Indian Curries Essay

Indian curries are, with no doubt, a famous part of cuisine to be found almost everywhere around the world. They are popular for their great taste and wide variety. It is no wonder then to find restaurant and other forms of eateries specializing in Indian cuisine. An Indian cuisine is not complete without the curry. In fact, the word curry is synonymous with Indian cuisine. Apart from the variety and great taste of Indian curries, they also have tantalizing colors that are appealing to the eye. There is a misconception about the Indian curries that is held by the public, especially American public. Many people think that they are always spicy. This is not the case. Some curries have sour flavors, and even sweet in some cases. It is not true that curry powder is the only ingredient of curry food in India. There are other ingredients like pepper, chillies and others. However, it is true that spices are a central part of Indian curry dishes, but not the sole component. This paper is going briefly look at the historical background of Indian curry. The different types of Indian curries will also be analyzed. The writer will also analyze the incorporation of Indian curry in American cuisine, and the popularity of this curry amongst the American public. Indian Curries: A Brief Background When the word curry is used in the Indian context, it refers to sauce (Panjabi, 2006). As such, any kind of Indian food that is accompanied by a sauce is referred to as a curry. Curries in India are used as a side dish, meaning that they accompany other meals like rice, chicken or lamb (Sanmugam, 2003). On the other hand, curry powder is a combination of various spices. These will include turmeric, coriander and other powders like chillies and ginger. The term curry is derived from a word that is found in the southern Indian community of Tamil (Panjabi, 2006). This community used the word â€Å"kari† to describe the same kind of dish that Indians refer to as curry (Panjabi, 2006). Curries have a very long history in the Indian culture. By the year 3000 B. C. , most of the ingredients of curry powder were to be found in Indian farms (Raghavan, 2006). These include turmeric and pepper. Also, mustard and cardamom were to be found in these farms. It is important to note that these were the basic ingredients of curry powder, meaning that this powder existed that early in this civilization. But the earliest evidence of a recipe that can be described as curry dish appeared much later. This is the period around 1700 B. C (Raghavan, 2006). It was in form of a meat dish that was accompanied with a spicy sauce, the hall mark of Indian curry (Raghavan, 2006). This was found in Mesopotamia, and it was a recipe written on tablets. Archeologists and other analyst of the early civilizations contend that this dish was an offer to the Marduk God (Raghavan, 2006). Curry became a component of British cuisine in the late 18th century (Peterson, 2007). It was brought to this land by merchant ships sailing from India. The first recipe for what we refer to as â€Å"curry† today appeared in 1747 in Britain (Peterson, 2007). It was composed by Hannah Glasse. This was in her book â€Å"Glasse’s Art of Cookery† (Peterson, 2007). Before 1780, curry could be found in some restaurants in the city of London. Curry powder, the chief ingredient of curry dish in India, is made by combining at least a dozen spices. This combination is referred to by the Indians as garam masala (Hayden, 2009). This combination is used in the Indian curry dish to bring out the distinct flavor and taste that is associated with Indian cuisine, as well as to add to the tantalizing flavor. Early Indian curry dishes did not contain peppers. This is because peppers were not grown in India at that time. They only came to be incorporated into the dish after the Indians started trading with merchants who had access to red and chili peppers (Panjabi, 2006). Curry dish can be varied to cater for the need of vegetarians as well as the meat lovers. Types of Indian Curries  These are the type of curry dishes that can be found in restaurants of nowadays that specialize in Indian cuisine. The dishes, together with the accompanying recipe, originated from India and her environs, but are sometimes adapted to fit to the local environment. For example, beef is not used by Indians in their cuisines, as it is against the Hindu religion. However, one tends to find Indian curry accompanying beef in most contemporary restaurants in our society. Rogan Josh The chief ingredient of this curry dish is lamb (Panjabi, 2006). The spices in this dish are moderate. The dish has its roots in the cuisine that is practiced in the Kashmir. This is especially the northern region of this country (Panjabi, 2006). To spice it up, the chef uses conspicuous amounts of dried red chillies. This gives it its characteristic deep crimson color. Fresh tomatoes are also used. The tomatoes are accompanied by a dash of coriander. Jalfrezi This is another Indian curry dish that is moderately spiced, lacking the distinctive hot taste that many people like to associate with Indian cuisine (Hayden, 2009). The curry sauce is composed mainly of tomatoes. They are stir fried, then garnished with sweet pepper (Hayden, 2009). The individual can add more peppers to make the curry sauce hotter, instead of its original flavor of slightly sweet. This sauce can then accompany other dishes like fish with rice and bread. Vindaloo This dish will perhaps give the consumer the envisioned image of Indian curries. It is a very fiery curry that has conspicuous amounts of red peppers and vinegar (Hayden, 2009). This dish is not native to India. It came with the Portuguese who colonized this country. This was in the late 1400’s (Hayden, 2009). Originally, this dish was a combination of wine and garlic. Today, cardamom and mustard seeds can be used to add to the distinct hot taste of the sauce. Dopiaza These curry dish is based on onions. First, onions are browned. Then the chef will add ginger and garlic. These are the three main components of the sauce (Hayden, 2009). After this sauce is prepared, it is then combined with the beef, fish, chicken, lamb or any other kind of meat that the person desires. It is moderately dry. The above are just some of the common curry dishes that are to be found in our society. It is an indication of how Indian curries have influenced contemporary food preparation and habits in America. This can be gauged by the number of Indian restaurants that are to be found around the cities. Each city has at least three Indian restaurants (Raghavan, 2006). Though the dishes are of Indian origin, it is important to note that the restaurants serve both Indian and non-Indian clientele. Importance of Indian Curries Food serves a number of functions in the human society. It is not only used to satisfy the hunger pangs of the individual, but can also be out into a myriad of other many uses. For example, food can be used as a means of socialization, whereby people meet and socialize over a plate of food or a cup of tea. Food can also be used for cultural practices, for example when it is used by Indians as offerings to their gods. Indian curries serve these purposes and many others. However, the notable benefit of Indian curries is to be found in their use as medicinal agents. Indian curries have been known to fight common illnesses like Alzheimer and cancer. This is perhaps the reason why there are less cases of Alzheimer in India and her neighboring societies. For the curries to have the desired medicinal value, the chef is advised to use fresh ingredients, as opposed to the processed ingredients like curry powder found in many supermarket shelves today. Caraway seed is one of the oldest ingredients of Indian spices (Sanmugam, 2003). These seeds contain limonene oil (Sanmugam, 2003). This is very useful in boosting the individual’s immunity system. It also helps in soothing dry and itchy skin. This oil has been known to relieve many conditions, especially after been combined with olive oil. These include bronchitis and eye infections (Sanmugam, 2003). When used in food, this spice helps lactating mothers to produce more milk for the child. It can also be used to contain oral infections like halitosis. Cardamom pod is another very useful ingredient of Indian curry. It contains cineole (Peterson, 2007). This is a potent antioxidant. It boosts the immune system. It also detoxifies one’s liver. People who consume curry containing this spice regularly have been known to have reduced risks of getting cancer, especially stomach cancer (Peterson, 2007). It is also known to fight asthma and can be used to fight bad breath. Clove contains elements that are also of medicinal value. It has eugenol, another form of an antioxidant agent (Peterson, 2007). It relieves toothache and sore throat. Fennel seeds are also very helpful. They have antioxidant which helps in fighting infections like cancer. Anethole is one antioxidant contained in these seeds. Kaempferol and rutin are other antioxidants of the same seeds. Turmeric root contains curcuma. This is what gives it the signature orange taint. It is an antioxidant and a pain killer. Conclusion Indian curries have a very long history in the Indian civilization. The ingredients of curry powder were cultivated in this society three millennia before the birth of Christ. This is an indication that they were probably used in these times. Indian curries have greatly influenced the cuisine of contemporary western societies. This can be gauged by the profusion of Indian restaurants in the country. Indian curry can accompany a number of dishes, and the preparations and ingredients of this curry vary from one place to the other. Like any other form of food, Indian curry can be put into several uses apart from the conventional one of satisfying hunger. The writer noted the medicinal use of this curry, an indication of its popularity.

Kinds of evidence reveal about social justice Essay

During this essay I will be drawing from Chapters 1 and 3 from Social Justice Welfare Crime and Society and Chapter 4 DVD1 to discuss some different types of evidence about social injustice. The first example I am going to use is that from an extract from Book 1, Social Justice, Chapter 1, Extract 1.2, Mandela 1995, p83. Here Mandela gives a personal account of when he was training to be a lawyer and what social injustice he came across by way of discrimination. On the day that Mandela started his new job he was introduced to his office by a white secretary and to a fellow black colleague Gaur. Mandela was taken to one side and told that there was no colour bar at the law firm. The secretary then when on to say that that at mid morning there would be a tea break and that new cups had been purchased for himself and Gaur When the tea break came Mandela’s colleague decided not to use one of the two new cups provided but instead choose one of the old cups. Mandela however chose to decline and be impartial in order to neither alienate himself or offend. This could in fact have been Mandela’s source of justice for the injustice which had just been encompassed upon him. It could however also be said that the way Gaur dealt with the situation could be his own way of getting back at the secretary who had served him with this injustice and he could have thought the actions he gave was his own form of justice to himself. This sort of injustice is both discrimination and a form of disadvantage. This evidence used is by way of personal testimony, quantitive data. The second example is that Extract 1.2, page 9. The extract tells of a woman Lillie Mae Bedford who suffered a social injustice nearly 60 years ago and which is still affecting her today. This lady was charged with disordly conduct for sitting in a white only seat on an Alabama bus back in 1951. This lady is still awaiting a pardon for this today. Unfortunately Bradford is still carrying the weight of this today. Not only did it affect her by having a criminal record but this meant that she was unable to apply for certain jobs as she had a police record. In fact, this form of injustice  happened to another lady ‘Rosa Parks‘ a few years later, and her arrest provoked a bus boycott. This sort of injustice lead to a protest that whilst was initially defined as illegal went on to result in the law to be changed. This saw the beginning of the end for segregation and she became a civil rights icon. This also opened up questions on the relationship between justice, the law and the state. The law at the time was a powerful body of the state that that embodied certain ideas of what was just and unjust at certain times and certain places and that was reinforced with criminal justice bodies, i.e. the police, courts etc. The state does not just reflect these notions, it also creates them. However, these legal ideas of justice are not shared by everyone. Due to the way society reacted to both Bradford’s and Rosa Parks, the law was changed. This shows that the laws were not only changeable but also contestable. Many people face tough restrictions in entering another country in today’s world. Once entered into another country there are further controls and restrictions that migrants face. They can be by way of registration and the need to prove their identity and residence status. there has always been attempts to control immigration but in today’s society more than ever. Over more recent years new laws and restrictions have been introduced to control immigration. In chapter 4 of the DVD it gives audio recorded whereby immigrants are trying to enter one of the Spanish Islands illegally via boats, surf boards and even been known via refrigerator. Whilst of course this is illegal there is also a responsibility of ensuring that these immigrants are rescued and safely returned to shore. Jose Antonio, DVD 1, Chapter 4, discusses an incident where the Spanish Coastguards were informed that there were over 400 boats which had left Africa and where heading for Spanish waters. Illegal immigrants died in this journey over whilst others were left dehydrated in boats. Crime prevention clearly runs along side social welfare. Crime prevention is brought about by attempting to stop the immigrants getting into foreign countries where they are not permitted to without the correct documentation, passports etc. Crime prevention has been set up by way of border controls in all countries to attempt to stop all illegal immigrants. If border controls were removed then there would surely be a vast increase in immigrants entering illegally. Whilst crime prevention is much and must needed aspect of society this clearly entangles itself with the fact that social welfare towards immigrants is a human right. What starts as border control, crime prevention, quickly crosses over into being a salvage operation, social welfare. Clearly here the immigrants face an injustice not only because of their nationality but probably because of their social class as the majority of immigrants are looked on as lower class, possibly being having to be looked after by the state. An injustice has occurred here as their social welfare has not been addressed but crime control has by laws that have been put into existence by exercising control over those (immigrants) that threaten to disrupt what the state saw just and lawful. The final example I am using is that of injustice through work and that of harm through gender. Woman are particularly exposed to harm in the workplace particularly those from socially lower economic backgrounds and ethnic minorities. These women tend to have less choices about their working conditions and end up working for less pay, manually heavier jobs and longer hours. Barbara Ehrenreich (2002) carried out a study in America relating to living on a minimum wage. Enrenreich’s study offered an insight to the way these women had to live, the long hours they worked for little money and the demanding efforts they faced on a day to day basis. Unfortunately these women continued to work in these unjust conditions despite injury through fear of loss of pay. These workers were vulnerable. Their basic rights were abused, these women were often controlled by way of punishments made to them in their employment, no talking policies, having their work rotas re-scheduled at short notice etc. Whilst entering into paid work for these women and enabling them to develop new capabilities and social relationships it also noted it was a source of harm. Enrenreich’s study also raises questions in respect of dependence and independence – not only between employee and employer but also a dependence for women on low wages and the difficulties that they face and the fact they this could lead t further economic independence and quality of life. Whether this entangled into crime, I would say not really as laws are put in place to protect women albeit personally, unjust. The laws are governed and re-readdressed even if not everyone shares their values on what is right and just. This form of  evidence is by way of case study. Finally to give a brief conclusion about what I understand of social justice and social injustice. I understand that Social Justice is justice which is experienced within a society of various social classes. A socially just society is based on the principles of equality which both understands and values human rights based on the concept of human rights as income re-distribution, property re-distribution, progressive taxation and equality between men/women, disabled or able bodied to name a few examples. Social justice is one of both contestable and changeable. Social injustice is really just the opposite of the above. An injustice is claimed to be an unfairness within society/a wrong doing. Social injustice arises when the distribution of advantages and disadvantages in society is not equal. Big groups/large powerful organisations are often more powerful, more influential than that of a smaller group therefore often being responsible for many injustices however, these are often ignored by both the social welfare and criminal system. This to is also ever changeable and contestable. The evidence that I have used about is mostly that of quantitive data by use of both personal testimonials and case study. I used this sort of data as the examples I have used are from peoples injustices through their experiences they have lived and I feel personal testimonies would be more affective.

Analsysis of John Green;s The Fault in Our stars Essay

In 2013 it is predicted that 580,350 people will die from cancer (Howlader). Chances are any given person knows at least one person, who has suffered from cancer. Talking about cancer is not something that people willingly do. If you are unlucky enough to not know someone who has had cancer, reading The Fault in Our Stars by John Green will give you the emotions of losing someone dear to you to cancer. What makes this book worth reading because of it’s plot, the characters are relatable and give the reader meaning, and the book sticks in the readers mind even after finishing the book. The plot of The Fault of Our Stars tells the story of Hazel Grace who experiences a miracle that shrinks her ever growing tumors and buys her more years that she expected. The novel is based on the twist in Hazel’s life when she meets Augustus Waters, a cancer survivor, at a Cancer Kid Support group. The story follows the friendship and romance of Hazel and Augustus. The two grow together and share experiences and love for reading making their friendship and relationship become more solidified. The romance flourishes after Hazel has a medical issue due to the tumors in her lungs and explains to Augustus that she wants to meet her, and now his, favorite author in Amsterdam. Augustus uses his wish, presumably from the â€Å"Make a Wish Foundation,† to get himself, Hazel, and Hazel’s mother to Amsterdam. This trip is the climax in the relationship of Hazel and Augustus. They share their first kiss, and lose their virginities to each other. This is also the tipping point where we realize that Augustus is dying, Brodie 2 his cancer has reoccured and it appears to be incurable. After their trip we quickly see Augustus’ health go down a downward spiral, his caner getting worse and spreading throughout his body. The author then does the unexpected and ends the romance of Hazel and Augustus by having Augustus cancer overwhelm him and eventually take his life. Green follows Hazels life after his death showing her grief and her will to live. Augustus death gave her a new perspective on life. Wanting to fight her cancer more. The plot is overall strong and well thought out. The story is possible, while unlikely that two teenagers with terminal caner would travel to Amsterdam together, but still has the realistic nature that gives most people something to relate to. Having two teenagers with cancer fall in love gives the plot not only a twist at the end, but also something that everyone in their lives look for. It has hope for the people needing hope, love for the hopeless romantics, adventure for the adventure seekers, something for everyone can be found in this book. The characters Hazel Grace, and Augustus Waters, have aspects of their personalities that everyone can relate to. The author John Green specifically designed the characters to be relatable for all ages. Green gave Hazel a strong independent personality who doesn’t like seeing herself as being weak. Green wants to make Hazel a teenager, despite her terminal cancer. Green comments, â€Å"I wanted to establish that just because Hazel is sick and dying or whatever, she is still a teenager, and more generally she is still human and developing emotionally at the standard human rate, and not at some wildly increased rate of development that’s only available to you if you have incurable cancer. † (Questions). Green creates a character that has had things in her life happen that many teenagers will never experience. However he gives her â€Å"normal teenager† aspects where she does not enjoy physical contact with her mother. Giving her a real teenage Brodie 3 attitude makes her more relatable than a mature teenager who loves her parents and has terminal cancer. While Augustus seems to be the mature teenager who beat cancer, he still has his teen angst common in adolescence. He travels with Hazel against his parents wishes, he lies to Hazel about coming out of remission, and has attitude with a flight attendant when she asks him to remove an unlit cigarette from his mouth. While many teenagers wouldn’t go against their parents wishes especially when it comes to their wellbeing, lie to the woman they love about their cancer, and smoke unlit cigarettes to get across a metaphor, Green makes it clear that Augustus was a real person. He had pain and suffering that he didn’t lead on. Green says when asked why Augustus stops hiding his pain towards the end of his life, â€Å"I am really bothered by the idea that people in pain who are being wrenched from existence should be perpetually cheerful and compassionate about it. † (Questions). His point is that some people can only bottle up their pain for so long. This is something many teenagers with depression, and even adults can relate to. Memorability of a book or any form of media is important. Having quotes that can be used in everyday life, and some that are so deep that they make you think about yourself and the marks you leave on the world. Having strong quotes such as, â€Å"I’m in love with you, and I know that love is just a shout into the void, and that oblivion is inevitable, and that we’re all doomed and that there will come a day when all our labor has been returned to dust, and I know the sun will swallow the only earth we’ll ever have, and I am in love with you. † (Green, 128). The certain quotes that stick with someone, that initiate emotions, are important in any books. The emotions that can be drawn out of the reader, mainly bringing sadness towards the end when Brodie 4 Green does the worst possible thing to his characters by ending the life of Augustus, for some people this can spark intense emotions. Many people say to â€Å"not read this book in public† (Keane) due to the fact that many people have cried. Not expecting the twist ending, finding yourself shocked at the pain the other characters are feeling create an almost physical response from some readers. The effectiveness of a good book are based on the plot, characters, and memorability. While some of these are all based on personal preference it can be agreed that The Fault in Our Stars is, according to Time, an â€Å"instant classic. † Time magazine wrote, â€Å"(I can see) The Fault in Our Stars taking its place alongside Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret in the young-adult canon. † Writing about such an emotional topic of cancer and on top of that writing about the love and the loss of two teenagers is a strong concept to tackle and release into the public. The words on the pages jump off and overall the book is worth reading due to the intense plot line, relatable characters, and the quotable passages. Brodie 5 Works Cited Bruni, Frank. â€Å"Kids, Books and a Five-Hankie Gem. † The New York Times 22 Feb. 2012, sec. Opinion Paged: n. pag. New York Times. Web. 2 Oct. 2013. Green, John. The Fault in Our Stars. New York: Dutton Books, 2012. Print. Green, John. â€Å"Questions about The Fault in Our Stars. † John Green. N. p. , n. d. Web. 7 Oct. 2013. . Howlader N, Noone AM, Krapcho M, Garshell J, Neyman N, Altekruse SF, Kosary CL, Yu M, Ruhl J, Tatalovich Z, Cho H, Mariotto A, Lewis DR, Chen HS, Feuer EJ, Cronin KA (eds). SEER Cancer Statistics Review, 1975-2010, National Cancer Institute. Bethesda, MD, http://seer. cancer. gov/csr/1975_2010/, based on November 2012 SEER data submission, posted to the SEER web site, 2013. Keane, Shannon Rigney. â€Å"Book Notes: The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. † Girls Leadership Institute. N. p. , 7 Aug. 2012. Web. 11 Oct. 2013. . Lockhart, E. â€Å"The Fault in Our Stars: John Green, Kate Rudd: 9781455869893: Amazon. com: Books. † Amazon. N. p. , n. d. Web. 7 Oct. 2013. . Time Magazine. â€Å"Reviews for The Fault in Out Stars. † John Green. N. p. , n. d. Web. 7 Oct. 2013. .

Movement in education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Movement in education - Essay Example It is further stated that movement affects the brain which is activated during physical activity. The movement enhances the reading with utmost alertness, emotions are monitored and emotional intelligence is regulated through appropriate expressions. The movement also enhances the creativity by memorizing the past which can lead to self confidence. Children’s given physical education training so that their main movement center of brain remains activated enabling effective concentration during class hours. K-12 students are involved in creative topics enhancing their individual creativity. Physical activity is an important factor in building the students brain and physical fitness. Physical education is essential and should be made mandatory and part of the curriculum. All the schools in country should include various activities as part of the curriculum so that students don’t get sleepy sitting in the classroom. Physical activity like exercise, playing, creative development and all other activities apart from education which may build and develop brain’s activeness should be included in the curriculum. It was previously assumed that the physical and mental are separate and it is necessary to concentrate hard on books to be mentally strong. Further it was assumed that physical education may distract mental ability from the academic activity which was the main reason for reduction in recess and physical education in most of the school

Online Education Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Online Education - Assignment Example Modern ways of communication through internet and new forms multimedia has helped the online education to become more resourceful and accessible. With more advanced input technologies like webcams, screen capturing software etc. the trainers able to record and upload all the helping material related to the course online. Students have the option to download or stream videos and helping material online. The latest technological advancement is virtual classrooms where instructor and students can communicate in real time by using live webcams and microphones (Allen & Seaman, 2011). Online education is a mode of providing educational information through the internet on a personal computer rather than a traditional classroom environment. With the internet as a medium of online education courses are offered to students in different forms, including audio and video formats primarily. These types of electronic communications create a bridge between student and the instructor. Online education is usually considered distant learning home-based education but in some cases, there are hybrid education courses which require students to complete comes portion online and the rest of it requires classroom session. E-learning (Online education) trend is increasing quickly according to the recent study by the Sloan Consortium (A nonprofit organization that studies online education trends) (Bishop, 2006). Online education trend is increasing by about 21 percent from 2008 to 2009 and on the contrary, enrollments are only growing by 1.2 percent a year. More universities and colleges are offering online courses (Pew Research Center, 2011, p. 4). Online education courses are customized for people who are either already having a degree or they want to develop some new skills to progress in their fields.

Critically examine the determinants, the benefits and the risks of Essay

Critically examine the determinants, the benefits and the risks of Foreign Direct Investment for Developing Countries, using example of countries of your choice - Essay Example 81). For a country India, that is a developing economy (Banerjee, 2009, p. 75), the element of F.D.I is a mixed phenomenon. It brings along a whole set of conditions, requirements and parameters that are to be taken into regard with reference to processing the foreign direct investment. There are certain industries where the F.D.I benefits the overall health and outlook of the economy, for others there are areas where the Foreign Direct investment does not auger well. This paper looks into the overall scenarios, the determinants, the positives, the negatives, the constraints and considerations that are needed to be taken into account with regard to the Foreign Direct Investment and economy of India. The F.D.I comes into play on account of the meager outlook of the developing states where the resources are limited compared to the overall needs. Owing to this, the country aims for foreign investments. The foreign investment comes along with set of conditions, rules and regulations which makes up for the loss of free environment. Erdal Demirhan and Mahmut Masca have undertaken an investigative study of the developing countries with regard to the F.D.I and the determinants associated with it. Their study takes into account a total of over thirty eight developing countries that have been checked for the impact of F.D.I upon their economy (Demirhan & Masca, 2008). The determinants are presented in the form of variables. These variables are the per capita income, the G.D.P growth rate, labor rates, the overall rate of inflation against the given annual budget and most importantly the tax to G.D.P ratio and overall tax net. These elements have been assessed for to give a clear account of the F.D.I and its overall feasibility against a given economy such as India in this particular case. In order to present the scenario of Indian economy and the overall impact of F.D.I it is important to identify and mention the variables that are mentioned by Erdal Demirhan

Public & Private enterprise Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Public & Private enterprise - Essay Example Some good and services are not suppose to be provided by the private sectors in some countries. The public goods and services are defined by economist as non excludable and non rival while private goods are excludable and rival (Kelly, 2007). In public purchasing, it is important to use ethics in order to improve the morale and loyalty of customers and workers. Ethics in management ensure that leaders behave according to the code of contact hence attracting customers and retaining the previous customers (Kelly, 2007) In the reconstruction of Tappan Zee Bridge it is important to use the Public-Private Partnership (PPP). The construction will be effective since both the private and public sector will provide services and funds. There will be merging of ideas and the construction will be effective (Kelly, 2007). In respect to the wimp video there are five types of government. Monarchy or dictatorship is the first form of government which is ruled by a king with nobles. Oligarchy is another form which is the most common form of government ruled by powerful few. Anarchy is another form which means without government. People decided to have no government due to crimes committed by the government. Government is necessary for the protection and security and anarchy is not a good form of government. Democracy type f government means a form of government the rule of the majority. Republic government means the public thing and the government is limited by the law to safeguard the public (Kelly, 2007). Private-public enterprises are a contract made between a private party and a public sector authority. In the enterprise, a private party provides a service and assumes all risks, substantial financial and technical risks in the business. Example of the private-public enterprise is health organization providing health services, water privatization, centralized units and financing like banking services

Poor Customer Service Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Poor Customer Service - Essay Example They are after all paid for working for the primary stakeholder, the shareholder to create value and profit for him. It is incidental that for earning this profit, they have to be equally mindful of befitting the secondary stakeholders. Contrary to common belief, there are many stakeholders in the business apart from the shareholder or the stockholder. They are the employees, customers, suppliers, bankers and even the society at large who look for some benefit from the company, and in turn are also its well-wishers. The question is how to determine that the managers are acting in the best interest of the shareholders? One way is to read the annual financial results that reveal the results of their efforts in realizing profit and value for the owners of the company. But this does not reveal their competency level. The various audits and financial data only show that these are results of activities that have been checked for correctness but they do not reflect on what level of competence was exercised. The better and more comprehensive method is through Corporate Governance. The company is a legal entity and therefore has to enter into commercial transactions all the time for carrying on its business activities. These transactions are concluded by the managers on behalf of the company since the legal entity is not a person and needs agents to carry out these duties for it. This ability of the managers to enter into legal contracts and agreements makes them the agent of the company with the liability resting with the company. This situation gives rise to irresponsible behavior on the part of managers who do not carry the burden of any wrongdoing on their part. It is to control this likely misuse of power that Corporate Governance assumes importance. Business strategies and processes have to be tailor-made to serve every stakeholder. Similarly, Corporate Governance rules and processes have to encompass all activities that have a direct or indirect bearing on different stakeholders. It will not be far from the truth to say that the agency theory has little relevance on Corporate Governance. Â  

Review the key elements of educational thinking that have brougth into Essay

Review the key elements of educational thinking that have brougth into focus the role of reflective thinking and their impact on how we understand the learning and teaching process - Essay Example It is said that man is a social animal and the society demands that in order to live properly and harmoniously an individual needs to posses certain qualities, namely, solicitousness, responsibility and creativity. It is very naturally understood that a person, who has all these qualities in him, is of strong ethical and moral principle. He also has deep reflection over other issues, including politics, economic and moreover, aesthetics. The philosophy of education depends over the process of distribution of knowledge from microcosmic to macrocosmic level and vice-versa. Through this natural way a person gradually educates himself. It also helps him to develop an educational thinking, at the same time that in the longer run contributes to the development of his individual reflection over the incidents, happening around him. Once an individual explores this reflective self, it automatically leads him to understand and analyze the learning and teaching process. Students’ failure to understand the learning or teaching process is a very common phenomenon these days at the level of higher education. There are certain factors, which act as obstacles in their process of learning. It is important, at the primary level, to introduce novel ideas that would help the students to explore their reflective self and at the same time, become capable of developing their educational thinking in order to understand properly the learning and teaching process. A person, who is sociable and educated from inside, automatically implies that he is solicitous, creative and responsible. While some people come to the earth by inheriting all these virtues, others acquire it from their acquaintances as well as from their surrounding. A child develops seeds of all these features in his childhood and as he grows mature, these qualities are also nourished accordingly. Hence, it can be said that these virtues are essential ingredients of educational thinking.

Dianna Abdala case Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Dianna Abdala case - Assignment Example Mr. Korman should not have forwarded the emails to other people while Abdala should not have reacted the way she did by accepting the job and then dismissing it again. This inconvenienced Mr. William Korman. To some extend it would jeopardize her career since Korman conducted major law firms about the incidents, which eventually resulted in many people apologizing to Korman on behalf of Abdala. William Korman warned Abdala on her professionalism. In addition, he told her to watch out because she might end up offending more young experienced lawyers at the start of her career. The exchange between Korman and Abdala becomes some of the similar email gaffes portrayed by many individuals. Emails on many occasions bring emotional responses in that they might cause anger or upset. For instance, in this case, Korman expressed his anger by forwarding the emails he received from Abdala to other people. In addition, there is lack of personal touch; some things such as contracts are done well if not typed. Emails cannot out do had written letters when it comes to strengthening relationship like in this

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Freedom to Comment Reflection Essay

Hybrid or alternative-Fueled Vehicles Essay Example for Free

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Neural Correlates of Religious Experience

Neural Correlates of Religious Experience An Exploration of the Reason, Methods and Research of the Neural Correlates of Religious Experience Jennifer Romano Abstract Spiritual and Religious experiences often remain and power and mysterious aspect of humanity. The aim of this paper is to address the reasons, methods and literature around the neural correlates of these events. Studying the underlying mechanisms behind these phenomenons can be controversial as it raises philosophical dilemmas. However, this research is important to further the understanding of the human condition. Recent imaging studies indicate several brain regions (frontal lobes and limbic system) associated with religious experience. Through a streamlining of these methodologies, it is anticipated that these studies will provide implications for integrating spirituality into psychotherapy. An Exploration of the Reason, Methods and Research of the Neural Correlates of Religious Experience There is a voyager condition known as â€Å"Jerusalem Syndrome,† whereby tourists to Jerusalem begin to develop a psychosomatic illness in which they experience deeply religious delusions, such as believing they are God or other characters from the Bible (Kalian Witztum, 2002). Some psychiatrists hypothesize that this disorder may develop as a result of an incongruence between their expectations of the holy city and the reality that it is, in fact, a modern city. Others speculate that many of these travelers are pilgrims, and upon arriving in Jerusalem, they feel closer to God, and it is this intense feeling of propinquity that leads to this strange psychological reaction. Other voyager syndromes exist as well. Stendhal syndrome and Paris Syndrome have also been reported, but are believed to be an intense psychological reaction to the quantity and quality of art in both Florence and Paris, respectively (Smith, 2010). All experiences, whether religious or not, are brain based and therefore provide both a psychological and physiological response. That is why standing before the Temple Mount or standing before a sculpture by Michelangelo can both send shivers down your spine or move you to tears. Spiritual or religious experiences like the ones mentioned above continue to be a mysterious phenomenon that warrants further study. Why Study Neural Correlates of Religious Experiences? Spirituality is an aspect of humanity that the field of psychology is just beginning to tap into. Surveys indicate that over 90% of United States believes in a god and 58% categorized religion as important to them (Shafranske, 1996). For this reason and several others, Pargament (2007) argues, spirituality cannot be separated from psychotherapy and in many cases can be both part of the problem and the solution for those that the field serves. Through understanding the neural mechanisms behind religious belief and behaviors, psychologists could potentially unlock new resources in practicing spiritually integrated psychotherapy. A study of the neurological correlates of religious or spiritual experiences inevitably runs into the discourse of mind and body dualism. During the 17th century, Descartes proposed his revolutionary idea that the mind and body were separate entities. He hypothesized that the mind was the ethereal component to our thoughts while the brain was the material, but neither entity can function alone. Much the same, Aristotle theorized centuries earlier that thoughts and feelings actually came from the heart rather than the brain. Eastern philosophy has held the notion for centuries suggesting that the mind/body connection is integrated and holistic. This notion was threatened with the advent of modern western medicine. Science provided a mechanistic model of health. Alan Turing, one of the forerunners of the cognitive revolution, suggested that humans operated on the same production rules as computers in his computational-representational paradigm (Boden, 2006). This has lead to the exclusion of the spiritual and religion in the study of modern psychology. In fact, the field of psychology has not always embraced religion. Freud used psychological theory to discount religion as a whole, suggesting that people invented god as a form of wish fulfillment that had its roots in unresolved childhood conflict (Freud, 1950). Much the same, B.F. Skinner rejected the notion of God, dissolving religion down to a form of behavioral control (Skinner, 1971). These two forefathers ushered in the advent of modern science in studying the human psyche. With this societal change came the prediction of religion dissolution, and yet, it still remains. Recently, psychologists have begun to advocate for a pragmatic approa ch to studying humanity’s spiritual and religious correlates. The modern approach appears to be that the mind is in fact the less tangible functions of the brain; however both the material and phenomenological are relevant to study in religious and spiritual experiences. William James in his book The Varieties of Religious Experience highlighted the danger of a reductionist explanation of religious experiences. He writes â€Å"ideals appear as inert by-products of physiology; what is higher is explained by what is lower and treated forever as a case of ‘nothing but’- nothing but something else of an inferior sort.† (James, 1981, p.8) It is important to consider neuropsychological research through this lens. However, understanding the underlying mechanisms does not necessarily take away the meaning that people find in their experiences. Does knowing that the neurotransmitters involved in the feelings of love make the experience of a mother’s love personally less meaningful? Who is to say that God did not construct us w ith the capacity to engage in these experiences? Jones (2010) argued that further study into the neuroscience of religious experience can only extend the understanding of the human condition. It is with this frame of reference that practitioners should interpret the knowledge gained through this research. Methods of Neural Correlate Studies As with all scientific research, an operational definition of religious experience is needed before any effective examination can be done. This is a current issue within this line of study as religious behaviors, beliefs and experiences are complex phenomenon. Studying any experiential component relies on subjective measures as having experience is not easily observable to an outside investigator. Religious and spiritual experiences are defined on an individual level. McNarama (2002) suggested that religious experiences involve intense cognitive and emotional reactions to humanity’s â€Å"ultimate concerns.† These may include behaviors such as prayer, meditation, and chanting. Most subjective measures that are used often include cognitive, emotional, and psychological parameters (Newberg, 2014). It is not enough to just acknowledge the existence of the experience, rather in order to understand the construct more thoroughly, objective measures are required. Physiological parameters such as blood pressure, heart rate, and hormonal changes have been used to look at the basic biological reactions to these experiences. Nevertheless, these only provide a foundational understanding of the effects of spiritual experience in the human brain. Studies show that changes in the autonomic nervous system are multifarious, in that a relaxation response may also have arousal components (Hugdhal, 1996). In order to understand these complexities, researchers must look in the brain. The current instruments to do this include imaging devices. Electroencephalography (EEG) measures electrical activity in the brain, but only allows for broad implications in the areas of activation. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) allows for more localized assessment through measuring cerebral blood flow, however the machinery is limiting in measuring practices that can not be completed laying down. Positron emission tomography (PET) and single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) allow for more specificity in measuring neurotransmitter systems in brain activation. It is important to note that all of these measures, while helpful can only provide correlations and should not be implied to measure causal effects. Literature Review From what has been observed, religious experiences are common across age, time and culture (Wach, 1951). Many understand religious experience to be like any other experience. Just as someone may feel joy, love, fear, or awe in regards to any ordinary object, in a religious experience all these same feelings are there, they are just superimposed towards a religious object. Previously it was proposed that the same limbic and subcortical networks that supported non-religious feelings were activated in experiencing religious feelings as well (Saver Ravin, 1997). This led to a substantial inference that religious experiences are generated as a difference in perception, rather than a difference in sensation. Essentially, Saver and Ravin supposed that individuals interpret a religious stimulus in unique ways according to the cognitive expectations that they carry. In 2001, researchers conducted a study to see if religious experience was in fact due to attribution as Saver and Rabin suggested or if these experiences were pre-conceptual. To test this, they observed brain activation via positron emission tomography (PET) scan in religious/non-religious subjects as they recited a psalm. They hypothesized that if the religious experience was an attributional phenomenon, there would be activation in the frontal parietal lobe, an area known for reasoning. However if pre-conceptual, they expected to see activation in the limbic system, which is in charge of emotions. Interestingly enough, they found that a religious state involved areas of cognitive processes, supporting the attribution phenomenon (Azari et. al, 2001). They also concluded that religious experience did not elicit the same emotional experience or arousal as compared to non-religious subjects in a happy state, furthering the evidence for the theory of attribution. While the results from this study have led to the understanding of the difference between mental states in religious and non-religious subjects, it does not isolate the variable of belief itself. This becomes especially important when religious experience is understood as logical cognitive process. It begs the question, where do these cognitions originate? In a study completed in 2009, researchers found that religious thinking is more associated with the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, a region that governs emotion, self-representation, and cognitive conflict, whereas ordinary facts were more reliant on memory retrieval networks (Harris et. al, 2009). So while this still supports the theory that religious experience and thought come from a logical part of our brains, it adds another layer, claiming that we still deal with religion in an emotional way. Beauregaurd and Paquette (2008) used fMRI scans to observe brain activation in Carmelite nuns when asked to re-experience their most intense spiritual connection. Results indicated that there was significant overlap in activation of those nuns asked to re-experience an intense spiritual interaction and those asked to relive an intense human interaction. However, there was greater activation in the prefrontal cortex, medial temporal cortex, and insular cortex for those participants in the spiritual group. The most interesting of these activations was in the insular cortex as this part of the brain is implied in interpreting visceral stimuli. This infers that those with a spiritual experience â€Å"felt† their connection deep down within in their bodies. McNarma hypothesized that the activation in the frontal lobes may have implications for the intrinsically rewarding properties of spiritual experiences (McNamara, 2002). This supposition may explain why spiritual or religious ex periences may feel so good. Conclusion Overall, imaging studies seem to indicate the frontal lobes and limbic system are involved in various religious and spiritual experiences (Newberg, 2014). It is important to note that with the methodological discrepancies in the field there is still a great amount of within group variance that should continue to be explored. Spiritual experiences such as prayer, mediation, or even pilgrimage such as in Jerusalem Syndrome are naturalistically powerful events. Through studying the mechanisms that lie beneath these events, psychologists may be able to identify the healing components and in turn inspire the development of the human psyche. References Azari N., Nickel J, Wunderlich G, Niedeggen M, Hefter H, et al. (2001). Neural correlates of religious experience. European Journal of Neuroscience, 13, 1649–1652. Beauregard, M., Paquette, V. (2008). EEG activity in Carmelite nuns during a mystical experience. Neuroscience Letters, 4441-4. doi:10.1016/j.neulet.2008.08.028. Boden, M.A. (2006). Mind as Machine: A history of cognitive science. (Vol . 1). Oxford, England: Clarendon. Freud, S. (1950). Totem and taboo (J. Stratchey, Trans.). New York: Norton Company. (Original work published in 1913). Harris, S., Kaplan, J. T., Curiel, A., Bookheimer, S. Y., Iacoboni, M., Cohen, M. S. (2009). The neural correlates of religious and nonreligious belief. Plos ONE, 4(10), 1-9. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0007272. Hugdahl, K. (1996). Cognitive inà ¯Ã‚ ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡uences on human autonomic nervous systemfunction. Current Opinion: Neurobiology. 6, 252–258. doi: 10.1016/S0959-4388(96) 80080-8. James, W. (1981). The varieties of religious experience. New York: Penguin. Jones, D. (2010). Peering into peoples brains: Neurosciences intrusion into our inner sanctum. Perspectives On Science Christian Faith, 62(2), 122-132. Kalain, M., and Witztum, E. (2002). Jerusalem syndrome as reflected in the pilgrimage and biographies of four extraordinary women from the 14th century to the end of the second millennium. Mental health, religion culture, 5(1). doi: 10.108/13670110068505 McNamara, P. H. (2002). The motivational origins of religious practices. Zygon, 37(1), 143-160. Newberg, A.B. (2014). The neuroscientific study of spiritual practice. Frontiers in psychology (5:215), doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00215. Pargament, K. I. (2007). Spiritually integrated psychotherapy: Understanding and addressing the sacred. New York: Guilford Press. Saver, J., Rabin, J. (1997). The neural substrates of religious experience. Journal of neuropsychiatry, 9(3), 498-510. Shafranske, E.P. Malony, H.M. (1996) Religion and the clinical practice of clinical psychology: a case for inclusion. In E.P. Shafranske (Ed.), Religion and the clinical practice of psychotherapy , 561-586. Washington DC: American Psychological Association. Skinner, B.F. (1971). Beyond freedom and dignity. New York: Knopf. Smith, T. (2010, August 15). When art makes a strong impression. Baltimore Sun, pp. 1, 7. Wach, J. (1951). Types of religious experience. (pp. 30-47). Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Wildman, W. J., McNamara, P. (2008). Challenges facing the neurological study of religious behavior, belief, and experience. Method Theory In The Study Of Religion, 20(3), 212- 242. doi:10.1163/157006808X317455

F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby and the Jazz Age :: Great Gatsby Essays

The Great Gatsby The Jazz Age In 1920, F. Scott Fitzgerald said that â€Å"An author ought to write for the youth of his generation, the critics of the next, and the schoolmasters of ever afterwards.† Fitzgerald wrote about what he saw during the 1920’s, which he dubbed â€Å"The Jazz Age,† and The Great Gatsby is considered a correct depiction of that era. After World War I, many Americans felt a distrust toward foreigners and radicals because they held them responsible for the war. These beliefs led to a revival of the Ku Klux Klan, a racist, anti-Catholic, and anti-Semitic group. This general distrust of liberal movements and foreigners lasted throughout the decade. In 1920, Harding won in a landslide victory under the campaign promises of returning to â€Å"normalcy.† People wanted peace and prosperity and Harding tried to give it to them by returning the United States to its prewar conditions. He established probusiness policies and went against labor unions. He pushed peace by urging disarmament. The Congress passed bills to restrict the number of immigrants coming into the country. Harding was very popular because he returned the U.S. to prosperity, after his death in 1923 it became apparent that his administration was one of the most corrupt in U.S. history. Calvin Coolidge took over and followed Harding’s policies and the prosperity continued. Young people, disillusioned by their experiences in World War I, rebelled against prewar attitudes and conventions. Women refused to give up the independence they had gained from the jobs the got during the war. In 1920, the Nineteenth Amendment gave them the right to vote, and they demanded to be recognized as equals. Women adopted a masculine look: they bobbed their hair, were more open about sex, quit wearing corsets, and smoked and drank in public. Most Americans were brought up to at least a modest level of comfort. They worked fewer hours and were making more money, so the development of leisure activities became important. Prohibition, enacted by the Eighteenth Amendment in 1919, attempted to get rid of alcohol. Instead of ending the use of alcohol, Prohibition prompted the growth of organized crime.

The Adventures of Pinocchio :: Books, Film

When a book is made into a movie, certain scenes and overall big pictures sometimes get â€Å"lost in translation.† This certainly is the case for Carlo Collodi’s story The Adventures of Pinocchio. Many things occur in the book that do not take place in the Disney movie Pinocchio, originally produced in 1940, and rereleased in 1992. A possible reason for some of the changes could regard audiences. The Adventures of Pinocchio was written in Italian in 1883. Perhaps that is why the book focuses more on morality and is a teach-you-a-lesson about the consequences of being bad kind of book, while the movie more gently tries to get the same message across by adding and deleting scenes from the original work. A change from book to movie occurs right at the beginning of the film. In the book, Geppetto buys the wood that is to become Pinocchio from Mastro Antonio—a character left out of the movie entirely (1). The movie version begins with Jiminy Cricket, as he is called in the movie, singing about wishing upon stars. In the book, he is known as the Talking Cricket. Pinocchio is already crafted, fitted with marionette strings, and is sitting on a shelf. In the book, as soon as Pinocchio has feet—he is already alive—he runs out the door (6); however, in the movie, Geppetto, who controls him with the marionette strings, dances him around. I find it strange that Geppetto makes the puppet (while he controls him) kick the cat, Figaro—who is not in the original book—causing him to fall off the steps. How does Geppetto expect Pinocchio to be a good boy if at the beginning of his functioning he (Pinocchio) is made to kick innocent cats? After Geppetto dances the puppet around for a bit he goes to bed, but before he falls asleep, he wishes upon a star. He wishes that the puppet was a real boy. The star comes into the window and is a fairy with blue hair. The fairy grants the wish, giving the puppet life. The stipulation the fairy gives Pinocchio is that he can become a real boy when he proves himself and learns to choose between right and wrong. This requirement is the same in the book (55). A difference in this film scene and the book is the appearance of the fairy. In the book, Pinocchio initially sees the fairy much later (32). The Adventures of Pinocchio :: Books, Film When a book is made into a movie, certain scenes and overall big pictures sometimes get â€Å"lost in translation.† This certainly is the case for Carlo Collodi’s story The Adventures of Pinocchio. Many things occur in the book that do not take place in the Disney movie Pinocchio, originally produced in 1940, and rereleased in 1992. A possible reason for some of the changes could regard audiences. The Adventures of Pinocchio was written in Italian in 1883. Perhaps that is why the book focuses more on morality and is a teach-you-a-lesson about the consequences of being bad kind of book, while the movie more gently tries to get the same message across by adding and deleting scenes from the original work. A change from book to movie occurs right at the beginning of the film. In the book, Geppetto buys the wood that is to become Pinocchio from Mastro Antonio—a character left out of the movie entirely (1). The movie version begins with Jiminy Cricket, as he is called in the movie, singing about wishing upon stars. In the book, he is known as the Talking Cricket. Pinocchio is already crafted, fitted with marionette strings, and is sitting on a shelf. In the book, as soon as Pinocchio has feet—he is already alive—he runs out the door (6); however, in the movie, Geppetto, who controls him with the marionette strings, dances him around. I find it strange that Geppetto makes the puppet (while he controls him) kick the cat, Figaro—who is not in the original book—causing him to fall off the steps. How does Geppetto expect Pinocchio to be a good boy if at the beginning of his functioning he (Pinocchio) is made to kick innocent cats? After Geppetto dances the puppet around for a bit he goes to bed, but before he falls asleep, he wishes upon a star. He wishes that the puppet was a real boy. The star comes into the window and is a fairy with blue hair. The fairy grants the wish, giving the puppet life. The stipulation the fairy gives Pinocchio is that he can become a real boy when he proves himself and learns to choose between right and wrong. This requirement is the same in the book (55). A difference in this film scene and the book is the appearance of the fairy. In the book, Pinocchio initially sees the fairy much later (32).

Conflict Between Church and Government Involving Thomas Becket and Henry II :: essays research papers

In Medieval England the Church was all powerful. The fear of going to Hell was very real and people were told that only the Catholic Church could save your soul so that you could go to Heaven. The head of the Catholic Church was the pope based in Rome. The most important position in the church in Medieval England was the Archbishop of Canterbury and both he and the king usually worked together. A king of England could not remove a pope from his position but popes claimed that they could remove a king by excommunicating him - this meant that the king’s soul was condemned to Hell and people then had the right to disobey the king. For people in England , there was always the real problem - do you obey the king or the pope ? In fact, this was rarely a problem as both kings and popes tended to act together as both wanted to remain powerful. On two occasions they fell out - one involved the Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Becket, and the other Henry VIII. In 1162, Henry II, king of England, appointed Thomas Becket, as Archbishop of Canterbury. This was the most important religious position in England. No-one was surprised by Henry’s choice as both he and Thomas were very good friends. They enjoyed hunting, playing jokes and socialising together. Becket was known to be a lover of wine and a good horse rider. Henry II loved to ride as well but his personality was troubled by his fearsome temper. He tried to keep his temper under control by working very hard as it distracted him from things that might sparked off his temper. Henry II also controlled a lot of France at this time. William the Conqueror had been his great-grandfather and he had inherited his French territories as a result of this. When Henry was in France sorting out problems there, he left Becket in charge of England - such was his trust in him. Becket became Henry’s chancellor - the most important position in England after the king. When the Archbishop of Canterbury died in 1162, Henry saw the chance to give his close friend even more power by appointing him Archbishop of Canterbury - the most important church position in England. Why would Henry do this ? In Henry’s reign, the Church had its own courts and any member of the Church could decide to be tried in a Church court rather than a royal court.

Romeo and Juliet: Impulses and Restraints

Romeo and Juliet’s impulses and self-control used in Romeo and Juliet. In the play of Romeo and Juliet, many characters show how they cannot handle the pressure that they are faced with which leads to impulse and action which is taken without thinking it through. Many of the characters show a lack of self-control and exaggerations which leads to broken-hearts and many unfortunate situations which result in deaths and miscommunications. Over the course of Romeos love life, he tends to act on an impulse whenever he sees a girl that he likes based on her looks. Romeo can go from depressed and unhappy because a girl does not love him back, to very happy because he meets another girl that he instantly likes. Before Romeo enters the Capulet’s party, he spills his heart out and tells Benvolio all about how he's feeling about Rosaline because he is very heart-broken that she doesn't love him back. Romeo himself has never spoken to Rosaline and has based his â€Å"love† on her looks. â€Å"What doth her beauty serve but as a note/ where I may read who passed that passing fair? / Farewell. Thou canst not teach me to forget. † (Act 1, Scene 1, 228-230) Romeo keeps saying that he will never forget someone like Rosaline and that she is the one and only that he could ever be with. But then he sees Juliet and forgets all about Rosaline. Romeo compares Juliet to a jewel that is hanging off an Ethiop's ear meaning that it stands out. He says that she is the most beautiful girl in the world and that she outshines all the other women like a white dove in the middle of a flock of crows. Oh, she doth teach the torches to burn bright! It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night As a rich jewel in an Ethiope’s ear-, Beauty too rich for use, for earth too dear: So shows a snowy dove trooping with crows, (act 1, scene 5, 43-47) Juliet acts on a rash impulse and decision when she sees Romeo at Capulet`s party and she instantly falls in love with him but when she is on the balcony, she shows a little bit of restraint in deciding to marry him. When Romeo finally approaches Juliet at the party, they talk for a bit then share a kiss twice with each other. Once the two parts their ways, Juliet knows she has fallen in love with Romeo right away and she is already making haste decisions on a relationship with Romeo. But when Juliet is on the balcony, she is very upset because she had found out from the nurse that Romeo is a Montague and since she is a Capulet, they cannot be together. â€Å"Deny thy father and refuse thy name. / Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love, /And I’ll no longer be a Capulet† (Act 2, Scene 2, 34-36) Juliet just wishes for Romeo to swear that he loves her because then she will stop being a Capulet. Once Romeo comes out of the bushes from hiding, both Romeo and Juliet begin to talk about making plans to get married even though they just met. They would do the wedding in secret without anyone knowing. Thy purpose marriage, send me word tomorrow By one that I’ll procure to come to thee Where and what time thou wilt perform the rite, And all my fortunes at thy foot I’ll lay And follow thee my lord throughout the world. (Act 2, Scene 2, 144-148) Juliet would want Romeo to send her a message saying where they would get married if Romeo`s intentions were actually true. She said to Romeo how she would lay all her fortunes at his feet and follow him all around the world. But before Juliet agrees to get married to Romeo, she demonstrates some restraint at first asking Romeo if them getting married isn’t too fast. †It is too rash, too unadvised, too sudden, / Too like the lightning, wh-ich doth cease to be / Ere one can say â€Å"It lightens. † Sweet, good night. † (Act 2, Scene 2, 118-120) Juliet referred to their decision as being too rash and fast as lightning because they haven`t done much thinking through with their decision and they`re making an impulsive conclusion to get married. Romeo acts on a reckless and foolish reaction towards Tybalt when he witnesses him kill his best friend Mercutio. Mercutio and Tybalt get into a brawl because Romeo was supposed to fight Tybalt but instead, Mercutio does it for him, so when Romeo steps in between the two, Tybalt thrusts Mercutio with the sword under Romeo`s arm killing him. Romeo gets very mad and immediately acts on his quick and careless emotions and impulsively goes at Tybalt to kill him. And fire-ey'd fury be my conduct now† (act 3, scene 1, 120) Romeo said this when he went after Tybalt which meant that Romeo didn't care from now on what happened because he just wanted to hurt Tybalt for killing Mercutio as revenge. After Romeo finally got to Tybalt he stabbed him and killed him which led to him getting banished by the Prince. This causes a conflict because he is not allowed to be in Verona anymore which means that he wouldn't be able to see Juliet anymore. Romeos impulsive reaction has not only acted against him now, but for Juliet as well because they just got married and they won`t be able to see each other from now on. Throughout the play, not only did Romeo and Juliet show acts of impulse and restraint, but other characters like Mercutio did as well which attributed to how others reacted as well. This resulted in broken-hearts and fatal events which affected everyone. The characters lack of self-control without thinking resulted in difficulties throughout the play which led to many problems that had to be later faced with.

Concern for the Environment Essay

Environment refers to everything that surrounds and influences an organism. Our environment is getting worse day by day, and we are suffering for other people and our mistakes. We might not be able to see all of the bad things in our environment, but they are for sure there. This could affect our families and our future one day. There are some problems affecting the environmental stability, namely- ozone depletion, enhanced greenhouse effect, global warming, and climate change. First, what is ozone depletion? Ozone depletion is defined as the thinning of the ozone layer, caused by a group of manufactured chemicals called ozone-depleting substances (ODS). Ozone –depleting-substances include chlorofluorocarbons, halons, carbon tetrachloride, methyl bromide, hydrobromofluorocarbons, and Bromochloromethane. Chlorofluorocarbons are mostly used in refrigeration, air conditioning and heat pump systems. Halons are used historically as fire suppression agents and fire fighting, but now only allowed in very limited situations. Carbon tetrachlorides are limited solvent use in laboratories and chemical and pharmaceutical industry. Methyl bromides are historically used in fumigation, soil treatment, pest control, quarantine, market gardening. Hydrobromofluorocarbons are historically used in fire suppression systems and fire fighting. Bromochloromethanes are historically used in the manufacture of biocides. Second, what is enhanced greenhouse effect? Enhanced greenhouse effect is an increase in the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere that results in more heat being retained and an overall warming of the Earth’s temperature. Although they make up a small percentage of atmospheric gases, changes in the concentration of greenhouse gases have a huge effect on the balance of natural processes. Burning fossil fuels – coal, oil and natural gas – releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Cutting down and burning trees also produce a lot of carbon dioxide. Because there are more and more greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, more heat is trapped which makes the Earth warmer. This is known as global warming. Global warming is the increase of Earth’s average surface temperature due to effect of greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide emissions from burning fossil fuels or from deforestation, which trap heat that would otherwise escape from Earth. This is a type of greenhouse effect. Climate change is a significant and lasting change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns over periods ranging from decades to millions of years. Global climate change will affect people and the environment in many ways. Some of these impacts, like stronger hurricanes and severe heat waves, could be life threatening. Others, like spreading weeds, will be less serious. And some effects, like longer growing seasons for crops, might even be good! However, as the Earth keeps getting warmer, the negative effects are expected to outweigh the positive ones. From the previous discussions I have made, we already have known how ozone depletion, enhanced greenhouse effect, global warming, and climate change would affect the environment. I think, if ozone depletion would still continue, the rate of skin cancers, cataracts, genetic changes and inability of human systems to respond to infection, will increase because, much UV rays can now enter the earth. I also think that, if enhanced greenhouse effect would continue to increase, more heat will be trapped in the atmosphere that will result in global warming of the earth. With connection to the enhanced greenhouse effect, if global warming would still continue, sea levels could rise due to the melting of glaciers and polar ice caps, and the current patterns of rainfall could change drastically around the world. With regards to climate change, if it would still continue, many larger cities could experience a significant rise in the number of very hot days. Air pollution problems would increase, placing children and elderly people suffering from respiratory problems. Each and everyone of us should be aware of what is happening in our environment. We could reach out to people who don’t care about our surroundings and we could change their negative attitudes to positive ones in creating a better place for us to live in. I guess, by becoming more environmentally aware we can minimize the detrimental effect we have on our world by keeping ourselves fully informed about the bad effects of these environmental issues such as- ozone depletion, greenhouse effect, global warming, and climate change.

Strategic Analysys of Toyota

INTRODUCTION In this fiercely aggressive business world, the goal of most firms is to establish distinctive or unique capabilities to gain a competitive advantage in the marketplace through utilising the most of their core competencies. Competencies refer to the fundamental knowledge owned by the firm (knowledge, know-how, experience, innovation and unique information), and to be distinctive they are not confined to functional domains but cut across the firm and its organisational boundaries (2002). Today, business enterprises in developed countries operate in a more complicated, and more regulated, environment. The strategic task, then, is to create a distinctive way ahead, using whatever core competencies and resources at its disposal, against the background and influence of the environment. Through these distinctive capabilities the organisation seeks sustainable competitive advantage. Competition in many domestic and international markets appears to be entering a new phase, in which product quality and performance are becoming more important to customers than price. In such markets, the effective management of the new product development process is the essence of competitive advantage. Due to such changes, a review of the organisations’ strategic capabilities is a must if they are to keep up with the demands of the changing times. This paper analyses the strategic capabilities of Toyota Company in face of the ever-stiffening competition in the automotive industry, as a potential tool to further strengthen Toyota’s position in the automobile market. BRIEF TOYOTA BACKGROUND[1] Toyota Motor Corporation is a famous Japanese multinational corporation, and is considered the world’s second largest automaker of automobiles, trucks, buses, robots, and providing financial services ( 2007). Its founder is Kiichiro Toyoda, born in 1894, and the son of Sakichi Toyoda, who became popular as the inventor of the automatic loom. Kiichiro inherited the spirit of research and creation from his father, and devoted his entire life to the manufacture of cars. After many years of hard work, Kiichiro finally succeeded in his completion of the A1 prototype vehicle in 1935, which arked the beginning of the history of the Toyota Motor Corporation ( 2007). The first Type A Engine produced in 1934 was used in the first Model A1 passenger car in May 1935 and the G1 truck in August 1935, and led to the production of the Model AA passenger car in 1936. In addition to being famous with its cars, it still participates in the textile business and makes automatic looms that are now fully computerised, and electric sewing machines that are available in different parts of the world. It has several factories around the world, which serve to manufacture and assemble vehicles for local markets. The corporation’s factories are located in countries such as the United States, Australia, Canada, Poland, France, Czech Republic, United Kingdom, Turkey, South Africa, Brazil, Argentina, Venezuela, Mexico, Japan, Indonesia, Pakistan, India, Mexico, Malaysia, Thailand, China, Vietnam, and the Philippines. Despite the many locations of its factories, its headquarters is located in Toyota, Aichi, Japan (2007). It invests a great deal of time and effort in its research into cleaner-burning vehicles, such as promoting a Hybrid Synergy Drive and running a Hydrogen fuel cell in its vehicles (2007). It has significant market shares in developed countries, such as the United States, Europe, Africa and Australia, and has significant markets in South East Asian countries. Its brands include the Scion, its division in the United States, Guam and Puerto Rico, and the Lexus, which is Toyota’s luxury vehicle brand ( 2007). Aside from producing cars and other types of automobiles, such as SUVs and coasters, Toyota also, participate in rallying or racing. The company’s presence in Motorsport can be traced to the early 1970s, when Ove Andersson, a Swedish driver, drove for Toyota during the RAC Rally in Great Britain, and in succeeding years, Toyota Team Europe was formed ( 2007). Up to the present, Toyota cars are still being used in a variety of racing events in different countries around the world. These events include the CART in Vancouver, the Le Mans, the Indy Racing League, the NASCAR, and the Toyota F1 Series (2007). As the leader in the industry of automobile manufacture and production, the company adopts a philosophy in terms of its production system, which is named The Toyota Way. The company’s philosophy in production involves a list of fourteen principles that are implemented in the company, and serve as guides to the operation of the company. This includes the following principles: Base the company’s management decisions on a long-term philosophy, even at the expense of short-term goals; * Foster a continuous process flow to sight problems; * Utilise â€Å"pull† systems to prevent over-production; * Level out the workload of the workforce; * Build a culture that stops to fix problems, in order to get quality perfect at the first try; * Standardised tasks are the company’s foundation for its continuous improvement and the development of the employees; * Use visual control to let problems surface; Use reliable and tested technology, which serves both the people and the company’s processes; * Train leaders who understand the company’s work, live its philosophies, and share it to others; * Train and develop a workforce who follow the company’s philosophy; * Respect the work and responsibilities of partners and suppliers by challenging them and helping them improve; * Actually immersing one’s self to understand the situation; * Slow but sure decision-making through consensus, through considering a variety of options, and to implement decisions effectively and efficiently; and, * Becoming a learning business organisation through expression and continuous improvement ( 2007) With these principles, the company is guided in terms of its operations and production. Through these principles and philosophies, it can become efficient and effective in manufacturing its products, keeping in mind the welfa re of its employees, the image and brand of the company, and the satisfaction of its employees. PESTLE Analysis Currently, Toyota faces a need for accelerated investment, in order to deploy the new technologies, for pressing geo-political, economic, environmental and societal reasons. Political. Observers will see a continuing progression in the ruinous steps which have forced the industry into a socio-politico-economic corner. Whether this is related to flat demand or to the company’s creation of an ever-wider range of vehicles that many buyers seem to care little about, there is a problem. The company is likewise linked closely to the policies of governments, the earnings of banks. Little wonder then that so many emerging countries are keen to develop an auto sector or that there is such a political pressure to protect it in the developed countries. Toyota Company is currently dominated by little more than a handful of firms, each wielding colossal financial, emotional and political power. The company’s approach to dealing with political institutions has not always been brilliant. It tends to be good on technical issues, although it has not always fully presented the longer-term options, in order to make the choices and their implications clear. Economic. For much of the developed world, and increasingly for the developing world, Toyota Company is a pillar company in auto mobile business, a flag of economic progress. Without Toyota Company in automotive industry, it is impossible to develop an efficient steel business, a plastic industry or a glass sector – other central foundations of economic progress. The Toyota Company has been a core company, a unique economic phenomenon, which has dominated the twentieth century (2007). However, the automobile industry including the Toyota Company now suffers from a series of structural schisms and has become riddled with contradictions and economic discontinuities. For the capital markets and the finance sector, it has lost a lot of its significance, as a result of ever declining profits and stagnant sales. The proliferation of products means that it has become hopelessly wasteful of economic resources. While all these and more sound like a very gloomy assessment of such a vast economic phenomenon, the industry is not in the end despondent. A different future is possible for the industry, a highly desirable one. Social. As part of the development in automotive industry, the Toyota Company actually affects the society as a whole. It employs millions of people directly, tens of millions indirectly. Its products have transformed society, bringing undreamed-of levels of mobility, changing the ways people live and work (2007). The social value of the additional mobility that this industry brings involves the value of the people being able to commute over longer distances easily, among many others. For most of its existence the Toyota Company has been a model of social discipline and control and it is not just that the auto sector offers a ‘pillar’ of something else. There are, on the other hand, particular social issues to address in many developing countries, often those that are the result of an undertone of religious faith. Toyota company has the role to play in helping develop the mobility of such countries and it can be achieved at an acceptable social cost of the country is prepared to learn the necessary lessons from those who have traveled this route before it, and to make the necessary investments. Technological. The Toyota Company works on a scale so awesome and has an influence so vast that it is often difficult to see. The level and diversity of technologies that it must deploy are increasing, which imposes both new investment burdens and new uncertainties and risks (2007). Roughly a million new cars and trucks are built around the world each week – they are easily the most complex products of their kind to be mass-produced in such volumes. The industry uses manufacturing technology that is the cutting edge of science. But still, the potential for developing coordination skills, intellectual capabilities and emotional sensitivities through electronic technologies remain far from fully exploited. There are numerous additional near-term technological opportunities to adapt the company to changing energy availability. The possibilities suggest that automotive technology is unexpectedly robust and provides a powerful defence against energy starvation even if the real price of oil climbs steadily during the next couple of decades. Legal. Toyota Company is subject to numerous technical directives and regulations, as well as legislation of a more legal nature. The legislation covers areas such as competition law, intellectual property law, consumer protection and taxation, and emissions (air quality and fuels). When the auto parts industry reached full development, accelerated technological efforts were made to create a web of local suppliers that would make it possible to meet the growing legal requirements for the national integration of production. Environmental. Other than the vehicles themselves, and the roads and fuel needed to run them; the business is intricately tied to the manufacture of a wide range of components and the extraction of precious raw materials. Indirectly, it brings people road congestion, too many fatalities and a wave of other environmental troubles. The effect to the Toyota Company is that they needed to establish R&D centres to take advantage of research infrastructure and human capital, so that they can develop vehicle products locally to satisfy the requirements of the environmental and safety regulations more effectively. SWOT ANALYSIS Strengths. One of Toyota’s most potent strength is that they are one of the world’s best known brands (2007). As they have been in the business for several years now, the experience that they have in manufacturing cannot be overemphasised. They already have built a solid reputation for being a dependable automaker. Additionally, they have the strength of being diverse with respect to their product lines, having affiliated automotive brands including Aston Martin, Ford, Jaguar, Land Rover, Lincoln, Mazda, Mercury and Volvo, which allows clients to choose from a variety of car models to fit their lifestyle. They are also known to be supportive of societal causes, in particular the fight for breast cancer and support after the September 11 attacks in the U. S (â€Å"Toyota†, 2007). They pioneered the moving assembly line, which became their mechanism for making vehicles more efficiently and faster, therefore more affordable. Traditionally Toyota's international operations were a source of that allowed the company to maintain its position as the second largest auto maker in the world and to respond to GM's competitive moves. Weaknesses. The company's organisational structure has become inefficient as the company became more complex. This hindered Toyota's ability to manage its international network of subsidiaries, branches, and companies. The weakness of its organisational strategy reflects to the speculations over the likely performance of Toyota in the future, as the company’s financing section is swamped down by hefty outstanding debts. The firm is not in risk of bankruptcy, but the Toyota management is in a tight spot, and has to be extremely vigilant to not make it any tighter. There is also a notable management issues within the company. Finally, because of the increasing competition, the company has witnessed a decline in overall sales, a weakness on their part as they have somehow failed to overcome the challenges that additional competition brings. Opportunities. Toyota Motors Company has the distinct opportunity to have cleaner engine emissions, in alignment with their corporate responsibility to become environment-friendly. Through working with environmental groups to help clean the environment, they also have the opportunity to further enhance their image to the general public. Since they have already started investing in Solar Power, the end is a more viable prospect. Toyota could further widen the scope of their opportunities through specialising and rationalising its worldwide operations on a regional basis and to develop a network organisation in which its subsidiaries would increase their transnational linkages. Besides Toyota learning about the possibilities of producing quality automotive products in their areas of operation at a comparative cost advantage, other relevant factors could bring about new opportunities for exporting vehicles: the parent company's efficiency-seeking strategy; its competitive disadvantage in the small-car segment of the market and the competitors' moves in this market-segment; and the new more flexible regulations in the respective countries in which they have manufacturing plants. Further, with Toyota’s existing capability to innovate on automobiles, they have the opportunity to penetrate a still larger scope of market. Threats. As with any firm in the automotive industry, Toyota faces very tight competitive rivalry in the auto market. Competition is escalating, with the threat of new entrants continuously flowing into the market from South Korea, China and new plants in Eastern Europe (2007). Toyota is also exposed to the risk of movement in the price of raw materials such as steel, glass, rubber and fuel. The key economies in the US, Europe and the Pacific are also experiencing slow downs lately. These economic factors are latent threats for the company under analysis. Further, substitute products such as Natural gas, Electricity, Ethanol, Vegetable oil, Sunlight, Water poses a distinct threat to the sustainability of company sales. While Toyota strategies responded to the local opportunities and competitive advantages that were built over time in different national markets, the competitiveness of foreign operations was also dependent upon the company's management capabilities and its overall position in the industry worldwide. If such factors were to perform under expectation, their competitiveness in the international scene would suffer seriously (2007). RESOURCE AUDIT A resource is a basic element that a firm controls in order to best organise its operational processes. A resource, or set of resources, can be used to create competitive advantage (2002), that is why an audit of the resources of a firm is a must if it is to utilise them to create the latter. The sustainability of a company’s competitive advantage depends upon the ease with which the resources can be imitated or substituted (Peteraf, 1993). When resources are combined they can lead to the formation of competencies and capabilities ( 1990). Financial Resources. 2] Although Toyota Motor’s 2005 financial results showed a full-year net loss, the company still managed to come back in their expressive profits earning in 2007. As seen in the accounting ratios, the company managed to have an expressive positive change of 21. 4% in 200 6 against its low performance in 2005 with only 2. 9% of change. Table 1. Toyota Accounting Ratios Human Resources. [3] Toyota directly employs around 38,340 people in North America. It has made around $16. 8 billion in direct investments in North America. It has in total produced 14. 8 million vehicles, 2. 5 million vehicles sales (2005), 39. 2 million total vehicles sales, and purchased $26. billion worth of â€Å"parts, materials and components† as of December 2005 in North America. It has 1,745 North American dealers and has given around $301 million as philanthropy to the United States since 1991. Physical Resources. [4] To date, Toyota has factories all over the world, manufacturing or assembling vehicles for local markets, including the Corolla. Toyota has manufacturing or assembly plants in Japan, Australia, Canada, Indonesia, Poland, South Africa, Turkey, the United Kingdom, the United States, France, Brazil, and more recently Pakistan, India, Argentina, Czech Republ ic, Mexico, Malaysia, Thailand, China, Vietnam, Venezuela, and the Philippines. VALUE CHAIN ANALYSIS 1985) in his seminal work of value chain proposed it as a tool to identify and to analyse the origins of competitive advantages and suggested that the activities of the business could be grouped into two: primary and support activities. What activities a business undertakes is linked to achieving its competitive advantage, and Toyota seemed to be best prepared to implement a global strategy, because of the superior competitive advantages of its foreign operations compared with GM and Chrysler. Paradoxically, Toyota's rivals showed a greater disposition to use resources from outside of the United States. It was not until 1994 that Toyota focused on developing a global strategy as a means to enhance its competitive position in the industry. Before then, Toyota largely focused on building a strategy that would allow the company to recover its competitive position in its own home market, which was essential for survival. An analysis of the structural and institutional factors that shaped Toyota's strategic response both to the new industry rules and the short-term challenges posed by other industry competitors explains this paradox. A number of broad sustainability challenges set the context for all of the value chain activities (see appendix 1). These issues apply across the value chain: (1) Population growth; (2) Urbanisation; (3) Child mortality; (4) Maternal health; (5) Infectious diseases; (6) Biodiversity; (7) Loss of ecosystem services; (8) Poverty; (9) Education; and (10) Gender Equality. All these issues are attended to by the Toyota Motor Company in alignment with their efforts to maintain sustainable competitive advantage through preserving the good public image that their clients expect from them. CORE COMPETENCIES Toyota has several core competencies which they could utilise to further gain advantage over their competitors, and currently the company overtook General Motors in its market leadership in the automotive industry. One core competency of the company is their brand management. The strength of their automotive marketing has been such that their brand is known even in the parts of the world where cars are not the common medium of transportation. Another core competency is their supply chain management, which links to their ability to maintain a steady stream of raw materials coming in for production because of their long-term good standing with their steel, glass, plastic and other raw materials supplier. Their highly coordinated logistics system handled by outsourced firms also form part of their core competencies, leading to excellent inventory management and always on schedule production activities. Another marked core competency is their ability at the moving assembly line. Being the pioneer of such mass production system, they were able to get ahead of the competitors manufacturing processes-wise and were also able to save on costs and time. Yet another core competency is Toyota’s focusing on its product development technology under a single product-information-management program through standardising and incorporating them. If sustainable development is to achieve its potential, it must be integrated into the planning and measurement systems of business enterprises. And for that to happen, the concept must be articulated in terms that are familiar to business leaders. Many observers believe that more stakeholders — investors, consumers, nongovernmental organisations and others — will insist that companies to take environmental and social costs as seriously as they take purely financial costs. In addition, investors are expected to increasingly seek out sustainable companies and avoid firms with poor environmental performance, judging the sustainable companies as better risks over the long term. Likewise, consumers are expected to search for products that perform well environmentally. THE FUTURE OF TOYOTA (1982) observed that the automotive industry has been depended upon by other industrial sectors to provide them with means with which to optimise their investment capital because of the transfer of its technology, which basically means that the manufacturing and materials handling processes that revolve around mass auto production will be, in the future, far removed from their original use through consulting engineering firms that undertake to design and equip factories. The tendency for car manufacturers, then, will be to focus on competition that would become more rigorous, giving special attention to profit-gaining activities and concentrating also on arranging for financial, marketing and industrial cooperation among car makers. In the first three months of 2007, Toyota together with its half-owned subsidiary Daihatsu reported number one sales of 2. 348 million units. Toyota's brand sales had risen 9. 2% largely on demand for Corolla and Camry sedans. The difference in performance was largely attributed to surging demand for fuel-efficient vehicles. In November 2006, Toyota Motor Manufacturing Texas added a facility in San Antonio. [5] Toyota has experienced quality problems and was reproached by the Japanese Governement for its recall practices (2006). Toyota currently maintains over 16% of the US market share

A Student’s Dilemma

The purpose of this memo is to identify the ethical dilemma Helen is trapped into and her responsibilities towards making the correct decision. Helen Kanell is a final year student with a 4. 0 average grade point at the Empire State University. She is also the president of Beta Alpha Psi, the accounting student honor society. Being a president of such honorable society requires a great deal of responsibility and time commitment. Helen is already appointed a position at the Big & Apple LLC. Yet, Helen plans to complete her studies with at least a 3. 90 GPA to qualify for the highest academic honor â€Å"summa cum laude. However, she is currently maintaining a B average in four out of five of her courses and needs to get an A at least in one course to be eligible for summa cum laude. In order to resolve Helen’s dilemma her best friend lick the copy of the Accounting 544 from the accounting department and gives it to Helen prior to the final exam. Before arriving to a conclusion Helen should consider her responsibilities towards the University, herself, and several other related groups. Maintaining academic integrity of the University should be Helen’s first priority. It’s her duty to follow the University’s Code of Conduct to uphold its reputation. Sue should be honest to the accounting department because she represents the accounting honor society, Beta Alpha Psi. As a leader of such honorable society cheating will not set the right example for rest of the student body. Helen’s should not take a decision which will cause her to be unfair to all those students who worked hard for the exam. It’s her responsibility to be fair to other student in the class and the department. As stated by the Golden Rule â€Å"we should treat other the way we want to be treated. No one would like to be cheated, therefore, Helen’s should not put fort her own interest and be unfair to others. Helen’s responsibility towards Big & Apple LLC is to act in a trustworthy and reliable manner. One of the reasons the company has hired is so that they can trust Helen with their financial and confidential information. She should understand the consequences of cheating in such situation because it can have a huge impact on her career. Instead of taking the wrong path to achieve success Helen should discuss her situation and seek for appropriate advice form her professor. Although, Helen’s best friend is concerned about her situation its Helen’s responsibility to report her best friends misdeeds to the professor of Accounting 544. Helen’s responsibility is to make her friend realize the consequences of her wrongdoings. She should make her friend understand the ethical values of what’s right and what’s wrong. Cheating is not an easy way out of difficult situations. Helen’s responsibility to herself is to avoid doing things which would lower her self-esteem. She should alert herself that cheating is unethical way of achieving success and would cost her much more than expected in her career. Making the right decision will give her peace of mind and she won’t have anything to regret for in future. Ethical values of honesty, integrity and trust should guide Helen in making the right decision in such situation. People with these values tend to think in the best interest of others. These ideals guide every individual to achieve greater success. If I was Helen I would not choose the path of dishonesty under any circumstances. My ethical values would not permit me to take advantage of the final exam cheat sheet. Instead, I would put my full concentration on my studies and work hard towards that A. To seek advice I would go to the Accounting 544 professor. I would discuss my crucial situation with him/her to resolve my dilemma. My decision would not change even if the Empire State University has an honor code and provides a $5000 award to students that graduate summa cum laude. Regardless of how difficult the situation could get its unethical for me to cheat to achieve such an honorable award. I believe the path of fraudulence will never lead a person to a successful profession, as well as life