Disney’s Expedition Everest Essay

Walt Disney World wanted to celebrate its 50th anniversary in a big way. So in 2006 Walt Disney Company introduced Expedition Everest in Disney’s Animal Kingdom Park at Lake Buena Vista, Florida. This is more than your average roller coaster. The roller coaster not only has the unexpected twist and turns we all love, but also an incredible attention to detail. This roller coaster really took some impressive management skills. This roller is based off of Mount Everest in Nepal. The ride contains 18 mountains with the tallest one (Everest) peaking at just under 200 feet. The rollers coaster contains nearly a mile of track and also has a robotic 10 foot tall Yeti. Surrounding this roller coaster in 900 bamboo plants, 10 species of trees, and 110 species of shrubs was planted to give the feel of the lowlands in the Himalayas. The Disney Imaginers actually went to the Himalayas in Nepal to study the lands, architecture, colors, ecology, and culture. They actually got more than 2000 handcrafted item for Asia to use as props and ornamentation. This is actually the most expensive roller coaster in the world. Disney’s approach to the management of project such as Expedition Everest is to combine careful planning, including schedule and budgeting preparation, with the imagination and vision for which the company is so well known. Prioritizing the needs for project success took discipline and creativity. Disney seemed to spare no expense when creating their new ride. The budget must have been astronomical. Wanting the new ride open for their 50th anniversary, each step of the project had to be met with strict deadlines taking over 2 years to develop. The approach to the management of the project displays the embodiment of the Disney spirit: a ride that combines Disney’s trademark thrills, and impressive project management.

Birth Order and Aggressive Behavior Essay

ABSTRACT The purpose of this research is to determine if birth order correlates to a demonstration of aggressiveness in kindergarten aged children. It is hypothesized that middle born children will demonstrate the most aggressive tendencies, last born children would experience less than the first born, and only children would have the least when compared to all other birth orders. This quasi-experimental methodology will involve a field study of children from the ten kindergarten classes at the Seoul American Elementary School (SAES). Teachers will be asked to complete the Child Behavior Scale (CBS) inventory on each child, used to measure six behavior categories related to aggression. Each CBS inventory will include birth data for the student whose behavior was observed. The findings are expected to show a correlation between birth order and a tendency toward aggression. INTRODUCTION Everyone who is born into a family arrives relative to other children who have already been born or will be at some point in the future or perhaps as an only child. Birth order does not permanently mark each child such as race or gender, but it can impact on the way a person responds to the environment. There have been a number of studies done on the relationship of birth order to personality, intelligence, anxiety and other characteristics with the belief that each child born into a family is treated differently based on their birth order, family interaction and subsequent challenges. Some birth order theorists believe that a child’s position in the family greatly influences their personality characteristics which directly affect their behavior both inside and outside of the home (Morales). Not every theorist has the same view and there are those that believe a psychological birth order has more impact than the physical birth order on the development of personality characteristics (Campbell, White & Stewart, 1991). In his book, Born to Rebel, Frank Sulloway describes how birth order influences our lives in many different ways from achievement to rebellion and from conformity to creativity (The Edge, 1998). While firstborns and laterborns are not much different in overall levels of creativity, the differences in how that creativity is exercised is very different. Firstborns are more likely to win the Nobel Prize by intellectual achievement within the system while the younger siblings will be more inclined to accept radical innovations in science and social though. His findings showed that revolutionaries and those who supported them were disproportionately likely to be later-borns (Sulloway, 1999). While not every social scientist agreed with Sulloway’s research (Harris, 1995; e.g., Falbo, 1997 ), others conducted follow-up studies that confirmed the original findings (Zweigenhaft & Ammon, 2000), and Freese, Powell & Steelman discovered measures in addition to birth order to help explain reasons for various behaviors (1999). This study hopes to build on previous research to determine whether a correlation exists between birth order and a child’s tendency to demonstrate aggressiveness. METHOD Coordination with the Seoul American Elementary School (SAES), a Department of Defense Dependent School located on Yongsan Army Base, Yongsan, Seoul, Korea, will be done to get permission for the study. Permission from the school and the parents of the children selected will be obtained prior to the start of this study. PARTICIPANTS This study will be conducted in the classroom during normal school hours for all students attending the ten full day Kindergarten classes at SAES during a specified 30 day period of the school year. There will be approximately 360 students for this study with an equal number of girls and boys, with 45% of the class comprised of Asian-Americans, 20% African-Americans, 15%  Latin-Americans and the remainder Caucasians. APPARATUS/MATERIALS Teachers will be provided the Child Behavior Scale (CBS) inventory as a means to assess aggressive, prosocial, and withdrawn behaviors of children ages 5-6 years of age. The CBS contains 59 items for which the teacher must respond using a 3-point response scale (1=doesn’t apply, 2=applies sometimes, 3=certainly applies) (Ladd & Profilet, 1996). The CBS measures six categories of behavior as follows: aggressiveness with peers, prosocial behavior with peers, exclusion by peers, asocial behavior with peers, hyperactive-distractible behavior, and anxious-fearful behavior. Copies of the CBS inventory and permission for its use will be obtained from its author, Dr. Gary Ladd, at Arizona State University (an email request has been sent copy of email attached). PROCEDURE Teachers from the 10 Kindergarten classes will observe their students for a specified 30 days during the school year, completing the CBS inventory for each student during that time. The teacher will indicate the birth order of the child on the completed inventory which will then be turned in to the SAES front office to be picked up by the study group. RESULTS The expected results will validate the hypothesis that middle born children will tend to demonstrate more aggressive behavior than either first born, last born or only children. Tables are expected to be used for this study and will include a listing of the CBS subscale items related to firstborn, middleborn, lastborn and onlyborn, further identified by girl and boy. An example follows: DISCUSSION Apart from the effects of birth order, there is little information about the ways in which the nonshared environment influences human development, mainly because psychologists have not been successful in developing direct measures of this environment. The challenge for future researchers lies in devising ways to test competing hypotheses that bear on the nature and influence of this elusive environment. Peer groups are an important aspect of this type of environmental influence, but so is the family environment and life experiences as well (Sulloway, 98). REFERENCES Campbell, L., White, J., & Stewart, A. (1991). The relationship of psychological birth order to actual birth order. Individual Psychology, 47: 380-391. Falbo, T. (1997). To rebel or not to rebel? Is this the birth order question? Contemporary Psychology, 42: 938-939. Freese, J., Powell, B., Steelman, L.C., (1999). Rebel without a cause or effect: birth order and social attitudes. American Sociological Review, 64: 207-231. Harris, Judith Rich. (1995). Where is the child’s environment? A group socialization theory of development. Psychological Review, 102: 458-89. How is Personality Formed? A Talk with Frank J. Sulloway (1998). The Edge Foundation, Inc., Third Culture. Accessed on 13 Feb 2004 at: www.edge.org/3rd_culture/sulloway . Ladd, G. & Profilet, S. (1996). The child behavior scale: A teacher-report measure of young children’s aggressive, withdrawn, and prosocial behaviors. Development Psychololgy, 32 (6), 1008-1024. Morales, C. (1994). Birth Order Theory: A Case for Cooperative Learning. Journal of Instructional Psychology 21: 246-250. Rubin, R. & Hubbard, J. (2003). Children’s verbalizations and cheating behavior during game playing: the role of sociometric status, aggression, and gender. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 31: 65-78. Solo, R., MacLin, M., (2002). Experimental Psychology. Boston: Allyn & Bacon. Sulloway, F. (1999). â€Å"Birth Order† in Runco, M. & Pritzker, eds., Encyclopedia of Creativity, 1:189-202. Zweigenhaft, R., Ammon, J., (2000). Birth Order and Civil Disobedience: A Test of Sulloway’s ‘Born to Rebel’ Hypothesis. Journal of Social Psychology, 140: 624-628.

Edgar Allan Poe ‘Tell Tale Heart’ and ‘The fall of the house of Usher’ Essay

Show how Poe uses language to create atmosphere and describe the state of mind of the murderer and Roderick Usher. Consider how the modern reader might respond to these stories. Daniel Tiernan 4U Edgar Allen Poe was an American short story writer, editor for magazines and poet during the early to mid 19th century. Two of his short stories, ‘The Tell Tale Heart’ and ‘The Fall of the House of Usher’ were both written during the Victorian times when Gothic literature was at it’s height in popularity. The main thesis and features of Gothic literature are mystery, terror, supernatural, big decaying houses or castles and the dead. The Victorian readers were fascinated by the supernatural especially, with many still believing in witches and black magic. Ideas like these are still found in horror stories today and also in films, however the main attraction for horror movies has changed from supernatural, to audiences wanting to be frightened. Poe was a prolific idea of Gothic literature, and his main base for writing was madness, which features in both stories that we have studied. His writing does not just include madness, but also its implications and what it can result to if left untreated. In the opening sentences Poe captures the reader’s attention with Capitalisation, the use of exclamation mark, repetition and a rhetorical question. ‘True! – nervous – very, very dreadfully nervous I had been and am; but why will you say that I am mad?’ The narrator is communicating with us from the outset and the capitalisation of the word True, which is not normally used to open a sentence. He also uses an exclamation mark on the opening word True which makes the reader feel as though he has shouted the word out, which is quite bizarre. The repetition and staccato likeness of the opening words sets a fast tempo to the story, which ignites the reader’s attention and, lends to the reader’s opening theory that the narrator does not have a level headed mind. The rhetorical question that Poe uses, ‘why will you say that I am mad?’ is a good literary device as it involves the reader and builds a relationship through the dialogue between the narrator and the reader, engaging the audience and makes the reader believe that maybe the narrator doubts the stability of his own mind. All these factors show the reader the narrator has an agitated mind and strongly suggest the narrator’s insanity. Poe develops an image of a disturbed person in the first paragraph, who hears voices in his head. ‘I heard all things in heaven and in Earth. I heard many things in hell,’ This makes the reader suspect that the narrator is unstable and his actions are the commands of the voices in his head, when referring to hell we suspect that some of these voices are evil and dark in their nature. A foreboding atmosphere is thus produced and it makes the reader to read on with excitement mixed with also a little nervous anticipation. Poe builds up suspense extremely well by using imagery and he also slows the tempo down to describe how slowly he was moving his own hand, comparing its speed to that of the minute hand of a clock. ‘A watch’s minute hand moves more quickly than did mine’. This description of how slow he moved his hands makes the reader wonder about his mental health and lends to the theory that he is maybe a schizophrenic with much paranoia and an extremely strong desire to kill. The modern reader would like this because in today’s stories and films it is often that there is a madman with a mental condition who is the villain and/or murderer. Midnight was a time when many Victorians believed that supernatural forces were at work. Poe uses this myth to create a dark foreboding atmosphere. The narrator tells the reader that he entered the old mans room every night ‘about midnight’ and reinforces the atmosphere by the use of repetition of the idea of the witching hour. ‘Every night just at midnight’ and ‘Just at twelve’. The narrator is building up suspense for the reader by placing his evil deed during what the Victorians called the witching hour. For a Victorian reader they would know the mythological idea that dark powers were at their strongest at midnight, for the modern reader however this probably would not have the same suspenseful effect. Poe uses hands of a minute clock when describing how slowly the narrator moves his own hands. It is a clever play on words, but has good effect as it builds suspense and makes the reader wonder about the stability of the narrator’s mind. ‘A watch’s minute hand moves more quickly than did mine’ This sentence paints the picture of the narrator very very slowly entering the room and it is quite frightening to imagine, it makes us wonder what the narrator is thinking. Poe describes how powerful and confident the narrator is feeling in his own wiseness, this underlines the growing feeling of menace. This produces a strong sense of foreboding and tension, ‘Never before that night had I felt the extent of my own powers – of my own sagacity. I could scarcely contain my feelings of triumph.’ This sentence is very sinister, as it shows the narrators confidence and audacity in his actions and so called ‘Powers’. It shows how he is almost giddy and very excited about his evil plan. This would be attractive for modern readers as it is quite threatening and makes us want to read on to discover his plan in full detail. A modern reader can relate this in many modern day films. Poe increases the tension when describing how the narrator took an hour to put his head into the door opening. The narrator gives the impression that his sanity has been questioned before, and therefore he asks us candidly. ‘Ha! Would a madman have been so wise as this,’ This adds to the overall effect of horror by the narrator continuously stressing to us that he is not mad and tries to convince us of this by detailing how carefully the murder was planned. By doing so Poe assures our convictions that the narrator is insane. Poe understands that deranged people often try to convince that they are sane when to an outsider they clearly are not. It bridges a gap that is quite awkward in real life and he has introduced it into his story. The narrator is distressed by the old man’s clouded cataract like eye. It disturbs him so much that he says it is the reason he must kill the man. ‘†¦ resembled that of a vulture – a pale blue eye with a film over it.’ Poe uses a metaphor to compare the eye to that of a vulture, a scavenger which feeds off the dead remains of animals. This introduces the idea of death, and coldness and makes one apprehensive of the eye. The description of the pale blueness of the eye, could suggest that the narrator feels the eye looks right into him and his conscience, and that this scares him. Poe emphasizes the old man’s eye describing it as, ‘. . evil eye’ the modern reader can relate to this belief as it is still prevalent in many cultures today. Poe builds the anticipation to a climax when he describes the old man’s fear. ‘Groan of mortal terror’ Poe uses emotive language here and continues to build the suspense; the reader can empathise with the old man as indeed does the narrator. ‘I knew what the old man felt, and pitied him’ this is in direct conflict with the narrator’s actions, he then went to say, ‘. . . although I chuckled at heart.’ This demonstrating that he ignores his conscience and follows his overriding intention from his heart to kill. The ‘mortal’ is very suggestive that the old man knows his doom. Poe then uses the devices; personification and metaphor when he says that, ‘death . . . stalked with his black shadow before him, and enveloped the victim.’ This is very potent as it gives the impression of death being a living malevolent force. It is fear-provoking as it suggests that we will be followed before we die and be sucked into a hellish vacuum. The modern reader could link this idea with the infamous Grim Reaper. He is a legend that is supposed to take us from this earth to the afterlife. Poe raises the tempo of the story to an electric climax describing the beating of the old man’s heart. ‘It grew quicker and quicker, louder and louder every instant.’ This use of repetition is demonstrating the old man’s fear and replicating the beat of his racing heart, and so we read each word like on heart beat. The raise in tempo of the Old man’s heart is relative to the raise in the narrator’s fury. ‘It increased my fury, as the beating of a drum stimulates the soldier into courage.’ This suggests that he feels that he is being encouraged from a higher power, and his obeying orders (perhaps voices in his head). In addition it is saying that his cause is just and he is innocent like a soldier in a just war. When the narrator murders the old man, Poe is quite vague about the details. Much is left to the imagination of the reader after reading the description of how he died. ‘I dragged him to the floor, and pulled the heavy bed over him.’ For the modern reader this would not be satisfactory as nowadays we watch films with much more graphic details, and need to clearly picture how the murder was committed. The actual murder itself is an anti-climax. In a manner if fact fashion, the narrator ‘dismembered the corpse. I cut off the head and the arms and the legs.’ This makes the reader wonder if the narrator has a conscience at all as he is able to do this without a hint of guilt, as he mutilated a corpse. At this point in the story, the narrator feels he is all powerful and has got away with the murder. ‘I smiled, — for what had I to fear?’ However the anxiety starts to increase again when the narrator hears the old man’s heart beating again. ‘It grew, louder — louder – louder!’ The narrator is clearly suffering from hallucinations, perhaps brought on by guilt. The policemen present can hear nothing. The narrator then starts to lose his mind completely. ‘I foamed – I raved – I swore!’ The feeling that the narrator’s guilt starts to crescendo to it’s peak when he blurts out a confession, in front of the startled police officers. ‘dissemble no more! I admit the deed!’ In the story of ‘The fall of the house of Usher’ the scene is set by a Poe’s description of a gloomy atmospheric setting. ‘The clouds hung oppressively low in the heavens’ suggesting threat. Also Poe uses personification when he describes the House of Usher as ‘melancholy’. He starts extending the personification of the House later on in the paragraph, when he writes, ‘the vacant eye-like windows’. All these descriptions thus portray an image of a desolate, ominous place. The narrator compares seeing the House of Usher to the horrible reality of somebody for whom the effects of opium are wearing off, revealing a horrible reality. ‘The bitter lapse into everyday life-the hideous dropping of the veil.’ The modern reader would associate this with going ‘Cold Turkey’. This is good imagery from Poe as it shows clearly that this is not a place someone would like to be and as a result sets a very foreshadowing beginning to the story. Just before the narrator enters the house he describes an exterior with some neglect including, ‘Minute fungi’. This suggests decay as Fungi lives off dead remains. Thus firmly setting the story in an atmosphere of gloom and decay. Poe also writes of a barely visible crack extending from the roof to the bottom of the house. ‘Barely perceivable fissure’ this is very foreboding as the reader is already contemplating the significance of the crack in this atmosphere of decay. He is also hinting strongly at what is going to happen to the house. The modern reader is familiar with the genre of the haunted house tales, which is typically set in a place like this. However they would not like the idea of being told the outcome of the story early on, as today stories and movies usually have a big climax where the ending is then discovered. When the narrator enters the house the atmosphere of foreboding continues to build, there is nothing cheerful to be seen. ‘The general furniture was profuse, comfortless, antique and tattered’ also Poe describes ‘an atmosphere of sorrow’. Thus making the reader feel wary of the House. The narrator then focuses on the appearance of Roderick Usher. ‘A cadaverousness of complexion’ we feel the extent of the narrator’s shock as Poe has used emotive language; ‘cadaver’ is a dead body. To add to this disturbing appearance the narrator describes Roderick’s mental state, ‘An excessive, nervous agitation’ this would suggest that Roderick does not have a level headed mind and that he suffers from extreme anxiety. Also we can see he is frightened of the future, ‘I must abandon life and reason together, in some struggle with the grim phantasm, FEAR’ This shows the depth of Roderick’s despair and we can feel his terror, however question the stability of his mind. Poe then introduces Madeline, Roderick’s sister into the story. She appears and disappears almost in a ghostly fashion. The narrator is ill at ease ‘I regarded her with an utter astonishment not unmingled with dread’ this creates and apparition- like image of Madeline, which again is a popular theme in modern day horror stories. The sense of foreboding continues when Roderick informs the narrator that Madeline has died. Roderick did not want to consult Madeline’s physicians because of the bizarre nature of her illness. He told the narrator he did not want them probing her corpse for medical science. ‘An unnatural precaution’. This is peculiar and unusual on the part of Roderick because in the strong religious times that the tale is set, a normal person would want the body buried on holy ground very quickly. Poe adds a sensation of claustrophobia when he writes about Madeline’s burial. ‘Half smothered in its oppressive atmosphere.’ The burial tomb being very confined could be a metaphor for the lives they are trapped in. The narrator is unable to sleep after Madeline’s burial, he goes to Ushers room where he notices a deteriortion in Roderick’s demeanour. ‘A species of mad hilarity’ and ‘His air appalled me’. To become uncontrollable is very typical of an insane person and so this heightens the stories suspense and sense of foreshadowing. Poe uses the technique of foreshadowing to hint to the reader of what will be Roderick’s demise. The narrator reads to Usher to try and calm him down as he is very troubled, however all of the tales three main plots are echoed by what is happening in the house; shrieks are heard, a metallic reverberation is heard, cracking and ripping sounds are heard. Roderick is very distressed and this adds to the reader’s apprehension of what is going to happen next. The modern day reader is very familiar with the genre of someone coming back at night. Poe also uses the technique the rule of three, with three main plots in the tale which the narrator reads to Usher, this is effective because three is a number used commonly in literature and in the New Testament. Poe introduces the idea of the supernatural when Madeline, appears resurrected after being ‘encoffined’ and being shut behind a door of, ‘massive iron’ This is a very frightening image, and terrifies the reader and entices the reader as they are compelled to find out what happens next. The full horror of Roderick’s fear is then realised when he dies of fright after Madeline attacks him, ‘A victim to the terrors he had anticipated’ The reader had also anticipated Roderick’s doom almost from the beginning of the story by reading the title of the story. Poe builds the suspense consistently throughout the story. Poe concludes the story in a shocking and dramatic manner, the narrator ‘fled aghast’ away from the house and turns back to see a ‘blood red moon, shining through a crack in the house’ Thus symbolising the death of the house of Usher. This is very eerie and metaphoric as not only has the House of Usher fallen but so has the ancient family line. The suspense is maintained to the very end of the story when Poe uses personification ‘Long tumultuous sound, like the voice of a thousand waters’ when he describes how the lake entombs the House and all its occupants Whilst Poe is studied at school for academic purposes, I do not think that his books would be the first choice for the modern reader who is reading for pleasure. This is for many reasons. Firstly, the language used is very sophisticated and antiquated, and as in the ‘The Fall of the House of Usher’ large tracts of literature are used as a device to increase tension. The modern reader has to have lots of patience to fully understand Poe’s writing and a high level of literacy is assumed by the author. Modern novels are much less literary and a much more basic vocabulary used. At the same time the modern reader expects more graphic details of murders than is provided in either the ‘Tell-Tale Heart or The Fall of the House of Usher’ Poe writes in such a way that much is left to the reader’s imagination and this is unsatisfactory nowadays when so much can be shown to the modern reader via other genres such as film and television. like music Moreover both of these novels are very much a product of Victorian times with their emphasis on night time terrors which reflected the beliefs of society at that time. Today’s society tends to dismiss these beliefs as old fashioned and irrelevant. However Poe’s writing is very skilful in his use of various techniques and I admire him for that, but I strongly feel that he would not be such a successful writer if he was alive today.

Authoritarian Leadership Style against the Democratic One Essay

Authoritarian Leadership Style against the Democratic One - Essay Example When I attended a particular seminar, the speaker requested the audience to create a group which is composed of ten (10) members. There were five (5) groups created at that time. The speaker, then, instructed all groups to present a play about a particular social problem. Since one of the members of our group was a member of the school’s theater guild, we then chose her to be our leader. Later on, we talked about the conduct of the play. During our practice, I did not expect the girl to be authoritative. She was not entertaining the comments and suggestions of the other group members. She wanted all of us to obey her commands and wishes as to the play’s conduct. Some of the group members were passive of her attitude but I and the rest were infuriated. I actually confronted the girl and told her to stop being bossy since the success of the play ultimately depends upon all our efforts. Nevertheless, the girl did not listen to my advice. As a result, our group presented a very bad performance. Robert Greenleaf actually considers being authoritative as a destructive leadership behavior (as cited in Schyns, & Hansbrough, 2010, p. x). The destructive character that is attached to this kind of conduct connotes that it is, in fact, bad and undesirable. Greenleaf cites that self-interest is the primary reason for the occurrence of this behavior (as cited in Schyns, & Hansbrough, 2010, p. x). According to him, a leader who is driven by self-interest aims to benefit himself or herself in every group endeavor at the expense of his or her followers, whose interest and needs are either disregarded or trampled upon (Greenleaf, as cited in Schyns, & Hansbrough, 2010, p. x). This kind of leader destroys the coordination and potency of the group. He or she will also emotionally strain his or her followers (Tepper, as cited in Schyns, & Hansbrough, 2010, p. x). This finding is in accord with what I had experienced.

Personal Financial Services in China Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Personal Financial Services in China - Essay Example Throughout the world, China is considered as a pioneer in all kinds of new technologies and modern scientific approaches to business. Thus, it has recorded a very high average growth rate of 10% for the last three decades (Zhu, 2012, p. 115). The economic structure is such that the country follows a socialist model in which unionization is supported and the people are provided with social benefits (Chao, 1986, p.245). The fair competition takes place where private and public enterprises work in harmony with one another and try to deliver an efficient allocation of the resources in the economy. The economy of China has the highest rate of urbanization and it is also the largest economy in the world. The country started the endeavor to industrialize the economy at the beginning of the 1950s. Before 1978, the growth rate of the economy was 3 % per annum which increased to 8% post-1978 period. There was a reversal in the pattern of accumulation of capital and the productivity growth of t he factors of production like labor and technology. The rate of labor participation grew very slowly during this period because the growth rate of population was very low (Schultz, 1953, p.136). The basic model that every business in the people’s republic of China followed was focused on investment. This strategy was taken only to achieve economies of scale and high rate of growth by the government of China (Naughton, 1995, p.45). However, it was not much of a success and led to many unfavorable consequences for the society.... Fair competition takes place where private and public enterprises work in harmony with one another and try to deliver efficient allocation of the resources in the economy. The economy of China has the highest rate of urbanisation and it is also the largest economy of the world. The country started the endeavour to industrialise the economy at the beginning of the 1950s. Before 1978, the growth rate of the economy was 3 % per annum which increased to 8% post 1978 period. There was a reversal in the pattern of accumulation of capital and the productivity growth of the factors of production like labour and technology. The rate of labour participation grew very slowly during this period because the growth rate of population was very low (Schultz, 1953, p.136). The basic model that every business in the people’s republic of China followed was focused on investment. This strategy was taken only to achieve economies of scale and high rate of growth by the government of China (Naughto n, 1995, p.45). However, it was not much of a success and led to many unfavourable consequences for the society. The agricultural production in the country also faced a setback because of this reason. In the post 1990 period, the economy of China again started growing at a very high average rate of 10% and it was accompanied by a very high rate of inflation. The Asian financial crisis had a very little impact on the Chinese economy only through the fall in the FDI and reduction in the exports of the country. This is because China had very large reserves and the cash inflows that took place in the country were mainly long term in nature and could not be withdrawn by the investors. But it was not completely unaffected. The rate of unemployment was increasing and the growth rate was

Infant Observation Research Paper (The Infant Care Environment,

Infant Observation (The Infant Care Environment, Developmental Milestones) - Research Paper Example Under the song/rhyme activity (words to rhymes or songs), children are exposed to the cat and the own, Little Bunny Fu, Fu; Look at the Doggie at the window; Three birds and one fish, two fish, three and four fish. Under the language development activity, children learn pat the cat, the bunny hops, the doggy barking, this is the way the bird flies, and the fish swim. The activity on exercise/stimulation features tummy time boost, push the feet, roll over, jingle feet, and the gentle stretch. For the activity today’s music, children are taken through lullabies, soft rock music, easy listening music, classical music, and country music. During the massage time, children are massaged on the forehead, on the forehead and cheek, the eyebrows, the shoulders and the chin and ears. During playtime, children are taken through the cat is up and down, bunny hoping, doggie to the right and left, bird say tweet, tweet and the gold fish. For fun activities, children are taken through copy me , I love to dance, shake the rattle, and flashlight fun (Forman & Hall, 2005). Children of ages: 9 to 15 months: program range This program offers the infants with a fun-filled learning experience. The program offers heuristic play items, blended in preschool themes and inspired by a touch of Montessori. The lessons are grouped into weekly packages, all including group time exercises, sign language lessons (five taught in a month), language development exercises, words to rhymes and songs; and fun-filled learning exercises. 3. The room’s painting is based on a simple color scheme. Furniture are arranged in a manner that large, open spaces are available for activity sessions and smaller, containing spaces are available, which are best for social interactions and group work. On the floor were 4 by 4 feet rugs, which are used as leaning areas for the infants. Spaces are left for large block plays, book areas, and stacking and nesting play toys. Child-safe mirrors are useful to children and they also improve the supervision of the two caregivers (Moreno & Klute, 2011). Different rugs and large pillows, which offer protection when children fall, were also available. The larger pillows are placed at the spaces for older infants, as they can interfere with the sitting and crawling of younger infants. The shelves are low, as they are used as the display area for different toys. The toys are changed after every two days, to ensure that children remain interested and learning. The children’s baby-beds are personalized by the teacher, adding mobiles above different cribs. Others had homey touches, and a family photo, to bring familiarity to the spaces. The furniture at the infant center are low

Argument for Right for Gays to Adopt in Virginia Essay

Argument for Right for Gays to Adopt in Virginia - Essay Example In today’s society, there are more than 500,000 foster children waiting to be placed in stable, caring homes (Ruggeri, 29). There is a shortage of people who fit the broader social norm, this being the heterosexual individual or couple, to assist in the adopting process. Because of different political and social division that is present in society, many homosexuals are not given the opportunity to adopt these foster children or any other youths that have been put into the adoption system. Homosexuals, whether coupled or living in individual households, often face pressure from defiant ethical supporters and their social peers because of their lifestyles. When coupled with laws designed to prevent them from attaining equal status, offering themselves as potential parents for awaiting children becomes a significant uphill battle. The division that exists in society about the validity of homosexuals’ claims that they can be stable parents can be witnessed in the many different laws designed to prevent adoption by this social group. For example, a 2006 constitutional amendment banned same-sex marriage in Colorado with similar constraints in Indiana (Padgett, 51). In more progressive states, such as Connecticut and New Jersey, civil unions are allowed under law but are given considerable limitations compared to their heterosexual counterparts (Padgett). These laws, and many others which ban civil unions act as the foundation for why homosexuals are not considered qualified or capable parents for volumes of children looking for support and stability. In homosexual households consisting of two partners, it has been argued by many that extending same-sex marriage rights would tend to normalize the household for potential adopted children.  

Compare and Contrast Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Compare and Contrast - Assignment Example The question is why, despite of many oppositions against it, does discrimination still exist in many cultures of the African countries? Female genital mutilation (FGM) is a controversial international issue on human rights that many people from different cultures, whether they are for or against female circumcision, vary in opinions which come in clash with one another. The World Health Organization (2012) defines female genital mutilation as a procedure that involves partial or total removal of the external female genitalia or any other injury to the female genital organs, whether for cultural, religious or other non-therapeutic reasons. It is often called female circumcision implying the male circumcision as reasonable counterpart for the rite of passage of the masculine gender. However, it differs greatly from male circumcision because the degree of cutting is far more extensive, which human right advocates believe to be inhuman. This is one of many reasons why human rights’ enthusiasts fight against female genital mutilation as it is considered as a violation on the rights of women and children causing gr eat harm rather than being good according to anti-FGM enthusiasts. Focusing on the ill effects of female genital mutilation, according to anti-FGM and pro health movements, it often impairs a woman’s sexual and reproductive functions and can even affect the ability of girls and women to pass urine and menstrual flow normally that often leads to retention and further infection of the genital and pelvic area. This is why WHO have termed the practice a female genital mutilation because universally it mutilates women violating their rights (Royal College of Nursing, 2006). FGM has been a practice that can be traced a thousand years ago and still flourish even on today’s most modern and humanistic times. If it has been deemed as a violation of human rights then the question is why for humanity’s sake it still persists

A concise report Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words - 1

A concise report - Case Study Example Inasmuch as there seems to be so many opportunities in companies going global, businesses are expected to ensure that they develop effective business strategies and approaches that can enable them to keep pace with the great competition at this stage. In this regard, success in marketing seems to be among the best strategies that businesses operating globally can use as their competitive advantage. In deciding on the marketing approach, it is important that businesses understand the characteristics of the markets in which they are reaching in order to devise strategies that can appeal to the people in that market. With effective marketing, businesses can easily get their goods in shelves in wholesale and retail stores, which is necessary in order for them to be successful. Marketing strategies are not homogeneous, what may have been successful in the domestic market may not prove to be successful in the global market as well, which underpins the need for effective research and understanding of the global market before launching in the new market. This paper examines the different marketing approaches used by companies going global, focusing on the effectiveness of the relationship marketing approach as opposed to traditional/transactional approach in the global markets. The term â€Å"global marketing environment† is sometimes very complex to describe or explain since it encompasses various issues in the global business environment that are never constant, always changing. In order to have the best approach towards understanding what entails the global marketing environment, it is important that one examines some of the current literature and changes in the business environment. In the modern business world, the changing behavior and buying patterns of customers as the proliferation of many and new marketing channels have set up many new issues in the business environment

3G technology features and their impact on the business world Term Paper

3G technology features and their impact on the business world - Term Paper Example This paper discusses various features of 3G technology that are generally present in all products and explores the impact of 3G technology on business in the contemporary age. Features of 3G technology: The two key features of 3G technology that most consumers look forward to are data transfer rate and data security. They and many other features of 3G technology are discussed below: Using such devices as cell phones, consumers are able to access the Internet, listen music, watch movies and make calls 24/7. In order to frequently download large files from Internet, consumers want to have high data transfer speed, which is a facility that many latest cell phones offer. The security features of 3G technology secure the data and confidential information in the wireless communication system. Most forms of 3G technology like videoconferencing are compatible with a whole range of internet browsers and platforms. Old concerns of checking the compatibility of the product with the internet bro wsers have been obviated with the use of 3G technology. Videoconferencing can be equally efficiently conducted on a PC, platforms of Linux computing and a MAC. Likewise, people can participate in a videoconferencing session from all types of web browsers including Chome, Firfox and Internet Explorer. Similar is the case with online conversation through cell phones using skype.

Crisis intervention centre Essay Example for Free

Crisis intervention centre Essay The need for a crisis intervention centre is in line with the Danville public needs. The society here is facing housing, despondency and declining social welfare amenities. The model crisis centre is a compound unit of physiological, social and economic advisory and counselling services. These services are to help alleviate frustration, the problem of social classes discourse and increased despondency which are resulting to high stress levels which have led to increased mental cases, besides, to create a welfare sense in this society. This will gradually resolve the impeding social-ethnic storms, unemployment and through increased lobbying through this centre, invite social welfare stakeholders to proffer services and amenities to help the victims of various social problems including domestic violence. Model The crisis intervention centre will be an office with qualified crisis management officers. It will be established to foresee, counselling of abused, domestic violence subjects, despondent and homeless people. They will also foresee the implementation of social integration policies in this society as well as networking with reliable social welfare referrals to counter the problem of declining social welfare. They will also work with the local police force to stem crime and advice of social integration so as to help maintain law and order in Danville. This way, the crisis intervention centre will offer professional advice, minimize liability through plans; provide order and options to the health and welfare problems in Danville. The inception of this centre is due to the sad situation in the society of Danville. The objective is to close the gap of increased poverty and social disintegration through enlightening people about their rights and their economic well being and social welfare needs. Operation and networking procedure The purpose of this crisis intervention centre is to counter arising social problems and addressing them urgently. The team of professionals will check and arrest arising emotional or physical health and safety of the members of the society is at risk. Offering referral to health providers in case of a health risk case, violence and chaos in the settlements where people are living, domestic violence and other physical health risk eventualities; also alerting the police and local medics on the same. Objectively, we will be managing the crisis from two perspectives, one; helping the ones affected to survive the crisis and secondly, to build capacity on alleviation of crisis. Building capacity will be aimed at making the society try preventing arising social crisis, build good relationships and co-exist peacefully. We aim at helping the members of the society self-manage arising crisis through knowledge and skills like demonstrating maturity, good decision making, mediation and avoiding trouble. The professionals will have to be ready to work at odd hours and adhere to the principals of the crisis centre quick response initiative. The quick response initiative will be a special unit of the Crisis intervention centre and will be laden with the duty of rushing to rescue and resolve crisis upon calls of distress and so forth. As such, the centre will be networking with the society and the other social welfare stakeholders to safeguard both lives and the health of the society. This plan is evenly collaborative with rising needs of the Danville society and environment. Operating System The centre cannot be run in an empty office, as such; we have a budget which is meant to accommodate various necessities which will enable the dissemination of our objective effectively. We will buy and install an emergency calls receiving centre and a computer system that will support our networks objectives. †¢ An office from which we have counselling and capacity building advisory lessons and one which will house our staff and operating system †¢ A radio communication system to coordinate with each of the professionals and the rapid response unit †¢ A computer system that will support a databank for clients and give immediate referrals to cases †¢ A van to ferry possible critical cases to nearest healthcare facility and also another van to ferry the rapid response unit Crisis intervention We will be managing Danville crisis based on strength of the Danville society perspective and the problem based perspective. Using our resources, liaising with healthcare providers, social welfare stakeholders, society and government to manage and minimize crisis. We also aim at assessing the risks through risk assessment based on social perception and projections on sensitive social issues. Through planning and holding meetings with various members of the society so as to understand the various weaknesses in the society and they can be managed. We will also use all the resources at all levels of the Danville area. Management of the crisis is issue based and we intend to tackle issues through assessment and capacity building. This way we will alleviate the suspect and the conflicting social behaviour. By capacity building we will foster social-environmental change and subsequently stop bad social behaviour like, domestic violence, robberies, mugging, ethnic discontent and related social discords. Capacity building will replace these bad aspects of social behaviour with alternative skills which will benefit the members of the society. Activities like social-economics, education and active participation recreational activities replace the behavior with alternative skills that serve the same function for the individuals with the weaknesses as well as the segments of the society affected or portraying similar bad behavior.

Women in the American Revolution Essay Example for Free

Women in the American Revolution Essay As had been the pattern in Europe over the centuries, women in early America were not supposed to play any political role in society. Following the ideas and values brought here from the Old World, colonial leaders decided that womens main place was in the home, centered around conventional activities for example housework, cooking, cleaning, as well as childrearing. Besides taking care of the household, it was accepted; women could partake in some phases of the religious life of the community. However a sharp difference was drawn between religion and politics. When the question arose in early Massachusetts regarding possibly permitting all church members a political voice irrespective of their other status, Puritan minister John Cotton argued that merely independent adult men had the essential qualifications to act sensibly in the political sphere. Women and Servants, he said, are not reckoned â€Å"capable of voting in the choice of Magistrates, though they may be and are, church members. †1 Cotton and others felt that women may exercise some decision-making authority within the family, however in society at large men alone could be rulers. Certainly, not all men in early America had access to the political realm. As noted in Reverend Cottons remarks, bound servants were to be excluded. Furthermore, religious dissenters, white men without property and, certainly, black slaves were generally barred from any form of political participation. Members of these groups, along with women, had been conventionally looked upon as lacking the independence and personal qualities believed essential for becoming a voter or officeholder. Thus far women were obviously a special case, which is perhaps why it ultimately took longer for them to lawfully get political rights. Perhaps, too, it elucidates why in colonial times few theorists even measured the prospect of women having any sort of political role. In the second half of the 18th century, certain writers elaborated further as to why women did not belong in the political ground. A foremost advice book of the time, The Polite Lady, published in England however extensively read in America, stated that womens natural abilities were not equal to such a difficult task as politics. Female education, as currently conducted, said the author, was too slight and superficial to allow women to be competent judges of such matters. Just before the colonists stated their independence, Massachusetts lawyer and emerging statesman John Adams reiterated some of these views. Like the previous writer, Adams did not assert that women lacked any intellectual capacity. To a certain extent, he thought that they were unsuited both by temperament as well as training for such a worldly pursuit as politics. â€Å"Their delicacy, Adams insisted, renders them unfit for practice and experience in the great business of life, and hardly enterprises of war, as well as the arduous cares of state. Besides, their attention is so much engaged with the necessary nurture of their children, that nature has made them fittest for domestic cares. †2 Women in the Patriot Cause: These few instances of female participation despite, the foregoing criticism reveals the fact that women were not seen as having a justifiable place in the political community. The passage of time had brought much development to the colonies however none concerning any institutionalized political role for women. That women should have no business dealing with matters of state was an approach maintained not merely by notable men in America but as well among the great minds of the late 18th century European Enlightenment. Outside of the French philosopher Condorcet, no intellectual of the period seriously thought that women belonged in the public sphere. Though, the American Revolution would force as a minimum some rethinking of womens connection to the political realm here in the New World. Even though no formal context existed for women entering the civil polity, they would in several ways become attached to the movement looking for political independence from England. As historian Linda Kerber has noted, womens services turned out to be highly sought after either for the army or on the home front. Consequently, women were challenged to commit themselves politically and then validate their allegiance. In a little while the age-old question was raised: could a woman be a loyalist, an essentially political person, and, if so, what form would it take? The issue, as Kerber indicates, never achieved full resolution. However without doubt many women, at least for a time, went beyond their conventional roles and started engaging in some kinds of public activity.

Impact of Globalization on Ford Motor Company

Impact of Globalization on Ford Motor Company The motor vehicle industry offers a unique perspective on globalization because of its massive employment, huge corporations and iconic product, it seem to reflect the countries identity. GM and FORD for the united states, FIAT and Ferrari for the Italy, Toyota and Honda for Japan. Globalization has impacted almost all the companies. Some of who managed to survive the various incidences of history like the world war and the great depression have set industry standards for the companies to follow. I am going to demonstrate the effect of globalization by taking Three instances from the Ford motor company. The following essay will try to give an insight of how political, economical, social and technological factors affected Fords strategies under the changing business environment that helped it stand out from the other rival car manufacturers in the world. Ford created some of the finest works of automobile engineering and came out with various eco-friendly innovations making it the only motor company to secure its place in the list of 100 most ethical companies of the world. About the company: Henry Ford had experienced a grand success especially with the early models like the T Model . he went on explained his business overseas and by the early 1910s, with production facilities in France, Denmark and England ,Germany and Austria. After the First World War started, Ford produced half of the cars being sold in the US. During the war, Ford produced many of its cars to serve the army. 1938: The German consul at Cleveland awards Henry Ford the Grand Cross of the German Eagle, the highest medal Nazi Germany could bestow on a foreigner By 1941, Ford became the worlds largest assembly plant owner and Ford produced from standard military vehicles, to B-24 Liberator bombers and tanks during the World War II After the WWII, was the period when Ford company developed and evolved very fast. Ford came out with latest technologies and development for their cars. During the Cold War they were the most important carmakers in the world. It was during period that the Ford Motor Company looked for other possible investments and continued to expand overseas. In 1979 they acquired a one fourth Mazda, the Japanese carmaker in 1987. Ford added Aston Martin and in 1989 Ford acquired Jaguar under its umbrella brand. Ford Motor Company onits 100th birthday in 2003 and showcased a series of special edition of cars, such as the all new Ford Mustang. Ford faced financial crisis when it reported losses of over $12 billion for the 2006 fiscal year .It led to the selling of some of the brands from the Ford group: Aston Martin, Jaguar and Land Rover. After the third Restructuring process The Way Forward, Ford started to Divest its subsidiary business in order to focus on the core FORD brand. It sold its Jaguar and Land Rover brand to Tata Automobile of India in 2008. Major events that shaped FORD in the changing global environment: 1914: Ford introduced $5 workday minimum wage double the existing rate. Background: In 1914 ford innovated the 5 dollar workday. 5 dollar was just twice the wages being paid at that time. The interesting thing about this was it was far more than the balance between demand and supply. The number of worker willing to work exceeded the required. The ford company came to be associated with good wages in 1914. This policy of high wages and mass production gave rise to a new term Fordism . Factors affecting decision: (P)olitical: Henry Ford was a strict anti-union, and believed in authoritative way of government system. (E)conomical: In the 1913 the availability of labors must have increased as the national economy and Detroit hinterland suffered a significant downturn. This is evident from the following table 1 which shows the number of people receiving the special unemployment relief in the country including Detroit increased about two third between the period of July 1912 June 1913 Fords high wage policy is in by the efficient wage theory. There are various theories for these changes like the Dual labour market theory. Although the same efficient wage theory also says the in a competitive market some people must be stuck in bad, low paid jobs or unemployed (Gintis, 1998). The alternative to the Fords offer of 5 dollar wage was unemployment or very low paid job hence can be the reason why workers showed up. (S)ocial: In 1913 Fords worker turnover rate increased to 380 percentage. High turnover rate during the twentieth century was a common problem faced by many manufacturers. The reason for dissatisfaction of labours according to ford management repost Too long hours Low wages Bad housing conditions Undesirable shop conditions . Fords method of 5 dollar wage made workers motivated, punctual. This although should have been a costly affair turned out to be profitable step for the business. The higher the wage rate offered by firms, the more effort will be supplied by the employees, with other things being the same (T)echnological: Dramatic evolution in production technology by Fords assembly line technique. The high efficiently of this system raised the importance of High worker turn over, high worker effort, and high worker quality. By 1910 two third of the fords workforce were either workmen or mechanics who were over rated as highly skilled or skilled this was because ford was not a manufacturing company rather assembling company. This problem was suppressed by 1996: Ford certifies all plants in 26 countries to ISO 9000 quality and ISO 14001 environmental standards Background: World War II gave birth to the idea of quality assurance. The first formal quality control programs in the world was instituted by the United States Defense department , in order to deal problems related to manufacturing of defense equipment as quality was the main consideration. Industry standards then became popular and reached the other parts of the world. They formed the basis for a set of quality assurance standards which was adopted by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) members . Those standards were called the Allied Quality Assurance Publication (AQAP) (http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/encyclopedia/Int-Jun/ISO-9000.html). Finally at the close of World War II, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) was created in 1947, with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. ISO 9000 ISO 14001: In December 1996, Ford became the largest automotive organization in the world to receive ISO 9001 quality certification, for quality management and quality assurance. On Sept. 9, 1999, Ford Motor Co. became the first U.S. automotive company to require all of its production and nonproduction suppliers to become certified to ISO 14001 international standards for environmental considerations. Factors affecting decision: (P)olitical: Governments may have actively promoted ISO 14001 if their economies relied on exporting to countries with high levels of ISO 14001 adoption rates .United States formed the Registrar Accreditation Board (RAB) to standardize procedure for certification. The US Congress adopted the National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act requiring federal agencies to adopt International Standards where they exist, instead of creating their own. Intergovernmental networks played limited role in diffusion of ISO as it was nongovernmental regime. Adversarial legalism approach was practiced in the U.S . In this system, the parties to a controversy develop and present their arguments, gather and submit evidence, call and question witnesses, and, within the confines of certain rules, control the process. The fact finder, usually a judge or jury, remains neutral and passive throughout the proceeding. This was slow and cumbersome. Relations between environmental groups, government regulators and industry were characterized by varying levels of hostility and high levels of mistrust. (E)conomic: International standards were important trends in business practice. During the Early 20th century, quality was viewed as an additional cost of production for the business. But, the quest for quality became their major consideration, as companies realized that high quality leads to more efficient and less expensive production processes. Both ISO 9000 and ISO 14001 helped companies to increase their market share. Encouragement by World Trade Organization for creation of supranational standards helped cut down barriers on trade and investment. As a consequence of which Foreign Direct Investment from international Market started pouring in. Changes were also happening at domestic levels which led to Rise in intercompany (trade within value the value chains of the company) trade Because of presence of dual trade linkage there might be a Possibility of California effect which means that if country A absorbs a significant proportion of country Bs exports, then country B can be expected to mimic or respond to the policies of country A (S)ociological: Employee morale improved as they felt part of the process. Managers and employees accepted responsibility for quality. This created better co-operation and communication among workers to do a better job and increased companies efficiency. This in turn led to improved customer satisfaction and trust. It helped reduce the need for customer audits (This can result in major savings). However, many citizen and activist groups were wary of EMS standards and viewed them as private regimes that were outside public scrutiny and claimed that adopting ISO 14001 will become a de facto condition of doing business: firms that outsource their operations sometimes require that their suppliers adopt ISO 14001. (T)echnological: Development of pollution-prevention techniques and company-specific EMSs to reduce waste production as well as disposal costs .Presence of new form of Information and technology and greater interaction among people of different countries led to the diffusion. Ford was perceived as good corporate citizens producing higher quality products. Hence, they gained goodwill that helped retain old customers while attract new ones. (L)egal: There was NO legal implication were there on the companies to adopt such standard but since EMS had become a gold standard for CSR conscious firms therefore most of the MNCs adopted them. (E)nvironmental: In the 1980s, environmental regulations on hazardous waste disposal at both the local and national levels became more stringent. This forced companies to change their method for hazardous waste disposal from placement in landfills to treatment and recycling. 2008: Ford sells Jaguar and Land Rover to Tata Motors: Background: After facing a loss of North American market share to Asian rivals like Toyota, Ford CEO Bill Ford declared to cut 25,000 to 30,000 jobs and idle 14 facilities by 2012 thus declaring the resurgence of Ford Motor company.. Bill Ford had instituted a Revitalization Plan in 2002, after the automaker lost $5 billion a year earlier. But the plan failed to meet the goals set for 2005. Later in 2006 the new CEO Allan R. Mulally announced the Third restructuring plan known as The Way Forward. The targeted areas of improvement were marketing and sales, Technology development and Human resource. Factors affecting decision: (P)olitical: Allan R. Mulally succeeded Bill Ford as the new president CEO of Ford Motor Company on September 5, 2006. on September 5, 2006. One of Mulallys first decisions at Ford was to bring back the Taurus nameplate. (E)conomical: Ford reported a loss of 1.2 Billion Dollar with a decrease in the market share from 23.7% to 15.5% since the year 2000.It faced tough competition from Asian manufacturer such as Toyota which had manufacturing capacity of over 1.5 million vehicles in North America alone. High prices of oil posed a threat that global economy might slip into recession and would create high uncertainty for the business as customers were switching over from sport utility vehicles to smaller, more fuel efficient cars. Because of high increase in labour and material costs, United States parts manufacturing company like Delphi declared bankruptcy in 2005. Ford did not want to sell its jaguar and land rover brand to similar automaker company which had wide range of product in order to avoid competitive pressures on fords other auto lines. (S)ocial: Stringent relationship between united auto workers and American car maker as the domestic car manufacturers bore the burden of heavy pension and health care costs. This was the scenario for both for current and retired workers, as stipulated in contracts with the UAW. This was not the case with Japanese manufacturers. UAW member at fords allowed non union workers to perform certain tasks and did not pay them even for overtime some of which fell on weekends and furthermore 6000 salaried jobs were cut in September, 2006 and additional 30,000 jobs scheduled for 2012. Customer purchases are driven by perceived value derived from brand reputation and an individuals personality and living standards, lack of differentiation between Ford, Lincoln and mercury brands resulted in cannibalization of sales. (T)echnological: U.S governments new rule in august, 2005 brought a change in the existing fuel efficiency standards. Though ford lacked innovation in mid sized and small cars it projected that by 2015 one half of the vehicles on road would have a six speed automatic transmission, which would result in increased mileage. (E)nvironmental: Pressure from environmentalist on car and truck manufacturers to clean up emissions by adopting to fuels like bio diesel, electric motors, compressed natural gas and solar energy. How globalization  impacted FORD: We see from the examples globalization effected fords strategies from the time it was setup till date. They were able to maintain their competitive advantage over the other companies either by innovating new technologies likes the assembly lines, approaching to new International standards or by focusing on the core Ford brand. By adapting such processes, FORD motor company contributed toward Corporate social responsibility and created remote social value in the eyes of the customers. Although there is some probability of window dressing and a quest for better profits. These can be understood by strategic behavior theories like market imperfections (Stephen Hymer (market imperfections, 1960s) and role of oligopolies (Market Imperfections, 1960s). Which explain that MNCs expand abroad ,exploit specific advantages over their rivals and remove conflicts with their rivals. (IBE, Lecture 8, slide 33) The Ford company explored new horizons of business across cross border market either by value crating or value capturing activities (lecture 6 slide 31). Expanding overseas specially towards emerging economies may not only increase corporate profits and shareholders returns but also provide employment to host countries and develop these economies at the base of the pyramid all of which have noble CSR dimensions. Ford quickly merged and acquired some of the big brand under its umbrella and came out come with some best of the cars leaving a long lasting impression on the consumers. Despite of debate, Globalization has led to a greener and safer environment where MNCs are under continuous process of giving their consumer even better products and creating flagship cars.

International and Strategic Marketing Essay -- Business Marketing

International and Strategic Marketing The globalization of business markets from domestic to international has generated a unique competitive advantage for all the organizations whose products and services are being welcomed by the customers all around the world demanding mass marketing efforts. In this regard, marketing research in the international environment is having different methodology and complications with respect to geographical boundaries of a specific country in which penetration and development of a product is required. Therefore, an international market planning with strategic aligned goal, for development in the global world should be the objective of marketers to captivate international market leadership. Introduction The gravity of globalization in today’s modern era in the business world is increasing enormously due to faster means of communication, transportation, technology, and rapid financial streams. The product that is being produced in a specific region does not have limitations of boundaries. A Russian student can be wearing Italian T-shirt, driving in a German car going to meet his friend in a Chinese restaurant. This example is not astonishing because it is a general practice and nowadays everybody can illustrate the true meaning of world global market place. Hence, marketers are required to analyze this gravity of globalization and have to consider international marketing in their strategic goal of marketing plan. Marketing is the well known concept of anticipating customer need or demand then analyzing how marketers are going to fulfill that demand or need and finally satisfying customer need or demand. If the customer is really satisfied by gauging th... ... Works Cited Cateora Ph., and Graham, J.,(2002), International Marketing, 14th edition, (n.d): McGraw Hill. Davis, S.M., (1987), Future Perfect, New York, (n.d): Addison-Wesley. Hamel, G. and Prahalad, C.K, (1996), Competing for the Future, (n.d): Harvard Business School Press Kotler, Philip and Armstrong, Gray, (2008), Principles of Marketing, 12th edition, India: Prentice Hall Kumar, V. (2000), International Marketing Research, N.J: Prentice Hall Payne, Results of Poor Cultural Awareness, (n.d) retrieved August 4, 2010 from Wind,Yoram, Douglas,Susan P. and Perlmutter, Howard V. (Apr., 1973), Guidelines for Developing International Marketing Strategies, The Journal of Marketing, Vol. 37, No. 2, pp. 14-23 , Retrieved 4 August,2010, from

Doctor Who, An Unearthly Child a Show About Time Travel Essay -- planet

What if you could live for a couple thousand years traveling through time and space in a chameleon ship exploring the universe while averting disaster? In addition to that, what if you’re always the smartest person in the room regardless of where you are? If so, then you would be the Doctor, well almost except the Doctor’s chameleon circuit board in his ship is broken so he has to travel around in a small blue police box called a Tardis, but hey no worries, it’s bigger on the inside. This is the setting for one of the world’s most famous sci-fi television series. If you already knew all this, then you are probably a Whovian or at least know one. Doctor Who has been around for 50 years and is now broadcast in 94 countries across 6 continents (Guenigault). Whovians have become as large as, if not larger than Trekkies. Because Doctor Who has been around so long, it has lead to a massive fan base, annual conventions, and many other fan activities. The first episode of Doctor Who, An Unearthly Child, aired on BBC One November 23rd 1963. (â€Å"WhovianNet†). The show was written about time travel, and focused around a man known only as the Doctor. Born on the planet Gallifrey, the Doctor is an alien Time Lord that is currently around 900 years old because he never dies, but rather regenerates. Not only does the Doctor regenerate, he also takes on a new humanoid body each time. After regenerating, the Doctors characteristics change somewhat, though his core personality of heroism remains intact. He doesn’t really know when this will occur until slightly before. This has allowed for several actors to fill the position of the Doctor without their own personality traits affecting the overall character. This leaves the show with the possibility... ...t time to grow. Works Cited â€Å"BBC News.† Dr Who â€Å"longest-running sci-fi.† News. N. p., n.d. Web. 15 Apr. 2014. Booth, Paul, and Peter Kelly. â€Å"The Changing Faces of Doctor Who Fandom: New Fans, New Technologies, Old Practices?† Participations Journal of Audience & Reception Studies 10.1 (2013): 56–72. Web. 6 Apr. 2014. â€Å"BroaDWcast.† N. p., n.d. Web. 16 Apr. 2014. â€Å"Chicago TARDIS.† N. p., n.d. Web. 17 Apr. 2014. Guenigault, Matt. â€Å"Doctor Who: Guinness World Record for The Day of the Doctor.† BBC Doctor Who News. News. N. p., 24 Nov. 2013. Web. 15 Apr. 2014. â€Å"Gallifrey One.† N. p., n.d. Web. 22 Apr. 2014. â€Å"Guinness World Records.† Longest running science fiction TV series. N. p., n.d. Web. 24 Apr. 2014. â€Å"Online Oxford Dictionary.† N. p., n.d. Web. 23 Apr. 2014. â€Å"The Rules of Whovians.† N. p., n.d. Web. 15 Apr. 2014. â€Å"WhovianNet.† Forum. N. p., n.d. Web. 7 Apr. 2014.

Transformative Learning in Adulthood :: Adult Education Educate Essays

Transformative Learning in Adulthood A defining condition of being human is that we have to understand the meaning of our experience. For some, any uncritically assimilated explanation by an authority figure will suffice. But in contemporary societies we must learn to make our own interpretations rather than act on the purposes, beliefs, judgments, and feelings of others. Facilitating such understandings is the cardinal goal of adult education. Transformative learning develops autonomous thinking. (Mezirow 1997, p. 5) Since first introduced by Jack Mezirow in 1978, the concept of transformative learning has been a topic of research and theory building in the field of adult education (Taylor 1998). Although Mezirow is considered to be the major developer of transformative learning theory, other perspectives about transformative learning--influenced by the work of Robert Boyd--are emerging. Following a discussion of transformative learning as conceptualized by Mezirow, this Digest describes research and theory building by Robert Boyd and its influence on current perspectives of transformative learning. Some suggestions for fostering transformative learning conclude the Digest. Mezirow and Transformative Learning The theory of transformative learning that has been developed by Mezirow during the past 2 decades has evolved "into a comprehensive and complex description of how learners construe, validate, and reformulate the meaning of their experience" (Cranton 1994, p. 22). Centrality of experience, critical reflection, and rational discourse are three common themes in Mezirows theory (Taylor 1998), which is based on psychoanalytic theory (Boyd and Myers 1988) and critical social theory (Scott 1997). For learners to change their "meaning schemes (specific beliefs, attitudes, and emotional reactions)," they must engage in critical reflection on their experiences, which in turn leads to a perspective transformation (Mezirow 1991, p. 167). "Perspective transformation is the process of becoming critically aware of how and why our assumptions have come to constrain the way we perceive, understand, and feel about our world; changing these structures of habitual expectation to make possible a more inclusive, discriminating, and integrating perspective; and, finally, making choices or otherwise acting upon these new understandings" (ibid.). Perspective transformation explains how the meaning structures that adults have acquired over a lifetime become transformed. These meaning structures are frames of reference that are based on the totality of individuals cultural and contextual experiences and that influence how they behave and interpret events (Taylor 1998). An individuals meaning structure will influence how she chooses to vote or how she reacts to women who suffer physical abuse, for example.

Pupil’s educational success Essay

The education system is mostly controlled by white middle-class people. Those who share these characteristics may well be viewed more positively and be more likely to succeed in the tests and examinations created to assess their abilities. Many working class and ethnic minority pupils may feel undervalued and demotivated by an education system that does not recognise their qualities, class or ethnic culture. The Marxist idea of â€Å"Cultural Capital† (Bordieu) also determines a student’s ability to excel in the education system. Schools are middle-class institutions run by the middle-class. The forms of knowledge, values, ways of interacting and communicating ideas that middle-class children possess are developed further and rewarded by the education system. Working class and ethnic minority children may lack these qualities and so do not have the same chances to succeed. Studies have shown that middle-class parents are able to use their cultural capital to play the system so as to ensure that their children are accepted into the schools of their choice. However, ethnic minority parents are disadvantaged when trying to get their children into better schools. The parents, especially if born abroad, may not have much experience of the British education system and may not be able to, or confident enough about their English skills, to be able to negotiate the system. Some sociologists have argued that the curriculum disadvantages pupils, particularly the working class and ethnic minorities. The knowledge that they encounter at school does not connect with their own cultural experience. Working class experience is almost invisible in the school curriculum. History, for example, tends to deal with the ruling classes rather than with the vast majority of ordinary people. Coard (1971) showed how the content of education also ignored black people. The people who are acclaimed tend to be white, whilst black culture, music and art are largely ignored. Coard argued that this led to low self-esteem among black pupils. Since the 1970’s some effort has been made to make the curriculum â€Å"Multicultural†, but it is still criticised for only looking at â€Å"Saris and Samosas†. The National Curriculum has still been criticised today for being ethnocentric – emphasising white middle-class culture at the expense of other cultures – especially in its focus on British History and literature.

In Jesus’ Name: Taking Up Serpents

â€Å"Happy shall he be, that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones. † (Psalm 137:9)Read more at /list/top-20-bible-passages-to-use-against-fundamentalists/ivana-wynn? page=3#X63UZMIZkY7ETEaQ. 99 â€Å"Happy shall he be, that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones. † (Psalm 137:9)Read more at /list/top-20-bible-passages-to-use-against-fundamentalists/ivana-wynn? page=3#X63UZMIZkY7ETEaQ. 99 Megan Gowler Cultural Anthropology MWF 10 a. m. IN JESUS' NAME: TAKING UP SERPENTS I've took cocaine, I've smoked marijuana, drunk whiskey, and been high on all that, but this high you get on Jesus, it's nothin', nothin' compared to that†¦ † The video was filmed in two churches in Alabama and Georgia in what looks like the 60's, but in reality was the late 80's or very early 90's, I believe the copyright date is 1991. In Jesus' Name: Taking Up Serpents heavily documents the practice of snake handling in this religious sect, but mentions the co nsumption of strychnine very minimally.The people seem happy, but not particularly affluent. They are presumably in the Appalachian region of the states, where coal mining, poverty and a hard life are all too common. The whole thing is presented without commentary or criticism allowing the viewer to experience the culture and apply their own opinions. Taking Up Serpents shows us how literal interpretations of biblical texts are executed with fervor in the name of God. The filmmakers do not appear biased or like they have any hidden agenda.It seems to be a straight-forward documentation of a church service. The filmmakers did not go out of their way to make these people seem simple or poor, which I am sure would have been easy to do with selective editing. Men are featured prominently in this video. They seem to be ‘called upon by the holy ghost' to ‘take up serpents' more readily than the women are. The women are not left untouched by the ‘spirit' as was made obvio us by the shaking, sobbing and speaking in tongues that is also demonstrated in the video.The women who do handle the snakes seemed to do so for a much shorter length of time and with greater caution then the men, who shake them and rub them around their faces and necks, almost as a challenge to the snake. Children are not permitted to handle any of the snakes in these churches. I found out online that usually (and for legal reasons) you must be 18 to begin taking part in this part of the ritual. Apparently, the Holy Spirit discriminates by not just gender, but age as well.They do not go into any detail regarding the consumption of strychnine in this video, it only gets a brief mention and is hardly shown. Interestingly, when you look at the side effects of the consumption of strychnine, one of the less grievous effects is euphoria. Also, it should be noted that it acts as a stimulant and can cause muscle spasms and convulsions, which are exacerbated by bright light and loud noises (I assume that includes raucous religious music and bright overhead lights).I wonder why they have chosen that verse specifically to focus all their energy on. Why aren't they burning male flock animals (sheep, goats) on altars in their yard or beating their children for self satisfaction (Leviticus 1:9 and Psalm 137:9, respectively). Why snake handling and poison consumption, I have a theory, but I will save it for now. Everything about this practice is bizarre, but is it only bizarre because of our distance from it?Religious ceremonies of EVERY nature have incredibly odd practices, but they only seem bizarre to outsiders. The whole video made me sad, but I can't say exactly why. The filmmakers intention was to document the practice and according to the note on Youtube, help preserve their right to practice their religion, their way. I don't know how to explain how I feel without writing another 5 pages. Religion and religious freedom is and always has been a minefield of controver sy.Islam has the prophet Mohammed who took a six year old bride when he was in his late 50's, Christianity has a virgin birth and coming back to life (insert inappropriate zombie Jesus joke here), Scientology teaches us that we are all immortal aliens trapped in physical bodies, dinosaurs are a hoax put forth by Satan to fool us all, Mormons are in their ‘magic underwear' prepping for the return on God in Missouri, putting a dirty milk glass and a plate from a roast beef sandwich in the same dishwasher can contaminate your soul, or most famously and least disputed the idea that when certain rites are performed bread and wine turn into human flesh and blood once in your stomach. I mean, there are plenty of genuinely weird ideas and practices in the United States, I mean, these are just off the top of my head. So even though this very specific sect of Evangelical Christians has the odd little habit of swinging snakes around and drinking poison really, who can judge them? I would like to mention that I did a little digging regarding this film, partly because I am fascinated by religion and partly because I wanted to know more about it and I found out that two of the men in the film have died, possibly a third, but without names, I cannot say for sure.Also, the pastor in the film, whose name is Glenn Summerford was convicted of attempted murder for stuffing his wife Danielle's hand into a box of rattlesnakes when he was in a ‘drunken rage' in 1991. Glenn was sentenced to 99 years in prison. There is a book about this titled, The Serpent and the Spirit and I now intend to read it as well. After some of the additional information I have uncovered and a lot of the stereotypes we have all heard regarding people living in this area, I wonder if these people live their lives in a more rowdy fashion than you would imagine given the scenes we are shown in the film, which is why I placed the quote I did under the title at the top.The skeptic cynic in me says th at the snake handling has less to do with God or the Holy Spirit and more to do with each individual using this fate tempting to make themselves feel better, maybe about indiscretions, financial hardships, poor decisions, who knows? Do something wrong, feel guilt, handle the snake, live through it, decide God isn't that mad at you after all because he is a forgiving God and you made a mistake, feel better†¦ now repeat. I suppose that is what every religion is supposed to do for its followers, make you feel better, help you find peace, give you a sense of place, let you know that ‘it' is gonna be okay. So as a non-judgmental observer with no plans of attending service or joining the Church of Jesus with Signs I say, ladies and gentlemen, turn up your amps, raise your cups of strychnine and shake those snakes!

The feasibility and profitability of a wind farm, proposed to supply the island town of Lowton with electricity

The following report investigates the feasibility and profitability of a wind farm, proposed to supply the island town of Lowton with electricity. Using cost-benefit analysis techniques including spreadsheets formulated using Microsoft Excel the validity of the potential construction (15 turbines) was established. The Results (including equations formulated) are available in table format in the ‘Presentation Of Results' section (p 7). Other factors, including the difficulties involved in the environmental decision-making process are discussed, for example the difficulties surrounding applying a monetary value to natural resources, pollution levels and visual intrusion. The strengths and weaknesses of the decision making process are highlighted. Environmental concerns and the importance of developing alternative energy sources are discussed. The report concludes that the construction of the proposed wind farm should go ahead, and that it could be a profitable enterprise. Introduction This report is to investigate and appraise the environmental impact of a potential wind farm for the small island town of Lowton, while assessing the profitability and feasibility of this. The island is inhabited by 1000 residents and currently has power supplied by a conventional power plant on the mainland, which owns a 650 watt electrical power station. The wind farm in question would be small (about 15 turbines) which would be expected to service the town for 20 years each. The immediate cost of constructing and installing the turbines would be à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½1 million per mega watt (MW) and the potential output should be reached by the end of the second year. The cost of the fuel replaced by the wind power creates a saving of à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½25 per MW hour. Due to the fact wind is an uncontrollable phenomenon it is not available 100% of the time. The potential availability is estimated at 50% A spreadsheet shall be devised using Microsoft excel in order to determine the financial benefits/losses. The possible environmental impacts shall also be discussed and weighed up, using moral and financial arguments. Aims & Objectives The aims and objectives of this report are to assess the profitability and feasibility of the construction of the proposed wind farm. Economic modelling skills shall be used to create and explain a discounted cash flow model. A brief environmental impact assessment shall be created along with a discussion of environmental valuation techniques. Background To Study The town of Lowton lies on a small island in two miles into the English Channel. It is not densely populated; having only 1000 residents- therefore does not have a high demand for power. The current situation sees the electricity being supplied by a local power company on the mainland via undersea cables. The company in question have a 650 MW conventional power station. The cost of constructing and implementing the 5MW wind farm would be à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½1 million per MW at the start (year 1) and would be subject to later discounts due to the low maintenance costs of the turbines. The cost of the wind power would save à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½25 on coal per hour. Methodology The primary supplied data was entered into a Microsoft excel spreadsheet (capital cost, capacity in MW, wind efficiency levels, capital repayments, discount rate, MW per hour of turbines, compared with the cost per MW hour of turbines and conventional generators. The NPV function, found in ‘f'- financial section- was used and the appropriate formulas were input. (Supplied on spreadsheets) In addition to the above information sheets issued by the Department of Trade & Industry were studies for further information. The spreadsheet was then altered to demonstrate the way in which a variation in wind efficiency may affect the NPV, should the turbines be less effective than anticipated. Presentation Of Results Discussion & Analysis Of Results The results show the potential wind farm to be a profitable project. The discount rate is used in long term projects to reflect the fact things are worth more in the present than in the future so it is the opposite of compounding. 30% was decided to be the efficiency rate in the sensitivity analysis, as it is possible that a wind farm that operates on full speed 50% of the time to have an annual output of 30% efficiency. People are impatient and would rather be instantly rewarded for something than wait to be rewarded in the future, even when this means sacrificing potentially larger gains for smaller immediate ones. This is basically human nature as the future is uncertain. A person may die for example, or shares/projects may collapse before the maximum potential is obtained. The cost of long-term investment also means a persons financial resources are tied up so unavailable for other purposes. Discounting can also be accused of belittling future benefits and the way it asks people to make personal decisions based on their own values about public goods closes off public debate. Cost benefit analysis (CBA) should also be used for determining the worth of a project. It should not merely be a financial decision when hard to value resources/phenomenon's (e.g. habitat) are involved. This raises moral and ethical questions. It is incredibly hard to attempt to put a value on human life. One way in which economists do this is by paying wages at levels which reflect the risk of the job involved e.g. soldiers earn more than teachers due to the extremely high risks associated with being sent into battle. Rather than place a value on the individual it is considered more sensitive to see it in terms of altering the morbidity rate e.g. discovering how much a household will pay to cut pollution levels, which would save lives each year. Studies have shown that by cutting pollution levels by 26.570 GWH may reduce deaths by as many as 80. Many other factors are almost impossible to put a price on, e.g. visual intrusion, noise levels. CBA does offer the opportunity to bring the costs and benefits of potential developments into the decision-making framework (as the name would suggest) and provide a ‘precident'- a way to approach environmental problems from a solid standpoint. It also allows sensitivity analysis to be conducted to establish variations in assumptions. It is a transparent process that allows outsiders the chance to see how a decision has been made. The downsides of CBA, however, include the fact that it has to assign a cash value to a natural/environmental phenomenon. There is a possibility the process may be miss-used to promote a political decision as opposed to promoting a neutral investigative /objective standpoint, as the results of the ‘Pevensey Levels' exercise in Sussex illustrated. Cost & Value Of Wind Energy The cost of wind energy is dependant on the initial cost and productivity of the turbines. In this case it is à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½25 per MW hour. Installation costs may be covered relatively quickly in a successful case due to the low maintenance costs and 20-year lifespan of each turbine. The annual output of the turbines, however, is dependant on the position and mean wind speed of their erection site, which directly affects the cost of electricity per unit. Despite the fact the proposed site is expected to reach its full potential 50% of the time (meaning the annual output may be the equivalent of working on full power 25-30% of the time) the supply tends to peak with demand, e.g. in the dark windy winter months when there is more demand for heating and lighting. Although typical wind farms produce 2-3 times less power than conventional plants they are environmentally friendly, sustainable and low maintenance in comparison. The government is currently trying to encourage the switch from conventional power plants to alternatives. It established the NFFO (Non-Fossil Fuel Order) in 1991-1998 that is now being succeeded by NFFO2- the aim of which is to subsidise and popularise the use of sustainable resources until they are in a position to compete with conventional and more traditional ones. The success of this scheme depends largely on the ever-volatile energy market. THE PRICE OF PROGRESSION? Due to the fact many benefits of sustainable power sources are long term it can be hard to interest investors. It is also hard to put a monetary value on factors such as pollution reduction, human life or the loss of wilderness land/habitat. PUBLIC SAFETY: Any man made product has a risk of malfunction but the risk from a wind turbine is considerably less than that of a plane or car engine etc. Coupled with the fact they are usually situated far from housing/roads the chance of receiving physical injury from a turbine is minimal. Despite the fact it is possible for a rotary blade to become detached in high winds nobody has ever been injured by one, and it is unlikely a person would be nearby in such bad weather conditions. Environmental Impacts RISK TO WILDLIFE: There is little risk to wildlife posed by wind farms. They produce little noise, and studies do not show them to disturb wild animals. Farmers can even graze livestock up to the base of the turbines Birds may be slightly at risk of flying into the turbines, but they are no more likely to do this than they are likely to fly into conventional power pylons or be hit by aircraft/road vehicles. Local wildlife is indeed likely to benefit from the construction of a wind farm, through the cuts in pollution levels and subsequent rise in air quality. LOSS OF WILDERNESS LAND: A method known as the ‘Clawson Method' is used to assess the monetary value of a wilderness area. It is also called the ‘Travel-Cost Analysis'. Visitors to a site in question will be interviewed to establish how far they have travelled to reach the area, from five graded zones surrounding the site. Figures are then derived from each 1000 visitors and the travel cost is considered to be the cost of their visit. This method however fails to look at the land as a future resource or take account of habitat/rare species living there. All the above factors need to be addressed along with our need to cut toxic emissions and pollutants from industry, plus preserve fossil fuels. Despite the fact that developing alternative energy sources in the short term is unlikely to be immensely profitable it is another step towards a sustainable national grid. Consumer Objections: A BLOT ON THE LANDSCAPE? Some people consider wind farms to be intrusive, and complain about the sights/sounds emitted. This depends greatly on the location in question-most ‘farms' are built far from urbanised land or other developments, sights of national beauty or very popular recreational ground. There is little that can be done at present to alter the appearance of the turbines. Very little noise is produced, so little even livestock appear unconcerned. Manufacturers are nevertheless working to make them even quieter. PUBLIC BIAS? It is possible that public ignorance and bias is at the root of many complains. A lack of awareness may encourage low tolerance levels, especially amongst those who are unfamiliar with modern technology and pollution problems. NIMBY Syndrome (Not In MY Back Yard) may also contribute to peoples dissatisfaction, especially those who live downwind. Conclusion: The spreadsheet analysis of the potential wind farm indicates it would be a profitable enterprise, due to the high Net Present Value produced. This is however only deducted from a model that is only as good as the person who designed it and the assumptions it is based on. It is therefore subject to any number of unforeseen crises, and should merely be viewed as a hypothesis. The Cost-Benefit Analysis also indicates that switching to environmentally friendly sources of power would be advantageous to both present and future generations. Discounting affects future generations as the higher the discount rate, the quicker the non-sustainable resources are likely to be exhausted. The approach may backfire if the benefits are not obtainable for a prolonged period as investment will be virtually impossible to find. It is therefore hard to protect slow-replenishing resources like tropical hardwoods. Discounting can even help to accrue worse future damage-however devastating the effects-if the future damage will not be felt for several generations. There is no real alternative to CBA despite of its faults, so it should be refined rather than disregarded as a source of decision-making. Environmental decision-making is a sensitive issue. The only possible other way is to use a citizens jury. Where this has been tried however the members failed to fully understand what was expected of them , or how to place prices on abstract phenomenon. Most educated individuals recognise the benefits to society gained from switching to ‘green' (sustainable) energy sources. The development of these sources are still in the early stages and are not going to affect the conventional production of power in the short term, it is still important to develop and popularise such alternatives today. This is the only way in which they will win social and scientific approval and eventually overcome fossil fuel consuming plants as a source of power.