) show the Muslims argument that God created a female and a male so that the two could join hands and form a family through procreation. It was the wish of God that a man and a woman shall together procreate in order to fill the earth. It therefore becomes questionable what the role of marriage would play if several individuals are able to come up with human beings through cloning. This as noted by Klotzko(2001) means that a man will not be in need of a woman and vice verse hence contravening the wishes of God , the creator of human beings. Though Cahill (2006) does not state this aspect, in biological perspectives, it becomes obvious that a man may turn out to be superfluous contrary to females whose ova and uterus will be in much need. As denoted by Caplan (2001), this fact is enough to create a corruption of the societal functioning as well as affecting the natural balance since human cloning is believed to interfere with all the functions of interpersonal relations. According to Islamic teachings, the relationship between spouses signifies the cornerstone of the functioning of social institutions that was the reason why Allah created a male and a female and blessed them to become one entity. Therefore the connection of a man and a female as demanded by religion is contravened by the manipulation of embryo through human cloning. Though Muslims hold a unanimous endorsement on the use of cloning in therapeutical advancements, Sadeghi (2007) argues that the Sunni and Shiites demand that the lineage of a child must not in any instance be religiously blemished. Due to this, the Islamic religion as denoted by Howie (2002) therefore demands that the lineage involved in the reproduction must not be contravened through procedures such as human cloning and hence must be bound within the limits of spousal associations. The Islamic stand regarding human cloning based on the religions teachings, morals, beliefs and ethics therefore is that cloning of human embryo is a moral as well as religious contravention and therefore the technology must not be employed in any aspect apart from in therapy (Howie, 2002). The consequences of cloning to the Islamic society are also key issues about this technology to the Islamic religion. According to the religion, due to the advancement of this technology, there are fears about the ability of human beings to regenerate naturally (Howie, 2002). Therefore this technology acts contrary to the values and systems in which the human nature has acted within since history. Due to the consequences that human cloning holds, then the Islamic religion is justified to act against all forms of human cloning. According to Klotzko (2001), though Islam as a religion encourages the development of research as noted by Sheikh Yusuf Al-Qaradawi one of the leading Islamic researchers, the creation of new human beings through artificial ways however contravenes the morals of the religion. This therefore creates a very big twist in the perception of human cloning and therefore becomes a very difficult issue to address even in the contemporary society (Howie, 2002). Conception and Islamic Religion Since this research aimed at also addressing the religious views about conception, it is worth to scrutinize the Islamic views about conception and life. Human cloning is believed to in the first place tamper with the natural development of the embryos (Sadeghi, 2007). A seminar held in Kuwait in 1985 addressed the issue of Human life with key insights on inception with particular interest on the Islamic religious beliefs and teachings. This seminar believed that inception consists of three stages. The first stage as described in the seminar was the fertilization stage of ova and sperm to form the zygote where the genetic composition is developed. The second stage is when the fertilized zygote is implanted in the womb while the third stage is reached when life is embedded into the developing fetus which according to Islam starts at day 120 after inception (Al-Mazkur et al, 1985). According to the teachings of Islam, since conception, an embryo is considered as a living thing and therefore must not be tampered with even through abortion. However, the moment when life is embedded into the embryo, it acquires full human status which occurs 120 days after inception. This shows that Islam as a religion does not in its full status prohibit early embryonic research though it questions the ethical and moral ways through which this research is carried out (Sadeghi, 2007). Conclusion and Recommendations The issue of human cloning has taken central debates in the contemporary world. This research has established that though research in medicine and science holds a promising advancement through cloning, the technology is under much criticism. From government bans, withdrawal of funding for research to religious concerns, research in human cloning has not been simple to conduct. The Islamic religion though does not prohibit therapeutic cloning has been against human cloning technology citing ethical, moral, as well as religious beliefs and values against the technology. Further, with the detrimental consequences that outweigh the merits, the technology remains a prohibition throughout the world. It is therefore necessary to recommend that though scientists aim at advancing research in science, the debate on human cloning should not be centered on the scientific merits only. Further, scientific advances cannot be termed as threats to religious belief and values but the human culture and values must be borne into the minds of all the stakeholders involved in human cloning research and development. I can therefore recommend that since the world aims at advancing in technology and research, constructive dialogue is necessary that will enable the development of consensus regarding all the aspects of an upcoming technology.

What A Day! :: Computers Internet Papers

What A Day! Pamela, Pamela, Pamela, what can I say she is a typical modern day mother. At work she is the woman who takes care of everyone else, she is the one who brings cookies and cakes everyday to share with everyone. I can see her now in her maroon 2001 Chrysler Mini van with vinyl interior so that the children don't mess up the seats! Driving along with her flowered dress, hair band, flat sandals, loads of jewelry and too much blue eye shadow, which by the way doesn't match her out fit, accompanied by her bulging purse that is filled with everything including the kitchen sink. This morning was a good one; she had orange juice with coffee, blueberry pancakes with butter and syrup. She isn't up in time very many mornings to make a full breakfast for herself, her three children and her husband; well you might as well say her four children. She just got her red hair permed and teased just the way she likes it a few days ago. Pamela is just so stylish in her everyday attire. Somehow s he finds the time to read her favorite book The Client, by John Grisham, and every once in awhile she even gets to watch her favorite movie Where the Heart Is. After a long day in the office as a secretary she is comforted to know that only four more weeks and she off to Disney World for a week of summer vacation with her kids. Pamela just got home from work. Each day after she gets home she reads her emails from her friends, which usually are about the most recent gossip. Today Pamela got an email that was quite frightening. The email was a forward from her friend Danielle and it contained a link to a website which was about a deadly chemical called dihydrogen oxide. This awful chemical is odorless, colorless, and tasteless, but it kills thousands of people each year. Pamela became scared and called her three children in the room with her to read about this terrible chemical. She continued to read her email aloud: â€Å"Most of the deaths caused by DHO are by accidental inhalation. Prolonged exposure to the chemical in its solid form can cause severe tissue damage.

Fast food restaurant Essay

Introduction Fast food is very common in Hong Kong. We can find at least one fast-food restaurant nearby. McDonald, KFC, Burger King, Triple O’s, Cafe de Carol can be found everywhere in Hong Kong. Fast food means that the food can be prepared and served very quickly. It can save us time and is convenient. [pic][pic][pic] The aim of this report is to investigate fast food culture in Hong Kong nowadays. Firstly, trend of fast food culture in Hong Kong would be given in order to get further understanding of fast food. Secondly, negative impacts of fast food would be discussed. Thirdly, despite the fact that Hong Kong people are more aware of their health, fast food restaurants have emerged. Lastly, comparison between fast food shops and fast-service shops would be mentioned to find out how these two types of shops affect customers’ choice of catering. Mr. Victor Chan, the Managing Director of the Triple O’s, Hong Kong franchise, was interviewed to find out the answer. Current situation [pic]Fig. 1 Top 10 Global Markets for weekly Fast Food. According to the survey from ACNielsen (Refer to figure1), Hong Kong has the highest percentage of eating fast food in the world, with 61 per cent of people eating fast food at least once a week. The survey was conducted in October 2004 over the internet in 28 countries and regions across the Asia-Pacific, Europe and the US. It showed that more and more people are obsessed with fast food. Nine per cent of Hong Kong people visited fast-food restaurants at least once a day; 86 per cent of people visited at least twice a month. In the first nine months of this 2004, Hong Kong people visited fast-food restaurants on average seven times a month and spent $ 160. The survey revealed fast food has become a part of Hong Kong people’s lives. Hong Kong people are in fast pace of life. People have less time to eat and are busy to work. It makes fast food become more and more popular because it is convenient and comfortable. It replaces the position of traditional restaurants and these fast food shops have dominated our society gradually. Negative impacts of traditional fast food There are thousands of fast food shops in Hong Kong. They have totally changed eating habit and daily life of Hong Kong people. Albeit fast food is delicious and tasty, it brings several health problems. Fast food contains lots of fats and high calories. For example, McDonald’s provides a Big Mac, large fries and a large Coca-Cola drink which have 1430 calories. In fact, 2000 calories is the maximum amount a person needs in each day. Big Macs in Hong Kong contains more fat and cholesterol than those in the world. According to nutritional information on the company’s website, each Hong Kong burger weighed 560 calories but 80 calories is more than Australia, 67 calories more than Britain and 60 calories more than the Middle East. Obviously, fast food leads to obesity and diabetes, and increases the risk of heart disease and high blood pressure. Apparently, fast food contains high calories and lack in nutrition. Fast food is not proper meal that people can eat every day. Besides this, facing the influence of mass media and the trend in Hong Kong, slim body figures are encouraged. Therefore, Hong Kong people realize the importance of health. They are willing to eat healthy food with low calories and fats. In order to meet the demand of healthy and higher nutritional food from Hong Kong people, fast food shops start to provide healthy food to customers. For example, McDonald’s try to give more choice to customers by providing healthier food, likes fresh salad and low fat yogurt. Fast food culture in Hong Kong has changed. Emergence of Fast-service food shops in Hong Kong Interview with Triple O’s – White Spot Because of the rise in living standard and change in eating habits of Hong Kong customers, traditional fast food shops, such as McDonald’s and KFC, can no longer meet the demands of customers. The emergence of a brand new type of catering choice – fast-service food shops, introduces a new dining experience to Hong Kong customers, thus, bringing a positive and striking impact to the catering industry. One of the most successful fast-service food shops in Hong Kong is Triple O’s – White Spot, which was founded in Vancouver, British Columbia in 1928, best known for its hamburgers In 2003, Triple O’s expanded its business to Hong Kong, setting up the first shop in the Great food hall in the basement of Pacific Place, Admiralty. Until 2010, there are already 5 Triple O’s established throughout Hong Kong, in which the franchises each record more than twice as many sales as the average location in BC. In order to know more about fast-service food shops, an interview has been conducted with the managing director of the Triple O’s, Hong Kong franchise, Mr. Victor Chan. [pic] [pic] Triple O’s – White Spot aims to provide high quality, home-made and healthy fast food and family-friendly services to create a new kind of dining experience to customers. According to Mr. Chan, Triple O’s’ in Hong Kong have to follow strictly the menu and ingredients set by the Canadian headquarters to ensure its high food quality. For instance, unlike traditional fast food shops that only focus in lowering their production cost, Triple O’s’ milkshakes are made of fresh milk and premium ice-cream. Burger beef is from Australia, delivered fresh to Triple O’s in Hong Kong, not frozen. Mr. Chan added that Triple O’s’ menu will not change in order to suit the appetite of Hong Kong customers, therefore resulting in a limited choices of food in their menu compared to other fast food shops. In order to provide freshly made burgers, it usually takes up to 5 to complete a whole meal set. That is why customer-friendly service is provided in Triple O’s. Instead of ‘self-help’ service in traditional fast food shops, waiters will deliver meals to customers in person, offering customers efficient dining services. Besides that, because of the insistence of high quality ingredients, price of food is again higher than that of fast food shops. Yet, it does not affect customer’s choice of catering since they are now enjoying a higher living standard, willing to spend more for the return of good food and nice service. Triple O’s’ success is also a result of change in eating habits and perceptions of Hong Kong customers. The idea of ‘thin is in’ is widely spread by the mass media, people are getting more conscious about their physique and health, leading to the rise of a new kind of eating habit – healthy eating. Believing that traditional fast food shops’ only provision of deep-fried food, customers tend to look for healthy, yet, delicious fast food for substitution. Triple O’s hit the exact demand of customers. ‘Food in Triple O’s is generally low in fat and that no preservatives and artificial flavours are added in. Vegetarian burgers and lots of vegetables are included in every meal set in order for customers to achieve a balance diet,’ said Mr. Chan, ‘healthy cooking methods are also used, such as roasting and grilling of burger beef and chicken stripes with refined olive oil rather than deep-frying. Fries with potato skins are again intended to provide dietary fibre for better digestion of customers. † Customers are free to choose according to their personal preference, having a custom-made burger in any way they want, like whether to add in any dressing in their burgers. Another special feature of Triple O’s is that there is no advertisement about it at all. â€Å"We rather spend our money in purchasing high quality ingredients than wasting them on advertising. We believe that with our food and service, reputation can be build up in no time. Once again, we prove ourselves right! † said Mr. Chan. Marketing is clearly not the major concern of Triple O’s. â€Å"From the fast food shops’ point of view, we (fast-service food shops) have become a huge competitor to the traditional fast-service shops. Like McDonald’s, they are, in fact, following our way in preparing food and provision of service. However, since there is vast difference between us and traditional fast food shops, we don’t treat them as a direct competitor. Our aim is not only to provide fast food to customers, but a new dining experience, which makes us unique in the catering industry. † Mr. Chan concluded by the end of the interview. Comparison between Fast food shops and Fast-service food shops Fast food shops have always been one of the dominating choices of catering. Yet, in recent years, there are a definite increasing number of fast-service food shops in Hong Kong, which result in an intense competition between the two. In the following table, we use the example of McDonald’s (fast food shops) and Triple O’s (fast-service food shops) to show the major differences between fast food shops and fast-service food shops, which affect customers’ choice of catering. [pic] [pic] |Differences |Fast food shops (McDonald’s) |Fast-service food shops (Triple O’s) | |Quality of food |Low |High | |Ingredients used |Use of low quality ingredients to cut off production cost| Strictly follow the Canadian headquarters’ use of high | | |e. g. |quality ingredients e. g. | ||milkshakes – milk, water, and milk |milkshakes – fresh milk and premium | | |powder |ice-cream | | |burger meat – organ meat mixed with |Burger meat – Australian imported, | | |bread crumbs and onion |pure beef | |Method of cooking |Deep-frying |Grilling and Roasting | |Health consciousness |Less |More | | |- lack of vegetables and fruits in the menu |- inclusion of vegetarian food choices | | |- unhealthy cooking method used |- healthier cooking methods used | | Flexibility of ordered food |Standardized food |Immediate, Custom-made e.g. | | |- Burgers are pre-made for purchase, which follow a |- Customers may add in more vegetables in their burgers or | | |uniform standard. |choose not to add any dressings at all. | |Food choices |Wide variety |Limited as it must follow the menu of their headquarters in | | |- Burgers, fries, ice-cream, different types of |Canada | | |fried-food, soft drinks, pies†¦ |- burgers, fries, onion rings, chicken stripes, milkshakes | |Characteristics |Fast, convenient | High quality of food, | | | |brand new type of dining experience | |No.of shops in HK |More |Less | |Cost |Low |High due to the high quality of ingredients used | |Services |Less |More | | |- provides only ordering services in the cashier |- provides not only ordering and packing up services, but | | | |also delivery of meals to customers like restaurants | |Advertisements |More |None | | |- wide coverage via the mass media (e. g. TV ads, the |- building up reputation by customers’ word of mouth | | |Internet, newspaper) |- money used in quality ingredients rather than in | | | |advertisements | From the above comparison, we can see that fast-service food shops introduces a brand new kind of catering experience to Hong Kong by providing high quality of food and efficient, customer-friendly services. As customers are being more health conscious, fast-service food shops seem to have hit the market, drawing enormous attention from customers of other types of catering choices, especially those of fast-food shops. Customers also enjoyed the idea of ‘immediate and custom-made’. Customers are able to order in according with their preferences. Burgers are freshly made with A-grade ingredients immediately upon order, which freshness of food can be completely guaranteed. Together with the efficient and friendly service provided, fast-service food shops seem to fulfill and satisfy the demands of picky customers. The success of a few fast-service shops in Hong Kong is inevitably bringing in a competitor to traditional fast-food shops. Conclusion In the past two decades, Hong Kong has inevitably been an international city under the great influence of fast food culture. As the only demand for food is efficiency, the mere provision of fast and convenient food could already satisfy the demands of most customers. Yet, with the improvement in economic level, living standard and change in eating habits of customers, fast food shop could no longer provide them with what they want. Customers are more willing to enjoy quality and healthy food and nice service when dining, thereby, leading to the introduction of fast-service food shops to Hong Kong. Fast-service food shops bring in huge impacts and brand new ideas to the fast food world. Not only efficiency, quality of food, provision of service and health consciousness should be brought into considerations in order to fulfill the demands of customers. The emergence of fast-service food shops provides a new choice of catering for customers, which leads to intense competition between fast food shops and them. Competition between the two definitely brings positive impacts to the catering industry. Traditional fast food shops seem to realize their shortcomings and need of change, now even McDonald’s follow the way of fast-service food shops by providing immediate-made burgers instead of pre-made ones. Because of the vast difference between fast food shops and fast-service food shops, it is difficult to determine at this stage that which one of them can dominate the fast food industry. The only thing for sure is that customers are, always and forever, the winner in this match, having to enjoy the great food! Reference OWikipedia OOfficial homepage of Triple O’s Hong Kong OSouth China Morning Post OHong Kong Yahoo OACNielsen OHKUSPACE [pic] [pic] [pic] Vocabulary Sheet – Fast Food Culture |Word (parts of speech) |Meaning | |Dietician (n) |a person who is an expert in nutrition or dietetics | |Fast-food addict (n) |a person who is addicted to fast-food | |Americanization (n) |assimilate to the customs and institutions of the U. S. | |Delicacies (n) |something delightful or pleasing, esp. a choice food considered | | |with regard to its rarity, costliness | |Sedentary (adj) |characterized by or requiring a sitting posture | |Coronary (adj) |of or pertaining to the human heart, with respect to health | |Superficial (adj) |shallow; not profound or thorough | |Standardize (v) |to bring to or make of an established standard size, weight, | | |quality, strength | |Unpalatable (adj) |not palatable; unpleasant to the taste | |Franchise (n) |the right or license granted by a company to an individual or group| | |to market its products or services in a specific territory | |Variant (adj) |tending to change or alter; exhibiting variety or diversity | | Proliferate (v) |to increase in number or spread rapidly and often excessively | |prominent (adj) |standing out so as to be seen easily; conspicuous; particularly | | |noticeable | |Prevalent (n) |widespread; of wide extent or occurrence; in general use or | | |acceptance | |Ubiquity (n) |the state or capacity of being everywhere, esp. at the same time | |Detrimental (adj) |causing detriment; damaging; harmful | |Umpteen (adj) |innumerable; many | |Flavor-enhancing (adj) |enhancing the flavor of food | |Paramount (adj) |chief in importance or impact; supreme; preeminent | |Consumer-friendliness (n) |products of non-harmful elements to consumers |

Human freedom and the ten commandments Essay

When Jesus was asked, â€Å"What must I do to inherit eternal life? â€Å", he replied: â€Å"You know the Commandments, keep these and you will live. † It has been said, that the Ten Commandments are not simple rules mandated by God, but rather, this set of rules is considered as a gift given to men in order for them to live the life that God has promised. Although the word â€Å"commandment†, by itself, imports something mandatory and obligatory, it must be understood that God has granted each one of his people freedom and independence to choose how he or she will act, and hence, human freedom is an important topic to be discussed alongside the Ten Commandments. It will be seen, that the kind of life that men live is simply a reflection of how he uses the freedom that he has been gifted with. A person can either live a life full of one spent as a good follower of God. Although some would say that it is a question of fate, destiny, or maybe even luck, the truth is that, a person lives a life based on his own choices and decisions. As have been stated, men have been gifted with freedom, and it is up to him how he will utilize this gift. Every person has different forms of needs and wants that have to be dealt with in everyday life. This is where freedom sets in. In allowing absence of restriction, God permits every individual the opportunity to shape his life. It has been stated that this is one risk that God chose to take. â€Å"God risked much in creating us humans with the freedom, now, to unleash horrendous nuclear disaster or to love our fellows across all boundaries. † (Grider, 1994). It is the freedom that each one has been blessed with that enables him to understand and appreciate the life that he has and all the beauty that comes with it. On the other hand, if this freedom is abused, then the consequences that go with it, would also have to be dealt with by the individual concerned. Being free entails a lot of responsibility. It is believed that God granted every individual the gift of freedom, not for the sole reason that he be boundless or limitless. Man is given freedom for him to be responsible for all the things that he says, does or even thinks of. True enough, some philosophers believe that the things that happen to each individual can be traced to the actions and decisions that he chooses to take. Most of the times, it is not up to the heavens if a good or bad thing happens to one person. More of than not, everything that happens to a person can be traced to the course of action that he chose to take. The scriptures that God instructed to be drafted, in essence, are mere forms of guidance for men; but in the end, it is human freedom which will eventually dictate whether or not an individual will live his life by these guidelines. The concept of human freedom is more often discussed by mentioning the story of what happened to Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden. As has been aptly stated, â€Å"these questions as to the nature of human freedom arise especially when we turn our attention to the question of the origin of sin. Only consider how many times the origin of sin has been ascribed to this human freedom of choice, implying this twofold power of man’s nature and of his creaturely existence: to sin or not to sin; a good part and an evil part of his nature. † (Berkouwer, 1962). True enough, God could have stopped the serpent from interacting with Adam and Eve, but due to the freedom that he bestowed the two, they had the choice as to whether or not to take the apple that the serpent offered them. Ultimately then, it is this choice that they made which is the root cause of why they were banished from the garden of Eden. It would appear then that despite the Ten Commandments being set down by God to be sent to his people, the same is not precisely a set of obligatory rules imposed upon men. Rather, the Ten Commandments are considered as a guide as to how each person should live if he wants to experience the kind of life that God promised. This is a kind of life full of happiness, peace, beauty and love. A person’s freedom can lead to this if a person, in choosing paths to take, keeps in mind what the Ten Commandments speak of. Ultimately, it would depend upon the person if he will live the kind of life promised by God ever since the olden times, or if he will use his freedom to lead him to a kind of unspeakable and despicable kind of living. REFERENCE â€Å"The Ten Commandments†, J. Kenneth Grider , â€Å"Human Freedom†, 1994, G. C. Berkouwer, â€Å"Human Freedom†, 1962,

Web editing essays

Web editing essays One of the major tasks of the editorial staff is, the capture of the customer wishes provides by the Key account manager, media-fair verbally to move. This contains material search and text conversion for the specific needs of a multimedia product. By a completely different behavior of utilization of the users in comparison with haptic publications like books, magazines and newspapers the editor must understand a huge number of Guidelines to be active successfully in the specific situation multimedia. People don't read websites the same way they read print material. There are three typical key characteristics that affect how web users react to online content: Web users are active, not passive like book readers The longer the text, the less likely they are to read it The user want to get answers to his questions quickly Good copy is essential to ensuring that the targeted reader audience and the customers can understand how the website works and what benefit it holds for them. 1.2. Tasks of the multimedia branch 4 2.1.2. Separation of text and context 7 2.2. Book culture versus Web culture 7 4.2. Principles of copywriting for the web 14 The multimedia branch in general is not easy to class, because the whole branch is very fast and the single commercial fields are fanned out very broadly and change in the course of the time. However, the concept Multimedia encloses in the narrow sense the following main business fields: E marketing, Internet, Intranet, Extranet, services in the B2B marketplaces, web presences, Content management systems, Customer Relationship management systems, E-Commerce and online marketing activities. Multimedia applications have to be more differently (text, photo and graphic arts) and more dynamically (audio, animation and video) than other media types, because of the possibility of the interactive use. The tasks of the multimedia branch is made up of the following 4 ...

What field of business should you pursue based on your personality

What field of business should you pursue based on your personality So you’re thinking about pursuing business but have no clue where you would fit in best? Should you become a public accountant, a digital marketer, or maybe even human resources? The possibilities are endless in business. You are bound to find your perfect match based on what you enjoy doing. This quiz is perfect in helping you decide where your skills will shine in the business field.  Source [ Playbuzz ]

Academia and Text Matching Software Essay Example for Free

Academia and Text Matching Software Essay ? Critically evaluate the use of text matching software as an aid to developing good scholarship practice Introduction Academic dishonesty such as plagiarism has been a major factor in education that has affected students’ success and academic achievements in recent years. Plagiarism according to Park (2003) is the act of appropriating or copying another person’s work and passing them on as one’s idea without acknowledging the original source. Park (2003) noted that plagiarism is a growing problem and has been a misuse of the writings of another author, their ideas, hypothesis, theories, research findings and interpretations. Furthermore studies by Chao, Wilhelm and Neureuther (2009) emphasised that the rising trend of plagiarism among students can be attributed to several factors such as academic literacy, language competence and the technological advancements in the world today in terms of high speed internet facility available in hostels and computer labs. These factors according to Chao, Wilhelm and Neureuther (2009) has enhanced the ability of students to plagiarise a whole assignment by obtaining papers on the internet relating to their assignments which is as easy as copying and pasting. Park (2003) stated that students have different perceptions towards plagiarism. He noted that students view plagiarism as a minor offence which is different from cheating in exams. He further discovered that plagiarism could be unintentional (ibid). This is because some students possess a mental illusion in which they believe they have produced something from their own perspective while infact they are reproducing something which they have read from another author. The purpose of this paper is to critically evaluate the effect of text matching software as an aid to developing good scholarship practice. This paper will begin by briefly describing what good scholarship practise is. In addition the use of text matching software for detecting good scholarship practice will be critically discussed and a conclusion will be made based on the evaluation. Good scholarship practice can be referred to as a formal study which involves academic learning and achievement. It involves acknowledging where information used to support ideas in a particular context is gotten and citing the sources (Locke and Latham, 2009). Britag and Mahmud (2009) pointed out that different strategies whichinclude the use of electronic software tools such as turnitin have been derived for detecting plagiarism with the intent of allowing students’ take responsibility of their learning and also work hand in hand with their tutors in the drafting stages of their assignments. According to Britag and Mahmud (2009) manual detection of plagiarism is difficult because it is time consuming and this is the reason why some tutors are reluctant in pursuing potential cases of plagiarism. However both the manual method of plagiarism detection and the electronic text matching method should be employed (Britag and Mahmud, 2009). Scaife (2007) argued that the electronic text matching software is not the solution to eliminating plagiarism because the software only focuses on text matching of paper under review with documents (journals, articles, e-books and conference papers) found on the internet or which has been previously submitted and this is a limitation because the only detection are focused on electronic materials without considering some non-electronic paper based documents which could still be plagiarised. Walker (2010) stated that with the development of text matching software such as the turnitin plagiarism detection was made easier, however he emphasised that the turnitin detection software is not 100 per cent efficient, it merely identifies and matches materials present in a document uploaded to turnitin website to materials available on the internet. Walker (2010) describes the electronic text matching software as a tool only suitable for detecting word for word or direct plagiarism in electronic form and the refined ones from the paper based sources are not easily detected. Moreover Carroll and Appleton (2001) argued that the turnitin is just an option for measuring plagiarism and that alone cannot be used as a basis for judging good scholarship practice. In addition Carroll and Appleton (2001) insist that the use of electronic software for detecting plagiarism requires human application and interpretation and that using turnitin alone as a medium for plagiarism detection is not proficient. According to Barrett and Malcolm (2006) the electronic text matching software (turnitin) only indicates possible plagiarism without any certainty, it is left to the tutor to determine the extent to which the writer has plagiarised or included some sources in the paper without acknowledging where they were acquired. In conclusion the concept of plagiarism cannot be overemphasised. It has become a factor that has affected good academic scholarship practice and has  created an avenue for educators to develop methods for detecting and dealing with plagiarism. The development of the electronic detection software such as the turnitin has enhanced the detection of plagiarism however it cannot be relied upon completely because it is not effective. In addition it is important to understand that the best way to detect plagiarism is to use both the manual method which involves educators and the use of electronic text matching software such as turnitin. Students could also be assisted in understanding the criteria for academic writing such as the code of conducts which requires them to acknowledge any source from where data is derived when writing academically. References Barrett, R. & Malcolm, J. (2006) ‘Embedding plagiarism education in the assessment process’, International Journal for Educational Integrity, Vol. 2, No. 1, pp. 38-45. Bretag, T. and Mahmud, S. (2009) ‘A model for determining student plagiarism: Electronic detection and academic judgement. ‘, Journal of University Teaching and Learning Practice, Vol. 6, No. 1, pp. 50-60. Chao, C. , Wilhelm, W. J. , Neureuther, B. D. (2009. ) ‘A Study of Electronic Detection and Pedagogical Approaches for Reducing Plagiarism’, The Delta Pi Epsilon Journal, Vol. 51, No. 1, pp. 31-42. Carroll, J. and Appleton, J. (2001), Plagiarism: A good practice guide, Oxford: Oxford Brookes University. Locke, E. A, Latham, G. P (2009) ‘Has Goal Setting Gone Wild, or Have Its Attackers Abandoned Good Scholarship? ‘, The Academy of Management Perspectives, Vol. 23, No. 1, pp.  17-23. Park, C. (2003). ‘In Other (People’s) Words: plagiarism by university students—literature and lessons’, Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, Vol. 28, No. 5, pp. 472-488. Scaife, B (2007) IT Consultancy Plagiarism Detection Software Report for JISC Advisory Service. [Online].

Global Businese - Payless Shoe Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Global Businese - Payless Shoe - Essay Example According to the report findings there have been notable changes currently being witnessed in the global economy that has seen the world stock markets slumping and other changes taking place in the banking sector and the industry as a whole. All these changes have effects on the operations of especially global businesses and this study would focus on Payless Shoe with reference to the changes taking place in the global economy. As the research stresses basically global businesses operate in different regions as well as nations and these are in most cases well established business entities that often dominate the global markets. These global businesses often compete in a global market where different economies are brought in close contact. Given this scenario, it can be noted that all global businesses are operating within the same sphere hence any change that takes place in the global economy basically affects all of them. Payless specializes in retailing designer footwear and somehow, this particular industry is also affected in one way or the other by the global changes in the world economy. The fact that the global economy is going down translates into mean that business also is negatively affected and Payless shoe cannot be spared the burden as well. Obviously sales would also decline in response to the tightening global economy. Consumers would have little to spend hence little revenue generated by bus iness.

Focus Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Focus - Essay Example As a result, there was mass migration as they sought settlement to countries that they could live, achieve and participate as equal citizens. America offered such opportunities welcoming all immigrants owing to its developing industrial capabilities. There was a surge of Jewish immigrants from in mid-nineteenth century following a new era of violence and anti-Jewish sentiments in most regions of Europe. The interactions between Americans and immigrants was characterised by inclusion and assimilation where the immigrants adopted a new culture in order to fit into the new country (Klinger n.d).This was guaranteed by the American legal system, which acknowledged that all men were created equal and as such, they deserved equal opportunities in America. This is as opposed to the European version that described Jews by appearance, cultural, social and religious positions. Moreover, legal impositions in Europe by the majority Christian population were vastly strict against the Jews. However , the tranquillity that existed ceased in its roots as a court case legally established that the separation and discrimination were synonymous. This established ground for open discrimination against fellow Americans based on the colour of their skin as opposed to what they can do. In other words, the court assertion made discrimination legal thus legalising bigotry. This marks the beginning of racism and discrimination against Jew living in America (Foner, 2012). Arthur Miller’s novel is set in New York as the Second World War ends to be a direct confrontation to American anti-Semitism. The book focuses on Lawrence Newman, an American of English descent, and the personnel manager in large company who quits his job citing mistreatment. This owes to his resemblance to Jews after acquiring glasses, a sentiment shared by his mother. He shares prejudices of his neighbours who seem determined to confront a Jewish candy storeowner until he is on the receiving end of similar prejudi ces. Miller highlights discriminatory acts against Jews living in America in his time, which involves hiring procedures, residential places, political participation among others. Jews were denied employment opportunities in most establishments and applicants had to under vigorously screening to edge out Jewish candidates. The tactics used in denying such opportunities include exclusion, tokenism and quota system especially private industries with executive and management levels (Glock, 1979).As such, the Jews had difficulty in obtaining or maintaining positions in places of employment. This is echoed in Focus as Miller, describes how Newman has difficulty in landing a new job following his resemblance to Jews. Ironically, when he gets one, he is employed in a Jewish establishment that seems to embrace all. Similarly, the public generated negative sentiments towards the presence of Jewish residents within their neighbourhood. As such, extreme groups such as the Christian Front sought to engage violently their Jewish neighbours in a bid to scare them off the neighbourhood. The negative attitude towards Jews left no room for tolerance, which saw residents attached for their religious beliefs. This is no different in Miller’s book when alliances are forged against Jews ‘elements’ in the Focus neighbourhood. Jews were also not admitted in social clubs such as country clubs among other public places on a regular basis. This can be attributed to the social status of the members who were accorded respect depending on the company

Gender Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Gender - Essay Example Three main prospects are portrayed in these two articles. The first one is that journalism is not about intellectual ability only but also about having great determination. Women who have to be journalists must be ready to persevere and show dedication in their work. They should be ready to go through thorough training and also have a deep conviction that they can do the work. As Arnold Bennett puts it, journalism ‘will surely prove both exhausting and disappointing to those whose hearts are not set fast upon it’. To those who do not have what she terms as ‘iron determination’, to go against all odds, will find a hard time being n journalism. However, for those who are determined and persevering, they will surely overcome the disappointments that come along with journalism and hence find their work interesting and fulfilling. One who aspires to be a journalist must also be a good writer and one who loves to read newspapers and periodicals in a regular basis. It involves a lot of reading and a need to know more time after time. Hence, someone who does not have a natural love for reading will have a hard time in the field of journalism. An aspiring female journalist should possess the talent of coming up with new ideas regularly and be willing and ready to share them with other people. She should be creative and know how to argue out points and facts so as to gain the confidence and acceptance of her ideas to people. A female journalist must also be ready to face the prejudices that the society has against women. Even in collection of information, men will always be biased on the type of information that they give females since they feel that the females cannot understand some issues. As much as many women can now be seen in the field of journalism, very few can be found in the most influential positions that involve decision making.

European and Native American Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

European and Native American Culture - Essay Example However, but all this kindness from the settlers also came with negativity to the locals natives as the trade of blankets was not that welcoming as it was a means for the early settlers to spread smallpox to the natives. The natives’ immune systems were poor as compared to the settles this made them weak and easy to conquer after being poisoned. Also, lead to war, slavery, and territorial dispute. The relationship was uneasy the two cultures differed in language, customs, lifestyles; the Europeans viewed the Natives Americans as uncivilized, ignorant heathens, uncouth, unsophisticated, dirty, and unethical. Concerns came from missionaries with the introduction or religion in America; this not only affected their social status but also their culture and values2. The hardship encountered by early settlers started in their voyage, they had less food, diseases were uncontrollable few children survived the trip. Scurvy seasickness, dysentery, fever, and other diseases killed them before they arrived. Winter in north America was much more colder as compared to Europe winter this was a challenge to the early settlers a good example is ,â€Å"The first English Colony on Roanoke Island what is now North Carolina, "the Lost Colony." The entire original colony disappeared.† Due to weather hardship diseases such as Malaria, dysentery, yellow fever, small pox was a common feature. Colonies experienced sickness, starvation, and conflicts with the Native American cultures, such colony was Jamestown which undergone a major blow of hunger and diseases stricken early settlers3. Religion has contributed a lot to the history of America. At Cape Henry, in Virginia the first Episcopal Church was established in April 1607. Then followed by a parish in Jamestown, Virginia, in July 1620 a separate group from English emigrants docked in North

Designing a Leadership Development Plan Assignment

Designing a Leadership Development Plan - Assignment Example ice Waterhouse Coopers 2008/2009 report, 19% of the managers and 29% of company executives in various organizations are eligible for retirement in 2015. There is the need for adequate plans to replace these baby boomers without compromising organizational performance. The mobile phone and electronics industry is becoming more competitive with time. With the establishment of more telecommunication firms, there is growing competition that requires a leadership approach in securing Samsung’s market share. The leadership strategy aims at mitigating the effects of business rivalry on the company’s revenue, and developing plans to expand the market share. A labor-skills requirement manual helps in the assessment of leadership gaps in the organization. The human resource department prepares a skills inventory that takes consideration of the leadership capabilities of the workers. This achieves identification of leadership gaps in departments and workstations and helps in finding out the leadership skills or qualities that need improvement. The involvement of employees in leadership surveys will provide valuable information for assessment of leadership needs. A questionnaire on desirable leadership qualities, styles, and capacity can be of great importance in providing information on leadership requirements of the organization. This may also help in identification of potential leaders in the organization for nurturing. A review and analysis of Samsung’s revenue for the past three years will be helpful in understanding the influence of competition on the company. The trends in revenue in comparison with those of close competitors will provide insight on how Samsung is fairing on in the market. Customer satisfaction surveys will give a glimpse of the reality in how the market perceives Samsung’s products. The feedback from customers provides valuable information on the level of client satisfaction, loyalty, areas of dissatisfaction, and close substitutes they

Mabo Vs Queensland Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Mabo Vs Queensland - Essay Example As such, the successive governments had made no endeavour to establish a system of national land rights. This undesirable situation was rectified by the Australian High Court, which relied upon its constitutional authority to declare land rights (Keon-Cohen, 2000: 893). The decision in Mabo (No 1) in conjunction with international commitments to racial equality and the just terms protection under the Australian Constitution, and the national bill for compulsory acquisition of native title, engendered new property rights. The Mabo (No 2) decision provided various opportunities to the government to ensure land justice (Keon-Cohen, 2000: 893). However, these opportunities were squandered by the government. A political solution to this issue was made available in the federal, State, and Territory statutory schemes relating to land rights (Keon-Cohen, 2000: 893). However, these schemes have effectively distorted the judgement in Mabo (No 2); and served to distance it from the common law. The extant political solutions for this long standing national issue are irrational, and it is in this depressing environment that the High Court’s judgement proves to be welcome. Moreover, the legislative solutions, in respect of this predicament have proved to be defective; and there are serious administrative lapses in the implementation of the legislative solution (Keon-Cohen, 2000: 893). The scheme provides more opportunities to Crown grantees rather than the indigenous people; and makes no attempt to reconcile the differences between the affected parties. The Mabo decision served to rescind the principle of terra nullius. This doctrine enabled the Crown to appropriate property that was uninhabited. However, this principle was extended by the common law to apply to the lands of the indigenous peoples. This unjust act was sought to be justified by the falsely claiming that the Aboriginals were uncivilised barbarians, and that there was nothing amoral in

Designing a Leadership Development Plan Assignment

Designing a Leadership Development Plan - Assignment Example ice Waterhouse Coopers 2008/2009 report, 19% of the managers and 29% of company executives in various organizations are eligible for retirement in 2015. There is the need for adequate plans to replace these baby boomers without compromising organizational performance. The mobile phone and electronics industry is becoming more competitive with time. With the establishment of more telecommunication firms, there is growing competition that requires a leadership approach in securing Samsung’s market share. The leadership strategy aims at mitigating the effects of business rivalry on the company’s revenue, and developing plans to expand the market share. A labor-skills requirement manual helps in the assessment of leadership gaps in the organization. The human resource department prepares a skills inventory that takes consideration of the leadership capabilities of the workers. This achieves identification of leadership gaps in departments and workstations and helps in finding out the leadership skills or qualities that need improvement. The involvement of employees in leadership surveys will provide valuable information for assessment of leadership needs. A questionnaire on desirable leadership qualities, styles, and capacity can be of great importance in providing information on leadership requirements of the organization. This may also help in identification of potential leaders in the organization for nurturing. A review and analysis of Samsung’s revenue for the past three years will be helpful in understanding the influence of competition on the company. The trends in revenue in comparison with those of close competitors will provide insight on how Samsung is fairing on in the market. Customer satisfaction surveys will give a glimpse of the reality in how the market perceives Samsung’s products. The feedback from customers provides valuable information on the level of client satisfaction, loyalty, areas of dissatisfaction, and close substitutes they

Steve Jobs Leadership at Apple Essay Example for Free

Steve Jobs Leadership at Apple Essay The organization Apple Inc. has a flat hierarchy with six levels. This makes it possible for the CEO and the Board of Directors to have a larger overview of the company. The departments at Apple Inc. are functionally grouped. Some (e.g. Global Communication) are then grouped geographically. The organization is divided into specialized departments or teams, who all report to a team leader. All team leaders then meet with the CEO to discuss matters. Within theses teams are people who the CEO trusts to do their part. This means the CEO has a quite narrow span of control, as he does not have the responsibility for all departments, but he has selective influence on them. On a daily basis, Jobs had direct contact with about 50 people, out of the about 10.000 working at Apple Inc. For the organization to run as smoothly as possible, Jobs let those of a higher status (â€Å"A-players†) have a lower formalization, as he feared that if he did not let these very qualified people do their job, they would leave the company. Those of a lower status have higher formalization, as Steve has little trust in them. At the same time, it can be said that the organization has a centralized structure, as for instance, no product is ever released without it being approved by the CEO. In many situations though, decisions have to be made without his approval. A reason for this can be found in the wise words â€Å"No brain can effectively control more than 6-7 other brains† (General Sir Iain Hamilton) Who is Steve Jobs as a Leader? It is interesting to discuss whether Steve Jobs can be defined as a leader, or if he is in fact â€Å"just† a manager. Leaders can be said to be visionaries who drive new initiatives, which makes them likely to take risks. They seek to create positive or dramatic change. Managers on the other hand seek to achieve stability and predictability. It cannot be denied that Jobs has never hesitated to take a risk with his ideas and products, which would therefore make him a leader. â€Å"Managers do things right, leaders do the right thing† is another perception of the two terms. With undeniable success, Jobs has definitely done things right, which would make him a manager. Of course, there has been failure on his road to success, but if we take the firing from Apple (1998) as an example, his comeback only made him seem even more important in his role as CEO of the company. It is difficult to define him as one or the other. According to Mintzberg, management and leadership overlap. However, although most CEO’s must be a manager, not all posses the traits of a leader. The leadership ability to inspire is not easily acquired, and it was perhaps this trait, which made him not only a manager, but also an exceptional leader. Besides his inspirational qualities, there are other personality traits that define him as a leader. Through his commencement speech at the Stanford University graduation, he made use of his great rhetorical skills and charisma. According to Cannel (2008) typical traits of good leaders include ability to inspire and listening, sharing and delegating skills, and these boxes can therefore be checked off. In addition to this, an appealing trait is technical or professional knowledge and competence in a particular field. Jobs had an ability to connect art and technology, which led to e.g. the iPod. Taking the traits above into consideration, Jobs can be defined as what we call a Transformational leader, which is a term in new leadership. A such leader is typically charismatic, inspiring and motivates others to perform â€Å"beyond their contract†. According to Tichy and Devanna (1986) Transformational leaders have three main roles: Recognizing the need for revitalization Creating a new vision Institutionalizing change Jobs fulfils all three roles, as he had the ability to figure out what customers wanted, before they knew they wanted it. The creation of the iPod was on of the first examples of this. The iPhone and iPad kept Apple competitive on the market. Jobs has always been very involved in these inventions and has always aimed for the highest possible standards in his products. His way of incorporating art into technology, is what made the products of Apple unique and competitive. Examples of new ideas are the white iPods, Macs etc. and touch-screens. Even though other brands have attempted to use the same, it has now become a part of the Apple brand. The concept of New Transformational Superleader combines the ultimate traits of a leader in the 20th century. Such leaders must be in possession of specific traits, style-counselling and a context-fitting leadership. In the first category is appearance. In relation to this, it is interesting to notice that Steve Jobs always dresses in a black turtleneck, round glasses, jeans and sneakers. This characteristic outfit has become a symbol of his personality as it reflects his characteristic style. (Steve Jobs, p. 411 Walter Isaacson 2011) In the style-counselling category we again find that inspirational and visionary qualities together with risk-taking is valued. In an interview with ABC news, his former partner Steve Wozniak explained how Jobs was never afraid to take a chance on what he believed in, and he deliberates on the meaning of Jobs’ quote in the Stanford university commencement speech â€Å"Stay hungry, stay foolish†: â€Å"Like his other words (†¦) â€Å"follow your dreams, follow your internal passion, what’s in your heart, believe in yourself even when a lot of people are saying â€Å"No, this is not right, it’s not going to be worth anything, it’s not going to go anywhere, you’re off the right track,† and that’s very important.† Last we find the context-fitting category. Jobs is a very situational leader. As the world changes the products need to change too. An example of his context-fitting style was the personalization of the computer or the invention of the iPod. He did not invent these, but his creations so fundamentally changed the market, he might as well have. Today, many people do not have mp3 players, they have iPods, and so he created a whole new concept for a whole new time. Again, Jobs’ way of seeing what people wanted before they knew they wanted it, paved the way for great success on a new market. Later on, as the iPod almost became a necessity, and smartphones became popular, Jobs again fitted his products with the situation and found a way to combine the iPod, the computer (Mac/iOS) and the smartphone into one – the iPhone. The future of Apple Inc. The death of Steve Jobs had great impact on the organization of Apple. Having identified what made him so successful as a leader, it has become obvious that the new CEO has much to live up to. The stocks of Apple fell the day Jobs died, which provokes the idea that people connect Jobs’ death with Apple Inc.’s failure. (See attachment 1) It has come to show that people have dreaded what will now happen to Apple. There is a fear that Cook lacks the creativity and innovativeness that Jobs possessed. When the iPhone 4s came out instead of an iPhone 5, it cannot be denied that many were disappointed. Even though Jobs was in on the development of the 4s, it was Cook who presented it to the world, and so many have linked this ‘lack of renewal’ with Cook. Cook has yet to prove to Apple customers that he too has the required skills to be as successful as Jobs. Even though people may have doubts about Jobs’ successor, he has in fact done a lot to make Cook as capable as himself: Weve got really capable people at Apple. I made Tim [Cook] COO and gave him the Mac division and hes done brilliantly. I mean, some people say, Oh, God, if [Jobs] got run over by a bus, Apple would be in trouble. And, you know, I think it wouldnt be a party, but there are really capable people at Apple. And the board would have some good choices about who to pick as CEO. My job is to make the whole executive team good enough to be successors, so thats what I try to do. Tim Cook may be a capable CEO, but he has yet to prove his creative skills. He was a perfectionist and may have had more passion for his products than Cook has. A great leader should always leave behind a company, which is independent of them, and will flourish without them. When Jobs was fired in 1985 the company proved to be dependent on him, and it most likely would have gone bankrupt, had he not been rehired. The last time Jobs ‘left Apple’ it all went downhill†¦ will it happen again? Conclusion In conclusion, the organization of Apple has a flat structure, which gives the CEO a possibility for a high level of involvement, while delegating responsibilities to teams he trusts to do their part. Steve Jobs has personally contributed a great deal to the success of Apple with his creativity and innovative mind. As a leader he has made the organisation very functional by attempting to create an independent company, but still staying as involved as possible. He can be defined as a New Transformational Superleader, who is an inspirational person with the anility to motivate followers to higher levels of achievement and at the same time lead others to lead themselves. His ability to know what customers want before they know it themselves has transformed Apple from a minor computer company to a worldwide brand. His role in the creation of unique products was big, and as a front figure of the company the success of Apple has been linked to him, and made him a memorable leader, who will very likely go down in history. The future of Apple is yet to be defined, but if his successor possesses some of the same qualities as himself, it is likely that the success of Apple will continue for many years to come. Stay hungry, stay foolish – Steve Jobs References Litterature: Andrzej A. Huczynski and David A. Buchanan, Organizational Behaviour (7th Ed.) Walter Isaacson, Steve Jobs – En biografi om manden bag Apple, Gyldendal 2011 Webpages: Steve Wozniak on Steve Jobs’ risk taking: http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/video/steve-wozniak-death-steve-jobs-146801955 Independent leadership: http://www.gordontraining.com/leadership-training/no-steve-jobs-at-apple-how-dependent-should-an-organization-be-on-a- single-charismatic-leader/ Steve Jobs at the D8 Conference 2010: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrS7JQv-zgY Jobs on whether Apple could live without him: http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2008/fortune/0803/gallery.jobsqna.fortune/5.html The biography of Steve Jobs: http://allaboutstevejobs.com/bio/short/short.html : Steve Jobs as a leader: http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/video/steve-jobs-proudest-achievement-14801246 Attachment 1: Organizational Chart: http://www.theofficialboard.com/org-chart/apple Attachment 2: Apple Stocks http://finance.yahoo.com/echarts?s=AAPL+Interactive#chart6:symbol=aapl;range=20110701,20111209;indicator=volume;charttype=line;crosshair=on;ohlcvalues=0;logscale=on Attachment 1 Attachment 2

Rapid development and popularization of the Internet

Rapid development and popularization of the Internet In recent two decades, with the rapid development and popularization of world internet and computer technology, internet has been an integral part of both human daily life and financial market. Based on the World Internet Stats (2010), the number of internet users around the world totaled 1.97 billion by June 2010, increased 444.8 percent over the last decade (Figure 1). Gilmore et al (2007) stated that adopting internet and e-marketing strategy within business provide small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) an opportunity to reduce cost, improve competiveness and expand businesses. With a growing number of SMEs are combining internet and web site with business, it has become the mainstream for SMEs in the world to adapt internet technologies to expand business and grow themselves. In simple terms, e-marketing refers to achieving business goals by using world wide web (WWW), instant messaging, emails, online payment and other forms of internet related technologies (Gilmore et al., 2007). An e-marketing strategy includes the actions taken in order to promote a brand via the internet and a good e-marketing strategy plays a most significant role in the success of a business (Rampur, 2010). Figure1 Internet Users in the World by Geographic Region Source: World Internet Stats (2010) It is widely believed that large enterprises contribute a lot to the economy. However, SMEs also play an important role in both world and local economy. SMEs are not only an important revenue contributor, but also a great job opportunities provider. To be precise, SMEs account for 98.9 percent of total number of businesses, 77.3 percent of employed people, 65.6 percent of gross industrial output value, 63.3 percent of sales revenues and 54 percent of total profits in China (Singh and Garg, 2010).   With Chinas entry into World Trade Organization (WTO), China government has shown the ambitious to encourage both state-owned enterprises and SMEs to walk with worlds pace. In 2002, SME Promotion Law of the Peoples Republic of China was carried out to support and encourage the development of SMEs in China. According to Hong (2010), Jiangsu province has strong competitiveness not only in per-capital GDP, but also in internet penetration. As a representative of Chinas SMEs, Jiangsu province also carried out policies to promote the development of SMEs and improve international competitiveness such as Promotion Rules of SMES in Jiangsu Province. Though the development of SMEs is booming and some of the SMEs in Jiangsu are considering marketing strategies via Internet, a number of SMEs are still implementing marketing strategies in traditional ways. They prefer to focus on the products and services from the supplier perspective instead of customer perspective (Sheth and Sharma, 2005). The fact is that SMEs who are adopting new advanced technologies have enjoyed benefits of e-marketing and achieved advantageous position (Chong et al., 2009). For example, some SMEs are using email as an important medium to communicate with customers, to share products and services information with customers and enhance customer loyalty (Merisavo and Raulas, 2004). In the meanwhile, some SMEs are thinking highly of online platform such as the third-party website Alibaba.com. Suppliers and buyers prefer to transact through Alibaba.com for low requirement, reliable online payment and large market share (Zhao et al., 2008).It is the time for all SM Es to reconsider the traditional way of doing business and think more of e-related marketing strategies. Under this situation, it is a great opportunity for SMEs in Jiangsu to follow the world trend and do business with new e-marketing strategies. Literature Review With the popularization of the Internet and website, there appear a trend that more SMEs prefer to marketing their brands via Internet. A large quantity of researchers and authors has done researches on e-marketing strategy. Drivers and barriers to e-marketing adoption amongst SMEs were stated by Gilmore et al. in 2007. Chong et al. in 2009 carried out a questionnaire about the seasons, problems and benefits of e-marketing. The most frequency answer tends to be competition in the marketplace, security and better relationship with customers, respectively. Singh et al. in 2010 concluded promotional policies for SMEs by the Chinese Government, which gave us a comprehensive understanding of the contribution that the government made for the sustained, steady and fast development of SMEs in China. Stephen Rampur in 2010 pointed out several components of e-marketing strategy, which are search engine optimization (SEO), email marketing strategy, online advertising, online newsletters and media news rooms. To conclude, a large quantity of previous researches and studies have been made to explore e-marketing and SMEs and e-marketplace, of which some studies may based on the Chinese economy. Nevertheless, merely a few studies focused on B2B e-marketing strategy for SMEs. As a consequence, this paper will provide a deeper study on the topic relating to B2B e-marketing strategy for SMEs especially in Jiangsu province. Research questions What is the current situation of the development of the e-marketing technology in Jiangsu province? What is the B2B e-marketing adoption amongst SMEs in Jiangsu province? What are the components of B2B e-marketing strategy for SMEs in Jiangsu? Research Objectives This paper has following objectives: Provide an overall understanding of the development of e-marketing technology in China and Jiangsu province. Understand the current situation of the B2B e-marketing adoption amongst SMEs in Jiangsu province. Highlight the role that internet plays in B2B e-marketing strategy. Find out the components of B2B e-marketing strategy for SMEs in Jiangsu province. Research Methodology Both quantitative analysis techniques and qualitative analysis techniques will be applied in this research, which consist of several steps: questionnaire design, data collection and data analysis. Online questionnaire will be carried out to collect original data from 200 managers of SMEs in Jiangsu province. The current situation of e-marketing adoption amongst SMEs will be analyzed through these data. For example, for a question Have you ever used Internet technology to develop your business?, if 60 managers answered yes, one basic conclusion can be made that three tenth of the SMEs in Jiangsu have adopt e-marketing strategy. The reasons why online questionnaire method was used are that the cost is low, the result is more precise and the respondents have little hesitation (Saunders, et al., 2009). Moreover, interview with 20 information management and information system (IMS) students will collect data for open-ended questions. Research Plan Research Resources Resources needed for this research include a book called > and other book resources borrowed from the Library of Xian Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU). Eight months will be taken in the research from September 2010 to May 2011. Furthermore, a computer linked to the internet with Microsoft Project installed will be used. It should be emphasized that in order to obtain academic research papers and articles online, the computer should be used within the boundaries of the XJTLU campus.

New Life :: essays research papers

It’s another crisp blue morning in the town of Flagstaff. Two Dogs bark protectively from across the street warning a passer by not to shit in our neighborhood. In my mind Flagstaff is not a solid place, it is continually changing. As I’ve been getting older, my perception of Flagstaff has been growing too. I’ve been coming up to Flag since I was ten years old. At that time, the town felt so old and rustic. It was a place where one could escape from the desert heat, from sitting through boring Sunday sermons, and from the monotony of everyday life. I would come up every weekend with friends to climb in the surrounding canyons. This was our training ground for many years. Bouldering in the forest with beers and buds proved to be an excellent way of getting stronger. Flagstaff was a place where we could push our limits, work on projects and achieve incredibly rewarding goals. Although climbing was always our main priority, we felt that it was important to balance the anguish of rock climbing with the relief of Advil and cold beer. This is where the construction and corruption of my character began. As my friends got older, they began migrating north for college and a new era of Flagstaff emerged. I still came up on weekends to go climbing, but people were becoming harder to motivate. I guess it was half to do with the fact that the climbing was so accessible that you could just go climb any time you wanted, but a new force was also emerging. It came to be known as the â€Å"Evil Party Vortex†. It was a strong gravitational pull which had shifted our focus from climbing to boozing. Late nights lead to shorter days. We seldom got out of the house before 1:00. Coffee intake was so extreme that when you finally got out to the rocks, nervous tremors would shake you off the wall. My climbing was going down hill. I really wanted to move up to join my friends in pursuits of drunken belligerence, yet at the same time I really wanted to travel and rock climb. After I graduated from high school I knew I would be going to NAU, but not right away. I was originally just going to take one year off, but I ended up taking two. I was always searching for the next challenging adventure.

Teen Pregnancy :: Teenage Pregnancy

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  While many teens that engage in pre-marital sex never become pregnant, some are not as fortunate. Teen pregnancy has become all too common in this day and age. Some teens think it will not happen to them and do not use necessary precautions to protect against it. There are several causes for teen pregnancy and the effects can be life changing.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Several causes for teen pregnancy are: the need for affection, acceptance, and unprotected sex. One may have a poor home life and look for affection from a peer. The simple desire to feel loved by another person may be a cause for an unexpected pregnancy. A teen may have a low self-esteem and simply be looking for acceptance in the bedroom. However, many teens that have a wonderful, affectionate family and are very confidante are merely looking for the few minutes of pleasure and avoid using protection. As several teens use the excuse that sex feels better with out a condom, an unwanted pregnancy is likely to occur.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One major effect of teen pregnancy is that the child may be raised by a single parent. While most girls are looking for love and acceptance in sex, many guys are looking for the mere pleasure and are not planning on becoming a teen father. The pressures of high school and hanging out with friends may be overwhelming for some teens, so they just leave. Raising a child as teen is difficult, but raising a child alone would be almost impossible.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Many teens become overwhelmed with the stresses of high school and raising a baby; therefore, dropping out of school may seem like the best option. Attending school five days a week, studying for classes, and raising a baby would be overwhelming for most teens. One would have to pay for babysitting and many other expenses for the child that a part time job income could not cover. Dropping out of high school to work full time may seem like a great idea at the moment, but the jobs one applies for may be limited because the lack of a high school diploma.

Marxian Economics

Our work aims to research a modern development of Marxian economics, primarily at the theoretical level and make clear how do Marxs’ â€Å"laws of motion† of capitalism relate to Schumpeter’s views of imperialism. † Marx was a German journalist, exiled in London, who combined significantly different intellectual traditions in order to explain economic systems, including German philosophy, French political theory, and English political economy. Joseph Schumpeter was an Austrian scholar who was very critical of, yet much taken with, his predecessor, com/compare-and-contrast-karl-marxs-and-walt-rostows-theories/">Karl Marx, whose focus on historical analysis he admired and emulated.They both believed that capitalism is a stage of economic development in which the potential of humankind cannot fully develop. Both came to the study of economics questioning the fundamental assumptions of existing economic theory, and thus each took more of economic theory to be p roblematic than did most economic theorists. Both conceptualized the capitalist system as a whole, yet with the realization that the economic realm hardly constitutes the totality of human experience and thought.The real issue, which may indeed appear to have its scandalous aspect, arises when great economists direct their attention to what I shall call the cosmological problem of economics—namely, the social configurations of production and distribution (if you will, the macro and micro patterns) that ultimately emerge from the self-directed activities of individuals. What is remarkable about Marx and Schumpeter is that they are among the very few who have proposed solutions to this problem of an imagination and scope comparable to that of Smith, but that their resolutions differ from one another almost totally.In Marx's schema the system is destined to pass through successive crises that both alter its socioeconomic texture and gradually set the stage for a final collapse. Marx described his view of capitalism in â€Å"The Communist Manifesto† (1848), a social vision that, as Schumpeter points out, underlies Marx's life-long research program. In the introduction to his â€Å"Contribution to the Critique of Political Economy† (1850), Marx gave the clearest and most succinct description of his method of historical analysis, referred to by others as historical materialism.According to Marx, historical development is a progression of epochs, each distinguished by a particular mode of production, a â€Å"way of life,† based on the level of technology and division of labor (the forces of production) and a corresponding set of class (social) relations of production. For any epoch, any mode of production, according to Marx, the development of the forces and relations of production forms the foundation of social life. With the production of surplus over subsistence, classes emerge and develop, divided conceptually by Marx into producing an d non-producing (exploiting) classes.Social change is propelled by class conflict, that is, the struggle related to the contradictions between the developing technical forces of production and the existing class relations which act to impede this development. Socioeconomic development involves the transformation of class relations, which in turn enables the new dominant ruling class to exert control over resources and productive labor. Marx claims that the transition from one mode of production to the next is fundamentally revolutionary because the new mode of production is a qualitatively different social formation organized around new laws of development.Furthermore, the transition is one of violent, wrenching changes in social status, power, and legal rights. â€Å"The history of all society that has existed hitherto,† Marx firmly asserted, â€Å"is the history of class struggles† (1904 : 45). For instance, Marx describes the transition from the feudal to the capita list mode of production as a long period of conflict and bloodshed in which old class relations give way to new ones, a period in which primitive accumulation creates capitalists and expropriation creates a mass of wage-workers.Class-divided society proscribes the satisfaction of â€Å"truly human† needs because production is based on exploitation of the producing classes by the non-producing classes. Emancipation of humankind requires an end to this exploitation which, according to Marx, becomes possible with the development of the capitalist mode of production, which polarizes society into a small capitalist ruling class and a working class of exploited wage-workers who make up the vast majority of the population.Marx defines capitalism as a system of commodity production—production for exchange and profit—based on a system of wage-labor. Capitalists own the means of production and hire workers who must sell their labor power because they have no control over the means of subsistence or means of production. Capitalist development is dominated by capitalist control over production to accumulate capital. Capitalists are interested in production for profit rather than for use.This motivation means that the system as a whole operates to expand exchange value, market value, the money capitalists receive for the commodity production they control. According to Marx, this motivation to accumulate capital, that is, exchange value, creates contradictions in a system of unregulated market exchange because commodities are a unity of opposites. They are both useful objects to be consumed in the process of reproducing the material needs of the society and exchange values representing part of the socially produced value created through the social division of labor.This â€Å"value,† that is, embodied labor, â€Å"objectified abstract homogenous labor,† regulates the exchange value or price of each commodity. Commodity prices reflect the m agnitude of value, of â€Å"socially necessary† labor used to produce the commodity. Each commodity is a â€Å"social product† in that its production is dependent on a complex social division of labor that determines its labor cost, the amount of socially necessary labor time that goes into producing it.Marx sees contradictions in capitalism because, for the system as a whole to create a steady accumulation of capital over time, it must also create just the right combinations of different use values, specific useful products, to generate the growth in capital year to year. Marx recognizes capitalism as the most productive mode of production in history, because capitalists control the surplus product over and above the needs of simple reproduction of the existing level of output, and they use the surplus mainly to expand production and to increase productivity.Marx characterizes capitalism thus: the ascendance of industrial capitalists whose profits are based on exploit ation of wage workers through the extraction of surplus labor; revolutionary changes in the forces of production (technology and the division of labor) and therefore dramatic, continuing increases in productivity; capital accumulation fed by a growing mass of surplus value controlled by capitalists; increasing subordination and dependence of workers on capital; continual deterioration of workers' working and living conditions; and increasing competition for available jobs from a growing reserve army of unemployed workers.Other characteristics of a capitalist system for Marx include a tendency toward a declining average rate of profit; expansion of nonproductive but necessary commercial and financial capital; new forms of monopoly; extension of the capitalist mode of production to create a world market and worldwide capitalist system; uneven development of capitalism geographically so that at any time the existence of newly developing capitalist sectors provide fresh opportunities fo r capitalist exploitation; periodic trade cycles; and less frequent convulsive general crises of the system.In selling their labor power, wage-workers give up any right to the output they produce so that in capitalist production, objectification, the production of material objects, becomes alienation. Furthermore, in alienating their labor, the workers produce commodities that become capital, that is, the capitalists' source of power over the workers. Thus in capitalism, alienation brings about reification. Also, workers give up control over the labor process and therefore over their own productive activity, so much so that labor becomes a burden, and workers work to live instead of live to work.The accumulation of capital, representing the realization of man's essential powers, becomes for the wage-workers a loss of their reality, which for Marx connotates sociality. Marx shows that alienated labor means alienated man, devaluation of life, loss of human reality. Only the working cl ass can bring about this fundamental change because only workers gain this insight through their historical-social situation. According to Peter Drucker (1983: 125), Schumpeter considered himself the â€Å"son† of Marx.Schumpeter devoted himself to promoting scientific progress in economics, through theoretical, historical, and statistical contributions, on the one hand, and teaching and critical analysis of economic doctrine on the other. In his History of Economic Analysis (1954) Schumpeter‘s epistemology may be summarized as follows: 1. He had great faith in science, which he defined as â€Å"technique† and â€Å"tooled knowledge. † 2. Schumpeter was a great advocate of mathematical and econometric methods in economics. 3.In his History of Economic Analysis, Schumpeter had already outlined the major points of the Popper/Kuhn/Lakatos debate: the tension between conservatism and change that is inherent in scientific revolutions; the usefulness of both ten dencies. 4. Schumpeter was a positivist, but he accepted both verification and falsification as tests of a theory. 5. Schumpeter was anti-instrumentalist. He did not see the purpose of science as simple prediction but believed that the truth of assumptions does matter. 6.Schumpeter appears to have held contradictory views of the impact of ideology on economic analysis. He considered the intrusion of politics and ideology in economics as the major cause of â€Å"misconduct† in science. These apparently contradictory views represent, in my opinion, a defense of economics against Marx's evaluation of it as â€Å"bourgeois ideology. † Schumpeter agrees with Marx and credits him with the discovery that ideas tend to be historically conditioned, reflecting the class interest of the writer.Schumpeter claims, however, that ideological bias is not solely caused by the economic element in class position, and that social position is not shaped entirely by class interest (1954:10) . Thus, despite the fact that ideology affects the focus and the content of economic writings, analysis is not bourgeois ideology. Thus, Schumpeter believed that even Marx and Marxists contribute to progress in economic analysis. It was important to Schumpeter to acknowledge his debt to Marx, and apparently crucial to him that he refute the revolutionary basis and purpose of Marx's work.Schumpeter adopts what he takes to be Marx's research program and, like him, attempts to uncover the laws of motion of capitalist development. His purpose is clearly to defuse Marx's theory of revolution by converting it to a theory of evolution. Schumpeter accepts the structure and some of the content of Marx's economic sociology (the theory of origins and transitions) and economics (the theory of markets and mechanisms). Schumpeter's social vision as depicted in the Theory of Economic Development rejects—in fact inverts—important relationships of Marx's social and economic vision.In à ¢â‚¬Å"The Communist Manifesto in Sociology and Economics† (1949b), Schumpeter paid homage to Marx's contribution to economic sociology, which he considered to be the prescientific theorizing necessary to the research program they both pursued. In this article, he also suggests the theoretical basis for his revision of Marx. Schumpeter analyzes the scientific content of the Manifesto, which contains Marx's social vision, and he then identifies three of Marx's important contributions (however â€Å"warped by ideological bias†) to economic sociology.Schumpeter points out that Marx identified the necessary theoretical ingredients of the economic sociology in which to embed an economic theory of capitalist development: (1) a theory of history (which for Marx, according to Schumpeter, was an economic interpretation of history); (2) a theory of class (in which, for Marx, social classes and class relations become the pivot of the historical process); and (3) a theory of the sta te (which Schumpeter says shows Marx's understanding of the state even though Schumpeter believes that Marx recognized these tendencies only in the bourgeois state) (p. 09).Schumpeter criticizes Marx for his attachment to his social vision, his inability to revise his social vision in the light of contradictory scientific evidence. Clearly, it was Schumpeter's intent to counteract Marx and serve science by converting Marx's program into positivist science. This required building economic analysis on a social vision that is scientifically acceptable. In accepting a Marxian research program (analysis of the historical development, the internal dynamics, of capitalism), Schumpeter also had to use the structure of Marx's economic sociology.He needed a theory of history, of social class, and of the state to describe the development of the economically relevant institutions. But Schumpeter rejected much of the content of Marx's theory, including what he considered to be Marx's economic de termininism, that is, the analysis of change in social structures in terms of economic change alone; Marx's theory of class relations, that class conflict is the motive force behind economic and social change; and Marx's critique of the state, which was directed only at the bourgeois state.Also Schumpeter rejected Marx's class conflict and revolutionary theory. He could hardly envision the working class becoming a revolutionary class, that is, becoming the subjects of history, the major actors and motive force for change. Instead, he substituted his own theory of class and class relations based on his ideas about leadership and followership in which entrepreneurs carry out the â€Å"new combinations† that promote capitalist development. Schumpeter accepted Marx's materialist, dialectical view of history, the view that people create their own history through choice, concerted action, and struggle.He also recognized that history must be dialectical if it is evolutionary. Human subjects react to and change history. Change occurs through opposition and adaptation and learning. He objected to Marx's purely economic definition of class based on individuals' relations to the means of production, a definition he believed to be at the basis of Marx's economic determinism. Schumpeter paraphrased Marx's theory thus: â€Å"the social process of production determines the class relations of the participants and is the ‘real foundation' of the legal, political, or simply factual class positions attached to each.Thus the logic of any given structure of production is ipso facto the logic of the social superstructure† (1949b: 206). Schumpeter also rejects Marx's view that class relations are exclusively antagonistic, and that antagonisms among groups are exclusively based on distinctions of economic classes. He believes that there are multiple classes in capitalist society, just as there were in earlier epochs. There is a strong family resemblance here to Sc humpeter's vision of capitalism as an evolutionary process of creative destruction. The innovative function certainly plays a vital role in Marx's laws of motion.This bring Marx into the picture in a way that attempts to minimize the distance between him and Schumpeter and which is consistent with Schumpeter's well-known admiration for Marx. They are both concerned with the dynamics of development, and although they come from the opposite ends of the political spectrum, their similarities are profound and stand as an affront to the modern theory of static equilibrium in the Walrasian tradition. In the vision of capitalism as a dynamic process, Marx and Schumpeter share common ground, not just in their appreciation of capitalism, but also in their attempt to construct a truly dynamic economics.Marx and Schumpeter set the economic process into historical time. This is more than just adding a â€Å"t† subscript on all the variables of a model, and it is clearly different from pr oducing a growth model, although a growth model may be a useful aspect of a dynamic analysis. It means that the analysis does not violate the fundamental reality of time that the future follows the present and is unknowable, while the present has a past that is knowable and has caused the present to be what it is. In such a world disequilibrium and/or equilibrium-destroying events would be the central concern of the theorist.Thus, for both Marx and Schumpeter, capitalism has a past and is tending toward a future that is imminent in the configuration of forces at work in the present (Schumpeter, 1962: 43). To illustrate, it was capitalism's similarity with feudal and slave relations of production that led Marx to search for an explanation of how exploitation occurs under capitalism. Moreover, it was the vision of historical transformation that supplied the basis of his critique of classical political economy based on the latter's tendency to assume that capitalist production relation s were fixed and external.It is important to note that Schumpeter misses, misunderstands, or rejects Marx's value theory and the basis for Marx's theory of revolution Private property and capital represent a class relation in which wage workers, by selling their labor power, create the capitalist's private property. Furthermore, not only do they create a product that becomes a power over them, but also, by submitting to a work process organized by the capitalist for his own profit, they alienate their life activity, their work. They work to live rather than live to work.They become more and more dependent on the cash nexus of market transactions for their survival and for their satisfactions. They become alienated from their species life, the essence of the life of the human species which is human social development through creative work. Marx's basic argument, which is also an argument about logic, is that for truly human life to be possible, it is necessary (but not necessarily in evitable) for the wage-workers, for the exploited, to revolt. Schumpeter's class theory and theory of value together eliminate the possibility of revolt.It may be true that there is a high correlation between belief in the efficacy of the free market as an allocator of resources and protector of individual freedom and the method of static equilibrium theory to explain the operation of the market. However, as Schumpeter himself stressed many times, the deductions of economic analysis do not logically imply any particular ideological position. Static equilibrium theory no more proves the desirability of the free market than the labor theory proves the desirability of socialism.The fact that Marx and Schumpeter ascribed to radically different ideologies but each believed in the central importance of the evolutionary approach is itself sufficient proof that holding to a conservative, liberal, or radical ideology does not force one into the static equilibrium mold. In his works Marx wrot e about substratum of abstract labor which was an â€Å"essence† of concrete labors. Schumpeter in his â€Å"Imperialism and Social Classes† thought about social process regulated by a hierarchy of talents, organized in social classes (Schumpeter, 1955: 137, 160). In this process bourgeois class must provide the leadership role.