Comparing Grendel And The Epic Of Beowulf - 976 Words

Stephan King once said â€Å"No one really forces you to do anything, you always have a choice† (King). Grendel, in both the self-titled novel and the epic, Beowulf, had a choice. He chose to make the wrong decisions and act solely based upon his feelings. Even though others feel Grendel is a monster because of fate, and he is destined to become a monster either way, Grendel is really a monster due to free will and Grendel s loneliness, plus lack of communication causes him to be violent as well as Grendel knowing what he is doing and is aware of the choices he is making. Most, if not all of Grendel’s aggression comes from him being very lonely. In the novel, Grendel said â€Å"Why can’t I have someone to talk to†¦Hrothgar has people to talk to† (Gardner, 53). Grendel didn’t have anyone he could just talk to about everything and that frustrated him. To him, it seems like everyone has someone, except him. Another example that shows that Grendel’s loneliness and lack of communication causes him to be violent is in Beowulf when the epic explains: â€Å"So Grendel waged his lonely war, inflicting constant cruelties on the people, atrocious hurt. He took over Heorot, haunted the glittering hall after dark, but the throne itself, the treasure-seat, he was kept from approaching; he was the Lord’s outcast† (Beowulf, 165-169). This quote is clarifying how Grendel did all of this by himself and didn’t care of anyone who was in his way either. Although he is lonely, he chooses to use that asShow MoreRelatedComparing Beowulf And Grendel And Beowulf1702 Words   |  7 Pagestranslated, Beowulf has represented one of the finest examples of heroic poetry. As a tale reflecting the noble deeds of a hero, it uniquely expresses the cultural values of the Anglo-Saxons from whom it originated since heroes often do reflect the best of what their culture deems worthwhile. However, modern adaptations of this work express a different set of cultural values; values unique to modern society. When comparing the translated poem, Beowulf, to the 2005 motion picture, Beowulf and GrendelRead MoreSimilarities Of The Story In Beowulf922 Words   |  4 PagesBeowulf was originally an epic poem written by an unknown author that set the tone for future epic literature and created the ideal hero for pieces later to come. But despite its significance, Beowulf has been adapted throughout time and the character and poems image has been changed constantly. One of the best examples showing change to the story is the movie depiction of Beowulf. While there are some similarities that connect the book and story together there are overall more differences that separateRead MoreGrendel and Obj1412 Words   |  6 PagesBeowulf Multiple Choice Identify the letter of the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question. Comprehension The questions below refer to the selections â€Å"from Beowulf, Part One,† â€Å"from Grendel,† â€Å"Life in 999: A Grim Struggle,† and â€Å"from Beowulf, Part Two.† ____ 1. Beowulf slays Grendel in order to  Ã¢â‚¬â€ |a. |save Hrothgar and the Danes from the monster | |b. |prevent Grendel from invading theRead MoreFree Will And Religion : An Epic Hero1478 Words   |  6 Pagescase in the epic poem, Beowulf. The story’s protagonist must endure many trials throughout his journey as an epic hero, defeating his opponent each time. However, Beowulf believes it is not his own strength, but the will of God that he is able to become victorious. As his journey through life continues, from warrior to king, fatalism is present time and time again in all his actions. In Seamus Heaney’s translation of Beowulf, the theme of fate dictates the outcome of each battle Beowulf must overcomeRead MoreComparing Beowulf And The Anglo Saxon Period1300 Words   |  6 PagesRealism in Beowulf In the old English Anglo Saxon writings, many heroes were given fancil characteristics. For example, Beowulf was depicted with an immense amount of strength that people today could not achieve. Nowadays, the recreation of old fiction is very common. However, when fiction from the eighth century is recreated to fit our modern time, the characters are seen to resemble our human features, skills, and ways of thinking. Eighth century writing is not as rational as our entertainmentRead MoreComparing Beowulf And The Anglo Saxon Period1292 Words   |  6 PagesRealism in Beowulf In the old English Anglo-Saxon writings, many heroes were given fanciful characteristics. For example, Beowulf was depicted with an immense amount of strength that people today could not achieve. Nowadays, the recreation of old fiction is very common. However, when fiction from the eighth century is recreated to fit our modern time, the characters are seen to resemble our human features, skills, and ways of thinking. Eighth-century writing is not as rational as our entertainmentRead More Comparing Beowulf and Michael Crichtons The 13th Warrior Essay823 Words   |  4 PagesComparing Beowulf and Michael Crichtons The 13th Warrior Michael Crichton intertwined some aspects of Beowulf with his own thoughts to produce the drama, â€Å"The 13th Warrior.† Beowulf, written down by an unnamed Christian monk in the 8th century, served as a framework for the plot of â€Å"The 13th Warrior.† Beowulf and â€Å"The 13th Warrior† have many differences but the similarities that they share are more abundant through out the two pieces. Instead of doing a direct translation of Beowulf, the writerRead MoreComparing the Characters of Beowulf and Achilles1291 Words   |  5 PagesComparing and Contrasting Beowulf and Achilles Both Beowulf and Achilles are poetic characters, who hail from different eras of history and different cultural backgrounds. While each is unique in his own way, the two heroes also share similar characteristics. This paper will compare and contrast the medieval Germanic hero Beowulf with the classical Greek hero Achilles (of Homers Iliad), and show how the two are similar and how the two are different. The first way in which both characters areRead More Comparing Two Heros - Beowulf and Odysseus Essays618 Words   |  3 PagesComparing Two Heros - Beowulf and Odysseus Reading through Beowulf I began to compare it to the last great epic I read, Homer’s Odyssey. While the Odyssey and Beowulf are each examples of both historic and modern ideas of heroism, the acts of Beowulf’s hero seem to fit better within its context. Beowulf exhibits many obvious heroic qualities, such as his strength and confidence in battle. These along with more subtle diplomatic actions serve to define him as both a great warrior and leaderRead MoreThe Anglo Saxon Era Of Rich History And Reflected Literature1486 Words   |  6 PagesAnglo Saxon Period began in 449 and ended in 1066 AD. This was a time of Viking conquering other nations, patriotism, and Pagan to Christian religious conversion. There are only few recorded authors of this era as a result of literary works such as Beowulf, Wife’s Lament, and The Seafarer being passed down orally through generations of time. The literature serves as a reflection of this ancient time rather than having an impact on this time period. This was a period of great conquering, pride and honor

Unemployment Essay Free Essays

Unemployment can be a result of many factors, being fired, budget cuts, service no longer needed, failed business, etc. Unemployment is a prevalent issue today. Since, the 1920s unemployment has been a top issue and finding a way to eradicate the situation has always been a part of presidential campaigns. We will write a custom essay sample on Unemployment Essay or any similar topic only for you Order Now In a situation of unemployment, more families are finding difficult to provide for their families. In 2012 more than 197 million people were unemployed this about 6% of the workforce, as a result, of unemployment, families can end up stranded or homeless, unable to make ends meet. There are more cons than pros when it comes to unemployment. When families live with the fear of being evicted it affects everyone differently, but with this policy, they now have the means to provide for their family and themselves. In the meantime, they search for new jobs to independently provide for their families. When unemployment decreases workers begin to make money again, allowing them to pay bills, buy groceries, and provide for their children; This also benefits businesses, and the economy once more people find jobs. The bill provides enough money to cover necessities like groceries. Those who receive this aid are only qualified for 26 weeks to 33 weeks through the Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC) program. Benefits like unemployment insurance and subsidies to aid in retraining are part of the policy as a form of reinforcement. This offers unemployed people more time to search for jobs and find ways to get back to work; However, today it’s difficult for some people to find a part-time or full-time job within that period to be able to support themselves. The policy provides the financial assistance that these individuals and families need in their most difficult time. I support the unemployment policy for many reasons. First, it gives those unfortunate enough to lose their job a temporary means to get by. And, it gives a safety net. It’s enough to pay for the bare necessities in your life like bills and food. Also, it provides temporary financial assistance. Without standing, the main goal of this program is to reduce the hard impact of unemployment and help individuals get back on their feet. While these unemployed people are searching for jobs they enjoy the benefits of unemployment insurance, unemployment compensation, and welfare and subsidies to aid in retraining. How to cite Unemployment Essay, Essays

Plantation Crops Plunder and Power

Question: Discuss about the Plantation Crops Plunder and Power. Answer: Introduction: This paper looks at how the heat wave negatively impacts the pineapple growers by increasing the cost of production and reducing demand due to close substitutes when prices increase due to low supply. The supply curve will shift inwards while there will upward movements along demand curve which increases price thereby making consumers to shift to substitute fruits due to elastic demand of pineapple. The market is the fresh fruit market. Pineapple is a fresh fruit sold in this market. Pineapple farmers fear that the prolonged heat will affect the demand and supply of the pineapple. This is because, such a heat will stunt the growth of the pineapple fruit given the nightly temperatures being high as well. The fruit is expected to get burnt and become unsalable due to heat wave in the Southeast Queensland that has hit its peak currently. This heat will further affect the locals and tourists who are the demanders of fresh fruits. As the fruit is getting close to harvest, they get seriously burned and this will cut supply leading to huge losses of money. Moreover, with the increased costs of producing pineapple due to extra need for protective sunblock film to protect pineapple and a polymer solutions which does change the fruits color, such burden are expected to be pass on to the final consumers. These factors will tend to change the equilibrium point, as demand will be low as resu lt of the increased price cost by cut on supply. With the price elasticity of demand for Pineapple in the market, the revenue coming from sale of pineapple will be negatively affected when the price is decreased and improved when the price is increased. The pineapple is very sensitive to the price due to the existence of many substitute fresh fruit products in the market (Kiprono, 2014). Therefore, when the price of the pineapple is increased relative to the prices of the related products, consumers will shift their consumption from pineapple to other related fresh fruits in the market. This will lead to reduce revenue received from the sale of pineapple. On the other hand, where the price of the revenue is reduced relative to that of related fresh fruits in the market, the demand for revenue will increase and with increased demand at less supply, more revenue will be achieved as explained in the diagram below. This is because the revenue is determined by the product of quantity sold and the price per unit of the pineapple sold (Ki prono, 2014). The limestone solution spray causes a negative externality to farmers who would want to sell their pineapple to fresh fruit market. This is because it turns the color to white which is unacceptable to the fresh fruit market but only for the cannery that do not care about the appearance. The farmers who sell their fruits in the fresh fruit market must further spray a polymer solution that does not alter the pineapples color. All these, adds to the marginal cost of producing and subsequently selling the pineapple to the fresh fruit market. To reduce this negative externality (limestone solution turning pineapple white and hence rejected at the fresh fruit market), it is suggested that other mechanisms that do not turn the color be applied. It is also suggested that the farmers should examine the right time to grow the pineapple so that they are not caught up with such heat wave that compels the use of sunblock. It is also suggested that farmers should sell to the cannery rather than fr esh fruit market that do not care about the appearance of the fruit to avoid the use of polymer solutions (Hancock, 2017). In summary, the paper has shown how the heat wave causes massive negative externality to pineapples growers who sell their produce to the fresh fruit market in Southeast Queensland. The heat wave burns the pineapples badly despite nearing harvest leading to massive loss on money and revenue for the farmers. Pineapple growers have the cost of producing and selling pineapples to the fresh fruit market increased because they must buy polymer solutions to remove the white colors caused by the limestone solution smeared as a sunblock to the pineapple fruits. However, despite this negative externality, a positive externality is recognized when the demand for polymer solutions and sunblock is increased hence making other people to get revenue and income from the heat wave (de Ancos, Snchez?Moreno Adolfo, 2017). It is recommended that growers should sell to the cannery rather than fresh fruit market to reduce the impact of this negative externality and improve the positive externality durin g the heat wave conditions. Famers are also encouraged to effectively predict the weather conditions and climate to know the best time to grow pineapple to avoid being caught up with heat wave. References de Ancos, B., Snchez?Moreno, C., Adolfo, G. (2017). Pineapple composition and nutrition. Handbook of Pineapple Technology: Postharvest Science, Processing and Nutrition, 221. Hancock, J. F. (2017). Plantation Crops, Plunder and Power: Evolution and exploitation. Routledge. Hanrahan, B. (2017). Frangipani Gardens. Univ. of Queensland Press. Kiprono, A. K. (2014). Adsorption characteristics of captafol pesticide by sediment and soil samples: apparent thermodynamic properties using spectroscopic methods (Doctoral dissertation, University of Nairobi). McCarthy, M. (2017). Pineapple farmers apply 'sunblock' to fruit as Queensland heatwave reaches peak. ABC News, 1-4. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-01-20/pineapple-farmers-apply-sunblock-to-pineapples-in-heatwave/8196914 Paull, R. E., Bartholomew, D. P., Chen, C. C. (2017). Pineapple breeding and production practices. Handbook of Pineapple Technology: Postharvest Science, Processing and Nutrition, 16. Pride, A. (2017). Fruit Variety Size/Price Description.

The Client Essays - The Client, Mafia, John Grisham,

The Client The Client 1) The main character of my book was Mark Sway. 2) Mark Sway is a bad little eleven year old boy with a huge burden on his hands. Mark smokes ciggaretes, uses foul language, and picks on his little brother, Ricky. Mark grew up in a trailer, with an abusive father, a mother who is hardly around, and his little brother Ricky who annoys him plenty. Mark was a very strong character who did not take anything from anyone! The trouble Mark ran into with Jerome Clifford only made him stronger. All he cared about was protecting his little brother, and his mother. Jerome Clifford was a heavy set man, who was trying to commit suicide, because of a dangerous secret he knew. Mark and his younger brother Ricky, stumbled upon Jerome one day, as he was trying to commit suicide. Jerome revealed the dangerous secret to Mark, which made Mark a major target of the mafia. Mark was pushed around and overlooked, but as soon as people found out Mark knew this dangerous secret, they all wanted a piece of him. Mark knew he was in trouble so he did t! he only thing he knew possible, which was get a lawyer. The lawyers' name was Reggie Love, a woman. Mark despised Reggie at first, knowing that a woman was not capable of fullfilling his needs, like a man could. Then something happened where Reggie grew on him, he got more used too her, and he found himself telling her personal things, spending tons of time with her, and starting to care for her. She was like the mother figure he never had. Mark and Reggie were in the tangle of mess together. Mark realized through the whole ordeal he could not do everything by himself, he also realized how vulnerable he was by being independent. Mark and Reggie became bestest friends, right up to the point where he would have to leave into the witness protection program. 3) I liked the way Mark was so rowdy, and uncontrollable. He was so young, yet so smart and mature. He knew how to protect himself, and he knew the importance of his family members and friends, and how important it was too protect them. No matter what the mafia did to Mark, he made sure his family was safe first, than he took care of himself. 4) I could not really find anything I did not like about Mark, I did not like at the end how he had to relocate into the witness protection program. Which meant he would no longer be allowed to see or communicate with his new found friend, Reggie. It really hurt me when they had to seperate, because even though they were not related, it was like she was losing her son, and he was losing his mother. It was a difficult moment for both of them, I am sure. 5) I would compare myself to Reggie Love. She is a very intelligent lawyer, who uses her smarts too outwit even the brainiest. She cares very much for her clients, especially Mark. She was very willing to give up her own life to help Mark out, because he meant so much too her. That is exactly how I am, my friends and family mean the world too me, and I would give anything to help them out! I am different in the way that I do not think I would have had all the courage and strength she did throughout the book. I mean, I just highly doubt I would have been able to hang on for that long. 6) The main plot of the book is about a eleven year old boy named Mark Sway, who uncovers a deathly secret about the mafia. He confides everything into his female lawyer, Reggie love. Together they work to uncover the full truth, and put the bad guys away, permanently. 7) The two opposing forces are good vs. evil. Mark is trying to do the right thing, which is protect his family by concealing the dark secret, and the mafia is trying to kill him for knowing the secret, which could incriminate them if he let it out. 8) A: First, Mark is sucked into the plot, leading him into the mafia's world of lies, and murder. B: Second, Mark witnesses the suicide of Jerome Clifford, making it easier for his face to be plastered onto the front page of every newspaper. C: Third, the mafia finds out Mark really was with Jerome when he commited suicide, and

Leader Research Paper Sir Richard Branson

Leader Research Paper Sir Richard Branson Introduction Strong leadership is necessary if an organization is to achieve its goal of higher performance and increased productivity. For this reason, effective leadership is rightfully regarded as a critical factor in the success of all organizations.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Leader Research Paper: Sir Richard Branson specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More There exist many leadership styles and their effectiveness depends on the particular business environment as well as the personal traits and values of the individual leader (Bartlett Goshal, 2000). One individual who has emerged as a successful leader is the Virgin groups CEO, Richard Branson. He has built himself a reputation by being a successful entrepreneur who has founded many profitable groups of companies. This paper will set out to review the leadership styles used by Branson. Specifically, the paper will analyze his dominant leadership styles and cite specific behaviors that have been critical to the success of Branson. Specific behavior by Branson that would ensure a students future life success will be highlighted. A review of behaviors from Branson that leaders should avoid will also be made. A brief biography on Richard Branson Richard Branson is an English business entrepreneur who is most renowned for founding the Virgin Group of companies. He was born in 1950 and although an underachiever in school, he had great practical intelligence and possessed numerous creative abilities. Richard Branson began his business career while studying at Stowe, an exclusive private boys school. His first venture which was a magazine called Student which became a success.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This motivated Branson to abandon school and pursue his business interests in 1968. His magazine attracted significant rea dership due to its elective style and its venture into subjects that were not addressed by the well established magazines. The next venture undertaken by Branson was mail order records and this venture was chosen since it required no up-front investment and no working capital which made it ideal for Branson who had little money at his disposal. The name Virgin Records was chosen for this commercial entity. The success of the retail store led to expansion into record publishing with great financial success for the company. A fundamental notion held by Branson is that small is beautiful and as such, when a unit grows too large it is split apart. Virgin Atlantic Airways which is Bransons grand jewel was founded in 1984 following a proposal by a Californian lawyer for Branson to start an intercontinental cut-price airline. Unlike the previous ventures, the airline business required a lot of capital and by 1985, the financial needs of the airline were creating a cash squeeze for Virgin ( Kets de Vries, 1998). This led to the Virgin Group going public so as to gain the needed capital. However, Branson was unhappy with the public status of his company and in 1987; he bought out external shareholders and therefore made Virgin a private company again.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Leader Research Paper: Sir Richard Branson specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More By the early 1990s, the airline had become the centerpiece of Bransons interests and the capital needs of the airline made it necessary for him to acquire more capital. The capital was to be acquired by selective divestment. Specifically, Branson sold Virgin Music (which was his most profitable business) for close to $1 billion and then used the money to support new business ventures and also to expand the airline. Virgin Atlantic gained a competitive edge over the more established airlines because of its reduced prices and the superior and innovativ e customer services. Kets de Vries (1998) notes that the airline was able to offer its business class travelers amenities that exceeded those offered to first class passengers by its competitors therefore making it appealing to many travelers. Virgin airline showed innovation in customer service and for this, the airline has won numerous awards and experienced significant success on the global market. Even so, the Airline has had to constantly compete with major airlines most notably of which are British Airways. The company has relied on Bransons innovativeness to remain profitable in the tough airline industry and therefore defend its strategic position.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Branson’s Dominant Leadership Style Transformational Leader Richard Branson engages in transformational leadership where the leader â€Å"looks for potential motives in followers, seeks to satisfy higher needs, and engages the full person of the follower (Burns 1978, p.173). The most distinctive attribute of transformational leaders is that they demonstrate significant consideration of follower’s needs. Branson strongly believes in the importance of his staff as is elaborated by his maxim staff first, customers second, and shareholders third†. Kets de Vries (1998) reveals that Branson strongly believes in this concept and to him, people are the greatest asset that his business empire has. In an interview with CNBC Business (2007), Branson reveals that his leadership approach entails motivating people and looking for the best in them while at the same time keeping criticism at a minimal. Branson demonstrates his transformational style by granting his employees op portunities to exhibit great personal and professional growth. For example, when a company becomes too big, he splits it up and promotes the assistant managers of the original company into becoming heads of the new company. All employees are therefore motivated to set aside their own self-interest and work collectively to achieve organizational goals since this will help them to achieve even higher goals (London, 2002). Such a policy gives employees an opportunity to experience professional growth and it also makes the employees work harder in the hope that they will get the opportunity to be promoted or even head their own company. Branson expects his followers to achieve more than their initial personal goals and empowers them to be successful. When speaking about his staff, Branson states that Virgin staff are not mere hired hands; they are not managerial pawns in some gigantic chess game. They are entrepreneurs in their own right (Dearlove, 2010, p.104).considering the current e conomic environment, his statement addresses one of the most fundamental issues, which is success. A common goal which Branson has set for his employees is that they should aim to expand into bigger markets and gain higher loyalty among customers. Dearlove (2010) reveals that these goals are well articulated to all employees and everybody involved is expected to provide the best services to the customers and look for opportunities to expand the business. This approach works and Virgin workers are constantly coming up with proposals which Branson reviews and then follows up on if they have merit. Charismatic Leader Branson has also set himself apart as a charismatic leader. Kunstler (2008) suggests that Branson has been successful in his role as the figurehead of Virgin group, that he has grown to be more important than the brand itself. This thought is further supported by Dearlove (2010) who declares that a charismatic leader should have ample ability to sell a vision of trust, tra nquilly and dedication to a prescribed cause to all employees. Through his character, Branson has not only proved to his employees that integrity and dedication lead to success, but also, a sense of belonging and purpose. Such, virtues promote commitment, all the while propelling the belief that as employees, people have it in them to make a significant difference. A charismatic leader creates an environment that is conducive for the followers to exercise creativity and take some risks without fear of consequences. Branson encourages his staff to be innovative and creativity is rewarded in the organization, which makes the employees more likely to innovate and try new approaches. The business consultant Don Cruickshank deduced that Virgin is structured around its energetic chairman whose enthusiasm has led to the continued success of the company (Dearlove, 2010). Branson is charismatic since he shows a lot of enthusiasm and self-confidence which makes it possible for him to influenc e his followers. He is therefore able to motivate his followers to do more than they normally do and make personal sacrifices for the good of the organization. The charismatic leaders is also a visionary who is willing to take risks in order to achieve his vision while at the same time remaining sensitive to how the vision meets followers needs. The success of Virgin Airlines and Virgin mobile is largely attributed to the charisma exuded by Richard Branson. Dyck and Neubert (2008) assert that Branson used his power of personality and ability to communicate a compelling vision in order to lead his followers to take risks and achieve great success in the airline and wireless industries. Branson is the reason why Virgin is one of the worlds most recognized brands. It is as a result of his charisma that he is able to attract investors who supply the majority of the capital for his new ventures. Dearlove (2010) admits that over the years, Bransons personal reputation has been the most ef fective tool of recruiting the best staff for Virgin group. He states that many of the companys most able managers were drawn by what they had seen and heard about the way Branson runs his business. Branson is really good at motivating others and passing on his confidence and belief that every new project will succeed and by doing this, he acts as a catalyst for the development and success of new business ventures. When he set up Virgin Atlantic Airlines, Branson was going head to head with big airlines such as British Airways which held a huge market share (Kets de Vries, 1998). However, he was able to convince his staff that they could compete favorably against these giants and emerge victorious. Based on his personal convictions that they would succeed, he was able to inspire his followers to work hard and realize his high expectations. Specific Behavior that is Important to Branson’s Success Branson is well known for his risk taking attitude and his believe that one can s ucceed even in the face of numerous odds. This quality has been the reason behind the numerous success experienced by the Virgin group. One of the riskiest business ventures Branson undertook was by entering into the railway business in the late 1990s. He took over some segments of Britains railway network which was old and inefficient. By making use of technological advances, Branson was able to increase the efficiency of the railway network and hence make the railway more appealing to customers. While Virgin Trains has not achieved the monumental success that Virgin Atlantic has, it has made some progress in spite of the negative outcomes that many analysts predicted (Dearlove, 2010). The visibility of Virgin Groups products is greatly enhanced by Bransons genius at promoting his company. He does this through daring personal exploits which help him to get the attention of extensive media coverage. For example, Shavinina (2006) records that Branson has broken a number of world reco rds by crossing the Atlantic in a hot air balloon and also by boat. His latest exploit has been in successfully kite-surfing across the English Channel and therefore becoming the oldest person to do so. His flamboyant nature also generates a lot of free publicity for his companies. For example, to avoid incurring the huge costs required to advertise the new airline in the mainstream media in 1984, Branson appeared in a World War 1 flying outfit to celebrate the first flight of the newly formed Virgin Atlantic. Branson takes advantage of investment opportunities even when the competition seems high. He has also shown that one should not be intimidated by the bigger players in the market and he has proved that one can succeed â€Å"despite the odds†. For example, Branson has launched products such as Virgin Cola in a market that is dominated by the two major soft drink giants; Coca Cola and Pepsi (Dearlove, 2010). Another behavior that has led to Bransons success is that he alw ays stays in touch with Virgin customers and employees. He is therefore aware of their perception of the current commodities offered by Virgin and can gain valuable information on new needs. Sosik and Dinger (2007) state that Branson spends significant amount of time looking into complaints made by customers as well as reading and responding to suggestions made by his employees. Which behavior described, would ensure student’s future life success? Branson emphasizes on the importance of innovation among his followers. This is a behavior that can be beneficial in my future since for an organization to survive in today’s business environment, one has to expand the horizon beyond personal goals and focus more on progression, which can only be accomplished by innovation (Katsioloudes Hadjidakis, 2007). A leader should therefore foster creativity and innovation among his followers instead of having followers who only follow orders. Branson’s view in this case is ind icative of a dominant leadership style, which demands for strategic empowerment in a bid to improve self-worth among employees. Branson also demonstrates concern for the welfare of his employees and he constantly states that they are the most important asset of the organization. Alimo-Metcalfe ALban-Metcalfe (2001) reveal that the transformational leader gives priority to his followers needs which leads to the followers having a lot of respect and admiration for their leader. Delegation is another behavior by Branson that can ensure a student’s future life success. Branson takes a back seat in the running of Virgin and lets his employees engage in the day to day running of the company with little interruption. He declares that he finds the most talented people and then gives them the space to do their job. Virgin Atlantic Airways is the exception in Bransons hands off approach and he devotes a lot of time and attention to the airline. Dearlove (2010) states that such an appr oach is necessary when one is heading as many companies as Branson does since it would be unrealistic for him to involve himself in the operations of all the companies. As a student, I would want to emulate this behavior by entrusting some tasks to my followers. An effective leader should be skilled at allocating tasks and responsibilities to different followers based on their strengths. In some instances, delegation will require more than simply giving up some of the responsibilities; it may entail relinquishing of power to others. Behaviors from Richard Branson that leaders should avoid A behavior from Branson that leaders should avoid is taking too much risk in a bid to achieve goals and assuming that positive attitude and enthusiasm will lead to success. Dearlove (2010) notes that Branson rarely makes use of market research when taking up a venture; instead, he relies on his instincts as to what the customers want. He believes in risking it all to achieve his goals and maintains a positive attitude to each project he undertakes (Dyck Neubert, 2008) state that. Branson is known for making major risks in a bid to achieve his goals. This risk taking has led to some significant failures by Branson. For example, a number of his online retailing companies that were established during the dot.com bubble were failures making it necessary for the ventures to be abandoned. His venture in vodka and computers were also failures. While the Virgin Group of companies can afford to make a few unsuccessful ventures without dire repercussions, most leaders do not have the same luxury and one failure may break the company. Leaders should therefore avoid unnecessary risks in order to ensure the survivability and future success of their organizations. Branson has a reputation of acting at record-breaking speed when a new opportunity presents itself. He disregards bureaucracy and does not use time consulting with middle managers about the feasibility of his latest ideas. This impulsive approach to new ventures may be detrimental to the well being of a small or middle sized organization. Another behavior that leaders should avoid is overemphasizing personal charisma. As it is, Virgin is heavily reliant on Branson as the charismatic leader. Branson has grown to be more important than the brand and there is concern as to the future of the group since it will be very hard to find a worthwhile successor to him. Den Hartog et al. (1999) warn that charismatic leaders may have a negative impact on the future of a company as is the case with Virgin. Leaders should therefore ensure that they put they do not jeopardize the future prospects of the company. Conclusion This paper set out to review the Bransons dominant leadership styles and access the manner in which his behavior can ensure a students future life success. It has been noted that Branson began utilizing his entrepreneurial capabilities at the early age of 17 and has continued to develop many companies w ith great success. The paper has noted that Branson’s dominant leadership styles are transformational and charismatic. It has been articulated that Branson creates a challenging and exciting environment in which his followers can exercise their creativity and innovation instead of following him blindly wherever he leaders. The paper has also underscored the fact that creativity is a major driving force behind all operations by Branson and he seeks to impart the same spirit to his followers. The empowering attitude that Branson emphasizes leads to greater performance being obtained from his staff and this causes the organization to excel. This paper has come out with a number of lessons that can be learnt from Branson’s leadership styles. By putting these lessons into practice, one can become an effective leader and therefore become an asset to the organization. References Alimo-Metcalfe, B. ALban-Metcalfe, R. (2001). The Development of a new transformational Leadershi p questionnaire. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 74, 1-27, 2001. Bartlett, C.A. Goshal, S. (2000). Going global lesson from late movers. Harvard Business Review 78 (2):132-142. CNBC Business (2007). Richard Branson: Simon Hobbs meets the Virgin Group founder. Web. Dearlove, D. (2010). The Unauthorized Guide to Doing Business the Richard Branson Way: 10 Secrets of the Worlds Greatest Brand Builder. NY: John Wiley Sons. Den Hartog, D. N., House, R. J., Hanges, P. J., Ruiz-Quintanilla, S. A., Dorfman, P.W., Abdalla, I. A., et al. (1999). Culture specific and cross-culturally generalizable implicit leadership theories: Are attributes of charismatic/transformational leadership universally endorsed? Leadership Quarterly, 10(1), 219-256. Dyck, B. Neubert, M. (2008). Management: Current Practices and New Directions. Boston: Cengage Learning. Katsioloudes, M.I. Hadjidakis, S. (2007) International business: a global perspective, NY: Butterworth-Heinemann. Kets de Vr ies, M. F. R. (1998). Charisma in action: The transformational abilities of Virgins Richard Branson and AABs Percy Barnevik. Organizational Dynamics, 26 (2), 6-21. Kunstler, B. (2008). Leadership in the Era of the Human Singularity: New Demands, New Skills, New Response. The Proteus Monograph Series, 2(4), 1-93. London, M. (2002). Leadership Development: Paths to Self-Insight and Professional Growth. NY: Routledge. Shavinina, L. V. (2006). Micro-social factors in the development of entrepreneurial giftedness: the case of Richard Branson, High Ability Studies, 17 (2), 225–235. Sosik, J.J. Dinger, S.L. (2007). Relationships between leadership style and vision content: The moderating role of need for social approval, self-monitoring, and need for social power. The Leadership Quarterly, 18(1), 134–153.

An Explanation of the Truman Doctrine

An Explanation of the Truman Doctrine The Truman Doctrine was a key part of the Cold War, both in how this conflict of posturing and puppets began, and how it developed over the years. The doctrine was policy to support free peoples who are resisting attempted subjugation by armed minorities or by outside pressures, and announced on March 12th, 1947 by US President Harry Truman, making the doctrine US government policy for decades. The Start of the Truman Doctrine The doctrine was dreamed up in response to crises in Greece and Turkey, nations which Americans believed were in danger of falling into the Soviet sphere of influence. The US and the USSR had been in alliance during the Second World War, but this was to defeat a common enemy in the Germans and the Japanese. When the war ended and Stalin was left in control of Eastern Europe, which he had conquered and intended to subjugate, the US realized the world was left with two superpowers, and one was as bad as the Nazis they had just defeated and far stronger than before. Fear was mixed with paranoia and a little bit of guilt. A conflict was possible, depending on how both sides reacted... and they produced one. While there was no realistic way to free Eastern Europe from Soviet domination, Truman and the US wanted to stop any further countries falling within their control, and the presidents speech promised monetary aid and military advisors to Greece and Turkey to stop them buckling. However, the doctrine was not just aimed at these two, but expanded worldwide as part of the Cold War to cover assistance to all nations threatened by communism and the Soviet Union, involving the US with western Europe, Korea, and Vietnam among others. A major part of the doctrine was the policy of containment. The Truman Doctrine was developed in 1950 by NSC-68 (National Security Council Report 68) which assumed the Soviet Union was trying to spread its power across the whole world, decided that the US should stop this and advocated a more active, military, policy of containment, fully abandoning previous US doctrines like Isolationism. The resulting military budget rose from $13 billion in 1950 to $60 billion in 1951 as the US prepared for the struggle. Good or Bad? What did this mean, in practice? On the one hand, it meant the US involving themselves in every region of the world, and this has been described as a constant battle to keep freedom and democracy alive and well where they are threatened, just as Truman announced. On the other, it is becoming increasingly impossible to look at the Truman doctrine without noticing the terrible governments who were supported, and the highly questionable actions taken by the free west, in order to support opponents of the Soviets.

Crack Cocaine Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Crack Cocaine - Research Paper Example Importance of medicine and drugs: The greatest invention by humankind was the discovery of modern medicine. As a cure to illness soon progressed to become a science that now affects the lives of all. The breakthrough innovation of medical drugs has helped man combat against disease and improved lives. What went wrong: Side effects if not controlled, similarly misuse of drugs can have consequences that are devastating to say the least. To avoid the harmful outcome of misuse, many detrimental and dependency creating drugs have been declared illegal by authorities yet they still find a way through many loopholes and enter and destroy the lives of many individuals worldwide. Introduce Crack: Crack cocaine is a freebase  form of  cocaine  that can easily be smoked and it is the most addictive form of cocaine.  It is a popular choice since it offers a short but intense  high  to smokers. First developed during the cocaine boom in the 1970s but its abuse did not begin until the mid-1980s. The US Drug Enforcement Agency recounts that by the late 1970s an abundance of Cocaine in its powder form was being shipped to the United States and a large proportion of this came in through Miami, Florida. (Add reference 1) This increased supply caused the prices of the substance to fall about 80%. When the drug dealers faced a drop in profits owing to the lower prices they transformed the powder to â€Å"crack,† which was a solid form of cocaine that could easily be smoked. Advantages of cocaine in form of crack: This form of cocaine could be sold in smaller quantities, to more people at better profit since it was cheap, simple to produce and easy to use. By the mid-1980’s, crack had found its way into many major American cities. A much purer form of cocaine as opposed to powder. Soon after smoking the cheap and affordable hit, they felt a high and immediately would crave more. Phenomenon of crack babies: â€Å"crack babies†; babies who had become dependent to crack

Secular Organizations and Sacred Places Paper Essay

Secular Organizations and Sacred Places Paper - Essay Example This mythical practice continued from generation to generation as part of custom and it prevails in this 21st century also. The common elements such as stones, water, fire, writings, statues and metals, trees, and caves have been considered as mythical elements in sacred places. They are discussed below in detail. Stones in various kinds and sizes have been attributed sacredness by religious ideologies. Evidences of megalithism can be seen across the globe and it is credited to most ancient cultures. Some religions build specific configurations using special arrangements of stones; and it clearly reflects the cultural features of the respective religions. Water is another important sacred element which has a devotional image in majority of religions. According to Christian, Islam, and Jewish beliefs water is a significant element in religious practices. For instance, according to their notions, water symbolizes internal purification and anointment. According to Bible, the spirit of G od separated water from water by a firmament and was found ‘hovering over the waters’ (Genesis 1: 1-6). Other world religions including Hinduism also heed higher importance to water in their religious ceremonies. According to Hindu concept, all inhabitants of the earth originated from the ‘primordial sea’.

Pre-school children Essay Example for Free

Pre-school children Essay I carried out my observation on a group of pre-school children consisting 1 boy and 2 girls for 13 minutes in the morning free play session. These children were about to do leaf and twig printing for the first time. The equipment that was provided was yellow paint, brown paint and green paint all of these were in small paint trays. There was also sugar paper for the children to print their leaves on. There was also various sized leafs and twigs in a small tray. Each child went and put their aprons on. Then they came and sat sown around the table on the chairs. I explained to them what they have to do and I demonstrated this by dabbing a leaf into the paint and printing it onto a piece of sugar paper. Then I got a piece of twig and dabbed it into the paint and printed it onto the sugar paper. The children listened to me carefully and then they started to their printing. A picked a large leaf using her right and looked at it, and then she said wow, look at how many colours this leaf has, 1, 2, 3 different colours. Next she carefully lifted another large leaf she dabbed it into the green painted. Next she printed the leaf onto the large piece sugar paper. R picked up a twig and he stroked it into the brown paint; next he stroked the twig onto the piece of sugar paper and whilst he was doing this he said this paint is going in lines, it looks like chocolate, weeeeehhh. Beside this K picked up a leaf and dabbed it into the yellow paint. K rubbed the leaf into the yellow paint, next he lifted the leaf from the yellow paint and placed the leaf in the green paint, and again he rubbed the leaf and said while doing this he excitedly said I am mixing colours. Next I asked the children where do leaves come from? A quickly answered they come from trees. R added then they fall off the trees. K also added twigs come from trees as well. K said Look, I made a nice picture, she also added I have got 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 leaves printed. Soon after R picked up a leaf and said loudly this leaf is red, yellow and brown. A picked up a twig and using both of her hands she rolled it into the green paint, she next rolled the twig onto the sugar paper. A picked up 3 different sized leaves and placed them onto the sugar paper and said this one is tiny, this one is a little bit bigger and this one is the biggest. R then said excitedly look my twig has made patterns. A leaned over to have look at Rs picture. A said it hassss! . Then she looked at her picture and said look! My leaves have made patterns in the middle. Next K held up her paper and said I am finished! . She placed her paper on the drying rack and took her apron off, washed her hands and went to play with some toys. R and A also said that they had finished they placed their pieces of paper onto the drying rack. Next they removed their aprons and washed their hands and went to play. E6 E7 E10 I carried out my observation on a group of morning children of the pre-school for a total of 13 minutes approximately whilst they had a free play. I observed how a group of children play with natural materials and noting how it helps them to learn. While I was observing this small group of children playing I noticed that this activity helps them to learn about the knowledge and understanding of the world. I also noticed that they were interacting and communicating really well with each other. You can view this by reading my observation in E5. But we must remember that each child develops at their own pace. This group of childrens ages range from 3:6 years to 3: 9 years. The Foundation Stage Curriculum states Knowledge and Understanding of The World; children notice and comment on patterns (2000, pg89). This statement was from the green area stepping stone and this shows me that this group of children are at the correct developmental stage. But we must remember that each child is an individual. Also The Foundation Stage Curriculum states Mathematical Development; children count actions and objects that cannot be moved (2000, pg 75). This statement from The Foundation Stage Curriculum is from the green area stepping stone, and it shows me that K is at the correct developmental stage because you can see from my observation in E5 that K was counting the leaf printings on her piece of sugar paper. The Foundation Stage Curriculum also states Mathematical Development; children use size language such as big and little. This statement shows me that R is at the correct developmental stage because he was using size language when he was describing the three leaves. You can see this by viewing my observation in E5.

the black death Essay -- essays research papers fc

In â€Å"The Black Death† the author Phillip Ziegler attempts to fully describe the Plague that struck Europe in 1338 and remained until 1665. The year of the great Plague of London Ziegler tries to give an unbiased account of the Plague by compiling information from contradictory sources. Ziegler begins the book with the Tartans catapulting diseased corpses into Genoese as the Genoese escape back to Europe. Following this, the author provides some insight into the Plague in Italy, Germany, and France, in which he highlights the persecution of Jews, who became the scapegoat for the Plague in Germany. The majority of the book discusses the Plague in England, dealing with the people that died.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ziegler doesn’t argue an opinion of his findings. He openly admits that he has done no original research. Instead, he presents a collection of materials and draws some conclusions based on their findings. Ziegler’s intention in writing â€Å"The Black Death’, is to provide an accurate an unbiased account of the plague that struck Europe in 1338, and to appeal to human emotions through eye witness accounts.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ziegler begins with different accounts on how the plague arrived in Europe. After presenting a few ideas, poisonous fumes, or unburned or unburied corpses, Ziegler finds the real truth of the plagues origin in a bacteria known as Pasteur Ella Pestis. Pasteur Ella Pestis, which forms itself within the siles of the dead corpses, head foun...

Environmental Factors Influencing Starbuck’s Marketing Strategy

Startbucks coffee company is a very large and popular company that conducts domestic and global business; it was defined to be the finest coffee in the whole world. It mission statement is â€Å"to inspire and nurture the human spirit- one person, one cup and one neighborhood at a timeâ€Å". Starbucks Company is one of the companies that know how to manage all the environmental forces that effect its marketing decisions. It is recognized for the successful marketing factors that have been influencing the company’s global and domestic growth more effectively in a positive way. These environmental forces are the key trends that influence marketing. This paper will discuss the different environmental factors, how these environmental factors affect Starbucks marketing decisions, and addressing how these factors relates to Starbucks marketing decisions. Environmental forces The five different environmental forces or factors that affect Starbucks marketing decisions as well as its customers and suppliers are social, economic, technological, and competitive and regulatory. The social factor of the environment is known as demographics the people that are described based on their ethnicity, age, gender, income, and occupation all over the world with the variety of their cultures and values. Starbuck Company is affect by the fact that the population is increasing nationwide and that many people with the demographics differences are lovers of Starbucks coffee. The economic factor has its tremendous impact on Startbucks market specially when the household income barely increases but the products and services’ cost easily and consistently increases that lead to a decrease in customers spending that may affect Starbucks marketing decisions. The technological factor plays huge role in Starbucks marketing decisions where inventions and innovations of new products are necessary to maintain customer base. Competitive factor refers to other coffee stores that compete. with Starbucks that try to provide products that please coffee drinker’s needs to attract the market from Starbucks. Regulatory force is the most important environmental factor that affects Starbucks marketing decisions. Regulatory forces or regulation contains a number of federal and state laws that business must follow under any circumstances. Regulations are made to protect consumers and companies to ensure that competition and fair business practices are applied legitimately. Global economic interdependence Starbucks’s global economic interdependence is important to operate the business in ways that contribute to the environmental and economic factors. Global economic interdependence helps Starbucks Company to create value within the diverse communities that leads to evolve the business model that delivers value of companies and farmers that source Starbucks’s products, customers, shareholders and neighborhoods where Starbucks Company has stores (Starbucks Corporation, 2011). Starbucks started applying trade practices in the year of 2000, 16 million paid off for fair-trade quality that is used by the manufacturers who invest at the company level. Fair- trade practices agreements allow coffee farmers to invest in their communities where they can develop business that is capable to compete with other coffee producers and protect their environments by educating communities of fair trade benefits (Starbucks Corporation, 2011). The importance of demographics and physical infrastructure Demographics and physical infrastructure are very important for Starbucks company where demographics workforce are classified as mostly as women who working as a larger number than men and minorities. Physical infrastructure where Starbuck Company must ensure the availability of all needed work related tools, transportations, and communication among all workers. Social responsibility and ethical cultures Starbucks is committed to conduct social and ethical responsibility that is strongly arrange in a line that dive to create a business like Starbuck stores that increases shareholds values by maintaining the solid relationships. Ethics and compliance are crucial for Starbuck Company successes, for that reason the company must ensure ethics are incorporate in all lines of business of the Company where Starbuck is providing a business ethics and compliance training to help partners to voice concerns, find answers to their concerns and maintain an audit line for customers, investors, and vendors. The effect of technology on Starbuck Starbucks company is been tremendously effected by technology. The use of Wi-Fi in their stores is one of the key successes for Starbucks business growth. The consistent use of Wi-Fi internet access is encouraging people to complete most of their out of the office meetings at Starbuck where workmates can get together to plan for a project, where a home buyer meets the real estate agent to sign a purchase contract agreements, where borrower can to close on their loans in a very interactive fun place like Startbucks. In addition to, the well enhanced technological system that employees use at all times. Conclusion Starbucks not only recognizes the central role that social responsibility plays in its business. It also takes constructive action to be socially responsible (Hartley & Rudelius, 2011).

‘In what ways is “Pride and Prejudice” a Cinderella story?’ Essay

Cinderella stories, of one type or another, have remained enduringly popular for hundreds of years. There are Cinderella tales originating from every culture and every time period up to the present day. They reflect the ‘rags to riches’ fantasies of storytellers from all around the world. But what constitutes a Cinderella story? Even though they exist in a vast variety of forms, most have a very similar basic plot. Firstly, there is always a heroine, whose fortunes are to be the focal point of the tale. She is naturally innocent, kind, gentle and beautiful, and always has hardships to bear. For example, in the French version, upon which the Disney animated film is based, Cinderella lives with her weak-willed father and her ‘evil’ stepmother and stepsisters who treat her appallingly; she is forced to act as a servant to them and is dressed in rags. Very often in these stories, there are a number of magical animals that help Cinderella in some way, and along with Cinderella’s Fairy Godmother, enable her to go to the ball, which invariably she has been prevented from attending by her cruel family. At the ball, Cinderella and Prince Charming meet and fall in love instantly, but Cinderella forgets her Godmother’s deadline, and has to rush off suddenly, unintentionally leaving behind only one clue as to her true identity for the love-struck hero. After one final setback, usually resulting from Cinderella’s interfering and vain stepsiblings, the Prince and his love are re-united and go back to the Palace to be married immediately. Cinderella forgives her family, and they join the happy couple at court and all live ‘happily ever after.’ This is the most well known of the â€Å"Cinderella† plots, but as I have said, other versions exist such as â€Å"Katie Woodencloak† and â€Å"Cindermaid†. â€Å"Pride and Prejudice†, Jane Austen’s classic novel, was first published in January 1813. It was designed to appeal to the fashionable novel-reading public of the day, and it was an instant success for its author, and has remained consistently so. With the pretty and likable Elizabeth Bennet marrying the rich and handsome Mr Darcy at the end of the book, at first glance, â€Å"Pride and Prejudice† seems like a typical Cinderella tale. In this essay, I will be investigating the similarities and differences it has to the Cinderella story I have outlined above. For me, Elizabeth is the first obvious ‘Cinderella’ in â€Å"Pride and Prejudice†. She is one of five Bennet sisters, intelligent, witty and impetuous with an independent streak in her, as we find out when she insists that she walk to Netherfield to visit her ill sister. Elizabeth, like Cinderella, has a family who can make life very difficult for her at times. Her father is loving, but like Cinderella’s father, is weak-willed; â€Å"Her father, contented with laughing at them, would never exert himself to restrain the wild giddiness of his youngest daughters.† (Chapter 37.) This trait in her father’s disposition allows Lydia to elope with Mr Wickham from Brighton. Elizabeth’s mother and sisters also inhibit her, not by being malicious or unkind, as with Cinderella, but by their rudeness and hysterical behaviour; â€Å"†¦and in the unhappy defects of her family a subject of yet heavier chagrin. They were hopeless to remedy.† (Chapter 37.) â€Å"Her mother would talk of her views in the same intelligible tone. Elizabeth blushed and blushed again with shame and vexation.† (Chapter 18.) These unattractive qualities in her relatives, as well as her family’s lower social status, prove to have an unfavourable effect on Mr Darcy’s feelings towards her, even though he admits he loves her. Mr Darcy believes Lizzy’s connections to be ‘inferior’; â€Å"He spoke well, but there were feelings besides those of the heart to be detailed†¦His sense of her inferiority†¦of the family obstacles which judgement had always opposed to inclination were dwelt on with warmth.† (Chapter 34.) Although Elizabeth does not suffer the deprivation that Cinderella does (dresses are no problem for Lizzy as they are for Cinderella), and in fact lives comfortably, the Bennets live under the threat that when Mr Bennet dies, they will lose their home Longbourn, because there is no male heir to the estate. So Cinderella’s ‘poverty’ situation could, theoretically affect Elizabeth at some point in the future. Therefore, it is very important for the five Bennet daughters to marry well, to ensure the family’s future security and status. This fact differentiates Cinderella from Elizabeth, as she is fiercely discouraged from going to the ball by her by her jealous stepsisters, where as Elizabeth (and her sisters) are actively encouraged to look for husbands with good fortunes by going to dances. Cinderella spontaneously falls in love with Prince Charming – she had only desperately wanted to go to the ball, and nothing more. But Elizabeth must be convinced of the true goodness of Mr Darcy’s personality before she will overcome her prejudices and dislike of him. Elizabeth’s opinion of Mr Darcy is changed by her hearing his housekeeper at Pemberley speak of how good and kind he really is, and also when Mr Darcy sends a letter to her explaining the misunderstandings about Mr Wickham and the Jane-Bingley affair. It is only after realising her actual feelings for him, and being attracted by his large estate, that Lizzy is prepared to love and marry Mr Darcy. Cinderella is a servant in her household, and although Elizabeth is certainly not a servant, she does aid and support her difficult family, along with her sister Jane, through use of her intelligence and sensibility. Of course, the main reason Elizabeth can be compared to Cinderella is that she is the disadvantaged heroine who marries her Prince and is taken off to his palace in a fairy tale ending; â€Å"‘Good gracious! Lord bless me! Only think! Dear me! Mr Darcy! Who would have thought it! And is it really true? Oh! My sweetest Lizzy! How rich and how great you will be!'† (Chapter 59.) Elizabeth’s family, like Cinderella’s family, also benefit from this happy ending – the Bennets often visit Lizzy at her new home, and Mr Darcy’s wealth means that they never need worry about losing their home or status again. Mrs Bennet is especially thrilled by the match. Another Bennet sister can be successfully compared with Cinderella – Jane. She is the eldest daughter, and like Cinderella, is very kind, but also little naà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ve; â€Å"What a stroke this was for poor Jane! Who could willingly have gone through the world without believing that so much wickedness existed in the whole race of mankind†¦Most earnestly did she labour to prove the probability of error, and seek to clear one, without involving the other.† (Chapter 40.) She also marries a ‘Prince Charming’ with whom she is truly in love, Mr Bingley, who has a ‘palace’ and holds a ball there early in the novel. One thing that makes Jane even more similar to Cinderella in my opinion is that she falls in love with Mr Bingley straight away, even though his meddlesome sisters, Miss Bingley and Mrs Hurst, as well as Mr Darcy, try to stop affections developing between them. This reminds me of the way Cinderella was prevented from trying on the glass slipper by her stepsisters. Unlike Mr Darcy, Mr Bingley has no qualms about Jane’s lower standing in society, and immediately allows himself to fall in love with her, like Prince Charming does with Cinderella at the ball. Similarly, it is at the Netherfield ball, held by Mr Bingley, where Jane and he first display a fondness for each other. Although Jane is like Cinderella in all these ways, she cannot be directly linked with her, as she is not the leading character in â€Å"Pride and Prejudice,† like Elizabeth. Mr Darcy and Mr Bingley are the two men who are most comparable to the Prince in Cinderella. They are both rich men with large estates and good breeding who marry ‘below themselves.’ Mr Darcy is a proud and arrogant man, who we find out later in the book, actually has a compassionate and generous personality. At first, Mr Darcy does not feel it is appropriate for him to marry into a lower class, but he cannot contain his love for Elizabeth, and this love eventually conquers his pride as I have detailed above. This is unlike Prince Charming because in â€Å"Cinderella†, the Prince does not mind when he finds out that his unidentified ‘Princess’ is really a poor servant girl – Cinderella’s status doesn’t matter to him at all. Mr Bingley, on the other hand, is like Prince Charming in that he doesn’t care about Jane’s background, and loves her anyway. Mr Bingley’s character is summed up by this quote; â€Å"‘He is just what a young man ought to be,’ said she, ‘sensible, good-humoured, lively; and I never saw such happy manners! – so much ease, with such perfect good breeding!’ ‘He is also handsome,’ replied Elizabeth, ‘which is what a young man ought likewise to be, if he possibly can. His character is thereby complete.'† (Chapter 4.) For Mr Bingley and Mr Darcy, as with Prince Charming, it is love at first sight with Jane and Elizabeth at the Meryton ball, even if Mr Darcy dare not admit his feelings for some time. When Mr Darcy does propose to Elizabeth, she turns him down, but he remains persistent in trying to assure Lizzy of his good nature, and in the same way as the Prince tracks down Cinderella, Mr Darcy proposes for a second time and Lizzy accepts. It was the letter that Mr Darcy gave to Elizabeth at the Collins’ that revealed his true character to her and this enabled her to accept and love him. In the same way, Cinderella’s glass slipper allows the Prince to find her. It could be concluded that these objects provide the key to identifying the suitors in their true light and make it possible for the characters to eventually marry. I think that there are several people in â€Å"Pride and Prejudice† who could be considered either ‘stepsisters’ or a ‘stepmother’ to Lizzy or Jane. Evidently their own mother and sisters have some qualities similar to those in â€Å"Cinderella.† Mrs Bennet, though inadvertently, hinders any marriage between her daughters and ‘respectable’ men through her inappropriate and embarrassing manner – she is chaotic and thoughtless and gives her family a bad reputation. Jane and Lizzy’s sisters, particularly Lydia and Kitty, are also shallow, selfish and silly young women, only interested in chasing after soldiers and visiting Meryton; â€Å"The two youngest of the family, Catherine and Lydia, were particularly frequent in these attentions; their minds were more vacant than their sisters†¦They could talk of nothing but officers.† (Chapter 7.) â€Å"Catherine, weak-spirited, irritable†¦and Lydia, self-willed and careless.† (Chapter 37.) Lydia’s disastrous elopement with Mr Wickham endangers the anticipated marriage between Jane and Mr Bingley because it disgraces the family. Through this, Lydia is unintentionally like Cinderella’s stepsisters, as she causes a last-minute hitch, which could ruin her sister’s hopes of happiness. In Cinderella, this hitch is the stepsisters preventing Cinderella from trying on the glass slipper by hiding her from the Prince ‘below stairs’. Miss Bingley and Mrs Hurst, Charles Bingley’s sisters, are also like the ‘evil stepsisters’, only more so, in my estimation, than Mrs Bennet and her younger daughters, because they deliberately try to stop the marriages between the Bennet sisters, their brother and his friend taking place. It is revealed that Miss Bingley would like Mr Darcy for herself, and that she is jealous of Lizzy. They also try to persuade Mr Bingley that Jane does not love him in the hope he will forget about her when he is in London. Miss Bingley sends a letter to Jane, which convinces her that Mr Bingley does not care at all for her, which is not true. This, along with Miss Bingley and Mrs Hurst’s officious airs, make them ‘stepsisters’ not only to the Misses Bennet but also to their brother. Lady Catherine de Bourgh, the cold and obnoxious aunt of Darcy, is also a ‘stepmother’ to Elizabeth because she severely disapproves of the marriage between her and her nephew, Mr Darcy, and therefore tries her hardest to thwart their plans. She believes that Lizzy is of a lower social class and not ‘good enough’ for her nephew. Also, she wants to see Mr Darcy marry her daughter, the sickly Anne de Bourgh; â€Å"‘Let me be rightly understood. This match, to which you have the assumption to aspire, can never take place. No, never. Mr Darcy is engaged to my daughter’†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢True, you are a gentleman’s daughter. But who was your mother? Who are your uncles and aunts? Do not imagine me ignorant of their condition.'† (Chapter 56.) Even so, Lady Catherine does not successfully stop Elizabeth and Mr Darcy from marrying, and neither do Lizzy’s family or Miss Bingley, just as the stepsisters fail to stop Cinderella from marrying her Prince in the end. It is not explicitly apparent that there are any ‘Fairy Godmothers’ in â€Å"Pride and Prejudice,† but I think that Mrs Gardiner, Elizabeth’s aunt, can be regarded as aiding Lizzy throughout the novel. As well as the Gardiner’s help to the Bennets through their troubles with Lydia, Mr and Mrs Gardiner make it possible for Elizabeth to go to her ‘palace’ (Pemberley) for the first time, by taking her with them to Derbyshire. (The Fairy godmother in â€Å"Cinderella† also enables Cinderella to go to the palace.); â€Å"With the Gardiners, they were always on the most intimate terms. Darcy, as well as Elizabeth, really loved them; and they were both ever sensible of the warmest gratitude towards the persons who, by bringing her into Derbyshire, had been the means of uniting them.† (Chapter 61.) Perhaps Jane in her continuing support of Lizzy and the Bennet family could also be seen as a ‘Fairy Godmother’ to them all. Another similarity between â€Å"Pride and Prejudice† and â€Å"Cinderella† is that the heroines in both stories go to at least one ball where they meet their future husbands. In â€Å"Pride and Prejudice†, there are two balls – the Meryton Ball and the Netherfield Ball, but in contrast with â€Å"Cinderella†, the future spouses do not immediately get on as well as Cinderella and Prince Charming do! – At the Meryton Ball Lizzy overhears Mr Darcy snubbing her whilst talking to Mr Bingley; â€Å"‘Which do you mean?’ and turning around, he looked for a moment at Elizabeth, till catching her eye, he withdrew his own and coldly said, ‘She is tolerable; but not handsome enough to tempt me.'† Both stories highlight the importance of ‘the ball’ as a major social event; very often it was the only opportunity for people to meet and socialise. At her ball, Cinderella has a curfew to comply with – she must be home by midnight or else her magical clothes and coach will turn back into rags and a pumpkin. There is no literal deadline in â€Å"Pride and Prejudice†, but time is running out for the women in the novel, as they must marry well, while they are still potentially ‘desirable’ wives, if they want to be secure and assured of a future free from want. This fear is shown in the story by the plight of Charlotte Lucas, who marries the repellent Mr Collins because she knows it will probably be her last opportunity to gain a husband and therefore a house of her own; â€Å"Mr Collins was neither sensible nor agreeable; his society was irksome†¦But still he would be her husband†¦and at the age of twenty-seven, without having ever been handsome, she felt all the good luck of it.† (Chapter 22.) An important component of the â€Å"Cinderella† fairy tale is magic, and magical animals, and as I have found neither one of these in â€Å"Pride and Prejudice†, it is almost certainly one of the biggest differences between the two stories. This shows us that Austen’s novel is not a fable but that the events in the book could have actually occurred in early 19th century society. From examining the text of â€Å"Pride and Prejudice† and several â€Å"Cinderella† tales, I have found many similarities, and some differences between the two narratives. I conclude that although Jane Austen did not intentionally design her novel to be like a fairy tale, there is a definite resemblance to â€Å"Cinderella†. The plot and subplots of the novel are clearly more complex than in â€Å"Cinderella†, but most of the individuals have counterparts in the other story. As I said at the beginning of this essay, the main heroine, whether you consider her to be Elizabeth or Jane, ‘gets her guy’. In both stories, the wedded couple and their families are more happy and secure than at the start of the tale – they all ‘live happily ever after’, with Lizzy moving to Pemberley, just as Cinderella moves to the palace. Some people may regard the ending of â€Å"Pride and Prejudice† as the most unrealistic and ‘fairy story’ part of the book. In reality life was very hard, even for the rich, at this time. For example, Elizabeth, like many young women at that time, may have died in childbirth a year later, or perhaps Mr Bingley may have been badly injured a month after the novel finishes in a hunting accident. In my view, â€Å"Pride and Prejudice† is simply a daydream; a world into which the reader can escape to avoid the unpleasantries which no doubt occurred in the Georgian period, but which Jane Austen chose to ignore. By doing this, Austen created one of the best-loved and most interesting â€Å"Cinderella† stories to date.

Marketing Essays (1062 words) - Business, Marketing, Free Essays

Marketing Essays (1062 words) - Business, Marketing, Free Essays Chapter1 Introduction 1.1Background of study Marketing is a social and managerial process by which individual and group obtain what they need and want through creating and exchanging products and value with other. Its activities are designed to meet the needs and the expectation of the society. Social needs changes a the society becomes more advance. With the help of marketing concept trading, importing necessary goods and exporting goods is possible. Marketing concept helps to fulfill the need and desire of customers. Marketing is concerned with meeting needs and providing benefit to customers, society and the firm. Kathmandu electronic store is one of the electronic store in our locality. It distributes its goods to its final customers. This store contributes in the development of marketing concept in our society. This stores main objective is to earn maximum profit by satisfying the customers. 1.2Objective of study The main objective of preparing this report are as follow: 1.To know the selling and buying process in the market. 2.To know the price list of electronic items available in the store. 3.To know what kind of activities are performed in the electronic store. 4.To know the main motive of the shopkeeper. Thus, these are some of the objective of making this project. 1.3Significance of study This research is very useful to the investigator, customers, public may be directly or indirectly familiar to the electronic store. Academic qualification, students will get to visit practical field to know the detail information. We can directly involve in asking question, viewing the electronic store for gathering information and knowledge. 1.4limitation of study 1.Due to lack of time and resources we could not get detailed information. 2.The analysis is based in primary data available from web, secondary data are itself limiting factor. 3.Due to lack of information gaining area. 1.5Research Methodology In order to make study more reliable both primary and secondary sources has been used in collecting data, facts and statics. But most of the analysis is based on the primary data. Secondary data has also been used to some extend. Various photographs taken and the questionnaire are the source of primary data where as the course book, internet, notice, report, etc are the secondary data used in collecting information. Chapter2 Data Presentation and Analysis This chapter presents the data those are important for making comparison and analysis. This chapter is also related to summarizing the collected data and organizing the in such a manner that they answer the research questions. 2.1 List if electronic items available in Kathmandu Electronic Store. As we went to visit kathmandu electronic store we got to see various types if electronic items in the store. List of some electronics stores available in the store are listed below: S.noList of items 1.Fan 2.Iron 3.Television 4.Radio 5.Laptop 6.Computer 7.Speaker Table no. 2.1 List of Electronic Items in Kathmandu Electronic Store 2.2 Price of electronic items from year 2011 to 2015. In this past five years there have been drastically change in price of electronic items due to changing marketing environment and change in the taste of customers choice. The table below shows the changing pricelist of some of the electronic items in past five years. S.noName of itemYear 2011Year 2012Year 2013Year 2014Year 2015 1.FanRs. 3500Rs. 3500Rs. 3700Rs. 3800Rs. 4000 2.IronRs. 2500Rs. 2500Rs. 2700Rs. 2800Rs. 3000 3.TelevisionRs. 20000Rs. 22000Rs. 22000Rs. 25000Rs. 28000 4.RadioRs. 25000Rs. 22000Rs. 22000Rs. 21000Rs. 20000 5.LaptopRs. 45000Rs. 500000Rs. 52000Rs. 55000Rs. 55000 6.ComputerRs. 20000Rs. 20000Rs. 21000Rs. 20000Rs. 19000 7.SpeakerRs. 4800Rs. 5000Rs. 5000Rs. 53000Rs. 5500 Table no. 2.2 price of electronic items from year 2011 to 2015. Chapter3 Summary, Conclusion and Recommendation This chapter attempts to summarize, give conclusive and suggestive result to the whole study. As the need of the study, the conclusion and suggestion would be of great help for the concerned parties. This chapter is divided into different parts namely summary, conclusion, and recommendation which are as follow: 3.1 Summary This project was conducted in order to find out the role of consumer electronics in nepalese market. This project shows the detail of marketing strategy such as customers changing demand, list of new items available in the market, price of the items, etc. In order to do this project a sample electronic store Kathmandu Electronic Store was selected. A questionnaire was prepared to know about the sample store. We get the detailed information of the store from the secretary Mr. Rakesh Shrestha. From the interview we get to know following details of the electronic store: 1.Kathmandu Electronic

10 Tips for Turning Your Contract Job into a Permanent One

10 Tips for Turning Your Contract Job into a Permanent One Contract, temp, and freelance work have all become more popular in the past few years, as people look for creative ways to build their careers, and companies seek ways to reshape their workforce. According to a recent McKinsey Global Institute jobs survey, about 58% of employers expect to hire more part-time, temporary or contract workers in the near future. Contract and temp jobs can be a way to develop talent before investing in it fully. But what if you’re one of these hourly workers, and want something more permanent? If you’re working as a contractor but are looking to convert that into your stable, full-time gig, we have 10 strategies for you to use to start framing yourself as the ideal permanent employee.1. Be clear about what you want.Your boss isn’t psychic. If you were hired as a temp or a contract employee, he or she might not realize you’re interested in putting a ring on it and joining the team full-time. When you come on board, make sure you r boss knows how happy you are to be working here, and that you’d be open to making this a longer-term- but be cool about it.Instead of harping on your availability for a permanent position, or a reminder that you want to extend this, make it more about the job. I’m excited to be here, and would be interested in any full-time opportunities with your team. You can also bring it up with your boss as you get closer to the end of your contracted time: Now that we have just a couple of weeks left, I just wanted to check in with you, and let you know that I’m interested in continuing my work with this team.2. Make yourself indispensable.Easier said than done, right? If we all knew the secret of becoming necessary employees, everyone would have the totally stable job of his or her dreams. What you can do is make sure you’re going above and beyond. For example, if you’re working on a report due by end-of-day, get it in your boss’s hands by 2 p.m., w ith extra information.Think about process, and how things are done. If you see ways or processes to do your job more efficiently, talk them over with your boss. Show them that you’re on the lookout for ways to take on more responsibility, or improve your work. Make the company envision you as someone who won’t just take a to-do list, but build upon it and find ways to be useful beyond the immediate job description. That suggests that you have growth potential.3. Make a connection with your manager.If your boss could barely pick you out of a lineup, or keeps calling you â€Å"Jim† (and your name is Jamie), that doesn’t bode well for your long-term chances at this company. Make sure you’re communicating clearly with your boss, setting regular check-ins,` or sending daily email updates to show how you’re making progress on the task you were brought in to do.4. Work diligently.Now is not the time to coast, if you want to be brought on permanentl y. Your skills and know-how are on the line here. You want them to see an employee who’s always engaged and hard at work.Even when you’re not working so hard after all (there’s a lull in your project, or you’re taking a quick mental break after working on something for a few hours), at least put up the illusion that you’re busy. That means not openly checking your Facebook or fantasy football scores. It also means being at your desk if you’re expected to be at your desk. If you can discreetly do those things, then okay- but don’t get caught by your boss looking up that Amazon purchase when she thinks you’re working on those reports.5. Be responsive.If you get an email, respond right away (even if it’s just a quick note to say you’re working on whatever the request is). Thanks, Jodie! I’m taking a look at this now, and should have an update for you shortly. It lets the sender know you’re already putti ng thought and effort into the task, even if you don’t have an answer right away. It also shows that you’re a good team member, hint hint.6. Be available.Those two hours of overtime may seem annoying now, but putting in that extra time could give you an extra bump in your boss’s eyes. It demonstrates your commitment to the job, even one that’s temporary in nature. That’s an immensely valuable quality to a future employer. You don’t have to be on call around the clock (that’s a bit too eager), but if you’re clear that you are willing to put in the time and effort to get the job done, people will notice.7. Don’t get cocky.It can be easy to get complacent in your job, even if it’s temporary, when you’re the one handling the day-to-day tasks of the position. Don’t forget that unless and until there’s a job offer made, the company is not obligated to keep you on beyond your current contract. If you act like you already have the job, that can be a turn-off for the hiring manager.You also don’t want to risk sounding like a know-it-all, and alienating people with whom you’d be working. You may well be killing it in your contracted job, but that doesn’t mean you’ll automatically get the opportunity to stay. Make sure you’re always mindful that this is a contract position, and while you may be able to leverage it into a longer term role, that is far from a guarantee at this point.8. Make friends.Ingratiating yourself with your coworkers is a key strategic move to make, if you want to make the jump to full-time team member. If there’s a full-time opportunity and your name is on the shortlist for the permanent position, you’re going to want support. One of your colleagues could be the one to put in a good word for you, or say to your boss, â€Å"You know, I really like Jamie. He knows his stuff, and fits in really well here.† W hat you don’t want anyone to say: a) â€Å"Who was that, again?† or b) â€Å"I never really talked to him. He just sat at his desk, head down all the time.† Companies are looking for people who will fit well with the rest of their team, so it’s smart to get to know the people around, you even if it’s small talk late on a Friday or as you both wait for the coffee machine.And even if you don’t manage to extend this particular contract job into a permanent role, you still get to add people to your professional network. You never know when another opportunity (maybe Suzy knows someone at a similar company who’s hiring) will come up through your network.9. Do your homework.Make sure you learn what you can about the company. When I was in grad school, I worked as an administrative temp in a variety of different places. One of them was a financial services company, which was totally outside of my wheelhouse. I didn’t come away from th e experience with a professional-level understanding of how a hedge fund works, but I got a sense of how a company like that was structured, and what the needs were. Once you know what the needs are, you can start sharpening (or showing off) the skills that are valuable to that particular industry or company. Become familiar with the company’s mission statement, and think about how it applies to the job you’re doing now.10. Think of it like a REALLY long job interview.If all else fails, or you have trouble keeping your focus, remember that this is basically an extended job interview. Not all contract positions will turn into full-time gigs (especially as companies look for creative ways to get work done with ever-smaller budgets), but you have nothing to lose by treating this as the one that might make the conversion. Your work is a living, breathing case for why it’s in the company’s best interest to keep you on.Being a contractor has challenges, but als o offers the freedom to try different things until you find the path that’s right for you. When you’ve found that path, don’t just put your fate into someone else’s hands- take control, and start turning yourself into the employee they won’t be able to survive without.

Incarceration Rates Disparity in Provincial and Federal Prisons Essay

Incarceration Rates Disparity in Provincial and Federal Prisons - Essay Example Less representation is registered among the white boys and other ethnic groups. Among girls, only the aboriginal communities have registered increased misrepresentation in the jails which are rated at 10 percent higher than other ethnic groups in the Ontario prisons. Statistics have indicated that indicated that over-representation of the Aboriginal people in the prisons has been on the increasing trend over the past 30 years. The statistics escalated after the Second World War and the trend has accelerated over the years. If the current trend is to continue, then the number of Aboriginal people under incarceration is likely to be higher than those out of prisons which are indeed a worrying trend. Despite the introduction of the Youth Criminal Justice Act of 2003 that has seen a steady decrease in the number of incarcerations among the youths; the trend has not been witnessed among the aboriginal boys and girls. The provincial jails must rise and act on the increased number of deaths of black youths that has been witnessed lately through gunshots by police and other security agencies. This calls for a change of tactics on how security issues are to be handled in the country and that massive incarcerations is not the solution. International bodies such as the United Nations have expressed their concern about the need to reduce the increased overrepresentation of aboriginal and black races in the federal and provincial prisons. In Manitoba, similar situations seem to exist based on how the Aboriginal people are treated in relation to incarcerations. Despite the fact that they only form 12% of the entire province population, they dominate the jails and account for more than 0ne-half of the people who are incarcerated in the correctional centers at any given time. It is indeed very shocking that in a nation where justice is expected to be blind to racial differences only one ethnic group seem to dominate the prisons.  

Teacher's interview Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Teacher's interview - Essay Example The teacher is the leader of the ship. If he knows his work, the ship will reach the destination, otherwise it can lose track. Guidance, discipline, and punishment are three points on a continuum with the guidance being on one extreme, discipline in the middle, and punishment being on the other extreme. Guidance means telling children what to do, when to do, why and how to do. Discipline means establishing rules and telling children to follow them or bear the effects of noncompliance. Punishment means discouraging wrong behavior by putting the child in an uncomfortable or inconvenient position in some way, like hitting or fining. I slightly disagree with the teacher that guidance, discipline, and punishment have to be on the same continuum but at different points. I think discipline comes first because the rules are the first to be established. Guidance is just helping children to follow the rules whereas punishment is the liabilities they have to face when they don’t comply with rules. So discipline basically lays the basis of guidance as well as punishment depending upon what the child demands. I don’t believe in punishing students until it is inevitable. I tell the students my rules and guide them in following the rules. Mostly I guide because that enables me to build a rapport with my students so that they become obedient. I agree to the teacher that punishment should be the last resort. A teacher should make every possible effort to avoid that. A teacher should first establish the rules and then guide the students so that they can follow them. This develops association between the teacher and the students and has a positive impact on the environment within the classroom. I think punishment is justified when all other ways of correcting the student’s inappropriate behavior have proved ineffective. For me, cheating is just as intolerable

Religious discrimination in Lebanon Speech or Presentation

Religious discrimination in Lebanon - Speech or Presentation Example However despite the country’s diversity in religious factions, it has not been a beautiful scene in in the country’s development over the years due to discrimination based and biased on religious lines (HRW). The discrimination based on religious factions has been evident in the Lebanese political and social structures of the country. Political landscape carries more weight for wrangles based on the very religious discrimination because every faction wants the bigger piece of the cake of dominance. It can be traced back to the 1860 conflict between Maronites and the Druze to the old Lebanese civil war of 1975-1990 which was as a result of the conflict between the Muslims and the Christians. In the early 19th century around the wake of World War II Lebanese political structure was designed in a way it recognized a historic agreement amongst the Lebanese leaders that political goodwill will be divided according to positions in the governmental structure in agreed fair proportions for the Christians and Muslims (Khalaf 2013, p.43). This particular political concept in the mid-1970s appeared to be losing ground resulting to â€Å"hell breaks loose† a civil war that was seen to be a sort of competition for power between the majority Muslims and the minority ruling Christians. Before the old Lebanese civil war that was in every way a struggle between the Sunni Islam and the Christians was a Druze and Maronite (Christians) conflict (Khalaf 2013, p.65). The conflict happened in the mid 18nth century in the north of Mount Lebanon area entailing the rebellion of Christians Maronites peasants against the Druze lords that spread to the south and as a result more than 20,000 Christians were killed, 370 Christian villages destroyed and a large number of churches destroyed (Sisk 2011, p.109). Maronite peasants were against the heavy taxes and feudal practices

Role of Exchange Rate Regime in Argentinas 2001 Crisis

Role of Exchange Rate Regime in Argentinas 2001 Crisis Discuss the role of the exchange rate regime in contributing to the 2001 crisis in Argentina. Introduction For much of Argentina’s history, the country has been plagued by a cycle of economic and political instability. Despite the country’s rich resource base, the economy performed badly from the 1950s to the early 1990s. According to the Economist (2002), ‘between 1976 and 1989, income per person shrank by more than 1% per year. Two bouts of hyperinflation, and two banking collapses, destroyed confidence in both the peso and economic policy.’ In order to combat this, in 1991, Menem and his economy minister Domingo Cavallo pegged the Argentine peso one-to-one with the dollar, and this succeeded in halting inflation. However, within ten years this came to be seen as a mistake. Aside from being a means to control inflation, the exchange rate regime can also be seen as Menem deliberately â€Å"tying his hands† in order to avoid taking responsibility for sensitive or unpopular decisions. For example, prices could now rise without wage increases due to currenc y devaluation. Menem had been a very popular president but in the end he left his second term of office in 1999 very much discredited. His government oversaw the development of sharp inequalities and the increasing resentment of the discluded. He lacked any systematic pro-poor or pro-development policies. Menem reduced inflation from a high of about 5000% to 0 and until about 1999, the economy was doing well with stable inflation and stable growth (an average annual rate of 6.1% between 1991 and 1997). From 1999, however, there was serious recession in Argentina and by 2001 just about everything that could be wrong with an economy (aside from inflation) was wrong with the Argentinian economy, and in early 2002 the country defaulted on its $155 billion public debt. The Economist (2002) spoke of the ‘awe-inspiring severity of the economic, financial, political and social collapse’ of Argentina. This essay first examines the theoretical arguments in favour of adopting a pegged exchange rate. Turning to the case of Argentina, the essay then investigates why the exchange rate regime implemented by Menem did not work, how this contributed to the 2001 crisis, and what other factors contributed to the crisis. Pegged exchange rates A government has various different options in terms of exchange rate mechanisms (Fischer 2001). The currency can be allowed to float freely, the exchange rate can be pegged to another currency or group of currencies in a soft way such that the relevant authorities agree to defend the peg but can re-value it if the exchange rate comes under heavy pressure, or it can be pegged hard. Alternatively, some countries have chosen to do away with their national currency altogether and use only the dollar – this is known as full dollarization. Argentina opted for the hard peg – a currency board – in 1991. A currency board maintains a fixed exchange rate with a foreign currency thus subordinating conventional monetary policy objectives to the exchange rate target (a peg with the US dollar, for example, maintains interest rates and inflation very close to those in the United State). For an orthodox currency board, the country’s foreign currency reserves must be suffic ient that all holders of the domestic currency could convert it into the reserve currency. The key advantage of a currency board is that currency stability is no longer an issue because the exchange rate is fixed to a hard currency and the level of inflation is determined in the country of that hard currency. On the other hand, a country which adopts a currency board gives up the ability to manipulate monetary policy according to domestic considerations. Furthermore, the fixed exchange rate will determine the country’s terms of trade. The exchange rate regime in Argentina The dollar peg made exports expensive and imports cheap. This resulted in dollars flowing out of the country, and this combined with a heavy debt burden reduced the reserves of dollars. The government ended up with only a fraction of the reserves necessary to maintain the currency board successfully and this was one of the major reasons for the crisis of 2001. While there were clearly other contributing factors, de la Torre et al (2002) argue that the relationship between the exchange rate regime and the Argentine banking system is key to understanding the crisis, and that an early move from the pegged board to full dollarization could have reduced the magnitude of the economic collapse. ‘The establishment of the currency board in 1991 helped develop the Argentine financial system. Despite its strengths, the financial system remained vulnerable to real exchange rate misalignments and fiscal shocks. After 1998, Argentina fell into a currencygrowth-debt trap. It tried to break aw ay by focusing on growth, but failed to address the currency and debt components of the trap, dramatically raising uncertainty. This unleashed a depositor run, which lead to the abandonment of the currency board’ (de la Torre 2002:abstract). Being tied to the highly valued dollar also hurt the economy as Argentine exports became relatively more expensive. As demand for exports fell, Argentina had to turn to the IMF for emergency loans worth $21.6 billion. What other factors contributed to the crisis? It is important to remember that this was not the first crisis that Argentina has suffered. In order to fully understand the causes of the 2001 crisis, it is necessary to put it into historical perspective. Arguably every president since Peron came to power in 1946 had aggravated the country’s economic, political and social problems with an over-personalised style of leadership characterised by corruption and the use of patronage (financed by printing money) to maintain favour. The historical mismanagement of the economy may have sowed the seeds for the 2001 crisis. In addition various external factors can be seen as trigger causes, contributing to the specific timing of the economic collapse. In the first place, the prices for Argentina’s exports stopped rising. Although the total value of exports did grow from 1999 to 2001, the rate of growth was hampered by protectionism and subsidies in rich countries, and many industries could no longer compete abroad. Argentina’s largest export partner was Brazil, a country which was facing economic difficulties of its own. The negative effect on the Argentine economy was two-fold: Brazilian economic problems and a devaluation not only reduced demand for Argentine exports, but lower wages in Brazil attracted many Argentine manufacturers to move their factories across the border into Brazil. Ollier (2003:184) points to the fragmentation of the politico-institutional system and the extreme dependency of the economy on foreign credit as the major causes of the collapse. The loose fiscal policy of Menem’s second term certainly did nothing to help the economy. While his predecessors had encouraged hyperinflation by printing money to buy political support, Menem now printed bonds to finance the fiscal deficit, and the country’s public debt rose and rose. Conclusion Argentina is not a country which should have any problems: it has a rich resource base and a relatively homogeneous population. Yet Argentina has long suffered various economic problems (as well as political and social problems). High levels of expectation have consistently not been matched by performance. Severe sectoral conflict between the agricultural and industrial sectors has hampered economic development. The existence of three highly organised social groups, each attempting to shape economic policy has also impeded the ability of the government to manage the economy effectively: landowners may have few votes but they have immense economic power; the Argentine union movement is one of the most powerful in the world; and the business sector is highly organised and incorporated into the state apparatus. In addition the political systems and institutions have fostered high levels of corruption with devastating effects on the economy. The federal government is unable to curb the f iscal expenditure of the provincial governments. Neo-liberalism requires effective, independent regulatory mechanisms but in Argentina the legal system is too weak and is incapable of scrutinising audit commissions etc. Furthermore, the presidency is too strong and there are no institutional safeguards to keep the presidency in check. The liberal policies of the 1980s and 1990s stabilised the economy, but at the cost of rising unemployment which, coupled with cuts in welfare provisions, took poverty to new depths. Various external shocks brought about the crisis in 2001 but had the exchange rate regime not been in place, the economy may have been sufficiently flexible to respond to, and recover from, these shocks. The rigidity of the currency board and the corresponding inability of the government to manipulate exchange rate policy or monetary policy is what permitted these shocks to lead to such a severe economic collapse. Bibliography de la Torre, A., Levy Yeyati, E. Schmukler, S. (2002) ‘Argentina’s Financial Crisis: Floating Money, Sinking Banking’ (downloaded from http://www.econ.umn.edu/~tkehoe/classes/Schmukler.pdf on 19 March 2007) Economist (2002) ‘Argentina’s collapse: A decline without parallel’, The Economist, 28 February 2002 (downloaded from www.economist.com on 19 March 2007) Fischer, S. (2001) ‘Distinguished Lecture on Economics in Government: Exchange Rate Regimes: Is the Bipolar View Correct?’, The Journal of Economic Perspectives, 15(2) Spring, 2001, pp. 3-24. Ollier, M. (2003) ‘Argentina: Up a Blind Alley Once Again’, Bulletin of Latin American Research, 22(2), pp 170-186