Guanxi and corruption in China Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Guanxi and corruption in China - Essay Example In this short essay, I will start out by outlining problems of corruption in contemporary China. Then, I will explore to what extent Guanxi may contribute to what many perceive as a crisis of rampant corruption in the country. China has in the recent past been an object of scathing criticisms from both the local and international players over its apparent tolerance to corruption. Gong (2011) portrays the perception of China by Westerners who associate business culture in China with Guanxi. Regardless of the favour or job one wants in China, all that matters most is the ability to give gifts or bribery. Guanxi illustrates the complex form of corruption where relationship with bigwigs and those in powers motivate most of the decisions. In addition to enhancing business prospects for the corrupt in China, Guanxi has further led to the formations of monopolies pegged on capitalistic endeavours. This practise in fact threatened the survival of China as communist country. To further illustrate the problem of corruption in China, a survey one conducted on 100 people who were prosecuted for bribe-giving. The result indicated that 94.2% of them asserted that â€Å"they would â€Å"warm up the relationship† first before they would bribe with money† (Ling Li 7). Corruption through Guanxi has harmed Chinese image on both the local and international spheres. Illegal businesses that fail to adhere to human rights have been allowed to operate without legal charges. Also, the level of property rights violations and manufacture of counterfeit products without concomitant legal actions has left many questioning the willingness of China to fight corruption (Zhang). The Chinese judicial system is one of the areas significantly affected by cases corruption. â€Å"Guanxi† is evidently a factor into a judicial or arbitral decision. However, worth noting is the fact that this corruption does not necessarily assume the traditional form of bribe,

Relationship in Cousin Kate Essay Example for Free

Relationship in Cousin Kate Essay The crisp summer air filled the local park, the sun burning down, everyone wanted some fresh air-the park was packed. A young couple lounging on the fresh grass having a barbecue, the juicy aroma of sausages floated through the park, making everyone hungry. Across from the couple parked precariously on an old patch of grass was an ancient ice-cream van. The old, decrepit van had been in the family for years, paint peeling, bodywork rusting, the ice-cream van was fit for the dump, but as if transfixed, everyone in the local park was swarming to the van, tired parents, bored teenagers-everyone needed some refreshment. The ice-cream van driver a sweaty OAP, looking worn and fed up, his eyes scanning the crowd,hoping for some refuge from the swarm of impatient customer. Beads of sweat dripping from his forehead, handing out melting ice-creams laden with sprinkles, the summer heat was all too much. Close to the van was a young mother, struggling to control her two troublesome toddlers fighting with their younger sibling,sitting in a rather worn looking pram. Her oldest child, seemingly unaware, was clicking away on her phone. Baby crying, mother screaming, she was quickly attracting the attention of passers-by. The young mother was trying to explain to her children she had no money for ice-cream. Tired and confused she attempted to calm down her noisy children, stopping to pick up her crying toddler who had just fallen over, whilst trying to make a run for it towards the trees;she narrowly missed being trampled by a passing runner and his personal trainer. The sweaty, runner, looked nervously around the park, his eyes longingly glancing towards the ice-cream van, licking his lips, wishing he could gulp down an ice-cold can of coke. Rather large in comparison to his personal trainer- a young, fit female. He was finding it hard to keep up, begging her to slow down. Tiredly trying to tug-down his sweat-drenched West Ham t-shirt he came to a stop, collapsing right in the middle of the worn patch of grass, a group of boisterous boys were playing a rowdy game of football. Out of the usual gang playing football, one boy was already perched on a nearby bench being comforted by his concerned mother, clumsily dabbing anaemic looking antiseptic onto his rather badly grazed knee. Other players were taking a break, sitting on patches of grass licking rapidly melting ice-creams, whilst watching the carnage occuring on the pathetic looking pitch. One over-excited boy lobs the battered ball towards a passing couple, hand in hand the old couple quicken their pace, retreating from the brutal match. The old couple carry on along the path, leaning on their walking sticks for support. The old lady’s dress softly flaps in the wind, exposing her swollen feet clad in thick socks with sandals. Their aged faces crinkling into smiles as they watch the sunset. Their eyes wide through their magnifying-glass shaped spectacles. The local park is gradually cloaked in datrkness, the park slowly clears, until all you can hear is the gentle laughter ringing from the late night barbecues and midnight strollers. Wandering through the park, engulfed by my thick coat, I stare around me with disgust. The once green and beautiful park is now grey and boring; damaged by youths. However, the park is the place where I can just come and think: its quiet and peaceful and I feel free; away from the bustle and noise of the city. There is a chill breeze in the air, therefore most people are inside their warm houses, clustering round their coal fires, but this is when I like it best. To me, wrapped up in layers and scarves, it only feels fresh, not cold and I can think better when Im alone. I stare at the climbing frame, once bright and colourful with a shiny slide, but now the only colour is the dull rusty red of the metal and the black of the graffiti covering it. My eyes glaze over while I reminisce about happier times spent on the climbing frame, and how I used to fly through the air, aided by the monkey bars, just like a chimpanzee swinging through a tree. The trees in the park creak and groan as the wind picks up. Leaves rustle at my feet and my hair is whipped around my raw face by unseen hands. I disappear inside my warm jacket and spy the swings over in the corner. As I sit on the only swing not broken by vandals, one gloved hand entwined round the chain, and my feet scuffing at the tarmac, I gently propel myself forward and back in gentle rhythm. I am lost in my own world. Absent-mindedly my free hand delves deep into the mystery of my pocket and finds a single, solitary chocolate truffle. I unwrap the truffle slowly, so as not to damage the shiny wrapper. It has a wonderfully rich smell that only chocolate has and the creamy centre of the truffle warms my frozen insides as it makes its journey to my stomach. The roundabout is twirling through the wind in the distance, but I cant see it. I am entranced. I cant tear my eyes away from the wrapper fluttering in my hands. Its iridescent quality is making me feel tranquil and serene. My eyes swim in and out of focus as my vision is replaced by one from a long time ago. Parts of Goole have been flooded following heavy rain. Firefighters were called to the East Riding Council offices in Church Street after the building was struck by lightning. Emergency services said flooding was localised and advised people to check the Environment Agency website for the latest flood warnings. At present the Met Office is forecasting Hull will escape the rain this evening (Thursday). However, heavy rain is forecast for the city and county from mid-morning tomorrow (Friday). John Skidmore, head of streetscene services at East Riding of Yorkshire Council, said: We have been alerted by the Met Office of heavy rain which will arrive on the east coast at 7am and move across the entire region which could lead to potential flooding issues. We have suspended all grounds, highway and street sweeping operations tomorrow so we have staff available should we need to activate any emergency plans. We will have staff at locations across the East Riding letting us know how heavy the rainfall is and if there are any areas of localised flooding so we can deploy services where we need them quickly. The rain is predicted to arrive on the east coast at 7am and move out of the area early afternoon. Driving conditions in tomorrow morning’s rush hour could be potentially hazardous due to surface water. I would urge drivers to allow extra time for their journey and drive accordingly. South Yorkshire’s public organisations have been widely praised for keeping people safe after last summer’s unprecedented floods. Now a new report aims to ensure any future flood would be met with an even better response for the people of South Yorkshire. The â€Å"Final Report on the Flooding of Summer 2007† highlights how the investment in emergency planning over the last decade proved its worth in ensuring that the response was of a high standard. Tragically, two people lost their lives in the early stages of the flooding, but the number of casualties would have been much higher had the response of emergency services, and other partners, not been so well co-ordinated. The report has been produced by South Yorkshire’s Local Resilience Forum (LRF), a high-level partnership of the area’s emergency services, local authorities, health authorities and other key partner agencies. The 13-page report praises the â€Å"prompt action by responding organisations† to keep people safe, and notes that effective recovery planning meant there has been â€Å"no large dislocation of communities to areas outside of the county as has happened elsewhere. The report also looks at areas of the response which provide lessons to be learned in the event of any future flood. The ‘Gold’ command which led the partnership’s response â€Å"proved effective in managing rapidly unfolding events such as the potential collapse of the dam at Ulley Reservoir,† but several improvements to the way that command structure operated have been identified. Steps are also being taken to improve the flood warning systems to provide a quicker indication that flooding might be on its way. Action is already under way to address 26 key recommendations, some of which provide an overlap with the recommendations of the national interim Pitt Report, which was published on 17th December 2007. The Environment Agency is already planning to install additional flood warning equipment to the north and west of Sheffield. A new, specially-designed ‘Gold’ command location is also being developed in the county. This means that in any future flooding – or similar major emergency South Yorkshire’s response will be informed not only by training exercises, but by improvements developed from real-life events. Chief Constable Meredydd Hughes, chair of the South Yorkshire LRF, said: â€Å"The flooding of summer 2007 led to a tremendous response by everyone involved, which demonstrated the value of all the planning and training that has taken place for many years. â€Å"However, no amount of foresight could have fully prepared us for such an unprecedented situation. It is right that we now reflect on the things we would do better in any future flooding events, as well as the excellent work which took place last summer. †

Ruisdael Vs. Monet :: essays research papers

  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‚   Ruisdael and Monet When one arrives in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, he or she may be surprised, as I was, by its grand entrance. Upon entering this large pillared building, one is almost overwhelmed by the immense collection. Although very extensive, the museum undoubtedly concentrates on the grouping and placement of paintings and sculptures within the building. Through chronological and thematic paths, the museum takes the viewer through the major contributors to the advancement of art, from around the world. Separated by only a marble floor, the room containing Salomon Van Ruisdael’s Landscape with Cattle and an Inn, differs greatly from that of Claude Monet’s, Railroad Bridge at Argenteuil. These two paintings, when surrounded by the art of their contemporaries, create an environment for the viewer that parallels their original context. The halls of the Museum are set up in a long and slim rectangle with open doorways between all of them. The opening hallway to the Dutch gallery is modest in its wooden paneling until one turns and enters the first room on the right. Beautifully creased wood panels, line the walls, while intricately carved panels hold the grand window directly across from the door. Rich in color, the walls make one feel very comfortable in this intimate surrounding. The feel of the wood almost brings the viewer back to 17th century Holland. Reflecting off the V-shaped wood paneled floor, light flows through the window, illuminating the Dutch landscapes. A simple wooden throne sits against one wall, and a short dresser rests along the opposite wall. Instead of being labeled directly under or beside the painting, there are simply numbers which lead one to a book of descriptions. This groups the paintings together as one description of Dutch life, removing the initial need to find the name of the artist . Because the viewer is able to view Ruisdael’s Landscape with Cattle and an Inn through the doorway, even before they enter the gallery, he or she is able to recognize its importance. This painting appeals on many levels; it is a history painting documenting Dutch farmers of the 17th century, it is a representation of northern European style, and it is a detailed depiction of life. The room itself, is a perfect match for the bold but simple colors and detailed brush strokes of the Dutch landscapes. The dark wood walls shape the gallery into that of a living room in an old Dutch cottage.

Nursing Homes are a Haven for the Elderly Essay -- Nursing Homes Perso

Nursing Homes are a Haven for the Elderly A.) Security 1.)Curfews 2.)Lost faculties (No need to drive) 3.)Away from con-artists B.) Activities 1.)Entertainment/Songs (Brownies example) 2.)Activities/Crafts (Beta Club example) 3.)People of similar age C.)Health Care 1.)Takes stress off of the family 2.)Help with prescriptions and medicine 3.)In case of emergency... The Nursing Home: A Haven for the Elderly Today's nursing homes are excellent environments for our elderly. These establishments provide health care, entertainment, security, and above all, a home for over 1,000,000 American citizens over age 70. There is no better place for an individual who is slowly losing his or her faculties. During one's "golden years," one should not have to worry about daily chores like washing the dishes or mowing the lawn. One should be able to relax and enjoy life. Nursing homes give the elderly a chance to do just that. Security is a primary focus in most nursing homes. Curfews exist to insure the safety and protection of the residents. Also, busses take the senior citizens to places of common interest, such as the grocery store and local shopping malls. This alleviates the everyday stress of driving for those residents who are losing some of their basic faculties, and creates a safer driving environment for everyone. In addition, these ol...

Speech of Advocacy Rhetorical Situation Proposal

The problem I want to address in the speech is that whether colleges put too much stock in standardized test scores. It’s an actual exgience because colleges are currently relying a lot on standardized test scores as a base for their applications. 2. The teenage community is the most directly affected by the exigence. 3. Most people do seem to generally agree that the exigence exists because the people all have been attempting to get into colleges and have gone through the pressure placed on standardized test scores. 4.The values threatened by the existence of the exigence is the actual performance of students in general, not just under pressure and relying on one test score. Role of the Speaker 5. This exigence interests me because from young, I’ve always had to study and prepare for standardized tests. In China, tests represent whether we get into a good middle school, a good high school, and a good college. We can be the best in our class, but without scoring high on the placement tests, we’ll never get into a good school. The same was here, in high school, junior year was all about testing and studying for the ACTs or the SATs.There was too much pressure placed on just the standardized tests. 6. My relationship to the community was not affected because I am a teen and I have gone through all these placement tests. Role of the Audience 7. I believe all my audience has had exposure to exigence, they’ve all experienced the pressures of tests during their high school years because we’re all here today because of in part to standardized test scores. 8. Their relationship to the community is still not affected because we’re all teens who have taken these tests. 9.I believe they’ll agree with my perception because they’ve all been through the pressures of the standardized tests, and whether they scored good or bad, I believe they’ll all agree that standardized test scores are being placed too high in a pplication standards. 10. There is really nothing we can to minimized the exigence except to protest to the government and ask colleges to change the way the application process is. Speech 11. I’ll use a causal order for my speech, because then I can hit the cause and effect of each of my points as I talk about them. 12.The main points in my speech will be to talk about the pressures of the tests on the students, the high placement the colleges place on the tests, and how students who are straight A students may have just done bad on the tests, and how the tests also places pressure on the students own academic work. 13. It’ll be most effective for my audience to just agree with my position because there’s really not much that can be done in terms of actions for the topic. 14. I will ask them to agree that this exigence exists and that we’ve all be affected by it. 15. My goal is not to advocate action but to advocate agreement.

The Pros and Cons of Solar Power

The Pros and Cons of Solar Power The prospect of generating pollution-free power from the sun’s rays is appealing, but to-date the low price of oil combined with the high costs of developing new technology have prevented the widespread adoption of solar power in the United States and beyond. At a current cost of 25 to 50 cents per kilowatt-hour, solar power costs as much as five times more than conventional fossil fuel-based electricity. And dwindling supplies of polysilicon, the element found in traditional photovoltaic cells, are not helping. The Politics of Solar Power According to Gary Gerber of the Berkeley, California-based Sun Light Power, not long after Ronald Reagan moved into the White House in 1980 and removed the solar collectors from the roof that Jimmy Carter had installed, tax credits for solar development disappeared and the industry plunged â€Å"over a cliff.† Federal spending on solar energy picked up under the Clinton administration, but trailed off again once George W. Bush took office. But growing climate change worries and high oil prices have forced the Bush administration to reconsider its stance on alternatives like solar, and the White House has proposed $148 million for solar energy development in 2007, up almost 80 percent from what it invested in 2006. Increasing the Efficiency and Lowering the Cost of Solar Power In the realm of research and development, enterprising engineers are working hard to get solar power’s costs down, and expect it to be price-competitive with fossil fuels within 20 years. One technological innovator is California-based Nanosolar, which replaces the silicon used to absorb sunlight and convert it into electricity with a thin film of copper, indium, gallium and selenium (CIGS). Nanosolar’s Martin Roscheisen says CIGS-based cells are flexible and more durable, making them easier to install in a wide range of applications. Roscheisen expects he will be able to build a 400-megawatt electricity plant for about a tenth of the price of a comparable silicon-based plant. Other companies making waves with CIGS-based solar cells include New York’s DayStar Technologies and California’s Miasolà ©. Another recent innovation in solar power is the co-called â€Å"spray-on† cell, such as those made by Massachusetts’ Konarka. Like paint, the composite can be sprayed on to other materials, where it can harness the sun’s infrared rays to power cell phones and other portable or wireless devices. Some analysts think spray-on cells could become five times more efficient than the current photovoltaic standard. Venture Capitalists Investing in Solar Power Environmentalists and mechanical engineers aren’t the only ones bullish on solar these days. According to the Cleantech Venture Network, a forum of investors interested in clean renewable energy, venture capitalists poured some $100 million into solar start-ups of all sizes in 2006 alone, and expect to commit even more money in 2007. Given the venture capital community’s interest in relatively short-term returns, it’s a good bet that some of today’s promising solar start-ups will be tomorrow’s energy behemoths. EarthTalk is a regular feature of E/The Environmental Magazine. Selected EarthTalk columns are reprinted on About Environmental Issues by permission of the editors of E.

Confidence Interval for the Difference of Two Population Proportions

Confidence Interval for the Difference of Two Population Proportions Confidence intervals are one part of inferential statistics.   The basic idea behind this topic is to estimate the value of an unknown population  parameter by using a statistical sample.   We can not only estimate the value of a parameter, but we can also adapt our methods to estimate the difference between two related parameters.   For example we may want to find the difference in the percentage of the male U.S. voting population who supports a particular piece of legislation compared to the female voting population. We will see how to do this type of calculation by constructing a confidence interval for the difference of two population proportions.   In the process we will examine some of the theory behind this calculation.   We will see some similarities in how we construct a confidence interval for a single population proportion as well as a confidence interval for the difference of two population means. Generalities Before looking at the specific formula that we will use, lets consider the overall framework that this type of confidence interval fits into.   The form of the type of confidence interval that we will look at is given by the following formula: Estimate /- Margin of Error Many confidence intervals are of this type. There are two numbers that we need to calculate.   The first of these values is the estimate for the parameter.   The second value is the margin of error.   This margin of error accounts for the fact that we do have an estimate.   The confidence interval provides us with a range of possible values for our unknown parameter. Conditions We should make sure that all of the conditions are satisfied before doing any calculation. To find a confidence interval for the difference of two population proportions, we need to make sure that the following hold: We have two simple random samples from large populations.   Here large means that the population is at least 20 times larger than the size of the sample. The sample sizes will be denoted by n1 and n2.Our individuals have been chosen independently of one another.There are at least ten successes and ten failures in each of our samples. If the last item in the list is not satisfied, then there may be a way around this.   We can modify the plus-four confidence interval construction and obtain robust results.   As we go forward we assume that all of the above conditions have been met. Samples and Population Proportions Now we are ready to construct our confidence interval.   We start with the estimate for the difference between our population proportions. Both of these population proportions are estimated by a sample proportion.   These sample proportions are statistics that are found by dividing the number of successes in each sample, and then dividing by the respective sample size. The first population proportion is denoted by p1.   If the number of successes in our sample from this population is k1, then we have a sample proportion of k1 / n1. We denote this statistic by  pÌ‚1.   We read this symbol as p1-hat because it looks like the symbol p1 with a hat on top. In a similar way we can calculate a sample proportion from our second population.   The parameter from this population is p2.   If the number of successes in our sample from this population is k2, and our sample proportion is   pÌ‚2 k2 / n2. These two statistics become the first part of our confidence interval. The estimate of p1 is pÌ‚1.   The estimate of p2 is pÌ‚2.   So the estimate for the difference p1 - p2 is pÌ‚1 - pÌ‚2. Sampling Distribution of the Difference of Sample Proportions Next we need to obtain the formula for the margin of error.   To do this we will first consider the   sampling distribution of   pÌ‚1  . This is a binomial distribution with probability of success p1 and  n1 trials. The mean of this distribution is the proportion p1.   The standard deviation of this type of random variable has variance of p1  (1 - p1  )/n1. The sampling distribution of pÌ‚2 is similar to that of pÌ‚1  .   Simply change all of the indices from 1 to 2 and we have a binomial distribution with mean of p2 and variance of p2 (1 - p2 )/n2. We now need a few results from mathematical statistics in order to determine the sampling distribution of pÌ‚1 - pÌ‚2.   The mean of this distribution is p1 - p2.   Due to the fact that the variances add together, we see that the variance of the sampling distribution is p1  (1 - p1  )/n1 p2 (1 - p2 )/n2.   The standard deviation of the distribution is the square root of this formula. There are a couple of adjustments that we need to make.   The first is that the formula for the standard deviation of pÌ‚1 - pÌ‚2 uses the unknown parameters of p1 and p2.   Of course if we really knew these values, then it would not be an interesting statistical problem at all.   We would not need to estimate the difference between p1 and  p2..   Instead we could simply calculate the exact difference. This problem can be fixed by calculating a standard error rather than a standard deviation.   All that we need to do is to replace the population proportions by sample proportions.   Standard errors are calculated from upon statistics instead of parameters. A standard error is useful because it effectively estimates a   standard deviation.   What this means for us is that we no longer need to know the value of the parameters p1 and p2.   .Since these sample proportions are known, the standard error is given by the square root of the following expression: pÌ‚1 (1 -  pÌ‚1 )/n1   pÌ‚2 (1 -  pÌ‚2 )/n2. The second item that we need to address is the particular form of our sampling distribution.   It turns out that we can use a normal distribution to approximate the sampling distribution of  pÌ‚1  - pÌ‚2.   The reason for this is somewhat technical, but is outlined in the next paragraph.   Both   pÌ‚1 and   pÌ‚2   have a sampling distribution that is binomial.   Each of these binomial distributions may be approximated quite well by a normal distribution.   Thus pÌ‚1  - pÌ‚2 is a random variable.   It is formed as a linear combination of two random variables.   Each of these are approximated by a normal distribution.   Therefore the sampling distribution of pÌ‚1  - pÌ‚2 is also normally distributed. Confidence Interval Formula We now have everything we need to assemble our confidence interval.   The estimate is (pÌ‚1 - pÌ‚2) and the margin of error is z* [ pÌ‚1 (1 -  pÌ‚1 )/n1   pÌ‚2 (1 -  pÌ‚2 )/n2.]0.5.   The value that we enter for z* is dictated by the level of confidence C.  Ã‚  Commonly used values for z* are 1.645 for 90% confidence and 1.96 for 95% confidence.   These values for  z* denote the portion of the standard normal distribution where exactly  C percent of the distribution is between -z* and z*.   The following formula gives us a confidence interval for the difference of two population proportions: (pÌ‚1 - pÌ‚2) /- z* [ pÌ‚1 (1 -  pÌ‚1 )/n1   pÌ‚2 (1 -  pÌ‚2 )/n2.]0.5

Coursework Stories

Coursework Stories Coursework Stories Coursework Stories: Prepare Yourself Sooner or later, you will obviously be assigned with the task of coursework stories writing. This is an inseparable part of any studying process and diploma receiving. That is why in order not to be taken aback by coursework stories writing it is recommended to prepare yourself before it. Thus, coursework stories are those to be similar with simple essays writing, however, at this point, it should be stressed that the research is made much more thoroughly for coursework stories writing than for essay writing. The length of the work is much longer than that one of essay; that is why you have to present more information in it. The deepness of examining the subject of coursework stories also differs from that one of essay. The topic should be examined inside out and be fully disclosed in coursework stories writing: Assess Information In Your Coursework Stories However, you do not only have to present the information, which you have gathered with the help of conducting the research. Your own assessment of the topic is what your professor will look for in your coursework stories writing. Hypothesis, findings, conclusions, which you have made on your own are those to be included into your work. Without them, your coursework stories loose scientific value and become a simple rephrase of the information, which you have plagiarized from other authors. Coursework Structure and Story Writing Formatting The structure of your coursework is similar to the structure of essay: an introduction, a discussion, a conclusion. However, each of the sections has to be extended with more data as the length of coursework stories differs a lot from the length of essays. There is one more thing, which helps you to prepare yourself to coursework stories writing. This thing is called custom writing service. Within any custom writing you can find a lot of useful information devoted to the subject of coursework stories writing. Useful articles, which are full of tips and pieces of advice, are waiting for you within the measures of our custom writing site as well. Custom Coursework Writing Services Apart from presenting our customers with information, we are also ready to support our customers at any stage of their coursework stories writing. If you are going to have some difficulties with either introduction or conclusion, we are ready to assist you. Contact our custom writing representative and ask any question, which disturbs you concerning your coursework stories writing, and you are going to get professional help you are in need of immediately. Read also: Dissertation Paper Dissertation Expert APA Thesis Term Schools Papers about Gospel Music Term Papers Medieval Knights

Financial statement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Financial statement - Essay Example An income statement reports on the organisations profits, expenses and income over a period of time. An income statement is also known as the profit and loss report, it provides information on the processes of the business enterprise. A statement of cash flows reports on an organisation’s cash flow activities,which include its processing, financing and investing activities. Financial statements for large companies are complex compared to the small companies because they include a wide range of notes added to the financial statements, management discussions, and analysis (Bragg, 2013). The notes added to the financial statements are considered as an essential part of the statements because they normally explain each item on the balance sheet, cash flow statement and income statement in further details. Albrecht an Stice (2011) defined capital maintenance as an accounting concept based on the principle that income is only recognized after capital has been maintained or there has been a full recovery of costs. When the amount of a company’s capital at the end of a period is unchanged from that at the beginning of the period,with any excess amount treated as profit (Albrecht an Stice ,2011). According to the writings of Taparia (2003), the concept of capital maintenance is significant as only income earned in excess amounts is needed to maintain capital may be considered as profit. There two concepts of capital maintenance are the financial capital maintenance and the physical capital maintenance. Under the concept of financial capital maintenance, profit is earned only if the financial amount of the net assets at the end of the fixed period exceeds the financial amount of net assets at the beginning of the period, after excluding any distributions to and contributions from owners during the period (Antle and Garstka,2004). Antle and Garstka, (2004) also stated that financial capital maintenance can be measured in either nominal monetary

Psychoactive Drug (Marijuana) Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Psychoactive Drug (Marijuana) - Research Paper Example Marijuana contains various chemicals that only increase in effect, releasing even more chemicals when burned, making the chemicals more stronger and pronounced should a person take advantage of them. Some of the physiological effects that a person will face when using marijuana include problems with memory and grasping something new; distorted perception; trouble with thinking; lack of coordination; increased heart rate; anxiety, paranoia, and panic attacks (Bonsor). In terms of the heart, marijuana can cause an increased heart rate, which can also lead to a higher blood pressure. The effects that a person will feel are similar to those of stress and of being overworked - by smoking marijuana, a person displays these while being stationary. They are making their heart work overtime, which, if experienced too often, the person is risking other heart-related diseases. The most negative effect of marijuana in regards to the brain has to deal with the ability to start an addiction with marijuana. Strong drugs such as marijuana increase the amount of dopamine in the neural systems of the brain. "Dopamine is a neurotransmitter in the brain that is associated with pleasure (Young)." Too much dopamine in the brain will increase that feeling of pleasure, which is one of the methods that causes the start of an addiction. A person who is using marijuana develops an affinity to that feeling, a feeling that tends to deplete them of negative feelings and emotions while under the influence of marijuana. They begin to smoke to get that feeling back, which is why marijuana tends to be a drug used for medical purposes, especially when a persons emotion is being greatly affected. Succumbing to addiction is something that is incredibly common with drugs. The person using the drug likes the effects to the point where they have to

Code of Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Code of Ethics - Essay Example They need to be aware of the things that can get them fired. Sanitation hazards need to be taken very seriously. The littlest thing could turn away a customer, and perhaps lead to a lawsuit. When dealing with food, all precautions need to be taken. A lot of businesses require wearing gloves, having your hair pulled back, and no visible piercing or tattoos. Jan Norman, publisher for The Standard-Times stated, "A lot of people are offended when they see people in the workplace with piercings and tattoos." (Norman, p.1) When dealing with other people's food, all of those things are turn-offs. After touching your hair or face, going to the bathroom, or any other contact with yourself or another person, the person should immediately wash their hands. OHS states, "Hand washing reduces the risk of Common Infections." (p.1) Putting up signs for the employees to remind them to pull back their hair, and remove any visible piercing such as from the nose, eyebrow, lip or tongue. All of this affects the businesses as well. By sanitation standards not being met, stated by Occupational Health and Safety, this can cause businesses to be shut down. So employers need to keep close watch on employees." (OHS,P.1) Every day consumers are more concerned with sanitation especially when it concerns their food. There are so many bacterias that can be spread.

Supplier Relations Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Supplier Relations - Research Paper Example Generally, a good supplier relation can be described as one in which the company does not keep itself apart from the suppliers (Lautenbacher and Stidham, 2009). Research has actually showed that there exist several companies who only contact their suppliers when they are running out of stock. Even among such companies, the only kind of communication that goes on has to do with quantities of goods needed and the periods the goods are needed. These companies totally fail to see their suppliers as an integral part of their business and so see no need to keep the suppliers informed about the day to day feedback on the supplies they do and the impact of the supplies on the company. For excellent supplier relationship to take place, suppliers must be aware of the daily needs of the companies in terms of demand for products and services. Suppliers also need constant feedback from companies regarding reactions from customers. This is an important move in ensuring that suppliers supply to the specifications of customers and that products supplied are always on high demand by customers so that they do not remain in the inventories for long (Kelton, et al, 2002). Aspects of Boeing's supplier relations program that specifically address reducing inventories For Boeing as an international company, there are several relations programs that it has in place to specifically address the issue of reducing inventories, maintaining quality, regulating compliance and promoting competitiveness. In order to ensure that safety stocks are adjusted downwards and that there is improvement in quality, Boeing ensures that the leading times for supply are reduced to the barest minimum (Arrand, 2007). It would be noted that suppliers have their own lead times whiles customers also have their. But it is the lead time of customer that is paramount because it is the customer that the company makes profits from. There is constant relationship with the supplier to ensure that they reduce their lead times according to the lead time of customers. This helps in reducing inventory in the sense that it leads to a reduction in the amount of time needed to hold stock together (Fofie, 2001). Another important component of ensuring that suppliers are admonished to reduce their lead times is that when the lead times are reduced, it creates enough room for top-up orders to be made in the season when adequate time has been given to measure real demand. Consequently, all forms of rush in the supply of inventory are avoided and so suppliers can take their time to supply quality products. Another important program in place by Boeing has to do with the fact that the company has special terms of conditions as part of its relationship program whereby suppliers must prove beyond reasonable doubt that they can be trusted for reliability of supply before their services are engaged. This is an important program for ensuring reduced inventory and quality of supplies made because it ensures that the need to hold safety stocks is avoided. Meanwhile, the practice of holding safety stocks is one of the major causes of increased inventory. When companies cannot trust the reliability of supply, there are often forced to hold safety stocks that may not necessarily meet the demand of customers. As soon as new stocks come in, they are forced to offload those stocks through cheap sales, rendering the finances of the company handicapped. Boeing therefore avoids this by ensuring that there is strict regulatory

Yoko Ono's Relationship with Popular Culture Essay

Yoko Ono's Relationship with Popular Culture - Essay Example The essay "Yoko Ono's relationship with popular culture" investigates the great talent of the famous artist and her role in the context of culture. Paper gives details from her life and activity. It is almost fifty years ago, when people started thinking of Yoko Ono as that woman. She was aged 27 years and lived in New York. Paper discover Yoko Ono's background that partly explains radical works and performances. The performances include ''Cut Piece'' that she did in 1965. It is here that she sat impassively like Bodhisattva, while the audience slowly one by one cut off her clothes. This was an amazing feminist manifesto as by then most people did not know what feminism was. It was about exhibitionism and sex. Similar to her other works she did, it rebuffed parent’s mores in a great way. But in the performance, of importance was the element of ritual violence. This was not like seppuku but a theatrical version of self-sacrifice. This was a recurrent theme around Yoko Ono's pub lic life. Yoko Ono can be considered as a muse. This does not only apply to John Lennon whose devotion and love for her resulted in the most interesting and beautiful artworks of his career. She was a pioneering artist, activist, musician, and feminist. Yoko Ono has influenced to a great extent those artists who are daring enough in pushing at and experimenting the imaginary distinctions and boundaries between media and art forms. Her talent was formidable but the prominent quality in her painting works was her spirit.

Supplier Relations Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Supplier Relations - Research Paper Example Generally, a good supplier relation can be described as one in which the company does not keep itself apart from the suppliers (Lautenbacher and Stidham, 2009). Research has actually showed that there exist several companies who only contact their suppliers when they are running out of stock. Even among such companies, the only kind of communication that goes on has to do with quantities of goods needed and the periods the goods are needed. These companies totally fail to see their suppliers as an integral part of their business and so see no need to keep the suppliers informed about the day to day feedback on the supplies they do and the impact of the supplies on the company. For excellent supplier relationship to take place, suppliers must be aware of the daily needs of the companies in terms of demand for products and services. Suppliers also need constant feedback from companies regarding reactions from customers. This is an important move in ensuring that suppliers supply to the specifications of customers and that products supplied are always on high demand by customers so that they do not remain in the inventories for long (Kelton, et al, 2002). Aspects of Boeing's supplier relations program that specifically address reducing inventories For Boeing as an international company, there are several relations programs that it has in place to specifically address the issue of reducing inventories, maintaining quality, regulating compliance and promoting competitiveness. In order to ensure that safety stocks are adjusted downwards and that there is improvement in quality, Boeing ensures that the leading times for supply are reduced to the barest minimum (Arrand, 2007). It would be noted that suppliers have their own lead times whiles customers also have their. But it is the lead time of customer that is paramount because it is the customer that the company makes profits from. There is constant relationship with the supplier to ensure that they reduce their lead times according to the lead time of customers. This helps in reducing inventory in the sense that it leads to a reduction in the amount of time needed to hold stock together (Fofie, 2001). Another important component of ensuring that suppliers are admonished to reduce their lead times is that when the lead times are reduced, it creates enough room for top-up orders to be made in the season when adequate time has been given to measure real demand. Consequently, all forms of rush in the supply of inventory are avoided and so suppliers can take their time to supply quality products. Another important program in place by Boeing has to do with the fact that the company has special terms of conditions as part of its relationship program whereby suppliers must prove beyond reasonable doubt that they can be trusted for reliability of supply before their services are engaged. This is an important program for ensuring reduced inventory and quality of supplies made because it ensures that the need to hold safety stocks is avoided. Meanwhile, the practice of holding safety stocks is one of the major causes of increased inventory. When companies cannot trust the reliability of supply, there are often forced to hold safety stocks that may not necessarily meet the demand of customers. As soon as new stocks come in, they are forced to offload those stocks through cheap sales, rendering the finances of the company handicapped. Boeing therefore avoids this by ensuring that there is strict regulatory

The Primacy of the Fifth Discipline Research Paper

The Primacy of the Fifth Discipline - Research Paper Example With globalization and modern technology prying the world open to all, change has happened and grown so fast that business has to move faster than change to be ahead and stay in front of the competition. But moving faster would mean discarding old habits and practices because of fiercer competition and advances in technology. It is no longer practicable to be following the same old procedures. What is needed, according to Garvin (2008), is a new attitude or a new posture towards learning. What is needed, add Kouzes and Posner (1991), is a new model fit for the world. What is needed is a learning organization (Senge, 1990). ...Hence, his advocacy for the adoption or the mastery of the five disciplines of learning organizations. Systems Thinking. Systems thinking is a theoretical framework that views business and human activity as parts of a larger network, and which are in fact, in themselves, made up of such different parts that are interconnected to form a whole. Systems thinking is the cornerstone of Senge’s (1990) five disciplines, putting the other four in an interconnected web or network to produce a learning and dynamic organization. Senge suggests the adoption of this systems framework as a frame of mind in order to solve complex problems caused by the actions and reactions of different parts against each other. Systems thinking in effect advocates viewing the whole rather than the individual parts. Personal Mastery. Even as Senge pushes strongly for a macro-view of things, he does not abandon the examination of the individual parts. In fact, he recommends the development of the individual to the point of his maximum proficiency so he can exhibit his best self in his chosen craft. Senge admonishes the individual member of the organization to never lose the initiative and the desire to be a learning individual in order to gain such mastery. He suggests for the individual to continually clarify and deepen his personal vision and focus his energies t owards bringing out his full potential as a member of his organization. Senge thinks that for this personal mastery to be developed as a discipline, it must be encouraged, and in fact facilitated, by the organization by creating an environment where the individual can fully develop.

That Was Then, This is Now” and “The Chocolate War” Essay Example for Free

That Was Then, This is Now† and â€Å"The Chocolate War† Essay â€Å"That Was Then, This is Now† by S.E. Hinton (1971)   and â€Å"The Chocolate War† (1974) by Robert Cormier are boundary-shattering young-adult novels, each of which penetrates to the heart of issues with which adolescent readers can readily identify. However, as groundbreaking as these novels were upon their initial publications, both of the novels conform to an established literary idiom, prevalent throughout young-adult literature for many centuries. Both â€Å"The Chocolate War† and â€Å"That Was Then, This is Now† present novels of initiation; more specifically, novels of male-initiation. Aspects of the male-initiation novel include specific conditional criteria that both define and structure the concept of manhood; among these criteria are issues of heterosexuality, embodiment, and collectivism. (Bereska, 2003)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The prominence of traditional male-initiation archetypes and notions of masculinity in the novels, together with the novels’ unconventional narrative styles, pace, and conventions helped generate two of the more popular, controversial, and memorable titles in the 1970s YA catalog. â€Å"Like classics or current adult fiction, some YAL includes a variety of situational archetypes such as the test/trial as a rite of passage, the journey or quest of the hero, birth/death/rebirth, and the search for self.† (Herz Gallo, 1996, p. 11)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In both novels, notions of manhood and sexual orientation play key roles in defining character and plot development, as well as thematic development. Bryon, the main character in ‘That Was Then, This is Now† prides himself as a ladies’ man and is compared to (or confused with) the Romantic Poet Lord Byron, who was an infamous womanizer, on different occasions during the story.   â€Å"While not explicitly stated, it is an implicit assumption that the boys world is a heterosexual world; there are no logical alternatives to heterosexuality.   In books from the 1940s to the late 1990s[] A normal male body is presumed to be both masculine in gender and heterosexual (Nelson (Bereska, 2003)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Along with heterosexuality as a harbinger of normalcy, the male world in YA initiation novels is â€Å"characterized by particular types and degrees of emotional expression, naturalized aggression, male hang-out groups, hierarchies within those groups [and] competition,† (Bereska, 2003). In both â€Å"The Chocolate War† and â€Å"That Was Then, This is Now† the world is portrayed as a male-dominated â€Å"war zone† where a survival of the fittest mentality reigns above issues of emotionality, sensitivity, or compassion.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   While drugs, street-fights, and casual sex present controversial and very stark terrors in the world of â€Å"That Was Then, This is Now,†in Cormier’s   male-dominated world, the male-hierarchy is not only prevalent, its strictures are living law: â€Å"football is easy compared to Jerrys other extracurricular activities at Trinity High: placating the Vigils, the schools secret society, and avoiding Brother Leon, the acting headmaster[] Archie Costello, de facto leader of the Vigils, orders Jerry to refuse to sell chocolate for ten days, as a way of exerting power† (Cheaney, 2001, p. 256).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The aspect of embodiment: that is, the physical manifestation of male characteristics (or defining manhood by male bodily capacities and functions) is a vital component of both novels, symbolized by, not only erotic scenes and passages, but by visceral acts of violence. Foremost among the explicit symbolism of male initiation as male-body-experience is the climactic brutality of â€Å"The Chocolate War†when raffle-tickets are drawn to direct blows against bodies. Raffle tickets are drawn to see when and where Jerry and Emile Janza (a thug) will strike one another with boxing blows. One of the members of the school gang The Vigils finally draws a raffle ticket that allows Janza to strike Jerry below the belt.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     In â€Å"That Was Then, This is Now,† Mark and Bryon vital, viral male bodies are contrasted with Bryon’s ailing mother, a victim of the poverty and desperation that hangs over her household. While Bryon’s healthy erotic-physical response to Cathy brings about a sense of patriarchal responsibility for MM, Mark, whose sexuality had never been as pronounced as Bryon’s deviates from a â€Å"pure† state of male-embodiment, becoming a drug-user and drug-pusher, selling drugs to help support Bryon’s mother.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The corruption of the communal (but male dominated and protected space) in this case comes by way of drugs with threaten MM’s physical and mental maturity; during his LSD hallucinations, he seems to regress to a childlike, vulnerable state. It is at the point of Bryon’s decision to turn Mark in as a drug dealer despite their â€Å"brotherhood† that Bryon’s initiation is completed and the transformation of his masculinity from purely male-identified to communally-identified takes place.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Both â€Å"The Chocolate War† and â€Å"That Was Then, This is Now† end ambiguously— if not tragically. Although Bryon makes a successful transition from self-motivated and socially alienated to selflessness and social responsibility, his initiation into manhood exacts a heavy toll and violates the previously established intimacy between the stories two main characters. Keeping in mind the aforementioned â€Å"classical† motifs of male-initiation, Bryon’s â€Å"sacrifice† of his male-to-male friendship with Mark in favor of his traditional familial relationships with Cathy and MM fulfill the classical notion of heterosexual manhood as established via physical embodiment, and collectivism.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   â€Å"The Chocolate War† ends with pyrrhic victory, in that Jerry dares to â€Å"disturb the universe† by challenging the male-on-male hierarchy generated by The Vigils, but at the novel’s close Jerry is beaten and physically injured; with a broken jaw, he tells his friend, The Goober,  not to disturb the universe—that it’s not worth it. The book ends as Archie displays no remorse for the past, and Jerry no hope for the future. Cormier’s themes for â€Å"The Chocolate War† were rooted in â€Å"the individuals response to evil, a concern deeply rooted in Cormiers Roman Catholic conscience[]I was made aware of evil, and Im aware of it now. I mean, we constantly try to be good, and most of us are because of the lack of opportunities to do evil. Opportunities for evil abound at Trinity High because most of the boys dont recognize it for what it is.†(Cheaney, 2001, p. 256) Though Hinton’s themes seem less explicitly grounded in traditional religious morality, her work, like Cormier’s, deals with issues of profound sociological consequence, along with themes of dynamic individuation and social integration. Perhaps â€Å"That Was Then, This is Now† can be rightfully regarded as offering a somewhat less tragic arc than â€Å"The Chocolate War,† the impact of both of the novels on the YA genre was (and remains) explosive.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Classical literature often fails to exert the kind of hypnotically personal impact on young-adult readers that commercially published YAL sometimes offers. â€Å"Literature can be a way for teens to release these tensions.† This point remains highly valid as the enduring appeal and success of â€Å"The Chocolate War† and â€Å"That Was Then, This is Now’ demonstrates. â€Å"Students can read a book, for example, about a teenager reaching puberty and can talk about what the character is feeling in the third person, not the first. They can say she felt instead of I felt.[]Why do they want to read it? Perhaps because it helps them feel as if they are not alone.† (Alsup, 2003)   Each of these novels melded traditional elements of the male-initiation story while simultaneously breaking through previously held notions regarding the thematic scope and sociological relevance of YA novels. References Bereska, T. M. (2003). The Changing Boys World in the 20th Century: Reality and Fiction.    The Journal of Mens Studies, 11(2), 157+. Herz, S. K., Gallo, D. R. (1996). From Hinton to Hamlet: Building Bridges between Young Adult Literature and the Classics. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press. Alsup, J. (2003). Politicizing Young Adult Literature: Reading Andersons Speak as a Critical Text Critical Texts Confront Difficult Topics. Students Need to Read, Write, and Talk about These Relevant Issues. Journal of Adolescent Adult Literacy, 47(2), 158+. Cheaney, J. (2001, December). Teen Wars : The Young Adult Fiction of Robert Cormier. World and I, 16, 256.

Importation of Agricultural Products from Africa to the EU

Importation of Agricultural Products from Africa to the EU The Role Certification, including Grading and Standards Play in the Importation of Organic Agricultural Products from Africa to the EU CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION Abstract What are standards?; what is organic produce? What factors drive the economic climate in Africa and the EU? What is certification? What is the purpose of certification? and how important is the exportation of organic agricultural produce from Africa to the EU in terms of their economic relationship?, are all questions which go to the heart of this thesis. Accordingly they will be extrapolated throughout the thesis enquiry and where they intersect and overlap this will be explained throughout the thesis. Various themes will be incorporated into the thesis since these, too will be relevant to the answering of the above named questions. These themes include; the economic climate in Africa; poverty in Africa; the importance of the organic produce exportation market to African farmers; why regulation is important in the EU; supply chain management issues and their importance; business good practice; traceability of produce; pricing; productisation and marketing strategies. These themes an d the answers to these questions will highlight the role that certification, including grading and standards play in the importation of organic products from Africa to the EU. The purpose of these processes will be looked at throughout the course of the thesis and this will elucidate their role also. The place of certification, grading and standards processes will be assessed; and their overall contribution to the economic climate in Africa will be examined. In this sense, through analysis of contemporary and historical, economic and political issues, both in the EU and in Africa, a greater perspective on the role of these processes may be derived. Also, the importance of organic produce to consumers in the EU will be examined and the reasons for its growth in popularity will be analysed, since this too will shed light on the role played by certification, grading and standards processes in the importation of organic produce from Africa to the EU. Introduction The economic relationship between Africa and the EU is complex (Ake, C. (1996); p1), and may be described as of key economic significance to Africa, and, albeit to a lesser extent to the EU. The economic relationship in terms of organic commodity trade and exportation is also important. The market for organic produce in the EU is developing at an exponential rate. The reasons for this will be looked at in more detail, as the thesis progresses, but for the moment is is suffice merely to support this point in the following way: the Centre for the Development of Industry in the EU has estimated that the annual growth rate of the organic products market in global terms exceeds 20% (CDI, 1999; p1). Some more figures may put this statistic into perspective. This industry for organic commodity produce produces sales of an estimated 4.1 billion Euro, in Europe (as estimated in 1997) (CDI, 1999; p2). This is all the more significant for the EU, given that according to EPOPA (2006; Section 3.1 .1) the connections between Africa and the EU in the arena of organic exportation of agricultural produce are far more developed that those between Africa and Japan or between Africa and the United States[1]. This evidences the importance of the relationship between the EU and Africa, and the importance of sustaining this economic relationship by keeping standards of produce in terms of quality and integrity at a high threshold. This is one of the functions of the the process of certification, which will be examined in greater detail as the the thesis progresses. The European Union have strict regulations which apply to the importation of organic products from Africa into the EU, and this is particularly true of organically produced commodities such as coffee, vanilla and other foodstuffs produced by African farmers. Certification is one of these processes of regulation and it is a requirement which is just one of an amalgam of requirements which must first be satisfied before organic agricultural products may be exported from Africa to the EU. Many programmes and organisations have been established with the specific purpose of encouraging African farmers to export organic produce to the EU. Organic produce which is to be exported from Africa into the EU is required to be checked rigorously to ensure that its standards are acceptable for consumption in the EU. These standards, procedures and programmes and their purpose will be explained and discussed throughout this project. In particular, there will be a focus on the role that grading and standards play in the importation of organic agricultural products from Africa into the EU. The methodology which will be used throughout the thesis will be qualitative in nature and will revolve around the evaluation of secondary sources. Some quantitative material will be used but this will be evaluated qualitatively, in keeping with the emphasis which is to be maintained on the qualitative arm of research methodology. Research Aims and Objectives The objectives of the research are fairly straightforward. The primary concern of the research is to answer the thesis question as clearly and as concisely as possible. The writer wishes to formulate an originally conceived thesis and to draw conclusions on the basis of what has been discovered through the research enquiry. The limitations of the research will be assessed, and the best ways to lessen the effects of limiting factors will be identified and implemented. Therefore the writer wishes the thesis to contribute to research in the field and to be a source of information for others interested in researching the same field. It is the ultimate aim of the writer, to fully understand the role of certification (to include the process of grading and standards) in the importation of organic agricultural produce from Africa to the EU. Therefore these processes will be examined in depth and explained in full, with reference to academic publications and internet based resources. The socio-political and economic environment in which these processes operate is of crucial importance to the thesis, and accordingly it is the aim of the writer to fully explain these and the give illustrations of theory, where appropriate. A means of doing so effectively has been identified as the use of a case study. Accordingly, the country of Uganda has been chosen as the basis for the case study, and the socio political environment and the points made in relation to this will be illustrated through this mechanism. CHAPTER TWO METHODOLOGY Methodology This project will involve a qualitative evaluation of published and well known texts in the field. These will be secondary sources, as the topic is so far removed from Western culture and the resources available to the writer are such that credible primary research is perhaps not a feasible option. Nevertheless in depth and comprehensive insights will be gleamed from books, articles and web based resources. The methodology will therefore use secondary sources. Qualitative research mainly focuses on an interpretation of the world around the researcher. The researcher themselves is used as a mechanism of research and their observations form key elements in the research (Bryman, A. (1992); p45). Quantitative research, conversely focuses on scientific extrapolations of data (Bryman, A. (1992); p11) and quantitative research tends to predict and hypothesis about results whereas qualitative research results tend to be more malleable and subjective in their extrapolation. The focus on qualitative research was chosen for this project as it seemed more compatible with the ultimate aims of the thesis enquiry. A dearth of literature is available on the subject at hand and this may be explored through many means such as library based and internet based research. Therefore views and opinions, as well as the research of others were consulted in the course of the research. In the course of research of this nature, to preserve the integrity of the research; objectivity is obviously a prime concern. The writer must be careful not to extract views that are biased, or to formulate their own views through examination of biased material. Therefore a very wide scope was introduced to the research and a wide selection of texts were consulted. Where possible more than one text were used to substantiate points that are to be made. This scope will assist the writer to accumulate a more biased and open minded view of the issues which the research question will address. The objectivity of the research was also preserved as the writer consulted a wide range of sources published by interested parties, such as development agencies, non profit making organisations, government endorsed material and material available from the world of academia. The website of the European Union was also consulted as this is probably quite a reliable source of information, and reliability, like objectivity was paramount in the pursuit of the research objectives. Therefore sources that were disseminated through reliable and well recognised media like on-line book databases were consulted. In this sense therefore the qualitative research which was the objective of the project was gathered systematically and in a planned and structured manner. Potential drawbacks and potential problems for the thesis enquiry were also considered. Limited resources were obviously a primary concern, as any research project may be indefinitely improved upon through expenditure of money and availability of resources. However, since this is a university project and one which has a limited time scale, such investment was not feasible. Therefore the writer attempted to compensate for this by ensuring that the research objectives were identified clearly from an early stage of the research, so as to enable the writer to devote as much time as possible to the gathering of material for the project. The research was therefore well planned and executed in a consistent and methodical manner, adding credibility and depth to the finished piece. Ethics are also of primary concern to any credible researcher. Therefore, the writer ensured that they familiarised themselves with ethical research practices, prior to the execution of the research. In terms of ethics, for this research, which does not involve contact with human research subjects, the ethical concerns of the writer were probably much less onerous, as great care must be taken when human subjects are involved in research. Nevertheless, ethical concerns played a substantial part of the research skeleton and the themes of objectivity and reliability of sources were given much consideration, as has been explained above. The emphasis was on producing a wide, comprehensive, well thought out and ethically complied thesis and this is obvious from how the piece has been approached. CHAPTER THREE AFRICA, FARMING AND THE EU African Farmers and the EU Thousands of African farmers operate small farm holdings and they are, in many respects reliant upon these agricultural practices in terms of maintaining a healthy, or even subsistence standard of living. Poverty among this sector of Africans (the agricultural sector) has been explained in many ways, some of which are described in this passage: 'Tiffen et al.'s (1994) much-admired study of Machakos District, Kenya, demonstrates much success in agricultural development and improved rural welfare over the last 40 years. But there is precious little in that work about differentiation. Instead, we have had to wait for Rocheleau et al. (1995) for reports of increasing social differentiation in the District. This has been reinforced by the detail in Murton's recently published work (1999), based on surveys in one village in upper Machakos, supported by rapid appraisal for other villages.Forty per cent or more of households have not had the capital to invest in cash crops of coffee and French beans(Belshaw and Livingstone (2002); p110)'. The EU plays an important part in maintaining higher living standards for the African farmers, and a large part of this involves supporting the practice of exportation of organic produce from Africa to the EU. This supporting function engaged in by the EU involves the support and maintenance of various agencies and initiatives. The agencies to whom the responsibility of ensuring that the importation of organic agricultural products from Africa to the EU runs smoothly conduct research and gather data in relation to the operation of importing organic produce from Africa into the EU. They also offer advice to African farmers wishing to improve their circumstances through growing and exporting their products to the EU. Examples of the agencies and initives mentioned above include EPOPA (Export Promotion of Organic Products from Africa), Fairtrade and EFTA. EPOPA This is an organisation which is called a development agency. It was originally set up by the Swedish International Development Agency in 1997, and its aim is to educate African farmers about business strategy and awareness of the regulations which are involved in exporting their organic produce to Africa (EPOPA, 2006; p1). Specifically, this agency targets small holder farmers as this sector of the African population stand to gain the most from this education, advice and information provision service (EPOPA, 2006; p1). EFTA EFTA was established in 1990 and this term stands for the European Free Trade Association (http://www.efta.int/). This organisation operates as part of a network which involves eleven different Fair Trade organisations in various European countries, who import fair trade products from almost 500 economically disadvantaged countries, including Africa (http://www.efta.int/). Its head office is based in Maastricht in the Netherlands and its main official mission statement is to ensure that Fair Trade is conducted more efficiently and effectively; part of its role is also to disseminate information to farmers in Africa and to organise networks between farmers to ensure that they can exchange ideas and experiences of producing products, including agricultural products for sale in the EU (http://www.efta.int/). Markets for Organic Products It is important to be aware that the market for organic produce is limited when compared with the markets for more generic produce. Although it has been argued above that the market for organic produce in the EU is quite large, it is important to understand that this market is not comparable in terms of size with other markets, selling globally recognised merchandise and products such as Mc Donald's food and mobile phones. This puts the pressing need for quality standards in the organic food market into perspective, and highlights the need for processes of certification and quality control. In terms of organic trade the US, the United Kingdom and Germany have the biggest markets for the sale of organic produce; whereas the most significant per capita consumption can be found in Switzerland, Sweden and Denmark (EPOPA, 2006; Annex 2). This limited size exemplifies the importance of putting high quality produce into these markets; as often what drives the demand for organic produce is the perception that organic produce is of a superior quality and is more healthy for the purposes of consumption. Outlets for Organic Produce A look at the food outlets for organic produce throughout the EU will also allow the writer to gain perspective on the importance of quality and standards. This analysis will introduce the main thrust of the thesis, which is the role of certification, grading and standards in the importation of organic produce from Africa into the EU. In the EU, most organic produce tends to be marketing through hypermarkets and supermarkets (EPOPA, 2006; Annex 2). The emphasis is on cleanliness and presentability. This is an indication of the growing demands there are in the EU for organic produce. The features of organic produce are very marketable within the EU, in the face of public concerns about food safety and health issues connected with foodstuffs. The genetically modified food market has also perhaps strengthened the demand for organic foodstuffs within the EU, since this controversial issue has highlighted and contributed to the growing concerns there are among members of the public about the long term health impacts which may be the result of eating an unhealthy or overly chemically ridden diet. There are proven links between diet and cancer; proven links between some chemicals and cancer and obviously these health issues make the public image of organic foodstuffs very important. These factors have put organic food onto the shopping lists of many people within the EU, who perhaps traditionally would have regarded organic food as a luxury which was extravagant and unnecessary. The next section will focus on how Africa came to be one of Europe's main suppliers of these organic foodstuffs, that are growing in importance. CHAPTER FOUR AFRICA'S DEVELOPING ECONOMY Africa's Economic Climate and the Developments Which Have Affected the Agricultural Industry The Africa economy has undoubtedly become more sophisticated in recent years (http://europa.eu/pol/agr/index_en.htm) (Hanna, J. and Hanna, W. (1981); p81). Like the Republic of Ireland, Africa has seen a process of diversification. The age old dependency upon commodities for the economic well being of the country has been lessened through the process of diversification (Barber, W. (1961); p44) (Hyden, G., Kates, R. and Turner, B. (1993); p41). Mauritius is just one example; South Africa, Botswana, Senegal and Uganda are others. Commodities such as sugar cane, minerals and gold and diamond exportation and the manufacturing industries which have seen more investment have contributed to this emboldened leap forward(Arnold, G (2000); p91) (Konadu-Agyemang, K. (2001); p11). Strengthening political structures has also played a large part in the economic progress that has been seen to affect the commodity markets in particular in these countries (Yudelman, D. (1983); p3) (Ottaway, M. (1997); p15). Ottoway gives us some important detail here: 'The economy that the new democratic elites inherit in most African countries has typically suffered from two decades of mismanagement, exogenous shocks, and inappropriate policies, resulting in a growing debt crisis and a semipermanent process of negotiations and debt rescheduling with international creditors. In addition, the democratic transition itself has occasioned large economic costs, either because of extensive civil unrest and sometimes violence, or because of the fiscal recklessness of authoritarian leaders trying to hold onto power. Thus, the governments that emerge from the process of democratization face the daunting tasks of consolidating pluralist institutions and undertaking urgent economic reform simultaneously(Ottaway, M. (1997); p17)'. During the 1960s, when most African countries obtained independence from colonial rule, many commodity industries were subject to a process similar to the nationalised industry strategies we saw immediately prior to the Thatcher era in Britain (Aryeetey, E., Court, J., Nissanke, M. and Weder, B. (2003); p201). The commodity industries in most African countries therefore were heavily influenced by politicians often engaged in undemocratic practices (Reynolds, A. (1999); p28). Also, the absence of private enterprise which these national led economies fostered led to huge market inefficiency. These processes are slowly becoming more sophisticated, and African countries have moved from selling raw produce to packaging and marketing their own. Africa farmers are also engaged in direct trading with the West(Federici, S., McLaren, J. and Mwaria, C. (2000); p3); the EU in particular as we have seen explained in the introduction. Better investment in the economies of African countries has led to the availability of more education for more people. Interventions from agencies, described above have also contributed greatly to the increasing sophistication of the economies of African countries, paying dividends in terms of a strengthened economy and better stability for small holdings farmers (Abubakar, A. (1989); p83). Better roads have also been a dividend of this growing economic fervour, as these have led to better economic stability for producers who are able to sustain their own supply chains for private enterprise commodity exportation to the EU, and further afield. Specifically, this is of relevance to organic producers of agricultural produce for ultimate distribution in the EU. Sea and air freight are the most common forms of transportation used by African farmers to deliver their products to the EU (EPOPA, 2006; Section 3.1.3). However there are countries such as Uganda and Zambia, which may be descried as landlocked countries, and as such they need to rely upon established and well constructed roads in order to ensure that there business supply chain is uninterrupted and reliable. This is so that they may be able to reach ports and airports with their produce. What is Quality/What are Standards? This refers to a measure of how much value the product may be seen as having. Higher quality products tend to have higher values. Standards, in the context of the certification process refer to a measure of quality. Quality is important in the context of organic commodity export from Africa to the EU as it allows producers to measure how valuable their produce is in a comparative sense. In this sense, quality informs the end consumer of the product and it also informs each and every actor who has contact with products along the supply chain which brings the product to market. Quality is therefore of key significance to all concerned with the presence of organic agricultural commodities from Africa in the EU and global markets. Specifically, quality in the production of organic commodities in Africa is measured with reference to particular characteristics. These are: origin, service, volume, and reliability of exporter (EPOPA, 2006; Section 3.5). CHAPTER FIVE THE CERTIFICATION PROCESS AND WIDER ECONOMIC ISSUES Factors which an African Farmer Must Take into Account: The Certification Process Before an African farmer may export organic agricultural goods for consumption within the EU, the farmer must first obtain a certificate in Organic Standards (EPOPA, 2006; Section 2.2). The purpose of the certification process is to ensure that the farmer is producing organic products that are of a high enough standard to enter the EU market and the homes of EU consumers. It is illegal for an African farmer to export goods from their farms, for distribution in the UK, without first obtaining such certification, and the organic certificate is only issued for a period of one year (EPOPA, 2006; Section 2.3). While obtaining the appropriate certification, is often time consuming and expensive, there are many ways this certification can be obtained and the two major categories are external certification and internal certification (EPOPA, 2006; Section 2.3). The farmers may engage in what is known as an Internal Control System or ICS. Small farmers can obtain certification in groups, which ameliorates the constraint of expense on the farmer in question (EPOPA, 2006; Section 2.3). This system of internal certification is advantageous to farmers also as it maximises contact between farmers in similar situations and enables networks to the established between the farmers and therefore facilitates the building of economic relationships and the sharing of experience and expertise. These groups need to be monitored internally. External certification involves an external certifier gathering much information about the farmers who wish to export their agricultural organic produce to the EU. In order for standards and grading to be conducted in a fair and consistent manner the farmer in question must provide much information about their business and agricultural practices (EPOPA, 2006; Section 2.3). The external certifier may organise inspections of the produce (and where quality suspicions have been raised, more inspections may be carried out at the certifier's discretion) which has been grown by the farmer wishing to export organic goods for sale and consumption in the EU and the certifier may make certain recommendations to the farmer; accordingly the external certifier holds much power and influence (EPOPA, 2006; Section 2.3). What Does the Certifier Look For in the Pursuit of Consistent Standards of Product Integrity? The certifier will look at a number of issues before the issue of a certification which will enable the farmer to distribute his organic agricultural produce for consumption in the EU. Firstly there will be a need to ensure that organic and non-organic produce is keep separate; secondly there will be a need to ensure that products are traceable; thirdly the technologies which are used in the growth and production process are strictly monitored, and lastly there will be a need to ensure that controls are imposed on agents used in the production process of the goods (EPOPA, 2006; Section 2.4). These are the main issues which a certifier will look at before a certificate will be issued to the farmer who wishes to export his agricultural produce to the EU. Perhaps the most important of these processes is the need for traceability. This process refers to the identification of foodstuffs and an ability to trace where the product has come from (EPOPA, 2006; Section 2.3-2.4). This process is particularly important, where there are quality or health and safety issues with the organic foodstuffs. This process therefore involves a registration programme, where farmers are required to to register the full origin of the produce, including any supply chain transitions, so that the origin of the foodstuffs are always clearly identifiable (EPOPA, 2006; Section 2.3-2.4). In terms of the monitoring of technology and the other factors identified above; these are also very important in the process of standards and grading of the produce. Ethical factors are key here. Organic agriculture is often viewed by those who purchase and consume organic products as a safer and more environmentally friendly option. The certification process has to ensure that these standards are retained on a level which is commensurate with the levels of faith that consumers of organic produce place in them. Therefore technologies and production enhancement through the use of technology is strictly monitored in the standards/grading and certification process. The Need for Certification in Terms of Quality Control of Organic Agricultural Produce There is quite a broad spectrum of quality which may be expected from African producers of organic agricultural produce. This diversity exists even in spite of the checks which are imposed at certification level. The agencies which work closely with African farmers aim to eliminate these problems with quality. The certification process is just the first step, since even the checks which may be imposed at certification level can only guarantee a standard level of quality. In some cases, also the certification inspections may not be frequent enough to identify and eliminate sub standard produce. The long term solution to this problem therefore is arguably to attempt to look at why some African farmers are producing lower grade produce and in doing so to attempt to identify some possible solutions to this problem. Organic farming is also highly labour intensive and attracts very high distributions expenses. Also, in terms of organic produce from Africa, the African distributors often obtain very low prices for their products in EU markets and this encourages or even necessitates lower quality produce to be distributed (EPOPA, 2006; Annex 3). This is due to a number of factors, one of which is that the image of Africa and African produce is quite poor. Consumers are often very concerned with the origin of the products in question and, while this is an intangible issue, which is essentially reputation orientated; this does not imply that it cannot be addressed at source, by African farmers. One way to address this problem is to build rapport with the customer, by attaching recognisable names and personas to the produce, creating continuity and trust between producers and the end consumer. Examples of these 'personas' have been identified by EPOPA (2006; Section 3.2.1) as Tasty Toms, De l Monte Pineapples and Chiquita bananas. Branding therefore is a crucial part of the commodity market for sale of organic produce between Africa and the EU, as it builds trust and encourages the African farmers producing such commodities to maintain their reputations through strengthening the quality of the products they can distribute to end customers. The Fair Trade Certification Process This is a particular course of certification which may be acquired mainly for agricultural products (EPOPA, 2006; Section 3.3.3). It is similar to the generic process of certification, although it is perhaps not as widely recognised by exporters of produce to the EU, which is because this particular method of certification seeks to target small and disadvantaged commodity producers in Africa (EPOPA, 2006; Section 3.3.3). What is the Grading and Standards Process? The grading process is an essential part of the organic exportation business. It may be done by both farmers themselves and by exporters (EPOPA, 2006; Section 3.2.2). It ensures that minimum standards are adhered to and that there are levels of consistency in terms of quality instilled in the quality control processes surrounding the exportation of organic produce to the EU. Grading may be carried out in conjunction with other processes that are linked to the grading system. Bulking, cleaning, grading and packing are usually undertaken at the same time (EPOPA, 2006; Section 3.2.2), as this enables the grader to identify and separate lower quality produce, and to ensure that the produce is fully prepared for exportation. For example, if a certain commodity is packaged in a particular way, it may be graded in a better category, since it is to be expected that the packaging may preserve the produce better than inferior packaging or no packaging at all. Grading and its Links with Better Infrastructure Grading is inherently linked with economic and infrastructure development in African countries. It makes sense that processes like this should not be regarded as isolated processes. For example, the grading of produce may be significantly affected by the length of time it takes for their produce to reach points where exportation may begin. Therefore the point that economic processes may be seen to be intertwined so crucially with more macro economic

Hamlet: Hamlet The Idealist :: Shakespeare Hamlet Essays

Hamlet: Hamlet The Idealist In Hamlet, Elsinore is a society which people are seen acting in a deceitful manner in order to gain personal measures and prestige. These people mask their true in intentions to acquire selfish desires. In doing so they develop a theme of the discrepancy between the way things appear and their true realities. Hamlet, on the other hand, is an honest, moral individual trapped in this deceitful society. Hamlet is faced with the dilemma to either lower himself to their level by utilizing deception, or leave wrongs unrighted by remaining true to himself. In Hamlet, the theme of appearance versus reality is prevalent in Hamlet's decision between his morals and his father as he decides to utilize the deceit of his society, starts recognizing it in others and finally in using it to avenge his father. When Hamlet is introduced he is seen acting as he feels and this is what prevents him from repaying in kind for his father's murder. Hamlet grieves over the loss of his father so long and intensely that no one understands, for Gertrude and Claudius tell him he needs to move on like they have done, yet Hamlet can't understand this. His actions are reflections of his true feelings while the rest of his peers seem to be ignoring their grief. When Hamlet finds out that he is supposed to kill Claudius for his father he becomes distraught. This is because Hamlet's morals won't allow him to kill even if it releases Old Hamlet from his purgatory. He later realizes that he must start appearing differently than usual in order to carry out his father's word. Hamlet decides to put on an "antic disposition" and in doing so has started becoming deceitful. He is trying to mask his true feelings in order to prepare himself for his dilemma. When Hamlet starts being deceitful he starts to recognize the deceit in others and how they make themselves appear differently from their realities. Hamlets decision to put on an "antic disposition" was not honest to himself but he felt that he must appear differently than he feels to fulfill his needs. Hamlet first recognizes the deceit in Claudius after his father visits. Claudius committed the sin of fratricide (especially horrendous in this Christian society); but was now enjoying the fruits of his sin at the cost of his community. He tricked Elsinore into thinking he was a good king who stepped in to save the kingdom, yet in reality he was the cause of all the trouble. Claudius knew he had done wrong, for he later laments his action, but was now

Gulf War :: essays research papers

St. Augustine's Just War Theory and the Persion Gulf War On August 2nd, 1990 the first Iraqi tanks crossed into Kuwait, as part of an invasion that marked the start of a six-month conflict between the United States and Iraq. These tanks were ordered to invade Kuwait by Saddam Hussein, the ruthless dictator of Iraq. The Iraqi troops looted Kuwaiti businesses and brutalized Kuwaiti civilians. Saudi Arabia began to fear that they may be invaded as well, and on August 7th they formally asked President Bush for US assistance. The US pledged to defend the Saudis, and to remove the Iraqis from Kuwait. Great masses of troops from many different nations were deployed in the Persian Gulf area. At 4:30 PM EST on January 16, 1991, the first aircraft with orders to attack Iraqi targets were launched from Saudi Arabia, marking the beginning of Operation Desert Storm. Dictators like Mr. Hussein cannot be allowed to take advantage of smaller countries like bullies after lunch money. There has to be someone to stop them, or they will gain more and more power and land, just as Adolf Hitler tried to do in World War II. That someone, in the case of Mr. Hussein, was the United States, along with a multinational coalition. The US had just cause in entering a war against Iraq because of Iraq's invasion of the small and defenseless nation of Kuwait. Actions such as that must be repulsed. Iraq had no just cause in invading Kuwait; their reasons were either obscure or for their benefit. The US had to help Kuwait regain their nation. In protecting the Saudis from invasion and removing the Iraqis from Kuwait the US had the right intention. The real reason the US decided to fight the Iraqis was to restore Kuwait's government and to defend Saudi Arabia. There was no underlying reason, such as to receive better prices on oil or to make the Kuwaitis indebted to the US so as to receive favors. Throughout the war, the US made clear their purpose and intent in fighting the Iraqis, and not once did they stray from it. Legitimate authority was established when the Congress voted to follow United Nations resolution 678, section two of which "Authorizes Member States co-operating with the Government of Kuwait, unless Iraq on or before 15 January 1991 fully implements, as set forth in paragraph 1 above, the foregoing resolutions, to use all necessary means to uphold and implement resolution 660 (1990) and all subsequent relevant resolutions and to restore international peace and security in the area." The vote to follow the resolution was as good as a declaration of war, as far as legitimate authority is Gulf War :: essays research papers St. Augustine's Just War Theory and the Persion Gulf War On August 2nd, 1990 the first Iraqi tanks crossed into Kuwait, as part of an invasion that marked the start of a six-month conflict between the United States and Iraq. These tanks were ordered to invade Kuwait by Saddam Hussein, the ruthless dictator of Iraq. The Iraqi troops looted Kuwaiti businesses and brutalized Kuwaiti civilians. Saudi Arabia began to fear that they may be invaded as well, and on August 7th they formally asked President Bush for US assistance. The US pledged to defend the Saudis, and to remove the Iraqis from Kuwait. Great masses of troops from many different nations were deployed in the Persian Gulf area. At 4:30 PM EST on January 16, 1991, the first aircraft with orders to attack Iraqi targets were launched from Saudi Arabia, marking the beginning of Operation Desert Storm. Dictators like Mr. Hussein cannot be allowed to take advantage of smaller countries like bullies after lunch money. There has to be someone to stop them, or they will gain more and more power and land, just as Adolf Hitler tried to do in World War II. That someone, in the case of Mr. Hussein, was the United States, along with a multinational coalition. The US had just cause in entering a war against Iraq because of Iraq's invasion of the small and defenseless nation of Kuwait. Actions such as that must be repulsed. Iraq had no just cause in invading Kuwait; their reasons were either obscure or for their benefit. The US had to help Kuwait regain their nation. In protecting the Saudis from invasion and removing the Iraqis from Kuwait the US had the right intention. The real reason the US decided to fight the Iraqis was to restore Kuwait's government and to defend Saudi Arabia. There was no underlying reason, such as to receive better prices on oil or to make the Kuwaitis indebted to the US so as to receive favors. Throughout the war, the US made clear their purpose and intent in fighting the Iraqis, and not once did they stray from it. Legitimate authority was established when the Congress voted to follow United Nations resolution 678, section two of which "Authorizes Member States co-operating with the Government of Kuwait, unless Iraq on or before 15 January 1991 fully implements, as set forth in paragraph 1 above, the foregoing resolutions, to use all necessary means to uphold and implement resolution 660 (1990) and all subsequent relevant resolutions and to restore international peace and security in the area." The vote to follow the resolution was as good as a declaration of war, as far as legitimate authority is

Shouldice Hospital, Ltd. Case

Starting as a small hospital, the Shouldice Hospital has had a rather long history since the end of the Second World War. And At the time of his death in 1965, the founder Dr. Shouldice’s longtime associate, Dr. Nicholas Obney was named surgeon-in-chief and chairman of the board of Shouldice Hospital Limited and under his leadership, the volume of activity continued to increase, reaching a total of 6,850 operations in the 1982 calendar year. And primaries represented approximately 82% of all hernias operations performed at Shouldice in 1982.It has been very successful. And now it tries to meet people’s needs and make this as good a place to work as possible. It has been a comfortable place for patients to stay. During their stay, patients were encouraged to take advantage of the opportunity to explore the premises and make new friends. Also, it has been a nice place for doctors who teach each other, encourage a group effort, have regular working hours and own desirable salary. Furthermore, the facility and administration here is very humanized for both patients and staff.As a result, patients are attracted to the hospital by its reasonable rates. Shouldice Hospital has specialized in hernia surgery (the Shouldice method) and is able to provide patients with low risk, low recurrence, and peace of mind. Shouldice achieves outstanding results as a low price and at high profit because everything done by the hospital is designed to maximize the difference between perceived quality and the value of the service provided to the patients on one hand and the cost of providing the service on the other. They do this by carefully screening patients.Patients are active participants in the service delivery process as presented with the utensils to prep themselves for surgery. The avoidance of general anesthetics allows a wide range of involvement of patients. The staff is freed from much of the disagreeable workload due to part-time positions. The cost of housek eeping, laundry, and food is also minimized. The clinic structures hospital jobs that involve more counseling and positive interaction with the patients. Shouldice Hospital is different from other hospitals in that Patients do not feel that they are staying in a hospital.It is Shouldice’s intentions to make its patients feel as if they are taking a vacation. When patients arrive to the clinic, typically they join up with 30 to 34 other patients and their friends and families in the waiting room. Patients with similar jobs, backgrounds, or interests are assigned to the same room to help the patients establish relationships and become more comfortable. The facility is also designed so that patients have to interact and walk around. There are no televisions are telephones in the patients’ rooms.This gives the patients the opportunity to tour the facility, visit each other’s rooms, lounging in the Florida room, and making use of the light recreational facilities. Sh ouldice Hospital uses a focus strategy. The Hospital’s market focus is on a narrow segment of potential patients who have a hernia and the patients are predominantly male, older in age, and essentially in good health. The hospital has knowledge of the large target market, as there were 600,000 such operations in the United States in 1979. Shouldice uses an internal market strategy.Shouldice’s doctors are dedicated to quality of the Shouldice method. The doctors are after several years at Shouldice must decide if this is something they want to do for the rest of their lives because eventually they will lose touch with other medical disciplines. Few elect to leave. Nurses at the facility are people oriented and work to assist patients as well as they can. The Staff is flexible and team oriented. Shouldice implements a sharing policy where the employees are paid a part of the profit in addition to their fixed salaries.This sharing is done based on their contribution towar ds the success of the firm. This entices them to work hard and put in more efforts. From the management point of view, they have given their staff a lesser work load and weekends off. This makes it able for the staff to spend more time with their families and keeps them content with their jobs. After discussion, our group has four suggestions for Shouldice Hospital in terms of their problem. First, author mentions that there are some people realize that they don’t have hernias when they talk to doctor in hospital.Therefore, hospital can increase its capacity by reduce this kind of error. Our group suggests that hospital should improve its questionnaire to make sure consumer can totally understand the questions. If there are some uncertainties in the questionnaire, nurses or doctors should call individual to make sure he/she has certain external types of abdominal hernias. Secondly, we think that Shouldice Hospital should not operate on Saturday. Even through Saturday operatio n can increase capacity by 20%, it is hard to control the operation quality. As O’Dell said† On the other hand, I'm oncerned about this talk of Saturday operations. We are already getting good utilization of this facility. And if we expand further, it will be very difficult to maintain the same kind of working relationships and attitudes. Already there are rumors floating around among the staff about it. And the staff is not pleased. † Right now, Shouldice hospital is much more efficient and effective than other hospital. We believe they make excellent utilization of their resource. Therefore, Saturday operation may cause some overload on hospital’s capacity which will jeopardize the current process flow.Thirdly, we believe that offers similar opportunities such as eye surgery is not a good idea. The reason is that the business bottleneck of Shouldice Hospital is the capacity of process rather than the demand in market. So, they should focus on how to impro ve the capacity to service more patients. Moreover, offering other surgery may harm their professional image in hernias area. Hence, our group suggests that they just stay on the hernias field and try to extent capacity. Fourth, we strongly suggest that Shouldice Hospital should build another hospital in the United States.Nowadays, 42% of their patients are come from the United States. Round-trip fares for travel to Toronto from various major cities in the North American continent ranged from roughly $200 to $600, as compare that the total operation fee including hospital is just around $1000. So the travel cost becomes a big financial burden for patients. Hence, open a new hospital in American will dramatically reduce the travel cost for customers and expand business. There are two big issue concerns with the new hospital, where to open and how to operate.Our group proposes that Shouldice Hospital should conduct a marketing research to find out where their current American patient come from and the transportation for some big city in United States to decide where to invest new hospital. About the operation of new hospital, quality control is the most important issue to maintain our brand reputation. They should relocate some experienced doctor from Toronto to American to train and direct the local doctor. Moreover, they should utilize the successful process flow into the new hospital and make some change by considering the difference culture and condition.Finally, Shouldice Hospital should be marketing their service, while the main strategy of marketing is to clarify where is hospital and what kind of operation is truly theirs. Because there are many individuals or institution on the market want to attract customers by using our brand image. But, the quality of their service is not very good. This phenomenon will jeopardize our brand image and destroy our reputation. It is the responsibility of hospital to help people distinguish the fake one. Our group belie ves that some marketing activity will well-build hospital’s brand image and help them success in the long-term.