16th Century rebellions of the Netherlands Essay

Yet the Church still held the power to imprison, fine and even maim those who insulted the clergy. People deeply resented this and the Church’s extensive wealth, which many felt was undeserved. Not all the clergy behaved in this manner, but enough to disillusion many to the point where they abandoned the Church. The weakness of the Catholic Church was extremely important in the spread of Calvinism. Had people been entirely content with Catholicism, the Huguenots and other Calvinist influences would never have had such an impact. Once the country’s Calvinists had been converted, they were able to avoid detection and punishment successfully. The flourishing community of Jewish marranos based in Antwerp were able to advise them on such matters, as they themselves had experience of religious persecution. Their advice was warmly and freely given, as the marranos looked favourably upon any opponent of Catholicism. The country’s boggy marshlands also provided retreats for Calvinists that the authorities found difficult to uncover. However, many figures of authority did support the Calvinists. Gentry such as the Marnix brothers failed to implement Philip’s heresy laws and implicitly offered protection for Calvinists within their communities. – and – openly welcomed Calvinism, but these were exceptions. If Calvinists were facing persecution by authorities unsympathetic to their religion, then it was a simple process to simply escape to a more Calvinist-friendly province. As every state enforced its own laws, a punishment delivered in one state could be entirely disregarded in another. The refusal of the magistrates to prosecute Calvinists from the early 1560’s allowed the Huguenots to trigger the Revolt. The protection that Calvinists received from these magistrates, the marranos, the gentry and the geographical landscape all allowed the religion to largely avoid suppression by the authorities and continue to spread across the Netherlands. Another reason why the Netherlanders felt able to revolt in 1566 is that Calvinism advocates rebellion against a ruler if he upholds an alternative faith or rules unjustly. The Calvinists in the Netherlands regarded Charles V as guilty of both charges, and therefore felt supported by God in their revolt. Had the rebels been Lutheran or Anabaptist, some may have been uncomfortable with the idea of violent rebellion to achieve their religious aims. Yet as Calvinists, such rebellion was justified by God’s support. For those with no genuine Calvinist beliefs but a desire to revolt, this justification was convenient and led them to readily adopt the religion. However, the rebels were not motivated by purely religious concerns. Short-term economic hardship exacerbated their disillusionment with Philip, and bred such discontent with the ruler and their daily conditions that they longed to vent their anger in some way or other. The Iconoclast Fury was the easiest form for this anger to take, as the public’s religious and economic grievances blurred. The first economic difficulties occurred in 1563. Annoyed by increases in English duty rates and harassment by English customs officials, Philip imposed a temporary ban on the import of certain goods from England. The country responded by transferring all its wool and cloth exports to Germany, leaving thousands of Flemish textile workers unemployed. In the same year, the Baltic states became engaged in a war and subsequently sealed themselves off from the rest of Europe. This worsened the already severe unemployment in the Netherlands, since many relied upon work either with the raw materials produced in the Baltic or on the 2000 or so ships which sailed between the Baltic States and the Netherlands every year. This unemployment made it difficult for people to afford food, a problem severely exacerbated by the lack of grain imports from the Baltic- the Netherlands were reliant upon these to provide 15% of its national intake. Appalling weather ruined the 1565 harvest and made bread even scarcer and more expensive At Diksmuide in Flanders a hoet of wheat escalated from 150 groats in March to 440 groats by December. This price rise affected the nobility as well as the middle and lower classes. Shortly before the outbreak of rebellion, a government minister in Brussels noted that discontent with the economic situation was becoming synonymous with religious discontent: ‘The shortage of grain grows worse every day†¦ If the people rise up, I fear that the religious issue will become involved’. CONC -Compromise important because provided focus for public discontent -Segovia Woods equally important because compromise wouldn’t have happened without -All the reasons for bad relations between grandees and Phil equally important because SW wouldn’t have been written otherwise. Decide between. -Grievances of masses most important, because while revolt might have occurred anyway without nobility, could not possibly have occurred without the manpower that the middle and lower classes provided. Of these, Calv and economic difficulties equally weighted in importance. The Revolt occurred because opposition to Philip’s heresy laws existed among every class. The grandees’ discontent alone would have been powerless to effect an uprising had serious discontent not existed among the middle and lower classes. The nobility played an important part in the outbreak of the Revolt by providing the trigger, but the middle and lower classes were essential to its outbreak by providing the manpower necessary to carry out the Iconoclast Fury. The reasons for their discontent are thus reasons for the outbreak of the First Revolt. NEW CONC: Triggers impt, esp Huguenots as masses crucial to revolt, unlike nobles Neither trigger entirely essential. Eco difficulties had bred such discontent and Calv had spread so widely that ppl bound to revolt some time or other. Both equally essential- eco blackened mood, while fact that ppl Calvinist made them keen to rebel against laws threatening them (specifically) The grandees’ challenge to Philip’s authority in their 1564 was very important, perhaps even crucial, to the outbreak of revolt amongst the nobility. Had this challenge not been made, it is unlikely that the nobility would ever have felt safe or supported enough to form the antagonistic Compromise. However, revolt would still have occurred among the masses without this trigger. The influx of Huguenots into the Netherlands combined with the magistrates’ willingness to tolerate their openly ‘heretical’ preaching really triggered revolt among the ordinary people of the Netherlands. It is therefore the more important of the two triggers, because while the revolt could have occurred without the nobility, it could not possibly have occurred without the manpower that the middle and lower classes provided. Yet neither trigger was completely essential to the outbreak of mass revolt in the Netherlands in the 1560’s. Economic hardship had bred such discontent and Calvinism had spread so widely that people were bound to revolt at some time or other in protest at their conditions and in defence of their religion. These two essential motivations are fairly equal in their contribution to the First Revolt. The triggers merely provided a focus for their discontent.

HUman CApital Management Essay

However, only since two decades ago, he whole culture of human resource management changed drastically due to extensive influence of internet, wireless connection and Steve Job. This paradigm shift of HRM was mooted by most of the present Fortune 500 companies such as Apple, Google and Bloomberg. These companies which was formed about two decades ago changed the landmark of Human Resource Management. Human Resource Department changed role from hiring and administrating workforce for the company to engaging and managing talent and human capital to add value to the organization’s performance and success. The trend was established that human apital or the people of the organization are the core which shall be well capitalised requirement changed drastically. One of it is the performance management of this human capital. This literature analysed on what are the problem faced in measuring performance management or appraisal of staffs, the factors prompting organization to reconsider or overhaul their performance management system and on how organization could improve the performance management system to suit current SHRM environment which the workforce demands. The problems with the appraisal system were found to be standard of performance measurement, more Judgemental n appraising, poor skills of appraiser and the frequency of performance appraisal. These shortcomings are due to the evolving nature of business environment which are caused by globalization, new approach of people management, knowledge economy, generational expectations, technology advancement etc. Discussion to improve performance appraisal leads to aspect of new philosophy of HRM, improved appraisal model, Strategic Human Resource Management (SHRM), and defined roles of managers.

The Business Lifecycle Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

The Business Lifecycle - Personal Statement Example I have been very keen on how businesses are started and what entails the whole startup process and I have found out that one of the most important issues to be tackled is the legal issues. I was thinking like there was no problem provided that the business I’m intending to start is a legal one, but to my surprise, my research has shown me otherwise. Company law, a book by CR, Datta, clearly shows that there are a lot of legal issues to be looked into before a business is allowed to operate. Some of them are the registration of the business name, application for health and sanitary permits and seeking permission for building premises to be used by the business. The business should also adhere to Acts and statutes governing what they practice. A look into the Horizon Electronics business plan also confirmed the same to me since they have clearly documented their adherence to the relevant regulations, registration, and drafting of contracts. In my research and coursework, I have also learned that a business has to undergo various stages before it is termed as mature. Charlie Gilkey in his book the business life-cycle offers an overview of stages of a business life cycle. He names them as the inspirational stage where an entrepreneur has a business idea but has not yet implemented it, the entry stage where then entrepreneur has decided to start a business and is actively building the market, the growth stage where the entrepreneurs have a business plan and are growing their revenue streams with new clients and customers, the crucible stage where the demand for goods and services outstrip the entrepreneurs ability to meet them, and finally the cruise stage where the entrepreneur has found solutions to the problems and is moving ahead (Gilkey, 2010). In my view, business requires a lot of hard work and sacrifice especially in its initial stages of development. This is because I have come to learn that there are many challenges associated with this stage of a b usiness. One of the major challenges is that of finding a market for your output. It is a fact that without a market for the output, the core objective of doing business: making profits will not be attained. Proper market research (an organized effort to gather information about customers) should, therefore, be performed before the business is commenced. I tend to believe that it is very essential for this to be done keenly because it also gives an outline on how to market the product. Market research also provides information about the prevailing market trends in the industry and the current market prices for similar goods.  

Change and culture case study Part ONE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Change and culture case study Part ONE - Essay Example But the fact remains that many such mergers and acquisitions (M&A) do not go as planned and have either failed or did not achieve the desired results. One primary reason (among many others) is the clash of diverse organizational cultures that exist within individual organization that were merger or acquired) making its presence felt in the new entity. This paper is a report with regard to the management of organizational culture in ABC Healthcare, an organization formed through the merger of two similar healthcare providers, namely XYZ Healthcare and ABC Dental Services. The problems faced, soon after the merger and, the steps taken to solve them (organizational change) will be discussed after which the end results of the effort will be provided in the concluding section. The organizational structure of the new entity is also provided in the appendix. ABC Dental Care, a highly efficient and well run organization is now being merged with XYZ Healthcare to form a new entity called ABC Healthcare. The latter company is much larger and has three departments, namely cardiology, nephrology, and urology. Threats of a new hospital coming up in the neighborhood resulted in the above mentioned merger. The employees of ABC Healthcare have no practical experience in handling outpatients, while those of the latter had no experiencing in dental care and hygiene. But ABC Healthcare was proud about its quality of service and felt that it was superior to those given by other healthcare units. They were also a little apprehensive about their lack of experience in handling inpatients. The merger was a cultural disaster since both groups kept to themselves except in case of emergencies. This issue was solved though the practical applications of theory as given in the following sections. It would be pertinent to mention a few facts about mergers and acquisitions in this context. According to a Bouno the main motive

Spitalfields Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Spitalfields - Coursework Example The place lured many immigrants from various regions; these immigrants have contributed tremendously towards the richness of life in Spitalfields. The French Protestant (Huguenots) refugees brought with them the skills of silk weaving in 1685. In 19730’s Irish weavers came in to participate in the silk trade. The 18th century or the Victorian era saw a steady decline in the trade and commerce in Spitalfields, with the merchants’ haven degenerating into slums. It became known more a center for criminal establishments rather than a well to do industrial town. Famous tales of Jack the Ripper and the Whitechapel murders still fascinate people across the world. More recently as in the late 20th century, saw a steady influx of Bangladeshi immigrants who worked in the local textile industries. They are better known for their culinary skills and hence, most of them today own restaurants in and around Brick Lane. Spitalfields is a unique combination of the modern and the ancient. It still has the quaint ancient flavor while it has welcomed the modern architecture. It developed extensively after the Great London Fire in 1682. The City of London acquired direct control of the markets in 1920, and extended the original market buildings after eight years. For the last 74 years, the Old Spitalfields Market has re-established itself as a thriving market As it happens with modernization, Spitalfields too saw the intrusion of high finance into its old market place. That reminds us of the fact that London has always been very patient and encouraged diverse cultures and East End has been a milestone for its rich and diverse culture. Since its inception, Spitalfields has witnessed many changes in terms of people, history, and culture. Now, the onus is on the people there to preserve and enhance Spitalfield’s historic heritage and architectural beauty. It is only then that one can appreciate the past, enjoy it in the present and carry the rich culture over to the

Gender issues in asian traditions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Gender issues in asian traditions - Essay Example t, the dichotomy in the gender roles occur as the primitive societies have viewed men as ‘rational and capable of universally valid thought’ whereas women have always been thought as emotional, feeble and submissive. For them, â€Å"sex differences, the division into male and female bodies, were seen as biological differences†¦.Gender differences, however, behavioural and psychological traits associated with masculinity and femininity, were viewed as socially constructed† (Alsop &Lennon p. 26). This paper tries to analyse the gender roles in Hinduism and Taoism with special reference to the characterization of the feminine in both the religions. One has to keep in mind the fact that both Hinduism and Taoism flourished in highly patriarchal societies where women had minimal roles to play. It is said that Taoism characterizes the feminine as â€Å"passive†, while Hinduism characterizes the feminine as â€Å"active†. However, a close analysis of th e religious practices, gender and social roles of women in both the religions shows one that the characterization of women in Taoism better works in favour of women compared to that of Hinduism. The gender traits of Hindu women can be traced back to their early Brahmanical religion and Vedic inheritance. As Young suggests, the role of women and their rituals during this period was limited to maintaining ‘social and cosmic order’. Rg-Veda propagates the images of the maiden and the bride and praises women for â€Å"their youthful beauty, radiance, appealing adornment, sweet odours, ample hips, and broad thighs† which are evidently associated with â€Å"feminine sensuality and the child-bearing capacity of the girl† (Young 61). Even though the Vedic women’s role was esteemed as wife and mother, she had to remain as a silent partner in the Vedic rituals. The husband’s role was much prominent as he was the patriarchal head of the family and was â€Å"host of the guests, the gods, and was primarily responsible for pleasing

Contemporary Human Resourse Management Research Essay - 1

Contemporary Human Resourse Management Research - Essay Example The HRM balances the needs of the organization with the realities of the internal and the external environment (Docstoc, n.d.). These have to be aligned with the strategic goals of the organization. Thus, the HR specialists have a critical role in formulating the policies as the external business environment changes. Elements of the external environment The external environment or the macro-environment, in which an industry operates, is beyond the control of the organization. These elements exist outside the boundary of the organization but they have significant influence over the growth and development of the organization. The external environment comprises of the demographics, political, social, economical, technological, environmental and legal environment, in addition to the competition in the industry in which the firm operates. All of these impact organizational performance and the HR policies too could contribute in enhancing performance. However, not all external factors chan ge during a single planning period. There may be high levels of uncertainty in certain factors and these may need to be dealt with separately. The organization has to amend its policies and structure to cope with the changing business environment. ... In the auto industry the age, skills and education impact the availability of human resources. Besides, as the older employees retire and the availability of human resources is becoming scarce in the UK and the US, the automobile organizations have adopted the flexible approach. Since flexible working has caught up in the industry Volkswagen has responded by allowing its full and part-time employees flextime, job sharing, and telecommuting (Roney, 2007). As employees phase into retirement the organization gives its retirees work opportunities. They are offered part-time work, temporary assignments in consulting as well as telecommuting in addition to part-time work. Toyota too recognizes that an organization has to be flexible enough to adjust to changes specially the changes demanded as a result of fluctuations in demand (TMUK, n.d.). They thus work together in cooperation with all members of the organization to achieve maximum efficiency. To cope with the external challenges and th e demographic changes, Toyota also implements mobility of members between work roles which helps in maximizing the utilization of the company’s resources and facilities. The flexible approach is applicable even to those that do not normally work on the production line or in ancillary areas. Training is an area which helps maintain and improve both member and organizational performance. Training is thus directed in improving skills to meet the job requirements. On-the-job training enables the members to acquire different skills which help in movement and rotation within responsibilities. Declining birth rates and the retirement of the older generation is leaving

Managing and leading people across cultural borders Essay

Managing and leading people across cultural borders - Essay Example Globalisation has brought the entire world on one platform.Most of the countries of the globe are interacting on a regular basis in order to compete in the world markets.The managers are thus under a lot of pressure in these organisations for the purpose of the development of the long term goals and in order to conduct business To manage the global economy cross cultural communication has become essential. This is mainly because of the fact that a company in order to be multinational have to cross the national borders of the headquarters and has to make its presence in the different parts of the world in order to have a wider access to the world markets. The success of a company depends on the multicultural competence it possesses. This means that the company should be able to accommodate all the types of cultures in a particular location so that there are fewer problems to combat the global competition. Theoretical Background of Cross Cultural Communication Significant numbers of sc holars have contributed to the issues of cross-cultural communication. One of the main proponents who have contributed to the issue is Geert Hofstede. According to Hofstede, the variety of skills of management would vary across organisations. This means that for a company that is located in one particular country would have a distinct culture which would not match will the culture of an organisation that is located in a different continent. Thus natural cultures are unique. People are the most important part of an organisation. Since the humans build the companies it is imperative that the culture and the backgrounds in which the people are based would also mould the culture of the organisation which is being built. Thus the type of Management that is practised by the so called Western Countries like the United States would be different from that of Germany or Netherlands. Again the Western culture would be different from that of the Asian countries or the Middle Eastern countries w here a more conservative type of organisation culture prevails (Hofstede, 1984, pp. 81-99). According to Hofstede in the process of management the employees in the organisation would make use of the technical as well as economic resources in order to attain the desired outcomes. Thus the societies of the world are characterised by different set of cultures. Hofstede had shared his experience of working in IBM in the later phases of his life. There are various aspects of the theory of Hofstede. He explained the concept of power distance in the context of the organisation. In most of the organisation the control of the decision making would lie in the hands of the senior management and the employees across all hierarchy generally accept this unequal distribution of the power. The concepts of Collectivism as well as Individualism are other important aspects of the theory put forward by Hofstede. Most of the organisations have factions in the internal environment and the people involved form either a part of the group or may stand for themselves in the entire decision making process (Schein, 1992, pp. 45-64). The organisations may also have varying tolerance level for uncertainty as well as avoidance. Some of the conservative organisations prefer to remain safe by taking the more certain pathways as they are risk averse. On the other hand many other organisations may be willing to accept this kind of situations and take up risky ventures. The studies conducted by Hofstede also reveal that the organisations may be either masculine or feminine depending upon the kind of culture that it exhibits. While the masculine organisations would display the features like ambition, competitiveness, power as well as assertiveness, the feminine organisations would rely more on the proper management of the relationships

Linguistics and Language Teaching. Essay Example for Free

Linguistics and Language Teaching. Essay Introduction Language may refer either to the specifically human capacity for acquiring and using complex systems of communication, or to a specific instance of such a system of complex communication. The scientific study of language in any of its senses is called linguistics. Linguistic theory has traditionally considered native speakers as the only reliable source of linguistic data (Chomsky 1965). It is therefore not surprising to ? nd only a limited number of works focusing on non-native speakers prior to the 1990s. The ?  rst attempt to put‘(non)nativism’ onto the centre stage of linguistic inquiry by challenging current undisputed assumptions on the matter was Paikeday’s (1985) The native speaker is dead , in which it is argued that the native speaker ‘exists only as a ? gment of linguist’s imagination’ (Paikeday 1985: 12). Paikeday suggested using the term ‘pro? cient user’ of a language to refer to all speakers who can successfully use it. A few years later, Rampton (1990) similarly proposed the term ‘expert speaker’ to include all successful users of a language. Davies (1991, 2003) further delved into ‘native speaker’ identity, and thus formulated the key question of whether a second language (L2) learner can become a native speaker of the target language. His conclusion was that L2 learners can become native speaker of the target language and master the intuition, grammar, spontaneity, creativity, pragmatic control, and interpreting quality of ‘born’ native speakers. Generally, English educated Malaysians of all ethnic and family language background speak and move alike. However, with the implementation of the national language policy of Bahasa Malaysia as the national language of Malaysia and as the language of instruction, (except in the cases of Chinese or Tamil medium primary schools), the status of English Language in Malaysia is different from the earlier years. The English language covered a continuum from first language through second language to a foreign language. Bahasa Malaysia is replacing English in most of its previous functions, but English may be expected to remain as a continuum from second language to foreign language according to the background and occupation of the speaker. In Malaysia, presently the use of English is less common than in Singapore and is likely to decrease steadily with the implementation of the national language policy. However, English still remains as a language of considerable importance and is still being used in various spheres of everyday activity. The role of English has changed from its earlier status as the precise language of the colonial era and the decades after the Second World War to a second language. At the moment, it is still considered as an international code to be used for diplomatic and commercial negotiations and as a language necessary in many fields of tertiary study and research. Not surprisingly, the non-native English language speakers among Malaysians make grammatical mistakes from time to time. These usually happened among Malaysian adult students and even among some Malaysian English teachers. 1. The transcript of a recorded conversation. The following excerpt is a recorded conversation among teachers and will be analysed of the mistakes made by some teachers during discussion. Our discussion was on the quality and effectiveness of a programme called ‘Program Penutur Jati’ or English Language Teacher Development Project (ELTP). Briefly, the aim of the project is to enhance the lower primary ESL teachers’ ability to plan and deliver quality English lessons based on the new National English Language Curriculum in 600 schools across East Malaysia. The teachers involved in discussion come from various races, ethnic groups, ages and teaching experiences. Kamel : That is my opinion. I don’t know yours. Ok. Chairperson : I agree . laugh Kamel : But , as I said just now. I don’t like that the fixture.. ok. For example aaaa as my mentor come to our school .. every Monday ok.. my class start at nine o’clock. 7. 30.. that mean one and half hour include the preparation for my lesson, so I don’t think that I have an ample time for me to prepare the things ok . Moreover, the one hour and one and half hour is the .. for all to prepare.. the whole week not only , the one day. So I don’t think that will be effective. Chairperson: Emmmm Kamel : So Chairperson : Did you tell him about it? Kamel: Aaaaaa So far not yet. Chairperson : Do you have the chance to talk about it. Kamel : Because, I don’t have any.. I don’t have the opportunity to.. Chairperson : Then, you should tell him. Kamel ; I was thinking. Why don’t the mentors like them to be .. have qualification in teaching, so that they can come to the trainee teachers training college rather than Chairperson : For your information, ahh Chairperson : Overall, it seems to be working with you Naga : The ideas (cough) is good and different he is friendly. Chairperson : So.. ahh. If supposing .. You have a mentor to this.. who doesn’t speak.. doesn’t speak like Morrocan. Alright Naemah : Yehhh Chairperson: Right.. Alright, if.. Chairperson: Who? Chairperson : Madam Soya? She is from where? Others : Bulgaria.. (together) Chairperson : Bulgaria? Does she have the accent? Chairperson: What do you think? Do you think | 2. Common grammatical mistakes and errors by non-native English speakers. The types of errors can be categorised into two: descriptive and surface structures. Descriptive errors include noun phrase, verb phrase and complex sentence. While surface structure errors include omission, addition, misinformation, misordering and blends. After analysing the recorded conversation, there are few mistakes or errors made by Mr. Kamel during the said discussion. a. The use of unmarked forms instead of marked forms is far more frequent, as can be seen in the examples as follows. * I don’t know yours. * I don’t know about you. * .. as I said just now. * .. as I have said just now. One possible cause of these errors is merely interlingual errors which is the result of mother tongue influences ‘Saya tak tahu awak punya’ and ‘ seperti yang saya kata tadi. ’ respectively. In his article, ‘A Role for the Mother Tongue’ in ‘Language Transfer in Language Learning’, Professor Corder (1981) reinvestigated the phenomenon and questions the term ‘transfer’. He suggests that mother tongue influence as a neutral and broader term to refer to what has most commonly been called transfer. Corder says that since most studies of error were made on the basis of the performance of learners in formal situations where it appears that errors related to mother tongue are more frequent, it was natural that an explanation of the phenomenon was of considerable concern to the applied linguistic. It was out of this concern that the whole industry of contrastive studies arose. He also claims that as far as the acquisition of syntactic knowledge is concerned, no process appropriately called interference takes place, if by that we mean that the mother tongue actually inhibits, prevents, or makes more difficult the acquisition of some feature of the target language. The term ‘interference’ is now most often used to mean what is no more than the presence in the learner‘s performance in the target language of mother-tongue-like features which are incorrect according to the rules of the target language. b. Obviously. Mr. Kamel has the problem in pronouncing certain words especially in the pronunciation of the initial sound of common words like the, there, then and that. It is also the middle consonant sound in feather and the final sound of bathe. These sounds are formed with the tongue tip behind the upper front teeth. The initial sound of that and the final sound of both are both voiceless dental. This problem arises because Mr Kamel’s tongue is not merely touches the teeth. Thus, his pronunciation of these particular words are incorrect. Besides, difficulty in phonology can caused by mother tongue interference. Eltrug (1984) affirmed that mother tongue interference can contribute to a large number of pronunciation errors made by students. An English sound does exist in the native language, but not as separate phonemes. This simply means the first language speakers do not perceive it as a distinct sound that makes difference to meaning. For example The sound /? / does exist in Malay, but whether the vowel is long or short does not make any difference in meaning. For instance, the English phonemes/? / and /i:/ differ very much in meaning as in the words ‘leave’ and ‘live’, ‘sheep’ and ‘ship’. The great amount of vocabulary of English really makes the second language learner suffer in reading. There is a lot of words unknown and the most confusing point is even the second language learner know the meaning but they can’t really understand the meaning of the whole sentence. It is because an English word gives different impressions in different situations. This makes things so confusing about the meaning of the word. Grammatical interference is defined as the first language influencing the second in terms of word order, use of pronouns and determinants, tense and mood. Interference at a lexical level provides for the borrowing of words from one language and converting them to sound more natural in another and orthographic interference includes the spelling of one language altering another. In Malay grammar, it does not require one to have any form of determiner in front of instruments like computer, piano, internet. English grammar, however, requires the instruments mentioned above (computer, piano, internet) to be preceded by determiners and if neither a possessive determiner nor a demonstrative determiner is used, the use of either a definite article or an indefinite article is necessary. Thus, the ungrammatical sentences in could be the result of interference of the cultural transfer from Malay language structure on English. Erroneous form| Correct form| She plays piano while I sing. Malay: Dia bermain piano sementara saya menyanyi. | She plays the piano while I sing | She stay at home. Malay : Dia tinggal di rumah | She stays at home. | Table 1 : Examples of interference from the learners’ first language. c. Subjects also exhibited errors in subject-verb agreement as is shown in the examples as follows: * Every Monday, my class start at nine o’clock. * Every Monday, my class starts at nine o’clock. The omission of â€Å"-s† can be attributed to the fact that Bahasa Malaysia does not require verbs to agree with subjects. However, the ending free form is generalised for all persons to make the learning task easier and this is a common intralingual made by people with diverse native languages like Mr Kamel. 3. Causes and sources of errors and mistakes Interlingual errors are the result of mother tongue influences. Learners transfer/borrow some forms but not others due to two factors such as proto-typicality and language distance (Kellerman, 1979). Malay learners of English commonly make errors in negative sentences. For example: Adryna no coming today. [Adryna tak datang hari ini. ] Such errors are common in pre-verbal negation using no, the same negative construction as in their L1. In order to determine whether transfer is the cause for the occurrence of errors, James (1998), demonstrates that learners with a particular L1 make an error that those with a different L1 do not. He provides a useful summary of these strategies which includes the following; a. False analogy b. Misanalysis c. Incomplete rule application exploiting redundancy d. Overlooking co-occurrence restrictions e. System-simplification It is not clear which strategy is responsible for a particular error. Errors can also be viewed as ‘natural’ or as ‘induced’. For example: a. He played football yesterday. b. He goed home at six. c. He drinked milk. d. He eated dinner. e. He sleeped at eight. Conclusion To conclude, learners’ errors are a part of the learners’ language learning process. Hence, teachers should not penalise students for the errors they made. Instead, teachers should note those errors and devise ways to assist learners to overcome their problems in language learning. It is difficult to decide whether grammatically or acceptability should serve as the criterion for error analysis. If grammatically is chosen, an error can be defined as ‘breach of the rule of the code’ (Corder, 1967). Defining errors in terms of grammatically also necessitates giving consideration to the distinction between overt and covert error: In the field of methodology, there are two schools of thought with regard to learners’ error. Firstly, the school which maintains that if we were to achieve a perfect teaching method, the errors would have never be committed and therefore the occurrence of errors is merely a sign of inadequacy in our teaching techniques. The philosophy of the second school is that we live in an imperfect world and consequently errors will always occur in spite of our very best teaching and learning  methods. One effect has been perhaps to shift the emphasis away from a preoccupation with teaching towards a study of learning. The differences between the two are clearly defined: that the learning of the mother tongue is natural, whereas, we all know that there is no such inevitability about the learning of a second language; that the learning of the mother tongue is part of the whole maturational process of the child, whilst learning a second language normally begins only after the maturational process is complete. A child’s incorrect utterances can be interpreted as being evidence that he is in the process of acquiring language and the errors provide these evidences. Brown and Frazer (1964), point out that the best evidence a child possesses construction rules is the occurrence of systematic errors, since when the child speaks correctly, it is quite possible that he is only repeating something that he has heard. In the case of the second language learner, it is known that we do know some knowledge of what the input has been which we call as the syllabus. The simple fact of presenting a certain linguistic form to a learner in the classroom does not necessarily qualify it for the status of input, for the reason that input ‘is what goes in’, not ‘what is available’ for going in, and we may reasonably suppose that it is the learner who controls this input. This may well be determined by the characteristics of his language acquisition mechanism and not by those of the syllabus. References Mariam Mohd Nor, Abdul Halim Ibrahim, Shubbiah, R (2008). OUM-Linguistics and Language Teaching. Seri Kembangan, Selangor. Open University Malaysia. Corder, S. P. (1967). The significance of learners’ errors. International Review of Applied Linguistics, 5, 161-70. Corder, S. P. (1981). Error analysis and interlanguage. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Ames, C. (1998). Errors in language learning and use: Exploring error analysis. London: Longman. Kellerman, E. (1979). Transfer and non-transfer: Where are we now? Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 2: 37-57. Eltrug, N. S. (1984). Analysis of the Arab Learners Errors in Pronunciation of English Utterances in Isolation and Context. Ph. D Dissertation. The University of Kansas. Chomsky, N. (1965). Aspects of the theory of syntax . Cambridge, MA: MIT Press Paikeday, T. (1985). The native speaker is dead! Toronto: Paikeday Publishing. Rampton, M. B. H. (1990). Displacing the ‘native speaker’: Expertise, af? liation, and inheritance. ELT Journal 44. 2, 97–101. Davies, A. (1991). The native speaker in applied linguistics . Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press. Davies, A. (2003). The native speaker of World Englishes. Journal of Pan-Paci? c Association of Applied Linguistics 6. 1, 43–60

Muhammad & Mecca Essay Example for Free

Muhammad Mecca Essay Muhammad, whose name was taken from the Arabic word hamada which means â€Å"to praise, to glorify,† was born in Mecca, Western Arabia, in 570 CE to Abd bin Al-Muttalib and Amina bint Wahb. His parents were believed to be descendants of Abraham and Hagar, the Egyptian slave who mothered Abraham’s son, Ishmael. The story goes that Abraham fled to Mecca with Hagar and Ishmael after his wife, Sarah, also gave birth to a baby boy (Isaac) and became extremely jealous of Hagar and Ishmael. It was with the assistance of Ishmael that Abraham later built the Ka’bah, Islam’s holiest sanctuary, in Mecca. It is now the destination of pilgrims during the hajj (Fisher. 2005). Muhammad married at the age of twenty-five to Khadijah, a forty-year-old businesswoman who owned the caravans which he was managing at the time. His wife later became his main source of support when he was experiencing difficulties during the early years of his mission. Muhammad recounted an incident which happened when he was forty years old. As his story went, an angel appeared to him when he was in a cave in Mt. Hira during one of his spiritual retreats and told him to recite something. Because he was illiterate, he reportedly refused three times. However, the angel insisted and when Muhammad, at last, relented, the angel gave him the words that would later become the Qur’an’s first words. That was the first of a series of revelations, the exact words of which had been: Proclaim! (or Recite! ) In the name Of thy Lord and Cherisher, Who created – Created man, out of A (mere) clot Of congealed blood: Proclaim! And thy Lord Is Most Bountiful,- He Who taught (The use of) the Pen,- Taught man that Which he knew not (Fisher, 2005). That first revelation undoubtedly referred to the creation. It was followed by more revelations which occurred intermittently. Muhammad described the revelations as follows: â€Å"Revelation sometimes comes like the sound of a bell; that is the most painful way. When it ceases I have remembered what was said. Sometimes it is an angel who talks to me like a human, and I remember what he says. † Initially, Muhammad only shared what was revealed to him with his wife and the few people who believed him. However, after three years had elapsed, he was instructed to start preaching to the public what he had received from the revelations (Fisher, 2005). Although he succeeded in winning converts to Islam, his group was persecuted by the Qurayshites (the aristocrats) in spite of the protection provided by his influential uncle, and exiled to an isolated place where they were forced to eat the leaves of trees and the wild foods they could gather in order to survive. The persecution persisted even after his band of Muslim converts was allowed to go back to Mecca after three years. The darkest period in Muhammad’s life was when he turned fifty. It was called the â€Å"Year of Sorrows† because his wife and his uncle who was protecting him died. The Islamic tradition explained that it was approximately during that period of hardship that the â€Å"Night of Ascension† occurred. It was claimed to be the occasion when Muhammad was supposed to have ascended into heaven and met the earlier prophets like Adam, Abraham, and Jesus Christ in Divine proximity, observed what hell and paradise were, and was later blessed by the Divine Presence (Fisher, 2005). As a consequence of the persistent Qurayshite persecution that they experienced in Mecca, however, Muhammad and his Muslim followers decided to leave Mecca and head for Medina in 622 CE. Their migration, which was referred to as the hijrah, is now considered as the beginning of the Muslim era. (Risher, 2005).

What Is The Gettier Problem?

What Is The Gettier Problem? The Tripartite Theory of Knowledge, a theory which goes back as far as Plato, states that in order for one to possess knowledge, one must have justified true belief. In other words, if you carry a belief, that belief must be true and you must be able to justify it. The Tripartite Theory exists to provide a response to the question of what exactly knowledge is. Whilst the theory might have been widely accepted in the past, it was in 1963 that an epistemological debate on the topic ensued. Edmund Gettiers three-page paper Is Justified True Belief Knowledge? shows two conditions where the criteria for justified true belief appear to be met but mostly due to luck rather than knowledge. Whilst these counter-examples have led to a number of attempted solutions, my opinion is that the Gettier problem cannot be resolved. Alvin Goldman attempted to solve the Gettier problem with a theory of causal connection which states that justified true belief must be achieved through a causal connection to the truth. In this essay, I will highlight the ways in which Goldmans proposed solution falls short and so fails to solve the Gettier problem and thus demonstrate one way in which the Gettier problem cannot be resolved. The Gettier problem fundamentally demonstrates the problem of luck in the Tripartite Theory and thus shows how justified true belief doesnt necessarily mean knowledge. I will present this through the following Gettier-style example: Susie walks past the same clock everyday on her way to class at 2pm. Today, as she walks past, the clock indeed says 2pm and she has no reason to believe otherwise since the clock is well maintained and has always been right in the past. Susie has justified true belief. However, unbeknownst to Susie, the clock stopped 12 hours earlier at 2am. So whilst Susie believes the clock reads 2pm, it actually reads 2am. Thus, the fact that the clock stopped at the time it did is purely down to luck. So Susies belief fails to be knowledge. If knowledge were to be gained via a causal connection, the problem of luck would essentially not exist as the agent would have acquired knowledge through a reliable, cognitive process. The purpose of the causal theory is to reinf orce the Tripartite Theory but with the addition of a clause that states that a causal chain between beliefs and truths is required for knowledge. Goldman argues that perception is one such mechanism that can allow a causal connection and thus justify ones true beliefs. He states in his 1967 paper A Causal Theory of Knowing; Perhaps the simplest case of a causal chain connecting some fact p with someones belief of p is that of perception (Goldman 358). Goldman uses the example of the vase to reinforce his argument about perception which is put forth as follows: S sees a vase but that vase is actually being hidden by a laser photograph of a vase. Because of the photograph, S believes that there is a vase in front of him. Goldman argues that in actual fact, S does not really see the vase because of the lack of causal connection that exists between Ss belief and the real vase. So ultimately, what Goldman is saying is that knowledge acquired by sight requires some sort of causal connect ion for it to truly be knowledge. And so the Gettier problem is essentially resolved, according to Goldman, with the addition of the causal connection clause. Goldman continues his paper by discussing knowledge based on memory. Memory can be considered a causal process because a current belief could be caused and therefore traced back to an earlier cause. Knowing a fact at one time and then knowing it again at another is not necessarily knowledge based on memory as a causal connection would have to be included as an essential component in memory. Like perception, the causal connection of memory is used by Goldman to solve the Gettier problem through the addition of an extra element in the Tripartite Theory. Goldman goes on further to discuss knowledge based on inference through the lava case. S finds lava on the countryside and infers that there was an eruption. But in actual fact, someone has placed lava there in order to make it look like there had been a real eruption, unaware of the actual volcano. Goldman states that S doesnt really know that there was an eruption because it is not causally connected to any beliefs about there being a n eruption. So, inferential knowledge requires a connection through some sort of causal chain or as Goldman puts it: when someone bases his belief of one proposition on his belief of a set of other propositions, then his belief of the latter propositions can be considered a cause of his belief of the former proposition. (Goldman 362). Whilst Goldmans A Causal Theory of Knowing is a stimulating essay on the subject of knowledge, his argument or rather so-called solution to the Gettier problem in my opinion is ultimately flawed. One such criticism lies in the argument that our senses could so easily deceive us and therefore can a causal connection based on perception really be used to prove the acquirement of knowledge? The answer is surely no and this can be seen in the barn faà §ade example, in which an agent drives through a town filled with fake barns. Standing in front of one of these fake barns, the agent can say that he has justified true belief through perception. Even though there is a causal connection in this example, the agent does not really have knowledge. So false conclusions can be drawn from a process which, according to Goldman would ordinarily produce true beliefs highlighting the fact that Goldmans theory is flawed. So this does not provide a solution to the Gettier problem. Another problem with Goldmans theory lies in the fact that not everything in the world can have a causal connection. In particular, knowledge that is a priori such as 2 + 2 = 4 seems to be a fact about numbers but it doesnt have a causal effect. It is a truth that you know based on no causal connection just like many series of numbers are. So it is possible to say that the problem with Goldmans theory here is that it focuses on a posteriori knowledge but seems to ignore a priori knowledge and thus is too restrictive. It can therefore not be a solution to the Gettier problem because it doesnt take all types of knowledge into account, which is vital in epistemology. So again, the Gettier problem remains unresolved. The problem of incorrect reconstruction is one that further weakens Goldmans theory. There are times when one may have a true belief but the causal chain which allowed them to have that knowledge is incorrect. For example, an agent discovers his best friends body and believes that he is dead due to the fact that he is missing body parts. The agent assumes that the friend died by decapitation but actually, he was poisoned and decapitated following his death. This doesnt count as knowledge due to the false nature of the causal chain. Kenneth Collier in his 1973 essay Contra the Causal Theory of Knowing finds a counter-example to Goldmans theory which indicates no causal chain. Collier uses the example of an agent on a hallucinogenic drug which highlights the fact that any beliefs the subject has which turn out to be true, cannot be explained causally due to the hallucinogenic state that they are in. In the paper, Collier has given Smith the hallucinogenic drug and he hallucinates that his wife is having an affair. In actual fact, his wife is having an affair but can this count as knowledge? Surely this is just an example of incorrect reconstruction due to the hallucinations or an example of no causal chain at all. Collier argues that the difficulty here seems to be that it is possible for Smiths belief that p to be caused by the fact that p in ways that are irrelevant to his knowledge. But this means that the causal connection cannot be a sufficient condition for knowledge. (Collier 351) Ultimately, Goldmans causal theory attempts to resolve the Gettier problem by adding an extra clause which states that true belief has to be a result of a causal chain. He uses examples of perception, memory and inference to highlight the ways in which causality can solve the Gettier problem. But his theory is flawed overall due to the unreliability of the senses, a lack of a focus on a priori knowledge and the problem of incorrect reconstruction. I chose to focus on Goldmans theory but it is just one example out of a large number of attempts to resolve the Gettier problem. Other proposed solutions include eliminating conditions such as luck, defeat and false evidence as put forth by philosophers like Unger, Lehrer and Lycan. These proposed solutions, like the causal connection theory are all flawed and thus do not provide an adequate response to the Gettier problem. Therefore, I do not believe that the Gettier problem can be resolved due to my agreement that justified true belief do es not necessarily imply knowledge. The beer industry: Literature and definitions The beer industry: Literature and definitions Background and objective of the topic The beer industry has been around for many centuries and has always impacted national economies. Countries, such as the United Kingdom (UK) and the United States (US), have had a capricious relationship with the beer industry over the last few centuries. Indeed, these countries see the benefit for the economy, from tax revenue increases to job creation, but other regulatory and social costs challenge firms within the industry. Furthermore within each brewery, their marketing, advertising and branding strategies are the leading differences amongst the competitors. In oversaturated, competitive markets of the UK and the US, various breweries are able to maintain profitability even as beer consumption and national incomes are in the decline. Indeed, with social-economic trends stacked against the industry, companies are still profitable, but those profits are fading. Through these declines, firms make radical business choices of mergers or acquisitions in order to dominate the brewery i ndustry. The brewery industry with a $40 ( £24.4) billion market value is an important part of the UK economy, and with a $79 billion market value is an important part of the US economy. In the UK, the brewery industry provides 600,000 direct jobs and 500,000 indirect jobs which generates $45 ( £28) billion in economic activity and $133 ( £81.3) million in tax revenue for 2008. In the US, the industry provides 1.9 million jobs in which $62 billion was generated in wages and benefits and $41 billion in business, personal and consumption taxes for 2008. In the UK, the leading brewery market share is Scottish Newcastle at 27.1%, Molson Brewing Company at 19.7% and Anheuser-Busch InBev at 17.7%. While in the leading brewery market share in the US is Anheuser-Busch InBev at 50.8%, followed by SABMiller at 18.4% and Molson Coors Brewing Company at 10.6%. Marketing, advertisement and branding strategies are key elements within the beer industry. The beer industry includes the brewers and breweries, distributors, and suppliers and retailers. As markets become more crowded, competitive and complex, the value of a clear brand increases. A brand can identify one item or a family of items and is defined as a name, term, design, symbol that identifies one sellers good or services as distinct from other sellers. An advertised brand is a brand that is owned by an organization and is a consumer product. Marketing is an organizational function and a set of processes for creating, communicating and delivering value to customers that benefit the organization. Advertising is the placement of messages in time or space in any of the mass media to persuade members of a particular targeted audience. (American Marketing Association, 2009) A powerful brand gives a company a personality of its own which transcends its components. These components can be seen in both the American brewing industry and the British brewing industry. A brand emphasizes emotion and awareness, but it also connects with consumers to create a strong loyalty base. Fads come and go, but name brands last generations. The brewery industry is very complex in both horizontal and vertical business activities. There are emerging literatures that specifically relate to the brewery industry where various theories involve the marketing, price and competition aspect of the industry overall. Marketing beer involves the four Ps which is the product, in this case the brand name. The price, which includes the total cost to manufacture, distribute and advertise the beer. The place is the distribution of the beer from the warehouse to the consumer with varies steps in between. And finally, the promotion of the beer is through various characteristics of a marketing plan where advertising is included. Research Questions The main subject studied in this academic style dissertation is the effects of branding and marketing within the American and British brewery industry as well as the power to achieve profitability. The specific research questions are designed: To understand and compare the brand drivers of the beer industry in the US and the UK To evaluate the distribution channels To better understand the governments role To find out how the leading firms within the UK and US industry are profitable within a competitive market dealing with the current economic downturn Research Question 1: How does the US and UK brewing industry implement their branding identity? Research Question 2: How will social-economic trends affect the profitability of the US and UK brewing industry? These questions will provide an understanding of firm characteristics within the industry and their business practices as well as the relative success of the leading firms. Terms used within the industry are defined as follows from the Dictionary of Beer (2001): Ale: a type of beer fermented with top-fermenting ale yeast Bar: a public room within a pub Barrelage agreement: a common method for a brewery to tie up a ‘free pub in return for a ‘cheap loan Beer: the generic term for a non-distilled alcoholic drink produced by fermentation of a wort derived from mashed malted barley grain Beer orders: UK government regulations concerning licensing laws and consumer choice in pubs Bitter beer: highly hopped ales with an aftertaste associated with hops, malt and yeast Bottom fermentation: fermentation at 10 °C where yeast cells sink to the bottom of the vessel Brew pub: a pub which brews beer on the premises and serves food Brewery: a place where beer or ale is brewed Brew house: the area of a brewery where the beer is mashed and brewed Brewing process: the process of making wort, boiling it with hops and fermenting it into beer Cask: the general name for any of the barrel-shaped containers of various sizes used for traditional draught beer Draught: a general term for any drink that is dispensed from a bulk container into smaller measures for sale Fermentation: biochemical reaction when sugar is converted to ethyl alcohol by yeast and some bacteria Free house: a pub supposedly free of any brewery tie and able to offer a range of beers from different breweries Guest beer: a beer, not regularly sold in a pub, being on offer for a limited period Lager: beer fermented with bottom fermentation yeast where primary fermentation is at a lower temperature than for ale and secondary fermentation happens in closed conditioning tanks around 0 °C. Light beer: any American low-calories beer which does not contain dextrin and alcohol content ranges between 2.8 to 4% Microbrewery: small-scale brewery operation where equipment has been specially developed for brew pubs and small independent breweries and produces a limited amount of beer Macrobrewery: a large brewery produces larger amounts of beer at a cheaper price Off-trade (or off-license): where places like a supermarket or convenience store are licensed to sell alcoholic beverages for consumption off of the premises On-trade (or on-license): an establishment where alcohol must be consumed at the point of sale such as the pub or bar Premium lager: a lager brewed above 5% alcohol strength Porter: a dark, slightly sweetish but hoppy ale made with roasted barley Pub: a house open to the public at stated times for the purpose of social drinking Standard lager: a lager brewed under 5% alcohol strength Stout: a very dark, heavy, well-hopped bitter ale with a dry palate, thick creamy head, and good grainy taste from a dark roasted barley Three tier distribution (NBWA): the US distribution system for the beer industry where brewers make the beer, wholesalers distribute it to supermarkets and bars, and retailers sell it, but no one within the line is allowed to do one of the other two at the same time Tied house: a pub which is obliged to sell only the products of a particular brewery Top-fermentation: fermentation where the yeast rises to the top of the vessel in a thick foamy head Wort: the sweet liquid, containing all the extracts from the malted grain, which subsequently will be fermented into beer Framework The framework for the dissertation is as follows with this chapter presenting the overview for the present study. In the next chapter the methodology is described in greater detail. In Chapter Three, a review of the literature relating to industry concentration, advertising, competition and demand is presented. Chapter Four will consist of empirical materials of primary and secondary data on the leading macrobreweries within the US and the UK as well as results of semi-structured interviews comprised of people working within the industry. Chapter Five conveys the analysis and findings developed throughout the research. The final chapter presents the conclusions and recommendations for further areas of research.

Gary Hammontree :: Free Essay Writer

Orwell’s Elephant On Shooting an Elephant Officer Blair received a report of a run away elephant within his jurisdiction. Leaving in response to the emergency, he is followed. The crowd following him swells to the thousands, all intent on witnessing the killing of the elephant and profiting from the carcass. As they grew nearer to the beast, the crowd grew more agitated. They were expecting him to shoot the elephant. Oddly, the nearer Blair/ Orwell came to the elephant the less he wanted to shoot the beast. The elephant had not intentionally caused harm; he was just being an elephant. The villagers had, by now whipped themselves into some kind of vigilante frenzy, hell-bent for the elephant’s execution. Orwell felt as though he had no choice but to kill the giant. If not, all respect for the territorial police and authority would be lost. The sahib, as he expresses it must maintain the allusion of authority and respect. He had to shoot the elephant now. To fail at this would seal his fate as any type of authority figure. Orwell eventually shoots the elephant and watches as the elephant reacts. Not mortally wounded, Orwell shoots repeatedly. Each time he fires at the elephant there is a different and violent reaction by the elephant; a reluctance to die. Orwell empathizes with the elephant’s suffering. There is no reason for this animal to suffer like this except ego and crowd rule. Orwell could just as easily not killed the elephant. His position, one of authority, shielded him to a degree; He could have just made a proclamation in favor of sparing the animal, showing an imperial largess, and mercy in sparing the elephant. These animals were after all; extremely valuable as work animals being able to move huge loads and pull whole trees out of the ground. Orwell continues to justify his action. He sought validation through the members of the village. Polling the older men then the younger ones there is a difference of opinion. The older men approve of the killing, the younger ones see the value of the beast and the possibility of some other solution. Eventually Orwell succeeded in justifying his action to himself. His conscience is clear, although he expresses no remorse for the coolie that was killed by the elephant. Orwell had alternatives available. He was the authority in this Gary Hammontree :: Free Essay Writer Orwell’s Elephant On Shooting an Elephant Officer Blair received a report of a run away elephant within his jurisdiction. Leaving in response to the emergency, he is followed. The crowd following him swells to the thousands, all intent on witnessing the killing of the elephant and profiting from the carcass. As they grew nearer to the beast, the crowd grew more agitated. They were expecting him to shoot the elephant. Oddly, the nearer Blair/ Orwell came to the elephant the less he wanted to shoot the beast. The elephant had not intentionally caused harm; he was just being an elephant. The villagers had, by now whipped themselves into some kind of vigilante frenzy, hell-bent for the elephant’s execution. Orwell felt as though he had no choice but to kill the giant. If not, all respect for the territorial police and authority would be lost. The sahib, as he expresses it must maintain the allusion of authority and respect. He had to shoot the elephant now. To fail at this would seal his fate as any type of authority figure. Orwell eventually shoots the elephant and watches as the elephant reacts. Not mortally wounded, Orwell shoots repeatedly. Each time he fires at the elephant there is a different and violent reaction by the elephant; a reluctance to die. Orwell empathizes with the elephant’s suffering. There is no reason for this animal to suffer like this except ego and crowd rule. Orwell could just as easily not killed the elephant. His position, one of authority, shielded him to a degree; He could have just made a proclamation in favor of sparing the animal, showing an imperial largess, and mercy in sparing the elephant. These animals were after all; extremely valuable as work animals being able to move huge loads and pull whole trees out of the ground. Orwell continues to justify his action. He sought validation through the members of the village. Polling the older men then the younger ones there is a difference of opinion. The older men approve of the killing, the younger ones see the value of the beast and the possibility of some other solution. Eventually Orwell succeeded in justifying his action to himself. His conscience is clear, although he expresses no remorse for the coolie that was killed by the elephant. Orwell had alternatives available. He was the authority in this

Genetic Defects in Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator

Abstract: The main goal of this paper is to explain what Cystic Fibrosis is and also to explain what the causes of Cystic Fibrosis are. Cystic Fibrosis is caused by a mutation in a gene called Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator (CFTR). Cystic Fibrosis is known as one of the most common life-shortening disease. More that 1,000 mutations in the CFTR gene have been found in people with Cystic Fibrosis. Most of these mutations change single protein amino acids in the CFTR protein and it deletes a small amount of DNA from the CFTR gene. I am going to explain what happens when the CFTR proteins is functioning normally and when it is diseased. Introduction: What is Cystic Fibrosis? Cystic Fibrosis is a genetic disorder that affects the exocrine gland of the lungs, liver, pancreas, and intestines, causing progressive disability due to multisystem failure. Thick mucus and less competent immune system are the results for lung infection. Less secretion of the pancreatic enzymes is the main cause of fatty diarrhea, poor growth, and the lack in fat-soluble vitamins [1]. So far there is no cure for cystic fibrosis. In the United States 1 in 3,900 children are born with Cystic Fibrosis. Most of the people who have CF die at young age, many of them in their 20s and 30s due to lung failure, but with the introduction of new treatments the life of persons with CF is increasing to ages as high as 40 or 50[1]. Results: Cystic Fibrosis is caused by a defect in the gene called Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator (CFTR) [2]. The gene makes a protein that controls the water and salt that come in and out of cells. When the protein is working normally the body produces mucus, sweat, saliva, tears, and dig... ...inhaling antibiotics that are used to treat chronic and acute affections. [1]. Lung transplantation has become increasingly common for people wit Cystic Fibrosis. Liver transplant have also been successfully with patient with end of liver disease. Scientist are trying to find a way to keep the ion channel open longer in order to allow more time for ion exchange. A few attempts of gene therapy were successful, but failed to produce a long term result [6]. Literature Cited: www.Wikipedia.org [1] www.Chronicillness.suite101.com/article.cfm/what_causes_cystic_fibrosis[2] www.ghr.nml.nih.gov/condition=congenitalbilateralabsenceofthevasdefiniton[3] www.ionchannels.org [4] www.google.com/images [5] www.respiratory-lung.health-cares.net/cystic-fibrosis-complications.php [6] http://www.ornl.gov/sci/techresources/Human_Genome/posters/chromosome/cftr.shtml [7]

Legal Process

Discrimination is rampant.   In the workplace, employment discrimination can take various forms.   According to the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (2004.), â€Å"it is illegal to discriminate in any aspect of employment†.   Employment discrimination can be based on sex, race, color, religion, disability or sexual orientation.   â€Å"federal and state employment discrimination laws prohibit employers from engaging in unfair employment practices† (Justia.com, n.d.). Most of the employment discrimination cases are handled first by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission before a case may be filed in court. According to the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (n.d.), the Equal Employment Opportunity or EEO complaint process â€Å"is a legal process designed to resolve allegations of employment discrimination and retaliation†. The legal process sis composed of three parts.   First is the â€Å"pre complaint counseling process.   Second, the â€Å"formal complaint process.   Lastly, â€Å"the appeal process†Ã‚   (U.S.   Office of Personnel Management, n.d.). At the counseling process, John will be referred to an officer so that he may be apprised of his rights and the remedies made available for him under the various equal employment opportunity laws.   This is where John can be advised of the best course of action to take and the corresponding costs and benefits of the relief.   The formal complaint process shall commence after John filed a charge and the investigation proper.   At this stage, the complainant, John, and the respondent, and his employer, are already entitled to the right to appeal.   Should they feel that the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission erred in its resolution or investigation, they may file an appeal according to the provisions of law. If a person feels that his employment rights as regards equal employment opportunity have been violated, he can start the legal battle by filing a discrimination complaint at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.   However, it should be noted that another person may also file a complaint in behalf of another person who has been discriminated against (The U.S.   Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (2007. In John’s case, he can start his complaint by filling out an â€Å"intake questionnaire† which shall be submitted to the nearest Equal Employment Opportunity Commission office either personally or by mail.   According to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (2007), â€Å"an intake questionnaire or other correspondence can constitute a charge under the statutes if it contains all the information required by EEOC regulations governing the contents of a charge and constitutes a clear request for the agency to act†. In order to complete the charge, relevant information should be provided including the names, addresses and contact numbers of the complainant and the respondent employer.   A short description of the acts complained of or of the acts constituting the violation.   After which, John should see the Federal Sector Equal Employment Opportunity Complaint Processing (The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, 2007). After the complaint has been filed, the Commission will inform the respondent of the nature of the complaint.   Then, the Commission will act on the complaint either by referring it to a priority investigation if it appears that there is a convincing proof that a violation indeed happened; or request for a follow up investigation should the complaint need additional evidence.   However, settlement efforts can be resorted to at any stage of the investigation. In this case, should John’s employer be willing to negotiation or submit into alternative disputer resolution like mediation.   However, should these efforts prove unsuccessful, the investigation shall continue.  Ã‚  Ã‚   After investigation, the EEOC will issue recommendation and judgment as to the charges.   After which, should the EEOC decide in favor of John, a â€Å"right to sue† can be issued in his favor so that eh can file a formal complaint in the courts of law. The suit should be filed within 90 days following the issuance of the â€Å"right to sue† (The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, 2003).   Pursuant to Title 28, U.S. Code, Section 1914, John is required to pay a filing fee, which can be given back to him should judgment be rendered in his favor together with all other costs of litigation.   John should know that under the law, he is entitled to a number of remedies. He shall be entitled to back wages, reinstatement, hiring, promotion or reasonable accommodation; including the payment of attorney’s fees and other costs of the suit.   Compensatory damages can also be awarded should intentional discrimination be found (The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, 2003). Once a complaint is filed in court, it shall undergo the usual proceedings in court until a judgment is rendered and the judge in order for the decision to be adhered to, either in favor of John or his employer issues a Writ of Execution. References The Federal Judiciary. (n.d.).   Frequently Asked Questions.   Retrieved January 12, 2008 Justia.com. (n.d.).   Employment Discrimination.   Retrieved January 12, 2008, from http://www.justia.com/employment/employment-discrimination/ The U.S.   Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. (2003). EEOC’s Charge Processing Procedures.   Retrieved January 12, 2008, from http://www.eeoc.gov/charge/overview_charge_processing.html The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. (2004).   Discriminatory Practices.   Retrieved January 12, 2008, from http://www.eeoc.gov/abouteeo/overview_practices.html The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. (2007).   Filing a Charge of Employment Discrimination.   Retrieved January 12, 2008 U.S.   Office of Personnel Management.   (n.d.).   Laws and Executive Orders.   Retrieved January 12, 2008, from http://www.opm.gov/disability/appempl_5-01.asp

Coming of Age: Esperanza Rising Essay

Most kids seem to think that going to school and getting an education is boring and even a waste of time but that was not the case for these two girls. Francie Nolan and Esperanza Cordero are two very different characters that come from very different backgrounds. However, for both of them, education played a pivotal role as they matured. It helped them escape reality, and opened the door for a better life. For Francie Nolan education was something that was always stressed in her family. Her mother Katie made her and Neeley read either the encyclopedia or some of the works of Shakespeare, every night before they went to bed. This greatly expanded their knowledge and vocabulary. Also, since she started them doing this at a young age what they read would help shape their mind and the lessons and things they might have learned would stay with them forever. Some things she read like A Midsummer Night’s Dream have very vivid descriptions of setting and very intriguing characters. I think that after Francie reads these novels she tries to come up with her own descriptions for Brooklyn, â€Å"Prairie was lovely and Shenandoah had a beautiful sound but you couldn’t fit these words into Brooklyn. Serene was the only word. Especially on a Saturday afternoon in the summer.†(Smith 1) These words show how Francie describes her city and the words she uses are far more advanced than what any other child her age would be Steers 2 saying. Therefore, this shows the positive effect that reading Shakespeare has had on her. Besides the books she is forced to read at night, Francie takes her education into her own hands. Every Saturday, while most other kids she knows, including her own brother Neeley, are outside playing or picking rags to give to the junkman, Francie goes to the library. â€Å"It was an old shabby place but Francie thought it was beautiful. The feeling she had about it was the same feeling she had about church.†(Smith 20) This shows me that Francie feels safe in the library and she goes there to escape reality, to dive into the new and exciting worlds those books present to her. The books also help Francie escape reality in the sense that they give her peace in a time and a city where that was hard to find. â€Å"†¦ She read, at peace with the world and as happy as a little girl could be with a good book and a bowlful of candy.†(Smith 24) As she watches from her perch on a tree outside her window, â€Å"Kids ran in and out, going to and returning from the butcher’s, the grocer’s, and the bakers†(Smith 24) From Francie’s perspective all the kids, most of them probably around her age, are very stressed as they run around doing errands for their parents. Francie is able to avoid that stress by reading. Esperanza is slightly different from Francie. She uses her writing, not reading as a way for her to escape her reality. Specifically, Esperanza is interested in writing poems. She would always read her poems to her Aunt Lupe. Sadly, her Aunt Lupe dies of a mysterious disease and Esperanza no longer had anyone to share with. That was made even worse by the fact that Esperanza felt partially responsible for her Aunt’s death. That responsibility, even if it was not actually hers, was a big burden on Steers 3 Esperanza. Then Esperanza remembered something that her Aunt had said to her the last time that Esperanza had shared one of her poems with her aunt. â€Å"That’s nice. That very good she said in her tired voice. Esperanza, you must remember to keep writing. Always keep writing. It will keep you free.†(Cisneros 61) Esperanza had said that at the time she did not know what her Aunt Lupe meant, and when I first read that line, I had no idea either, but after reading it over I realized that she meant that Espeanza’s  writing would keep her free from reality and that no matter what happened to her, she could always find relief in writing. In the last vignette in the novella Esperanza says, â€Å" I make a story for my life, each step my brown shoe takes†¦ I like to tell stories. I am going to tell you the story of a girl who didn’t want to belong.†(Cisneros 109) This quote gave me the idea that the whole novella could have been Esperanza writing down her memories from Mango Street, as a way of letting go and moving on to the next place. However, that idea is not supported throughout the whole novella. In some vignettes, use of the resent tense makes it seem like Esperanza wrote things down as they happened and then later went back and edited them or added details. She is using her writing to set her self-free like her Aunt Lupe said. The last way that Esperanza is using writing to free herself and escape reality is that she is always going to be writing wherever she goes. One of the last lines of the novella is, â€Å"And I packed up my papers and pencil as I say goodbye to Mango Street.†(Cisneros 112) This shows that no matter where she goes or whatever troubles may befall her in her new home she will always have her writing to help escape reality and let go of the bad times. Steers 4 Another way that education helped Francie as she matured was that it helped open doors for her that led to a better life than what she had in Brooklyn. Francie was excited for school but she found the local public school cruel and mean, â€Å"and her learning was juxtaposed with the cruelties of the teacher’s and students.†(Smith 156) This quote clearly shows that the public school was not a good place to learn and that Francie would not be able to get a good education there. However, that did not stop her from getting an education. Her mother largely supported this. She pretended that she lived in a richer section of town, and her mother paid extra tuition so that she could go to a better school and receive a better education. I think one of the main reasons for this is that Katie, one of the â€Å"proud and strong Rommely women†, was too proud so she would not allow her daughter to receive a sub-par education. In this new school, children were not judged based on how rich or poor they were. Later on in the novel, after eighth grade graduation, when Katie is unable to support all three  kids after Johnny’s death and Francie’s education is cut short so that she can get a job and help support her family. At first this seemed unjust that Katie would have Francie deprived of an education when she could clearly do more with a good education and would do more things than Neeley would. I thought that Francie would feel indignant, about this treatment, however, the job did not discourage Francie from pursuing her education. Even though the Nolan’s could only afford to send one child to high school,(and Katie chose to send Neeley), Francie still found a way to enroll in college summer classes and was still able to pursue her dream of higher education. When I reflected on this I realized that Katie probably knew that Francie would not ever stop her from getting an education whereas she would Steers  have to force Neeley to go to school in order for him to get educated because he had an infinitesimal desire to learn. This really reinforced how passionate Francie is about her education, which was shown in the first chapters where she would go to the library and read books rather than spend her Saturday outside with the neighborhood kids. â€Å"Francie liked school in spite of all the meanness, cruelty and unhappiness. The regimented routine of many children, all doing the same thing at once, gave her a feeling of safety.†(Smith 161) This quote shows how Francie likes school because in a busy world, it is one of the few places that mollifies her anxiety. Francie ends up matriculating to college at the University of Michigan where she will finally get the education she deserves. The novel comes together and Francie finally is able to leave Brooklyn. Education opened doors for her and allowed her to lead a better life. Esperanza’s education and writing also opened doors for her and allowed her to leave Mango Street and let go of all the bad memories she had there. The writing helped very much as she matured and provided an outlet that she greatly needed in order to â€Å"let go† of Mango Street so she could move on and lead a good life. During her one year tenure on Mango Street Esperanza experiences and goes through many different and powerful things. She makes friends, hits puberty and becomes interested in boys, and even is sexually assaulted and betrayed by people who she thought were her friends. Many of these things would have been difficult to deal with, even traumatizing, if  Esperanza did not have her writing to use as an outlet. At the end of the novella, days before Esperanza is due to leave Mango Street her friend Alicia says, â€Å"Like it or not you are Mango Street. It is a part of you now.†(Cisneros 107) In this, Alicia is saying that Steers   Esperanza may leave the house on Mango Street but she will never be able to leave behind all of the memories she has there. If this was true, I think that it would be detrimental to Esperanza as she matures even more in becoming a true adult because during her time on Mango Street, she had some adult experiences and went through too much too fast. I believe that if Esperanza were unable to truly leave behind Mango Street it would hinder her maturing greatly. However, because of her writing, Esperanza can write everything down as a way of distancing herself from her experiences on Mango Street. This will make so that she can mature as an adult without complications and eventually make her able to lead a successful and fulfilling life. Both of these young women use education as the focal point of their coming of age. It helps them to escape their realities and let things go, and also to pursue higher education and a better life so that later they may come back and help others do the same. Works Cited Page †¢ Smith, Betty. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. New York: HarperPerennial, 2006. Print. †¢ Cisneros, Sandra. The House on Mango Street. New York: A.A. Knopf, 1994. Print.

Basic Concepts in Positive Psychology Essay

* What do researches mean by ‘subjective well-being’? How is this construct measured? What the researchers mean by ‘subjective well-being’ is that it takes a broad view of happiness, beyond the pursuit of short-term of physical pleasures defining a narrow hedonism. It is also define as life satisfaction, the presence of positive affect, and a relative absence of negative affect. ‘Subjective well-being’ is measured by hedonic well-being where it’s proposed that an individual experiences happiness when positive affect and satisfaction with life are both high. * On p. 18 of your textbook, the authors present the hypothetical possibility of being hooked up to an ‘experience machine’ that would guarantee a constant state of happiness and positive emotion. Would you choose to be hooked up to such a machine? Why or why not? In your response, differentiate between hedonic and eudaimonic concepts of happiness. When I read this part of the passage in my textbook about being hook to an â€Å"experience machine† that would guarantee a constant state of happiness and positive emotion did cross my mind. I thought about what it would be like just to feel the constant emotion of being happy. At first I thought it would be an incredible experience. Never having to worry, or to feel sad, to feel rejected or lonely would be awesome not to feel those emotions anymore. However, to be in a constant state of being happy and always positive could take away the fulfillment of actually living life. Eudaimonic is defined as self-realization, meaning the expression and fulfillment of inner potential. So from this perspective, the good life results from living in accordance with your true self. It’s a process in which our talents, needs, and deeply held values direct the way we conduct our lives. The hedonic view captures a major element of what we mean by happiness in everyday terms: we enjoy life, we are satisfied with how our lives are going; and good events outnumber bad events. Hedonic well-being is based on the concept that increased pleasure and decreased pain leads to happiness (subjective well-being).

Mind and Morality Essay

The external factors play a huge role in shaping one’s decisions. One may think that his genetic and background history has the most influence on his actions, but in reality, the intensity of a given situation has greater impact in the choices of the individual. The surroundings one lives in ultimately influences his perception, decision, and morality. In his essay, â€Å"The Power of Context,† Malcolm Gladwell states how it is the little things in life that makes the bigger difference and in many aspects this is true. In Daniel Gilbert’s essay, â€Å"Immune to Reality† he talks about how human perception about reality is not always accurate. In Oliver Sacks’s essay, â€Å"The Mind’s Eye† he shows how there are many different perceptions to view the world. So at the same time, is it possible to dictate what is right and wrong in one’s life if all the decisions are a result of his given situation and surroundings? Also the morality for each person varies depending on their circumstances and perception of their world. Ultimately, an absolute form of right and wrong does not exist because the context of the situation always changes, but still it is possible to achieve an applicable standard of morality in society. Each individual has his own way of looking at the world that is completely unique when compared to the way another person does. This is perception of reality and this form is always open to discussion because the person generates this viewpoint. Each individual makes his decisions based on his perception of the world. â€Å"The processes by which we generate positive views are many: we pay more attention to favorable information, we surround ourselves with those who provide it, and we accept it uncritically† (Gilbert 134). In many instance one creates his own perception to suit his way of thinking, so the individual could be in the center of his world. â€Å"He seemed to regard this loss of visual imagery as a prerequisite for the full development, the heightening, of his other senses† (Sacks 304). Most people see becoming blind as unfortunate event, but according to this person it helped him to improve his other senses. â€Å"The tabloids dubbed Goetz the subway vigilante and the death wish shooter† (Gladwell 153). Rather than seeing Goetz as a lunatic the newspapers depicted him as a hero. So this shows the difference in perception between people and how it varies from individuals. Importantly since each person’s perception varies it is hard to claim whose perception is right or wrong because ultimately is there a â€Å"right† perception of the world that everybody should be following? Even when viewing a painting everybody has their own interpretation of the art. No one claims there is only one â€Å"right† perception; rather the different perceptions are simply different approaches towards looking at the world. â€Å"It was simply inconceivable that someone could pull a gun on someone else on the subway and be called a hero for it. † (Gladwell 154) shows how different viewpoints affect the verdicts of a situation. A hero to some people might be a villain to others and it is hard to claim who is the â€Å"right† hero. The difference in subjectivity among people will always create a discrepancy of opinions among people. Since a variety of perception exists, then is it possible to have a perfect set and stone â€Å"right and wrong† rules in life? The context of a given matter plays a huge role in deciding the morality of the event. Morality is very much depended on the background information of the event. It is very hard to dictate the morality of an issue without seeing the bigger picture. Most people might see stealing as a wrong act, but what if someone stole a piece of bread in order to make sure he does not die from starvation, is that still a wrong act? In a situation like that one might feel sympathetic to that poor fellow and probably will see stealing as reasonable in that given situation. â€Å"We do not realize that our views will change† (Gilbert 135), the idea of morality varies on the situation because the context of the event directly affects morality. â€Å"Blindness now becomes for him a dark paradoxical gift. This is not just compensation, but a whole new order, a new mode of human being† (Sacks 305), in many aspects blind people do not see their condition as a curse or burden rather a different approach towards living and for most sighted people it might be hard to understand and accept this approach. â€Å"That there are instances where you can take normal people from good schools and happy families and good neighborhoods and powerfully affect their behavior merely by changing the immediate details of their situation† (Gladwell 162) this shows how the little details of an event plays huge role in the outcomes of an event. Essentially, context of a situation is what dictates morality and it is going to be almost impossible to label morality as set and stone as something like the Ten Commandments because the context always changes. Even though the standards of morality vary according to the situation there are some aspects of morality that one subconsciously accepts. Some ethics are universally considered wrong and one’s mind without even one knowing already knows that some choices are not right. That is why the mind tends to usually question the choices one makes. â€Å"When we cook facts, we are similarly unaware of why we are doing it, and this turns out to be a good thing, because deliberate attempts to generate positive views† (Gilbert 134), subconsciously to some extend individuals are aware of the morality behind an action and this will help individuals to make their decisions wisely. â€Å"To what extent are we our experiences, our reactions shaped, predetermined, by our brains, and to what extend do we shape our own brains† (Sacks 303), There are some emotions and judgments that are simply preinstalled in one’s mind which aids an individual in making choices that are difficult. â€Å"After a while the bad guys wised up and began to leave their weapons home and pay their fares† (Gladwell 157) this shows how there is a consciousness inside individuals that helps in guiding with decision making. When making a choice that might inflict pain to us or others one’s mind will usually try to suggest against that decision. That is why the idea of taking an innocent person’s life is universally seen as a wrongful act in societies. Therefore, there is a sense of unconscious morality that lies within the hearts of most individuals. Achieving a complete form of morality is a very idealistic thought because practically it’s not possible. There are infinitely many ways of perceiving morality and it would be impossible to set a standard that would suit all the time. â€Å"Too often people with sight don’t see anything† (Sacks 310). There are parts that even one’s eye sometimes cannot capture meaning that sometimes it’s simply not possible to account for all the possibilities. â€Å"The benefit of all this unconscious cookery is that it works, but the cost is that it makes us strangers to ourselves† (Gilbert 135). People sometime engage in activities without being aware of the magnitude of the situation. †They are both based on the premise that an epidemic can be reversed, can be tipped, by tinkering with the smallest details of the immediate environment† (Gladwell 157) the intensity of the situation has a huge influence on the decision of the individual. Due to all this, perceiving morality completely would be very difficult. Also having a perfect morality would require infinite knowledge which humans do not possess. As an individual one is limited at what he observes at a given time and there are limitations for each individual in this world. However, through the perceptions of many individuals, people will be able to come up with a better understanding of morality. Even with the limitations each individual has a small understanding of morality in the back of his head. Essentially, when all these understanding that are possessed by individuals are combined then a suitable set of standards will be formed that can accompany most situations. The collective effort of people will help to generate a better set of morality that will help in creating a peaceful environment for people to live in. That is why it is important to have many different perceptions of morality because they all eventually lead to creating appropriate rules that will be suitable for the well-being of a society. Despite not being able to have an absolute morality with infallible accuracy and with infinite knowledge, an applicable method of sensing morality is still practical. Individuals lack the ability to have a perfect morality because for one to acquire it in completion one needs to possess infinite amount of knowledge. Despite this back drop each individual innately has the ability to know morality in small parts and therefore combining the small parts of every individual will help to achieve a suitable set of codes. The differences in perception between people only aids to benefit humans in portraying a better understanding of morality. That is why it is important that there are different types of perceptions because if there was only one view then a very limited and narrow minded principle would be prevalent in the world. The different pathways of thinking done by people finally leads to achieving a suitable mode of morality. An absolute form of morality will never be possible in this imperfect world, however, that does not mean accomplishing a reasonable standard is impossible.

Business Studies

What does the nature of business mean ? Usually, when filling out some kind of form, nature of business refers to the type or general category of business or commerce you are describing. For example, if you worked at McDonalds, the nature of your business is food services. Nature of Business means what type of business your are doing? like Wholesale, Retail or Service, Manufacturing, Marketing, etc. If you want more specific, then HBA wholesale, Car Service, Furniture manufacturing, health Drinks Marketing, etc. The nature of business, means what exactly your business is doing and what is the service/product you are offering. For example the nature of Walmart as a business is Retail and the nature of Microsoft is Software. Internal and External Influences on businesses The external environment includes those factors over which the business has little control, such as government policy, technology, economic conditions and social attitudes. The internal environment includes these factors over which the business has some degree of control, such as products, location, resources, management and business culture. External Influences on business  ·Economic  ·Financial  ·Markets  ·Competitive siuation Technological  ·Institutional  ·Political  ·Legal  ·Social  ·Geographic If you had a shop and everyone decided to go to another shop that would be an econmic disaster! If this continues for a month then the business would close, employees would be laid off, and landlords and suppliers will not be paid. Charasteristics of boom perios Higer lever of employment -Inflation may increase The level of spending by consumers increases as they have more confidence in the economy Characteristics of recessi on period Unemployment levels rise Inflation may remain stable or fall Wages are less likely to rise as employers The level of spending usually decreases Internal influences on Business Product The types of good and services will affect the internal operations of a business, The product influence and the size of the business -Location -A good location is an asset and will lead to high levels of sales and profits and a bad location is a liability that adversely affects sales and products  ·Location Factors Visibility, promixity to customers, promixity to suppliers and promiximity to support devices -Management- Resource management -Business culture Failure to SME failure  ·Failure to plan  ·lack of information  ·leaderhsip skills  ·inaccurate record keeping  ·new taxes  ·not enough sales  ·economic turndown  ·staff difficulties Success to SMEs  ·Entrepemtual abilities