Monday, September 30, 2019

Ethics Awareness Inventory and Personal Values Essay

Ethics and values coincide with one another. Values are determined by what is right and what is wrong and ethics is actually doing what is right and wrong. Everyday people are faced with making right and wrong decisions. Ethically we make decisions according to our beliefs, values, and awareness. Every decision should be made to do the right thing according to the situation. In this paper I will discuss the difference between ethics and values, and my values in my personal life. I will reflect on the Williams Institute Ethics Awareness Inventory and discuss my self assessment. I will also reflect on Kudler Fine Foods (KFF) values and how they align with my values. Then we will look at how being a part of the management team at KFF would affect my performance. Ethics vs. Values Ethics refers to standards of conduct, standards that indicate how one should behave based on moral duties and virtues, which themselves are derived from principles of right and wrong(cite1). In order to apply this definition to practical decision making it is necessary to specify the nature of the moral  obligations considered intrinsic to ethical behavior.(cite1) There are two aspects to ethics: the first involves the ability to discern right from wrong, good from evil, and propriety from impropriety; the second involves the commitment to do what is right, good and proper(cite1). Ethics is an action concept; it is not simply an idea to think and argue about (cite1). The terms â€Å"values† and â€Å"ethics† are not interchangeable(cite 1). Ethics is concerned with how a moral person should behave, whereas values simply concern the various beliefs and attitudes that determine how a person act Running head: ETHICS AWARENESS INVENTORY AND PERSONAL VALUES Ethics Awareness Inventory and Personal Values Selisecia Royster University of Phoenix Management 521 Christie Matthews July 30, 2009 Ethics Awareness Inventory and Personal Values Ethics and values coincide with one another. Values are determined by what is right and what is wrong and ethics is actually doing what is right and wrong. Everyday people are faced with making right and wrong decisions. Ethically we make decisions according to our beliefs, values, and awareness. Every decision should be made to do the right thing according to the situation. In this paper I will discuss the difference between ethics and values, and my values in my personal life. I will reflect on the Williams Institute Ethics Awareness Inventory and discuss my self assessment. I will also reflect on Kudler Fine Foods (KFF) values and how they align with my values. Then we will look at how being a part of the management team at KFF would affect my performance. Ethics vs. Values Ethics refers to standards of conduct, standards that indicate how one should behave based on moral duties and virtues, which themselves are derived from principles of right and wrong(cite1). In order to apply this definition to practical decision making it is necessary to specify the nature of the moral obligations considered intrinsic to ethical behavior.(cite1) There are two aspects to ethics: the first involves the ability to discern right from wrong, good from evil, and propriety from impropriety; the second involves the commitment to do what is right, good and proper(cite1). Ethics is an action concept; it is not simply an idea to think and argue about (cite1). The terms â€Å"values† and â€Å"ethics† are not interchangeable(cite 1). Ethics is concerned with how a moral person should behave, whereas values simply concern the various beliefs and attitudes that determine how a person act Running head: ETHICS AWARENESS INVENTORY AND PERSONAL VALUES Ethics Awareness Inventory and Personal Values Selisecia Royster University of Phoenix Management 521 Christie Matthews July 30, 2009 Ethics Awareness Inventory and Personal Values Ethics and values coincide with one another. Values are determined by what is right and what is wrong and ethics is actually doing what is right and wrong. Everyday people are faced with making right and wrong decisions. Ethically we make decisions according to our beliefs, values, and awareness. Every decision should be made to do the right thing according to the situation. In this paper I will discuss the difference between ethics and values, and my values in my personal life. I will reflect on the Williams Institute Ethics Awareness Inventory and discuss my self assessment. I will also reflect on Kudler Fine Foods (KFF) values and how they align with my values. Then we will look at how being a part of the management team at KFF would affect my performance. Ethics vs. Values Ethics refers to standards of conduct, standards that indicate how one should behave based on moral duties and virtues, which themselves are derived from principles of right and wrong(cite1). In order to apply this definition to practical decision making it is necessary to specify the nature of the moral obligations considered intrinsic to ethical behavior.(cite1) There are two aspects to ethics: the first involves the ability to discern right from wrong, good from evil, and propriety from impropriety; the second involves the commitment to do what is right, good and proper(cite1). Ethics is an action concept; it is not simply an idea to think and argue about (cite1). The terms â€Å"values† and â€Å"ethics† are not interchangeable(cite 1). Ethics is concerned with how a moral person should behave, whereas values simply concern the various beliefs and attitudes that determine how a person act

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Howard Gardner and Applications of Multiple Intelligences Essay

Gardner believes that there are different ways of solving problems and that there are different ways that intellectual ability is manifested or expressed (Gardner, 1993; 1999). What had been accepted in education in general had been to assess students in terms of their capabilities in Science, Math and Language or Communication (English in written and spoken communication). Gardner expanded this to what he termed as multiple intelligence which introduced the domains with which every individual may possess in whatever degree. These domains include, the logical-mathematical, musical, spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, linguistic, intra and inter-personal, naturalistic and existential intelligences (Gardner, 1993; 1999). There are evidences that support the theory in terms of the biological and cultural underpinnings such as those done on development focused on children, empirical research from individuals with brain damage and persons with giftedness. The theory has significant implications on both structure and curriculum in the educational setting such as the kind of set up with which the classroom is arranged or the strategies employed in introducing material or assessment of learning (Gardner, 1993; 1999). Problem statement Since Gardner believes that the educational setting at all levels must foster and promote the understanding of multiple intelligences the following pertinent parts of the educational set up involving curriculum and assessment strategies must be changed or reformed (Gardner, 1993; 1999). This research therefore attempts to answer the following problem statements: What is Multiple Intelligences as a framework in school? What is the description of a curriculum in the secondary level (high school) incorporating the Gardner theory? In this framework, how can assessment be done on student learning and overall progress of students? Discussion Nature of the learner in the Secondary Level There are basic observations gathered by experts on the kind of learner expected to enter into the secondary level. Since the concept of Multiple Intelligences by Gardner would be revolutionary even today, when in essence, most institutions of learning already recognized the brilliance and applicability of his position. It would be helpful to have alongside in the direction of this notion, quite important figures and principles that would further make the application of the Gardner framework in the secondary level easier to grasp and more feasible to comprehend. The curriculum would serve to reflect how learners inch their way into the classroom and courses they are about to undertake and to finish. It is always important to start right by understanding how the learner apprehends and appreciates the material, his preparation in terms of physical, emotional, and psychological maturity, and the way these materials or knowledge could be absorbed and thereafter applied at the correct time and place. It was Malcolm Knowles (1978, 1990) and his theory andragogy who emphasized the model of adult learning. The premise is based on his hypothesis that the maturation of an individual into adulthood is manifest when people conduct themselves in adult behavior and consider themselves to be adults. Then they should be dealt with as adults. By adulthood people are self-directing. Knowles taught that adult education was special in a several ways. This will mean that the presence or absence of some significant details will improve or pull down adult learning experience. This implies that knowledgeable background on adults and the developmental characteristics of that particular stage will spell effective or disastrous results. This paper attempts to show the various positive and negative learning environments specifically for adults. Positive Learning Environment include: 1. Adult learners carry with them a vast amount of experience to the learning environment. This means that tuning in to their particular psyche creates a conducive atmosphere for learning; 2. Adults expect on the kind of training they are exposed to and how they are to be educated. Example: Unlike the younger learners where most take on passive role, adults have goals in mind and the learning they receive must fall within those predetermined personal goals; 3. the active involvement of students should be encouraged in planning and implementing educational programs; 4. Adults need to be able to see applications for new learning; 5. Adult learners expect to have a high degree of influence on how learning will be evaluated; 6. Adults expect their responses to be acted upon when asked for feedback on the progress of the program. Andragogy is therefore student-centered, experience-based, problem-oriented and collaborative (Brooks, J 1995). On the other hand, the following can influence adults specifically in the learning experience in an unhelpful way. The Negative Learning Environment includes the fact that: 1. some adults can move toward prescribed educational settings with anxiety and feelings of high or low self-efficacy. Their method to new learning milieus can be prejudiced by how they assess or evaluate the new experience. A case in point: given two adults in a classroom where an exercise is about to begin, one individual may interpret the assignment in such a way that leads to a feeling of ‘excitement’, while another individual interprets the task in such a way that leads to the feeling of ’embarrassment’. It is a fact that the way the individual interprets the situation and the consequent emotion that arises, will affect the kind of action the individual is to take (Burns, 1995, p.16). Burns considers that such assessments, together with the labels such as ‘fear’ or ‘anxiety’ can direct some learners to psychologically disengage from the source of distress that is the learning experience. Conversely, when coupled with labels such as ‘excitement’ or ‘challenge’ the learner is conducted to take measures that focus on the undertaking. With this slant, the abovementioned findings just aptly show how the Multiple Intelligences framework is the better if not best option to amplify what adult learning insights have offered and how the issues are met and addressed. It would seem that the Gardner framework can be both an approach in the arrangement of teacher’s approach to the student’s ease assimilating information and training of skills development; Gardner’s framework serves as assessment tool as well to further check and evaluate status of learning as well as secure its usefulness (i.e., training and knowledge) for a future job (Gardner, 1993; 1999). The curriculum then would appear more like a university level type that can be seen as implementation of several tracks, individualized in nature, with personal advising installed, and students are evaluated on their overall grade point average performance. Personality tests that are primarily geared to measure the Gardner â€Å"traits† are indispensable tools to discovering the possession of either or combinations of the â€Å"intelligences† (Gardner, 1993; 1999). On the course or subject level, students are also handled in individual cases but getting used to the variations will be established in the long run and may no longer be as difficult to implement and follow-up. Evaluation of the student performance and any behavioural changes are pertinent tasks that teachers are to be cognizant of. In this manner, the application of formative and summative assessments would not only be appropriate but timely as well. According to studies on the subject, both summative and formative assessments are employed to provide a very objective result as to the efficiency and efficacies not only of the teacher’s methods. The evaluation itself (i.e., assessment for and of learning) is a vital factor that is found to help the student realize his potentials and attenuate the weaknesses he’s had in the process of learning (Northern Arizona University, 2009). I believe that the methods of evaluating the interventions for the problem cannot be easily applied or even seen/grasped. However, this can only be understood well when applied (hands-on) to a particular school, class, and individual during a certain period like during the first half of a given school year. A detailed lesson plan, or syllabus is part of this tool with specific dates and key result areas to serve as a guide. This way, every student has each given the chance to shine his best and not just be a statistic in an otherwise lopsided contest where no real winners are found but instead disillusionment for failed dreams and succumbing to societal pressures are more common and expected. Reference: Brooks, J (1995) Training and Development Competence: a practical guide Kogan Page, London. Burns, S. (1995) ‘Rapid changes require enhancement of adult learning’ HRMonthly June, pp 16-17. Knowles, M.S. (1978) The Adult Learner: a Neglected Species 2nd edition, Houston: Gulf Publishing Company, Book Division   and Knowles, M.S. 1990 The Adult Learner: a Neglected Species 4th edition, Houston: Gulf Publishing Company, Book Division. Gardner, H. (1993). Multiple intelligences: the theory in practice. New York, NY: Basic Books. And Gardner, H. (1999). Multiple approaches to understanding. In C. M. Reigeluth (Ed.), Instructional-design theories and models (pp. 69-90). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Northern Arizona University. Formative vs. Summative Evaluation. Retrieved on May 9, (2009), from http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/edtech/etc667/proposal/evaluation/summative_vs._formative.htm

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Getting financing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Getting financing - Essay Example The inadequacy of working capital has prevented many companies from exploiting potential market opportunities that are available to them. This paper tends to explore the scope of raising finance for my business ‘JBR Watches’ located in Los Angeles. Obviously, it is difficult for an entrepreneur to meet all capital requirements for business expansion all by oneself. Hence, for opening a showroom in Los Angeles, I should seek various sources of financing. At this juncture, it is important to identify significant tactics that an entrepreneur can initiate. The most notable factor that denies a firm’s access to financial sources is its negative market stature. This bad situation can be changed if the company deals with large contracts because they offer comparatively higher profit. At the same time, majority contract terms insist that the supplier must provide 30 to 60 days for the client to pay his invoices (Burstnet). So as to meet these credit requirements of the cu stomers effectively and to earn more profit from large business contracts, it is advisable for the JBR Watches to try for venture capital. Venture capital is an option for small companies that possess innovative business plans but have no adequate operating finance (venture capital). Generally, venture capitalists would not be willing to invest their money in risky ventures; hence, the JBR must formulate effective business designs in order to convince the capital provider about the potentiality of its business. Even though, venture capital is offered for a short period of time, JBR can make returns within this period and repay the amount before the maturity of the stipulated period. Similarly, my company may seek assistance from angel investors. An angel investor maybe a wealthy individual or group of individuals who wish to invest in pre-venture capital companies with the objective of uplifting certain communities (Angel Investors). In the case of JBR, the management can highlight the growth requirement of employees’ community; and it may assist the firm to get financial assistance from angel investors. So as to find a potential angel investor, JBR can employ the internet tools like Google search engine. According to Carbajo (2011) bank is another potential financial source for every business. However, it is observed that the banks do not provide loans and other credit facilities to small companies unless the companies possess substantial assets and all other financial records. Although JBR Watches is a notable concern in the industry, its decreased growth rate would not satisfy the banks’ credit criteria. In the opinion of Yates, banks provide credit facilities to small companies also if the business owners personally guarantee the credit repayment. This type of fund raising is a very risky practice for small companies if the business does not realize anticipated profit and the owner is unable to repay the loan amount. Therefore, JBR must be ve ry careful while applying this tool. Use of credit card is another method that can effectively contribute to the working capital requirements of JBR Watches. Credit cards assist the card holders to make purchases or obtain cash advances and pay them later. Business owners must note that credits cards are very expensive source of funding even if it has reasonably low interest rates. As in the case of bank lines of credit, the business owner personally guarantees the debt repayment while employing this technique also. Therefore, this

Friday, September 27, 2019

Spartan Warriors Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Spartan Warriors - Essay Example Spartan warriors' military fitness, as mentioned began specifically at birth. One of the immediate tests was when the mother of the child literally bathed in wine. This test already claimed its effectiveness in selecting who were the children fitted to be warriors through their survival (Schrader 2007). The test though didn't end there. Upon the survival of the child from the test, the decision about the child's future will be subject under the elders' judgment, if the child was to be reared as warrior or not. A child who survived but had founded with defective or weak was also considered useless. This child will be subject under the abandonment in the wild slopes of Mount Taygetos or Apothethae. The place was already known as a place of rejection (Schrader 2007). This practice was believed by the Spartans as way to preserve and maintain the high physical standard in their race. Spartan warriors were expected in absoluteness regarding physical strength and capability (Stark 1997). Another Spartan custom to eliminate the weak in their race was the throwing into a pit of the defective child. A cloak and nothing else would be the only clothing that provided for boys 12 years of age and below, was also a test for their physical health that was essential for fitness. Another test for their living condition was through hunger. ... Growing up in Spartan society was tougher for the Spartan boys than the girls. Officials assembled the young boys for primary fighting orientation. Spartan boys were expected to be grouped by age. They would then fight with each other, and the toughest boy would be the leader. (Connoly 1979) Another test for their living condition was through hunger. Spartan boys were being purposely underfed. This condition was to test them their hunting skills, up to the extent of motivating them to steal purposely the food in the supplies. Along with the test of hunger, they were also commanded to sleep in the bare ground. In fact, during the earliest days of Sparta, a citizen's life was completely and strictly submitted under the Spartan state. One of the moral trainings of Spartan warriors was the obedience to their laws (Connoly 1979). At this early stage, Spartan boys were already being exposed in the ruthlessness of killing. This was to set them prepared for the future military life that awaits them. They were being taught handling of arms and armor. They were also encouraged to develop their own guile and savage skill necessary for fighting. They were even enforced to experience actual murdering and slaughtering once they were being sent to hunt for declining slaves. Strict discipline in fighting was also enforced to them. (Paparykarious 2000) During boyhood, the young citizen was required to leave home for military boarding school. It was in their law that young Spartan was required to serve in the army, from age seven up to thirty years of age (Connoly 1979). In the army, their education put emphasis on physical toughness, faithful in military ranks, and absolute obedience to orders. They are identified as hoplite or a

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Term Paper Example According to him, to understand this sector completely one must consider to analyze following points like economic factors, industry trend, and competitive sources (Diechart et al). This paper is based on the marketing strategies of these two giants along with the discussion on several economic parameters like demand theory, opportunity cost, preferred completion. The paper also gives a historic overview of the companies, their financial performance and also a suggestion part that can be helpful for these two organizations to be more competitive. Analysis Methodology The study is about the market dominance of both the company in terms of different economical parameter. The findings are based on various article and financial report published in different magazines, news, and financial report of both the companies and a comparison between these two companies marketing strategy. The main two questions we are trying to answer are as follows: 1. Comparative analysis of marketing strategy of Coca-Cola and Pepsi. 2. Analysis of two companies in different micro-economic perspective. For marketing strategy review and the effect of the same on these two companies the main source of informationis company’s annual report, different article related to company’s marketing strategies over the year and the style of branding and promotion. For economic perspective, various economical factors are analyzed based on available secondary data sources. Coke and Pepsi: Past and Present position in the Market. There were three different factorsassociated with the market performance of these two companies. According to Data Monitor, these were market size, growth rate and overall profitability. Among no-alcoholic drinks soft-drinks have the overall market share of 46.8%. The total market value of the soft drinks industry was $307.2 billion in 2002 and as per their report was expected to reach around $367billion by 2009. Although along with this strong forecast, Data Monito r also predicted that there will be a slight decline in the soft drinks market due to market price. This was due to increase in the other non-alcoholic industry like tea and coffee (11.8%) and water (9.3%). According to Diechart et al, despite of solid profit margins the declaration in the soft drinks market was due to market saturation especially in USA. According to him, to increase the profitability the soft drinks company needed the product diversification to reach out more number of people. According to Murray’s report Coca Cola enjoyed maximum market share of around 50% followed by Pepsi (21%). The Coca Cola were having more diversified soft drinks offering for the client like Coca-Cola, Diet Coke, Fanta, Sprite etc and they were engaged in over 200 nations (Diechart et al). Pepsi have brands like Pepsi, Dew, and Slice etc (Diechart). According to thereport published in the Bangkok Post Coke sales was grown by 32% in 2012, which was highest in last 10 years. The markets hare of coke again rose to 50% whereas Pepsi falling to 15% (Bangkok Post). Marketing Strategy: Coca Cola: The main aim of Coca Cola is to refresh the world, to inspire moments of optimism and happiness and to create value and make a difference in customer mind. To fulfill their mission 5 broad steps were taken by the marketing team of

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Developments And Changes Music Over Time Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Developments And Changes Music Over Time - Essay Example Music publishing is the process concerned with valuing, developing, and protecting music in the wider music industry. Music publishers are the people charged or tasked with the duty of developing new music and taking care of the business side. They do this to help songwriters and composers to concentrate their efforts on the creation of new music. This therefore leads to the definition of a music publisher as that person who seeks out music, composers and songwriters, goes ahead to promote their catalogues, manages the business exploitation of those catalogues through registration of works and collection of due royalties in order to protect and enhance the work of songwriters and composers (Dolfsma, 2000). They achieve this by doing the following tasks; finding new talents then supporting and encouraging them. Coordinate work flow and secure commissions. They also register the works of songwriters to the appropriate societies and agencies. They produce demo recordings and performance materials in contemporary classical music. They also license and produce printed music.

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Hollywood Farmers Market Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Hollywood Farmers Market - Assignment Example I noticed that the produce are clearly marked and can be classified into non-organic, certified organic, unofficial organic and no spray produce. The market also provides resources and information about organic farming and foods; this gives consumer’s knowledge on decision making on whether to purchase organic or non-organic foods. A number of certified organic products in the market had the USDA logo, and they were clearly classified and arranged in different stalls from the rest of organic products which enabled the customers to choose wisely. Enquiring on regulations, I found out that some of the farmers and vendors who had a gross turnover of 5000 were exempted from the certification process but they faced regulations and inspections by the government. In the market organic produce included a number of fruits, oranges, tomatoes, mangoes and vegetables which included spinach, kales and herbs. There were also some free range chickens, with some natural eggs which were certif ied organic produce. Some of non-organic products included vegetables, herbs and fruits that were produced using genetically engineered seeds, chemicals, radiations, chemically based fertilizers and pesticides. I got a unique experience from the live chickens in the nooks and crannies of the store display counters (Clark, 1). I figured out that it was great fun carrying out open air shopping and having meals in the restaurants around the farmers market. A number of un-official products like omega XL a natural supplement, natural wine CSA and other minerals like Fulvic ionic were present in the market. After enquiring from one of the vendors, I realized that there are 100% organic product which contained certified contents. Examples of such products included fruits, vegetables, milk, orange, juice, cheese, eggs, chicken and beef. Upon talking to a number of farmers and vendors, it came to my realization that a number of farmers in Hollywood market have complied with a number of organ ic restrictions but they have not taken or given any certification with some arguing that the cost of getting the certification is high and if one is acquired the burden can be passed to the consumers. After walking around the market, I interviewed some farmers and vendors regarding their products, their farming methods and the justification for using the methods that they do. On the methods that are used to produce particular vegetables which are mainly organic, majority of their responses was that the vegetables were purely grown using manure through compost or droppings from a number of animals. Most of the people I interviewed said that they used artificial fertilizers. They further said that the vegetables were exposed to harsh environment and were not covered or housed in any greenhouse. They also used natural ways of preventing pests such as mixing farming with plants like pyrethrum which repel pests away. The farmers also gave me some perceptions that are used in organic far ming, majority of their fields are planted with grains such as corns, oats, soya beans, wheat and cover crops so as to build soil fertility. Other farmers outlined the guidelines used to get organic certification in their farms, which included a number of aspects like land requirements, pesticides used, seed selected and growing practices (Clark, 1). On their farming methods the farmers argued that some conventional methods are used to raise cattle where they are fed with diets

Monday, September 23, 2019

The history of fighter aircraft F-22 Raptor Research Paper

The history of fighter aircraft F-22 Raptor - Research Paper Example The fighter jet possesses significant attributes that make it better than any fighter jet developed thus far. With increased stealth, the F-22 becomes one of the best fighter jets that can evade detection by radar (Sweetman 44). In addition, the F-22 has the ability to maneuver and evade tracking by other fighter jets that may be on its pursuit. As a replacement of other fighter jets with limited superiority, the F-22 becomes the most reliable air to ground attack jet ever built. Most important, the F-22 has improved aerodynamics that makes pilots fly the fighter jet more easily than before. Today, the US army has deployed significant number of raptors to areas such as Japan where the army has stationed them ready for deployment. Whereas the F-22 has had some failures in navigation and communication, the F-22 raptor still remain an aircraft of choice in carrying out sorties and other activities such as aerial surveillance. The F-22 is a product of Lockheed Martin Corporation, which is well known for the production of aircraft. The demand for a better fighter jet like F-22 has been long overdue considering the shortcoming of other fighter jets such as F-15. With the demand of an advanced tactical fighter (ATF), the US army tasked the F-22 team to conduct a program that would later produce the F-22 as an engineering marvel that combines performance, speed and stealth into one robust fighter jet—F-22. The F-22 team started by developing two prototypes that they later developed to achieve a reliable fighting machine. In their program, the F-22 produced two YF-22 prototypes that they took through a series of testing (Sweetman 78). These prototypes relied on two other engine prototypes that were to be selected for use in the F-22 fighter jet. The testing of the fighter jet was done on Being and Lockheed installation where the features of the aircraft were refined to produce the F-22 that are in use t oday. During the development of the F-22, the Lockheed

Sunday, September 22, 2019

EMBA 560 Executive Position week 2 exercise 2 Research Paper - 1

EMBA 560 Executive Position week 2 exercise 2 - Research Paper Example He/she also must possess honesty, integrity, character, trustworthiness, and all the personal virtues I would need my VP to have to be able to command the respect of others and for me to repose trust in him/her. Having made this wish list, I shall then analyze the needs of the organization. Where is the organization at this time? What are the more serious challenges that it faces now, and will face in the medium to long-term? How about the engineering department itself, what are its current and medium to long-term requirements? Some organizations have problems dealing with revenues; that is a marketing problem. Others have challenges in controlling costs; that is an operations problem. Still other may have union issues or skills obsolescence, or demotivation; these are HR problems. Several of these may occur simultaneously, so it will be necessary to prioritize and rank them in order of importance to the firm. It is only at this point that one may begin to consider the candidates. Do they all possess the basic attributes? If so, how does hiring each one match the organization’s needs? For instance, if motivation is an issue, prefer to hire from within, and maybe prefer seniority, because the younger candidate can wait a few more years to be hired. To add inputs to my decision, I will probably invite each one of them to a cordial lunch to discover their own personal disposition and inclination about the position, without necessarily informing them that they are being considered. This may be unethical in the case of Ms Hernandez since she is still connected with the competitor, so in her case the fact finding may be done through a third person. In any case, it is important to know how each would feel about the position, particularly John Adams who is the successor apparent. In making my consideration, I should be aware that since John Adams is the one everyone

Saturday, September 21, 2019

John Wesley’s Thoughts on Slavery Essay Example for Free

John Wesley’s Thoughts on Slavery Essay Introduction John Wesley was an ordained minister of the Anglican Church in England in the eighteenth century. He is considered as the founder of the Methodist movement. The Methodist movement started out at Oxford University where John Wesley, his brother Charles and other like-minded individuals began gathering together for prayer and for religious purposes through what they called the â€Å"Holy Club†. They practiced discipline in observing the sacraments of the church; they conducted regular outreach programs designed for the elderly, the prisoners, the sick and other disenfranchised members of the society (Pollock, 1989). Although the Methodist movement floundered in England during the time spent by John Wesley in Georgia in America, it gained new strength upon his return in the 1740s. Because of his new found fervor upon hearing Martin Luther’s preface to the Book of Romans, he began his itinerant preaching and traveled extensively throughout England preaching about the Christian faith (Pollock, 1989). John Wesley and Slavery John Wesley was opposed to debauchery and the drinking of wine. In addition, his sermons and his writings were also opposed to slavery. When Wesley was in the British colony of Georgia, he saw the way that masters treat their slaves as well as the way in which these slaves were sold as cattle. In 1774, John Wesley published one of his reflections entitled Thoughts on Slavery. On this pamphlet, he expounded on the slave trade—how the slaves were taken from their native lands and transported to the New World to provide important workforce for the plantations. He condemned slavery as an act which cannot be reconciled with Justice and Mercy (Brycchan Carey, 2002). In the said pamphlet, John Wesley appealed to both slave-traders and slave owners to stop the practice and he closed with a written prayer for their soul. In this address to the slave-traders, Wesley’s accusations and dispensations were impassioned and unrelenting. He lamented the lack of compassion in the slave traders because of the way that they treat the slaves (Brycchan Carey, 2002). Wesley’s opposition to slavery even led him to commit his support to the Abolitionist movement. The abolitionist movement grew in power and magnitude towards the end of the 1780s. At this time, John Wesley risked his personal safety by preaching on the matter of slavery and condemning such practice in Bristol, which was then a trading port for slaves. During this sermon, there was uproar among the people, which Wesley described in supernatural terms as the way that Satan fights for his kingdom. This uproar, however, could have been caused by the slave-traders whose operations were just around the area where John Wesley was preaching (Brycchan Carey, 2002). Conclusion Until the end of his life, John Wesley fervently condemned and opposed slavery. The pamphlet he wrote about his Thoughts on Slavery was published once more before he died. His anti-slavery stance was carried on by the followers of the movement he founded—Methodism. As the Methodists continue to gain strength and following all throughout England, and later in the United States, Wesley’s thoughts on slavery became even more popular and added momentum to the move to abolish slavery. Reference Brycchan Carey (2002). John Wesley: Biography. Retrieved 17 Sept 2007 from http://www. brycchancarey. com/abolition/wesley. htm. Pollock, J. (1989). Wesley the Preacher. London: Lion.

Friday, September 20, 2019

The Failure Of Unamid In Darfur Politics Essay

The Failure Of Unamid In Darfur Politics Essay Darfur has been called the worst humanitarian crisis of the 21st century. Since the Rwandan genocide in 1994, the world has not seen such a campaign of killing, refugees, rape and destruction. The crisis caused the death of 300  000 people and over 2.5 million displaced Sudanese since February 2003. This crisis attracted the attention of many humanitarian and human rights organizations, various states policy makers, and a number of regional and international organizations such as the African Union, the United Nations and the International Criminal Court. In 2004, the African Union established the Darfur Integrated Taskforce (DITF). In 2007, the continuing hazardous situation required the creation of a joined AU-UN operation to intervene in Darfur, which was called United Nations African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID). After three years of functioning of the UNAMID, the situation in Darfur still depicts a lot of human suffering and deprivation  [3]  . This suggests that the UNAMID was not effective in dealing with the crisis. To understand this, the paper will investigate the reasons behind the missions failure in achieving its objectives and goals. Hence, the study will try to answer the following question: why did UNAMID fail in Darfur? In other words, what are the reasons behind UNAMIDs ineffectiveness in Darfur? In fact, there are various reasons that can be investigated ranging from domestic to international, organizational to financial ones. However, given the limited time and knowledge, we will focus on two major reasons that we think created obstacles to the missions success. Thus, the hypothesis that we are willing to test is that UNAMID was not effective in Darfur because the Khartoum government didnt cooperate and the mission lacked resources. Before answering the question and testing the hypothesis, it is important to understand the conflict and its roots. For this purpose, we are going to divide the paper into three major parts. The first one will deal with defining the concepts, literature review and the theoretical framework. The second part will focus of the conflict. That is to say, it will give a background of the Darfurian situation before and after the 2003 conflict, explaining the origins of this latter and its key actors. The last part will deal with the UNAMID intervention. It will give an overview of the creation of the mission, an assessment of its work, and then a brief analysis of the causes of its ineffectiveness. Theoretical Framework Concepts Before analyzing UN peacekeeping operation (PKO) Darfur, we should first define the concept of peacekeeping and understand its role in order to be able to reflect on the UNAMID mission and its success or failure. Peacekeeping, as defined by the Cambridge dictionary, is the activity of preventing war and violence, especially the use of armed forces not involved in a disagreement to prevent fighting in an area. This definition is broad, and it does not specify the conditions under which the intervention can occur, nor the procedures that should be taken before that. For this purpose, we will take the definition of the UN and which defines peacekeeping as the deployment of international military and civilian personnel to a conflict area with the consent of the parties to the conflict in order to: stop or contain hostilities or supervise the carrying out of a peace agreement  [4]  . This definition adds two important points: the first one is that the interveners are international act ors, both military and civilians; and the second point stresses the agreement of the parties involved. It also exposes the role of these operations. This latter was further clarified by the International Peace Academy. It stated that the roles of the PKO are: the prevention, containment, moderation and termination of hostilities between and within states, through the medium of a peaceful third party intervention, using a multinational force of soldiers, police and civilians to restore and maintain peace. Hence, the developments in the practices and operations of peacekeeping resulted to the emergence of a set of concepts and terms that describe the different natures of the operations and tasks they undertake.  That is to say, peacekeeping has become a general concept which requires details of the selected sub-show style of operation that is intended in each particular case. These sub-divisions are defined in Boutous Ghalis Agenda for Peace. In this latter, he mentioned three conce pts: peacemaking, peace-keeping, and preventive diplomacy. The first one is defined as an action to prevent disputes from arising between parties, to prevent existing disputes from escalating into conflicts and to limit the spread of the latter when they occur, the second one as an action to bring hostile parties to agreement, essentially through such peaceful means as those foreseen in Chapter VI of the Charter of the United Nations, and the third as a technique that expands the possibilities for both the prevention of conflict and the making of peace. It is noted that some operations may combine the properties of more than one type of peacekeeping operation. That is to say, the mission may begin according to one of the patterns but the developments on the ground may drive it to shift to another type of operation.  It is further noted that the different sub-divisions of the peacekeeping operations run in parallel, meaning that they did not cancel each other since the world is still witnessing all of these processes in different parts of it, depending on the situation and the circumstances that require one operation over the others. Literature review During the Cold War, the United Nations Charter put an integrated system for collective security. Theoretically, the system has the necessary components to ensure its effectiveness, which are general principles and rules agreed on and shared, namely: a device responsible for making sure the states respect these principles, and giving it the resources and capabilities so that it can do  the task of deterrence or punishment for states that cross the limits agreed upon.  However, the implementation of this system was conditioned by the acceptance of the permanent members of the UN Security Council, which was impossible to achieve in most cases under the conditions of the cold war  [5]  . This created an obstacle for the implementation of the collective security system. In this case of polarization, the UN tried to find alternative mechanisms to deal with events of international violence and conflicts that arise in different areas throughout the world.  One of these mechanisms is the creation of peacekeeping operations. The creation of this latter was justified by the need to adopt methods designed to stop or contain conflicts that have turned into armed conflicts  [6]  . Besides, the PKOs would serve to deepen the gap that emerged between the arrangements set out in the Charter concerning reaching a peaceful settlement of disputes and contained in articles 28-33 (which gave the Security Council the main role in assisting States to resolve problems among themselves)  [7]  as well as the arrangements set out in articles 39   51 (under which the UN Security Council has the right to use force to impose peace)  [8]  on the one hand, and the possibilities for the actual implementation of these arrangements on the other hand. Thus, the UN interventions rose from only 14 between 1947 and 1987, to 32 between 1988 and 1997  [9]  . Particularly, UN intervention in Africa in extensive regarding the number of peacekeeping operations which are 27 in Africa compared to 39 in the rest of the world  [10]  . This can be explained by the various wars that occurred and occur in Africa, both inter and intra-states conflicts that differ in this severity, and that range from the dispute over land like the case of Benin, to the ethnic cleansing and genocide such as Rwanda. In 2003, the Office of the Special Adviser on Africa (OSAA) was created. Its goals are as follows: enhance international support for Africas development and security through its advocacy and analytical work,  assist the Secretary General in improving coherence and coordination of the UN system support to Africa, andfacilitate inter-governmental deliberations on Africa at the global level, in particular relating to the New Partnership for Africas Development (NEPAD)  [11]  . Moreover, the outcomes of the UN intervention in Africa are different, depending on the situation and the circumstances. Some of them manage to achieve the missions goals and hence are successful, others fail to implement the goals or part of them. Rhazaoui illustrates this idea by giving examples. He said: while Somalia and Rwanda illustrated the limitations of indecisive action by the Security Council, UN intervention in Mozambique succeeded in consolidating peace and mobilising adequate resources for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of that war-torn country  [12]  . Thus, UN is heavily interested in stabilizing and developing the African countries through various missions which have different goals depending on the situations. Nevertheless, these operations are not always successful due to a range of reasons related either to the state cooperation, or to the UNs organization and resources, and sometimes both. Conflict Theory The crisis in Darfur is a multidimensional conflict that can be explained in various ways be it ethnic, religious, ecologicalà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ In order to understand the crisis, we will use conflict theory as a theoretical framework. This theory analyses conflicts economically. That is to say, the causes of conflicts, according to this theory, are the desire to redistribute scare sources, to in act incompatible roles, or to pursue incompatible value  [13]  . Society is composed of groups that are unequal in terms of wealth, distribution of resources and power, and hence, the disadvantaged struggle to ensure a kind of equality and defend their interests. So, using conflict theory as a theoretical framework, we will analyze the economic causes of conflict in Darfur both within the region (between the Darfurian tribes) and between the region and the government. Understanding the Crisis of Darfur Sudan, in northeast Africa, is the largest country in the continent measuring about one fourth the size of the USA. It neighbors nine countries (see map1 in appendix). Sudan is an authoritarian Republic because all power is in the hands of President Umar El-Bashir who has controlled government since military led coup in 1989. Sudan is a very fragmented nation with 400 languages and dialects and 600 cultural and ethnic groups  [14]  . Pre-conflict Situation The Darfur region is located in the western part of Sudan (see map2 in appendix). It is roughly the size of Texas  [15]  and has a pre-conflict population of approximately 6 million. It borders Libya, Chad and the Central African Republic. Darfur is known throughout history, as an independent state. It was colonized 18years after Sudan  [16]  . It has an ethnic, economic and political situation different from that of the north or the south in Sudan. The Arabic word Dar roughly means homeland and the population of Darfur is divided into several Dars, not only the Fur as its name suggests, but also in several other communities (see map3 in Appendix) determined by livelihood as much as ethnicity. However, this latter is not itself clear-cut, given the long history of racial mixing between indigenous non-Arab peoples and Arabs, who are now distinguished by cultural-linguistic attachment rather than race  [17]  . The Fur are peasant people and they occupy the central part of the region which is the richest and most stable area  [18]  in terms of land fertility and water resources. Also in its central zone are the non-Arab Masalit, Berti and Bergid peoples who are all sedentary farmers. The northern zone is Dar Zaghawa which is inherited by camel nomads, principally the Zaghawa who are non-Arab in origin, and the Arab Beni Hussein, Mahamid, Mahariya and Irayqat  [19]  . It is the most ecologically fragile of the three main zones and affected by drought. The eastern and southern zone of Darfur is occupied by the Arab nomads. They comprise Rezeigat, Habbaniya, Beni Halba and Taaisha. The area is severely affected by drought than the northern zone. economics Throughout history, the population of Darfur suffered from marginalization and neglect. This idea is stressed by Saleh who said that what can be deduced from 18th and 19th century Darfur is that government and elite alike have never treated the people of Darfur kindly  [20]  . He added that they were suffering from all kinds of injustice including slavery and high taxation  [21]  . Since Darfur was annexed by the British to Sudan, the former was excluded and abandoned by the successive governments  [22]  . Moreover, most Darfurians voted for the NIF, but once in power, they showed bias to the Arabs and neglected Darfur  [23]  . So, politically speaking, Darfur was not fully integrated in the dynamics of Sudan. Political system Key Actors In order to fully understand the conflict of Darfur and its dynamics, we need to know the actors involved, their background and their goals. Hence, we are going to discuss the Janjaweed as a government sponsored militias, the government as a double role actor in the conflict, and the two Darfurian rebel groups: the Sudanese Liberation Movement and the Justice and Equality Movement. In fact, we should mention that there are various other groups that are included in the conflict such as National Movement for Reform and Development (NMRD), Sudan Federal Democratic Alliance (SFDA)  [24]  , but they are not as important as SLM and JEM and hence we will focus on the two latter for their importance in Darfur Politics. The Janjaweed are Arab militias that are responsible for most of the damages in Darfur, in terms both of blood and treasure. To know who they are and how they emerged, we should go back in history. From the time of the Sultans, the camel-herding Abbala Reizeigat, to which belong the Janjaweed, had been a headache to the rule In the1980s, s of Darfur  [25]  . In the 1980s, the Popular Defence Forces (PDF) law was created with an objective of training men and women in civil and military tasks, to raise their level of security consciousness, and instill military discipline so that they can cooperate with the regular armed forces and security services  [26]  . Janjaweed became part of the PDF, the state paramilitary force  [27]  . The government, on the other hand, is government The Darfur Liberation Movement (DLM) was created during the late 1980, as a response to the activities of the Sudan government sponsored militias in Darfur, but became Sudanese Liberation Movement/ Army (SLM/A) in 2003 and an alliance of the tribal groups that oppose the government and their para-military militia groups  [28]  . The creation of SLA marked a formidable ideological shift from Darfur Liberation Front which was a secessionist movement premised on establishing a separate Darfur state, to a movement that aspires to create a democratic and more equitable Sudan. The SLA/SLM position on the unity of the Sudan is stated in its Political Declaration as follows: The Sudan Liberation Movement/Army is of the view that Sudans unity is of paramount importance, but it should not be maintained and cannot be viable unless it is based on justice and equality for all the Sudanese peoples. Sudans unity must be anchored on a new basis that is predicated on full acknowledgement of Sudans ethnic, cultural, social and political diversity. Viable unity must therefore ultimately be based on the right of self-determination and the free will of the various peoples of Sudan. The fundamental imperatives of a viable unity are an economy and political system that address the uneven development and marginalization that have plagued the country since independence, so that the interests of the marginalized majority are adequately catered for and they are brought to the same level of development of the ruling minority. The SLM/A shall work with all political forces that ascribe to this view.  [29]   The Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) JEM The 2003 Crisis The conflict of Darfur turned out to be a humanitarian crisis, described by some as genocide and by others as the worst humanitarian crisis. As any conflict, it has various reasons varying from political, economic, ecological, and ethnic. However, we will deal with the economic ones as conflict theory considers the struggle over resources is the main cause of conflicts. Causes West Darfur has a population of approximately 1,7 million, most of them are African farmers from the Fur, Masalit and Zaghawa tribes. The rest of the population of Darfur consists of Arab nomadic groups. Although both the black African and Arab tribes are all Muslim, they have a long history of clashes over land, crops and resources  [30]  . The fighting in Darfur is usually described as racially motivated, pitting mounted Arabs against black rebels and civilians; but the conflict has its causes in another dimension, between settled farmers and nomadic over failing lands. Until the rains began to fail, the nomads lived amicably with the settled farmers. The nomads were welcome passers. The farmers would share their wells, and the herders would feed their stock on the leavings from the harvest. However, with the drought, farmers who had once hosted the tribes and their camels were now blocking their migration because the land could no longer support both herder and farmer. Few tri bes drifted elsewhere or took up farming, but the Arab herders stuck to their lifestyle as part of their Arab identity  [31]  . Fertile land continued to decrease as desertification became more of a problem. Tensions between nomadic Arab tribes and African farming communities began a struggle over controlling an environment that can no longer support all the people who must live on it  [32]  . Another economic dimension to the conflict is between the Darfurians and the government. Darfur is the poorest state in Sudan. It has been neglected, abused, and underdeveloped and all tribes, Arab and African alike, suffered greatly from this. Even if Sudan became an oil exporter country with700 million barrel oil reserves, Darfur people suffer from hunger and frustration. more Consequences In 2000, pastoralists moved towards the south and disputed over the fertile region, so clashes were renewed, which resulted in violence that led to the deaths of more than three thousand people, displaced a million people and burned thousands of villages in two years. In 2003, the conflict entered a dangerous turn when rebels from the two groups (SLM and JEM) attacked government targets in Darfur, destroying aircraft on the runway and the occupying El Fasher for hours and then withdrawing to their positions, accusing the government of marginalization of the region, which lacks development. Thus, the government intervened military to stop the rebels. consequences UN intervention in Darfur The Creation of the UNAMID Did it fail? Reasons behind its failure Lack of Government Cooperation Lack of UN Resources

Thursday, September 19, 2019

American-made Aliens Essay -- essays research papers fc

A recent, nation wide poll shows that 45 percent of Americans today believe Unidentified Flying Objects (UFO's) have visited Earth in some form (Rhodes 18). The same poll taken in the 1950's shows that under four percent of the US people believed aliens even exist. What could have caused the American people to go from under four percent believing in the existence of UFO's in the 1950's, to almost half today? This question is easily answered when one opens a TV guide or checks the newspaper when deciding what movie to see on a Friday night. With the mass media hype, the ever-increasing movie production, and the millions spent on new merchandise every year, it is not hard to see how so many Americans today have been fooled into believing Aliens exist. Some time during the first week of July 1947, a local New Mexico rancher, Mac Brazel, was on his way out to check his sheep after a long, hard rain and lightning storm the night before. On his way out to the pasture, he noticed a large amount of unusual debris. As he looked closer, he noticed there was a long gouge several hundred feet in the ground with strange, unrecognizable debris all over the area (Missler 54). Brazel gathered a few of the pieces, took them to his neighbors to ask them what they thought it might be, and eventually decided to drive into Roswell, the local town, and show the pieces to the sheriff. The sheriff, George Wilcox, contacted the Roswell Army air field, and began investigating the matter. It wasn't long after, when the military stepped in, sealed off the area for a few days, and gathered all the debris, flying it to a different air field in Dayton, Ohio. Because of the way the military had covered up the findings, and the secrecy involved, it wasn't long before the press got a hold of the incident, and took off with it. Before a week had passed, almost all the locals of that Roswell town were believing that an alien space craft had crash landed in Mac Brazel's pasture, and that the government was stepping in to cover it up. Hundreds of people began stepping forward, claiming that they saw the wreckage, and that they believed themselves that it was the remains of a crashed alien space craft. Because of how hard the Air Force tried to convince the people it was nothing more than a weather balloon that had crash landed due t... ...int that even if these aliens are from another planet, they would still be under our laws of physics. The fact that so many of the reported sightings break our laws of physics, supports the conclusion that the sightings may be UFO's, but have nothing to do with aliens space crafts, or aliens period. Whether or not aliens do exist far, far away, Americans should realize the chance that they have or are currently visiting our planet are nearly impossible, and hasn't been close to proven in any way. This is something the media and pro-alien activists have worked hard at getting us all to believe in. Works Cited Easterbrook, Greg. (1989, February) "Anybody Out There?" Newsday Reprinted in 1998 SIRS Missler, Chuch, and Mark Eastman. Alien Encounters. Coeur d'Alene, Idaho: Koinonia House, 1997 Rhoded, Ron. Alien Obsession. Eugene, Oregon: Harvest House, 1998 "Space Invaders!" The Kansas City Star. [1997, June] reprinted in 1998 SIRS Unnatural Museum Hall of UFO Mysteries. "Hall of UFO Mysteries. [online] Available: http://unmuseum.mus.pa.us/ufo.htm

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

A Soldiers Life in the Civil War Essay -- Papers

Life during the Civil War was not a pleasant time. There was basically utter chaos going on the South. Soldiers had to deal with the harsh conditions and the thought of death. Plantation owners had to worry about who was going to work their fields. Business owners had to worry about who was going to buy their products. Citizens had to worry about soldiers destroying their property. And the government had to worry about how to pay the soldiers and how to end the war. This was a very rough time to be alive. Soldier Life During The Civil War The camp life for a soldier was hardly one to be desired. â€Å"The weather was hot and the water was bad, yet the men kept in good spirits, and there was no grumbling at the hard drill and harder work(Ratchford, 11).† The weather varied a lot during the Civil War. At times it would snow up to depths of eight inches and sometimes it would rain and hail for hours on end(Russell, 130). Other times it would be very hot. Sometimes when it would rain, soldiers would wake up half submerged(Brown,122). Death was also a major fear during the Civil War. â€Å"We cook and eat, talk and laugh with the enemies dead lying all about us as though they were so many logs(Brown, 115).† The soldier would march threw battlefields where dead men, horses, and smashed artillery were scattered about in utter confusion; the Blue and the Gray mixed-their bodies so bloated, distorted, and discolored from decomposition, that they were basically unrecognizable(Mohr, 326). There was also the duties of the officers. â€Å"Often when a detachment was on scout, there were no men left in camp to release the pickets, and they had to remain on post for seventy-two hours at a stretch(Histor... ...g, and killing(Ratchford, 11). To me it sounds as though the life of a soldier during the Civil War is not one that I would want to live. I would rather sit at my computer and type a paper about it than actually leave through it. The soldiers and the civilians alike, had it very rough. The conditions were harsh and the fear of death would be the only thing on my mind. Or fear of having my house burnt down or taken from me is something I would not want to experience. In conclusion, I would be very proud to shake any soldiers hand that fought in the Civil War. Outline I. Introduction II. Life of a Soldier During the Civil War A. Camp Life B. Death C. Duties D. Shooting E. Food F. Medical G. Pay III. Government and Citizens During The Civil War A. Government Reaction B. Citizens Reaction C. Citizens Vandalism IV. Conclusion

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Myths about the sun and the moon :: essays research papers

Myths about the Sun and Moon The sun and the moon are powerful beings that bring life and death to all living creatures. They control when it is day or night, which season it is, and the weather. They fascinate humans and a considerable amount of mythology has been dedicated to the creation of the sun and moon and why or how they travel across the sky during the day and night. This paper will discuss and compare some of these myths and the gods attributed to their care and existence. The sun and the moon are such influential powers that the creation of them is right along with the creation of the world and humans in some of the better-known mythology. The story of creation in Christian Bible tells of God’s creation of the sun and the moon. On the fourth day â€Å"God made two great lights - the greater to rule the day and the lesser to rule the night... God set them in the dome of sky to give light upon the earth, to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness.† (Genesis 1.16-18). A similar myth of the creation of the sun and the moon is found in the Qur’an, "It is Allah Who hath created the heavens and the earth and sendeth down rain from the skies... He has made subject to you, the night and the day; the sun and the moon; and the stars in subjection by His command." (Qur’an 14:32-33). These two myths are from monotheist religions in which the sun is just created out of nothing, they describe the creation but they lack explanation as to how and why the sun and the moon where put in the sky and have no detail about the orbits or movement or them. â€Å"The Creation of the Sun and the Moon† by Michelangelo is a large fresco of God creating the sun and the moon. In the foreground he has one hand pointing towards a large yellow ball, the sun, and in the background he is pointing towards a large bluish ball, the moon. He is looking forcefully at the sun in the foreground. This fresco is just one person’s take on the creation of the sun and the moon as the bible explains it. The Egyptian sun god was Re. His name meant sun and he represented strength.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Can Retention Be Good for a Student Essay

In today’s society, there is a large debate of what is best for a child’s learning development when they are below level in learning. Educators debate the fact about whether grade retention is good for a student, or is it more appropriate to advance them with their peers, and there is research available to support what is being said. What is meant by retention or non-promotion is having a child repeat a particular grade or requiring a child of appropriate age to postpone entry to the next grade. In doing research I have found some interesting facts, and one of the biggest impacts I have found was by using the search engine to research positive effects of grade retention, the results that were found showed that there is not much available to support the facts. By retaining a child can be extremely hurtful to their self-esteem, risk ridicule and bullying from other children and may also increase behaviors caused by retention. Other things to consider would be at what cost will a child be retained, and what are the results as the child grows older. There are different options that could be considered as opposed to retention. The cost of retaining a child varies from on an average of $5,000 per year and the cost of the child’s shame and embarrassment should also be considered. So why not take this money and apply it to meeting the needs of a student in the areas where he or she might require the help as opposed to causing any shame and embarrassment one might experience. As a mother of two classified children who were faced with learning disabilities and one who just had difficulty learning. I was always told the worst thing you can do to a child who has difficulty learning is retained them, let alone if they were classified. For the simple fact that a child already beats themselves up by thinking they are stupid that they cannot learn what all their friends seem to be learning, and by doing this they are killing whatever self-esteem they have left. I found it helpful to know there was more than one option out there for my children. I made the choice not to have my children retained based on what I researched and what I thought was best for my children. My children stayed with their peers, obtained extra help by attending pull out service and in class support, and whatever other services were available by which was provided by my school district. I also had the advantage of the government on my side because my children were classified; the school district received extra money for my children’s education. If a child is retained, it might give them the opportunity to relearn, refresh and acquire the skills that were missed the first time around and might help them move to the next grade level (Malone, 2005). But what happens when these children who get â€Å"caught up† in the skills and are not with their own peers? The ridicule that they receive from their new set of peers begins to set in and their self-esteem becomes crushed. In addition, what happens after that first year of retention, when the child is caught up on that level and then begins to fall behind in the years to come? Does this child keep getting retained? Or does someone come up with new ideas? The intentions of the educators, I am sure, think they are doing what is best for the child, but in reality is seems to be more of a gamble. When a child does not meet the standards of the school district to continue with his or her peers, some feel it makes sense to retain them and let them repeat the grade. The hope is that these children will pass the grade the second time around. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, as a nation we fail to promote 13% of our students (Bowser, 1998). According to Philip Bowser (NEA Today, 1998), a district-wide school psychology, who had followed children who were retained over the years, the results might have seemed good after the first year, but as time went on things with these children did not appear to be particular pretty. He witnessed children who did not make the academic progress as others had wished, and at the same time, these children developed measurable deficits in mental health problems. He also observed that the â€Å"Old for grade† adolescents increase the risk for substance abuse, earlier age of sexual introduction, behavioral problems and emotional distress (including suicidal thoughts). Comparing retained students with similar students who were socially promoted frequently shows that most students do not catch up when they are held back; even though they seem to do better at first, they tend to fall behind again in future grades. The results are most likely to become alienation from school and eventually drop out and these finding are just as much for kindergarten and first-graders held back because they were alleged to lack maturity or readiness as they do for older students. By using retention as an option it provides either no achievement benefit or only a short lived advantage comparative to social promotion, and the inflict cost on the retained students, their teachers, and the school system. According to the studies, the children most likely to be retained are small in physique or youngest in their grade, more boys than girls, who often moved around from home to home and or from low-income families whose parents are not involved in their schooling and also have a lower educational achievement. These students who are often retained have a lower achievement in reading and language arts compared to most students in the classroom; however, there are often peers who are equally low-achieving but promoted (Jimerson, Carlson, Rotert, Egeland, & Sroufe 1997; Sandoval, 1998). Educators feel by retaining children they are offering them the gift of time to store up on learning and prepare for the future. When in reality school districts are just trying to improve on the standardize tests. In researching this subject, I have found mixed emotions on the topic of retention, and it has seemed to me that although some might think one is better than the other, I feel the answer lies in the other options that are out there for children besides retention. If a child or children can be promoted with their peers and offered other solutions to their academic issues then why not help these children the best way we know how? If we start at an early age helping these children by offering preschool intervention programs, we could be getting a jump on the problems. According to Casto & Mastropieri, 1986; Zigler & Styfco, 2000 A primary purpose of preschool intervention programs is generally to assist at-risk students before they experience academic challenges, through enhancing foundation skills necessary for subsequent academic success. Basic literacy skills, pro social behaviors, and socio emotional development are often emphasized in pre-school programs. By enhancing skills for academic success through preschool programs, retention maybe prevented (p.52) Other solutions might consist of comprehensive program to help promote a child’s social and academic development such as that help integrate strategies to promote children’s academics by having after school programs and or summer school programs where children can seek extra help in the academic areas that need reinforcing. Another idea that can be offered is Looping and Multi-Age classrooms. Looping is a classroom in which a child can spend more than one year with one teacher so this teacher can provide the instruction that is needed and embrace a child’s strength in the process of learning. Multi-Age classrooms allow students of different ages and abilities to move ahead at his or her own pace and the possibility to learn from one another (May, Kundert, & Brent, 1995) By districts offering other solutions to retention such as parent involvement, early reading programs and effective strategies with academics and behavior modification programs it will be making long term goals for these children as opposed to the short term objective of a child being retained. Parents need to be aware of their rights and their children’s right and realize that sometimes we do know what is best for our children and just because someone says or thinks retention is in your child’s best interest, just do not agree, they should know the facts and know what is available for their children. By educating themselves as parents is the best defense they have to protect their children and their right to an education that meets their needs. These solutions are clear that by assisting children and helping them gaining the knowledge and self-esteem to learn it will help reduce the rate of children wanting to drop out in the long run. It will allow for them to get the education they want, let alone deserve. The success rate will be higher and the educators and parents can be proud of the choices they made to help children progress and succeed in life. So to use the words of social promotion is not exactly fair because it sounds like a child only gets promoted for social reasons. In fact, it is the right of these children to go to school with other children their own age. Then the educators can provide the help these children need and deserve when falling behind in their academics and cognitive skills, and not just to say retention is the only way they have to go. Reference Bowser, P. B. Can Retention Be Good for a Student?. Retrieved February 1, 2008, Web site: http://www. roseburg. k12. or. us/sec/handouts/GRADRETE. htm Casto, G. , & Mastropieri, M. A. (1986). The efficacy of early intervention programs: A meta-analysis. Exceptional Children,52, 417– 424. Jimerson, S. R. , Carlson, E. , Rotert, M. , Egeland, B. , & Sroufe, L. A. (1997). A prospective, longitudinal study of the correlates and consequences of early grade retention. Journal of School Psychology, 35, 3–25. May, D. C. , Kundert, D. K. , & Brent, D. (1995). Does delayed entry reduce later grade retentions and use of special education services? Remedial and Special Education, 16, 288–294. Sandoval, J. (1984). Repeating the first grade: How the decision is made. Psychology in the Schools, 21, 457– 462. Social Promotion – In Comparison to Grade Retention, Advantage and Disadvantages, Different Perspectives. In Education Encyclopedia – StateUniversity. com: Education Encyclopedia [Web]. Retrieved 1/31/2008, from http://education. stateuniversity. com/pages/2431/Social-Promotion. html†>Social Promotion – In Comparison to Grade Retention, Advantages and Disadvantages, Different Perspectives.

Bible Essay

There are many accounts in the Bible that state God as the creator. Genesis 1 and 2 are both creation stories but slightly differ in their accounts; Genesis 1 is a day by day account of all the things God created in not so much detail whereas Genesis 2 explains the creation story in a way that focuses more on the creation of man and woman than just the lands. Having two accounts of the creation story means that it is easier to come up with your own conclusion as to how the earth was created. The first line of Genesis 1 is â€Å"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth† There is no explanation as to where God came from or why He is there, He just exists and creates the heavens and the earth. This alone is showing God as the creator. Genesis then carries on to state all the things God created all with no scientific or physical proof or evidence as to why and how God is doing so. â€Å"So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them† This quote is from line 27 and is on the 6th day. The repetition of the word ‘created’ is enforcing to the reader that God is the creator of everything and this is done so that there is no doubt in the readers mind whether God is the creator or not. God creating man and woman in his own image is showing that we are superior to other beings such as animals which shows that God is the humans superior. Being made in Gods image is his way of blessing the humans in life as we are made in the ‘Creators’ image. â€Å"Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air†¦Ã¢â‚¬  This quote is saying that God is passing down his ‘ruler ship’ on to the humans. This means that God is starting to ‘back away’ from his previous role and now feels that he has created a world that the inhabitants (humans) can look after. Genesis two is another creation story but has a few differences to Genesis 1. While Genesis 1 speaks a lot more of the specifics of how and when each part of the earth was made, Genesis 2 speaks a whole lot more about the creation of humans rather than the land. The most time that the creation of land is mentioned is at the beginning of Genesis 2. â€Å"This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created. When the LORD God made the earth and the heavens-â€Å" This is the first thing said in Genesis 2 and it is stating that God is the creator. It says that God created both the heavens and the earth; there is never any question or vagueness about God creating the heavens and the earth it is all very matter of fact. Although Genesis 2 doesn’t always speak of God ‘creating’ things it often personifies God in such a way that he is planting or making objects. â€Å"And the LORD God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground-â€Å" This quote doesn’t say that God created the trees but made them grow from the ground, this is essentially saying that He created them as it was the first sighting of trees but is said in a different way as so not to force the ‘creation’ down your throat like Genesis 1 does. This is so that you can come to your own conclusion about which one is more plausible or correct but there is still no doubt as to god being the creator. Job 38 from the Book of Job is a story of how Satan and God have a disagreement where Satan was saying that Job only worships God because he is prosperous in his life, God then agrees to take away all his possessions and leave him with nothing to show Satan that Job would still worship him even if he was left with nothing. Job’s three friends Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar try to comfort Job but they end up doing the opposite and tell Job that the reason for all his losses is because he has sinned and now God is making him suffer. In the end Job has had enough and questions God, this makes God angry and then Job has a better understanding and realises that he should have trusted God all along. God then returns all of Jobs health and possession in better amounts than they previously were. This story is God showing his power and his superiority to humans. â€Å"Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? † This is God saying that he is mightier than any human and they do not compare to His power. This is also showing that God is omnipotent and that we know nothing compared to him. This is all enforcing that God is the creator and better than all the humans. â€Å"Have you ever given orders to the morning, or shown the dawn it’s place,† This is saying that God has dominance over everything in the world, humans and nature. After Gods account of all his majestic works (such as the world and humans) and power, Job has to acknowledge God’s right as creator to do as he pleases and to not be questioned. Job is essentially the personification of all humans who do not believe god as the creator, Job doubted God and his ability so god became angry; this is supposedly what happens every time someone doubts God. Psalm 8 is a song about the lord God and his creation. â€Å"You have set your glory above the heavens† While this quote form the first verse isn’t directly linked to God being the creator it is saying that God has stated his glory in a way that so far in this psalm we do not know yet, we know that God has glory which could mean he has done something great. â€Å"When I consider the heavens, the work of your fingers† Now we start to work out what it is that causes God to have glory, â€Å"the work of your fingers† we are literally told that God has made the heavens with his ‘fingers’. This personification of God shows that people saw him as one of them but also appreciated his greater power, this could possibly relate to humans being made in God’s image. â€Å"you made him a little lower than the heavenly beings† This quote is, like Job 38, stating God’s dominance over the humans. God made humans a little lower than heavenly beings so that they knew their place and that they were lesser than himself ‘the creator’.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Experiment Essay

The primary focus of experiment 4 was to teach a student the basic solubility rules of salts in aqueous solutions. After developing and using a scheme for the qualitative analysis of three cations in an aqueous mixture, a student would use a centrifuge to identify, precipitate, and separate the three ions in the mixture. After becoming familiar with all three cations, the student would use the scheme again to identify at least two of the cations in an unknown solution. In order to begin the separation process, HCl is added to the mixture of cations to form the precipitates and separate the chlorides of Ag+, Pb2+, and HG22+. It is important not to add too much HCl because an excess would form the soluble complexes of AgCl and PbCl2. After the HCl is added, it is centrifuged to form a solid precipitate that contains all three cations and separate them from the supernatant liquid. Finally, another drop of HCl is added to test for completeness of precipitation and centrifuged again if the solution remains incomplete. To separate the lead (II) ion from the sample of solution, it must be separated from the insoluble Hg2Cl2 and AgCL salts by dissolving it in hot water. Once it has been dissolved from the other two cations, it is centrifuged and the liquid is decanted into another test tube. Once in the other test tube, a drop of 6.0 M acetic acid and two drops of 1.0 M K2CrO4 is added to the saved liquid. If the lead (II) cation is present, a yellow precipitate forms and ensures the presence of that cation. When testing my unknown solution, the lead (II) ion was not present in my solution. To further separate the cations, 1.0 mL of 6 M NH3 is added to the saved precipitate. After adding the ammonia, the mixture is centrifuged and the liquid is once again decanted into another test tube. If a gray or black precipitate forms, this proves the presence of Hg22+. The mercury (I) ion was present in my unknown. Finally, separating the silver ions from the sample solution mixture is accomplished in the prior step when the mercury ion is centrifuged. In order to test for the presence of silver ions, 1 mL of 6M HNO3 is added to the solution from the prior step. The silver precipitates in this acidic solution. If a white precipitate appears, silver is present in the solution. The presence of a white precipitate in the solution proves that there were silver ions in my unknown. By following the scheme for the qualitative analysis, it was simple to separate and test for the presence of the target cations. It was critical to correctly label every one of the liquids to ensure the correct reactions. No other difficulties prevented success in the experiment, but performing the experiment several times would further reinforce the outcome of the experiment.

Saturday, September 14, 2019

An Experience That Helped Me Grow I=Up

An experience that helped you understand purpose of Life: When God created this universe, he created each every particle in it with a certain purpose and with a certain design in mind. And that is what our belief in our religion tells us that no one is superior or inferior in front of Allah but it’s our deeds that make us superior or inferior in front of our creator. Our deeds are determined by our performance in the tasks that Allah gives us throughout our lives.My maturity in conceiving the purpose of life didn’t come naturally but it was achieved when I witnessed the life events of one of my closest friend and the way she coped with each and every challenge of life with an open mind and with great composure on her part. My best childhood and school friend Hiba was with me since 6th grade and she was well known among all her friend circle to be very charming not because of her good looks but more because of the way she always had the positive perspective for every eve nt happening around us.She was the one in our friend group whom we all used to look up to whenever we were stuck in little mischieviious and innocent situations of school life without knowing the fact that God is going put her through such big challenges of life where she will be all alone dealing with the high tides of this world. It was pleasant morning of winters and the school day began with usual exchange of pleasantries between classmates. Hiba was smiling and mischievous as usual and our 10th grade class teacher began the day with taking our attendance.Almost two lectures have gone by when a PA to principal came to our class and told Hiba to report the principal as soon as possible. A few minutes later we came to know that Hiba’s parents had died in road accident on the motorway. There whole class room went into complete silence and we had no difficulty imagining how hard this news will be for Hiba, who was the eldest among the sisters. She was a brilliant student and had always wanted to be a doctor. That evening all friends went to the Hiba’s home to pay our condolences and to our amazement Hiba was sitting all composed and calm.The only words we heard from her mouth were the pray that May god give her strength to be a support for her sisters and even at those tough times she was thankful to God for all the blessings He had bestowed open the family. Listening to her saying that prayer I felt as if we all are very immature about our perspective of living and also knew at that moment that God will become her greatest strength and will pull her and her sisters out of this situation and will bless her more than she will ever think of.That day I learned that we should be thankful to our God for every single breath of our life and instead of asking Him for more we should thank Him for what he has already given us. And we should never idealize too much instead we should be prepared to stand against every challenge, life throws at us and we shou ldn’t find strength in our weaknesses and lust for life but our main strength lies in our belief in Allah and what we have today right here right at the moment.Today Hiba is studying medicine on scholarship in one of the top university of Pakistan. And she is also managing her whole house with the money her father left for the family. I amm sure the day is not far away when she will be a famous doctor of Pakistan. We as persons and as a nation needs to understand that God gives challenges only to those who have the strength to bear them and belief in God is the most important ingredient of life which one should never forget.

Friday, September 13, 2019

The aspects of inclusion on the children with the special needs Essay

The aspects of inclusion on the children with the special needs - Essay Example The term ‘inclusion’ has been driven into different layers; it is different from segregation, integration, and mainstreaming. In its general sense inclusion is â€Å"the philosophy and practice of providing learning opportunities for all children according to their needs† (Inclusive Practice: Study Guide, p.6). Inclusive practice takes into account all the children and the learning activities are arranged in satisfying the various needs of the children. For Lesley Lyons each child has the â€Å"fundamental right to be a part of a family, a community and a society that will enrich their lives and be enriched by the presence of theirs† regardless of their similarities and differences (Lyons, 2005, p.16). Similarly, National Association for the Education of Young Children considers inclusion as embodying â€Å"the values, policies, and practices that support the right of every infant and young child and his or her family, regardless of ability, to participate in a broad range of activities and contexts as full members of families, communities, and society (Early Childhood Inclusion, 2009, p. 2). The benefits and challenges of inclusive practice for all involved The Child: Inclusive practice places the children with different needs together and it is framed in accordance with their needs. Inclusion allows and facilitates the overall growth of a child. As the course is in accordance with the needs of the child, it is highly result oriented.

Thursday, September 12, 2019

Reflective Writing on strategic business environment sustainablitiy Assignment

Reflective Writing on strategic business environment sustainablitiy - Assignment Example have made a brief examination about the actual picture regarding the consequence of present industrial activities on environment degradation and also made value judgements about preserving ecology. Before embarking upon this assignment, I had limited understanding about the term ‘sustainability’. However, after attending the lecture classes, I have realised that there are several aspects about sustainability, regarding which I was completely unaware. I had narrow perspective about sustainable development. I had a thought that sustainable development provides people and organisations the capability to support the environment in such a way so that they can end their reliance on sustaining profitability. However, sustainability, in broad perspective restricts the description to social aspects and partially financial aspects. Traditionally, I did not acknowledge sustainability as a serious problem. The assignment has provided me the knowledge about how significant is the issue of environmental sustainability. Nevertheless, in order to uphold environmental sustainability in business, a change is required in operational procedures. The term ‘sustainable development’ has been described from different perspectives. In general, it can be stated that sustainable development is a procedure through which we can ensure a sustainable future. Sustainable development is vital for all because it comprises social and economic along with environmental components which can protect the environment for the sake of entire human race (Natural Resources Canada, 2010). Gladwin & et. al., (1995) described that sustainable development is the procedure of accomplishing improvement in a comprehensive, associated, reasonable, judicious and protected way. Sustainability has also been defined as acting within the balance of natural environment and utilising natural resources at such a rate in which they can recover within minimal time. From business perspective, sustainability denotes

Wednesday, September 11, 2019

Employee relations and engagement Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words - 2

Employee relations and engagement - Coursework Example Some firms have even structured their systems to allow the employees co-own the companies they work for and participate in their day-to-day management activities This has proved to be a plus in the attempts to improve employees’ performance. This report analyses the situation of Waitrose; a branch of the John Lewis Partnership. This study found out that Waitrose is a company that is dear to Employment Engagement (EE) and Employee Relations (ER). It was found out that Waitrose uses three basic practices to meet this demand: employee-partner system, creating low-level employee involvement and enabled communication systems. It is recommended that the company replaces its data survey system, select, hire and train managers who are passionate about employee engagement. Lastly, it was suggested that the company should develop assessment and evaluation frameworks for monitoring employee engagement. The human resource is among the key stakeholders that companies are keen on enhancing their welfare so they may perform highly towards the growth of the company. With increased research and studies, businesses are now enlightened on the importance of promoting and maintaining healthy and positive employees’ relations and engagement. Systems have been aligned to ensure that each and every employee within the organisation can efficiently interact, communicate and coordinate with others. The overall culture has also been modified to synchronise with the management’s pursuit to promote effective engagement and relations amongst workers. According to Bakker and Leiter (2010: 101), organisations are more likely to succeed and prosper if the coordination and engagement amongst their workers are enhanced. Working in an enabling environment motivates employees to deliver their best performance for the prosperity of the company. However, to promote these relations and engagement s amongst employees, various frameworks and procedures must be put in place to guide

Tuesday, September 10, 2019

The Impact of Ideas in Pearl Harbor and the Coming of Pacific War by Essay

The Impact of Ideas in Pearl Harbor and the Coming of Pacific War by Akira Iriye - Essay Example The interment can also be seen as obvious act of racism, perhaps the most thorough and widely accepted acts against on nationality in Unites States history and was explained as a necessity to ensure the safety of the American people but it was caused more by racial discrimination than by some other factor. Since even before the war, the Japanese community encounters social and economic racism (Shaffer, 2002). They would even ask permission before making or going to places in order for them to have assurance that they will be accepted in the society. Students were not included from the social circles in schools. The serious problem faced in that time is the Anti-Asian, where Americans viewed Asian people down. After the attack on Pearl Harbor by the Japanese the common Americans became very approachable to anti-Japanese propaganda and long-time racists began their smears with transformed force. The Japanese and Japanese-Americans were referred to as "Japs" and press distributed report s that the bombing had been aided by Japanese Americans working on sugarcane fields and on fishing boats in Hawaii. The Government officials joined on the action and calling for their immediate interment and thus, claiming that Japanese Americans had penetrated strategic positions in California. Evidences were brought to the attention of the President and other officials stating that Japanese Americans were extraordinarily loyal to the United States and no evidences could presented to the contrary (Uchida, 1982). Moreover, they were still motivated to detain the Japanese. It will appear obviously to begin the internment in Hawaii where Japanese occupied up a full third of the residents and had been blamed of the conspiracy in the assault on Pearl Harbor.However, for unidentified reasons, the government officials overlooked Hawaii and focused their attention on the West Coast, invalidating their say that they were confining the Japanese Americans out of the military needs and neither . They also confined neither Germans nor Italians, though they had much greater numbers so therefore they received a huge potential threat to the nation. In these examples given the author is effective in depicting of the influence of racial discrimination. She put stressed the wrong act of the Americans against her races. According to Robert Shaffer (2000), in 1943, a Baptist minister and former missionary to Japan forecasted about the cure of Japanese Americans during World War II that future historians will record this migration, this violation of citizenship rights, as one of the blackest mark on American history as the time that democracy came the nearest of being ruined. The United States government officials have apologized for its wartime actions that, as one presidential commission on second thoughts conclude to American society and resident aliens of Japanese descendants. Furthermore, complicated political understanding of the global implications of the racialist internmen t policy informed the bonds formed of friendship, religious fellowship and acquaintances at school (Iriye, 1999). The critics of removal and internment highlighted contradictions in allies' ideological crusade against the Axis, comparing American racist actions

Monday, September 9, 2019

Global Marketing and Measuring Competitive Advantage Essay

Global Marketing and Measuring Competitive Advantage - Essay Example Competitive advantage according to Michael Porter of Harvard Business School means that a company is performing better than rivals by engaging in different activities or performing similar activities in different ways. If a company continues to copy the competitors it is not possible to remain competitive for long. At the same time just doing something different does not ensure sustainable competitive advantage. Competitors are always at work and are drawn to new technologies and business techniques. According to Collier (n.d.) if a company is able to attract investment it has competitive advantage because this denotes a healthy stock price. Once capital starts flowing towards the company the competitive disadvantage starts disappearing. Companies often try to be unique in some resource to give them the competitive advantage. A SWOT analysis helps to determine its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. This does not still determine whether a firm is competitive or has competitive advantage. Hence to determine the competitive advantage the resource must be unique and not easy to duplicate. It should be hard to copy and should be durable. It should definitely be superior and should be trumped by the different capabilities of the rivals. To remain competitive a firm needs to identify the weakness in its processes or resources. Identifying the weakness itself allows the firm to work towards overcoming the weakness. Drawing up a SWOT analysis helps the company to assess the overall situation and then take corrective steps like protection against threats or better utilization of its unique resources (Parbotek, n.d.). To determine whether a company has competitive cost advantage, analytical tools like value chain analysis and benchmarking are used. Value chain is a linked set of activities that add value to the activities performed internally. Value chain depends upon the strategy, the internal operations,