Essay on Abortion is Murder - 667 Words

Many Christians and scientist wonder whether abortion is scientifically or biblically wrong. For a Christian you have to prove that God values life before birth and that he has a pro-life stance. You have to also prove that God considers the time in the womb just another stage. From a scientific perspective you have to prove that the zygote, embryo, or fetus is indeed alive. You also have to consider at what point during development it becomes alive. You would also have to prove that it is human. This would show us that killing or aborting it would be ending life therefore murdering. In the Bible there are many verses that would bring me to just that conclusion. In Exodus 20:13 the Bible states â€Å"You shall not murder†. It is one of the†¦show more content†¦They way this verse is said would make you believe the bible is pointing to conception as the starting point of life Jeremiah 1:4-5 states â€Å"The word of the LORD came to me, saying, Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations This passage tells us that God has a predestined purpose and a relation with us before we are born. Telling us that God has already set value on our lives even before conception The Bible also says that in David’s confession of murder and adultery, he traces his innate proclivity to sin back to his conception (Psalms 51:5) Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me† this verse also refers to point of conception not the point of birth as the beginning of life, as do all the others. This is clear evidence that the Bible portrays a anti-abortion stance. In all countries it is illegal to murder, if you murder there are consequences but yet people do not consider a fetus something to be murdered. This statement can be proved false by proving a fetus is indeed alive and is human. There are three requirements for something to be alive. First it must have DNA, second they must take energy from the environment or there surroundings. Third they must have a form of reproduction. If you prove that the fetus fulfills all three of these requirements then you know it is alive. To fulfill the firstShow MoreRelatedAbortion Is Murder1062 Words   |  4 Pages ABORTION IS MURDER â€Å"There are nearly 1.2 million abortions performed in the United States each year† (Operation Rescue, 2014). That was 1.2 million innocent lives that were ended before they even had a chance to begin. Abortion has been legal for decades now, and it is time to put a stop to all the murdering of unborn children. This senseless killing of an unborn child needs to be recognized for what it truly is, and that is legalized murder. Abortions should be made illegal in the United StatesRead MoreAbortion: Is It Murder?1524 Words   |  7 PagesAbortion is an extremely controversial issue and one that many people can have very strong feelings for on both sides of the debate. Those who support abortion rights argue that it is a woman’s choice what to do with her body. Although, the unborn baby inside a woman is still a person living, and terminating that pregnancy is the same thing as murder. No one should have the choice to commit murder. Abortion is honestly wrong because t he laws prohibiting abortion help to keep people from playing GodRead MoreIs Abortion A Murder?3072 Words   |  13 Pages Abortion is Murder Numerous times throughout the past, a woman has wept herself to sleep or woke up in the middle of the night with horrible panic attacks that she cannot seem to overcome. She lives with such guilt and wonders what life would be like today if only she had made a different choice. Life is full of choices, and unfortunately people sometimes make choices that will haunt them for the rest of their lives. The saddest part is that many times we allow other people to influence the choicesRead More Abortion is Not Murder Essay1202 Words   |  5 PagesAbortion is Not Murder Is abortion murder?   Murder is defined as illegal killing with malice aforethought. Abortion fails this definition for two reasons. First, abortion is not illegal, and second, there is no evidence to suggest that expecting mothers feel malice towards their own flesh and blood. Not all killing is murder, of course. Murder is actually a small subset of all killing, which includes accidental homicide, killing in self-defense, suicide, euthanasia, etc. When pro-lifeRead MoreAbortion is a Murder Essay721 Words   |  3 Pageson-going subject that has been greatly debated in our society is abortion. Many people argue that because the baby in the mother’s womb is not alive, aborting him or her is not considered a murder. However, others say that as the baby’s heart and brain are the first things to develop, the baby is technically alive and killing it would be a murder. As soon as the baby has a heartbeat, it has life. Abortion has many characteristics of a murder, including the killing of one human being by another, it’s unethicalRead MoreAbortion Is Murder Essay1300 Words   |  6 Pages The topic of abortion is an extremely controversial issue in todays society, there are many separate views on the morality of it . Abortion is defined as the deliberate termination of a human pregnancy (â€Å"Abortion†). In other words, it is the murder of an unborn child. Throughout the past there has been several court cases related to abortion, in attempt to resolve the debate. For example, Roe v. Wade declared that unborn children are neither ‘persons’ nor are they entitledRead MoreAbortion: Murder or Necessity766 Words   |  4 PagesAbortion: Murder or Necessity Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo before it is viable. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced. Abortion, when induced in accordance with the local law, is among the safest procedures in medicine. However, unsafe abortions (those performed by persons without proper training or outside of a medical environment)Read MoreAbortion Is Not The Murder Of An Infant1507 Words   |  7 Pagesdifferent perspective on abortion. The first written works of Christianity states â€Å"You shall not kill the embryo by abortion and shall not cause the newborn to perish.† In the early Christianity, abortion was prohibited. The early church leader who had agreed on abortion stated: â€Å"that if an abortion was performed to hide the consequences of fornication and adultery, then it was a sin that required penance.† This lit the sp arks between Christians on whether abortion was considered a murder or not. â€Å"St.AugustineRead MoreShould Abortion Be Murder?868 Words   |  4 PagesAbortion is Murder Have you ever lost a loved one or someone that meant a lot to you? If so, how did that make you feel? I’m sure you felt heartbroken or lost and you didn’t know what you were going to do. Imagine how you would feel if you were trying to bring a loved one into this world but you couldn’t. It wasn’t because you didn’t want to, it’s was because you were physically not able to. There are many women who want to have kids and make their family grow but because of their health issues theyRead More Abortion is Murder Essay506 Words   |  3 Pagesside of this argument says that abortion should be kept legal for cases in which the baby’s birth endangers the life of the mother. This is an argument that is basically trying to create sympathy among uneducated voters to try to woo them to the pro-choice side of the argument and to elect pro-choice politicians. This is a dirty trick because they are fighting a battle that has already been won, becau se even in pre-legalized times in states that prohibited abortion such as Texas there were exceptions

Marketing Analysis The American Marketing Association

When we all think of marketing most may think of marketing as a company soliciting a product or trying to sell something with different types of sales pitches. The American Marketing Association denotes the definition of marketing as: Marketing is the activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and society at large.(Gundlach, G. T., Wilkie, W. L. (2009) p.260) . This definition that the AMA published in 2007, was renewed from the previous definition of marketing that was last published in 2004 (Gundlach, G. T., Wilkie, W. L. (2009) p.259) . The reason why I pointed the difference in the years is because that in a matter of three years the definition of marketing has changed. The world we live in changes daily, so does everything else. In the text, the author states that the definition of sports marketing is defined as the marketing of products, services and experiences, entities such as leagues and teams, and the recruitment and retention of volunteers as a relationship marketing exercise (Masteralexis, L. P., Barr, C. A., Hums, M. A. (2015) p.50-51). Traditional and Sports marketing both have the common theme of marketing, but both are different in the audience that is being marketed to, the demand the sports platform has, and the amount of revenue that respectively sets them apart from the two. The targets groups that are associated with sportsShow MoreRelatedStrategic Marketing1052 Words   |  5 Pageshead: STRATEGIC MARKETING PROCESS Strategic Marketing Process Strategic Marketing Process In order for an organization to reach its target markets, it must use the strategic marketing process to allocate its marketing mix resources. The marketing mix is elements, such as price, product, place, and promotion (also known as the 4 â€Å"P†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s) used in the make up the marketing process (Bayne Hardin, 2002). It is important for an organization to have a good understanding of the marketing mix. Each elementRead MoreMarketing Management, Kotler Keller Chapter Summaries1107 Words   |  5 PagesMarketing Management Chapter 8 key points * To develop the best marketing plans, managers need to understand what makes each segment unique and different. * Effective target marketing requires: market segmentation; market targeting, and market positioning. * A market segment consists of a group of customers who share a similar set of needs and wants. Market segments are generally defined by looking at descriptive characteristics or behavioral considerations. * GeographicRead MoreThe Meaning of Marketing Strategy1470 Words   |  6 Pagesï » ¿The meaning of marketing strategy The contemporaneous business society is extremely dynamic and forces the economic agent to develop and implement a wide array of tactics in order to overcome the challenges raised by various categories of stakeholders. For instance, the organizational staff members are becoming more demanding and also more valuable, generating an internal need to better manage and retain talent, as well as an external competition among employers. Then, the forces of globalizationRead MoreConsumer Psychology and Marketing Communications Article Analysis807 Words   |  4 PagesConsumer Psychology and Marketing Communications Article Analysis PSY/322 November 13, 2012 Dr. Sharlyn Moore Consumer Psychology and Marketing Communications Article Analysis Consumer Psychology is the art of determining consumer requirements through study and analysis of consumer spending and purchasing habits relating to products or services advertised for sale. The analysis portion focuses on consumer motivation concerning products and mood relative to purchasing products. The CherryRead MoreThe Driving Force Behind A Company s Financial Success Essay1251 Words   |  6 Pagescompany’s ability to market itself. Marketing goes beyond selling of a product. It involves â€Å"building strong brands and a loyal customer base intangible asset that contributes to the value of a firm† (Kotler Keller, 2012). The American Marketing Association, defined marketing as â€Å"Marketing is an activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for customers† (Kotler Keller, 2012). Since marketing plays such a vital role inRead Morenestle in ghana1018 Words   |  5 PagesGSM5200 MARKETING MANAGEMENT - GROUP STUDY Nestlà © (Ghana) Ltd. â€Å"An Analysis on Situation and Marketing Strategy Proposal to Maintain Brand Equity and Expand Brand Penetration of Nestle Products in Ghana, West Africa† â€Å"How to effectively expand market in least developing countries† is the major issue found in the case. This consists of derived issues faced by the company which can be correlated with marketing studies. By The American Marketing Association, marketing is defined as the activityRead MoreBenefits Of Entering The Global Market Is At The Annual Pet Products Trade Show926 Words   |  4 Pagesin global industries, however, have no choice but to internationalize their operations (Kotler Keller, 2012). Eventually, Caninantics will provide this product on the global market. Marketing this product abroad will not come easily. Making the decision to go abroad requires the managers to define marketing objectives and policies. Additionally, Caninantics needs to determine which and how many global markets to enter. Caninantics will do this gradually with a waterfall approach. Since CaninanticsRead MoreDefining Marketing Paper1010 Words   |  5 PagesDEFINING MARKETING PAPER Defining Marketing Paper Bonnie Garcia University of Phoenix Marketing is an important part of the business organization; it is more than just promoting and selling a product. Marketing is gratifying the changing needs of the customer. This can be best summed up by the very successful businessman Bill Gates when he quoted, Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning . The purpose of this paper is to define marketing fromRead MoreEffects Of Globalization On Obesity And Caloric Intake880 Words   |  4 PagesADA (American Diabetes Association). Other than price, there are other factors included in this article that include: race/ethnicity, age, education level, and census region. Seiders, Kathleen, and Ross D. Petty. Obesity and the Role of Food Marketing: A Policy Analysis of Issues and Remedies. JSTOR. American Marketing Association, Fall 2004. Web. 24 Feb. 2017. This article is from the American Marketing Association and focuses on a crucial reason why obesity has skyrocketed, food marketing. TheRead MoreCase Study : Pet Food Store Essay1069 Words   |  5 Pagesincreasing competition. The pet food will focus its marketing strategies for the small and medium size dogs, along with a line for felines. â€Å"Only Natural Pet Food† targets people with active lifestyle make it great choose for the new line of pet food, this new line will appeal to individuals that have a healthier lifestyle and want to extend it to their pets. Launching the marketing campaign for Only Natural Pet Food the company will use SWOT analysis for the best strategies. Thus, allow SNHU pet

Ben and Jerry for Business Media- MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about theBen and Jerry for Business Media. Answer: Introduction: Founded in the year of 1978, by Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, Ben and Jerry indeed had a humble beginning that however witnessed unprecedented success over the coming years (Pol Wolle, 2016). The ice-cream company offers a variety of ice cream flavors to its consumers, including the rarest and most unique ones, such as graham cracker swirls and fudge peace signs. One of the major factors that contribute to the brand recognition of the company is that the company is not solely driven by the motive of profit maximization. The organization also manages to stay in limelight owing to its dedication to important social causes, such as marriage equality and cow-friendly farming methods. Although the organization works towards the accomplishment of a pre-determined set of strategies, it is important to evaluate the strategies and offer effective recommendations for the same. Corporate Goals and Strategies of Ben and Jerry: Although Ben and Jerry has managed to gain much recognition in the market of premium ice creams, it does encounter tough competition from companies such as Haagen Dazes. Hence, in order to sustain itself in future, and gain competitive edge over rival firms, the company intends to provide ice creams that are not only tasty, but are also nutritional in content. One of the integral goals of Ben and Jerry is to offer rich content of nutrients, minerals and vitamins to the consumers, so as to ensure that the consumed products also produce health benefit to the consumers. The quality of the ice cream products helps in distinguishing the Ben and Jerry ice cream products from its competitors, and hence the as per the strategy of the company, it charges a premium price from its consumers. The strategy of the company has always been to emphasize its healthy, preservative free, nutritional ingredients, and hence the taglines of its marketing campaigns like Food is not a Science Experiment has also stressed on this specific aspect only (Bourgeois et al., 2013) . Since the goals of the organization has always been to create a sustainable world, its strategy has also been to support social causes, such as creating awareness regarding the issue of climate change through its products, as well as marketing campaigns like Save our Swirled Campaign, that not only promote the brand but also help showing its utmost dedication to social causes (Endmondson, 2014). It should be noted here that while the organizational goal of the company has been to sell and distribute the finest quality of natural ice creams to its consumers, its strategy has been to align its goals with marketing strategies that uphold social causes for a sustainable global community. Analysis of the Corporate Goals and Strategies and the Recommendations for the Same: As a super premium ice cream organization, Ben and Jerry needs to retain its position, and thus its purchasing management team has to play an indispensible role. First of all, in order to delight the consumers, the purchasing management team must introduce product development, whereby the ice cream products can offer healthy ingredients along with unique tasty flavors. As it is a well-known fact that Ben and Jerry has been known for producing some of the most random ice cream flavors, which have failed to delight the cravings of the consumers. Hence, less known, unusual and well-tested ice cream flavors such as the flavors of natural fruit mix, coconut or raw mango can easily draw the attention of the consumers (Arbucke, 2013). While this will endorse the companys dedication to offer real, healthy and close to nature ingredients, it will offer a wide variety of unique flavors to the consumers as well. Besides, the organic ice cream industry is also witnessing a huge sale growth, owin g to the increasing health consciousness of the consumers. The organic ice creams are not only healthy, and rich in nutrients, but are also fat-free products. Considering the fact that the organizational goal of Ben and Jerry has been to promote a healthy life style, the purchasing management team can produce sweetened frozen food, rich in organic ingredients like organic milk, organic cream and organic egg yolks. The important goal of Ben and Jerry is also to generate revenue growth over the coming years, and the same can be accomplished if the purchasing department of the organization can diversify its products and start producing a variety of new products, including ice cream desserts and ice cream burgers (Johnson, 2014). This will help in product differentiation and will enable the company gain competitive edge over the rival firms. Conclusion: To conclude, it should be remembered that Ben and Jerry as an ice cream company is highly distinguished by the rival firms, by its dedication to produce the finest quality all-natural ice cream products. Since the company intends to offer value to the community, it must focus on offering a variety of natural flavors to the consumers. However, it should not compromise with the taste of its products, and at the same time, its marketing campaigns must foster a company image of social activism that in turn will help in enhancing the brand loyalty of the consumers. Reference List: Arbuckle, W. S. (2013).Ice cream. Springer Science Business Media. Bourgeois III, L. J., Bourgeois III, L. J., Mariani, E., Mariani, E., Yu, V. J., Yu, V. J., ... Yu, V. J. (2017). Ben Jerry's and Unilever: The Bohemian and the Behemoth.Darden Business Publishing Cases, 1-11. Edmondson, B. (2014).Ice Cream Social: The Struggle for the Soul of Ben Jerry's. Berrett-Koehler Publishers. Johnson, P. F. (2014).Purchasing and supply management. McGraw-Hill Higher Education. van de Pol, M., Wolle, A. L. (2016). Brand extension in the FMCG sector: A study of consumers attitudes towards a brand extension in the context of Ben Jerrys proposed launch of a dairy-free ice cream in the Nordic market. Weele, A. J., Raaij, E. M. (2014). The future of purchasing and supply management research: About relevance and rigor.Journal of Supply Chain Management,50(1), 56-72.

Marketing and Virtual Value Chain free essay sample

It considers how the different recourses and capabilities of a firm are used in conjunction with one another. Rather than looking at the individual activities of a firm, this approach evaluates the processes of a firm and how they can be used to create strategies that provide superior value to customers. The activity-based approach, on the other hand, measures the value and competitive advantage of a firm by analyzing individual activities in the firm’s value chain. Activities identified in the firm’s value chain include those activities that can provide a competitive advantage for a firm; such activities should have economics of scale or scope Competency-based thinking allows companies to align its strengths with the business opportunities and eliminate weaknesses in order to avoid threats creates a ‘strategic fit’ between its internal competencies and the external environment. The competence-based thinking allows businesses to investigate and understand the entire picture of the organizational structures and actual practices in order to understand the current situation. We will write a custom essay sample on Marketing and Virtual Value Chain or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page It can improve and enhance the current practice and further plan for the future. Competency development can take place over a period of time if the company has measures in place to ensure that employees learn and develop the competencies as their careers progress. Competency-based thinking in e-business strategy can be an effective model for businesses to use also. Small business owners must be able to develop technical competencies to thrive in the field of e-business. One of the primary barriers that many small business owners face in e-business is the lack of know-how in the development of effective websites and marketing strategies used to develop a web presence. Managers and business owners need to constantly update their knowledge of the Internet and the effective measures used by other companies to develop their business. The competence-based approach looks at how the resources and capabilities of a firm interact across different functions and activities. The core competencies of a firm are comprised of individual activities; therefore, the activities of a firm are also addressed in this approach. The activities-based approach, on the other hand, considers only the individual activities of a firm. It neglects to fully consider the processes and resources of a firm (Jelassi Enders, 2008, p. 86). 2) Think critically of possible applications of the virtual value chain concept within specific industries and business sectors. Are there some specify business sectors where this concept fits better than in other sectors? The virtual value chain is useful in many different industries and business sectors. For instance, e-businesses operating in the online retail industry can benefit immensely by developing a virtual value chain. Customer information can be used to help make a more personalized experience for the customer. An e-business retailer could provide product recommendations based on previously purchased or view items; enable the customer to view order status and order history; and develop personalized sales based on spending habits. For example, Old Navy emails advertisements and sale information to customers based on past purchases. Also, if a customer has an Old Navy credit card, they can view history of items they purchased in the store through Old Navy’s website. Another industry in which the virtual value chain is applicable is the credit card industry. Credit card companies allow customers to view transaction history and statements through secure websites. They also allow customers to make payments and update their personal information all in one place. Customers can monitor their spending limits intermittently before they receive their statement through the mail. Transaction information is available through a credit card’s website as soon as a sale is made. Both customers and the credit card companies, themselves, have benefit greatly by utilizing such information. Customers can now access information via the Internet, rather than call a customer service representative on the phone. The medical industry is another field in which the virtual value chain can enhance a customer’s experience. Healthcare providers are now creating personalized records for their customers online. Information gathered via claims sent to the insurance company is being used to update an individual’s personal health record on the Internet. This enables the customer to easily maintain medical records, receive updates when they are due for routine visits and tests, and keep track of prescription refills. The virtual value change is particularly useful for the sales and marketing business sector. Sales and marketing activities can go a long way by utilizing the virtual value chain. Customer information gathered in a number of industries can be used for virtual marketing efforts. Advertising can be accomplished on the web and through email. Companies can filter through customer databases to segregate their customers into different groups, such as existing customers, prospect customers, or inactive customers. Such information can be utilized to tailor specialized marketing efforts based on a customer’s status, preferences, etc. Although the virtual value chain provides a vast amount of benefits to most industries, it fits better in some business sectors than others. For example, the sales and marketing sector can better utilize the virtual value chain than the construction and engineering sectors. While information gather about customers in the construction and engineering sectors are valuable; there are not many applications to provide benefits to individual customers via the virtual marketspace. As well, the virtual value chain is more appropriate for industries and business sectors with repeat customers. Business sectors that tend to have one-time customers, based on the nature of the business, cannot receive much benefit from the virtual value chain. The virtual value chain is a powerful tool; however, it can be put to greater use in some industries over others. 3) Explain critically assess the ICDT framework and pinpoint its shortcomings. The ICDT framework was conceptualized by Albert Angehm. This model provides companies with a tool to assess the virtual market space and the range of activities they can utilize to interact with their customers (Jelassi Enders, 2008, p. 7). Such interactions help an e-business to enhance their customers’ overall experience, which in turn, can increase their market share. A breakdown of the ICDT framework follows. The ICDT framework provides companies with a systematic approach to developing effective e-business strategies. The model was developed for traditional bricks-and-mortar companies looking to expand into the virtual market space. T he model enables a company to evaluate the opportunities within the virtual market space and develop ways in which they can benefit from such opportunities. According to the ICDT framework, there are four dimensions and types of activities which an e-business can offer to its customers, as follows: Information activities: Information activities lay within the virtual information space. Information activities consist of marketing and knowledge sharing via the Internet. Companies can use the virtual information space to implement marketing and advertising campaigns, post information about their products and services, and enable customers to view the availability of products (Jelassi Enders, 2008, p. 87). Many companies now integrate their online information activities with their offline activities. For example, when on Target’s website, a customer can find out if a certain product is in stock at their local Target store. Communication activities: Communications activities take place in the virtual communication space. Communication activities consist of two-way communication between customers and businesses, businesses and businesses, and customers and customers. Such activities include email communication, message boards, and live chats (Jelassi Enders, 2008, p. 9). For example, when a customer has been on Sandal’s website, a vacation provider, for a couple of minutes, an instant message will appear on the screen asking if the customer has any questions or needs assistance. Transaction activities: Transaction activities occur in the virtual transaction space via e-commerce. Transaction activities involve the online placement of orders and online payment processing (Je lassi Enders, 2008, p. 89). Examples of transaction activities include the purchase and payment of cable television services on Comcast’s website. As well, most utility bills can be paid via the provider’s website. Distribution activities: Distribution activities take place in the virtual distribution space. They include the electronic distribution of digital goods, such as music, television shows, movies, e-books, and software (Jelassi Enders, 2008, p. 90). An example would be the online streaming of movies through Netflix’s website and television shows via Hulu. com. The virtual market spaces, as presented by the ICDT framework, provide a vast amount of opportunities for businesses to expand their opportunities to the Internet. Despite the apparent advantage of these virtual market spaces, each virtual market space also has its shortcoming. Information activities are most valuable to customers when they provide real-time, up-to-date information. When e-business first became popular, most e-businesses only provided static information. In order to successfully interact with customers via the virtual information space, companies must fully integrate and link their information activities to warehouse, production, and offline activities (Jelassi Enders, 2008, p. 87). Communication activities are fairly straightforward; however, the drawback of communication activities is that companies must provide timely responses to their customers. Online communication activities can quickly escalate; therefore, many e-businesses have developed automatic response systems to answer routine questions. Transaction activities, on the other hand, can be difficult to carry out. Customers tend to be leery about the websites they perform transactions over. The e-business must have a secure website and also be a reputable company. As e-commerce continues to progress, customers are getting more comfortable with online transactions (Jelassi Enders, 2008, p. 90). For instance, many e-commerce allow customers to perform payment transactions via PayPal, a trusted online payment facilitator. Additionally, most transactions have typically been limited to credit transactions. The shortcoming to credit transactions is that it is not economically feasible to accept credit transactions for low-priced goods. To overcome this pitfall, online micro-payment systems have been developed to facilitate the transaction of low-priced goods (Jelassi Enders, 2008, p. 0). Distribution activities are limited to the online capacity and capabilities of both providers and customers. It is not feasible to distribute goods to a customer with a 56-k modem. DSL and cable internet technologies have presented a mechanism to distribute digital goods online (Jelassi Enders, 2008, p. 90). As more customers and businesses become equip with broa dband technology, more goods will be offered in digital form. 3) Explain how an Internet can help a company to achieve a competitive advantage in the marketplace through (a) cost leadership and (b) differentiation. Illustrate each case through an actual example, other than those mentioned in this module. A cost leadership strategy is one in which a company attempts to lower their operating costs in order to provide their products and services at low prices to customers. In order to effectively gain a competitive advantage through a low cost strategy, the company must provide the minimum required benefits to customers, which are known as threshold features. Such features are required for a customer to consider a product (Jelassi Enders, 2008, p. 98). There are several ways in which an e-business can utilize the Internet to achieve a cost leadership strategy, as follows: Economics of scale: By increasing their level of production, a firm will decrease their unit production cost. The Internet enables an e-business to reach a large market of customers, typically larger than they could reach as a traditional bricks-and-mortar company. Therefore, the company can increase their output and lower their costs. Economics of scope: Economics of scope are achieved by expanding the variety of products and services offered by a firm, while utilizing the same assets for each offering. In other words, the company leverages their assets to spread their fixed cost over a wider range of goods and services (Jelassi Enders, 2008, p. 102). An e-business can achieve economics of scope by extending into new markets and reaching out to new customer groups via the Internet. Factor costs: Factor costs are the sum of all costs incurred when producing a product or service. In order to achieve a cost leadership position, an e-business can use the Internet to lower their factor costs. By reaching a larger group of customers over the Internet, an e-business can purchase raw materials or other inputs in bulk (Jelassi Enders, 2008, p. 02). Learning effects: After a company has been established for some time, they can lower their costs by improving their efficiency. They can use accumulated knowledge to increase productivity. The Internet can be used as an effective tool to achieve a cost leadership position. An example of an e-commerce company that has proved to be a successful co st leader is Overstock. com. Overstock. com is an online retailer which offers a wide range of products. The company’s low cost strategy includes economics of scope and a reduction in factor costs. Economics of scope are recognized by the variety of products offered by the company. Overstock. com can reach a large number of customers by offering a diverse range of products. All of the products offered on the site utilize the same assets. As well, the company purchases their products in bulk from their suppliers, which also significantly decreases their costs. Overstock. com sells their products well below the suggested retail price, which entices customers to buy from their site. A differentiation strategy, on the other hand, is one in which a company attempts to differentiate itself from competitors by offering unique and/or higher quality products. Unlike the low cost strategy, the differentiation strategy requires a company to incur higher costs and charge a higher than average price to customers. Customers are willing to pay a higher price due to the superior quality of the offering. When using a differentiation approach, it is important that the company clearly defines its market segment in order to recognize the elements which are of true value to their target audience (Jelassi Enders, 2008, p. 103). The Internet can also be used to achieve a differentiation strategy. To do so, an e-business must provide tangible sources of benefits which include: high product/service quality, product or service customization, convenience, fast speed of delivery, and a wide product range (Jelassi Enders, 2008, p. 104). Because e-business firms exist in the virtual world, each of these tangible sources of benefit can be recognized. Products can be built to order, as they do not need to be stock in a physical stock; the customer can go on one site to accomplish a variety of tasks or purchase a range of products; and orders can be quickly turned around and delivered to the customer. In addition to tangible sources of benefit, a differentiation strategy must also offer intangible benefits to the customer. These include brand and reputation. The Internet can be used to effectively leverage the brand name of an existing bricks-and-mortar company. Internet start-ups, on the other hand, must build through brand from the ground, which they can accomplish by marketing via the Internet. Reputation is also plays a major role in a differentiation strategy because customers incur less risk when purchasing from a trustworthy company (Jelassi Enders, 2008, p. 105). The Internet has been used to provide an effective differentiation strategy for Zappos, an online shoe retailer. The e-commerce site is known for its reputation, high level of customer service, convenience, speed of delivery, and product selection. Zappos has a wide product selection. They have vast amount of shoes available in all different fashions. They provide quick order processing and typically upgrade customers to overnight shipping for free. When returning or exchanging a product, they provide the shipping label and pick up the costs. Zappos has continued to differentiate itself from competitors by branching ut into television advertising. In 2010, they released a series of quirky, eye catching television commercials which have generated a lot of attention on the Internet. Their ads can be found on YouTube, as well as spoofs of their ads. This has drawn attention to Zappos, increased awareness of their site, and heightened their reputation. The Internet is a powerful tool whi ch can be used to build effective cost leadership and differentiation strategies. Many e-business companies have achieved competitive advantages by exploiting the capabilities of the Internet. As technology and the Internet continue to evolve, it will be interesting to see how e-businesses will use the Internet in the future. 5) Describe how a company can look for new market spaces outside its own industry. Numerous e-business firms have successfully implemented competitive advantage strategies via the Internet. Such strategies typically include a cost leadership and/or differentiation strategy. Many e-business firms have attempted to exploit the capabilities of the Internet to achieve both types of advantages. In other words, they achieve neither a cost leadership or differentiation position and project a confusing image to their customers. Many companies fall victim to the challenges of implementing both a low-cost and differentiation strategy. A low-cost strategy typically requires a company to forgo superior quality and enhanced features in order to provide a lower cost than competitors; whereas, a differentiation strategy requires a company to charge higher costs due to the increased costs of producing high quality goods or services. The low-cost and differentiation strategies have a tendency to conflict with one another; therefore, when many companies try to achieve a competitive advantage by implementing both strategies, they can easily get stuck somewhere in the middle (Jelassi Enders, 2008, p. 105). Such companies end up being perceived as average, run-of-the-mill companies that do not provide any increased benefits to their customer. When developing a strategy, a company is required to make tradeoffs. They may have to trade high quality for a low cost, or vice versa. However, current research has shown that when a company has the right factors in place, they can effectively accomplish both a low-cost and differentiation strategy simultaneously. This is known as an outpacing strategy. An outpacing strategy can be accomplished by developing new technologies, reducing wastefulness and increasing efficiencies, achieving economies of scale, and exploiting learning effects (Jelassi Enders, 2008, p. 108). Over the past decade, many e-business firms have utilized the Internet to achieve effect outpacing strategies and decreased their risk of getting stuck in the middle. The Internet provides ways for companies to increase their production levels by streamlining many of their processes. They can utilize new technologies which allow them to provide higher quality goods at low costs. Dell Computers is a great example of a company that has utilized both a cost leadership and differentiation strategy. Dell links their supply directly to demand. They build computers after the customer has placed their order. Their order process and logistics have been streamlined due to information technologies. Dell has a strong brand, a solid reputation, superior customer service, and offers innovative products all at a low cost to customers. Both differentiation and cost leadership have been the focus of Dell’s strategy. They have proven that a company can successfully implement an outpacing strategy without getting stuck in the middle, as long as the right technology and factors are in place. References Jelassi, T. , Enders, A. (2008). Strategies for e-business: Creating value through electronic and mobile commerce. (2nd ed. ). London, UK: Prentice Hall.

Time Management Tips and Section Strategy on ACT Science

Time Management Tips and Section Strategy on ACT Science SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Most students struggle with the timing of the ACT Science.I really struggled with it when I was a high school student.With only 52.5 seconds to answer each question or five minutes per passage, you have no time to waste. I improved my ACT science score by five points between my first official test and my second. Did I learn more sciencebetween the first and second test? No, but I did practice certain time management tips and ACT Science strategies specific to the section. In this article, I'll show you the lessons I learned so you can finish the section with time to spare. Time-Saving Tip 1: Do Not Read the Instructions I know you were taught to always read instructions, but do not read them on the day of the test. If you've taken ACT Sciencepractice tests before, you know what's coming, and instructions are a complete waste of time. The instructions will just slow you down. Here are the instructions, read them now and then never again: â€Å"DIRECTIONS: There are several passages in this test. Each passage is followed by several questions. After reading a passage, choose the best answer to each question and fill in the corresponding oval on your answer document. You may refer to the passages as often as necessary. You are NOT permitted to use a calculator on this test.† Not very helpful, right?The instructions never change; so do not waste your time reading them the day of the test. But I want to read the instructions! Time-SavingTip 2: Which Passage Do You Answer First? Every correct answer is worth the same, so spend your time on the least time costly questions first as this will maximize the number of points you get. To maximize your time and score. Start With the 3 Data Representation and 3 Research Summaries Passages You'll be able to identify these passages by the fact that they both include visuals, such as graphs, charts, or tables as part of or at the end of the passage. For more information on these types of passages, read about thethree types of ACT Science passages. Attack both passages the same way.Start by trying to answer the questions with visuals alone.Skip the ones you can’t answer with the visuals and come back to them after answering all of the other questions in that passage.Read more about this strategy in our other article. Save the Conflicting Viewpoints Passage for the End This passage takes the longest because there are no visuals. Instead, Conflicting Viewpoints passages include two short essays that have differing viewpoints. You have to read the entire passage to answer the questions. If you read the Conflicting Viewpoints Passage first or somewhere in the middle, it'll slow you down on the other passages.The Conflicting Viewpoints Passage requires an entirely different strategy and way of thinking. It'll break you out of your focused mindset of reading graphs, tables, and other visuals. So be sure tosave it for the very end. Try to make sure you have at least five minutes to attempt it.If you only have three minutes or less when you get to this passage, skip reading, jump to the questions and try to go back and skim to answer as best you can.It's better to read the whole passage first but with three minutes or less, you will not have time. Time-SavingTip 3: Know When to Skip Questions Keep track of your timing.You should not spend more than 1.5 minutes on any question. Ideally, you should be spending exactly 52.5 seconds on each question. However, some questions you'll be able to answer faster, so it'll allow you to spend a little more time on harder problems. Use process of elimination.Try to get rid of all the answer choices you know are wrong.Then, pick your favorite answer choice among what is left over.Even if you're not 100% sure, bubble it in, and put a small star next to it so you can go back to it if you have time. Don't spend more than 1.5 minutes lingering on a question.Going off of this point, you should not spend more than seven to eight minutes on any one passage (unless you have leftover time at the very end of the section).If you can’t do any process of elimination (more than likely you will be able to do some), leave it blank, put a mark by it, and come back to it if you have time. Try to avoid wasting a lot of time on a single question. Time-SavingTip 4: Figure Out Where You Are Getting Stuck This problem is person specific, but I'll try to show places where certain kinds of people get stuck. For the Math thinker, you sometimes get stuck in the numbers and lose sight of the main point.Don’t recalculate all the data or get lost in numerical details.Focus on the main ideas of the passage. If you get frustrated obsessing over numbers and then realizing you didn't need them to answer the question, you are getting stuck. Try to refocus your attention by looking at the questions first, figuring out exactly what you need to answer the question, and then going back and looking for only that information. For the English thinker, you might get stuck and overwhelmed by the visuals, numbers, or big science terms.Don’t panic over the numbers.Write your own notes in the margins to help you stay focused.If you need more visual reading practice, read abouthow to read graphs, tables, and data. Also, learnthe best strategy forreading ACT Science passages. For the Science thinker, don’t get stuck in dissecting the experiment or the science terms.Do not overthink the passage content. If you find yourself trying to fully understand the experiment and then realizing you didn't need to (which you shouldn't), you are getting stuck. Focus on the questions asked, read the questions first, and don't read the whole passage unless absolutely necessary to answer the questions (which it shouldn't be for the Data Representation and Research Summaries Passages). For the overachiever/perfectionist, you might get stuck wanting to be 100% sure you have the right answer.You do not have that luxury on this time-crunched test.Don’t linger.Move on. No one wants to end up stuck in the mud Time-SavingTip 5: Bubble inthe Blanks at the End Leave yourself 30 seconds to one minute at the end of the section to bubble in a letter for the ones you could not get to or skipped.DO NOT leave any blanks. There is no penalty for guessing on the ACT, so if you leave blanks, you are giving up free points. Every additional question or two that you answer correctly raises your score one point especially in the 30-36 range.There is no best letter to guess (even if you have heard C is the most used).All letters are used randomly and equally. Time-Saving Tip 6:Keep Your Energy Up The ACT Science section is always the last section of the test. You'll be tired. You'll have already been sitting for over an hour and a half.Your wrist will hurt from writing, and your butt will hurt from sitting. You'll be wondering if you answered that Math problem correctly. You must let go of what happened on the last three sections of the test and power through. You need to stay focused on this time-crunched ACT Science section. Have energy-packed snacks to eat at the break for an energy boost.Practice sitting for at least threefull-length practice tests before you take the actual test. Don't just sit for the 35-minute science section. As I said before, take three full-length practiceACTs, all five sections (including the essay if you'll be taking it) in one sitting. Want to learn more about ACT Science? Check out our new ACT Science prep book. If you liked this lesson, you'll love our book. It includes everything you need to know to ace ACT Science, including deep analysis of the logic behind ACT Science questions, a full breakdown of the different passage and question types, and tons of expert test-taking and study tips. Download our full-length prep book now: Recap Do not read the instructions! Don’t waste your time. Start with the Data Representation and Research Summaries Passages. Save the Conflicting Viewpoints Passage for last. Figure out where you are getting stuck and don’t do it! Skip if you have spent more than 1.5 minutes on it. Use process of elimination, pick your favorite answer to bubble in, mark it to come back to if you have time. Give yourself time to fill in the blanks and the end. Never leave blanks.You are giving up free points! Keep your energy up to get the best score! What’s Next? I hope you feel ready to maximize your time on the ACT Science! Trust yourself, know when to move on, and you will do great!Continue your ACT Science learning byreading aboutthe only actual science you need to know for ACT Science, andthe big secret of ACT Science. Having trouble with time management in other sections? Check out our time-saving strategies for ACT Readingand ACT Math. Like this article? Want to improve your ACT score by 4 points? Check out our best-in-class online ACT prep program. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your ACT score by 4 points or more. Our program is entirely online, and it customizes what you study to your strengths and weaknesses. If you liked this Sciencelesson, you'll love our program.Along with more detailed lessons, you'll get thousands ofpractice problems organized by individual skills so you learn most effectively. We'll also give you a step-by-step program to follow so you'll never be confused about what to study next. Check out our 5-day free trial:

35 Genres and Other Varieties of Fiction

35 Genres and Other Varieties of Fiction 35 Genres and Other Varieties of Fiction 35 Genres and Other Varieties of Fiction By Mark Nichol A previous post detailed synonyms for story. This entry defines words identifying various genres categories of story types and similar terms: 1. Adventure fiction: stories in which characters are involved in dangerous and/or exhilarating exploits 2. Airport novel: a work of fiction, generally genre fiction, so named because of its availability at stores in international airports in order to provide airline passengers with a light diversion during a flight 3. Allegory: a story using symbolism to express truths about the human condition 4. Bildungsroman: a story detailing the emotional and moral growth of a character 5. Black comedy: a story in which the humor derives from the misfortunes and/or reproachable behavior of characters 6. Comedy: a story with elements and situations intended to amuse 7. Comedy-drama: a story with both humorous and serious elements 8. Comedy of errors (farce): a story involving energetic action revolving around humorous predicaments and coincidences 9. Comedy of manners: a story that mocks class pretensions and/or prejudices 10. Crime fiction: stories based on the commission and/or investigation of wrongdoing 11. Detective fiction: stories in which the protagonist investigates a crime 12. Epic: originally a long poem celebrating the exploits of a factual or fictitious hero, but now applied to prose works on the same theme as well 13. Epistolary fiction: stories constructed as a series of letters exchanged between characters 14. Fantasy fiction: stories involving imaginary beings in the real world or in an alternate reality and assuming suspension of disbelief about magic and/or supernatural powers 15. Fictional autobiography: a story purporting to be a first-person account of someone’s life 16. Fictional biography: a story structured to resemble a factual life story 17. Genre fiction: stories intended to appeal to readers because of adherence to a specific formula (such as adventure fiction or detective fiction), rather than on their literary merits 18. Gothic fiction: stories often taking place in an isolated setting and involving strange and/or perilous happenings 19. Horror fiction: stories incorporating supernatural and/or inexplicable elements and intended to arouse fear and dread 20. Melodrama: a story that emphasizes action over characterization and features exaggeratedly dramatic plot elements 21. Mystery fiction: stories that detail the solution of a crime or other wrongdoing 22. Pastiche: a story that imitates one or more established works, or consists of episodes of such works 23. Picaresque: an episodically structured story featuring a rogue or an antihero as the protagonist 24. Parody: a story mocking the pretensions or weaknesses of a particular author, style, or genre 25. Romance: a love story; also a tale taking place in a distant time and place and involving adventure with often supernatural or mysterious elements 26. Romantic comedy: a lighthearted story detailing a romance and its complications 27. Romp: a boisterously comical tale 28. Satire: a story that pokes fun at human shortcomings such as arrogance, greed, and vanity 29. Science fiction: stories focusing on how science and technology affect individuals and civilizations 30. Screwball comedy: a fast-paced story involving improbable situations and antics from which the humor derives 31. Swashbuckler: an adventure story in which the hero accomplishes great feats to aid a noble cause 32. Thriller: a dramatic story punctuated with action, adventure, and suspense 33. Tragedy: a story with a catastrophic and/or unfortunate outcome 34. Tragicomedy: a story with both humorous and heartbreaking aspects 35. Travelogue: a story with a plot centering on a significant amount of travel Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Fiction Writing category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:12 Signs and Symbols You Should KnowThe Possessive Apostrophe20 Ways to Laugh

Terrorism is a form of risk that is impossible to manage. - Discuss Essay

Terrorism is a form of risk that is impossible to manage. - Discuss - Essay Example fact, the above views present the reality as it has been experienced by many people around the world after a series of relevant attacks that have been occurred in U.S., in Spain, in Britain and in almost all countries of the Middle East region. From another point of view, Kunreuther (2006, 38) has supported that ‘natural disasters and terrorist attacks are examples of what have been classified as low probability-high consequence (LP-HC) events; despite the first half of their title, these events are now in the headlines with increasing frequency’. It should be noticed however that although the above events are considered as quite possible to be repeated frequently, there is no sufficient provision for their prevention. Moreover, it has been stated that ‘there are features of these potentially catastrophic events that need to be carefully examined in order for individuals, firms, and governments to take steps today to reduce the risk of their occurrence in the future and to reduce the consequences should they occur; every government in the world faces the question of how to help its citizens face the risks of catastrophe but reducing these risks requires a concerted effort by individuals and firms’ (Kunreuther, 2006, 38). This weakness of the state to respond effectively to the needs of individuals and institutions that have suffered significant losses from terrorist attacks has led to the need for the creation of specific programs offered by insurance companies that focus on the provision of compensation to the victims of terrorist attacks (either individuals or organizations). Under these terms it has been found that ‘the institutions, programs, and policies that provide benefits to businesses and individuals affected by an accident, natural disaster, terrorist attack, or other type of loss can be thought of as a system composed of four primary compensation mechanisms: insurance, the tort system, government programs, and charity; together these

Organizations &behavior Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Organizations &behavior - Essay Example As it has been witnessed that the number of employees in the organisation has increased overtime to around 400 employees, indicating a medium to large size of the organisation, a structured timetable for the employees would ensure a more coherent and coordinated operational functioning of organisational resources whether human or non-human. This would help the company in comparing the labour hours with the employee performance and determine factors that act as a barrier towards enhanced employee performance enhancement. However, implementing decentralisation strategies is also not without its disadvantages and challenges of perplexity in decision-making, coordinating operations and making time and cost effective utilisation of organisational resources (Malone, 2004). To overcome these challenges that might hinder chances of success of this initiative, Jill Thompson should emphasise framing new rules with the help of the managers, inclined towards enhancing the productivity as well as level coordination in the various segments of the company. Additionally, philosophy of the top-level management towards decentralising the company structure, company’s past growth trends, physical location of the company, quality of the managers and external environmental influences on the company’s business should also be considered when framing the rules to implement decentralisation successfully. As these factors have a direct relationship with the organisational structure and culture, the process of d ecentralisation will certainly have a direct implication on different levels of the organisation, further inducing changes to the overall business process. Likewise, through decentralisation, it has been viewed that the culture being followed by the employees in the company will change to a certain extent, as this approach will create more responsibility and power of decision making for the employees (Mosley & et. al., 2010). As argued

Technological Innovation Impact on Accounting Field Essay Example for Free

Technological Innovation Impact on Accounting Field Essay Technology innovation is the process through which new (or improved) technologies are developed and brought into widespread use. Innovation can be composed of research, development, demonstration, and deployment. Although it is known clearly that innovation is not a linear process there are various interconnections and feedback loops between these stages, and often even the stages themselves cannot be significantly disaggregated. I don’t think if the phenomenon of technological innovation can become a stumbling block in prosperity of management accounting since through innovation management accounting discipline and career have been significantly improved. These areas are as follows The Information Revolution: in early years it was cost fully to collect, analyses and store accounting information. This was because of inadequacy of infrastructures which were importantly needed for this purpose. Today information technology makes possible sophisticated database accounting systems that are both powerful and flexible in terms of the accounting information that they can collect, organize and report. Even today, however, the cost of designing, implementing, and running cost accounting systems is a substantial obstacle in many organizations; a fact probably underrepresented in business schools. Proliferation of Product Lines: This is not much matters if a company makes only one product, since many cost accounting issues can be resolved. When companies significantly expanded their product lines to gain market share and increase profits, the difficulty and importance of obtaining accurate cost information on individual products increased. Back then companies were allocating costs among products in a manner that led to poor production and marketing decisions. A management accounting tool called activity-based costing was developed to help correct this problem, by improving the accuracy with which costs are allocated among products. Globalization of the Economy: Globalization has several implications for management accounting. First, globalization has resulted in a more competitive environment, which encourages the implementation of accounting systems that provide the most accurate, relevant, and timely information possible. Second, the growth of multinational corporations has increased the importance of transfer pricing. A transfer price is the amount one division of a company charges another division for an intermediate product. Transfer pricing plays a role in taxation, international trade negotiations, and production and marketing decisions within decentralized firms. Finally, globalization has increased the pace of change within the management accounting profession. Many recent innovations in management accounting, as well as in the fields of strategy and operations management, originated in Japan. Direct competition between Japanese and U. S. companies has led many U. S. companies to adopt these Japanese management practices. Innovative Management Practices: In addition to the four economic and technological trends described above, the following three innovations in the fields of strategy and operations management have influenced management accounting systems and practices over the past several decades. Total quality management (TQM): Quality programs go by several names, including TQM, zero defect programs, and six sigma programs. The focus on quality has had a significant impact on many organizations in all sectors of the economy, beginning with the automobile industry and some other industries in the manufacturing sector of the economy about forty years ago. Sophisticated quality programs are found today in many areas of government, education and other not-for-profit organizations as well as in for-profit businesses. The impetus for TQM programs is the assessment that the cost of defects is greater than the cost of implementing the TQM program. Advocates of TQM claim that some costs of defects have been underestimated historically, particularly the loss of customer goodwill and future sales when a defective unit is sold. Some advocates of quality programs believe that the most cost-effective approach to quality is to eliminate all defects at the point at which they occur. If successful, these â€Å"zero defect† programs would not only result in higher levels of customer satisfaction, but would also eliminate costs associated with more conventional quality control procedures, such as inspection costs that occur at the end of the production line, the cost of reworking units identified as defective, and costs associated with processing customer returns. The focus is on preventive controls to prevent the defect from occurring in the first place, as opposed to detective controls to identify and correct the defect after it has occurred. Just-in-time (JIT): During the last two decades of the 20th century, many companies implemented just-in-time programs designed to minimize the amount of inventory on hand. These companies identified significant benefits from reducing all types of inventories—raw materials, work-in-process, and finished goods—to the lowest possible levels. These benefits consist principally of reduced inventory holding costs (such as financing and warehousing costs), reduced losses due to inventory obsolescence, and more effective quality control The relationship between JIT and TQM is important. Many defects in raw materials or the production process can be ignored indefinitely if high-quality materials can be substituted for defective materials, and if additional first-quality units can be produced to replace defective units. In a non-JIT environment, defective materials and half-finished units might be set aside in a corner of the factory. However, under a JIT program, if raw materials received at the factory are defective, there might be no first-quality materials on hand to substitute for the defective materials. In extreme cases, the production line might be shut down until first-quality materials are received. Hence, a JIT program can focus attention on quality control in ways not generally possible in a non-JIT environment. The challenge in a JIT environment is to avoid stock-outs. To meet this challenge, some companies have found ways to decrease production lead times. Shorter production schedules result in less work-in-process inventory, and also allows companies to maintain lower levels of finished goods inventory while still maintaining high levels of customer satisfaction. Early in the 21st century, acts of terrorism (such as the destruction of the World Trade Center in New York City) and natural disasters (such as Hurricane Katrina) prompted some companies to rethink the practice of maintaining extremely low levels of inventories. These companies are concerned that future incidents could result in the disruption of inventory pipelines, particularly for imported materials. Consequently, the advantage of maintaining safety stocks of inventory is receiving renewed interest.

The Handmaids Tale by Margaret Atwood :: essays research papers fc

James Fils-Aime The Handmaid’s Tale Fact or Fiction The Handmaid's Tale is a dystopian novel in which Atwood creates a world which seems absurd and near impossible. Women being kept in slavery only to create babies, cult like religious control over the population, and the deportation of an entire race, these things all seem like fiction. However Atwood's novel is closer to fact than fiction; all the events which take place in the story have a base in the real world as well as a historical precedent. Atwood establishes the world of Gilead on historical events as well as the social and political trends which were taking place during her life time in the 1980's. Atwood shows her audience through political and historical reference that Gilead was and is closer than most people realize. Atwood closely scrutinizes Colonial America, back in the 1700's it was a society founded on religion and ran as a theocratic order. Puritans who had just fled Europe for religions freedom settled in the Americas where they could run their society in the way they saw fit. Especially in New England, religious freedom was not allowed, and people were punished by the courts for failing to uphold the common religions requirements. Those who were not of a specific type of Christianity were considered heathens. Men who controlled the society enforced rules on others based on their interpretations of the bible. They believed that "as God's elect, had the duty to direct national affairs according to God's will as revealed in the Bible." (3) Later on puritanical control faded but in the South there was the enslavement and resulting racism toward blacks. Again so called male leaders of society promote injustice and oppression in order to benefit themselves. Atwood also uses her novel to comment briefly on the issues of race, those not of a specific type of Christianity or skin color were sent away to the colonies, or killed. The "children of Ham", which in the bible represent the descendants of the black race, are relocated outside of Gilead. Even the location in which she places Gilead is reminiscent of early American for Boston, Massachusetts was a puritan center. The world of Gilead which Atwood is a society controlled by power hungry men who use religion as a means of control. Atwood also references the oppression of Jew's during the holocaust in her novel. Under Hitler's rule 6 million Jews were killed, and many more sent to concentration camps where they were mistreated by their captors.

Spiritual Milestone Essay

In â€Å"Spiritual Milestone† the author describes his life as an Asiatic American and the troubles that he has faced non merely with his individuality but with his conflict with depression. The more compelling narrative is his rise above the disease and his enormous success in the universe of academe and in his community. Not recognizing that he really had depression. he worked diligently to get the better of the stigma attached to his ethnicity. and at the same clip. ended up detecting that he was enduring from â€Å"the common cold of mental unwellness: depression† . Bing a ego motivated scholar. the writer was able to name himself by reading and analyzing about depression. He sought immediate aid from a professional to assist cover with the symptoms of the disease. and in the interim. continued his surveies and his battle to go more than a stereotype. The different therapies the author endured were cognitive therapy. interpersonal therapy. and behavioural therapy. These three therapies prescribed by his psychologist helped him to acknowledge and cover with his feelings so that he could hold a clear way to success. While the writer does non travel into excessively much item depicting the agony he endured from his depression. he does reference sleepless darks. anxiousness. self medicine. and lassitude. He knew these symptoms were a mark of something much deeper and besides that they would impede his hereafter success. so he sought aid instantly. The author’s intent was to inform readers of the symptoms of depression and to promote those who suffer from it to take action and seek the aid necessary to do life as fulfilling as possible.

Renaissance Theatre

The Renaissance Theatre By Macey Colburn, Brendan Simpson, Dayana Romero and Bryan D During the late fourteenth through the early seventeenth century an awaking of the arts and learning boomed in the western world. This awaking or rebirth is known as the Renaissance. The Renaissance era was a glorious time. European politics changed dramatically there was a rise of kings and princes and merchants became key economic figures. As people started to accumulate more money they had leisure time to fill and would become eager to show off their fortune by hiring artists to create extravagant works for them.During the Renaissance there was an apparent change in the art from medieval art. Medieval artists focused on religious subjects in their paintings and sculptures where Renaissance artists focused on human beings and creating realistic paintings and sculptures. In 1450 the printing press was invented and this made literature available to great numbers of people. The Renaissance also saw an impressive development in theatre, especially in Italy, England, Spain, and France. The English Renaissance was a time when language and literature flourished.This period is often called the Elizabethan period because Queen Elizabeth was the major political figure. She reigned for forty-five years from 1558 to 1603. During this time the English were intrigued by language and Queen Elizabeth was an amateur linguist. Not only did the English love language they also had a love for the theatre. Two great playwrights of the Elizabethan era were Christopher Marlowe and William Shakespeare. Christopher Marlowe, one of the most important playwrights of the Elizabethan era, was known for perfecting a key element to theatre; dramatic poetry.Marlowe’s â€Å"mighty line† also known as his dramatic verse in iambic pentameter developed strength, subtlety, and suppleness as well as great lyric beauty. Marlowe wrote several plays including Doctor Faustus (c. 1588) Tamburlaine (Parts 1 and 2; c. 1587) and Edward II (c. 1592). Unfortunately this lyric genius’ life was cut short when he was stabbed to death in a tavern brawl in 1593. He died at the age of twenty- nine. The other great playwright of this era was William Shakespeare. Shakespeare appeared on the theatre scene around 1590 just about the time Marlowe made his debut. He was a native of Stratford-on-Avon and his father was a glove aker and his mother was the daughter of a prominent landowner and farmer. Shakespeare was educated in Stratford and he married Ann Hathaway. She bore him three children and was several years older than Shakespeare. By the time Shakespeare’s third child was born he left his family and went to London where he first worked as an actor and soon after became a playwright. He combined Senecan dramatic devices, the platform stage, powerful dramatic verse, source material form English history, Roman history and drama, and episodic plot structure and made all these element s into the most remarkable plays ever created.The theatres that were big during the Elizabethan era were public or outdoor theatres. The plays of Shakespeare and Marlowe were mainly performed in public theatres. These theatres where located outside the city limits of London to avoid government restrictions. All levels of society attended public theatres and the most famous public theatre was the Globe theatre because it was the home of Shakespeare’s plays. The theatres were built to hold a lot of people and the exact shape of the theatres varied.Depending on the shape of the theatres the public theatres could hold between 1,500 to 3,000 people. The stage of the public theaters was a raised platform that was closer to a contemporary thrust than to a proscenium stage. This kind of stage was great for quickly changing locations from a bedroom to a battlefield. In the stage floor were trapdoors. Behind the raised platform was the stage house. The stage house also known as the tir ing house was a three story building where changing costumes took place and for storing properties and set pieces.Other than the public theatre there were also private theatres. The Elizabethan private theatres were indoor spaces lit by candles and had high windows. Private theatres were open to the general public and because they were smaller seating was limited so the private theatres were a bit pricier than the public theatres. Costumes of the Elizabethan Era followed the conventions and traditions of medieval English theatre. During the English Renaissance the monarchy had strict laws and regulations for the acting companies.Elizabethan acting companies could only have twenty five members and these members were organized on a sharing plan. There were three categories of personal in a company: shareholders, hirelings, and apprentices. Shareholders were the elite members of the company and received a percentage of the troupes profits. Hirelings were actors that were hired for a ce rtain amount of time and were paid a specific salary and played the minor roles. Apprentices were the young performers. They trained for a profession and were assigned to shareholders. Players were a royal pleasure, and to please royalty was a major aim of the companies. The story of the companies between 1572 and 1642 is one of increasing royal favor and protection, from first 1572 statute which gave warrant to their quality, through the accolade of direct royal patronage after 1603, to final period when the royal protection ceased to be meaningful. There is, none the less, despite the royal favours and the origins of the companies in employment as entertainers – Adult mummers or boy choristers – no question but that the profit motive was totally predominant† (Gur 19).During this time there were no female performers. Women’s roles were often played by boys or men. â€Å"The exact date of the actress’s debut is not known, but is usually assumed to be 8 December 1660, when it is known that a woman played Desdemona in a production of Othello by Thomas Killigrew’s King’s Company. A special prologue was written by the poet Thomas Jordon ‘to introduce the first Woman that came to act on the stage in the tragedy called the Moor of Venice’: â€Å"The Woman playes today, mistake me not, / No Man in Gown, or Page in PettyCoat.A week later one Andrew Newport wrote to Sir Richard Leveson that ‘upon our stages we have women actors, as beyond seas’ †(Howe 19). Companies would rarely perform the same play on two consecutive days and each company had to be able to revive plays in its repertory on very short notice. Because of this the actors were kept on their toes and improvisation was used frequently. Also to keep the actor’s memories refreshed plots or outlines of the dramatic action of the various plays were posted backstage.Rehearsals were run by playwrights or leading actors and be cause rehearsal time was minimal the prompter became an asset to the production. Not only in England flourish in great age of renaissance theatre but so did Spain. In the 1550 to 1650 was the Golden Spain Age. Spain became the leading of the New World because of its exploration and conquest of the new world. They controlled all of the Netherlands. But in 1558 it lost it power because of the defeat of Spanish Armada. The Spanish Armada was when Spain was going for the protestant of Queen Elizabeth in England.One of their difference between the Spanish and the English, was the religion drama. Spanish were the ones that practice more about non religion drama. The full-length secular, as to being three acts, which were comedias. Most of the comedias were about love and honor. One of the play writes of the Golden Age was Lope de Vega who was born on November 25, 1562 after Shakespeare. He wrote about 1,500 plays but said about 470 still today. One of his well known Punishment without Rev enge that was written in 1631. Just a few years before he died on August 27, 1635.Another known play wright was Calderon de la Barca who was born in Madrid, Spain on January 17, 1600. He was known to be one of the greatest dramatists during the Golden Age. One of his well known plays was Life is a Dream that he wrote in 1636. In 1651 Calderon became a priest and still continue to write plays. May 25, 1681. During the Golden Age there were females that were playwrights, but their production was never presented. These playwrights were presented on a stage called Corrales. The Corrales were located in the courtyard by close together building.The Corrales had a similarity to the English public theater. They had an open- air space. One of the most known Corrales was located in Madrid, the Corral de la Cruz and the Corral del Principe. In the corral it held about 2,000 specters, 1,000 were for men and 350 for women, and the rest was for the government and the clergy. In the Golden Age onl y about sixteen to twenty performers. The Spanish did include the women also unlike the English. Although the church did not agree with women being performers, so the Spanish government had to eliminate women from acting.Only women who were married to one of the actors they could be part of the performance. The Renaissance era of theater in France started later than it did on other countries such as England or Spain. In France, Renaissance theater did not start until the late seventeenth century, partially due to a civil war going on at the time between Catholic and Protestant parties, which was brought to an end in fifteen ninety four when King Henry the IV created the Edict of Nantes, which gave tolerance to both the Catholic and protestant religions.Now that there was religious stability and the political system was settled down, French society was able to grow and flourish under King Louis XIV. During this time France sent expeditions to Canada and the Louisiana Territory in Ame rica. During this period of peace in france, the society was influenced greatly by the innovations and ideas of the Italian Renaissance. Many aspects of French theater were taken from themes of the Italian Renaissance. Even though there were many playwrights during this period, a few of the most important were Moliere, Pierre Corneille, and Jean Racine.Moliere was most widely known for his comedies while Corneille and Racine were known for their tragedies. Out of these three writers, Moliere was probably the most influential to the french Renaissance. He was not only a dramatist, but he actually acted as well and headed up a theatrical troupe. His first couple ventures into theater were failures, but he soon learned from his mistakes and came back as one of the most influential playwrights in the history of French Renaissance.His work was strongly influenced by Italian commedia dell’arte and uses this style in his plays such as â€Å"Tartuffe†, â€Å"The Misanthropeâ € , and â€Å"The Miser†. This style uses exaggerated characters and makes fun of the exaggerations that the characters portray. Corneille and Racine also wrote some notable plays such as Corneille’s play â€Å"The Cid† and Racine’s play â€Å"Phaedra† but some of their plays were looked at in a negative manner for their writing style or lack of following the rules of playwriting at the time.The style of theaters and performance stages used in France during the Renaissance period were also unique. One notable theater was in the Hotel de Bourgogne. It was a long narrow platform stage which was the only indoor theater in Paris for almost a century until sixteen thirty four. There was also a strong Italian influence in the theaters in France as well. The amphitheaters were a good example of this. Even though the architecture differed slightly, they still consisted of a stage that backed up to a wall with rows of bleacher like seating in front of th e stage.In the sixteen fifties, Louis XIV built a theater called the Hall Of Machines. This was the largest playhouse in Europe and enabled sets to be lowered onstage from above the stage. Even though the French Renaissance did not start as early as other countries, and some of their ideas were borrowed from other countries such as Italy, it still had an influence on theater and produced some great writers and actors such as Moliere’s work became prominent at the time. Corneille and Racine’s tragedies were also notable at the time.But despite the fact that France had some innovations in theater and some great plays, most of their theatrical traditions were heavily patterned after the already established ways of Italian theater and designs. MLA Citations Sources: http://www. cwu. edu/~robinsos/ppages/resources/Theatre_History/Theahis_8. html VIII. The Theatre in France–1500-1700, Scott R. Robinson Howe, Elizabeth. â€Å"Chapter 1. † The First English Actre sses. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1992. Viii+. Print. Gurr, Andrew. â€Å"2. The Companies. † The Shakespearean Stage 1574-1642. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1970. 1-183. Print.

Free Essays on Radicalism

Trace the history of Radicalism and the causes of its rise. What are its major ideas and movements? Radicalism is a rejection of liberal democracy and industrialization. Even with the fall of the Soviet Union it is still a vital force in the world. The middle class was aware of the social problems they were creating as they developed an industrial society. As a result, they had to reconcile their own affluence with the poverty of the workers. They used the theories of a number of thinkers to rationalize their ascendancy. Adam Smith sustained individual enterprise and Thomas Malthus and David Ricardo gave a rationale for economic individualism. Jeremy Bentham argued that every institution must be measured against its social utility – the greatest good for the greatest number. The fact that society was benefiting justified the change that brought the industrial world into being. There were those who disagreed with this. Radical theories began to develop in the 1840’s. Louis Blanc argued against competition and for a system of workshops governed by the workers. Pierre Proudnon proposed that the price of items be based on the amount of labor used to produce them. The ideas of Blanc and Proudnon received their clearest and most forceful expression in the works of Karl Marx and Friedrick Engels. Marx and Engels worked to produce a theory that would explain how society had come to its present state and propose a means of altering it. The theory was published by Marx in 1848 and was titled â€Å"The Communist Manifesto.† Society, he argued, was no more than a reflection of a hierarchy dictated by those who own the means of production. As history progressed, so the means have changed. Feudalism was defeated by capitalism and capitalism would be defeated by communism. The process would involve the concentration of economic power into fewer and fewer hands and the consequent opposition of an ever-increasing working class. Once the wor... Free Essays on Radicalism Free Essays on Radicalism Trace the history of Radicalism and the causes of its rise. What are its major ideas and movements? Radicalism is a rejection of liberal democracy and industrialization. Even with the fall of the Soviet Union it is still a vital force in the world. The middle class was aware of the social problems they were creating as they developed an industrial society. As a result, they had to reconcile their own affluence with the poverty of the workers. They used the theories of a number of thinkers to rationalize their ascendancy. Adam Smith sustained individual enterprise and Thomas Malthus and David Ricardo gave a rationale for economic individualism. Jeremy Bentham argued that every institution must be measured against its social utility – the greatest good for the greatest number. The fact that society was benefiting justified the change that brought the industrial world into being. There were those who disagreed with this. Radical theories began to develop in the 1840’s. Louis Blanc argued against competition and for a system of workshops governed by the workers. Pierre Proudnon proposed that the price of items be based on the amount of labor used to produce them. The ideas of Blanc and Proudnon received their clearest and most forceful expression in the works of Karl Marx and Friedrick Engels. Marx and Engels worked to produce a theory that would explain how society had come to its present state and propose a means of altering it. The theory was published by Marx in 1848 and was titled â€Å"The Communist Manifesto.† Society, he argued, was no more than a reflection of a hierarchy dictated by those who own the means of production. As history progressed, so the means have changed. Feudalism was defeated by capitalism and capitalism would be defeated by communism. The process would involve the concentration of economic power into fewer and fewer hands and the consequent opposition of an ever-increasing working class. Once the wor...

The best blogs every HR professional needs to ready

The best blogs every HR professional needs to ready Things are changing all the time in the HR world, so if you’re looking for ways to keep current, you can’t go wrong with blogs. But which one? We have you covered, no matter what avenue you want to explore. Here are some of the best, industry-leading blogs that can help keep you in the loop.The HR CapitalistWritten by Kris Dunn, a longtime HR executive with a passion for efficiency, The HR Capitalist focuses on ways to make your work more streamlined and informed. Highlights include everyday tips, interviews with essential pros, book reviews, and thoughtful essays on current trends. Bonus blog: Dunn also runs Fistful of Talent, which features diverse voices writing about trends and news from recruiting and talent management.PandologicBy putting the gamut of HR topics in one place (like recruiting, recruitment marketing, strategy, data and analytics, advertising, and tech trends), Pandologic gives you a checkpoint for all that’s new and developing in your professi onal world. With its focus on fast-moving trends and future development, this blog is geared toward the professional looking to make- or maintain- forward progress in their organization.Ask a ManagerWho doesn’t love a good advice column? Ask a Manager brings Dear Abby into the HR realm, giving insightful advice on real-life issues faced by professionals in the field. The advice here comes from Alison Green, a longtime management and human resources professional. Green’s philosophy is based on practicality and productivity, using communication to solve problems before they become insurmountable or, worse, career-blockers.The Buzz on HRIn The Buzz on HR, human resources manager Sarah Morgan (who has more than 20 years of experience in the trenches) brings her unique insights to leadership and organizational management. If you’re looking for a daily hit of short trend pieces and breaking news, this may not be the place; but if you want thoughtful, perceptive essays on the experiences and challenges facing the busy HR professional, this one is a great blog to add to your rotation.hbspt.cta.load(2785852, '9e52c197-5b5b-45e6-af34-d56403f973c5', {});HR BartenderWhen happy hour feels too far away (when it’s, say, at 10 a.m. on a Tuesday), you can still get the experience of chatting with a friendly voice who understands that HR is a lifestyle (not just a day job) at HR Bartender. HR professional-turned-consultant Sharlyn Lauby gets that the HR world isn’t just recruitment and data- it’s an integral part of a living, breathing workplace, with human interests and concerns. HR Bartender uses a light, practical approach to the issues facing HR pros.HR ExaminerIf you’re looking for insight into the technology that’s shaping the HR world more and more every day, then HR Examiner can help you geek out to your heart’s content. It’s all about the intersection of technology, analytics, and hands-on HR work. T he blog includes in-depth analysis of trends and products, as well as weekly interviews, newsletters, and podcasts to keep you up-to-the-minute on all the latest tech trends.The Undercover RecruiterUndercover Recruiter is a bit different from the rest of the pack because it brings HR-themed content for several different audiences: the employer, the recruiter, and the job seeker. The blog features a diverse array of writers and topics, covering industry trends, tips for strategy and best practices, and news on the latest trends that affect hiring from all angles.WorkologyWorkology is great because it tackles topics meant for HR pros at every level: newbie, midlevel, management, executive, etc. With more than 100 writers providing news and insight into trends and the HR experience, the blog supports the human resources lifer at every stage of their career. The platform also has extensive social media and podcast content, as well as a weekly newsletter to keep you up on all the news yo u need to know.The best HR blogs are ones that not only inform, but also show how vibrant and diverse the HR community is. Each of these is a great resource that can help you grow and thrive in your organization and find your tribe while you learn everything you need to know.

Potential Benefits and Risks of Deeper Globalization for Guidia Assignment

Potential Benefits and Risks of Deeper Globalization for Guidia - Assignment Example This essay declares that globalization therefore is considered as multi-disciplinary in nature with its roots in politics, economics, technology, sociology etc. It is however, critical to understand that major emphasis of globalization is through the economic integration where economies integrate with each other through free and unrestricted trade. As a result of this trade, not only technological transfer becomes possible but more foreign direct investment also arrives. As a result of these changes, economic growth can actually quicken. This paper stresses that term globalization has emerged during 1960s however it was during so called roaring nineties that it started to take the serious public attention. Over the period of time, the early literature on globalization however gave it a connotation that globalization is actually westernization vs. the rest including nationalism etc. Post 9/11 scenarios have made this impression much stronger with globalization taking different meanings and assumptions. The emergence of rationalism as a major framework for knowledge is considered as the first element which encouraged the development of globalization. Over the period of time, rational decision making has made it more important for nations and societies to actually expand their activities in order to grow and evolve. Capitalism is another important factor which has actually made it mandatory for producers to actually look for new markets to increase their sales volumes. Under capitalist ideology, producers of the goods a nd services actually attempt to obtain more therefore in pursuit of profits, firms attempt to expand globally. (Scholte, 2002) Technological innovation is another important factor which has resulted into the globalization. Rapid changes in the communication technologies, transport as well as other technologies have allowed better integration of economies across the globe. It is however, important to note that the changes in the way capitalism have progressed and emergence of rational thinking has actually created a social order which has fostered the technological innovation. Technological innovation therefore is considered as the result of capitalist development and rational thinking. Globalization however, gained more momentum with the spread of technological innovation. Supportive regulatory framework has also resulted into the creation and speeding up of globalization also. Supportive regulatory frameworks have actually eased out the entry and exit barriers thus allowing domesti c as well as international firms to become more proactive in entering into and maintaining their presence in the global market. Supportive framework however, has been made possible only due to the economic development and r

Inside the Romney Campaign Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Inside the Romney Campaign - Essay Example (Murray, 2012) It has been suggested that his compaign is based upon interlocking circles and contacts which he managed to win during his business days. It is however, critical to understand that campaign is managed by a manager however, Romney himself is considered as the man calling all the shots. This strategy therefore may fail to achieve excellent results because it is felt that too much involvement by the candidate in the details may distract the overall focus of the campaign. It is also been suggested that the campaign is actually been run as a business rather than for a Presidential election therefore may not serve the overall purpose for winning the elections. This paper will therefore discuss the structure of Romney’s election campaign and analyze from a strategist point of view whether the current structure is effective and efficient and can deliver required results to Romney in winning Presidential elections against Barrack Obama. At the start of the Campaign, Romney announced to form a exploratory committee to kick start his campaign for Presidential elections. This committee was considered as an initial organizational structure of the campaign and how it will be directed in the future. It is critical to note however, that since the start, there were plans to restart once Romney wins the nominations for Presidential elections. (Steinhauser, 2011). The plan therefore was to completely shakeup the existing set up and starts over again with new vigor and energy. Many however, still believe that there is a lack of one common figure at the top who can actually engineer the whole campaign and lack of such personality may not serve the purpose. Separation of candidate from the menial actions taken in day to day operations may allow Romney’s campaign managers to work more innovatively and creatively. It has been suggested that the people involved in the

Banking regulation and risk Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Banking regulation and risk - Essay Example The gravity of the problem is underscored by the length and the damage wrought by the slump, which some economists called as a recession and financial shock. In the effort of prevention, it is crucial to identify the causes of the financial crisis. Understanding the Slump Technically, it was the collapse of the American subprime lending market that has caused the crisis. But from its manifestation in the year 2007 towards its end in the latter part of 2009, the crisis proved to be an amalgamation of problems that facilitated and aggravated the crisis sparked by the subprime lending market crash. The consensus is that global macro-economic imbalances and financial innovation, which aggravated the excessive credit and liquidity expansion, combined with the failures in regulation, supervision and corporate governance collectively led to the financial crisis that has acquired global proportions. (UK Parliament, p. 7) The specifics of the causes of the financial crisis reveal a multi-face ted financial problem that, unfortunately, all boiled down to the matter of faulty and ineffective financial policymaking, regulation and supervision. For instance, central banks erred in keeping inflation in historic lows because it led to the ease by which credits were made available. Then financial institutions, in their greed to achieve higher returns, took more and more risks by introducing increasingly complex financial products which eventual taxed the long-term stability of financial institutions. September 2008 saw the peak of the crisis as ten large financial institutions failed or nearly failed, triggering a financial panic and resulted in the large contraction of the global economy. (Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission 2011, p. 417) In the early part of 2011, much of the world are still reeling from the financial crunch either recovering, rebuilding or are still in its clutches . The United States is still currently struggling, barely posting positive growth. The legacy of the 2008 financial crisis is undeniable, the current global financial system - its risk-based regulatory framework lacks a kind of efficiency and authority to check each and every element of the financial crisis as we watch them happen helplessly. This should already prompt us to questions existing frameworks and conventions such as the Basel II and the existing risk-based regulatory framework that govern the world financial systems. The Problem with Basel II The second installment to the Basel Accords, Basel II is a compendium of recommendations on banking laws and regulations drafted and implemented by the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision. Basel II is supposed to be a mechanism that would prevent crisis such as what was experienced in 2008 from happening. The idea is to setup an international standard or best practices benchmarks that financial regulators could use in their policy- and decision-making. The standard is anchored on the establishment of risk and capital mana gement requirements that would supposedly force banks to maintain capital reserves according to the risks that a financial institution is exposed to as a result of its banking practices. The problem, wrote Padmalatha (2011), is that Basel II is a quantum leap from Basel I and that those tasked to implement and promote its standards were not ready and skilled, making Basel II problematic for regulators and banks themselves. An important argument is the Basel Committees own admission that risk based capital requirements - a fundamental element of Basel II - could inevitably lead to procyclicality, typified by how banks lend more due to an upbeat economy. Padmalatha stressed that "when business cycles take a downturn, banks downgrade the borrowers due to increased likelihood