Nonbelief as Support for Atheism Essay - 3154 Words

Nonbelief as Support for Atheism The Canadian philosopher J.L. Schellenberg has recently put forward an argument for atheism based on the idea that God is supposed to be perfectly loving and so would not permit people to be deprived of awareness of his existence. If such a deity were to exist, then, he would do something to reveal his existence clearly to people, thereby causing them to become theists. Thus, the fact that there are so many non-theists in the world becomes good reason to deny the existence of God conceived of in the given way. I first raise objections to Schellenberg’s formulation of the argument and then suggest some improvements. My main improvement is to include among the divine attributes the property of strongly†¦show more content†¦(1) In this paper I shall first raise some objections to the argument and then try to show how it might be improved. Objections (A) Irrelevance of the term reasonable Schellenberg regards reasonable nonbelief to be that which is inculpable (i.e., for which the nonbeliever is not to blame). The distinction between culpable and inculpable nonbelief is somewhat unclear, but even if it could be sufficiently understood I am inclined to say that all nonbelief in God is inculpable. For that reason, I would accept premise (3) of the argument. Schellenberg devotes a chapter of his book to a defense of it. Although I agree with what he says there, it seems to me that even if peoples nonbelief in God were always somehow their own fault, that would be irrelevant. A perfectly loving deity would set vindictiveness aside and still want to help nonbelievers (by supplying them with evidence of his existence), despite their culpability. All it would take, for most, would be some spectacular miracle, or perhaps, as Schellenberg prefers, a religious experience. So, even if some clear sense could be attached to the distinction between culpable and inculpable nonbelief , the real force of Schellenbergs argument would lie in the fact of nonbelief itself. The issue of whether or not the nonbelief is culpable would be irrelevant. It would therefore improve the argument if the word reasonable were simply omitted from it. (B) Premise (1) Premise (1) should beShow MoreRelatedPersuasive Speech On Freedom Of Speech1345 Words   |  6 Pagessay. The biggest risk of silencing a person just because you like agree on what theyre saying could have had a very powerful impact and change a persons view on certain things. Most of society silences opposition categorizing them as profanity, nonbelief, a threat to society, or even resistance to authority which can lead the youth to think a certain way and then making free speech to diminish if not used freely. The recent tragedy at the paris cartoon publication Charlie Hebdo pushed the issueRead MoreResolving The Dilemma Of The Absurd2309 Words   |  10 Pages Even more notable than this relatively minor and implicit comparison, which demonstrates Marie’s desire to find meaning and Meursault’s indifference on the matter, is the contrast Camus constructs between other characters’ piety and Meursault’s atheism. For example, the chaplain who visits Meursault in his cell typifies an individual who attempts to resolve the dilemma of the absurd by pursuing belief in an objective meaning determined by some transcendent being. From the chaplain’s perspective

The Manhattan Project Lifesaver Or Life Destroyer Essay

The Manhattan Project Lifesaver or Life Destroyer Going throughout history and the mistakes we have made throughout, you would think back and say if we did the right thing or if we have made a huge mistake. In this case it is the Manhattan Project. This project was first time the atomic bomb was introduced. It was led by General Leslie Groves and the research was directed by American scientist J. Robert Oppenheimer. Most of the people who worked on this project were not told what they were working on, but only told what to do. In this case, was it right to lie to the people working on this project, was it necessary not to tell the U.S. community, and was it necessary to bomb Nagasaki and Hiroshima. The Manhattan Project was necessary for certain things, but not all. As human beings, we tend to lie to people. Whether it be to your parents, friends, or school teachers. It is just a thing we do to keep ourselves from getting in trouble. When working on the Manhattan Project, certain peo ple were not told what the project is. Others were told but were not allowed to tell anyone else. This was because they did not want the US community to know. They didn’t know what type of response they would get. If you put yourself in one of the workers shoes and then realized what you have been working on, you would feel so bad because you created a weapon of Lazaro 2 destruction. Not only that but you also took part in a project that killed millions. This is how most people felt

Questions about map Free Essays

List four questions about map objectives that would influence the design of a map. What am I making this map for and what am I trying to accomplish? Who will be viewing? Why will it be used? Is there privacy issues surrounding the project? 2. What factors should be considered In evaluating the balance of a map? Placement of features, the size of features, alignment of features, usage of space 3. We will write a custom essay sample on Questions about map or any similar topic only for you Order Now What types of colors generally work best for maps? How can the psychology of colors be used to enhance a map’s meaning? Pastels and earth are good for big map areas. Bold colors are good for emphasis. Some things have associations with colors. For example green for plant life or blue for water 4. List three common pitfalls that amateurs make when creating legends. Cryptic filenames, poor formatting of numeric numbers and not adjusting neatness for balance 5. What is a geographic coordinate system, and why is it a poor choice for creating maps? This is a bad method for making maps because of the distortion the system makes when projecting the map. A geographic coordinate system does this cause it is a system based on a sphere. 6. What four properties are distorted by map projections? Which tend to be preserved by conic projections? What distortions are present in TM and State Plane projections? Area Shape Direction and Distance can all be distorted. TM and state plane are better for small area mapping as they tend to preserve area and distance. 7. Examine the map projections on the inside front cover of this text. List which projection(s) might be suitable for a (a) map of a county, (b) map of the united States, c) United States map used to calculate travel distances, and (d) United States map used to calculate areas. A)= TM or state plane b)= Equidistant Conic or Lambert conformal conic c)= Equidistant Conic d)= Albert Equal Area Conic 8. When does a north arrow not point up? When should a north arrow not be used? If a projection messes up the direction a north arrow cannot be used as It does not conform with the data. A gratuities grid can be used to show north 9. If you have an Archive license and wish to create and use annotation In different AP documents, how would you need to store It? An annotation Is stored as a feature class In a sedateness. 10. What Is the difference between the map scale, the scale range, and the reference scale? Map scale- Is the ratio of units from the map to the world Scale range- controls the range of the scale at which the features are allowed to appear Reference scale- scale that determines at which symbols or text labels appear at their assigned size CHI GIS By Will-Huber 2. What factors should be considered in evaluating the balance of a map? Placement rejection(s) might be suitable for a (a) map of a county, (b) map of the United States, a projection messes up the direction a north arrow cannot be used as it does not 9. If you have an Archive license and wish to create and use annotation in different map documents, how would you need to store it? An annotation is stored as a feature class in a sedateness. 10. What is the scale= is the ratio of units from the map to the world Scale range= controls the range of the scale at which the features are allowed to appear Reference scale= scale that determines at which symbols or text labels How to cite Questions about map, Papers

Premarital sex free essay sample

Introduction Sexuality is an instinct imprinted into the genes of each living creature. Attraction to the opposite sex has been the key factor behind reproduction and survival of each species. Most of the species are born with only seasonal sexual necessities. They mate and reproduce only at limited times a year. Human beings, on the other hand, have active sexual instincts throughout his/her life; right from the very day he/she discovers his/her sexuality in pre-adulthood. This instinct has found overpowering the cultural advancement we have gained over the past. Sexuality is only sexuality for all other animals, but human beings have restricted forms of sexuality like pre-marital sexuality and extra-marital sexuality. The main reason behind introducing this restriction is that unlike all other animals we live in a civilized society with strict norms of morality and cultural obligations. The society always long for mature relationships and mutual respect between each member of this society. Social attitudes to premarital sex have changed over time as has the prevalence of premarital sex in various societies. Social attitudes to premarital sex can include issues such as virginity, sexual morality, extramarital unplanned pregnancy, legitimacy besides other issues. Premarital sex may take place in a number of situations. For example, it may take place as casual sex, for example, with at least one participant seeking to experience sex; it may take place between a couple living together in a long-term relationship without marriage; for a betrothed couple engaging in sexual activity before their anticipated marriage; and many other situations are possible.

Religion Effect On Politics Essays - IslamicJewish Relations

Religion Effect On Politics The belief systems of the modern world have helped determine the policies and politics of nations around the world. For centuries before, and almost definitely for decades after now, there will be disputed between people and countries on account of their faith. Religions have started wars, ended them, impacted, and persuaded people. Needless to say, beliefs are very influential on the world today. People of different faiths don't only fight over their basic beliefs and land but they end conflicts. Making amends between religious groups greatly helps relieve the constant strain of division that we are all too aware of these days. The Lutheran religion began 482 years ago when monk, Martin Luther, attacked the practices of the Catholic Church. These who followed his ideas eventually into what we call Lutherans today. For those 482 years, Lutherans and Catholics have stayed divided on uneasy terms. Now the leaders of the modern Lutheran and Catholic churches both signed a document that laid to rest those many years of differences under the explanation that it was all a misunderstanding. Sometimes different faiths just don't seem like they want to even try to compromise on a conflict. The Jordanian Muslims and the Israeli Jews fighting over which side of the Jordan River Jesus was baptized on is a perfect example of this. The Muslims have invested over one million dollars t fix up the site. The site will bring in expectantly millions of tourists and with them billions of dollars that will be spent locally to boost the economy. Looking past the irony of the Jews and Muslims disputing over a Christian site, the focal point of the quarreling is that such a site will bring. The Pope and Prince Charles have already scheduled a visit, but as of now, no resolve has come about. These days it's not always conflicts between two specific regions, but between regions occupied by faiths who disagree on certain topics. The two groups being the Israelis and the Palestinians, and the compromise on the rift in the settler movement conflict arising in those countries. To the Jews the West Bank is part of the greater Land of Israel, given by God to the Jews. To cement their control over the land, the Jews built forty-two hilltop encampments on the West Bank. They did this to prevent it from becoming a Palestinian state. The Palestinian government claimed that some of the outposts didn't have the necessary building papers and twelve of those sites were dismantled. This disagreement is, for the time being, settled peacefully despite the denounced accord from the Palestinians. In the future more outposts are likely to be taken down. Whatever the rhyme or reason, religions and belief systems have tremendous effects on the way things work in this world. Hopefully nations are learning from their past mistakes what not to do if such an occasion arise again. Whether the Lutherans and Catholics are putting years of disagreement behind them, the Jews and Muslims are settling their dispute, or Jewish outposts are being taken down, we are moving forward into a new and brighter future, and gaining information as we go along. Maybe in the future, more of the religious spats will be settled as the Lutheran/Catholic dispute was...peacefully.

An Overview of Chinas One-Child Policy

An Overview of Chinas One-Child Policy Chinas one-child policy was established by Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping in 1979 to restrict communist Chinas population growth and limited couples to having only one child. Although designated a temporary measure, it remained in effect for more than 35 years. Fines, pressures to abort a pregnancy, and even forced sterilization of women accompanied second or subsequent pregnancies. The policy was not an all-encompassing rule because it was restricted to ethnic Han Chinese living in urban areas. Citizens living in rural areas and minorities living in China were not subject to the law.   Unintended Effects of the One-Child Law There have long been reports  that officials have forced women pregnant without permission to have abortions and have levied steep fines on families violating the law. In 2007 in the southwestern Guangxi Autonomous Region of China,  riots broke out as a result, and some people may have been killed, including population control officials. The Chinese have long had a preference for male heirs, so the one-child  rule  caused many problems for female infants:  abortion, out-of-country adoption, neglect, abandonment, and even infanticide were known to occur to females. Statistically, such Draconian family planning has resulted in the disparate (estimated) ratio of 115 males for every 100 females among babies born.  Normally, 105 males are naturally born for every 100 females. This  skewed ratio in China creates the problem of a generation of young men not having enough women to marry and have their own families, which has been speculated may cause future unrest in the country. These forever bachelors will not have a family to care for them in their old age either, which could put a strain on future government social services. The one-child rule has been estimated to have reduced population growth in the country of nearly 1.4 billion (estimated, 2017) by as much  as 300 million  people over its first 20 years. Whether the male-to-female ratio eases with the discontinuation of the one-child policy will come clear over  time. Chinese Now Allowed to Have Two Children Though the one-child policy may have had the goal of preventing the countrys population of spiraling out of control, after several decades, there were concerns over its cumulative demographic effect, namely the country having  a shrinking labor pool and smaller young population to take care of the number of elderly people in ensuing decades. So in 2013, the country eased the policy to allow some families to have two children. In late 2015, Chinese officials announced the scrapping the policy altogether, allowing all couples to have two children.   Future of Chinas Population Chinas  total fertility rate  (the number of births per  woman) is 1.6,  higher than slowly declining Germany at 1.45 but lower than the U.S. at 1.87 (2.1 births per woman is the replacement level of fertility, representing a stable population, exclusive of migration). The effect of the two-child rule hasnt made the population decline stabilize completely, but the law is young yet.

Money and banking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Money and banking - Essay Example Many securities that were attached to the US property prices fell drastically as well which caused problems in financial institutions globally. The initial reason why people started buying as government encouraged ownership of homes and gave people better and easier access to loans and they over valued the bundled mortgages because they perceived that the prices of property would continue to rise. Trade practices on the open market were conducted that seemed underhand and questionable and there was a lack of capital in insurance companies and banks. As a result, bank solvency on the global market fell as well and securities held by foreign banks also suffered. A credit tightening policy and a decrease in imports was noticed. Governments tried to boost the economy by injecting money in the economy and bailout packages. The US managed to get out by 2009 however places like UK due to their strict measures of increasing taxes actually slid further into this recession. The crisis could al so have occurred due to the presence of a wide base of financial products that were risky to acquire and hold. Also there were interest rate conflicts, and lack of regulators in credit rating agencies. A failure to retrace the ownership or provenance or properties and stocks etc. was also one of the reasons the recession occurred and then was so hard to get out of. Some believe that the recession was a phenomenon that arose when the Maastricht Treaty was signed. The debt of the public was agreed about less than equal to 3% of the GDP but it didn’t hold. The euro was to be doomed as soon as it got started or even before because Greece and Italy helped the euro classify as the currency for the euro zone. The decision making at that point were the worst. France has been under debt since 2008 and the situation has worsened over the years and one of their banks along with their criminal reputation is also under massive debt issues and still asked to fund neighboring countries howe ver it cannot help the bankrupt countries since it is in a fix of its own. Germany fell under a similar situation. Sovereign banks are wrongly being separated from bank debt when the government clearly controls everything a bank does and dictates to them what is to be done. The euro zone is at stake. Credit default swaps also rose in all regions and in 2011 were being traded at 180 when they were being traded at 80 in 2008. In Brazil as well they went up to 152 from 35, and this was because of the crisis that started in Europe. UK as well was cutting loans to its business by 30%. (Gupta, 2009) Banks were also pooling in their loans and giving risky loans to others. Securitization came about in the 20th century as well because loans would take ages being stuck in banks. Rating agencies were paid for giving good rating so people bought products even though they were not good. Initiated in Wall Street banks and other financial institutions were adopting measures that they were not nece ssarily good at. Banks were borrowing more and more money to give out loans and bad loans were incurred. Lehman brothers got into the mortgage market, buying mortgages so that they could sell them after securitizing them. Banks also started running out of people who would take loans

Social media network Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Social media network - Essay Example In the past, when there were no cell phones, e-mails or chatting, people had no other means of communication but to post letters to their loved ones abroad. Those letters took days and often weeks to reach the destination, and an equal amount of time would be consumed by the reply to reach the original sender. Thus, a single question asked by the original sender might take weeks to be answered. Today, people can have their question answered within a fraction of a second. This has promoted understanding among the family members. While the social media networking has generally increased the frequency of chat among the family members, it has also played a very important role in disrupting the familial relationships by developing controversies and confusions among the family members. â€Å"While the network does offer opportunities for meaningful social interactions and self-esteem boosts, it also opens a Pandora’s box of options for spying, stalking and other insecurity- and jealousy-driven actions between lovers† (O’Dell, 2011). Since the introduction of such social media websites like Facebook and Twitter, people have been able to spy on their spouses’ activities, links and interactions. A lot of husbands have found out that their wives have been cheating upon them by having extra-marital affairs and so have many wives. People that are too sensitive about relationships cannot see their spouses making friends with other people. Children happen to be the biggest, if any, victims of the social media networking. A lot of children have used the social media websites in the negative way. Numerous cases of child pornography have surfaced in the recent years in which a child has either posted his/her own nude photo or the nude photos of some of the class fellows on the internet. While this may seem an exciting idea at such an immature age, many people have to bear the consequences of such actions for the rest of their

The student to competently insert an indwelling urinary Catheter Essay

The student to competently insert an indwelling urinary Catheter - Essay Example According the Nursing and Midwife Council, it is the duty of a mentor to create a suitable environment that will allow for learning and development. The mentor should also familiarize the students with the risks associated with this process. This is so because indwelling urinary catheterisation is not a simple or risk-free procedure as many may think. It is approximated that urinary catheters cause 24 percent of all hospital infections. Patients who have catheters and get UTIs in primary care settings tend to have greater contact with their GP (Rhinehart Friedman& Rhinehart, 2006). My first approach to the mentoring process was by uniting both the nursing team and the students. This was to help me achieve a conducive learning environment which is important for all the nursing teams and students to work together as a team. As stated by Doughty (2006), positive attitude contributes a lot to the learning process of indwelling urinary catheterisation. This will allow the student to gain the courage to approach the team without fear that will support them while onward hence making them become part of the nursing team. I chose ward environment since it was the most appropriate for this kind of process. The environment was very conducive because it provided the student with a chance to participate in real life nursing environment hence making it realistic. It will enhance their understanding by illustrating and showing the students the procedures followed and also introduce them to different types of equipment needed to carry out the process successfully. This strate gy enabled the student to understand the process better than telling them theoretically since practical improves ones understanding about a particular topic as in this case the urinary catheterisation. As said by Allen (2015), it is crucial to recognize different learning style and theories. In order to achieve effective learning, the students

Advantages And Disadvantages of HRIS in Human Resource Management

Advantages And Disadvantages of HRIS in Human Resource Management Human Resources Information Systems (HRIS) have evolved since the 1980s from relatively simple computer applications to virtual vaults of sophisticated human resources information and processes. HRIS also is the name of the human resources discipline for HRIS specialists and other human resources professionals involved in the technology for employment and personnel matters. An HRIS is used for employment actions such as applicant tracking, performance management, attendance, compensation and benefits management, work force analyses, and scheduling. A very popular use of HRIS is employee self-service. Many employers are utilizing their HRIS to supplement the human resources department staff by enabling employees for find answers to common questions they would have asked a human resources representative. An employee self-service component can be used in a small business setting because it can be configured to accommodate work places with a dozen employees to companies with 10,000 employees. Introduction Human Resources Information System, is a system that lets you keep track of all your employees and information about them. It is usually done in a database or, more often, in a series of inter-related databases. These systems include the employee name and contact information and all or some of the following: department job title grade salary salary history position history supervisor training completed special qualifications ethnicity date of birth disabilities veterans status visa status benefits selected Any HRIS include reporting capabilities. Some systems track applicants before they become employees and some are interfaced to payroll or other financial systems. An HRIS is a management system designed specifically to provide managers with information to make HR decisions This is not an HR systemit is a management system and is used specifically to support management decision making . The need for this kind of information has increased in the last few years, especially in large and/or diverse companies, where decision making has been moved to lower levels And large companies generally have the advantage when it comes to HRISsthe cost to develop an HRIS for 200 people is usually close to that for 2000 peopleso it is a better investment for large companieslarger companies tend to have systems that have a fair degree of customization Therefore, HRIS can be defined in simple words as given below: Human Resource Management Systems (HRMS, EHRMS), Human Resource Information Systems (HRIS), HR Technology or also called HR modules, shape an intersection in between human resource management (HRM) and information technology. It merges HRM as a discipline and in particular its basic HR activities and processes with the information technology field, whereas the planning and programming of dataprocessing systems evolved into standardised routines and packages of enterprise resource planning (ERP) software. On the whole, these ERP systems have their origin on software that integrates information from different applications into one universal database. The linkage of its financial and human resource modules through one database is the most important distinction to the individually and proprietary developed predecessors, which makes this software application both rigid and flexible. HRIS Advantages Specialist can manage : compliance with federal and state laws streamline processes for recruitment and selection produce analyses data and reports for internal and external use ease of use for qualification computer technology specialists, accuracy of information ability to perform HR audits using any combination of parameters Employees and managers can locate answers and information quickly without the need to consult an HR representative every time. An HRIS can reduce the amount of paperwork and manual record keeping It retrieves information quickly and accurately It allows quick analysis of HR issues HRIS Disadvantages human error during information input costly technology to update your system malfunctions or insufficient applications to support your human resources needs finding a qualified specialist with human resources functional area knowledge is difficult. Unauthorized Access Specialized Knowledge Data Entry Errors The cost per-hire for another employee in a specialized field may be a stretch for some small businesses New Technology With the changing world and constant new technology that is available, managers need to be aware of the technology that will increase effectiveness in their company. Human resource information systems (HRIS) have increasingly transformed since it was first introduced at General Electric in the 1950s. HRIS has gone from a basic process to convert manual information keeping systems into computerized systems, to the HR Information Systems that are used today. Human resource professionals began to see the possibility of new applications for the computer. The idea was to integrate many of the different human resource functions. The result was the third generation of the computerized HRIS, a feature-rich, broad-based, self-contained HRIS. Many companies have seen a need to transform the way Human Resource operations are performed in order to keep up with new technology and increasing numbers of employees. Terasen Pipelines moved its headquarters from Vancouver to Calgary to be closer to the oil and realized a major growth in employees. In the past recording keeping was done on paper and with spreadsheets. Mangers at Terasen realized that there was a need to change to a more computerized system and looked into different HRIS vendors. By making the move to a HRIS system, Terasen is able to keep more accurate records as well as better prepare for future growth. WORKSource Inc. To meet the challenge of handling 100 new employees, WORKSource Inc. acquired Web-based technology programs from GHG Corp. like electronic pay stub, electronic timesheet software, time-off system, and human resource information system (Tips, 2006). By adapting these new programs, WORKSource was able to reduce waste and cost. Performance HRIS systems may track performance reviews and performance issues as part of its management of employee information. Higher-grade systems may also conduct mathematical functions related to this data in order to rate employees based on performance abilities. This information can then be used to make business decisions such as whether to offer an employee a promotion or a boost in pay. Employee Information All HRIS software maintains a database of information on employees past and present, including such data as pay rates, department, raises and personal information. Payroll Most HRIS software does at least some basic form of payroll processing. Payroll begins with tracking the time spent on certain activities, usually as reported by the employee him or herself. This reporting is usually done through some sort of software or web application, though some people track work time on hard copy forms that then have to be scanned or transcribed into the computer system. Payroll systems will also conduct necessary accounting and may even print the actual paychecks. Benefits Administration HRIS systems that conduct payroll operations also usually manage benefits information, such as medical coverage and retirement accounts. These tie in closely with payroll but are also tracked alongside other employee information such as salary and paid time off. Work Time HRIS systems generally include the capability of tracking employee work-time, especially where employees are paid hourly or are on contract. Types of Software HRIS systems come in a variety of software configurations. Some systems are hard-coded for local installation on a computer or network at the business location. Other systems conduct business online as a Software as a Service (SaaS) system, usually over the Internet via web sites or Intranet systems. Finally, some application vendors may provide service as a blend of these types of software. Modular Systems Different software packages have different capabilities, and some vendors may offer different tiers of service. Basic services are generally provided as part of a package with additional functions being available as modules that can be plugged into the basic package of software

Essay --

â€Å"Ilmu pengetahuan tanpa nilai-nilai yang mulia belum tentu dapat melahirkan masyarakat yang baik dan berjaya. Nilai-nilai yang mulia tanpa ilmu pengetahuan juga tidak akan melahirkan masyarakat yang berjaya†. Begitulah ungkapan kata-kata bestari oleh mantan Perdana Menteri kita, Tun Dr. Mahathir bin Mohamad, Bapa Pemodenan Negara yang merupakan salah satu daripada pencetus kegemilangan dunia pendidikan negara. Selamat pagi dan Salam 1 Malaysia saya ucapkan kepada: Pengerusi Majlis, Yang Amat Berhormat Datuk Johan Ashaari bin Murti, Menteri Pendidikan merangkap Timbalan Perdana Menteri. Yang Berhormat Datuk Romario Ansam anak Rungah, Timbalan Menteri Pendidikan. Yang Amat Berhormat Pehin Sri Maher Zain, Ketua Menteri. Yang Berhormat Freddy Jabu anak Jugah, Timbalan Ketua Menteri. Yang Berhormat Datuk Halimah, Menteri Tugas-tugas Khas Dalam Negeri berkaitan Pendidikan. Yang Berhormat Datuk-datuk dan Datin-datin. Yang Berbahagia Datuk Ariffin Faiq, Ketua Pengarah Pendidikan. Yang Berbahagia Datuk Sabri bin Rahmat, Rektor IPGM. Yang Dihormati Encik Hafiz Azman, Pengarah Pendidikan Negeri. Yang Berusaha Puan Saftuyah binti Safri, Pengarah Institut Pendidikan Guru Tunku Abdul Rahman. Pengarah-pengarah IPGK dan Wakil-wakil Pengarah IPGK. Yang Berusaha Encik Amir bin Jamal, Timbalan Pengarah Institut Pendidikan Guru Tunku Abdul Rahman. Ketua-ketua Jabatan Persekutuan dan Negeri. Ketua-ketua Jabatan dan Ketua-ketua Unit Institut Pendidikan Guru Tunku Abdul Rahman. Pensyarah-pensyarah Kanan. Para Pensyarah. Staf-staf Sokongan. Para Graduan. Para Ibu Bapa. Tuan-tuan dan Puan-puan dekat di hati. Tegak rumah kerana tiangnya, tegak bumi kerana paksinya, tegaknya saya di sini adalah untuk menyampaikan sebuah pidato yang bertajuk â€Å"Kecemerlan... ...nyai muhasabah diri, mereka mampu mencipta nama dan berjaya di peringkat global. Tuan-tuan dan puan-puan yang dihormati sekalian, Sedarkah anda bahawa percubaan dan uji kaji ribuan kali telah dilakukan oleh Thomas Adison untuk mencipta lampu yang dapat kita nikmati faedahnya sehingga ke hari ini? Tahukah anda bahawa Colonel Sandera telah bersusah payah siang dan malam untuk mencipta resepi rahsia KFC nya sehingga semua kita yang pada hari ini menjamahnya sehingga menjilat jari? Sikap sebeginilah yang wajar diambilkan sebagai contoh dan pansduan sekiranya kita ingin betul-betul cemerlang dalam akademik bahkan kehidupan kita seharian. Antara rahsia kejayaan orang-orang yang hebat ini ialah kepatuhan kepada disiplin. Lihatlah wahai dunia bahawa orang-orang yang berdisiplin ini yang akan menggoncang dunia! Bak kata pepatah, â€Å"siapa yang menuai, dia akan dapat hasilnya†.

Two Gentlemen in Verona

The Abasement of The Upper Class Most people have a predetermined idea of the levels of a social hierarchy. They presume that the upper class is noble, proper and educated while the lower class is of the opposite; the lower class work for the upper class and thus cannot possibly exceed the caliber of the upper class. Shakespeare upends this predetermined notion by utilizing the characters to convey a strong sense of role reversal throughout The Two Gentlemen of Verona.This role reversal upsets the stereotypical social hierarchy and strongly suggests that the upper class may not be as highly esteemed as they are perceived to be. Loyalty is an underlying theme throughout the play. Symbols of loyalty prompt the reader to not only compare the loyalty of a servant’s relationship with an upperclassman’s relationship but also conclude that this comparison often leads to the degradation of the upper class characters. Proteus refers to himself as â€Å"spaniel-like† (4. 2 . 4) in Act 4; however his actions show that he is the direct opposite of what a spaniel, or a dog, should be like. Judging from his fickle actions of suddenly falling in love with Silvia after swearing to remain faithful to Julia, Proteus is unable to have nearly as much loyalty as a spaniel should have. Thus one can conclude that Proteus is not nearly as loyal as a dog. His condemnable actions lead to an abasement of the upper class and gives way to the idea that the aristocratic aren’t as respectable as they seem to be.The relationship between Lance and Crab can be compared to Proteus and Julia. Lance, the servant has an unusually loyal and selfless relationship with his dog, Crab. It is interesting to note that Lance seems to be more loyal or devoted to Crab, than his dog is to him. In fact, Lance even takes the blame and beating for his dog when Crab his caught â€Å"a pissing† (4. 4. 1) under the table. This loyalty can be compared to Proteus and Julia in that La nce’s selflessly devoted relationship with Crab is a parody of the despicably unfaithful relationship Proteus has with Julia.The â€Å"reversed† relationship between Lance and Crab also gives way to a new and important idea for the rest of the play. Upon closer inspection, one can see that the master, in this case Lance resembles the characteristics of a loyal servant, which should be the role played by Lance’s dog, Crab. The unusual reversal of roles that this master and its dog should have, gives way to a recurring idea – prominent throughout the rest of the play, that the characteristics of the lower class and upper class are interchanged.Speed and Lance are two servants who happen to be servants of two deeply in-love masters. In Act 3 Scene 1, Lance claims that he too, is in love and reveals a list of which he has written down the merits of his lady. Typically, one should assume that this list – coming from an uneducated servant, should not exh ibit a great amount of depth or critical thinking; however this list surprises the reader in its logicality and wittiness, and in addition, reinforces the idea of the switching of hierarchal roles. Items on Lance’s list exhibit great practicality such as â€Å"She can sew† (3. . 298) and â€Å"She can wash and scour† (3. 1. 329). Lance also cleverly transforms flaws into virtues when he describes that â€Å"She hath more hair than wit,† or that she is younger than she is intelligent and â€Å"more fault than hairs,† or more flaws than she is young and â€Å"more wealth than faults† (3. 3. 3) which amalgamates to that she is wealthier than flawed since â€Å"that word (wealth) makes the faults gracious† because Lance understands that in real life, level of wealth is a highly influential, and possibly ultimate deciding factor in marriage or a relationship.The realistic and practical nature of the list shows the maturity and intelligence of Lance, which begs to question the nature of the picturesque but fickle and unsustainable nature of the love affairs of the masters, Valentine and Proteus. This once again reiterates the role reversal of social hierarchy and through the sensibleness of Lance and shows that the upper class may not be as intellectual as they are perceived to be. There are also other smaller remarks in scenes that support the notion that a role reversal suggests the idea that aristocrats may not be as intellectual as them seem to be.For example, in Act 2 Scene 1, when Valentine is reunited with his love, Silvia – Speed provides several asides in which he mockingly says â€Å"a million of manners! † (2. 1. 95) in response to Valentine greeting Silvia with â€Å"a thousand good morrows† (2. 1. 93-4). In this series of asides, the audience can see that the servant is sensibly belittling the absurdity of his master’s love for Silvia. An encounter in Act 3 Scene 1 between the Duke and Valentine also pokes at a role reversal when the Duke, perhaps the character with the highest social class throughout the novel, seeks advice on how to â€Å"court† (3. . 85) his lover, from Valentine: a relatively subordinate character. It is arguable that the Duke only asked Valentine for advice as a part of his scheme to figure out how Valentine has been courting his own daughter, Silvia. However, if one looks at the scene and context secluded from the ulterior intentions, the mere act of a superior asking an inferior for advice heavily suggests that the role reversal of characters in The Two Gentlemen of Verona and ultimately, that the aristocratic, or Duke, is not as almighty and wise as he is assumed to be.Finally, perhaps the most prominent manifestation of role reversal and the abasement of aristocrats lies in the exchange between Valentine and Speed. Throughout the beginning half of the play, Valentine disapproves Proteus’s love for Julia and claims t hat by staying at home with Julia, Proteus will have â€Å"homely wits† (1. 1. 2) and wear out his â€Å"youth with shapeless idleness† (1. 1. 8). However during Act 2 Scene 1, Valentine is criticized by Speed, for the negative effects that he has brought upon himself as a result of his love for Silvia.Speed not only brings attention to the fact that only recently did Valentine â€Å"chid[e] at Sir Proteus for going ungartered† (2. 1. 70) but also has somewhat become blinded by love. During Speed’s observation of Valentine’s state in Act 2 Scene 1, Speed condemns Valentine who now â€Å"walk[s] alone like one that had the pestilence† (2. 1. 21) as a result of being in love with Silvia, when Valentine used to â€Å"walk like one of the lions† (2. 1. 27). As a result of being â€Å"metamorphosed with a mistress† (2. 1. 29-30), when Speed â€Å"look on you [Valentine], I [Speed] can hardly think you my master† (2. . 30-1). This exchange radiates the idea that Speed sees things that Valentine is unable to as well as the idea that Speed is wiser and more intellectual than his superior, Valentine. The latter part of the scene where Speed claims that Valentine’s lover, Silvia, is actually â€Å"not so fair†(2. 1. 51) accentuates both Speed’s expert and knowledgeable as well as Valentine’s increasingly dull and inferior characters. When Valentine questions Speed’s observation of Silvia’s beauty, Speed cleverly notes that â€Å"Because Love is blind† (2. 1. 8), Valentine is unable to see the ugliness of Silvia. In this brief exchange, Valentine and Speed play instead, the inferior and superior roles respectively as Speed lectures Valentine on this love-blind issue. Valentine’s aristocratic character is degraded as Speed didactically enlightens Valentine on the effects of love that he is unable to see. It is questionable that because a big portion of Sh akespeare’s audience was of middle and lower class, he conveyed a sense of abasement of the upper class in The Two Gentlemen of Verona.Thus it can be argued that he utilized this theme as a way to provide pleasure for the audience of his work. Nonetheless, through the various exchanges between master and servant, and servant to servant, one can see that the stereotypical roles of the characters are not congruent with their actual characteristics. Lance’s relationship with his dog both parodies Proteus and Julia and allows the theme of role reversal to manifest itself in their unusual relationship.Lance’s practical list of merits provides a sense of integrity and high intellectual capability for other members of the lower class. The Duke and Valentine suggests a role reversal and finally, Speed’s didactic observation of Valentine’s chronic â€Å"love blindness† allows the audience to see the dullness of the upper class and quick wit of lower class. All these examples amalgamate to a reinforced idea that the roles of the upper class and lower class may be reversed and that the upper class are not nearly as intelligent and esteemed as they are perceived to be.

Vietnamization of the Vietnam War

Vietnamization of the Vietnam War Campaigning under the slogan â€Å"Peace with Honor,† Richard M. Nixon won the 1968 presidential election. His plan called for the â€Å"Vietnamization† of the war which was defined as the systematic build-up of ARVN forces to the point that they could prosecute the war without American aid. As part of this plan, American troops would slowly be removed. Nixon complemented this approach with efforts to ease global tensions by reaching out diplomatically to the Soviet Union and the Peoples Republic of China. In Vietnam, the war shifted to smaller operations geared towards attacking North Vietnamese logistics.   Overseen by General Creighton Abrams, who replaced General William Westmoreland in June 1968, American forces shifted from a search-and-destroy approach to one more focused on defending South Vietnamese villages and working with the local population.   In doing so, extensive efforts were made to win the hearts and minds of the South Vietnamese people.   These tactics proved successful and guerrilla attacks began to subside. Advancing Nixons Vietnamization scheme, Abrams worked extensively to expand, equip, and train ARVN forces.   This proved critical as the war became an increasingly conventional conflict and American troop strength continued to be reduced.   Despite these efforts, ARVN performance continued to be erratic and often relied on American support to achieve positive results. Trouble on the Home Front While the antiwar movement in the US was pleased with Nixon’s efforts at dà ©tente with communist nations, it was inflamed in 1969, when news broke about a massacre of 347 South Vietnamese civilians by US soldiers at My Lai (March 18, 1968). Tension grew further when, following a change in stance by Cambodia, the US began bombing North Vietnamese bases over the border. This was followed in 1970, with ground forces attacking into Cambodia. Though intended to enhance South Vietnamese security by eliminating a threat across the border, and thus in line with the Vietnamization policy, it was publicly viewed as expanding the war rather than winding it down. Public opinion sunk lower in 1971 with the release of the Pentagon Papers. A top-secret report, the ​Pentagon Papers detailed American mistakes in Vietnam since 1945, as well as exposed lies about the Gulf of Tonkin Incident, detailed US involvement in deposing Diem, and revealed secret American bombing of Laos. The papers also painted a bleak outlook for American prospects of victory. First Cracks Despite the incursion into Cambodia, Nixon had begun the systematic withdrawal of US forces, lowering troop strength to 156,800 in 1971. That same year, the ARVN commenced Operation Lam Son 719 with the goal of severing the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos. In what was seen as a dramatic failure for Vietnamization, ARVN forces were routed and driven back across the border. Further cracks were revealed in 1972, when the North Vietnamese launched a conventional invasion of the South, attacking into the northern provinces and from Cambodia. The offensive was only defeated with the support of US airpower and saw intense fighting around Quang Tri, An Loc, and Kontum.   Counterattacking and supported by American aircraft (Operation Linebacker), ARVN force reclaimed the lost territory that summer but sustained heavy casualties.

Roman Family and the Exposure of Infants

Roman Family and the Exposure of Infants One aspect of Roman society that tends to horrify modern people, an aspect that isnt limited to the Romans, but was practiced by many others, excluding the ancient Jews* and Etruscans, is the practice of abandoning their infants. This is generally known as exposure because the infants were exposed to the elements. Not all infants so exposed died. Some Roman infants were picked up by families in need of a slave. In contrast, the most famous case of exposure of a Roman child ended not with slavery, but the crown. The Most Famous Roman Exposure of Infants The most famous exposure occurred when the Vestal Virgin Rhea gave birth to twins whom we know as Romulus and Remus; however, the babies did not then have those names: the father of the family (paterfamilias) formally had to accept a child as his and give it a name, which wasnt the case when an infant was tossed aside shortly after birth. A Vestal Virgin had to remain chaste. Giving birth was proof of her failure. That the god Mars was the father of Rheas children made little difference, so the boys were exposed, but they were lucky. A wolf suckled, a woodpecker fed, and a rustic family took them in. When the twins grew up, they got back what was rightfully theirs and one of them became the first king of Rome. Practical Reasons for Exposure of Infants in Rome If infant exposure was suitable for their legendary founders, who were the Roman people to say it was wrong for their offspring? Exposure allowed poor people to get rid of extra mouths to feed, especially the mouths of baby girls who were also a dowry liability.Children who were imperfect in some way were also exposed, supposedly, according to the dictates of the Twelve Tablets.Exposure was also used to get rid of children whose paternity was unclear or undesirable, but the exposure wasnt the only method that was available. Roman women employed contraceptives and received abortions, as well.The paterfamilias technically had the right to get rid of any infant under his power. Christianity Helps End Exposure of Infants Around the time Christianity was taking hold, attitudes towards this method of destroying unwanted life were changing. The poor had to get rid of their unwanted children because they couldnt afford them, but they had not been allowed to sell them formally, so instead, they were leaving them to die or to be used to economic advantage by other families. The first Christian emperor, Constantine, in A.D. 313, authorized the sale of the infants [Child-Exposure in the Roman Empire, by W. V. Harris. The Journal of Roman Studies, Vol. 84. (1994), pp. 1-22.]. While selling ones children seems horrible to us, the alternative had been death or slavery: in the one case, worse, and in the other, the same, so the sale of infants offered some hope, especially since in Roman society some slaves could hope to buy their freedom. Even with legal permission to sell ones offspring, exposure didnt end overnight, but by about 374, it had been legally forbidden. See: Child-Exposure in the Roman Empire, by W. V. Harris. The Journal of Roman Studies, Vol. 84. (1994). Did the Ancients Care When Their Children Died?, by Mark Golden Greece Rome 1988. The Exposure of Infants in Roman Law and Practice, by Max Radin The Classical Journal, Vol. 20, No. 6. (Mar., 1925). Exposure comes up in Greek and Roman mythology in a slightly different context. When Perseus rescues Andromeda and Hercules Hermione, the princesses, both of an age to marry, had been left or exposed to avert local disaster. Presumably the sea monster was going to eat the young women. In the Roman story of Cupid and Psyche, Psyche is also exposed to avert local disaster. *

Training and Assessment TAEDEL301A Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Training and Assessment TAEDEL301A - Essay Example But within a few days of regular practice, one’s reflexes get tuned in with the whole process and one starts following it automatically. The task of driving can be explained from the perspective of the behaviouristic and cognitive theories. According to behaviourism, the reflexes of the body get conditioned to an action that it performs repetitively; hence in the presence of the stimulus, the body performs the task automatically. According to cognitive principles, with regular practice or repetition of a particular task, the mind adjusts and accommodates the new knowledge with the existing knowledge to form a new knowledge structure. As a result, the knowledge of the task passes from the short term memory to the long term memory and makes the learning permanent. The learner can be provided different types of trouble shooting cases and asked to resolve them. Practising the task in different contexts/situations would reinforce the acquired knowledge/skill. This task should be practised on a regular basis. It would help the learner respond quickly to situations and handle any kind of situation. In case of trouble shooting in customer care, the most effective way to determine learner performance is through customer feedback. The other way of evaluating is through mock test, where peers are acting as customers and the learning participant has to resolve the problems that each one comes up with. This assessment tool is relevant for evaluating the learner’s performance because it helps the instructor to see the learner in action. On the part of the learner, he/she also gets a real feel of doing the task hands-on and also understanding where he/she needs to improve. Learning takes place through adaptations and changes. Without initiating a change in the performance level or capacity of the learner, real learning cannot be facilitated. New knowledge structure

Tourism and Indigenous Peoples Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Tourism and Indigenous Peoples - Assignment Example Looking out over a vast, desolate landscape, the older man responds, â€Å"They can bloody well have it† (Weir, 1981). Aboriginal peoples aren’t just part of this remoteness – for many, they have come to symbolize it. I believe that this impression of the Aborigines is intrinsic to Australia’s cultural self-image, part of a pervasive and dominant national mindset. It has a debilitating effect on efforts to decrease traditional economic disparities and make Aboriginal peoples a productive part of the country’s economic mix. Dislocation is the inevitable product of treating Aboriginal people as novel curiosities, or historic anomalies. Until this perspective changes, I believe an almost carnival image will plague the Aborigines and will likely prove too imposing an impediment to indigenous economic integration. â€Å"The implications of†¦potentially expanding employment disparity is amplified for discrete Indigenous communities because they are remote, and opportunities in what is termed the ‘real’ (or mainstream) economy are extremely circumscribed† As I contemplated this reading, I couldn’t help thinking about a series of television commercials advertising American Indian gambling casinos, which are typically only aired in the early morning hours. To me, this reflects the ingrained cultural disenfranchisement of America’s indigenous peoples, who are surely one of the most notable examples of a culturally and economically disadvantaged native population. Their cultural remoteness has kept them out of America’s economic mainstream as surely as has the Aborigines.’ In America, â€Å"fringe† business opportunities, or tourist businesses that exploit stereotypical notions, are often the only means for economic advancement available to native Americans. I believe this is, or will become, the case with Australia’s indigenous peoples, who

Shannon McDonald, Frank Davis and Thomas Green Case Study

Shannon McDonald, Frank Davis and Thomas Green - Case Study Example As the paper outlines, the immense rise of office politics usually means that the working personnel of a business organization will be frightened to bring up innovative ideas or debatable issues encouraging development amid the workforce. However, the issue of office politics can be diminished through powerful leadership and open communication within the business organization  by a certain level. The discussion in this paper will focus on analyzing a case study based on the impacts caused by office politics involving three individuals, namely the CEO of Dynamic Displays, i.e. Shannon McDonald, Frank Davis, the Marketing Director of the organization and Thomas Green, the recently promoted Senior Market Specialist. It was in the year 1990 when Dynamic Displays was established in Boston as a supplier of self-service options to the banks through the application of Automated Teller Machines (ATMs). The business of the Dynamic Displays performed well and soon it launched a new business s ection aiming at the travel as well as hospitality industry in the year 1994. Later, by the year 2007, the market share of this particular business segment increased considerably to 60% along with possessing more than 1500 self-service kiosks in execution at over 75 airports. This particular case study is about a 28-year-old person named Thomas Green who was recruited as an Account Executive in Dynamic Displays and was later promoted to the post of Senior Marketing Specialist of the company in order to effectively manage its expansion in the Travel and Hospitality Division. Even though his promotion was based on his performances and personal traits, Thomas had to face a few problems in terms of office politics with his superior, Mr. Frank Davis. Frank Davis has been associated with the organization since the year 1990 in the position of the Marketing Director for the Travel and Hospitality Division.

Quality education Essay Example for Free

Quality education Essay For years, I have witnessed how the art of teaching had evolved and it keeps on evolving. Every year, the teaching practice is revised; old techniques are changed with new approaches suiting the new generation. Unknowingly, teachers are pressured to cope with all these changes yet with their dedication, they find means to give quality education to us students. With this article, teachers are given a new way to teach young minds. I strongly believe that a child’s first steps to learn language and literacy are the most crucial ones. His first learning and experiences in school will serve as his foundation throughout his life. I could see the importance of teachers in this stage. Thus, teachers should be competent enough to develop the child. The new approach discussed in the article promotes interactive teaching and interactive learning and as a student, I agree with this approach. By using this approach, students are encouraged to talk and participate and as a result given more chance to express their thoughts and ideas in class well making it easy for learning. As I see it for the teachers’ side, it would be more convenient for them to listen to their students’ responses and so they could understand their knowledge and thinking, as well as correct some misunderstandings and misconceptions. On the other hand, it was stated in the article that other teachers might be hesitant to apply this new approach with their fear of losing classroom control, and I understand that since some students, when given freedom to speak, misuse it. Nevertheless, as a learner, I am very open to this approach and I appreciate this article for helping teachers in acquiring new techniques for their profession and also for helping students learn language better which is their foremost step to literacy and quality education.

How Birth Order Affects Personality Essay -- Why Birth Order Matters

In my family there are three kids, two boys and one girl. I am eighteen years old making me the oldest of the three. My sister, who is twelve, falls behind me. Lastly my little brother is just behind my sister at nine years old. I recently researched that the order of birth can have a huge impact on the personality of the children. I found it very remarkable that most of these traits where exhibited in my younger siblings and I! Although there were some exceptions, I found that most of the qualities that describe a first born in my research described me as an individual. First of all let’s start with the things I agreed with in my research about my personality. I read in Teresa’s â€Å"Birth Order Traits† that high achievers where first-borns. I think that this quality describes me in a couple of ways. I always try to look to the future, because it’s all that really matters. â€Å"Right now† is gone with every second, so we are going to meet the future soon enough. Because of this mindset I put all I have into the things I do, because even if right now it seems like it won’t matter in two years, it might. Would one rather have it do well for them or have it come back and bite them in the butt. With this thought in mind it results in me shooting for the stars, because at least on the way up I’ll hit a mountain, which is higher than where I am now. Another quality that describes me is that I’m very controlling (Dr. Gail Gross, â€Å"The Achiever, the Peacemaker and the Life of the Party), especially of my siblings. I’ve always tried to be a mini-parent to them, even though they don’t give me any respect. Even if I’m not with my siblings I always like to have control over a situation, including being a leader. For example, wh... ...y/development/social/birth-order-and-personality/>. ""Birth Order: What is "Birth Order"?." ." PBSKids . CastleWorks, Inc. Web. 14 Mar 2015. . Clifford, Isaacson. "Birth Order Plus." Birth Order Plus. Upper Des Moines Counseling Center, LLC.. Web. 14 Mar 2015. . Gross, Gail. "The Achiever, the Peacemaker and the Life of the Party: How Birth Order Affects Personality." TheHuffingtonPost.com. The Huffington Post, 23 dec 2013. Web. 14 Mar 2015. . Belkin, Lisa , and Emma Mustich. "28 Signs You." TheHuffingtonPost.com. The Huffington Post, 11 Nov 2013. Web. 14 Mar 2015. .

Comparing The Lottery by Shirley Jackson and The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas by Ursula K. Le Guin :: comparison compare contrast essays

Comparing "The Lottery by Shirley Jackson" and "The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas" by Ursula K. Le Guin      Ã‚   The differences between "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson and "The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas" by Ursula K. Le Guin seem relatively minor when compared to the striking similarities they contain in setting, symbols, and theme.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Each of the stories begin with a description of a beautiful summer day. "The flowers were blooming profusely and the grass was richly green"(para 1) in "The Lottery" is quite comparable to "old moss-grown gardens and under avenues of trees"(para 1) in "...Omelas."   These descriptions (along with several others) provide positive connotations and allow the reader to relax into what seems to be a comfortable setting in either story.   Both stories also contain a gathering of townspeople.   In "...Omelas there is music, dance, and special attire incorporated in the gathering, whereas in "The Lottery," the women show up "wearing faded house dresses and sweaters."   Although Le Guin's environment seems more festive, all the folks in both stories are coming together for what seems to be   enjoyable, even celebratory occasions.   However, I believe the major similarity lies in the fact that   these many pleasant details create a facade within each story.   The reader is then left ill-prepared when the shocking, brutally violent, ritualistic traditions are exposed.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Children are an important focus in both stories.   Jackson makes it easy for us to imagine their "boisterous play"(para 2), and Le Guin writes "their high calls rising like swallows' crossing flights over the music and the singing"(para1).   I see these children being used to symbolize perceived states of happiness in both stories.   I also believe they are vital necessities in each story because they are taught and expected to carry traditions into the future. For instance, in "The Lottery,"   "someone gave little Davy Hutchinson a few pebbles"(para 76),   he is then able to participate in the stoning of his own mother, and in "...Omelas," the tradition "is usually explained to children when they are between eight and twelve"(para 10), and of course, the victim in this tale is a child.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The fact that both authors include references to farming may be due to the association between farming and tradition.

Coca-Cola Fizz Factor Essay

1) The Coca-Cola Company in my opinion has all the resources listed in the chapter. They have been such a successful organization over the years that they posses; financial, physical, human, intangible, and structural-cultural resources. It is because of their Global nature that I believe that they have these resources, and these are needed to for organizations to have capabilities and core competencies. Understanding that because Coca-Cola is such a global brand it means that their capabilities must stretch through culture so I do believe it is very hard to develop unique resources and distinctive capabilities. However, because of the resources behind them in some ways it is easier to develop strategies and gain that competitive advantage. 2) Coca-Cola has a number of distinctive capabilities. Its brand is one by itself, they have created a competitive advantage just by their name, Coca-Cola is known globally and it is a testament to the organization that it is so powerful. Another distinctive capability would be the shape and design of their bottles and cans, it may not seem like much but it can create nostalgia for and again turn in to a competitive advantage. Also with the patent for their designs it makes it impossible for competitors to imitate and take away that competitive advantage. 3) 127 Years of Happiness – This is a major strength; Coca-Cola’s history and tradition automatically give it credibility and make customers trust the brand. Other newer competitors just cannot compete with this, however it is extremely important that they continue to change and innovate. 200+ countries – This may mean a global organization, but this brings about some weaknesses. You have to deal with so many different cultures, languages, climates, and beliefs that it can be very difficult to keep everyone happy and keep providing a quality product. 3500 products worldwide – Again this is like the example above, it can be very challenging due to the diversity and target audience of all the products. However, it can be an advantage because of the variety of products you provide sets Coca-Cola apart from it competitors, giving them yet another competitive advantage. 1,322,000 Tweets per quarter – Twitter is becoming huge, and we saw during the Superbowl blackout how powerful a marketing tool it can be. Oreo cookies tweeted â€Å"†Power out? No problem. You can still dunk in the dark† so in my eyes I see this growing number to be a huge positive on a marketing front. Although on the other hand, social media can be very damaging, and if Coca-Cola does something bad, a negative reputation could spread around the world in a matter of moments. Protest Group of 100,000 people wanting the original Coke back – this shows that if you get it wrong you can face a major backlash from your customers. But this also showed how loyal people were to the original Coke, yes it was a negative result but it really highlights to the Coca-Cola Company what a great product they have. 4) It has to be the capabilities assessment profile, by following the five steps of this option Muhtar Kent can truly analyze the strengths and weaknesses of the organization on a global scale. The key competencies and capabilities are what set Coca-Cola apart and they need to continue to focus on these aspects, it creates the competitive advantage and this must be maintained in the future. This is vital if Coca-Cola want to remain up there as on of the most popular brands in the world.

Weird and Interesting Facts About Christmas

Weird and Interesting Facts About Christmas Christmas, besides being a joyful tradition of gift-giving and ham-devouring, has always been pretty weird, right? Like, just in general. How did everyone start celebrating it? Why? Here for your enjoyment we present a few interesting facts about Christmas that you can tell your family around the dinner table and give them a chance to think â€Å"Wow! Cant believe how smart my niece is!† and â€Å"God, do you always have to be the center of attention?† Christmas Wasnt Originally Jesus Birthday â€Å"Christmas† comes from â€Å"Christs mass†, the celebration of Jesus Christs birthday and christening. But did you know that Jesus want born on the 25th of December†? In fact, no one knows when he was born, but we can safely bet that it wasnt December. The clue is in Luke 2:8: the shepherds were â€Å"abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flocks by night† when he was born, which couldnt have been in December, since its so cold. Christmas Is an Adapted Holiday So how did Christmas come about? Well, youd be surprised to hear that many Christmas traditions you know have roots in pre-Christian seasonal celebrations. In fact, many traditions, for instance, the gift giving, carolers going from house to house, feasts, and many other traditions come from the Mesopotamian celebrations of the New Year. They held festivities for twelve days to honor one of their gods, Marduk. These festivities were called Zagmuk. By the way, have you already found Christmas gifts for friends and family? There are some Christmas gifts ideas you may like. The Romans Had Something Like Christmas, Too Like Zagmuk, the ancient Romans would hold seasonal festivities of their own. Their holiday was in the beginning of winter, just like ours, and held until approximately the beginning of January. They were celebrating â€Å"The Birth of the Unconquerable Sun†, since its at this time that the duration of the day began to lengthen. Like all pagans, they believed that the Sun was being reborn at this time. As the Christian church gained power and influence, they decided to ban this celebration, but many continued the tradition. The Christian church then decided to co-opt the holiday, and turn it into the celebration of Christ. Some Christians Celebrate Christmas in January In the US, the holidays are over with the New Years celebrations, but there are millions of Christians who celebrate their Xmas on January 7th. The reason here is a calendar mixup: a large part of the western world use the Julian calendar (named after Julius Caesar, who didnt invent it, but loved naming things after himself). The gregorian calendar, which Orthodox Christians use, is shifted, and their â€Å"December 25th† falls squarely on January 7th. Santa Came from Saint Nicholas Youve heard Santa Claus be called Saint Nick, but did you know that he was a real person? And an actual saint? The story of how he became Santa is pretty interesting: in the new world, after the revolution, Americans wanted to depart from British traditions and looked toward their Dutch roots for that. The Knickerbockers (writers, not baseball players) had a huge role in creating Santa – they released a poem titled A Visit from St. Nicholas, which popularized the character, and was later adapted into The Night Before Christmas. Santas name comes from the nickname fro St. Nicholas, Sinter Klaas (Dutch, of course). And lots of other cultures have their own Santa, as well. Werent those Christmas facts both weird and interesting? And theres lots more to find out! Like that Xmas comes from the Greek â€Å"Xristos†. And that Christmas wasnt an official holiday in America until 1870! Finding out about the genealogical anthropology of this holiday is lots of fun, and you can research it on your own to find out more. If you know other interesting facts about Christmas, feel free to add them in the comments! If you get tired from traditional ways to spend Christmas, to check out the unusual things to do for Christmas!

Buy Back of Securities- An Analysis

Buy Back of Securities- An Analysis Free Online Research Papers Introduction Share capital is a very essential part of a company, listed or unlisted. Share capital can be of two types i.e. equity share capital or preferential share capital. The share capital of a company has to be subscribed by one or more persons. After the share of a company has been allotted to the subscribing members, the subscribers have no right over the money gone as proceeds of the shares subscribed. All that the shareholder has is the right to vote at the general meetings of the company or the right to receive dividends or right to such other benefits which may have been prescribed . The only option left with the shareholder in order to realize the price of the share is to transfer the share to some other person. But with the introduction of section 77A, 77AA, and 77B in the Companies Act, 1956 the shareholder can realize the price by selling directly to the company . Buy Back of Securities In general terms buy back of shares can be understood as the process by which a company buys its share back from its shareholder or a resort a shareholder can take in order to sell the share back to the company. Buy-Back of shares is nothing but reverse of issue of shares by a company . It means the purchase of its own shares or other specified securities by a company. In case of buy-back, a company offers to take back its shares owned by the investors at a specified price generally determined or arrived at on the basis of the average price of the shares in the past few months. This calculation is usually done at a premium on the market price so as to attract more number of investors, which may vary as per the financial prudence of the company . Thus, buy-back is one of the prominent modes of capital restructuring. Legislative History Under Section 77 of the Companies Act, 1956, a limited company is prohibited from buying back its own shares. The basic reason for such a prohibition was a feeling that allowing companies to buy-back their shares could give rise to companies ‘trafficking’ in their own shares leading to undesirable practices in the stock market, like insider trading or other such unhealthy influences on stock prices . There was also an apprehensions that introduction of buy-back was unlikely to improve the stock market climate, but on the contrary worsen the climate as buy-back would in all likelihood facilitate more manipulation This general prohibition has been diluted by the statute, which permits a company to buy-back its securities after following the procedural safeguards provided in Section 77A, 77AA and 77B of the Companies Act. Prior to the Amendment of the Companies Act in 1999, the laws as to the buying of its share by the companies were very stringent. There was no way a company could buy its shares back from the shareholders without a prior sanction of the Court (except for the preferential shares). In 1887, in was held in the case of Trevor v. Whitworth , that a company limited by shares may not purchase its own shares as this would amount to an unauthorized reduction of capital. The rationale for this decision was that though the creditors of the company make decisions about its credit-worthiness on several grounds, but an important ground is the amount of its share capital. If the courts had not established at an early stage that capital was ‘sacrosanct’ and could not be returned to shareholders at their whim, then share capital would not have been protected. Without this protection, creditors could find shareholders depleting share capital, with creditors left to carry all the business risks. In India, the rule in Trevor v. Whitworth was enshrined in Section 77 of the Companies Act, 1956 which prohibited a company limited by shares, or by guarantee, and having a share capital from buying or canceling its own shares, nor may a company do so indirectly, by getting another person to buy the shares on its behalf, unless it complied with the provisions and followed the procedure for reduction of share capital under Sections 100 to 104 of the Companies Act, 1956 which involved sanction by the Court. Thus, by implication, an unlimited company can purchase its own shares. Article 3(e) of Table E, Schedule 1 to the Act gives power to such companies to reduce its shares in any way . Similarly, forfeiture for non-payment of calls and valid surrender do not involve purchase of shares by the company . Any valuable consideration paid out of the company’s assets amounts to a transaction of purchase . A prohibition on the buy-back of shares thus existed by virtue of Section 77 of the Companies Act, 1956 under which a buy-back could be made only by reduction of share capital. Later, the recommendations of a Working Group on Companies Act, 1956 constituted by the Central Government, led to insertion of section 77A and 77B. This Amendment was suggested to bring Indian law in parity with its British counterpart . Thereafter, the concept of Buy-back of securities which was proposed in the Companies Bill, 1997 was incorporated in the Companies Act by the Companies (Amendment) Ordinance 1998. Section 77A of the Act refers to the power of a company to purchase its own Securities subject to the provisions of Section 77A (2) and section 77B of the Act. The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has issued the SEBI (Buy-back of Securities) Regulation 1998, which are applicable to listed company on a stock exchange. The other companies are regulated by Private Limited Company and Unlisted Public Limited Company (Buy-back of Securities) Rules, 1999. OBJECTIVES OF BUY-BACK OF SHARES In the words of the working group which recommended the introduction of buy back in the companies act: â€Å"It is an erroneous belief that the sole reason for buy back is to block hostile take-over. In this connection it is pertinent to list five reasons why the bank of England favoured the making of law to allow companies to repurchase their shares of which blocking take-over was only one: To return surplus cash to shareholders To increase the underlying share value To support the share prices during temporary weakness. To achieve or maintain a target capital structure. To prevent or inhibit unwelcome take-over bids. Briefly a company resorting to the buy-back may have surplus cash, and it may not have found the right avenue to invest such surplus cash, during such period of dilemma the company may decide to return the surplus cash by buying back its shares, with a hope that at a later time when the company brings on an expansion the investors do not loose their faith in the company. Secondly the company might as well think of buying its shares with a view to increase the value of the shares which after the process of buy back still remain in the market. For after the shares are bought back the number of marketable shares become less and thus the prices increase. Thirdly, at times there is a slump in the share market due to no fault of the company. Though the slouch may be temporary but may have continued far too long .The management then may decide to give value to the shareholders and buy back their shares at a price higher than the market price. This is generally done to instill faith in the m inds of the shareholders. Saving a company from hostile take-over has always been seen as a major force behind bringing about this amendment, the company may use the surplus cash available in buying back its shares and bringing the number of floating shares down, resulting in the suitor not finding it a worthy investment or a profitable acquisition. These could be certain reasons why a company may resort to buy back of its shares. Thus in short, shares may be bought back by the company on account of one or more of the following reasons: To increase promoters holding; Increase earnings per share; To improve return on capital return on net worth and to enhance the term shareholder value; To provide an additional exit route to the shareholders when shares are undervalued or are thinly traded; To enhance consolidation of stake in the company; To return surplus cash to the shareholders; To achieve optimum capital structure; Rationalize the capital structure by writing off capital not represented by available assets; Support share value; To thwart hostile takeover; To pay surplus cash not required by business. MODES OF BUY-BACK The buy-back of shares or securities may be in any one or more of the following modes: existing security-holders on a proportionate basis(tender offer method); the open market through: o book building process in accordance with Regulation 17; o stock exchanges in accordance with Regulation 15; or odd lots, that is to say, where the lot of securities of a public company, whose shares are listed on a recognized stock exchange, is smaller than such marketable lot, as may be specified by the stock exchange; or the securities issued to employees of the company pursuant to a scheme of stock option or sweat equity. PROHIBITED MODES OF BUY-BACK: No company shall directly or indirectly purchase its own shares or other specified securities : Through any subsidiary company including its own subsidiary company; or Through any investment companies or group of investment companies; or If a default, by the company, has been made in respect of: o Repayment of deposit or interest payable thereon, or o Redemption of debentures or preference shares, or o Payment of dividend to any share holder, or o Repayment of any term loan, or o Interest payable thereon to any financial institution or bank. If the company has not complied with the provisions of section 159, 207 and 211 of the Act. Moreover, a listed company is prohibited from buying back its securities through negotiated deals, spot transactions, private arrangements and insider dealings . SOURCES FOR BUY-BACK The Act provides that buy-back of shares can be financed only out of free reserves -Where a company purchases its own shares out of free reserves, then a sum equal to the nominal value of the share so purchased is required to be transferred to the capital redemption reserve and details of such transfer should be disclosed in the balance-sheet; or securities premium account; or Proceeds of any shares or other specified securities. It is provided that no buy back of any kind of shares or other specifies securities can be made out of the proceeds of the same kind of shares or same kind of other securities as it will frustrate the purpose sought to be achieved by an issue and will make no sense. It can however be used for buy-back of another kind of security. CONDITIONS FOR BUY-BACK The Companies Act provides that a company can buy-back its shares only when : It must be authorised by the articles of association of the company. It is, therefore, necessary for a company proposing to resort to a buy-back to make sure that such an authority exists in its articles. If the articles do not contain such a provision, the company must follow the procedure laid down in Section 31 of the Companies Act for altering its articles to incorporate such a provision by passing a special resolution and filing a certified true copy of the same along with Form No. 23, with the concerned Registrar of Companies, for registration as required by Section 192 of the Act. A special resolution has been passed in general meeting of the company authorizing the buy-back; However, the said special resolution shall not be required to be passed if the following conditions are satisfied : o The buy-back is or for less than 10% of the total paid up equity capital and free reserves of the company, and o A resolution authorizing the buy-back is passed at the meeting of the board. Provided that no company can come out with a fresh proposal to buy back its shares within a period of 365 days from the date of the preceding offer of buy-back. The ratio of the debt owed by the company is not more than twice the capital and its free reserves after such buy-back: Provided that the Central Government is empowered to relax the debt-equity ratio in respect of a class of companies but not in respect of any particular company . The impugned shares/securities must be fully paid-up. The buy-back of the shares or other specified securities listed on any recognized stock exchange is in accordance with the SEBI (Buy-back of Securities) Regulations, 1998. The buy-back in respect of shares or other specified securities other than those listed on any recognized stock exchange shall additionally comply with the provisions of the Private Limited Company and Unlisted Public Company (Buy-back of Securities) Rules, 1999. EXPLANATORY STATEMENT The explanatory statement accompanying the notice convening the general meeting at which the special resolution will be passed should contain all the relevant particulars of the buy-back such as: All material facts, fully and completely disclosed: The necessity for buy-back; The class of security intended to be purchased by the buy-back; The amount to be invested under buy-back; The time limit for completion of buy-back. The company is also required to pass a special resolution in its general meeting after following the procedure laid down in section 171, 172 and 173. TIME LIMIT OF COMPLETION OF BUY-BACK Every buy-back is required to be completed within 12 months from the date of passing the special resolution or the Board resolution, as the case may be or where the resolution is passed through postal ballot, the date of declaration of the result of the postal ballot, as the case may be. OTHER FORMALITIES Declaration of Solvency- A declaration of solvency is required to be filed by the company with the Registrar and SEBI in the prescribed form before the buy-back is implemented to guaranty its solvency for at least a year after the completion of buy-back . It should be verified by an affidavit and signed by two directors, one of whom must be the Managing Director, where there is one. However, a company whose shares are not listed on the Stock Exchange is not required to file this declaration with SEBI. Physically Extinguishment of Securities- A Company after the completion of buy-back is required to physically extinguish and destroy its securities within 7 days of the last day on which the buy-back process is completed . Prohibition on Further Issue of Shares- A Company buying back its securities is prohibited from making a further issue of securities within a period of 6 months except by way of a bonus issue and discharge its existing obligations such as conversion of warrants, stock option schemes, sweat equity or conversion of preference shares or debentures into equity shares . Register of Securities Bought Back- A Company is also required to maintain a register containing the particulars of the brought back securities, including the consideration paid for them, the date of cancellation, the date of physically extinguishing and physically destroying securities and such other particulars as may be prescribed . Such particulars are required to be entered in the register of buy-back of securities within 7 days of the date of completion of buy-back. Filing of Return- On completion of the buy-back process, the company shall within a period of 30 days file with SEBI and the Registrar a return in e-form No. 4C containing the particulars prescribed. A private company and a public company whose shares are not listed on a recognized stock exchange should file the return of buy-back with the Registrar only . The conditions specified below are applicable to only buy-back of shares effected under the said provisions and the conditions applicable to Sections 100, 104, 391 cannot be applied to buy back of securities . TRANSFER OF CERTAIN SUMS TO CAPITAL REDEMPTION RESERVE ACCOUNT Where a Company purchases its own shares out of free reserves, then a sum equal to nominal value of the shares so purchased has to be transferred to the Capital Redemption Reserve Account referred to in clause (d) of the proviso to sub section (f) of section 80 and its details are required to be disclosed in the balance sheet . Such a transfer of capital redemption reserve account will not be required when buy-back of securities is other than shares. Further, the Central Government may, from time to time notify other securities as specified securities and such notified securities may not be shares. PENALTY If a company makes default in complying with the provisions, the company or any officer of the company who is in default shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to two years, or with fine which may extend to fifty thousand rupees, or with both. The offences are compoundable under section 621A of the Companies Act, 1956. CRITICAL ANALYSIS APPRECIATION This scheme is advantageous to the Companies as: Companies may buy-back its shares to take advantage of low share prices and hope that their value will rise quickly. Companies considering that its share price has been unfairly lowered buy-back them to give the price a boost. A company with excess cash may choose to buy its own shares rather than give out dividends. Once a company gives out dividends, investors expect them to be passed out regularly. But if the company’s cash dwindled in future years, it might have to cut the dividend and anger shareholders. A company could be taking advantage of the lower price to infuse its employee stock option program. A company may buy-back it shares to safeguard itself from hostile takeover bids. CRITICISM However, there are certain drawbacks and areas of concern in the legislation: Under section 115-O of the Income Tax Act, 1961, dividend tax at the rate of 10 % has to be paid on any amount declared, distributed or paid by way of dividend by any domestic company. However, buy-back of shares made under section 77A of the Act is not treated as dividend by virtue of sub clause (iv) of clause (22) of section 2 of the Income tax Act. It is not mandatory for a company to declare dividend under the Act. Taking advantage of this legal provision, a subsidiary may refrain from declaring dividend and transfer the entire or substantial profits to reserve. Then it can buy-back 25% of the shares at book value, which in any case will be more than the face value. These companies can wait for 6 months and issue further shares to the extent brought back. This process can be repeated any number of times. Thus, buy-back can be used to repatriate profits without paying dividend taxes by subsidiaries of foreign companies. Similarly, subsidiaries of Indian companies can also distrib ute profits without paying any dividend tax. Most of the buy-back taken place to enhance promoter’s holdings in the company rather than with a view to enhance shareholder’s wealth. In case of the multi-national companies, buy-back has been motivated by a desire to get the company de-listed from the Indian bourses. Under the present guidelines, if the promoters are able to get more than 90% shares, law permits the delisting. There is no restriction on repeated buy-backs year after year, which has resulted in increasing promoters equity stake ultimately. There is reduced cooling off period of 6 months between a buy-back and re-issue of same kind of shares within a specified period. There are reports of insider trading in some of the cases before the buy-backs are announced. CONCLUSION With the present competitive environment in India arising due to globalization and multi-nationals entering into the Indian market; it was felt that Indian companies need flexibility. Though the response to buy-back option was lukewarm in the beginning, the situation is changing and the provisions have received laudable response from the corporate world. Since the approval of buy-back of shares by companies, there has been commendable shoot up in the instances of buy-back. If one takes a peek at the web-site of the SEBI, every month on average 2-3 companies make public announcements for buy-back of shares. There are undoubtedly certain drawbacks in the Buy-back of securities in India but the benefits far outweigh the criticism. Thus, enabling Indian companies to buy-back its own shares is clearly a step towards fulfillment of long-standing demand towards liberalization of company law. ? Bibliography Dr. Avtar Singh : Company Law, Eastern Book Company A.K. Mujumdar : Company Law, Kalyani Publishers Palmer : Company Law (Vol 1), Steven Sons Ltd., London Young Patrick : Capital Market Revolution: The Future of Markets in an Online World H.K. Saharay : Company Law, Universal Law Publishing Co. Taxman : SEBI Manual Sanjeev Aggarwal : Guide to Indian Capital Market, Bharat Law House Research Papers on Buy Back of Securities- An AnalysisMoral and Ethical Issues in Hiring New EmployeesAnalysis of Ebay Expanding into AsiaMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever ProductCapital PunishmentIncorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in CapitalTwilight of the UAWNever Been Kicked Out of a Place This NiceComparison: Letter from Birmingham and CritoDefinition of Export QuotasThe Project Managment Office System

Free Essays on Blake Quote

In The Book of Thel, Robert Blake makes the claim, â€Å"Everything that lives, lives not alone, nor for itself.† The quote suggests all living entities depend upon each other in some way, for their continued existence. Life, unto itself, is a chain consisting of many links. Each link relies upon another for its strength and durability; such is the case with nature. Even in the remotest of species, one will inevitably trace a relationship between them. A bee, though humans consider it bothersome or threatening, is considered necessary to plant life. A bee is the vehicle that carries many plants’ means of reproduction. A daisy, for example, lures the bee with its sweet scent. Thereafter, the bee travels to one’s backyard, where he or she is found swatting it away. The bee then lands on another daisy, ensuring that next spring, one will have a bouquet to pick from Perhaps the bothersome bee, will not be so hastily swatted next time. The example of the relationship between human and bee, is not far removed from relationships between humans. It is easy for many people to succumb to narcissism. After all, only they know what is truly occurring in their minds, and only they know what is meant by their actions. However, people affect each other on a daily basis in some way; positively or negatively. Unfortunately, many of these links to each other go unnoticed as often as the links are formed. A Volkswagon commercial provides a fitting example. The television ad begins with an attractive woman greeting a man on the street, with a warm smile. The man, obviously uplifted from this encounter, notices a napkin falling from a table where two more people are sitting. The man graciously picks it up and the couple smile at him in thanks. Still smiling, the couple look up at a young man walking past them. The young man, catches the infection from the couple and thus, smiles in turn. At this point, if the example occurred... Free Essays on Blake Quote Free Essays on Blake Quote In The Book of Thel, Robert Blake makes the claim, â€Å"Everything that lives, lives not alone, nor for itself.† The quote suggests all living entities depend upon each other in some way, for their continued existence. Life, unto itself, is a chain consisting of many links. Each link relies upon another for its strength and durability; such is the case with nature. Even in the remotest of species, one will inevitably trace a relationship between them. A bee, though humans consider it bothersome or threatening, is considered necessary to plant life. A bee is the vehicle that carries many plants’ means of reproduction. A daisy, for example, lures the bee with its sweet scent. Thereafter, the bee travels to one’s backyard, where he or she is found swatting it away. The bee then lands on another daisy, ensuring that next spring, one will have a bouquet to pick from Perhaps the bothersome bee, will not be so hastily swatted next time. The example of the relationship between human and bee, is not far removed from relationships between humans. It is easy for many people to succumb to narcissism. After all, only they know what is truly occurring in their minds, and only they know what is meant by their actions. However, people affect each other on a daily basis in some way; positively or negatively. Unfortunately, many of these links to each other go unnoticed as often as the links are formed. A Volkswagon commercial provides a fitting example. The television ad begins with an attractive woman greeting a man on the street, with a warm smile. The man, obviously uplifted from this encounter, notices a napkin falling from a table where two more people are sitting. The man graciously picks it up and the couple smile at him in thanks. Still smiling, the couple look up at a young man walking past them. The young man, catches the infection from the couple and thus, smiles in turn. At this point, if the example occurred...

The Challenger and Columbia Shuttle Disasters Case Study

The Challenger and Columbia Shuttle Disasters - Case Study Example All these changes are clearly directed towards strengthening the internal control of the organization in order to trace down the factors that can pose risk to shuttles. The establishment of a specialized group for review of the design of the shuttles and the evaluation of the critical items was a clear attempt towards increasing the safety and quality of the shuttles and to avoid any further disasters from happening. Aspects of NASA Practice after Columbia Disaster In 2003, another disaster was faced by NASA when shuttle Columbia broke up. It was found out that the cause of the disaster was a 1.67-pound slab of insulating foam that fell off the external fuel tank, hit the left wing and caused a breach in the tiles. Another cause that was disclosed was lack of proper funding. There was a policy called â€Å"Faster, Better, Cheaper† emphasized by the NASA Administrator that impacted the shuttle program. There were a number of management reforms done after the Challenger disaster but despite of the changes, the Columbia disaster took place. It was observed that the changes done were merely for creation of specialized groups in order to increase safety but the organizational culture of NASA remained the same. Even after the Challenger disaster, deviations from expected performance were ignored. There was lack of testing in order to determine safety and reliability and reliance of past practices was placed in place of conducting comprehensive testing. Different Factors and their Contribution to Sustaining Change It has been observed that NASA recommended and implemented the change after the Challenger disaster but the agency could not sustain the change. The organizational culture reverted back restraining the change and the bringing the agency back to the manner it was operating before the disaster. After the Challenger disaster, there were a number of reforms done by the agency and there were a number of policies and procedures set up to ensure safety and q uality of the shuttles. However, with the passage of time, these policies and procedures were ignored and reliance was placed on the past successes of NASA. Therefore, it can be said that sustaining a change may be challenging. Thus, in order to sustain a change, other factors may be used. Such factors include; redesigning the roles of the employees of the organization, introduction of reward policies and linking of selection decision to change objectives. Such policies would help in increasing the motivation of the employees who would work more efficiently as a result. It has been observed that there is a hierarchical structure at NASA and the employees at lower levels remain silent due to lack of authority. Even if there is a critical issue, it is not communicated to higher levels on a timely basis. Thus, redefining their roles and introduction of rewards and whistle blowing policies can help NASA sustain the changes implemented. Similarly, measuring the progress can also help in sustaining a chang