Wednesday, January 22, 2020

Attitudes Towards Women in Fragment VII of Canterbury Tales :: Canterbury Tales Essays

Attitudes Towards Women in Fragment VII of Canterbury Tales    One of the most prominent themes in Fragment VII of the Canterbury Tales is the attitudes of the pilgrims towards women. There are two distinct sides in the dispute: that women are simply objects of lust that must never be trusted, and that women are highly respectable and loving.    The Shipman's Tale starts off this debate with his depiction of women, which was less than favorable. The woman who is depicted in this tale is the wife of a merchant. She is not treated well by her husband, but certainly is not trustworthy or honorable herself. She sells her body to the best friend of her husband for a measly 100 francs. Her faithfulness to her husband was worth only a few extravagant garments for her to wear. It is her greed for these material goods that drives her into cuckolding her unsuspecting husband. Her worldly desires are more important than her marriage, and in the end she is hardly punished at all. She does manage to keep her husband from finding out, by saying that the Monk was simply repaying his debt and she used the money to buy some clothes. So, she gets away with a crime that would have dealt her a far greater punishment. This outcome, while it certainly wasn't perfect for the wife, was much less than she deserved.    The Prioress steps in with the next tale, and takes a much different view. The Prioress herself is a very humble and well-mannered woman, as she is described in the General Prologue. She is also extremely compassionate towards all of God's creatures. Her tale is a tribute to the greatest woman of all, the Virgin Mary. While it is a tribute to the Virgin, the focus of the story is more on the little boy and his widowed mother. The mother is greatly distressed at her son's disappearance, and is eventually led by Jesus himself to the place where her son has been tossed. The idea that Jesus himself was consorting with this woman and answering her prayers makes a strong statement. Jesus certainly would not aid an evil person, so this widow must have been virtuous and humble.

Tuesday, January 14, 2020

Improving Communication Competence Essay

Interpersonal Communication is very important, whether it is in a business organization such as staff meetings, project discussion and the likes, marketing, or even the development of social skills. However, despite the importance of Interpersonal Communication, it is always taken for granted and never given much importance. It must be taken into account that all aspects of Interpersonal Communication play a very important role during communicating. If the aspects involved are employed in the right way, there wouldn’t be any problem when one wishes to share his or her ideas to those he or she is communicating with. Among all aspects, Proxemics, which is defined as the spatial separation in relation to both the social and physical environment, plays a very significant role in interpersonal communication (Darn, 2005). Depending on the distance of the speaker from his audience, if one has an unnecessary big amount of space between them which also depends on how many people there are in one’s audience, then, one might experience communication problems. If a group of people were to meet a person who keeps his distance, probably what comes first to their mind is that he is hesitating. A lot of other aspects of interpersonal communication follow Proxemics. If he is hesitant to keep a closer distance, then there is a possibility that he will not be making much eye contact, he would have mannerisms like tapping his feet or finger drumming, or maybe he would be speaking in a much lower voice which would be a great problem given the circumstance that he is keeping his distance or appearing to be somewhat aloof. Proxemics is the first sign one sees in a person who appears to be shy in speaking his mind. It is an aspect that should definitely be improved because it leads to far other more important parts of interpersonal communication. Indeed, first impression is significant. Even if one tries to give out the point he or she wishes to deliver, he or she may find it difficult to achieve because they may find him or her to be boring or uninteresting speaker. Proxemics should be an aspect a person gives great importance to. Uncertain Reduction Theory and Impression Formation Theory Uncertain Reduction Theory, or simply URT, is the way a person acts to reduce the uncertainty he or she has towards a person (Berger and Calabrese as cited in Uncertain Reduction Theory, 2002). This is mostly common with people who do not know much about each other, or who have just met. Of course, nobody wants to be awkward around other people, therefore he or she is trying to find ways to get more information from them. Normally, one starts to ask certain questions such as other people’s name, age, birth date, where they live, etc. then in the long run, when an individual and the people he interacts with already feel comfortable enough to talk about more personal things like beliefs, opinions, etc. t then gives an individual a chance to know other person better. On the other hand, Impression Formation is the way an individual puts information together about a certain person he or she is getting to know about, trying to come up or figure out what personality the other person possesses. The attitude the other person has, the information one might possibly gain out of talking to him, putting these together gives one an overview of how the person might actually be, without the need to know entirely everything about the person. Based on the researches made, URT and Information Formation go hand in hand. Initially, when one meets someone for the first time, he or she goes through the process of getting to know the other person better so the communication would be easier and without less tension. Without the need of getting the other person’s whole background information and merely basing the facts from the questions and small details drawn from a person, it would be of great help on how one should be acting towards the person. Then, after getting to know the person, one tries to put them all together, trying to come up with a main thought that would best describe the person one is dealing with. An individual tries to analyze what there is in that particular person, so that just like that in URT, he or she can act accordingly. One can adapt to his personality in some way, without having to guess or assume the wrong on the personality of the person. Without the help of these theories, it may result to communication problems between an individual and a particular type of audience. For example, you did not consider the possibility that the other person is shy and you completely have no idea whatsoever about the mode of speaking the other person has that when he or she later makes a conversation that may be hard to discern, you would probably end up getting annoyed, bored, and create a bad impression against him or her given that you didn’t see that fact coming. You might even act inappropriately towards that person. Knowing the people you encounter, especially in businesses, is of great importance, even if it only a first impression. At least you have an idea on how you get along with a particular type of person Symbolic Interaction Theory Symbolic Interactionism, as conceptualized by Herbert Blumer, is the process of interaction in the formation of meanings (Nelson, 1998). It is the way we understand what a person wishes to say depending on the meaning he gives to a certain word or symbol. It does not mean that the way he defines a certain word or thought would be the same as we perceive it to be. However, through interactions, there is a possibility than we can understand clearly what he wishes to say. Based on Nelson’s term paper, Symbolic Interactionism plays a very strong role in communication. In her paper, she used her own experience to apply the theory of symbolic interaction. Her mode of communication was E-mail. And because communication only took place over the web as compared to talking on the phone where at least one could hear the tone of the voice of the person, she found out that it was a great effect in their misunderstanding. What she meant for a certain word was defined differently for the other person. She only perceived what she believes to be the meaning for the certain symbols, ignoring the fact that it may mean different to the other person. Through symbolic interaction, we can determine what a person really tends to say. We do not assume what he has in mind but instead, we try to connect their way of defining them to the way we perceive the way we understand it. Therefore, it plays a very vital role in interpersonal communication. People should be more attentive to the way a person acts or responds. They should pay attention to the aspects of interpersonal communication. Through these aspects, you can somehow determine what message a person really means to impart, most especially in the tone of the voice because you can somehow understand what he really intends to say basing from it. All aspects should be taken into consideration, to make interpersonal communication effective. Conclusion  Learning the aspects of good interpersonal communication is very important especially in the business industry, where you constantly have to talk to a lot of different people every time By understanding these, you will see how it will make a big improvement on the way you talk in front of an audience because not only the words that come out of your mouth are enough. Even if you have a strong point you wish to share with your audience, lacking the important aspects of interpersonal communication would definitely affect the people who you wish to interact with.

Sunday, January 5, 2020

Why Did Russia Not Move Towards Democracy - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 8 Words: 2287 Downloads: 1 Date added: 2019/02/15 Category Politics Essay Level High school Topics: Democracy Essay Did you like this example? Russian intelligence interfered with the United States 2016 presidential elections. Allegedly, hackers and trolls armed themselves with fake news and fake accounts that swung public perception and votes toward President Donald Trump, who won the election in a dramatic upset. This alleged breach of democratic institutions to influence an election in an effort to fulfill the interests of the Russian regime under Vladimir Putin marks yet another point in Russia’s long struggle with Democracy. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Why Did Russia Not Move Towards Democracy" essay for you Create order Russia stands out among the European and global powers because of the country’s historical unwillingness to develop democratic institutions. Despite having proximity to major democratic powers, major ports and some of the postulates used for the formation of democratic institutions, Russia today ranks 135th in corruption globally and scores a 20 out of 100 on the freedom scale according to freedom house (Transparency International, 2017, Freedom House, 2018). What happened? Russia has not developed into a democratic society for several reasons. First, there is a long history of government subjugation of individuals that has become embedded into Russian culture. Second, the religious ideology in Russia fostered a sense of superiority over the West and created an anti-western mindset and hostility towards western ideals such as democracy. And finally, the economic system that has existed in Russia for most of their history prevented capitalist economic development and its cultur al repercussions prevented individual empowerment and a sense of individual freedom, core ideological elements of a democracy. Before discussing Russia, it is important to understand the postulates that scholars typically attribute to the development of democracy in the West. First, the development of the Protestant religion had a significant effect on democracy (Bruce, 2007, page 4). Western countries, like England, adopted Protestantism during the protestant reformation. The Protestant ideal that everyone is equal in the eye of God is a core democratic principle (Bruce, 2007, page 7). It justifies the right for everyone to vote as well as being equal under the law. The protestant idea that you can achieve salvation by working hard and that you don’t have to follow in the family footsteps is a core belief of another postulate of democracy: capitalism (Bruce, 2007, page 13, 15). Capitalism and the freedoms that come with it changed what the people expected from their government, as well as the demand for greater freedoms (Bruce, 2007, page 7). Though not a postulate, Western democracies have often had democratic revolutions, some bloodier than others (Bruce, 2007, page 13). These revolutions overthrew the established aristocracy and implemented democratic institutions. Using this as a foundation, it becomes increasingly clear why Russia failed to establish democratic institutions. Russia’s failure to develop into a democratic nation can partially be explained by the influence of Russia’s Eastern orthodox Church. The Russian Orthodox Church was established in 1589 after the Eastern Orthodox diverged from the Roman Catholic Church in 1054, an event that would later be called the Great Schism (BBC, 2008; Makrides, 2009, page 212). This early division in faith meant that Christianity developed very differently in Orthodox Russia than did the Catholic West (Makrides, 2009, page 212). While the Orthodox church kept its tight grip on the East, the Catholic Church was questioned, leading to the Protestant Reformation. On a spiritual level, the followers of the Russia Orthodox Church thought of themselves as superior and an accurate representation of the Christian faith (Makrides, 2009, page 214). The Orthodoxy, unsurprisingly, deemed Protestants and Catholics as heretics and could find no middle ground with their spiritual counterparts and rejected anti- western sentiments which would endure throughout Russian history (Makrides, 2009 pages 213-214, 218). If the Russian Orthodox people looked at themselves as superior to the West, then it comes as no surprise that they did not adopt their institutions. If the Western mindset was heretical and bad, this explains why the people didn’t support this sort of mindset. It’s clear then that the Russian Orthodox faith steered the people and the nation away from democratic institutions on the basis of religious disagreement. The same anti-western mindset prevented the development of Protestantism in Russia which has long been attributed as a catalyst for the development of democracy and capitalism. The fundamental beliefs and the mindset of protestants that everyone is equal under God and that salvation is attained through good works that are crucial for developing a democratic mindset never came into fruition in Russia. Without these fundamental principles for democracy in Russi a, there was no ideological justification and motivation for developing democratic institutions in Russia, so democratic institutions never came. It is important to point out that the power of the Russian orthodox church was greatly reduced by Peter the Great and the subsequent Tsars (Kallistos, 1997, excerpt). While it can be argued that the decline in the power of the Church proves that the Church had little influence on the lack of a democracy, these arguments are short-sighted. The anti-western sentiments and the perceived superiority that the Russian Orthodox Church installed in society continued even after peter the Great reduced organizational power. Serfdom and its repercussions also prevented Russia from becoming a democratic society. Prior to the Soviet era, Russian was stuck under the feudal system of serfdom. In 1547, Russia became a unified nation under the leadership of Ivan the Terrible (O’Neil, 2018, page 342). After uniting the country, Ivan became the first tsar, a term derived from Caesar and implemented the feudal society which would last in Russia for more than three hundred years until its demise in 1861 (Markevic? and Z?uravskaja, page 1075). This feudal system was remarkably hierarchical, placing the Tsar at the top, followed by the land owners and finally the serfs (Markevic? and Z?uravskaja, page 1075). This hierarchy established by the feudal system stayed alive for much longer in Russia than it did in the Western world. For instance, serfdom in England was obsolete in 1500 (Brodie, 2015). This is significant because while the Western nations were exploring and experimenting with democracy and capitalis m, Russia was stuck in a feudal hierarchy that was incompatible with democracy. The length of time that it took to rid Russia of serfdom also had a cultural impact. This became obvious when serfdom was eliminated in 1861 when the serfs were given land and some basic freedoms. This emancipation resulted in a seventeen percent improvement in agricultural production, improved nutrition as well as a significant increase in GDP (Markevic? and Z?uravskaja, 2015 pages 1093-1103, 1113). That said, these improvements were marked by terrible mismanagement of land reform (Markevic? and Z?uravskaja. 2015, page 1113). The increased productivity that resulted from this was countered by a dependence on their former landlords and the inefficiency of that land reform (Markevic? and Z?uravskaja, 2015, page 1077). This discouraged people from allocating resources effectively and investing in their land (Markevic? and Z?uravskaja, 2015, page 1113). These contradicts the fundamental ideas of capitalism as proposed by Adam Smith, encouraging people to invest in their land and their i ndustries to improve the economy. As a result, people were discouraged from pursuing capitalistic ventures and accepting capitalism into Russian society. Capitalism has long been thought to be a postulate for developing democratic institutions, and without capitalism coming to fruition in Russia, democracy never fully developed. The failure of the Duma and the resulting Russian Revolution in 1917 also marked major roadblocks towards establishing democratic institutions. After failing to defeat the Japanese in a conflict regarding land in China, Russia staged a minor revolution resulting in the formation of the Duma, which acted as a legislative body (O’Neil et. al, 2018 page 344). While certainly a step towards a democracy, the Duma was marred by instability until its eventual collapse during World War One (O’Neil et. al, 2018 page 345). The failure of the Duma as a democratic institution was so bad, that it discouraged Russia from trying to establish other democratic institutions. Instead, the chaos that followed the fall of the Duma and during the early stages of World War One Lead to the steady rise of the Bolsheviks (D’Agostino, 2011, pages 37-48). Taking advantage of the weakness of the central state and anti-war sentiments, Vladimir Lenin allied with Leon Trotsky staged a coup over the provisional government and seized power over the country (D’Agostino, 2011, page 47-48). Instead of democratic values, Lenin established an anti-democratic authoritarian rule in the form of communism in the new Soviet Union (O’Neil, 2018, page 345-346). The Soviet communist values were antithetical to those of democracy. In fact, communism in Russia reverted to many of the same policies and systems that existed in Russia for most of its history like the restriction of movement and anti-western sentiments. Russia opted against a democratic society in favor of the staple hierarchical, controlling regime. This is significant because the revolution has eliminated the progress that Russia had made since the elimination of serfdom towards becoming a democratic society. Additionally, the revolution was motivated by anti-capitalist sentiments, with Lenin denouncing capitalism in many of his writings (D’Agostino, 2011, page 46). This meant that not only did the revo lution reject democratic institutions, but also rejected capitalistic ideals. This combination can explain why Russia did not become a democracy during the communist period of its history. The fall of the Soviet Union in 1991 and the emergence of Vladimir Putin further illustrate why Russia has not developed into a democracy. The Soviet Union was a deeply flawed system that resembled a more extreme version of the hierarchical society that existed prior to the Russian Revolution. An institution that, starting under Joseph Stalin, was built on fear and intense government subjugation of people left much of the population living in distress and impoverished (O’Neil 346-347). The stubbornness of soviet leaders after Stalin to desperate need for reform caused slow economic growth and corruption in the government (O’Neil, 2018, pages 347-348). When Gorbachev came to power in 1985, he put in policies that encouraged political openness and economic restructuring. These seemingly liberal ideas increased individual freedoms and were steps toward a democracy. These changes backfired, challenging state power and the Soviet Union collapsed (O’Neil, 2018, page 34 9). From the ashes of the Soviet Union rose two factions: the conservative communists and liberals lead by Yeltsin who pushed towards a democracy (O’Neil, 2018, page 349). After a failed coup attempt, Gorbachev lost his power and Yeltsin became the leader of the new Russian republic (O’Neil, 2018 page 349). Under Yeltsin, Russia endured a period of a few years with a feebly functioning democratic institution, with Yeltsin and parliament getting along and passing his reforms (O’Neil, 2018 page 349). Soon after, the parliament and Yeltsin grew apart causing the parliament to call for the impeachment Yeltsin (O’Neil, 2018 page 350). In response, Yeltsin scrapped the constitution, wrote a new one, and dissolved the parliament despite intense opposition (O’Neil, 2018 page 350). In 1999, Yeltsin appointed Vladimir Putin as the new president who swiftly eliminated any chance at becoming a democracy (O’Neil, 2018 page 349). The society that emerged after the fall of the Soviet Union simply could not be considered democratic. The president has essentially total control with the legislative body and judicial system having almost no power (O’Neil, 2018 page2 351-356). The institutions that Yeltsin developed after the fall of communism have proven to be like the hierarchical society that has existed in Russia for all its history. With the power of the President, and the continued political suppression, there is little appetite for becoming a true democracy. Despite this, capitalism has taken a slight hold in Russia. However, the power of capitalism alone is not strong enough to oust the current regime and replace it with true democratic institutions. Russia is not a democracy. Without any checks and balances and an overpowering executive, Russia resembles an authoritarian regime. In studying Russia, it is hardly surprising. The Eastern Orthodox Christianity that has dominated Russia for most of the country’s history not only distanced themselves from the Western world but rejected Western ideas as heretical. These developments have forever distanced Russia from the trends that happened in the West, including the development of capitalism and democratic ideals. Russian institutions and society maintained its distinct hierarchy and subjugation of the masses in every form. Serfdom maintained its influence far longer than in other European nations, who were experimenting with democracy during some of this time. This hierarchy was further cemented when the Duma failed, and the Russian Revolution resulted in the communist Soviet Union. The resulting society had little appetite for establishing democratic institutions and the peo ple had little power to do so. What’s in the future for Russia? If their history is of any indication, the authoritarian regime under Putin and whoever his successors will be will most likely remain in place for a long time. There seems to be no indication that Russia is trending towards democratic institutions, despite its movement towards capitalism. This means that the Russian quest for democracy will have to wait. Bibliography Brodie, Nicholas D. â€Å"The Decline of Serfdom in Late Medieval England: From Bondage to Freedom by Mark Bailey.† Parergon, vol. 32, no. 2, 2015, pp. 259–261., doi:10.1353/pgn.2015.0122. Bruce, Steve. Did Protestantism Create Democracy? Twenty Years of Studying Democratization (2007): 132-49. Print. DAgostino, Anthony. The Russian Revolution, 1917-1945. Praeger, 2011. e.V., Transparency International. â€Å"Corruption Perceptions Index 2017.† Www.transparency.org, Transparency International, 2017, www.transparency.org/news/feature/corruption_perceptions_index_2017. â€Å"Freedom in the World 2018.† Freedom House, 8 May 2018, freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-world/freedom-world-2018. Kallistos, Bishop. The Orthodox Church. Penguin Books, 1997. Makrides, Vasilios N. â€Å"Orthodox Anti-Westernism Today: A Hindrance to European Integration?† International Journal for the Study of the Christian Church, vol. 9, no. 3, 9 Sept. 2009, pp. 209– 224., doi:10.1080/14742250903186935. Markevic? A. M., and Z?uravskaja E?katerina V. Economic Effects of the Abolition of Serfdom: Evidence from the Russian Empire. Centre for Economic Policy Research, 2015. ONeil, Patrick H., et al. Cases in Comparative Politics. Sixth ed., W.W. Norton Et Company, 2018. â€Å"Religions Christianity: Eastern Orthodox Church.† BBC, BBC, 11 June 2008, www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/christianity/subdivisions/easternorthodox_1.shtml.

Saturday, December 28, 2019

Salivary Amylase and Other Enzymes in Saliva

When food enters the mouth, it triggers the release of saliva. Saliva contains enzymes that perform important biological functions. Just like other enzymes in the body, the salivary enzymes help to catalyze, or speed up, the rate of chemical reactions in the body. This function is required to promote digestion and the acquisition of energy from food. Major Enzymes in Saliva Salivary amylase (also known as ptyalin) breaks down starches into smaller, simpler sugars. Salivary kallikrein helps produce a vasodilator to dilate blood vessels. Lingual lipase helps to break down triglycerides into fatty acids and glycerides. Salivary Amylase Salivary amylase is the primary enzyme in saliva. Salivary amylase breaks down carbohydrates into smaller molecules, like sugars. Breaking down the large macromolecules into simpler components helps the body to digest starchy foods, like potatoes, rice, or pasta. During this process, larger carbohydrates, called amylopectin and amylose, are broken down into maltose. Maltose is a sugar that is composed of individual subunits of glucose, the human bodys key source of energy.   Salivary amylase also has a function in our dental health. It helps to prevent starches from accumulating on our teeth. In addition to salivary amylase, humans also produce pancreatic amylase, which further breaks down starches later in the digestive process. Salivary Kallikrein As a group, kallikreins are enzymes that take high molecular weight (HMW) compounds, like kininogen, and cleave them to smaller units. Salivary kallikrein breaks down kininogen into bradykinin, a vasodilator. Bradykinin helps to control blood pressure in the body. It causes blood vessels to dilate or expand and causes blood pressure to be lowered. Typically, only trace amounts of salivary kallikrein are found in saliva. Lingual Lipase Lingual lipase is an enzyme that breaks down triglycerides into glycerides and fatty acid components, thus catalyzing the digestion of lipids. The process begins in the mouth where it breaks down the triglycerides into diglycerides. Unlike salivary amylase, which functions best in non-acidic environments, lingual lipase can operate at lower pH values, so its action continues into the stomach. Lingual lipase helps infants digest the fats in their mothers milk. As we get older, the relative proportion of lingual lipase in saliva decreases as other parts of our digestive system help with fat digestion. Other Minor Salivary Enzymes Saliva contains other minor enzymes, like salivary acid phosphatase, which frees up attached phosphoryl groups from other molecules. Like amylase, it helps with the digestion process. Saliva also contains lysozymes. Lysozymes are enzymes that help to kill bacteria, viruses and other foreign agents in the body. These enzymes thus perform antimicrobial functions. Sources Becker, Andrea. â€Å"Names of the Enzymes in the Mouth Esophagus.† Sciencing.com, Sciencing, 10 Jan. 2019, sciencing.com/names-enzymes-mouth-esophagus-17242.html.Marie, Joanne. â€Å"What Are the Functions of Amylase, Protease and Lipase Digestive Enzymes.† Healthy Eating | SF Gate, 12 Dec. 2018, healthyeating.sfgate.com/functions-amylase-protease-lipase-digestive-enzymes-3325.html.

Friday, December 20, 2019

Mission. According To Pets Alive (2016), The Mission Of

Mission According to Pets Alive (2016), the mission of Pets Alive is to reduce the number of cats and dogs that undergo euthanasia. Pets Alive plans to do this by offering spay and neuter services that are very affordable. While this is their main mission, Pets Alive (2016), indicates that the organization also strives to improve the overall health and well-being of cats and dogs. To accomplish this, they have partnered with the animal welfare community. This partnership will allow them to provide both life-saving programs and solutions to the problem of overpopulation (Pets Alive, 2016). History According to â€Å"Pets Alive†, in April of 2002, Katrina Sturgeon read a newspaper article that stated that around 70% of the animals brought to the†¦show more content†¦About a year later, the Pets Alive organization decided that they wanted to reduce the number of unwanted pets that entered animal shelters, which led to the opening of the first spay/neuter clinic in Bloomington (â€Å"Pets Alive†, n.d.). In 2010, the organization decided to expand its services to also offer low-cost vaccinations, preventatives, nail trims, and other basic health services in its Wellness Clinic (â€Å"Pets Alive†, n.d.). Pets Alive currently works with 22 transport partners and animal shelters, allowing them to serve nearly a quarter of Indiana (â€Å"Pets Alive†, n.d.). Executive Director The executive director of Pets Alive is Melissa Lewis. Melissa attended the University of Southern Indiana where she earned a degree in Business Administration and Accounting (Pets Alive, 2016). According to â€Å"Pets Alive†, her career began at the White River Humane Society, where she was able to establish multiple spay and neuter programs. Melissa left the White River Humane Society and accepted a job at Pets Alive, where she was able to fulfill her dream of helping a larger population of pets (â€Å"Pets Alive†, n.d.). How to Donate The Pets Alive organization makes it very easy to donate. On their website, once you click the menu button, a big orange â€Å"Donate† button appears that takes you to their donation page. The Problem Prior to Pets Alive being established, â€Å"more than 110,000 homeless pets were being killedShow MoreRelatedThe Destiny Of The Unevangelized Debate1557 Words   |  7 PagesThe Destiny of the Unevangelized Debate William Brodie Religion 335 July 8, 2016 The Destiny of the Unevangelized Debate has been a concern for Christians throughout the years. There have been questions to arise as to what actually happens to those who have never heard the Gospel. According to Body and Eddy, â€Å"the issue of the destiny of the unevangelized forces Christians to wrestle with the seeming tension between the universality of God’s love and the particularity of theRead MoreProject Managment Case Studies214937 Words   |  860 Pagesmarketing and engineering became so fierce that early attempts to implement project management failed. Nobody wanted to be the project manager. Functional team members refused to attend team meetings and spent most of their time working on their own pet projects rather than the required work. Their line managers also showed little interest in supporting project management. Project management became so disliked that the procurement manager refused to assign any of his employees to project teams. InsteadRead MoreExploring Corporate Strategy - Case164366 Words   |  658 Pagesdot.com. Formula One – developing the capabilities for competitive success in a hi-tech industry. Manchester United – clash of expectations in the football world. Salvation Army – strategic challenges for a global not-for-profit organisation with a mission. Bayer MS – corporate social responsibility in the international development of a German company. Eurotunnel – clash of cultures threatens to derail Anglo–French rail link. Ryanair – competitive challenge and strategic choice in the budget airlineRead MoreManaging Information Technology (7th Edition)239873 Words   |  960 PagesStandardization and Agility Obtaining IT Capital Investment Approvals 520 The Information Resources Planning Process 520 Assessing The Current Information Resources 521 Measuring IS Use and Attitudes 521 Reviewing the IS Organizational Mission 522 Assessing Performance versus Goals 523 Creating an Information Vision 524 Designing the IT Architecture 524 Formulating the Strategic IS Plan 526 The Strategic IS Planning Process 526 Tools for Identifying IT Strategic Opportunities

Thursday, December 12, 2019

Corporate Governance and Turnover Decisions †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Corporate Governance and Turnover Decisions. Answer: Research methodology is a detailed systematic process used for data collection through the various sources, primary as well as secondary sources. It helps in analysis of the data collected data in a systematic way. For this research, the philosophy selected is positivism philosophy. Positivism philosophy is selected because positivism theory will help in understanding the details of the topic, Corporate Governance Positivism philosophy considers only facts which are based on the various observations of the different issues that are reliable. When this philosophy was used in this research, the researcher was only limited to collection of data and their interpretation. (Taylor, Bogdan DeVault, 2015). Data Collection and data analysis In the case of this research that includes in finding the reasons of the collapse of BBY Ltd. Company secondary data collection methods has been used. This is the more suitable than the primary data collection method as this provided an opportunity for the researcher to investigate and research the annual reports of the company, market shares and journals. After the data has been collected from secondary sources, the data analysis has been conducted. Based on the type of data collection method, thematic analysis has been used for analyzing the collected data. Conducting a thematic analysis provided an opportunity of focusing on recoding patterns, pinpointing and examining the data of the company BBY Ltd. (Taylor, Bogdan DeVault, 2015). Corporate Governance plays a very important role in corporations, corporate governance, it is the rules, regulations, practices and processes that are followed by any organization. It refers to the process by which the corporations maintains the interests of its stockholders, the customers, employees, shareholders, investors , suppliers, government bodies and the society where the organizations exist (Jizi et al., 2014). Good corporate Governance helps the organizations in attaining success and economic growth; it creates goodwill in the industry and hence helps in gaining trust of both investors as well as the customers. Good corporate Governance puts impact on the share price of companies which allows public participation through selling shares (Puspaliliah, Nimran, Kertahadi, 2014). Not following good corporate Governance proves detrimental to the organization in the end, it might be profitable in the short run but such success does not last. The same thing happened to BBY Limite d, lack of good Governance led the company to collapse. They failed very badly in following good corporate governance, the company was insolvent in 2011, but it was not revealed, in order to prove that, they did some transactions from the clients money. They even broke some of the rules of ASX, which is a very serious offence. The company as a result has to face legal obligations, which tarnished the reputation of the company, they had to liquidate the assets and in the end the company collapsed (Dimopoulos Wagner, 2016).. Corporate social responsibility Corporate social responsibility is another important aspect, its importance should be known by every organization if it wants to stay in the industry and market for long term, but corporate social responsibility is something beyond organizational goals and objectives and benefits that can be quantified (Dimopoulos Wagner, 2016). No organization exists in a vaccum, society plays a very important role in an organizations existence, every business gets their resources, land, raw materials, labor and sometimes capita from the society, therefore every organization is ethically and morally bound to think about the well being of the society (Abhayawansa, 2014). Corporate social responsibility is considered very important by the the organizations because it creates a goodwill in the market, for surviving in the long run the organizations needs to realize the benefits of corporate social responsibility. The corporations have a responsibility over towards the society, which needs to be taken care properly. Bad corporate governance and not realizing the social responsibility when goes beyond a certain limit puts the company in legal battles, which is very bad for can organization. There is lot of competition in the market and organizations needs to be distinct, this distinction can also be achieved by being socially and ethically responsible. It also affects the share prices of the organization, the company at times are compelled to pay a large amount against the negative publicity. Corporate governance practices at BBY According to Raelin Bondy (2013), not all organizations follow good corporate Governance, BBY Ltd. is a perfect example of one such organization that followed very poor corporate Governance that led to the failure of the organization. BBY Ltd was the main operational unit of BBY group, which is a financial institution based in Sydney. It has offices at Adelaide, Auckland, Brisbane, Gold Coast, London, Melbourne, New York, Perth, and Wellington. It offers financial services, and was founded in the year 1987. BBY group had 10 entities and it included two financial services licensees: BBY Advisory Services Pty Ltd and SmarTrader Limited. The board of BBY comprises of: Glen Rosewall Executive Chairman Ken Rosewall Non- Executive Director David Perkins Non- Executive Director (Coffee, 2015) Michael Goldman- Non- Executive Director Brett A. Spork- Executive Director at APP securities Pty Limited Alan Beasley- Non-Executive Directors, Board of Directors at BBY Limited. Arjun Maharaj Maharaj- Chief Executive Officer and Company Secretary Stephen Vaughan and Ian Hall of KPMG Stephen Vaughan and Ian Hall of KPMG were appointed the joint and many other administrators of the BBY companies on 17th May 2015. Steven Parbey and Brett Lord of PPB Advisory on 18th May 2015 were appointed receivers and managers of BBY and BBY advisory services Pty Ltd (Coffee, 2015). Corporate Governance issues Before its collapse BBY was largest autonomous stockbrokers in Australian Market. The collapse occurred because BBY ltd engaged in unethical practices. BBY had the responsibility that its representatives performed their duties in efficient, honest and affair way. It is very important for BBY to main a efficient corporate culture, but the organization failed badly in meeting the objectives of Corporate Governance (Tricker, Tricker, 2015). The BBY limited was insolvent since 2011, the company kept on trading while it was insolvent until it collapse after the legal obligations and faulty Corporate Governance practices. A report by the liquidators of BBY, at KPMG suggests that, the company carried out a series of transactions by using the money of client to maintain the shortfall in the transactions for saxo clients in 2011, after the company bought the Stonebridge. The liquidators where speculating that the transaction was done only to prove that the company was not insolvent. The numb er of unusual transactions also raised questions on the corporate governance practices of the company and the business management of BBY Limited. It was found by KPMG that there was $17 million shortfall in the accounts of the client. The corporate governance issues of BBY came into light after Australia Securities Exchange, ASXs attention. It was found by ASX that on behalf of one of its client, BBY had done an acquisition trade, which was of $192 million (Tricker, Tricker, 2015). The company faced many margin calls from ASX because of the transaction. BBY requested deferral of the margin calls so that it can avoid defaulting. After investigation of the issue, ASX found that BBY had received a security deposit of $29 million fom one of its clients, the company was supposed to deposit that amount to the trust account but it failed to do so. Hence, there was a breach of operating rules of ASX by BBY. ASX has the authority to take actions against any breach in the operational rules o f ASX. BBY did not adhere to a number of operating rules of ASX Clear, it did attend the margin calls and failed to deposit in the trust account. In the review, it was found that there was weakness in the risk management and compliance framework (Dimopoulo Wagner, 2016). Consequences of Corporate Governance Issues According to Beekes, Brown Zhang, 2015 on 18th May 2015 the company entered into voluntary administration. The Australian Financial services licence of BBY limited was suspended by Australian securities and Investment Commission as per 915B(3) Corporations Act. After discussion with the administrators, BBY participation was restricted in the ASX facility settlement by ASX settlement (Lim,How, Verhoeven, 2014). A second creditors meeting was held on 22nd june 2015, the majority of the creditors voted in the favor of winding up of BBY group which also included BBY Ltd. The clients of the BBY Ltd were very disappointed and agitated, the company lost its reputation in the market. A fine was imposed on BBY for not following the rules of ASX Compliance Pty Ltd. Within a timeperiod of less than a year, BBY was liquidated. The unethical practices of BBY and failure to adhere the operational rules of ASX led to the collapse of the company (Puspaliliah, Nimran Kertahadi, 2014). Every organi zation that fails to maintain a good corporate governance faces the same fate as the BBY, which lost all trust and goodwill from market, had to pay penalty and the company liquidated and collapsed within a time span of less than a year (Puspaliliah, Nimran Kertahadi, 2014). References Abhayawansa, S., Guthrie, J. (2014). Importance of intellectual capital information: a study of Australian analyst reports.Australian Accounting Review,24(1), 66-83. Beekes, W., Brown, P., Zhang, Q. (2015). Corporate governance and the informativeness of disclosures in Australia: a re?examination.Accounting Finance,55(4), 931-963. Coffee Jr, J. C., Sale, H., Henderson, M. T. (2015). Securities regulation: Cases and materials. Dimopoulos, T., Wagner, H. F. (2016). Corporate Governance and CEO Turnover Decisions. Jizi, M. I., Salama, A., Dixon, R., Stratling, R. (2014). Corporate governance and corporate social responsibility disclosure: Evidence from the US banking sector.Journal of Business Ethics,125(4), 601-615. Lim, M., How, J., Verhoeven, P. (2014). Corporate ownership, corporate governance reform and timeliness of earnings: Malaysian evidence.Journal of Contemporary Accounting Economics,10(1), 32-45. Puspaliliah, H. C., Nimran, U., Kertahadi, K. (2014). THE INFLUENCE OF GOOD CORPORATE GOVERNANCE AND FIRM SIZE ON CAPITAL STRUCTURE AND FIRM FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE (AN EMPIRICAL RESEARCH AT BANKS LISTED ON INDONESIA STOCK EXCHANGE IN THE PERIODS OF 2011-2013).PROFIT (JURNAL ADMINISTRASI BISNIS),8(2). Raelin, J. D., Bondy, K. (2013). Putting the Good Back in Good Corporate Governance: The Presence and Problems of Double?Layered Agency Theory.Corporate Governance: An International Review,21(5), 420-435. Silverman, D. (Ed.). (2016).Qualitative research. Sage. Taylor, S. J., Bogdan, R., DeVault, M. (2015).Introduction to qualitative research methods: A guidebook and resource. John Wiley Sons. Tricker, R. B., Tricker, R. I. (2015).Corporate governance: Principles, policies, and practices. Oxford University Press, USA.

Wednesday, December 4, 2019

Impacts of E-business for Hospitality Industries - myassignmenthelp

Question: Write about theImpacts of E-business for Hospitality Industries. Answer: Introduction In the current business scenario, internet and online technologies are contributing in rapidly evolving the existing scenario of doing business. The exiting process of providing service to the customers, providing customer convenience and value creation of the products are being changing rapidly with the help of online technologies[1]. One of the key or prime developments being happened due to the initiation of internet is the E-business. With the help of this concept, business organizations are going beyond own limits to provide effective customers service and to stay ahead in the competition. Hospitality industries such as Oman air will have several advantages from the involvement of E-business[2]. It will enable them to effectively deal with the customers and enhancing their convenience. Thus, they will gain more competitive advantages in the market. This report will discuss about the impact of initiation of E-business on Oman air. Suitable article will be reviewed in order to determine the effectiveness and viability of using the concept of E-business for Oman air. Overview of the article There are various articles being discussed by the different authors about the impact of E-business on the organizational performance and effectiveness. According to Voola, Casimir, Carlson and Agnihotri (2012)[3], E-business is the new age trend in the contemporary business scenario. According to them, there are various aspects that should be maintained in order to initiate the concept of E-business in the organization. However, in this article, there are various potential benefits being discussed for the business organizations. Thus, discussion of these benefits of E-business will help Oman air to determine the most effective steps for enhancing their organizational performance with the help of internet. According to the authors, initiation of the e-business with the help of innovations such as webpage, online payment systems, and online shopping will help the business organizations to cater to more number of customers effectively. Moreover, these steps will help them in gaining com petitive advantages in the market by providing updated services to the customers. Evaluation of the article The above discussed article have only discussed about the implication of technological innovation and E-business concept on the organizational performance. According to this article, organizational performance will get enhanced with the initiation of the concept of E-business. However, in the initiation of the e-business, there are other various factors that should also be considered by the organizations, to increase the effectiveness of their e-business. Opinions being given by George Wynn, Turner and Lau (2013)[4], states that, implementation of the concept of E-business in the organization will involve the change process and involvement of information technology. This is due to the reason that, according to the authors, implementation of the process of E-business involves change in the existing business procedures and thus change is required to adhere to the criterions of E-business. On the other hand, another theory being given by Lai, Jung-Yu, Chih-Wei Kan and Khire Rushikesh Ul has (2013)[5], employee involvement and participation in the organizational process is also required in effective implementation of the concept of E-business. Moreover, initiation of the e-business is not only beneficial for the customers and organizations but also for the employees[6]. This is due to the reason that, employees will be more equipped and will be supported by the updated technologies in dealing with the customers. Thus, it can be concluded that, there are various factors that should considered by the business organizations in implementing the process of E-business. Moreover, it is also being stated by the authors that, implementation of E-business is having various positive implications for the business organizations[7]. The following sections will discuss about the implications of E-business on the organizational performance and effectiveness on Oman air. Evaluation of E-business policies on Oman air Various E-business policies such as marinating websites, online ticket booking facilities, online payment systems, offering e-cash to the customers and providing online customization options for the added services will help Oman air to provide more and effective customer convenience[8]. This will have various and diversified positive outcomes for the organization. In this case, the example of Emirates airlines can be taken. The design of the official website of Emirates airline is being done in such way that it will provide holistic service to the customers. Customers visiting their web page will have the access to the history of the company along with having the facility of online ticket booking. Moreover other online facilities being offered by them are the online check in facilities, online management of the passenger seat, customer loyalty programs and added facilities such as tourism package and hotel bookings across the world[9]. Thus, with having these diversified facilities, Emirates is covering the diversified needs of the customers. In the case of Oman air, enhancing the utility of their official websites will help them to enhance their competitive advantages in the market. This is due to the reason that, in the current business scenario, especially in the airline sector, customers are more looking for the convenience and peace of mind in selecting their preferred airliner[10]. Thus, organizations such as Emirates are going ahead in the competition. In order to stay competitive in the market, Oman air also has to initiate the facilities of online payment and other facilities[11]. This will help them to enhance the effectiveness of their organizational process by catering to more number of customers. Implementation of Porters five forces theory Porters five forces theory will help to determine the various impacts of involving of E-business in the organizational activity of Oman air. According to this theory, the first step is the threat of entry. For Oman air, the threat of entry is always high due to the probability of new entrants[12]. Moreover, the new entrants in the market will offer more updated service to the customers. Thus, it is of utmost importance for the Oman air to initiate E-business to offer service to the customers according to the change in the requirement in the market. Thus, the more will be the diversified online services being provided by them, the more they will be equipped to take on the new entrants. The next aspect is the bargaining power of the suppliers. For Oman air, suppliers include the partners of them such as booking agents and travel agents[13]. However, in case of not having any online or E-business activity, they will be more depended on the existing partners and it will increase the bargaining power of the suppliers. On the other hand, initiation of E-business will help to reduce the dependency on the suppliers. The next element of this theory is threat to the substitutes. In the current scenario, various airliners are operating and competition is high. The core service being offered by them is same of providing air service. Thus, in order to stay ahead in the competition, Oman air has to promote distinctive service for their customers. Initiation of the E-business will enable them to promote unique services to the customers from their portal, which will help them to stay ahead in the competition. The next step is the bargaining power of the buyers[14]. In the case of airline industry, the bargaining power of the buyer is more due to the presence of different airliner in the market. In this case also, initiation of the E-business will help Oman air to provide one of a kind services to the customers, which will reduce the number of options available to the customers. The last step is the industry rivalry. Switching cost for the customers is very less and thus, customers have low level of loyalty. Hence, with the initiation of the E-business, the diversity of the product and service portfolio of Oman air will get increased[15]. More added service can be offered to the customers. Thus, among the competition, Oman air will have competitive advantages[16]. Recommendations The initiation of the E-business should be implemented in the global scenario. This will enable the customers to have the online flight booking facility for all the major cities around the world. The interface of the portal or web page should be changed periodically in accordance to the market trend. This will enhance the visibility and attractiveness of the web page to the potential customers. Privacy and security is one of the key contemporary issues being faced by the online portals. Thus, Oman air should ensure the security of their portal. This is important due to the reason that, customer information will be stored and thus leakage or breach of customer information will have negative implication for them. Customer loyalty bonus and rebate should be initiated in order to motivate the customers to use their online facilities. It will help them to increase the online traffic. In this case, extra discount can be provided for the customers booking tickets from online portal. Any organizational excellence and achievements should be effectively communicated and promoted through their portals. It will help Oman air to enhance their brand value and service as well as attracting more customers. The online portals should be made available in different major languages to effectively communicate and reach out to different customers from different social groups. Conclusion Thus, it can be concluded that, initiation of the E-business will help Oman air in enhancing their organizational effectiveness. Their brand value will also get enhanced and communicated to more number of customers around the world. Critical analysis has also been done to determine the benefits of having E-business for Oman air. It is been determined that initiation of the E-business will help Oman air to gain more competitive advantages in the market and will help to create distinctive image in the market. Various recommendations are also been provided and discussed in this report. It is being expected that, effective implementation of these recommendations will help to enhance the organizational performance of Oman air.