Saturday, August 31, 2019

Inner Beauty Is the Real Beauty

When I was young, I read many kinds of books, including fairy tales. Most of the books described heroes who were handsome and heroines who were beautiful. So, I believed I had to be beautiful if I wanted to become a great person. It was a hard time for me. Whenever I looked at someone who was more beautiful than me, I was stressed. As I grew up, I began to realize outer beauty was not so important to make someone good. I remember a friend of mine who was so beautiful that every classmate wanted to talk with her, but she was very arrogant. She believed that she could do everything she wanted because she was so beautiful, but she lost friends one by one. My poor friend! But she learned a good lesson: inner beauty is more important than outer beauty. After she learned that, she changed her attitude and made friends again. In the Korean version of the story Cinderella, there are two stepsisters. One was very beautiful and very kind. Another was very stingy and bad. Because the prince wanted to find the girl with a missing shoe, the prince and the beautiful sister of the two stepsisters got married and lived happily ever after. In many novels and fairy tales, as in Cinderella, the main characters are usually beautiful or handsome. Beauty is representative of good deeds and kindness. In our society, beauty also gives us many advantages such as having a good social life, making friends, getting a job, and getting a promotion. Whenever, we look at good-looking guys and girls, we usually form stereotypes. We think he or she is a good and kind person. This is why cosmetic surgery is so popular in our society Whenever I see TV advertisements, I feel that these things make us believe beauty is very important–especially physical attractiveness. Although we say that inner beauty is more valuable, we often look to plastic surgery to make us more beautiful. There seems to be a boom in plastic surgery. It is surprising to realize the number of people who try it is increasing day by day. It is true that attractive people get a job easily. For example, we know good-looking guys usually get higher scores on job interviews. So, what is real beauty? I want to say that inner beauty is the real one because if someone has beauty in his soul, he looks like a really beautiful person. The beauty looked at with eyes doesn't last forever. Instead of concentrating on outer beauty, we should concentrate on inner beauty. The point is that inner beauty is more important than outside beauty. So, if we make the effort to make our minds beautiful, we'll be happier.

Friday, August 30, 2019

Psychology Ia Notes

Psychology Summer Assignment 2011 Due first class back in August/ September: Draft of Introduction and Design of Psychology Experiment. HL Psychology: IA is graded out of a score of 28. It is worth 20% of your final grade. 1500-2000 words SL Psychology: IA is graded out of a score of 20. It is worth 25% of the Final Grade. 1000-1500 words Refer to the IB Guide for First Exams in 2011 as you write your paper, and keep in contact with me. Here is a website from which you can download the Psychology Guide: http://www. bsurvival. com/files/file/1134-psychology-guide-for-first-examinations-in-2011/ Here are the parts of the IA that you must submit in our next class in August: Introduction (5 points HL; 2 points SL)) Method: Design (2 points for SL and HL) Method: Participants (2 points for SL and HL) Method: Procedure (2 points for SL and HL) Key advice: NUMBERS: Make sure that you choose an experiment that has results that can be measured on a broad scale. So observers in Bandura were not told to rate violence on a â€Å"yes† or â€Å"no† basis, but to count the number of violent acts; Milgram had many intervals on his â€Å"shock machine† that enabled him to measure and compare statistics about what point people would drop out at; Loftus and Palmer asked participants to estimate speeds in miles per hour, as opposed to â€Å"were they going fast or slow. † You will be calculating statistics and showing trends. The more detailed the numbers, the more you can say about them. And nearly half of your IA grade will be based on what you do with these numbers. ETHICS: Refer closely to the Guide as you prepare. PARTICIPANTS: there are many characteristics of participants that can be considered confounding variables. You should know your experiment well enough to avoid these. DESIGN: Repeated measures or independent samples. The answer to which one you choose is always logical, but you must show that you understand the logic. METHOD: It must be possible for the reader to replicate your study based on what you write. A word of encouragement: You should be carefully selecting the experiment that you will replicate over the summer. I have asked for a draft of the first parts of the paper to get you to start writing in the IA style. If you over the summer you find that you cannot write about your experiment, you will still have time to choose another one. I will be available throughout the summer through emails, and at times through Moodle, so keep in touch. The IB says that you must have 30 hours (SL) and 40 hours (HL) of class time devoted to the IA. I prefer to use this time to work on how to do the experiment, express the results, debate the conclusions. But for that, you need to get through the simplest processes on your own. Every one of you is capable of a grade of â€Å"5† if you are diligent. And once you know you have an IA grade of â€Å"5,† you'll have renewed confidence and motivation to get through the final months of the course. Due Dates: First Draft (all parts) by October 20 (last class before the Toussaint break) Papers will be returned with comments and advice after the Toussaint. Final Draft: IB and Ermitage approved deadline is December 10. This information can also be found on your Moodle Y1 Psych site.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Political Philosophy, Values, and Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Political Philosophy, Values, and Ethics - Essay Example Critics of the article, Bekemeier & Butterfield (2005), came up with their own publication for and against some of the views of ANA’s article.. I agree with the authors that the nursing practice should be politicized in order to prevent health care from fully developing into a market-based endeavor. The health of a community is the key to its progression, and as the authors find, nurses are more connected to community than people could ever imagine. Therefore, if we take this topic into consideration, we do not only stand to save the community for poor health statues, but also support their progression and also the development of health care and nursing practice. Kindly go through my paper to see the importance of this. Yours Truly, Name Political Philosophy, Values and Ethics According to Bekemeier & Butterfield (2005), the American Nurses Association (ANA) documents â€Å"Code of Ethics for Nurses with Interpretive Statements, Nursing's Social Policy Statement and Nursing: Scope and Standards of Practice† offer a vague, inconsistent and shallow conceptualization of social justice. The authors also argue that the documents do not present a sufficient framework for nurses to tackle underlying issues, which affect health outcomes. In spite of extensive references to the significant role of nursing in social reform, the American Nurses Association’s documents unreservedly reinforce nursing practice directed to the individual nurse-patient affiliation and offer short shrift to treatment models, which endorse wide systems change aimed at improving health (Allen, 1987). According to Bekemeier & Butterfield (2005), apolitical nursing commands are incongruent with the structure in which nurses practice these days. The author think that people should refer to it as caring when they provide emotional and technical support to patients who are afterwards discharged to face dispossession in the wider civilization. In accepting the political nature of n ursing practice and notion, nurses have a chance to challenge the belief of neutral caring (Allen, 1987). Nurses make each and every act a political act as they practice in communities, with their patients, as well as among normal citizens. Nursing actions derived from an institutionalized replica of powerful traditional, sales-driven paradigms and objectivities from multifaceted problems should be political (Bekemeier & Butterfield, 2005). Available, as well as consistent language, in the United States’ nursing documents and anywhere else can, nevertheless, validate socially just actions, which create new opportunities and meaning for nurses, supporting nursing leadership in acting on fundamental matters that affect people's health. Nursing guidance and standards in any country should center on illuminating roles for nurses to successfully challenge political structures that oppress. Accepting a critical paradigm allows nurses us to see how knowledge and their privileged pos itions as witnesses can be utilized for social change. This can expand also roles for nurses to legally take part in political activism in their professional lives and practice settings. Bekemeier & Butterfield (2005) acknowledge that racial fairness, worldwide peace, reproductive freedom, as well as

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Problems of trust within EU integration process Essay

Problems of trust within EU integration process - Essay Example This paper explores the connection between the level of cohesion within the trans-European political and support for integration underpinned by the presence and/or lack of trust between the countries. Discussion The initial thoughts regarding European integration fostered an idealism of uniting people by launching a community of Europeans. Nevertheless, this objective can be perceived as more pragmatic than idealistic in fostering positive transactions. The identity cleavage (manifest along north-south dimension) within the political community linked to support for the integration (Sanchez-Cuenca 2000, p.147). This statement captures the idea of a political community as the level of cohesion among individual citizens in which individuals form part of a distinct community since they have established a social-psychological attachment with one another via greater communication, and understanding. As such, the notion and practice of European unification details an example of political, c ommunity building and support for integration linked to the establishment of a European political community (Hoffman 2006, p.108). The basis of this community features the development of positive images among fellow Europeans, which widens in-group membership. Self-interest, Trust, and cooperation Public support for European integration can be regarded as either specific (utilitarian support) or diffuses. In most cases, motivations for utilitarian support are essentially self-interest in nature while diffuse flows from a shared interest motivation. Individuals frequently avails utilitarian support in cases where the state avails acceptable outputs (that can be economic, or non-economic gains to the individual); hence, the state sustain the system via citizen support. The motivation for utilitarian support mainly stems from evaluations of the EU’s capability to avail benefits and reduce any negative impacts, inclusive of the changing role of the EU integration progresses (Muno z 2011, p.551). As such, individual’s socio-economic position within the economy coupled with expected effects of market integration plays a critical role in shaping trust levels, whereby an increase in welfare provision among member countries linked to growing support, but economic downturns presently felt in Europe is linked to dramatically lowered support levels for EU integration (Kuhnhardt 2011, p.134). According to political cohesion model grounded in social identity theory, the potential of an individual supporting integration rises with greater levels of trust in fellow Europeans (Farrell 2002, p.55). Similarly, trust in EU nationalities enhances the possibility of support, more so compared to trust in the southern nationalities owing to the latter economic development. Attachment is critical as it facilitates easier rule since it incorporates legitimacy to those that govern by the governed (Munoz 2011, p.552). Indeed, hostility towards others cultures impacts on atti tudes of EU integration given that strong national attachment minimizes the possibility that an individual will back regional integration (Herrmann 1999, p.148). Hostility towards other cultures can be highlighted as a significant factor that has impeded the admission of Turkey into EU membership. The EU cites lack of progress within Turkey’s reform as the core reason that has led to lack of progress

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

BHS 455 (Computer & Information Systems) Module 1 CBT Essay

BHS 455 (Computer & Information Systems) Module 1 CBT - Essay Example The science of health care is extremely dependent on information, and therefore it a large portion of the activities concerning health care involve the collecting of information, synthesizing the information and then acting on it (Hersh, 2002). Several trends have contributed to the inter-relation between health care and informatics. In the first place advances in health care have dramatically increased the complex nature of health care. The nature of health care is not only complex, but is extremely dynamic, with changes occurring over short spans of time. There have also been an increasing number of disciplines involved in health care, an example of which is the multitude of specialty branches that have emerged in what was the branch of medicine. In addition to this have been the advances in the disciplines of nursing and pharmacology that have seen these professionals emerge on almost an equal footing in the provision of health care as the medical profession. This expansion has le d to an ever increasing body of knowledge available and which has to be synthesized and disseminated for better outcomes in health care and the maintaining the desired levels of health care. For example in earlier times decisions in health care were essentially in the realm of the medical professional and information required by medical professionals was limited to laboratory reports and imaging reports. In modern health care multidisciplinary activity is a core element in the provision of health care and information comes from several areas in the health care decisions process. There are other driving forces like the higher expectation of health care service seekers and all the stake holders in the health care sector. On the other hand there have been dramatic developments in the field of computer science and informatics that provide the means to receiving and storing a wide array of information, processing this information and

Monday, August 26, 2019

Business law Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Business law - Assignment Example Was there any due diligence conducted by the owners of the establishment to ensure that the walk way was safe for its customers. In personal injury cases, normally the lawyers get paid from a percentage of the amount won by the lawyer. The type of damages that the business would likely pay are the actual damages which would include the cost of hospitalization, the compensation the brain surgeon would have likely earned from the time he was injured up to the remaining years of his productive life, exemplary damages and moral damages. However, these types of cases will be paid for by the insurance and whatever money the business has. The liability of its partners would be limited to the investment that they have put in. The possible defences that can be raised are the following: Contributory negligence of the brain surgeon at his age he should not be walking much less traveling during a snow storm. The place where the brain surgeon was injured is not part of the property of the busines s. The accident was predicated from an act of god which is the snow storm, without the snow storm there would not have been any accident. Therefore the accident can be considered as an act of god and therefore cannot be blamed on anybody. Answer to Question 3 The alleged crime is punishable by 1 year or more due to the length of time and the amount involved. The crime is considered a felony due to the amount involved. There will be an indictment because embezzlement is considered a public crime. Yes, I would expect the grand jury at the state level to get involved. The grand jury will determine if a crime has been committed that would warrant a trial. After you have informed or complained to the police, the police will look for evidence that would prove the existence of a crime and possible suspects. As soon as a crime has been proven to exist a prosecutor will be assigned to your case. In order for a case to be filed in court, the prosecutor will present the case to the grand jury to get an indictment. The indictment would then be used to acquire a search warrant to search the personal laptop of the accountant. The only protection the accountant has is the presumption of innocence until he has been proven to be guilty. If there is strong evidence that links the accountant to the crime, search warrants can be issued to gain access to the laptop. No, the judge is conferred the sole power and authority to mete the appropriate penalty against the accountant. The jury is empowered to award damages only in libel cases. Question 3 The case would definitely be sexual harassment. Sexual harassment exists when a female employee is subjected to unwanted conduct by her superiors. Sexual harassment is a personal crime and if the victims felt that she is being victimized then she can file a complaint or an administrative case against her superiors for acts that violate her dignity. If the action of her superiors create a hostile environment that would intimidate or humilia te her and more importantly, if her superiors would make unwanted advances which are sexual in character intended to violate her dignity or create a hostile environment that would intimidate or humiliate her a formal complaint is warranted. Another case that maybe filed collectively by the women in the work place is sexual discrimination. A defence that comes to mind is to immediately fire the erring manager. A case against the manager

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Discuss about the movie Super Size me, and how its related to Pop Essay

Discuss about the movie Super Size me, and how its related to Pop CultureMcdonaldization - Essay Example 'Super Size Me' undoubtedly deals with the question of where company onus bleeds into personal responsibility, but the film concentrates on the more grisly results of a McDonald's-only diet and on a culture of a fast food country. Spurlock ate nothing but McDonald's, three times a day for thirty days, and imitated the exercise sample of an average American by only walking a few thousand steps a day. Although, especially in the United States, the omnipresent hamburger chain has been around for a long time, it was sociologist George Ritzer who in 1996 coined the phrase 'McDonaldization' in his book "The McDonaldization of Society". It refers not only to food but to a number of different areas. This "sweeping through seemingly impervious institutions " (Ritzer 1996) has had its impact upon diverse institutions. It is part of a massive bureaucratization of everyday life which leads to a progressive standardization (Ritzer1993). The hamburger is not only consumed physically as a material substance, but is consumed culturally as an image and an icon of a particular way of life (Featherstone). The awful revelation made by "Super Size Me" of the increase in obesity in America and, more impor

Saturday, August 24, 2019

International Business Management Master Essay

International Business Management Master - Essay Example "Passenger revenue" is initially recorded as a liability for sales in advance of carriage, with revenue from ticket sales recognised at the time that the Company provides the transportation. In respect of unused ticket revenue recognised, estimations are needed based on historical trends regarding liability for tickets sold but not yet processed, the timing and amount of tickets used for travel on other airlines and the amount of tickets sold that will not be used. These are used to determine the timing and amount of unused ticket revenue recognised. Changes to these estimation methods could have a material effect on the presentation of the financial results. Periodic evaluations are performed of the estimated liability for tickets sold but not yet processed. Any adjustments, which can be significant, are included in results of operations for the periods in which the evaluations are completed. These adjustments relate primarily to differences between the statistical estimation of cer tain revenue transactions and the related sales price as well as refunds, exchanges, interline transactions and other items for which final settlement occurs in periods subsequent to the sale of the related tickets at amounts other The Company's "cargo" business is operated as a contribution centre. ... This allows the maximisation the use of its scheduled route network to provide a worldwide cargo service. The management group utilises trucks to feed cargo to its major hubs in Europe and the United States. "Revenue" is recognised when the transportation service is provided. Passenger ticket and cargo waybill sales, net of discounts, are recorded as current liabilities in the 'sales in advance of carriage' account until recognised as revenue. Unused tickets are recognised as revenue using estimates regarding the timing of recognition based on the terms and conditions of the ticket and historical trends. Other revenue is recognised at the time the service is provided. Commission costs are recognised at the same time as the revenue to which they relate and are charged to cost of sales. "Employee benefits", including pensions and other post-retirement benefits (principally post-retirement healthcare benefits) are presented in these financial statements in accordance with IAS 19 - 'Employee Benefits'. For the Group's defined benefit plans, post-retirement obligations are measured at discounted present value whilst plan assets are measured at fair value at the balance sheet date. The cost of current service costs are recognised in the income statement so as to recognise the cost of providing the benefit on a straight line basis over the service lives of the employees using the projected unit credit method. Past service costs are recognised when the benefit has been given. The financing cost and expected return on plan assets are recognised within financing costs in the periods in which they arise. The accumulated effect of changes in estimates, changes in

Friday, August 23, 2019

Women's rights and culture Annotated Bibliography

Women's rights and culture - Annotated Bibliography Example Web. 2 Nov. 2014. . "Inter-linkages between Culture, Gender Based Violence, HIV and AIDS and Womens Rights TRAINING MANUAL." Welcome to SAfAIDS. Web. 2 Nov. 2014. . 1. "Inter-linkages between Culture, Gender Based Violence, HIV and AIDS and Womens Rights TRAINING MANUAL." Welcome to SAfAIDS. Web. 2 Nov. 2014. . This online article describes the relationship between culture and women’s rights by specifically focusing on how culture has facilitated the violation of women’s right, thereby leading to gender-based violence and spread of epidemic diseases among women. It is an imperative resource for this research as it provides an insight regarding the correlation between culture and women’s rights. 2. "Culture Clash: The Law, Womens Rights and Real-world Solutions." OpenDemocracy. Web. 2 Nov. 2014. . This is another crucial online article for this research. It explicates the relationship between culture and women empowerment by indicating how certain forms of culture can be used to promote gender equity in a manner that women’s rights are not violated. The article highlights how certain legal structures can supersede cultural beliefs, while facilitating the emergence of other cultures, which can be used to fight for women’s

Text Set-Literacy Curriculum Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Text Set-Literacy Curriculum - Research Paper Example This leaves no room for ambiguity for students at the same time in understanding the subject matter. It is rather suggested that teachers should undertake activities in class where students will have to select short text as per their choice. However, a limitation is there in this regard i.e. teacher’s obligation for reading each and every story that the students pick as a short text. For this, it can be said that short text is much manageable in reading (Fletcher & Portalupi, 2001). It immediately finishes up in one sitting rather than longer novels that are continued for some days. Looking at the real life examples of reading habits of general public, short text such as tweets, how-to articles, cookbooks, announcements, online forums are read more than longer books. Therefore, there is an avid need of making reading interesting for peers that is possible with the help of short text selection (Cohen,

Thursday, August 22, 2019

The narrator’s jealousy of Rebecca Essay Example for Free

The narrator’s jealousy of Rebecca Essay The narrator’s jealousy of Rebecca permeates the majority of the novel. Because of her youth and insecurity, the narrator is unable to understand why Maxim chooses to marry her. As she learns more and more about Rebecca, she begins to compare herself to Maxim’s first wife, who seemed to be far more beautiful, elegant, and sophisticated than she could ever hope to be. The narrator’s preoccupation with Rebecca develops to the point that she concludes that Maxim is still in love with her. With this revelation, the conflict between the narrator and the memory of Rebecca becomes a competition for Maxim’s love. Yet, with her desperate love for Maxim and jealousy of Rebecca, the narrator has no recourse until Maxim tells her the truth about Rebecca. Only then can the narrator overcome her jealousy and approach her marriage as the sole Mrs. de Winter. Jealousy also appears on Maxim’s side of the narrative, specifically in his relationship with Rebecca and her many lovers. Maxim confronts Rebecca in the boathouse and ultimately kills her because she manipulates his jealousy into a tool for her own destruction. In both cases, jealousy is a destructive force that has the ability to destroy both Maxim and the narrator if they let it. Escaping the past One of the main conflicts of Rebecca revolves around Maxim and the narrator’s efforts to escape the past. From his first entrance in the novel, Maxim is tormented by the memory of his marriage to Rebecca and his eventual murder of her. Even though the narrator never knew Rebecca, she is equally haunted by her presence at Manderley through her physical representative, Mrs. Danvers. The characters are only able to move forward with their marriage after each one has come to terms with the past in their individual ways. For the narrator, Maxim must reveal that he never loved Rebecca in order for her to assume her position as mistress of Manderley. Maxim, on the other hand, must own up to the consequences of his actions and stop running from the memory of what he has done. In the end, Maxim and the narrator triumph over the memory of Rebecca but only after Manderley, with all of its memories of her, is destroyed. Good versus evil. Du Maurier plays with the dichotomy between good and evil in the way that she  presents the main characters. From a general perspective, it is clear that the narrator and Maxim are on the â€Å"good† side, while Rebecca and Mrs. Danvers are on the â€Å"bad† side. Yet, Du Maurier adds complexity to each character so that all sense of good and evil becomes purely subjective. For example, Maxim is the primary male character and the narrator’s love interest and thus, is presented as the hero of the novel. At the same time, however, Maxim is a murderer who shot Rebecca in a fit of rage, an act that is hardly appropriate for a hero. Similarly, while Mrs. Danvers is presented as the antagonist of the novel who actively strives to undermine the narrator, she is also an individual who is overwhelmed with grief at the lost of her friend and mistress. By blending the concepts of good and evil, Du Maurier creates a set of characters that are truly human in their complexit y and motivations. Love vs. hate Love and hate serve as crucial motivational tools for the primary characters in Rebecca. In most cases, characters exhibit both emotions—sometimes even a blend of the two—and use their love or hate to justify their actions in the novel. For the majority of the text, Maxim is motivated by his love for the narrator and Manderley, as well as his hatred for Rebecca and her memory. Mrs. Danvers and Jack Favell, as the seeming â€Å"villains† of the piece, are both prompted by their love for Rebecca and hatred for those who seem to have forgotten her. In Mrs. Danvers’ case, Rebecca is the object of an obsessive love that Mrs. Danvers uses to justify her hatred of the narrator and her attempt to undermine Maxim’s second marriage. Jack Favell, on the other hand, had hoped to marry Rebecca, and he uses his disappointed love to justify blackmailing Maxim. As the object of both love and hate, Rebecca is the only character who seems to be motivated purely by se lf-love in her behavior. As a result, she manipulated the emotions of those around her to her own advantage and maintained power over Manderley both in life and in death. Identity One of the major themes of the novel is the narrator’s search to establish her own identity. Du Maurier establishes this theme from the very beginning by maintaining the narrator’s anonymity, as only Maxim learns the narrator’s â€Å"lovely and unusual† name. When she marries Maxim, the narrator is  automatically given a new identity as Mrs. de Winter, but she does not feel comfortable or suited to the role. The narrator’s uncertain identity worsens during her time at Manderley because the constant reminder of Rebecca, the â€Å"real† Mrs. de Winter. The narrator is quickly overwhelmed by the strength of Rebecca’s presence and even considers given up all claims to an identity as Maxim’s wife. The climax of the narrator’s identity crisis is at the Manderley costume ball when even her physical appearance is overshadowed by the memory of Rebecca in the same costume. In the end, the narrator must learn the truth about Rebec ca’s nature before she can feel assured of Maxim’s love and her identity as Mrs. de Winter.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Reduction of Lead Time by Quick Response Manufacturing (QRM)

Reduction of Lead Time by Quick Response Manufacturing (QRM) Quick Response Manufacturing (QRM) is a strategy which needs to applied throughout the company and whose primary goal is the reduction of lead-time in each and every operation of the company while simultaneously reducing costs and improving quality. QRM can be defined in two contexts: Externally (Customers point of view): QRM means quickly responding to customer needs by designing and producing goods customized to cater those needs. Internally, QRM stresses on reducing the lead times throughout the organization, leading to lower inventory, better quality, reduced cost, and greater responsiveness. QRM uses Manufacturing Critical-path Time (MCT) as the metric for measuring the success of QRM processes. MCT is an extension of the concept of lead-time, which is the time from the receipt of order from the customer till the product is delivered to the customer. There are 2 ways of implementing QRM: one is using large breakthrough improvements and the other is through continuous improvements. QRM was developed by Rajan Suri, a Professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, who is famous for his works on continuous improvement programs. He not only gave the theory but also the practical ways by which QRM could be successfully applied and integrated in the operations of the company. QRM is basically an extension of Time based Competition (TBC), which was a strategy used by Japanese firms in the 1980s. TBCs philosophy is to use speed to gain competitive advantage. QRM is more particular as it is restricted to manufacturing firms only. QRM finds its first foray in history in 1993 with the foundation of the Center for Quick Response Manufacturing at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.[2] In 1995, Rajan Suri published the article Slaying the Beast which put forth some bad policies which were prevalent in manufacturing companies and also offered explanations for the same. This helped QRM gain a lot of recognition and importance.1 The positive response spurred Dr. Suri to con tinue working on this subject and this further led to his consulting businesses in implementing QRM and successfully applying the same in many companies. Since then, the Center for QRM has helped in applying QRM in nearly 180 companies resulting in reduced lead times and increased market shares.2 QRM Principles: Traditional View: Everyone will have to work faster, harder and longer hours, in order to get jobs done in less time. QRM Principle #1: Find whole new ways of completing a job, with the focus on lead-time minimization Its not necessary to work harder, faster and longer hours to complete job earlier. One can focus on finding new ways to complete a job that takes lower time. Most of the time a job spends in a queue instead of in process and traditional approach only look to reduce processing time (touch time) and in QRM focus is on lead-time (total elapsed time) and not just processing time. Out of total lead-time 34 days only 19.5 hours is a touch time so it makes sense that we should focus on whole 34 days. But generally organizations are not designed to focus on lead-time. Mainly because organizations dont recognize the cost of waiting they mainly focus on processing time like one need to reduce batch sizes to reduce waiting time but it will increase number of setups that will increase their processing time which is mostly opposing to company goals. So, Companies need to change their accounting systems and reward systems so that benefits of reduction in lead-time can be measured and rewarded appropriately. Examples of Organizational Waste Due to Long Lead Times: Expediting of hot jobs or late orders: Requires Systems, Air Freight, People, even Top Management time. Production Meetings required to change and update priorities. Overtime costs for trying to speed up late jobs. Time spent by Sales, Planning, and other Departments to develop and update forecasts. WIP and Finished Goods holding costs, including space. Obsolescence of parts made to forecast but not used. Quality problems not detected till much later; lots of rework or scrap. Opportunity for: Order changes or even cancellations. Feature and scope creep. Loss of sales to competition. Sales time devoted to expediting and explaining delays to customer. Complex systems required to manage the dynamic environment. There is one major problem with cost based systems that hinders QRM implementation that is functional structure of an organization. Looking the figure one can see how organizations fell into vicious circle by delaying regular jobs because of hot jobs and then again increase in hot jobs due to insertion of safety time due to delay in regular jobs. This is also called response time spiral. And so the spiral grows. QRM focus on reducing system in time like we do in service industry but this will require substantial reorganization of most of the processes. Basically, we will end up with cellular organizations in shop floor and also in offices and each cell will focus on its customers. The POLCA material control system helps coordinate production across multiple cells. Also, new operating methods such as time slicing are described, to help cells share non-cell resources. Traditional Belief: To get jobs out fast, we must keep our machines and people busy all the time. QRM Principle #2: Strategically plan for spare capacity plan to operate at 80% or even 70% capacity on critical resources. This principle is hard to digest as we believe that we should utilize capacity to its maximum possible value. Any reduction in the same would mean losing out on productive opportunities, resulting in increasing costs. However, by keeping all the machines busy at tall times does not necessarily transform into higher output or higher productivity. We frequently encounter the problems of growing queues due to the presence of a few bottleneck machines and jobs spending a lot of time waiting for resources due to mismanagement. All this ultimately results in increasing the lead time of the jobs which culminates in the increase of the organizational costs, which have been enlisted in the previous table. In the long run, these costs actually prove to be greater than the opportunity costs of not utilizing the spare capacity. Hence, the spare capacity should be considered as a strategic investment that will pay for itself many times over in increased sales, higher quality, and lower total cost s. Traditional Belief: In order to reduce our lead times, we have to improve our efficiencies. QRM Principle #3: Measure the reduction of lead times and make this the main performance measure. Eliminate traditional measures of utilization and efficiency. This is again a measure which is very hard to digest. We always measure the usefulness of any process through its efficiency and utilization. However, the problem with the traditional belief is not that efficiency is not an important measure, but that most measures of efficiency result in increased lead time which ultimately harms the organization. Large batches are used in a lot of companies in a bid to reduce the setup costs. However this very measure results in increasing the lead time which can culminate in the same problems as enlisted in the previous principle. There are numerous examples to show the scope of reduction of lead time in organizations, a prominent one being the case study in Becker (2001) which showed how lead time for a line of spare parts for the oil drilling industry dropped from 40 days to 5 days using reduction of lead time as the main performance measure in a manufacturing cell. QRM says that the quantities as calculated by EOQ are not appropriate and consistent with the goal of reducing lead time as EOQ doesnt consider many costs of large lots like expediting of late orders, overtime cost for trying to speed up late jobs, WIP holding costs including space. Also quality problems are detected much later than with small lots and the amount of rework and scrap generated is also much larger. At the same time, another important point which is missed in EOQ is the lack of responsiveness which occurs when the process is carried out with large lots. Large lots and planning for the same makes it difficult for the organization to respond quickly to change in customer needs. Nor can good lot sizes for QRM be predicted by the MRP system, since it assumes fixed queue times regardless of workload. Hence, in order to reduce the lead times throughout the organization, it is important for everyone in a manufacturing firm, and especially for senior managers, to understand the dynamics of factory operations. The senior managers need to have a broad outlook and decide on the policies of manufacturing and performance measures only after fully understanding the effects of capacity utilization, efficiency measures, and lot sizing policies on lead time. Traditional Versus QRM Views of Capacity and Lot Sizing. Source: QRM and POLCA:A Winning Combination forManufacturing Enterprises in the 21st Century Rajan Suri. The differences between the traditional and QRM views can be observed from the figure given above. Traditional performance measures of utilization and efficiency encourage managers to exploit their resources to the maximum possible value. Production is considered infeasible only when the capacity utilization exceeds their maximize resource utilization, and only think about their capacity limit as a boundary between feasible and infeasible production targets. Also the perception is that larger lot sizes lead to increase in efficiency. However, QRMs focus is solely on reducing lead time, and hence the impact of utilization and lot size on the same is studied. Higher utilization leads to increase in lead time, whereas lead time first decreases and then increases with increase in lot size. It is essential to consider all such manufacturing dynamics in order to come up with a process that minimizes the lead time and thereby costs. Traditional Belief: We must place great importance on on-time delivery performance by each of our departments and our suppliers. QRM Principle #4: Stick to measuring and rewarding reduction of lead times. According to QRM on-time performance is an outcome not a performance measure. Because if on time is considered as performance measure departments will quote longer lead-time to match up with on-time delivery. Again this will result in Response time spiral and results in poor performance of organization. But with QRM, organization will focus on shortening lead-time as a performance measure. In QRM its called QRM Number (measure of lead time reduction). This will eliminates Response Time Spiral and performance of organization will improve. Traditional Belief: Installing a material requirements planning (MRP) systemwill help in reducing lead times. QRM Principle #5: Use MRP for high level planning and coordination of materials. Restructure the manufacturing organization into simpler product- oriented cells. Complement this with POLCA, a new material control method that combines the best of push and pull strategies. MRP systems are of great help in managing material supply and ordering but lead-time cannot be reduced using MRP. MRP should be used on high level planning and coordination not on cell level in a cellular structure implemented by QRM, whereas POLCO can be used to manage material between cells and inside cells. POLCO basically a hybrid of push and pull systems using benefits of both. Traditional Belief: Since long lead-time items need to be ordered in large quantities, we should negotiate quantity discounts with suppliers. QRM Principle #6: Motivate suppliers to implement QRM, resulting in small lot deliveries at lower cost, better quality, and short lead times. This phenomena can be again seen as entering in Response Time Spiral in which if company buys in large batches this makes supplier to have longer lead time and company to order even larger batches. Internal and external incentives like discounts motivate ordering in large batches. The results this can be verified in John Deere where implementation of QRM with suppliers reduced cost and also improved quality with shorter lead-time and batches. Traditional Belief: We should encourage our customers to buy our products in large quantities by offering price breaks and quantity discounts. QRM Principle #7: Educate customers on your QRM program, and negotiate a schedule of moving to smaller lot deliveries at reasonable prices. Not only at the supply side, the small lot concept needs to be applied at the distribution end too. Normally it is the tendency of the sales force to get higher orders by offering quantity discounts. This will again lead to the spiral of increasing lot sizes, both during the process as well as on the procurement side, ultimately leading to lowering of delivery performance. By implementing QRM, a company can reduce its costs manifold which can then be passed on to the customers. There is a need to demonstrate to the customer that the company can deliver high quality at low prices even for small lots, which would be more beneficial both to the company as well as the customer. Thus, the idea of small lots percolates throughout the organization, from top to bottom, as well as throughout the supply chain, from supplier to customer. Traditional Belief: We can implement QRM by forming teams in each department. QRM principle #8: Cut through functional boundaries by forming a Quick Response Office Cell (Q-ROC), which is a closed-loop, collocated, multifunctional, cross-trained team responsible for a family of products aimed at a focused target market segment, and empower the Q-ROC to make necessary decisions. The traditional approach might result in local quality improvements in the respective departments. However, QRM is more concerned with the overall organization than just one department. The requirement is to cut the overall lead time for manufacturing as well as office operations for which Q-ROCs are more appropriate. Such Q-ROCs result in significant reduction of lead times for jobs such as cost estimating, quoting, and order processing. Closed-loop implies that the team would be self-sufficient in dealing with all the problems related to reducing lead time. This implies cutting across functional boundaries and changing the reporting structures to ensure the success of the process. Needless to say, this team needs to be given power in order to make the decisions as reducing lead time is the primary goal of the organization. The best example would be that of Ingersoll Cutting Tool Company, in Rockford, which reduced its engineering and order processing time for customized cutters fro m 10 days to half a day after implementing QRM principles. However, QRM should not be considered as an application of Reengineering as by using principles of system dynamics in the design of Q-ROCs, providing specific engineering and management principles for manufacturing organizations, plus by changing management principles and performance measures and adopting a company-wide approach, QRM goes much deeper than Reengineering. Traditional Belief: The reason for implementing QRM is so that we can charge our customers more for rush jobs. QRM Principle #9: The reason for embarking on the QRM journey is that it leads to a truly productive company with a more secure future. Also, lower cost/price, higher quality and shorter lead times result in highly satisfied customers. Charging more for speedy response is sustainable only in the short-term. In the long run, it is quality which differentiates a product from its competitors, and the same purpose is served by QRM. Searching for ways of squeezing time out uncovers quality problems and wasted efforts. Changing policies and adopting measures to rectify the same results in higher quality, lower WIP, less overhead, lower operating costs, and greater sales. The QRM Approach yields even better results than Lean Manufacturing as it ignores the wastes caused by long lead times. QRM takes the goal of waste reduction to the next level, creating an even leaner enterprise that will remain a formidable competitor for years to come. Traditional Belief: Implementing QRM will require large investments in technology. QRM Principle #10: The biggest obstacle to QRM is not technology, but mindset. Management must recognize this and combat it through training. Next, companies should engage in low-cost or no-cost lead time reductions, leaving expensive technological solutions for a later stage. As we have seen in many quality improving methodologies like Six Sigma, House of Quality the most important factor in the success of these initiatives is their acceptance by all the members of the organization; and QRM is no different. Realigning of all employees, from the shop floor to the boardroom, from desk workers to senior managers, to the QRM principles is a pre-requisite for the success of QRM, and hence training gains significance. Normally, performance measurement is tied to the cost accounting system which is an impediment to the successful implementation of QRM. Performance measurement must be aligned with the principles of QRM if the company has to benefit from the same. In a nutshell, the following points can be summarized about Quick Response Manufacturing: It requires measurement and efforts to minimize the metric, Manufacturing Critical-path Time (MCT), which is defined as the typical amount of calendar time from when a customer creates an order, through the critical-path, until the first piece of that order is delivered to the customer. This can be measured using the QRM number. Some changes in the structure of the organization are necessary to ensure the success of QRM. It basically requires the strategy of the organization to change from cost-based to entirely time-based with full emphasis on lead time minimization. Functional to Cellular:Cellular manufacturing is a pre-requisite of QRM as the cells yield greater flexibility in manufacturing. Top-down Control to Team Ownership:QRM requires the formation of closed-loop, cross-functional teams which need to be given complete power for monitoring the processes. Specialized Workers to a Cross-trained Workforce:Since the success of the process requires reduction in lead times across all the departments, there is a need to provide proper training to the workers so that they can perform multiple tasks and have a broader outlook. Efficiency/Utilization Goals to Lead Time Reduction:The evaluation parameters, performance measures have to shift from the traditional accounting measures to the goal of lead time reduction. The following steps need to be implemented in the organization so that QRM is a success: Creating a QRM mindset: The most important part is to make people realise the advantages of QRM over the previous measures i.e. the wastes created due to long lead time which are even ignored in Lean Manufacturing. Thereafter, a high-level QRM Steering Committee needs to be formed to oversee the QRM efforts. Also, like Six Sigma,by providing QRM training, some employees can be made QRM champions who can then be entrusted with the responsibility of the projects on a daily basis. Changing of organizational structure: Cross-functional planning team are formed to study feasible projects to which QRM can be applied. This would require the management to indulge in a detailed analysis of various consideration like Manufacturing Critical PathTime, product volumes, needs relating to strategy and other factors. Thereafter, QRM cells are formed and training and cross-training is provided to the operators in these cells by an implementation team which consists of members in the new cell as well as planning team members. Measurement of MCT is done to monitor lead time. Including of system dynamics: QRM requires going through the policies on utilization and efficiency in order to determine the proper loading of the cells. It also calls for making provisions for spare capacities and reduction in the batch sizes in order to reduce the lead time. Enterprisewide expansion of QRM: The process would typically begin with a single project. If the project is a success, its results need to be conveyed to all the members of the organization and more projects need to be undertaken based on QRM principles. QRM should not be restricted to the organization alone but should be extended through the entire supply chain. E.g. the suppliers should also be motivated to inculcate and apply the principles of QRM which would have mutual benefits for both parties. POLCA: The Material Control System for QRM: POLCO is Paired-cell Overlapping Loops of Cards. To implement this system the company need to create cells of the production process focusing on subsets for similar parts and then it processes a given customer order through differing cells depending on the needs of that order. High Level MRP is used to provide high level planning and coordination of materials from external suppliers and across these internal cells. But cells are managed individually. To explain POLCO we can take an example of a shop floor. Assume P1 focuses on color printing and P2 on black white printing after which we have three Formatting Cells, F1, F2 and F3, which convert the printed sheets into reports with the desired pages. After formatting comes binding operation, which include punching holes and notches, cutting the sheets, and bending, A1 to A4. Finally, all orders go to the Shipping Cell S1, where the packaged plates are placed in shipping containers and then loaded onto carts. The material control system used is POLCA where High Level MRP and a cellular organization is a prerequisite. In this case all Release times are created with the help of High Level MRP. But even after authorization of POLCO work will not begin until all conditions are met. POLCO cards are used to communicate and control the material movement between cells. As Figure shows the POLCA card flows for a particular order at any organization based on initial design. This orders routing takes it from P1 to F2, then to A4 for binding, and finally to S1 to be shipped. This order will therefore proceed through the POLCA card loops with the pairs P1/F2, F2/A4 and A4/S1. If cell P1 has a job authorized that is going to F3 next, then a P1/F3 card must be available at P1 in order for it to begin that job. If a P1/F3 card is not available, that means that there is a bottleneck at F3 and working on that job will only add to the work-in-process at F3. Instead, it would be better for P1 to put its resources into a job that is needed by another cell that is not backlogged. So the cell team at P1 skips the P1/F3 job for now, and looks at the next authorized job to see if a card is available for that job, and so on. Differences from KANBAN: POLCO cards only control flow between cells not within. POLCA cards are not product specific but they are specific to particular pair of cells. POLCO cards are used as capacity signal whereas Kanban is used as inventory signal. As return of POLCA card from a downstream cell signals that the cell has available capacity. Benefits yielded by POLCA: POLCA helps in managing short-term fluctuations in capacity and also assists in reducing congestion on the shop floor. If a POLCA card from a downstream cell is not available, it means that that cell or some other cell further downstream is backlogged with work. Hence it does not make sense allocating further work to that particular job, without replanning of resources, as this will only increase inventory in the system since somewhere downstream there is a lack of capacity to work on this job. A better alternative would be to use this cell for some other job during the time being. POLCA cards flow in longer loops which allows the production to respond to changes in demand or differences in the complexities of jobs. The additional jobs in the loop can act as a buffer to absorb variations in demand and product mix which makes it highly suitable to meet the needs of responsiveness. On the contrary, the pull system stresses on achieving constant takt times throughout the organization, ignoring the fact that a variety of products will require different manufacturing times. Benefits of Quick Response Manufacturing: Product Leadership: The main objective of QRM is to minimize lead times. By implementing QRM, a company attains many beneficial and competitive advantages. Benefits of Quick Response Manufacturing: Product Leadership: QRM enables a firm to have shorter time to market. Thus a firm can reach out to customers with the latest technology while competitors play catch-up. There are two ways of looking at it. The first is that a given point of time a firms product would be superior to that of its competitor. Another point of view is that since a firm has shorter lead time it can deliver technology that is openly available to the market much earlier. Thus, the firm can skim the market due to its superior product. This can be depicted on a time line . Lower working capital: Lower lead times permit companies to have lower raw material and finished goods inventory. As a result the working capital requirement is decreased. This places the firm in a better strategic position to utilise their resources and capital. Better position to increase market share: The lower lead times increase the firms responsiveness to opportunities in the environment. This increased responsiveness helps the firm attract customers and increase its market share. Increased inventory turns: Since the production system is triggered by demand, smaller batches are produced, inventory decreases, and the number of inventory turns increases. Many inefficient producers have substantial amounts of capital tied up in inventory; therefore, their inventory turns are low. Reducing the cost of quality by minimising rework: Cellular manufacturing places more responsibility and accountability on specific production teams. This results in specialization which inherently increases the quality of the product. It is much easier to pinpoint defects since the problems are directly traceable to certain teams or members. This has a positive impact on the quality of products. Cost Reduction: QRM aims at finding opportunities to improve the existing process. This results in lower operating costs. Using QRM, companies are able to save, in some cases, up to 25% of total operating costs by solving problems before they happen. Increasing Long Term competitiveness: QRM ultimately aims at enhancing the long term competitiveness of the team. The above mentioned benefits are only the stepping stones in the right direction. The enhanced competitiveness of the firm ensures that is objective of enhancing shareholder value is fulfilled. Issues of Quick Response Manufacturing: Increased reliance on suppliers: QRM requires a strong relationship with ones raw material suppliers and partners. To react to demand, a manufacturing firm must closely partner with suppliers that will quickly accommodate the firms production schedule. However, if the supplier cannot provide raw materials due to problems such as quality assurance/control, equipment repair or union labour, the manufacturing firm may not be able to meet customer requirements. This could result in stock outs and backorders. Change Management: It can be very difficult to implement QRM in a manufacturing environment. QRM is a business enabling philosophy that works top-down and therefore, changes the roles and responsibilities of the employees. Traditional roles, from lower levels through upper management, are drastically modified and the corporate infrastructure is typically altered. Employees can be extremely apathetic to these changes, which is a barrier that could significantly hinder the implementation process and the success of QRM. To implement QRM, companies must have representation from all functions i.e line and support functions (production, planning, purchasing, engineering, manufacturing, quality, finance and human resources) to facilitate the implementation. All functional areas need to buy-in to QRM philosophy to successfully implement such a major change in the way the firm does business. What Differentiates QRM from Lean? First and foremost is the QRM mindset: the driver for all the principles and strategies in QRM is reduction of lead time. This time-based mindset results in many operating policies that are different from traditional ones. In contrast the driver in JIT/Lean is waste reduction. Although the business press has been talking about the importance of lead time reduction, or speed, for over a decade, we find that most companies still lack the knowledge and the tools to effectively reduce their lead times. Worse still, policies are in place that are lengthening, rather than shortening, lead times. QRM devotes a substantial amount of effort in educating management and workers on why these traditional policies result in long lead times, and in showing them the QRM principles that must be put in place instead. QRM is a companywide strategy. While the original implementation of JIT/Lean at Toyota may well have encompassed the whole company, most Western implementations of JIT/Lean have focused on manufacturing and materials management. In many cases, JIT/Lean has been interpreted even more narrowly as merely implementing a pull system with kanban cards. In contrast, QRM clarifies at the outset that it is a companywide strategy with implications far beyond the shop floor, and principles for other company areas, such as, office operations, are clearly presented as part of the QRM philosophy. QRM provides rational principles and tools for lead time reduction. QRM uses an understanding of system dynamics, and exploits this understanding to define the best structures and policies that will reduce lead times. QRM begins by educating employees and giving them insight into these system dynamics. This then helps justify, to management and workers, the need for changes in policies. State-of-the-art analysis tools such as the MPX software package incorporate this analysis of system dynamics and help to derive the specific changes needed and to quantify the benefits that would be achieved. For companies making a large variety of products with variable demand, as well as for companies making highly engineered products, the JIT/Lean strategy of pull is either wasteful or breaks down altogether. For such companies, QRM provides an alternati

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Difference Between Believers And Non Believers Religion Essay

Difference Between Believers And Non Believers Religion Essay According to the Holy Quran, believers are They who turn (to Allah), who serve (Him), who praise (Him), who fast, who bow down, who prostrate themselves, who enjoin what is good and forbid what is evil, and who keep the limits of Allah; and give good news to the believers(Surah At-Tawba: Ayah 112). The Holy Quran further shades light on this; Successful indeed are the believers, Who are humble in their prayers, And who keep aloof from what is vain, And who are givers of poor-rate, And who guard their private parts, Except before their mates or those whom their right hands possess, for they surely are not blamable, But whoever seeks to go beyond that, these are they that exceed the limits; And those who are keepers of their trusts and their covenant, And those who keep a guard on their prayers; These are they who are the heirs, Who shall inherit the Paradise; they shall abide therein.( Surah Al-Muminun : Ayah 1-11). In regards to the Bible, we might generally say that the biggest difference between a believer and a non-believer is the thought process of how a person looks at new information. Believers believe things are true until proven false and non-believers see things as false until proven true. However, we might say the opposite when other subjects are introduced such the Theory of Evolution. So Christians can be guilty of the same accusation. Christians need to present their case to non-believers using mechanisms that do not start with the assumption the Bible is true because it is the Bible. More objective methods that do not use circular reasoning are needed in these forums. Well make far more progress this way. The Bible teaches that in order to be saved you must repent toward God which means to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ who shed his innocent blood for the forgiveness of all your sins. The Bible teaches that after you are saved you must stand in the true grace of God. (1) According to the Bible those who are saved are redeemed from the Law of Moses (Old Covenant) and are now under the New Covenant and a much higher law: The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus. The Bible says, For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. (John 1:17). If you are led by the Spirit you are not under the Law of Moses:But if ye are led by the Spirit, ye are not under the law.(Gal. 5:18). The law of Moses- as holy and righteous a standard as it is- does not give eternal life because no one is justified by keeping the law: But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.(Gal. 3:11). Paul explained that the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other (walking after the flesh is contrary to walking after the Spirit) so we cannot do the things that we would: For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. (Gal. 5:17). The goals of the flesh (mans selfish desires) are contrary to the goals of the Holy Spirit in a Christians life. The goals of the flesh and the goals of the Holy Spirit are in opposition to each other. The Bible is clear that if the Christian follows the leading of the Holy Spirit he is not under the law, but if he walks after the flesh without repentance, God considers him to be under the law, not under grace. A pressing issue that seems to have controversies worldwide is the issue of charitable giving. Apparently, it is an issue that is debated within religions, between religions, or between believers and non-believers: Are Religious People More Charitable than Non-Believers? The differences in charity between secular and religious people are dramatic. Religious people are 25 percentage points more likely than secularists to donate money (91 percent to 66 percent) and 23 points more likely to volunteer time (67 percent to 44 percent). And, consistent with the findings of other writers, these data show that practicing a religion is more important than the actual religion itself in predicting charitable behavior. For example, among those who attend worship services regularly, 92 percent of Protestants give charitably, compared with 91 percent of Catholics, 91 percent of Jews, and 89 percent from other religions. In the book, Who Really Cares: Americas Charity Divide by Arthur C. Brooks (2006), Brooks cited several studies and surveys that appeared to demonstrate that secular Americans give less to charity than their religious counterparts. He proposed several reasons for these results, namely those secularists are just naturally less generous; that as a largely liberal group they had higher expectations of government welfare programs; and that they lacked a centralized institution such as a church that codified and encouraged giving. However, later critics have pointed out that it is not entirely clear whether the religious are more generous than the non-religious; other studies have shown that the real situation is far murkier. These critics of Brooks analysis were quick to point out that religious charities are usually clearly labeled as such, making it far easier to track the religious affiliations of the givers. Secular charities, by contrast, receive donations from religious and non-religious alike, with no particular distinction being made between the two. This might serve the purpose of concealing charitable giving by secular Americans. Recent efforts to establish pointedly secular charities like the Richard Dawkins-organized Non-Believers Giving Aid have been very successful, but by definition secular charities act very much like secular individuals in being non-discriminating with both their donations and their disbursement. There is some truth to Brooks contention that seculars who tend to lean liberal for the largest part would desire that welfare programs be run more justifiably through government agencies to a certain extent than being left to the whims of private charitable trusts. And as extreme as it sets off, more European secular individuals give far less to charities than their American counterparts. Nevertheless, this is not the complete picture. When the sum Europeans disburse in taxes to finance social programs abroad and at home is taken into consideration, then their charitable philanthropic far outstrips that of Americans. In extremely atheistic Denmark, for instance, the tax coffer contributes to ninety percent to foreign aid, while in the U.S. the figure is merely fifteen percent. Studies of spiritual generosity and belief that focused on non-cash giving established a further interesting result. With respect to donating blood, the religious belief or non-belief of the benefactor made extremely no distinction at all to the regularity or amount donated. equally, a study of American doctors who were prepared to forgo productive medical careers in order to work with the underprivileged in the oversees or the U.S. showed insignificant differences involving the secular and the religious, with 35% of the altruistic doctors self-identified unbeliever, as contrasted to 28% Catholics and 26% Protestants. In additional studies of bigheartedness by means of more restricted methods, no disparity was established between non-religious and religious subjects. occurrences of the dictator game where a single subject is given funds and requested to split it or not with an unidentified other player who knows not anything of the specifics of the deal established religious subjects were no more liberal than their non-religious counterparts; undeniably, a good number people who participated in the game offered the anonymous player half or almost half of the funds, despite of the religious belief or lack thereof. As in the majority of research of this sort, there is a threat of relying too much on peoples self-reporting of their activities, in particular where something as accepted as generous giving is fretful. Some studies, together with one done in 1973, give the impression that the spiritual were more probable to want to be seen as bighearted and consequently more probable to pump up the amount they contributed to charity. Tom Flynn, in a free of charge Inquiry expose, illustrated the self-reporting impasse by referring to the oft-cited statistic that 40% of Americans account to having attended church services in the previous week, then illuminating that when researchers essentially went out to a big sampling of churches and counted attendants, the number was nearer to 20%. He supposes that the accurate inconsistency linking religious and non-religious giving, if any, can by no means be definitively known as long as self-reporting is the major means of data compilation. In the discussion featured in The Great God Debate showcasing atheist Christopher Hitchens and the Jewish Rabbi David Wolpe, similar to many of the encounters involving Hitchens and religious leaders, the argument was fascinating and spirited. This was one issue that came up-and perpetually does in these debates-was the subject of generous giving, and the reality that religious people confer substantially more of their money and time to charity than non believers. despite the fact that Hitchens endeavored to invalidate that allegation by claiming that spiritual charitable giving frequently comes with strings attached-that is as part of some sort of evangelical outreach to win further converts- the basic truth that spiritual people give more is inflexible to refute. Hitches also conversed about the Richard Dawkins Foundations endeavor to raise funds for survivors of the Haitian tremor. In addition, it ought to be understood that the dissimilarity is not only relevant to believers. Also, non believers are equally liberal with their money and time. So whatsoever the reason is, its not a basis specific to one belief. Thus believers cannot justifiably claim that their openhandedness is because of some inherent moral virtue or righteousness of their faith. There ought to be factors at work that are universal to all major spiritual groups. Adding to this, the significance of benevolent giving isnt constrained to one political group or even within a specific religion. Pious liberals are in addition much more probable to contribute money and time to charitable causes than their non-believing counterparts. it is factual that believers typically suppose that the government ought to have a superior role in helping the needy and poor in the world which, in turn, should decrease the need for clandestine donations, except that the belief definitely doesnt impede believers from donating their money and time at the higher rates distinctive of all religious believers, so the grounds why religious people contribute more is small to do with politics. Lastly, after an extended assessment of government wellbeing and how he believes is impairing charitable giving and religious faith, Brooks gets around to tackling the grounds of why devout believers tend to be more bighearted than non-believers. He further points out that it might be that belief simply has a strong didactic control over volunteering and giving. Various places of worship might educate their congr egants the spiritual responsibility to give, and about both the spiritual and physical desires of the poor. Basically, people are more likely to study charity in a synagogue, mosque or church than outside. Its unquestionable that places of worship are highly significant when it comes to bountiful giving. But its to a large extent more than just educating people that they ought to give. First, congregants are not merely taught that it is their just duty to offer, they are frequently told in no doubtful terms that they will be known by their fruits-that if they are certainly authentic to their belief, they will portray it by bequeathing their money and time to laudable causes. This is an enticement beyond and above just telling people that it is the correct thing to do. Next, religious leaders are continuously repeating to their congregants of their spiritual duty to give bigheartedly, mostly in times of crisis (What Laws are Believers Under, 2001,  ¶1-5). For example, how many American pastors agreed up the prospect to sermonize a discourse about the moral conscientiousness of looking after those less fortunate than ourselves in the consequences of Hurricane Katrina? very few just as everyone would wager. And its not just the influential who frequently remind believers about contributions, it is also as a result of peer pressure. Among the parishioners there will for all time be a number of people on the lookout for help with one laudable reason or another. If you are a vigorous affiliate of a religious community, its hard to keep away from all these desires for your money and time. In conclusion, religious institutions hearten charitable donations by putting up the infrastructure that makes philanthropic as painless and as easy as likely. each Sunday in several churches around the globe, an offertory bowl is passed under every congregants nose. In several of those churches, you can even set up a monthly express debit to send your cash from your account to the churchs personal coffers with no lifting a finger. Furthermore as a plus, you get to set aside some money on the taxes as well. There are stands in the churches coffee rooms dealing with Traidcraft goods in assistance to Third World scarcity, as well as tables set up where people can give up their time to help out in the neighborhood. The listing of ways that spiritual institutions assist people contribute their time and money to generous causes is endless (Buzz, 2010,  ¶4). Its also worth remembering that while most organizations charge a membership fee in order to help fund its financial obligations, religious organizations typically do not, and thus all monies collected from members in support of their operations are classed as charity, thus greatly boosting the overall amount religious people donate. Compare all that with the experience of the non-believer. There is little question that the vast majority of non-religious people believe that charitable giving is a good and moral thing to do. Even without access to a vast religious infrastructure to help them, two-thirds of all non-believers still donate money to charity on a regular basis. So why dont non-believers donate as much or as often? Simply put, they lack the same motivations and opportunities that religious people have. Non-believers do not have their moral duty to give to charity preached at fifty-two Sundays a year. They do not have a collection plate waved in their face every week reminding them of their obligation to make a donation. They do not typically frequent places where large on-going efforts to raise money for charity are underway, and they usually only have their consciences stirred when some great tragedy hits the news headlines-like the Ethiopian famines, Hurricane Katrina, or the Haitian earthquake. So I dont think that it is at all surprising that non-religious people give less of their time and money to charity. But its not because non-believers are intrinsically less moral in any way, its simply because they lack the same obligations, encouragement, and outlets that religious people have. Ashford (2010), points out an excellent proposition on this issue that if aid is indeed a cultured behavior, it may be that houses of devotion are only meant to teach it. Secularists concerned in increasing benevolent volunteering and giving among their ranks might expend some effort opinionating on alternative ways to foster these habits. It at all there exists hope, then it would be in efforts to give many more people a taste of what its like to donate ones time to charitable works. Study after study have shown that engaging in regular volunteer work can be a great benefit to ones mental and physical health. It doesnt matter if the volunteerism is conducted through a religious institution or not, almost everyone who tries it, even for a short time, begins to experience those personal benefits first hand, making it more likely that they would want to persist doing it on a customary basis ( ¶5-8). Basically, individuals must come together in the public and decide how communal wealth will be allocated as well as how actions will be governed.   These opinionated questions bring both nonbelievers and believers together and force interaction among them.   It is not good enough for believers and nonbelievers to twist their backs on one other when real-life sensible matters are at risk.   Providentially, there is a lot of universal ground accessible between believers and nonbelievers to tackle practical problems. So there are various ways to hearten charitable giving as well as instill good habits beyond the auspices of spiritual groups, despite the fact that I do not underrate the scale of the duty of matching the altruistic work performed and encouraged through religious institutions. The most important aspect to keep in mind is that there is nothing supernatural or mystical regarding the generosity of religious people. It is purely an end product of indoctrination, facilita tion, promotion as well as education facilitated by the various religious institutions they belong to.

Monday, August 19, 2019

Essay --

Assistive technology has a great impact on the lifestyles of people with physical disabilities. AT provides necessary assistance for people with disabilities in education, employment, and gaining independence for a good quality of life. Many people with physical disabilities are in need of mobile devices as well as communication devices to enhance their overall quality of life. As technology advances developers of AT devices, law makers, and rehabilitation counselors are instrumental in providing services that will close the gap and include instead of isolate people with disabilities. Impact of AT in Education â€Å"Assistive technology can be a powerful tool to help equalize learning environments for students with disabilities† (Stumbo, Martin & Hedrick, 2009, p.103). For example distance learning, online classes, and the use of the internet provide an alternative to the struggles and hardships for people who rely on mobility devices. For that reason AT devices such as computers are vital for providing communication in the educational journey of people with physical disabilities. Although distance learning and online classes are â€Å"typically not created with the intention of serving disabled students† it demonstrates an effective course of action for individuals to enhance their education (Foley & Ferri, 2012, p. 197). Acquiring the knowledge to use computers and the different AT devices, such as Ipads and smartphones at an early stage in the educational process offers the ability to keep up with the AT devices enhancements and new developments. The correlation betw een education and employment is well documented with higher education increasing the quality of employment and earnings. Stumbo et al. refer to a case study of 71 Au... ...l as Rehabilitation counselors promote autonomy and accessibility within education, the workplace, and the quality of life of people with physical disabilities. Barzegarian & Sax conducted a study of 140 professionals who graduated from San Diego State University Rehabilitation Program to determine how well graduate students who have taken a class in AT have incorporated AT device selection and referrals into their professional practice. They found that the majority of referrals for AT devices were recommended â€Å"first† to people with low-vision impairments, â€Å"second† to people with upper extremities impairments, and â€Å"third† to people who were paraplegic or quadriplegic. (pp. 381 – 383). Therefore educating and bringing awareness of AT to clients, professionals, and the community must continue to assure a good quality of life for people with physical disabilities.

Sunday, August 18, 2019

To Kill A Mochingbird: Trial Of Life :: essays research papers

Trials of Life   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Life is all about experiencing, learning, and growing up. The novel To Kill a Mockingbird written by Harper Lee shows many examples of growing up during the Great Depression. To Kill a Mockingbird is set in the South during the 1930’s. The novel is a summary of the lives of the Finch family and their learning experiences. Atticus Finch, a single parent and lawyer, informs and advises his kids as well as many others about the realities of life. Jem and Scout, his children, encounter many growing experiences throughout their childhood. Dill, Jem and Scout’s friend, visits his Aunt Rachel during the summer. He too encounters growing experiences along with Jem and Scout. These four characters lives are prime examples of the trials of life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Throughout the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus teaches many lessons about people, society, and life, especially to Jem and Scout. In Chapter 11, Atticus says to Jem, â€Å"...I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It’s when you know you’re licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what...† Atticus tells Jem this after Mrs. Dubose, their neighbor, dies. By saying this, Atticus is teaching Jem that courage comes from within oneself and takes mental strength and maturity.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Atticus teaches Scout to fight with her head instead of her fists in Chapter 9, p. 80 when he says, â€Å"...you just hold your head high and keep those fists down. No matter what anybody says to you, don’t let them get your goat. Try fighting with your head for a change...it’s a good one, even if it does resist learning.† Atticus teaches this concept using himself as an example. He is always calm and fair to everyone.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  2 â€Å"But he’s gone and drowned his dinner in syrup,† I protested, â€Å"He’s poured it all over.-† In this quote during the beginning of the book, Scout shows a lot of immaturity. She shows immaturity by making fun of her guest, which is something that is normally done by people who don’t know better, or are too young. Scout shows signs of immaturity similar to this throughout the book. It is not until the middle and latter parts of the novel that Jean Louise starts to show signs of growing up and maturing.

To His Mistress Going to Bed, Good Morrow, Corinnas Going A-Maying, an

Seduction in To His Mistress Going to Bed, Good Morrow, Corinna's Going A- Maying, and To His Coy Mistress Throughout time, one of the greatest challenges mankind has faced is the sexual conquest of womankind. In many cultures today, this challenge has evolved into an intricate courting process that often involves buying the woman flowers, gifts, and meals to persuade her to have sex. Another device that a man might use to seduce a woman is poetry. In the English language, the use of poetry to seduce women may be traced back to the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries. Cavalier poets such as Robert Herrick, John Donne, and Andrew Marvell embrace this method of seduction, carefully constructing verse with the intent to satisfy their carnal desires. Each of these men rely upon several literary tools to manipulate women to fornicate with them. Among the more prominent techniques is the use of logical rhetoric to reason that engagement in sex is the best choice of action. Another device that appears frequently in early seduction poetry is the imperative statement, which simultaneously prompts the woman to take action and endows her with a sense of control over the situation. Functioning in a similar manner, interrogative statements suggest the obvious truth of what the poet speaks while forcing the woman to consider his request. By using a first person plural narrative voice to address the woman whom he hopes to woo, the poet makes her associate herself with him in thought, thereby allowing for an easier transition for personal involvement. Finally, ... ...ional statements, thereby confirming the persuasive nature of these elements upon women. Works Cited Donne, John. "Eligy 19: To His Mistress Going to Bed." The Longman Anthology of British Literature. Ed. David Damrosch. New York: Addison Wesley Longman, Inc., 1999. 1563-1564. Donne, John. "The Good Morrow." The Longman Anthology of British Literature. Ed. David Damrosch. New York: Addison Wesley Longman, Inc., 1999. 1550-1551. Herrick, Robert. "Corinna's Going A-Maying." The Longman Anthology of British Literature. Ed. David Damrosch. New York: Addison Wesley Longman, Inc., 1999. 1579-1581. Marvell, Andrew. "To His Coy Mistress." The Longman Anthology of British Literature. Ed. David Damrosch. New York: Addison Wesley Longman, Inc., 1999. 1628-1629.

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Heat of Formation of Magnesium Oxide

ObjetiveTo determine the heat formation of MgO (Magnesium Oxide) using Hess’s Law, which states the heat within a chemical reaction is independent of the pathway between the initial and final states.IntroductionChemical reactions require heat energy to complete, called an endothermic reaction, or produce heat energy, and thus called an exothermic reaction. The heat energy produced by such reactions can be measured using a calorimeter, a piece of equipment that can isolate the reaction in an insulated container. Using the calorimeter one can then determine the rise and fall in temperature of the reaction. When this temperature change is multiplied by the heat capacity, the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of a body by one degree, we can measure the change in converting our initial components (reactants) to their respective products.In this experiment we will measure the amount of heat released from 3 reactions (ΔHA ΔHB ΔHC) and calculate the sum of all 3 reactions to determine ΔHT, which will give us the heat formation of MgO. If Hess’s law holds true and barring minimal experimental error, the pathway we use to determine ΔHT should have no bearing on our calculation matching the accepted calculation of MgO.MethodsAs per lab manual we used a calibrated calorimeter (using a rounded end thermometer so as to not puncture a hole in the calorimeter) to determine the heats of reaction for Magnesium (Mg) with Hydrochloric Acid (HCl) and Hydrochloric Acid with Magnesium Oxide (MgO). Then using mathematical formulas we were able to calculate the heat formation of MgO, which is measured in kJ/Mol. Since both reactions are in dilute water solutions of  HCl it was necessary to know the heat capacity of water, but because some heat would be transferred to the calorimeter whose heat capacity was unknown, we had to record a correction factor (x) based upon the specific heat of water using the equation [m(h2o)+X]Cwater+Δwate r=-1(m(ice water)CwaterΔtice water).We then recorded the mass (m) of room temperature water and ice water each in a respective cup and then poured the ice water into the room temperature water and recorded the temperature change. By knowing (x) we could then calculate the heat of reaction for Mg with HCl (ΔHA kJ/mol) and for HCl with MgO (ΔHB kJ/mol) using the equation q=m(HCl+X)C ΔT where m is the mass of the reactant used with Mg + X, C is the heat capacity of water (4.184 J/g °C), and ΔT is the total temperature change in each reaction. Using the results of these calculations and Hess’s law we can then determine the heat formation for MgO.DataAll mass readings are given in units of grams (g), and all temperature readings are given in degrees Celsius ( °C).Part AMass of the Calorimeter + RoomTemp Water (g)48.08Mass of room temp water (g)46.29Mass of Cal + room temp water + icewater (g)115.40Mass of ice water (g)67.32Temp of room temp water ( °C)42. 4Temp of the ice water ( °C)0.1Final temp. of room temp water ( °C)17.3Change in temp of ice water ( °C)17.2Change of temp of room temp water ( °C)-25.1Mass of the calorimeter (g)1.79Part 2AMass of Calorimeter (g)1.79Mass of Cal + HCl (g)103.55Mass of HCL (g)101.76Mass of Mg (g)0.5Temperature of HCl ( °C)20.3Final temperature of HCl + Mg ( °C)42.0Change in Temperature ( °C)21.7Part BMass of Calorimeter (g)1.79Mass of Cal + HCl (g)101.76Mass of HCl (g)99.88Mass of MgO (g)0.8Temperature of HCl ( °C)20.3Final temperature of HCl + MgO ( °C)25.8Change in Temperature ( °C)5.50Results and DiscussionTo calculate X using the equation [m(h2o)+X]Cwater+Δwater=-1(m(ice water)CwaterΔtice water) the variable X must be isolated and doing so we were than able to calculate the correction factor:Based on the calculations of the calorimeter correction factor, X was determined to be 0.158 g. Then using the equation q=m(HCl+X)C *ΔT, where q is equal to the amount of energ y given off, and than calculating the value in -kJ/Mol (because these are exothermic reactions) we were able to determine ΔHA and ΔHB.qA=m(HCl+X)C xΔTqA=(101.76 g + 0.158 g) x 4.184 J/g °C x 21.7 °CqA= 9250 J = 9.250 kJ 9.253602176qB= m(HCl+X)C xΔTqB=(101.76 g + 0.158 g) x 4.184 J/g °C x 5.50 °CqB=2350 J = 2.350 kJTo then calculate the heat formation of MgO ΔHT, the sum of all the reactions must be determined including ΔHC, the heat formation of water, which is already predetermined to be -285.8 kJ/mol. However to determine the proper equation for ΔHT, the stoichiometric equations must first be balanced:Therefore the heat formation of MgO was determined to be -618.35 kJ/mol. According to the textbook, the accepted value for ΔHT=-601.8 kJ/mol. To determine the accuracy of the calculation we can determine the % error:As far as accuracy goes a percent error of 2.75% is very acceptable. Because the methods of the experiment were conducted using a crude calorimeter I would have expected the percent error to be higher, assuming that because of it’s construction it would not have very high efficiency.I would expect that any error that might have occurred happened during the transference from one cup to another. Because the substances were transferred so quickly and taking into account the number of seconds that it took to replace the thermometer to begin recording data again it is possible that energy was either lost in the transfer or energy was lost before the recording was actually able to begin.ConclusionIn this lab we were able to determine the heat of formation of MgO using a simply constructed calorimeter, which was found to be -618.35 kJ/mol.

Friday, August 16, 2019

Coping with Corruption in Trading with China

CASE 2-5 Coping with Corruption in Trading with China Corruption is on the rise in China, where the country’s press frequently has detailed cases of corruption and of campaigns to crack down on it. The articles primarily have focused on domestic economic crimes among Chinese citizens, and on local of? cials who have been ? red or assessed other penalties. Indeed, China has been rated by Transparency International as number 59 of the 102 countries the German organization rates on its â€Å"Corruption Perception Index. †1 Finland is rated the least corrupt at number 1, the United States at 16, and Bangladesh the most corrupt at number 102.Corruption’s long arm now is reaching out to touch China’s foreign business community. Traders, trade consultants, and analysts have said that foreign ? rms are vulnerable to a variety of corrupt practices. Although some of these ? rms said they had no experience with corruption in the People’s Republic of China (PRC ), the majority said they increasingly were asked to make payments to improve business, engage in black-market trade of import and export licenses, bribe of? cials to push goods through customs or the Commodity Inspection Bureau, or engage in collusion to beat the system.The Hong Kong Independent Commission Against Corruption reports that outright bribes as well as gifts or payment to establish guanxi, or â€Å"connections,† average 3 to 5 percent of operating costs in the PRC, or $3 billion to $5 billion of the $100 billion of foreign investments that have been made there. The most common corrupt practices confronting foreign companies in China are examined here. ANGLING FOR CASH MNCs also are asked sometimes to sponsor overseas education for children of trading of? cials. One person told a Chinese source that an MNC paid for that individual’s U.S. $1,500-a-month apartment, as well as a car, university education, and expenses. Firms ? nd direct requests for cash payme nts—undeniably illegal—the most dif? cult. One well-placed source said that a major trader, eager for buyers in the face of an international market glut, had fallen into regularly paying large kickbacks into the Honduran, U. S. , and Swiss accounts of of? cials at a PRC foreign trade corporation. Refusing to make payments may not only hurt sales, it can also be terrifying. A U. S. ?rm was one of several bidders for a large sale; a Chinese of? ial demanded the MNC pay a 3 percent kickback. When the company representative refused, the of? cial threatened: â€Å"You had better not say anything about this. You still have to do business in China, and stay in hotels here. † Not surprisingly, the U. S. company lost the deal. Traders of certain commodities may be tempted to purchase on the black market those import and export licenses that are dif? cult to obtain legally. A fairly disorganized underground market, for instance, exists for licenses to export China-made ga rments to the United States.Some branches of the Commodity Inspection Bureau (CIB) also have posed problems for some traders. Abuses have emerged in the CIB since it started inspecting imports in 1987. A Japanese company, for instance, informed CIB of? cials of its intention to bring heavy industrial items into China—items that had met Japanese and U. S. standards. The of? cials responded that they planned to dismantle the products on arrival for inspection purposes. The problem was resolved only after the ? rm invited the of? cials to visit Japan. Some traders get around such problems by purchasing inspection certi? ates on the black market. According to press accounts, these forms, complete with signatures and seals, can be bought for roughly U. S. $200. Some claim that, for the appropriate compensation, customs of? cials in a southern province are very willing to reduce the dutiable value of imports as much as 50 percent. Because the savings can far exceed transport costs, some imports that would logically enter China through a northern port are redirected through the southern province. PAYING TO IMPROVE BUSINESS Foreign traders make several types of payments to facilitate sales in China.The most common methods used are trips abroad. Chinese of? cials, who rarely have a chance to visit overseas, often prefer foreign travel to cash or gifts. (This was especially true when few PRC of? cials had been abroad. ) As a result, traders report that dangling foreign trips in front of their PRC clients has become a regular part of negotiating large trade deals that involve products with a technological component. â€Å"Foreign travel is always the ? rst inducement we offer,† said an executive involved in machinery trade. In most cases, traders built these costs into the product’s sale price.Some trips are â€Å"reasonable and bona ? de expenditures directly related to the promotion, demonstration, or explanation of products and services, or the e xecution of a contract with a foreign government agency. † But other trips, when of? cials on foreign junkets are offered large per diems and aren’t invited speci? cally to gain technical knowledge, may be another matter. Foreign travel isn’t always an inducement—it also can be extorted. In one case, a PRC bank branch refused to issue a letter of credit for a machinery import deal. The Chinese customer suggested that the foreign trader invite the bank of? ial on an overseas inspection tour. Once the invitation was extended, the bank issued the letter of credit. QUESTIONS 1. List all the different types of bribes, payments, or favors represented in this case and say why each is either legal or illegal. 2. For those practices that you say are illegal, classify each as lubrication, extortion, or subornation, and tell why. 3. Which of the payments, favors, or bribes are illegal under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA)? 4. Assuming that the FCPA did not e xist, what is the ethical response to each of the payments, favors, or bribes you have See www. transparency. org for more details about their 2002 index. 572 Cases 2 The Cultural Environment of Global Markets you think bribery will become less prevalent in markets like China? 573 identi? ed? Read the section titled â€Å"Ethically and Socially Responsible Decisions† in Chapter 3 as a guide to assist you in your decision. 5. Now that the OECD has approved an FCPA-like treaty to ban commercial bribery by ? rms in member countries, do 6. List alternatives to paying bribes in international markets and discuss the pluses and minuses of each.

Thursday, August 15, 2019

Deviance, Psychiatry and Cultural Relativism

The paper â€Å"Borderlands: Deviance, Psychiatry and Cultural Relativism† by Robert Bartholomew discusses cultural differences i. e. what is considered normal and rational in one culture may be considered abnormal in others. Therefore, the author analyzes different attitudes towards human actions (e. g. suicide), and provides overview of cultural relativism and psychiatry. The author’s thesis is that people interpret the world depending on their social and cultural context. He argues that science can’t be applied to identifying and treating abnormality.Bartholomew says that normality is â€Å"not an objective given from which simple assessments of behaviour can be rendered independent of historical era, culture, or group†. (P. 36-37) Normality is defined by cultural background and cultures have their own interpretations what to consider rational or irrational. For example, suicide is not acceptable in Western countries, whereas it is considered normal in Japan. Further, Bartholomew defines cultural relativism as theory of knowledge which is responsible for working out criteria how to judge behaviour of other culture.It is not static and depends on circumstances. There are few standards of universal conduct to evaluate this or that society. The author claims that the problem of cultural relativism results in serious dilemmas for mental health professionals. Actually, psychiatric diagnoses don’t involve assessment of cultural development and influence. However, psychiatry is more interested in religious, social and cultural background than other medical fields. Bartholomew assumes that psychiatry is the most contentious medical branch.In psychiatry ‘illness’ is defined as experiencing living problems, rather than discernible cerebral disease that affects human behaviour. The negative moment is that Western medicine is still transmitting social and professional stereotypes constituting its own values and norms. Summ ing up, the author recommends – when to judge whether the person is normal, it is necessary to get acquainted with his social world and cultural background. Works Cited Bartholomew, Robert. â€Å"Borderlands: Deviance, Psychiatry and Cultural Relativism†. Skeptic, 8, 3 (2000): 36-40.