A Lessoned Learned the Hard Way

Throughout my high school career I was dependent on my parents and friends for a ride to school and it was a little embarrassing. I couldn’t wait to get my first car. I was nineteen a college woman with a steady job, and it was finally time for me to get the car I deserved. After a couple of very generous paychecks and a lot of penny pinching, I was ready to hit the lots and get some test driving under my belt. After a few agonizing days of financing, credit approvals and signing dotted lines, I was the happy owner of a new shiny, blue Nissan Altima coupe. Although my car was supposed to be used for work and school, other plans came first. I immediately had fun in mind! Driving was my new favorite thing to do even when there was nowhere to go, there was somewhere to go. Needed a ride? I was there. Wanted to go out? I’d be there in a heartbeat. It was Starbucks every night during the week with my girlfriends, and the endless club nights during the weekend. When I was behind the wheel I felt like â€Å"speed racer†. The windows defiantly had to be down with the sunroof open because I just loved the wind hitting my face and blowing my hair back. Everyone new I was coming a mile away with nothing but Britney Spears blasting out of my speakers. Although I should have focused on school and work, having a new car to take me where I wanted only made me carefree. Little did I know I was writing my own recipe for disaster? I had started hanging out with acquaintances that liked partying more, and one of my â€Å"party† friends Karla invited me to a bar and grill called Wings N Rings on a Tuesday night. When I arrived a good friend of mine was playing that night in his band, Holly Madison. It was open bar for the band and their friends, including me. A good time was all I had planned for and I saw no harm in having a drink or two, but shortly thereafter it led to a shot or two or three. I had no idea what I was drinking but I drank it. Being that I’m not a big drinker, the alcohol hit me, and it hit me bad. I thought I’d be okay since I went home after work and had a big dinner with my family. As I sat at the bar with my friends I slowly felt a burning sensation in my stomach and my body composure was basically â€Å"loosey gossey†. People started o notice that I was feeling â€Å"tipsy† when I began slurring my words. Oh man, I couldn’t talk right for the life of me! I remember everyone just thinking it was the funniest thing they ever heard, and it probably was. In the middle of cracking up with everyone, the room slowly started to have a domino effect. It was then when I realized that I had way too much to drink. I was 2:00am and the bartender announced â€Å"You don’t have to go home, but you have to get the heck out of here! † I tried convincing myself that I was okay to drive, didn’t say bye to anyone and walked to my car. As soon as I sat in the drivers seat I threw up chunks of chicken and red hot cheetos. I thought I felt better after threw up so I left the Wings N Rings parking lot. I was so sure I’d make it home since it was only one exit way from the bar. I put my car on cruise control after I left so I wouldn’t get pulled over for speeding. While I was on the expressway I started feeling drowsy, my eyelids became heavy and I started â€Å"bobble heading† because I was doing nothing but steering. The next thing I new I was waking up to deployed airbags, blood running down my left shoulder and a burn on my forearm. The smell of gasoline made me picture explosion and I opened the drivers’ door without hesitation. I fell to the ground, looked around and couldn’t believe what I had just done. My new car was completely totaled under the expressway. It wasn’t the time to think it was a time to act. â€Å"What the hell do I do now? † I asked myself. I quickly pushed up with both my arms to get up from the floor when my left arm gave out. My arm was dislocated, but since I was so upset I popped it back in without thinking twice and didn’t feel a thing. I walked to the Stripes gas station on the other side of the expressway and asked if I can use the phone. She handed me the phone and the first person I called was my mom that was just three blocks away. She answered in a groggy voice I told her what had happened and she hung up scared for my life. I had just made the biggest mistake of my young life and stared crying. Instead of staying put I walked back to the scene of the accident and while I was crossing back I saw flashing red and blue lights heading my way. A police car pulled up next to me under the expressway and asked, â€Å"Where are you heading miss? † I gave him a blank stare back and said nothing. He then noticed the mascara running down my face from crying and the blood on my arm and figured I was involved in the car wreck up the road. I noticed my mom’s truck on the other side of the road and ran to her. I had never seen her so upset. She shouted â€Å"Que chingados estabas haciendo mija? † meaning what the hell have you been doing daughter? My answer to her was â€Å"I fell asleep mom! I’m sorry! † as tears came flowing down my cheek. It was at this time that the officer made his way over to me ask me to blow into a gadget I had never seen before, that just so happened to be a breathalyzer. As soon as he told me what it was I pretended to blow as hard as I could, but blew down so it wouldn’t go straight into the breathalyzer. I never in my right mind thought this would work, but the officer was fooled and thought the breathalyzer wasn’t functioning right. Right after that he asked me if I had been drinking and I told him I hadn’t. He read me my rights, handcuffed me and put me in the back seat of the police car. Everything was so surreal.

Private Versus Public Warehouse Essay

Nowadays, manufacturing and services firms face growing challenges to increase profit margins amidst increasingly fiercer competition. Under such circumstances, industry analysts and supply chain experts suggest manufacturers and service providers to promote more effective supply and demand planning, management, and execution as the means to unlocking significant gains in margins. According to Search CIO (2007), SCM refers to management of information, materials, and finances along a chain of process from suppliers to manufacturers and then from manufacturers to customers. The interests in the discussion of supply chain management occur since it relates to costs reduction in all aspects of business process especially regarding the inventory reduction that suggests manufacturer produce goods when needed. In this situation, the selection of type of warehouses play significant role since it determines the SCM strategy for a company. In general, there are two types of warehouses: private and public warehouses. 2. Private Warehouse By definition, private warehouse is type of warehouse that directly maintained and operated by the owner of products or goods that are stored in it. Meanwhile, the warehouse facility itself could be happened to be privately owned or leased (Seaboard Warehouse Terminals, 2004) 3. Public Warehouse The other type of warehouses is public warehouse. Unlike private warehousing, public warehousing provides greater efficiency for a company since one warehouse is designed to design multiple logistics. Figure 1 shows typical design for warehousing needs in which the selection of public and private warehousing depends on the needs. Figure 1 Warehouses Needs Classifications 4. Public Warehouse versus Private Warehouse: Consideration Like outsourcing decision, the selection of type of warehousing that is suitable for a company. And according to comparison based on several factors, the public warehousing is considered beneficial than private warehouses as following: 4. 1. Costs Reduction †¢ Public warehousing does not require a company to have dedicated human resources/personal to operate the warehouses facility †¢ The handling and storage fee is predictable †¢ the warehouse costs can be translated into the storage costs to volume that would help marketing department to include this costs in the pricing scheme of the products   

Act I Scene I of the text of Romeo and Juliet Essay

In this piece of coursework I will be comparing and contrasting Act I Scene I of the text of Romeo and Juliet and also the same scene in the Baz Luhrmann. William Shakespeare wrote the play was written between 1594 and 1596, was called Romeo and Juliet, this would be Shakespeare’s first play that ended in tragedy. The story of Romeo and Juliet was popular in Italy before Shakespeare decided to use it. Queen Elizabeth I was on the throne when it was performed. The recent versions of the play have been adapted many times because some directors have either changed the play version or have updated and rewritten the play script to appeal to a wider audience another point is that boys and men would have only been in the play until the 1660’s. The text starts after a prologue,† Do you bite your thumbs at us sir? † this is written in archaic language, this shows that William Shakespeare wrote the play during the Elizabethan times. Characters such as Gregory, Sampson, Abraham, Benvolio, Officer, Capulet, Lady Capulet, Montague, Lady Montague, Prince and Tybalt are involved in Act One Scene One, which have a result in the overall plot of the play; the two characters Gregory and Sampson are blamed for causing another brawl in the market place. However in the film the play starts the same with a prologue and then starts with the two families fighting at a petrol station. The three characters I am going to choose are Abraham, Romeo and Benvolio. I have decided to choose them because they are some of the key characters in the first act of the play and in the first act of the film. Luhrmann decides to change the name of Abraham to Abra, this is because in the modern day people would have their names shortened and it would be easier to relate to them. Luhrmann decides to dress the Capulets in Hawaiian shirts and the Montagues as cowboys. Luhrmann has decided to do this to show how the two families are totally different. The way they dress gives them their own identity. The Montagues dressed as cowboys to show that they are ruthless and aggressive however the Capulets dressed in Hawaiian shirts show that they are laid back and relaxed. Structure The setting for the play is in Italy, Verona in the early fifteen century. In Act One Scene One the play is set in Sycamore grove as well as the market place. This is where the play begins when two of the Montague family members are walking down the market place when they see a Capulet, and then they start quarrelling. The setting of Act One Scene One takes place in a petrol station where the Capulet’s and Montague’s meet, there is a small fight and bullets are exchanged between the two families. Before a car drives off and Tybalt takes out his gun and shoots the passenger in the car in the head. During the fight in the petrol station a fire was started by a match igniting petrol on top of a crack in a ground in the shape of a gross. This also showed that religion had a part in the feud. The crosses on the back of there heads showed their religion, Montagues were Protestants and Capulets were Catholics. Every serving man had a pistol with a motif, which was unique to the two families. Pistols in the film were called swords even though guns were replacing swords from the text. Pistols had distinctive motifs on them, representing what family’s they came from and whether they were protestant or catholic. The men also had their haircuts representing their families and had tattoos repenting their families too. The film is introduced to us by a series of quick photos with the characters names that introduce us to the characters. This film is very modern, you can tell this by looking at the cars and the way the people dress in Hawaiian shirts.

Differences among Bank of Canada, the Bank of England, and the Bank of Essay

Differences among Bank of Canada, the Bank of England, and the Bank of Japan - Essay Example In 1694, the bank operated from its foundation, and it was privately owned. However, the bank has since become independent becoming a public organization. The Treasury Solicitor owns the bank on behalf of the Government. In addition, the Treasury Solicitor has independence in monetary policy (Yasin, 2013). The bank of Japan, BOJ had its reorganization after the post-war time in 1942. The bank was independent and operated independently. The BOJ had its own monetary and controlled its credits. The bank had considerable independence that lead to losing of its accountability leading to promulgation of the Japan law. The BOJ controlled the monetary and currency, which controlled the economy. The government maintains a close relationship with the bank. The government helps the bank in managing the currency and monetary aspects of the bank (Yasin, 2013). The main difference among the three banks is the ownership and control of the banks. The Canada Minister of Finance owns the bank of Canada. He owns the bank behalf of Her Majesty in right. The Treasury Solicitor on behalf of the Government owns the Bank of England. The Bank of Japan is independently owned, and the government maintains a close relationship to help the bank in its currency and monetary aspect (Yasin,

How should we distribute global resources, to favor the distant needy Essay

How should we distribute global resources, to favor the distant needy or future people - Essay Example This will ensure that enough resources are available for the future generations. Two fundamental factors need to be addressed when tackling sustainable development issues. These include the needs factor particularly those that touch on the world’s poor, and how various nations in question regulate the use of technology while checking social organizations to ensure that they can be sufficiently supported by the available resources without causing a strain (Pryor, 2003). The key reason I am interested in addressing this issue is because I have realized that there are several man-made processes that are currently causing land degradation at an alarming rate. These processes include over-exploitation of natural resources, deforestation, damaging of the environment, and pollution of soil, air and water bodies (citation). If these factors are not addressed, then there is a possibility that all the global resources will be depleted, and nothing will remain for the future generations, who equally require these resources to sustain themselves. Therefore, it is necessary to control human made activities that lead to land degradation and over-exploitation of global resources to ensure their long-term sustainable usage (citation). In the second step, I will carry out fieldwork activities in areas that are facing extreme natural resource depletion. This will include areas such as mines, forests, and industrial areas that emit toxic wastes in the air, land and water bodies. In the third step, I will take the collected samples to the lab for analysis. This will require the assistance of experienced laboratory technicians and geologists who will help in the analysis and interpretation of the samples. In the fifth step, I will organize with my tutor to organize a presentation session. People who will be invited will include my classmates and other

Graphic Design career statement (for admission) Essay

Graphic Design career statement (for admission) - Essay Example On the other hand, technology is becoming an essential part of modern man and society. Technology, in fact, evolves as man desires to improve the comfort of life. Furthermore, the role of technology changes man’s perception of life, nature, and art. For me, technology is shaping, and is being shaped by, the sphere of art. By and large, art and technology are finding a common ground for them to create and recreate an environment that is all too human. And for this reason, I decided to take up Graphic Design. Due to my personal strengths, I feel that I am qualified to be a Graphic Designer. I have two main strengths related to Graphic Designing: first, my talent in creating art works; second, my ability to manipulate technology both hardware and software. First, I have discovered in my early childhood that I possess an inherent talent for the art. And in the course of my life, I have honed this talent in order to put a sense of high art in my work. I believe that what I was doin g, or the results of my actions (e.g., drawing), was an art work in itself. Perhaps in pursuing Graphic Design, I will be able to sharpen more the art talent that I possess. And second, technology such as the computer is something not too foreign to me. Even with the evolution of computer technology, I am still able to learn and use it with ease and comfort.

Attractive nuisance doctrine Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Attractive nuisance doctrine - Essay Example The doctrine can be linked to anything lying on the land, but mostly to dangerous objects such as; abandoned cars, piles of timber, sand, trampolines or even swimming pools (Okrent 18). The doctrine tends to protect small children who are not mature enough to make responsible decisions over their own safety. The doctrine does not carter for adults. However, if an adult sustains injuries while attempting to save a child who is in an attractive nuisance, then the owner of the property will also be held responsible for the injuries of the adult. When citizens reside in areas where there are children, they are expected by the society to come up with responsible ways of protecting the kids (Okrent 19). A situation might arise when a child trespasses to someone else’s property, and in the midst of having fun, for example, swimming, the child drowns. The accident happened without the property’s owner being aware (Okrent 24). Therefore, it would be unfair for the owner to be charged with violating attractive nuisance. If the property owner has knowledge of the presence of children on his or her of the property, and a risk occurs linking it to any object that might harm them, then the owner is responsible for violating attractive nuisance (Okrent 20). In this essay, it is clear that the law of attractive nuisance is actually fair. If a person has something on their property that would raise the curiosity of small kids, for example, a swimming pool or a damaged car, the individual needs to check whether they are sufficiently and safely sheltered. The person should adopt methods like putting up a secured barrier or safe and sound covering over the entity (Okrent 30). Landowners are required to be aware of all the potential dangers posed by their property like tractors or an open ware house. This will help them know what to keep

Federal Reserve Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Federal Reserve - Research Paper Example Monetary policy is used to control inflation by revising the reserve ratio requirement or increasing the funds rate so as to reduce the demand of goods in the economy. Monetary policy influences the money supply and by this tool it controls the inflation (The Federal Reserve System 2012). Open market operation is a tool that the Fed uses to increase or decrease the money supply. Through open market operations the fed buys or sells treasury bills, Notes or bonds. This is the way the Fed alters total reserves in the banking system. When the Fed buys $50 million of bonds from a bank, the banks reserve would increase by the same amount and eventually that money would be loaned out by the bank. The $50 million increase in bank reserves would cause an equivalent increase in their monetary base (Colorado 2011). When the Fed undertakes a stimulus program, it essentially increases the money supply in the economy. As seen in the above example, the money supply will increase by $50 million times the money multiplier. If the money multiplier is 5, the money supply will increase by $250 million and obviously that would provide big impetus to the economy (Colorado 2011). Currently, the Fed discount rates are quite low, near to 0.25% that indicates the government wants to give boost to the economy by increasing money supply. After 2008 meltdown, the government bought long-term treasury bonds and notes. This indicates that the Fed is making all efforts to increase money supply to revive the market (The Federal Reserve System

Human Resource Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Human Resource Management - Essay Example As an example, there is evidence from a number of countries that a unionized workplace will provide more training to employees than nonunionized workplace. There is also evidence that unions influence formalization in employee recruitment and selection. Workplaces under unions are more likely to employ a formal process to advertise job vacancies and apply more objective tests in selection. Probably, these human resource practices achieve efficiencies foregone by nonunionized companies considering their pursuit of extra objectives such as the desire to stay away from unions. Moreover, unions seem to boost the quantity and quality of voice environments in the firms (Verma, 2005). Union status has a positive relationship with worker voice and voice increases lower the rate of quitting responsibilities. From these observations, the general picture that comes out is one of unionized companies being more formal in adopting some human resource practices that produce efficiencies for HR mana gement. Such practices include employee training, employee voice, selection and recruitment, group incentive strategies such as gain-sharing plans. Therefore, evidence from practice and studies supports positive gains for unions in many areas of HR managerial practice. The positive contribution can well be understood when we consider the case of Wal-Mart and union issues. The megastore has fiercely opposed the unionization of its employees across all its stores. But, what has been the result for this opposition? For the last five years, the firm has been incurring great losses due to court cases involving HR practices which are ruled in favor of the employees. The firm has been accused of its biased practices when recruiting employees. An example of such cases is of an employee in New Jersey who accused a manager of harassing him after realizing his sex-orientation. The store was ordered to pay the employee $2 million. Apparently, the judgments suggest that the HR practices of the c ompany affect the efficiency of management leading to great loses. If the company’s workplace was unionized, it is true that such practices would be improved enabling the firm to counter the issues within individual stores. The firm would adopt HR policies that would improve the management as it responds to the pressures of unions. Paper two When compared with issues on pay and productivity, occupation health and safety receive secondary attention despite its importance to an organization. This is because the issue has indirect benefits to the organization unlike pay and productivity. Occupation health and safety issue is about promoting and maintain of physical, social and mental health of employees in all occupations as well preventing and protection of health effects resulting from their working conditions (Burke, Cooper & Clarke, 2011). This suggests that the issue has direct benefits to employees rather than the organization. In addition, organizations are aware that occ upation health and safety practices incur high cost either directly or indirectly. Naturally, the firms will not give high priority to issues that incur high costs, yet their benefits are not clearly stated. They would rather pursue those issues that add to profitability. On the other hand, issues like pay and productivity have direct benefits to organizations. If a company does not address pay problems, it becomes hard for it to attract and retain employees. By having the right people, the company is aware of high overall performance and profitability. Productivity is directly connected to profitability. Since many profit organizations seek to increase profitability, they would consider the issues that satisfy this desire first. Furthermore,

SPIRITUAL ARCHITECTURE IN RONCHAMP AND LA TOURRETTE Essay

SPIRITUAL ARCHITECTURE IN RONCHAMP AND LA TOURRETTE - Essay Example The other is the Sainte Marie de La Tourette, a Convent for teachers and students at Lyon, France hereafter called La Tourette. While the structures of Le Corbusiner can be analysed from different perspectives, this essay will discuss the techniques in form and material that were used for the two structures to achieve spiritual architecture. 1. Analysis of Notre Dame du Haut, Ronchamp Constructed in 1955, the Ronchamp structure follows the 'Expressionist Modern' modern style. The structure is built using concrete, glass and wood. The story behind the structure is that the original 4th church was destroyed in WW II. It is important to know that the church was a reformist church. This means that the clergy and the priests who managed and preached at the church wanted a modern structure. The wanted the spirit of the church to clear the decadent past when the structure was full of ornamental embellishments with stained glass, spires and other gothic features. Le Corbusier had to build a church that reflects modern art and modern architecture with spatial purity. However, Corbusier, in keeping with his own style wanted to focus on increasing available space1. The spirituality of the architecture can be seen in the the style he adopted for the interiors He used the illusion of increased space by using curves and interplaying light with shadows so that the depth of the room seemed to be more than it really was. The materials he has used extensively are concrete, stone, glass and wood to a small extent. The windows are arranged in sporadic pattern and in the form of puncturing apertures on the wall. This helps to amplify the light emerging from the chapel since the windows are tapered in the well cavity. Each wall is illuminated by the window frames that differ in light. The space behind the altar is thus given a speckled pattern like a star filled night with sparse openings. These openings are placed along with larger apertures above the cross. A flood of light is emi tted that falls on the cross creating a transformative experience for the visitor. This gives the spiritual architecture where the light of god is brought into the chapel2. 1.1. Analysis of form of Ronchamp The church has a simple design and it has two entrances. The main pulpit has a main altar and three chapels placed under the towers. Concrete is used in abundance in the structure and the use of steel reinforcement allowed Corbusier to create an upturned and curving roof that is supported by slender columns placed in the walls. The appearance of the roof is like a sail that is blowing on the windy currents of a stormy sea. This point is emphasised by the junction where the left and right walls converge and the shape seems like the curved hull of a ship. Le Corbusier has strived to bring the spiritual perspective of the reformist church into the structure. The new church is seen as the ship of the God that sails the stormy seas and carries its flock to salvation and safety. In the inside areas, space is created between the roofs and the walls. This has a number of clerestory windows with asymmetric light that falls from the openings in the wall. This helps to bring into sharp notice about the sacred role of the church and helps to create the relation between the building and the surroundings. By using concrete effectively to create recessed windows, a soft and indirect lighting emerges. This reflects off from the white walls of the church. The small windows ensure that minimum lighting falls on the congregation areas even in day light. During night, small lights behind the windows help to create a diffused lighting inside the prayer and sermon area. Corbusier did not want

The Characteristics of Effective Groups Essay Example for Free

The Characteristics of Effective Groups Essay According to Johnson Johnson (2009), groups are defined as two or more people joined together for a common purpose to achieve a goal and influence each other. There are many different types of groups and groups exist for many reasons. Groups are interdependent â€Å"in the sense that an event which affects one member is likely to affect all† (Johnson Johnson, 2009, Chap. 1, pg. 6). Most groups are structured by a set of roles and norms. These roles define what part members of the group will play along with acceptable behavior of each role. Norms are a set of rules that are established through common beliefs and shared values that control the behavior of the group by defining what is acceptable or unacceptable behavior based on the situation (Johnson Johnson, 2009). This paper will provide an overview of an effective group through my personal experiences, explain roles members have played, and explain how group participation is expressed through verbal and nonverbal communication and leadership. Lastly, this paper will discuss how each of these things have contributed to the group’s effectiveness. Effective Groups Effective groups work together to achieve individual goals and team goals, and foster two-way communication between the leader and team members. The team only succeeds when everyone succeeds and resolve conflict in a constructive manner (Johnson Johnson, 2009). Working together in this setting promotes teamwork and a happy work environment. It also encourages people to be individuals and fosters innovation. Johnson Johnson (2009) have stated in order for an effective group to succeed â€Å"the group must achieve its’ goals, maintain good working relationships among members, and adapt to changing conditions in the surrounding organization† to include internal and external influences (Chap. 1, pg. 24). Roles The roles each member plays in the call center are defined by the job description that states functions a member is to carry out based on their role. The groups are structured in a hierarchy of a call center director who would serve as the group chair, a team of supervisors who would be considered committee chairs to help facilitate the effectiveness of the group, that have 20 direct reports or members. Once the group is organized the leader must establish clear and achievable goals. The goals must be able to satisfy individual needs in order to gain commitment from each member, but the group must also see that these goals cannot be achieved without other members of the group. If the goals are set and they are not attainable then members will feel discouraged and unmotivated to achieve the goals. These goals provide a guideline for the group to work by. Communication Once the goals are established they must be communicated to the group. Communication is a vital part of the group being able to achieve these goals as members must be able to exchange information to reduce misunderstandings and clarify work that needs to be done. Effective communication occurs when the â€Å"sender’s message is interpreted the way the sender intended it† resulting in work being accomplished more accurately and efficiently (Johnson Johnson, 2009, Chap. 4, pg. 133). Two-way communication involves both the sender and receiver engaging in open dialogue and being able to share ideas and feelings, rather than the sender communicating the message to the receiver and limiting the receiver sharing responses. Although two-way communication is more time-consuming this is the method that is used with the effective group at my job to encourage group participation, limit frustration, encourage innovation, and increased productivity. Communication is also delivered through different channels verbally and nonverbally that the receiver will have to interpret. Some of the channels that are used are presentations that can be verbally and nonverbal, face-to- face communication, email, group meetings, questionnaires, surveys, reports, conferences, and more. The receiver will pay attention to pictures, words (spoken and unspoken), body language, facial expressions, seating arrangements to show authority, size of the room, invitees, lighting, props used to facilitate the message, and more. Communication should be clear, informative, and delivered using methods assessable to everyone. Employees should have an opportunity to ask questions and managers should also follow-up with employees to ensure they are on the right track. Leadership and Participation In order to establish an effective group, leadership and participation must be distributed amongst all group members to ensure commitment on everyone’s part and to take advantage of all the resources within the group (Johnson Johnson 2009). Two leadership approaches that I’ve continued to use is the â€Å"Try this and What do you think? † These have been both very effective working in a call center, especially one that is new. Within our call center employees are always learning new ways of doing things and improving upon processes, but we simply can’t do it without feedback. Feedback is an important resource that we rely on as managers to tell us what our employees like and dislike and it aids our employees in their development to reinforce positive and negative behavior. As a manager I wear many hats, one of them being a coach. Coaching helps employees identify strengths and weaknesses, and offers guidance without telling the employee what to do. This has been effective because it facilitates conversation between the employee and leader and allows two-way conversation versus it being one-sided. When one effectively coaches and offers suggestions, employees know you care and have an interest in what they are doing and often times will exceed performance expectations because of successful coaching. Once the employees meets/exceeds the manager can continue to give them task that will stretch them and challenge them to aid in their continued growth and development. When coaching employees it will be important to set SMART Goals and ensure that tasks are assigned appropriately according to the employees skillset otherwise, this may hinder development and frustrate the employee. Using the â€Å"What do you think? † approach is considered participative leadership. All decisions made within an organization should not be the sole responsibility of leaders. Depending on the type of decision being made should determine who is involved in the decision making process. By consulting the group the manager is more apt to get buy-in when implementing change and it shows the group that you value their opinion. Although this can be a time consuming approach according to Yukl (2006), when employees feel like they are part of the process they are more likely to accept decisions and performance and morale increases, along with commitment of employees. Leaders will have to be careful that employees have time to participate and aren’t overloaded with work, subordinates share the leader’s goals and tasks, ensure criteria for determining decision is fair so the ajority will be likely to accept the decision, and one’s personal views don’t impact the decision. I’ve used this approach of decision making when trying to find out what type of rewards employees would like so they would work harder to achieve the goal versus me going out and buying things that they will not benefit from resulting in them not being motivated to achieve the goal. This approach can be effective when used for the right reasons and not the leader wanting to avoid the decision making process. Match Decision-Making with the needs of the Situation From time to time leaders will have to make decision that can not be derived out of group consensus. According to Yukl (2006) Paul Hersey and Ken Blanchard proposed the situational leadership theory that states the approach a leader takes will be based on the situation, subordinate maturity, and level of influence one needs to complete the task. Effective situational leadership â€Å"acts as one function between the leader style, maturity of follower, and situation and each must be appropriate for one another† (1000 Ventures, 2009). The style of the leader is not consistent with each person because one’s behavior, level of understanding, and commitment to the task may change depending on the situation therefore, the leader must be prepared to use a variety of leadership styles. The key to effective situational leadership is to effectively understand the situation, provide employees with the appropriate tools to learn and aid in development through coaching and feedback, along with keeping individuals motivated. It is never appropriate to assume that all individuals are on the same level because people have different life experiences and needs therefore, proper questioning and observation should be used to be effective at situational leadership. Leaders have to be careful that their leadership style is appropriate for the situation and if not this could be perceived negatively in which the leader will have to make an adjustment. I have used situational leadership as a manager and have found that it is important when the situation affects the group to get the groups buy-in by presenting the problem, getting suggestions, and then making a decision. Resolving Conflict in Constructive Ways No group is perfect and disagreements are bound to happen from misunderstandings, lack of communication or clear goals, personal opinions however, with effective groups disagreements are beneficial, but must be resolved in a constructive manner. According to Johnson Johnson (2009), disagreements promote â€Å"creative decision making and problem solving, promote involvement in the groups work, and commitment to implementing group decisions† (Chap. , pg. 27). Group challenges also ensure that the minority is heard rather than always going with the majority and everyone has a voice. If disagreements are not handled timely and addressed they can destroy the group. Members of effective groups resolve their conflict through compromise, negotiation, analyzing problems by using supporting data, and ensuring the process is fair and everyone is heard to come up with the best solution for the group and leave all members satisfied. If the group is unable to reach a decision then they may enter into a process called mediation whereby an appointed member may determine the best course of action and the group will trust the decision made by the appointed member and move on (Johnson Johnson, 2009). Conclusion All groups are set up based on a structure that includes roles and norms to provide a basic framework for members to function. In order for the group to be effective members must understand what roles they play in order to avoid role conflict and acknowledge the norms exist and they must follow them or accept consequences for not following them. Effective groups use their ability to influence and increase the knowledge and skill of each other and react to issues in a positive manner to resolve conflict to allow the group to run more smoothly. In order for these issues to be well managed the group has to understand the organization’s strategy and business objectives and continually look to the future needs of the organization, consumer, employee, environment, and economy due to continual changes to ensure the organization and group is able to keep up. By each member maintaining its’ commitment to the group, having clear goals and understanding of how they fit in, maintaining clear and open lines of communication, proper balance of leadership and participation to ensure balance of workloads and direction, along with proper channels to resolve conflict will continue to contribute to the group’s effectiveness and enable long lasting effective groups.

11 & 12 Language related assignment Essay Example for Free

11 12 Language related assignment Essay Generative Context A woman student in Brighton walked home by herself late at night and was mugged. She was carrying a lot of cash, didn’t tell her friends she was leaving the club and walked down some dark steps. The next day I criticised her actions. 2. Meaning We use this form to express a critical attitude towards the past actions of someone else. (Advice after the event – Rosemary Aitken – Teaching Tenses – p. 138) 3. Form (subject) + should (+ not) + have + past participle 4. Phonemic transcription, including marking the main stressed syllables (Longman dictionary of contemporary English) Particular attention needs to be paid to the weak form of â€Å"have† and, possibly there may need to be some revision of the various pronunciations of the â€Å"ed† ending of the past participle 5. Concept checking questions (with answers), and, where appropriate, time lines, diagrams, pictures, etc Did she go home by herself? Yes Was it dangerous? Maybe Was it a good idea? No Am I criticising her? Yes Am I talking about the past or the future? The past Entirely accurate Accesses reference material reference information learned about language to an appropriate source No evidence – even implicit – of appropriate source being referenced Evidence (even implicit) of some referencing of appropriate sources Plenty of explicit evidence of appropriately referenced research Uses written language which is clear, accurate and appropriate to the task Numerous errors

Examining The Guest By Albert Camus English Literature Essay

Examining The Guest By Albert Camus English Literature Essay The modern work I chose to examine was The Guest by Albert Camus. I chose this piece because I felt that it was easy to relate to the sense of isolation that was faced by the character Daru. The political theory and psychology in the piece were self evident as it played a big role on the actions of the character in his lonely state. In my opinion the title The Guest, suggests that there is more than one person that Daru doesnt know about. The main character Daru can be examined to be a self-righteous, trusting, full-hearted person. His caring for the prisoner and actions toward him made him feel like he was doing the right thing to help out a fellow human being. The political theory around this piece can be described as volatile in the sense that it assumes to the reader that a war is about to happen. Then Ill wait for the declaration of war! and there is talk of a forthcoming revolt. bring awareness of the actual political unrest among the two feuding parties, the Algerian French colonial government and the Algerian Arabs. I believe this feud is what places Darus post in such a remote environment. The idea that Daru doesnt know what exactly would be the reason for him having a gun would be further supported by the fact that his shotgun is in his trunk which means he obviously doesnt use it. When Balducci told him that he ought to have it near his bed because if there is an uprising no one is safe, were all in the same boat. I believe he is hinting towards the fact that I think he knows people are following him to retreave the prisoner. I feel that the severe political unrest will begin to happen after the end of the story. The psychological impact involved in Darus isolation was that he was caught up between the legal system that imposed itself on the Arabs family quarrel and his emotions to do right as a man. When Daru said every bit of this disgusts me, and first of all your fellow here. I believe he was fighting with his inner morals which to him were to do the right thing and to not turn the Arab over but in turn, set him free. He doesnt have any problem with his choice in refusing to turn him over and firmly stands by his decision. Instead of taking the prisoner off and setting him free, he wished that the Arab would just run away that way he would be alone with no decision to make. The statement that mans stupid crime revolted him, but to hand him over was contrary to honor supports this entirely. The statement, he could see nothing but the dark yet shining eyes and the animal mouth, in my opinion means that he didnt see the prisoner as a monster or a killer but just as a normal person incapable of murdering another human being. I believe that when Daru was feeding the prisoner and treating him like an actual human being the Arab developed some sort of Stockholm syndrome while in the custody of someone who I believe he grew to trust in a short amount of time. I think that when the prisoner asked Daru if he would come with them to the prison, he knew that his fellow Arabs were following him to get him back. I believe he was trying to protect Daru from what was going to happen. When Daru was walking the Arab south to the nomads where he would be safe, his heart grew heavy and I honestly dont think that Daru wanted him to leave since they formed a very strange and mysterious bond among men. When Daru returned to find the message you handed over our brother. You will pay for this. written on his black board I believe he was unsure why they would be after him considering that he just let their brother go, not only with food but also with money. He finds himself felling misunders tood and what I believe is frightended when he dosent see anyone in sight. The psychological impact in my opinion is greater on the concept of isolation more so than the political theory involed with the character and his struggles. I think the author did a good job dehumanizing the prisoner in an attempt to make Daru seem like he is still alone although someone is there. The imagery and detail also given make it easy to visualize just how alone and torn Daru actually is. I believe that the storys title should be changed from The Guest to The Unseen Guest just to make it play a little more to the psychological aspect of the piece. (words: 1024)

Discrimination of Immigrants in 1920s America :: American America History

Discrimination of Immigrants in 1920's America Beginning in the early nineteenth century there were massive waves of immigration. These "new" immigants were largely from Italy, Russia, and Ireland. There was a mixed reaction to these incomming foreigners. While they provided industries with a cheap source of labor, Americans were both afraid of, and hostile towards these new groups. They differed from the "typical American" in language, customs, and religion. Many individuals and industries alike played upon America's fears of immigration to further their own goals. Leuchtenburg follows this common theme from the beginning of World War I up untill the election of 1928. If there was one man who singlely used America's fear of immigrants to advance his own political goals it was Attorney General Palmer. The rise of Communism in Russia created a fear of its spread across Europe, and to America. Palmer tied this fear to that of immigration. He denounced labor unions, the Socialist party, and the Communist party in America, as being infultrated with radicals who sought to overturn America's political, economic, and social institutions. Palmer exasperated this fear in Americans and then presented himself as the country's savior, combatting the evils of Communism. He mainly centered his attack on Russian immigrants. During the infamous Palmer raids thousands of aliens were deported and even more were arrested on little or no evidence. Their civil liberties were violated, they were not told the reasons for their arrests, denied counsel, and not given fair trials. What followed was an investigation of Palmer led by Louis Post which overturned many of Palmer's actions. Palmer's cretability was shattered after in a last minute attempt to gain the 1920 presidencial nomination, he made predictions about a May Day radical uprising, the nation perpared itself, but on May 1st 1920 all was peaceful. While the raids had stopped, the hostilities towards immagrants still remained prevelent. Immigrants were used by organized industries as a source of cheap labor. But as labor unions began to form and push for better pay, shorter hours, and improved working conditions industries saw that it was not as easy to exploit these immigrants as it had been before. Like Palmer, they tied the American's hostilities towards immigrants to the newly emerging fear of radicalism. When workers struck, industry leaders turned public opinion agains them by labling the strikes as attemps at radical uprising. As a result, workers were often left with no other choice than to accept the terms of industry management. The fight for prohabition was aided by America's antagonism for immigrants. Protestants and "old-stock" Americans attempted to link alchol

A Comparison of Romantic Love in Shakespeares Sonnets & As You Like It

Shakespeare's Sonnets & Romantic Love in As You Like It      Ã‚  Ã‚   Shakespeare's comedy As You Like It is clearly a pastoral comedy with a country setting, a theme revolving around love and a story which consists of a series of accidental meetings between characters and a resolution involving transformations of characters and divine intervention.   The comedy involves the traditional literary device of moving urban characters into the country where they have to deal with life in a different manner.   Whereas the pastoral comedy was usually a vehicle for satire on corrupted urban values, in this play the satire appears to be directed at the convention of Petrarchan love.(Rosenblum, 86)    Renaissance conventions of love were strongly influenced by the elaborate system of love called the Petrarchan tradition.   An Italian poet, Francesco Petrarch, wrote a cycle of sonnets to his beloved Laura, which became internationally popular.   In his poetry, Petrarch professes his undying love, and laments her cruelty for not returning his passionate devotion.   He also describes the inspiration for his love - a single glance from her eyes.   In the course of his sonnets, Petrarch and Laura never meet or speak.   She may not even know he exists.   Midway through the sonnet sequence Laura dies.   Petrarch continues to adore and mourn her in verse years after her death.   His lyric poetry, meant to be read and not performed, is the first form for the self in conflict.      English Renaissance poets admired and imitated Petrarch.   He centered his sonnets on a series of themes: Love, Chastity, Death, Fame, Time and Eternity.   Petrarch established the basic form of the Italian sonnet as fourteen lines divided into two clear parts, an opening o... ...rold.Shakespeare: The Invention of the Human.New York: Riverhead Books, 1998. Booth, Stephen, (ed).Shakespeare's Sonnets,New Haven: Yale University Press, 2000. Dolan, Frances E (ed).William Shakespeare: As You Like It, New York:   Penguin Books, 2000. Garber, Marjorie. "The Education of Orlando." In Comedies from Shakespeare to Sheridan, Newark: Univ of Delaware Press, 1986. Hodges, Devon.   "Anatomy as Comedy." In Renaissance Fictions of Anatomy, pp50-67.   Amherst:   Univ of Massachusetts Press, 1985. Mowat, Barbara A. and Paul Werstine (ed.s)   As You Like It by William Shakespeare, New York: Pocket Books, 1997. Moulton, Charles Wells,(ed)   The Library of Literary Criticism of English and American Authors Vol.1 (680-1638), New York: Peter Smith, 1935. Rosenblum, Joseph.  Ã‚   A Reader's Guide to Shakespeare,   Barnes & Noble Books, 1997.   

Style Controversy :: Writing Styles Style Essays

Style Controversy Upon completion of the both stylebooks, Strunk and White and Williams, I have found that style is much more than whatever one sees fit for themselves. This is true at least for essay writing not necessarily creative writing. As with other debated subjects where guidelines are drawn as to what constitutes a good work of art, film, or music, writing has guidelines which good compositions fit into and can therefore be compared and contrasted with other works. That is not to say there is one way to do any essay but there are parameters which must be met and set for a paper to be critiqued. S&W would like to set up a correct way to do everything; according to them there is only one right way and everything else is wrong. This authoritarian point of view on writing is scary but some of the things they say are poignant. For instance when they speak of participial phrases, as I have mentioned in my first blog writing, they tell and show how to do this correctly and it is easily implemented. â€Å"A participial phrase at the beginning of a sentence must refer to the grammatical subject† (13). To someone who understands what a participial phrase is along with what and where the grammatical subject of a sentence is this makes sense. It is clear, concise, and effective one can quickly look to the rule for reference and continue on with their paper. When looking for quick reference on how to fix grammar mistakes this is a good way to go about finding answers but not for a stylebook. There needs to be more discussion. It would be nice to say that good style is just correct grammar and word usage but it’s not so. Williams knows this and blatantly points this out in his preface of the book. He acknowledges that his book is different from stylebooks in the past mentioning that this book is not for everyone. Williams divulges secrets of the trade in an interesting although sometimes hard to grasp conversation with the reader on all subjects of writing. This does include grammatical problems and word usage concerns but Williams explains both sides and shows how at times both ‘good’ and ‘bad’ aspects of writing can be right depending on the context it is used in.

Coca-Cola Company Struggles with Ethical Issues Essay

Many of the ethical issues surfaced when Warren Buffet resigned in 2006 and Doug Ivester took over. Ivester lacked leadership and as a result, the company faced many ethical issues. Ivester tenure was symbolic in that it was short-lived. This was a serious public relations glitch for a company who for so long, performed flawlessly. Ivester was replaced by Doug Daft, the former president and chief operating officer. Unfortunately, Daft had no success in derailing the controversies. In early 2000, Coca-cola was embroiled in ethical scandals such as racial discrimination, misrepresenting market test and manipulating earnings. Text Questions 1. Why do you think Coca-Cola has had one ethical issue to resolve after another over the last decade or so? In 2000, Coca-Cola failed to make the top ten of Fortune’s annual â€Å"America’s Most Admired Companies† list for the first time in a decade. Many believe this was a direct result of the contamination scare in June of 1999. 30 Belgian kids became ill after consuming Coca-Cola. Rather than come out right away and defends its product, Coca-Cola took several days to respond. I believe that as a result of this global crisis, Coca-Cola panicked and spiraled out of control. This company was operating on a high level for a decade and to be hit with such a scandal rocked the foundation the core. 2. A news analyst said that coca-cola could become the next Enron. Do you think this is possible? I do not believe that this case is similar to Enron. Enron’s culture was one of greed and win-at-all-cost mentality. Enron leadership created an atmosphere of invincibility. This was evident by the â€Å"rank-and-yank† system implemented to rid of those who were rated at the bottom 20 percent. This forced employees to engage in questionable practices in order to maintain their standing within the company.

Link between Gender Inequality and Economic Growth

The Link between Gender Inequality and Economic Growth It is not generally seen that the economy and gender development are interconnected in terms of each other's influence and their development process. However, this correlation is well-explained by the fact that if women's employment rates were raised to 70 percent, which is closer to that of many developed nations, the annual Gross Domestic Product (GAP) of Asia would increase by up to 2-4 percent (United Nations in China, 2010). Indeed, economic growth has impacts on gender inequality levels both positively and negatively, whereas gender inequality hampers economic growth as a whole.Connell (2009, 1 1) defines the term gender as â€Å"the structure of social relations that centers on the reproductive arena, and the set of practices that bring reproductive distinctions between bodies into social processes. † Gender inequality refers to the unequal rights, responsibilities and opportunities of women and men (ASSAI, 2001). E conomic growth is defined by an increase in the capacity of an economy to produce goods and services, compared to one period to another (Riley, 2012).For example, gender inequality can be a barrier to the process f development by weakening the ability of household members to engage in productive activities. At the same time, structural changes that accompany the development process can significantly weaken/loosen the constraints that women and men face when they work towards new economic approaches. This paper analyses the links between gender inequality and economic growth and the complexity associated with this relationship. In order to examine the link between gender inequality and economic growth, it is important to have a clear understanding of some key concepts.Firstly, social construction is a key concept that is used to understand how people build and organize ideas, actions and thoughts around a perception through cultural and social influence (International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences, 2008). Next, gender relation is the interaction of different masculinity and femininity to shape the power dominance of the society (March et al, 1999). Moreover, globalization â€Å"is the process of transformation of local or regional phenomena into global ones. It is the notion of a shrinking world including unequal flows of labor, capital and ideas† (Stilling, 2002).It is also crucial to understand gender accountability in analyzing the relationship between economic growth and gender inequality. Gender accountability refers to the process by which members of a society hold others accountable for transgressing or defying traditional social expectations of gender (West and Zimmerman, 1987). Gender performance is creating differences between women and men and their interaction with others which are not natural or biologically based (West and Zimmerman, 1987). Finally, gendered division of labor refers to the ways in which certain Jobs or tasks become ge ndered in a patriarchal society (March et al, 1999).There are positive aspects of economic growth that help to shorten the gender gap, especially in the decision- making power within households despite the certain exceptional cases that function in the reverse order. In most circumstances, economic development reduces the disadvantages faced by women. Firstly, economic development plays a huge role in women education (World Bank, 2011 b). Women work under low-wage conditions partly because of the poverty at their homes. It is not that women prefer to supply labor at a very low wage, but they are forced to do so in order to manage the financial condition at home.Once the economic stability at family level improves, the number of women who go into low-wage Jobs for their poor economic condition at home reduces and the low-wage Jobs would no longer be reserved for women. For example, the workers in garment factories in Bangladesh, a major source of export earnings, are mostly women, an d as the cost of living increases, the cost of women not going to work exceeds the cost of them working in low-wage Jobs (Siberia 1995). Secondly, poor economic condition makes women less aware about hygiene, and they cannot afford to medical expenditures, especially during menstruation period and pregnancy.It creates an environment for the employers to consider women as weakness and less productive (World Bank, 2011 b). Economic growth increases women's health care that result in improved level of women's fitness to any career. Eventually, sexist attitudes of employers about suitable tasks for women change. For example, the enrollment of women in Engineering, which requires field work, has been increasing day by day (Unguent, 2000). Thirdly, economic growth brings up changes in decision-making power of men and women at household level. It challenges the social construction that men are the breadwinners of a household.Rising income levels at household level associated with increased household expenditures challenges the patriarchal system and creates pathways for women to enter into Job market. However, it might affect the gender relations at home that men would not accept their power to be shared. Siberia explains the use of women's earnings in household spending: My husband likes that my income is for luxuries, for the little things that catch my fancy. Although sometimes I pay for household things, during difficult months. He tells me, it is his Job to provide for food, clothing, rent and other necessities. Siberia, 1995:) It portraits the men's perception that they do not want their women to contribute towards the economy of the family due to the social construction of men as breadwinners. In contrast, economic growth as an outcome of globalization creates opportunities for women to become empowered and to report violence against women. Women are mostly exposed to different social contexts that in turn heighten awareness about gender equality and the need for alleviating gender discrimination that they were not aware of and women's dependency on men.My experience at AY-JAW is itself a good example of how an exposure to different social context can hence a person's attitudes towards gender discrimination and violence. Five years back from now, if I were asked if it is fine for men to have the entire power within households, I would say yes'. However, if the same question is asked now, my answer would be ‘no'. Finalization of labor migration, which refers to the trend of growing employment of women which is possible mostly because of the expansion of technological improvement, trade and capital flows (Legal terms, Definitions and Dictionary, n. ). Also gives opportunities for women to get exposed to other countries where women can learn that they should get equal rights. Having experienced the effects of gender accountability in other countries and knowing that women's equality is important, once they get back to their home socie ties, there is a high possibility that they will fight against gender discrimination. Exposure to different social context might lead women to be more aware about the social norms and patriarchy of their own society that favored men (Ridgeway, 1997).They would eventually come forward to make changes in the society that results in reducing gender gap in the society. However, economic development does not always help to narrow down the gender AP; rather, in certain cases, it increases the socio-economic vulnerability of women. Despite the economic development and the increasing women's participation in the labor force, the incidence of sex-selective abortions and the absolute number of ‘missing women', coined by Mammary Seen (2003) refers to the terrible deficit of women in substantial parts of Asian and north Africa, which arises from sex bias in relative care, are growing.The critical condition is further explained by the fact that â€Å"China and India together account for m ore than 85 million of the nearly 100 million missing† women estimated to have died from discriminatory treatment in health care, nutrition and nutrition access or pure neglect, or because they were never born in the first place† (United Nations in China, 2010). In rural areas of Asia, the social construction of femininity that all girls/women should get married is strongly followed. The societies develop a gendered centralization that parents take the responsibility of marrying women off once girl children are born itself (Slakes at el, 2003).Women do not get enough gains from the new paid-employment opportunities. They are given opportunities to paid workforce, at the same time they re employed in insecure environment that does not make any changes in the level of gender inequality. For example, even though women are given permission by their husbands or families to work in garment industries, they are often abused by their employers, not allowed to go to toilets even when they are urgent (Siberia, 1995). Violence against women is high even when they work for longer hours than men do (Ridgeway, 1997).After understanding how economic growth affects gender inequality, it is crucial to understand how gender inequality hampers economic growth. Most importantly, economic growth is hampered by the constraints that keep omen involved in unpaid work, and the unequal opportunities that favor men over women (Beerier et al 2004). Women's Jobs in export industries such as textiles and garments have been important in generating foreign currency earnings. Dependence on women workers in labor-intensive, export-oriented manufacturing has become a common pattern across Asia as women's share of manufacturing employment rose during their export drives.Therefore, gender inequality has negative impacts on economic growth. Furthermore, gender inequality in education and employment hampers economic growth. The low level of access to education for women is linked with h igher rates of fertility and lower savings rates. Rising fertility can reduce investment in children's education and health. (Ridgeway, 1997). Moreover, inequality in education can contribute to women's unequal household bargaining power, affecting the distribution of household resources.The unequal decision-making power at household level might affect the overall household management, and thus prohibits the development process of households given the resources. For instance, a sole member making all the decisions would not be as effective as the incidence here both husband and wife together make decisions, with a mutual understanding of the benefit-cost analysis (Unguent, 2000). However, it is the social construction in Asian societies that a woman in a household being more educated would be considered as a threat to the men's masculinity.Men make sure that the income brought to home by women would not be spent to main household spending, but on luxuries (Siberia, 1995). Indeed, me n preserve the socially constructed norm that men have the control over the income and transgressing would affect the gender relations. Additionally, systematic differences in investments in girls' and boys' education can lead to Job sector inefficiency due to distortion in skill levels (Bosnian, 2003). Investing too much in less-talented men and investing too little in competent women reduces the total productivity in the economy (Bosnian, 2003).In other words, gendered division of labor arises where the labor queues become gender queues because employers rank males as more valuable workers than females (Resin and Ross, 1990). When employers hire workers, they take into consideration about the loss of their institutions' productivity level, especially the maternity leave that women take (Timekeepers, 2012). Employers make an assumption that all women will get pregnant and have children. The assumption is basically developed from the socially constructed idea of femininity that all women will have children.Against the assumption, the enforcement of maternity leave legislation in Taipei, China led to a 2. 5-percentage-point increase in women's employment (Civilize and Rodgers, 2003). In some patriarchal societies, certain Jobs are allocated only for men. For example, in northern part of Sir Lankan, CNN (three wheeler) drivers were usually male, and the government introduced a plan that allows female to be CNN drivers. After some time, an accident occurred in which the fault was found to be on the side of CNN driver who is a female. Based on the incident, there were some controversies regarding whether to allow the women do be CNN drivers further.However, the point to be noted here is that there were so many accidents held earlier to the particular event, and they were committed by male CNN drivers. No inquiries were done to the male drivers, but when the same incidence is caused by women, they held up to scrutiny. It again shows the gender discrimination in soc ieties, and people being more critical when gender norms are transgressed. In addition, sexist unequal expectations of gender performance are other constraints that affect economic growth at the household levels.Men and women are sometimes pressured to perform gender according to what is acceptable in their particular society, rather than thinking about rational choices about family income. For example, Sir Lankan male cleaners go to Middle Eastern countries to financially support their families (Near, 2010). Although they are involved in feminizes Jobs' abroad, when they return to their societies, they do not keep involving in feminizes activities because they think this would be a wreath to their masculinity (Near, 2010).As a result, men, who strongly support the patriarchal system of men as breadwinners of a family, fail minimize the costs within households by not accounting the female labor force participation. In order to address the barriers to the development of economy and g ender, a strong foundation for policy implementations that alleviate the constraints that women face should be considered. These will include remedying heavy time burdens devoted to unpaid work, regulations that favor men, inadequate public infrastructure, insufficient access to agricultural inputs, discriminatory practices in the labor market, and social constructions.Asian governments have also paid relatively limited attention to gendered vulnerabilities in their social protection policies (ILL and ADS, 2011). By decreasing gender inequality, from the household level to major indexes, a country's overall economy can be developed at a faster pace (Ridgeway, 1997) Likewise, as economic development occurs, we have to make sure that it will not lead to a path in which gender inequality grows even more. Works Cited Beerier, G. , Y. Rodgers, and J. Civilize. 004. International Trade and Gender Wage Discrimination: Evidence from East Asia.

The Trilemma of Globalisation: Free Trade, Fair Trade or Fear Trade

Ken Costa Chairman: Europe, Middle East and Africa UBS Investment Banking Department 2 Finsbury Avenue London EC2M 2PP Cass Business School 2 March 2006 EMBARGO UNTIL 19:30pm 2 March 2006 The Trilemma of Globalisation: Free Trade, Fair Trade or Fear Trade In discussing the challenges presented by today’s diverse global environment few topics can be as important as the issue of globalisation. It is at the heart of the structural change that has taken place in our generation as borders have shrunk, technology changed and communications enhanced.Economists believe – almost universally, which says something(! ) that globalisation is a net benefit. But, if recent examples are to go by, there seems to be a growing doubt gnawing at its foundation. Globalisation faces a trilemma. Which is to be master? Free Trade, Fair Trade or Fear Trade. Free Trade For globalisation to succeed there needs to be a common acceptance of the frictionless flow of capital across borders and the det ermination to eliminate 2 impediments to the free movement of resources and products. Free trade is the pillar on which the argument for globalisation is founded.For the last decade we have lived with the prevailing sense that the globalised environment is here to stay. There has of course been a vigorous debate about how the benefits should be shared, the implications of the growing technology divide and the sustainability of regional development. But by and large the foundations have been in place. What has become disquieting recently has been the realisation that some of the most basic premises of globalisation are far from secure. The case for globalisation still has to be made. Globalisation still needs to be nurtured as a beneficial system and hown to be demonstrably favourable to all participants in the global market place. This is an argument that needs to be advanced and argued for and can not merely be assumed. Fear Trade But free trade seems to have been supplanted by fea r trade. The recent actions in the United States to prevent the completion of the acquisition by the Dubai Ports World of the US ports previously owned by P&O underlines the serious challenge to the argument. Here we have the US, the major exemplar of modern capitalism, wishing to restrict the take-over by one foreign company of another foreign company with operations in the United States.This action is unfortunately not an isolated example, it comes sharply on the heels of the decision to prevent CNOC, a Chinese company, from acquiring Unocal in the US. The ports case has become a testing place for the future direction of globalization. At issue is ownership. There are after all in any market regulations that govern ways in which corporations 3 act. In any event these ports will overwhelmingly be run by and managed, as they have been in the previous foreign owners’ hands, by US citizens. Of course there are arguments for national security.That would be true in any country. B ut it is of deep concern when these concerns are deployed selectively discriminating between one foreign owner and another. Friends of the United States, and I count myself as one, will do the country the highest favour by lobbying actively against these barriers. Not only on their merits but also because of the sign that is given. Free trade flourishes in a climate of reciprocal openness and mutual advantage, fear trade now seems to be an underlying assumption lurking not only in this decision in the United States but in other countries as well.Security, national interest, cultural preservation and other nationalist reactions can easily stoke these fears. Italy have complained about protectionist activities within the European Union, but recently, albeit unsuccessfully, Italy attempted to prevent nonItalian acquisitions of domestic banks. In France, the Prime Minister has attacked â€Å"fragmented share capital† as being a risk to independence and is looking to bolster the b arriers to takeover activity in France. These trends will grow if the strongest and freest markets continue to act in a protectionist way.Those committed to developing sustainable and responsible flows of capital worldwide have a full task to remain vigilant to promote vigorously the need to have a competitive and sustainable global economic order. 4 All participants in the global economy, Government, business, consumers, will need to find a common language to prevent misunderstanding and actions that could easily lead to disastrous protectionist decisions similar to those in 1914 or the 1930’s. Protection can grow rapidly fuelled by job losses, eroding cultural influence, security concerns and ultimately the visceral reaction against foreigners.The openness of markets to trade and to the acquisition of assets lies at the centre of the future prosperity for all. There are risks if this protectionism grows unchecked. Inflation will creep back because the benefits of globalisat ion will not be felt, interest rates will therefore inevitably hedge higher with a sell-off in the bond markets, pressure on the equity markets and the inevitable liquidity problems could lead to capital controls. A dark scenario and one which I believe is avoidable.But it does require a concerted effort to win both the economic argument but also the ethical ones. Fair Trade Fair trade has therefore emerged in the debate. Unfortunately the concept seems to have been colonised by particular single interest lobby groups seeking to address for example levels of sub-economic activity in Africa and arguing for an increase in the price structure of consumer goods in the developed world. In the end the fairest trade will still be the freest provided the benefits are seen to be shared equitably.Globalised markets have to, and above all be seen to, benefit all: the strongest and the weakest. When the strong economies wish to exclude access to them by emerging economies the very base of the a rgument is eroded. For this reason, and in a different 5 sphere it remains a moral affront to those who are committed to future global prosperity that the WTO is unable to reach agreement to allow access, without the burden of duties, by the developing world to the markets of the economically prosperous world.The diverse global environment raises questions of standards and sustainability of economic activity. These are moral issues. They should be tackled as such. But that does not mean that they are not economic ones too. Take for example one of the questions that is posed by globalisation. Is the move away from regulated markets to unregulated ones simply a means of avoiding the high hurdles of regulation in the developed world? Take the tobacco industry for instance.Do the global tobacco companies seeking entrance into new markets do so in order to evade the onerous restrictions of the major OECD markets? Similarly polluting factories in third world countries where the desire for employment places pressure on local governments to allow activities which would be frowned on in the home countries of multi-national corporations. Low labour costs have brought huge advantages to consumers in the Western world but at what cost to the emerging markets in which they operate?But the moral debate is not a one way street. The clash of civilisations was a debate in ancient Rome and Greece long before Huntingdon raised the topic, but globalisation now means that people find out much more about each others’ cultures much more rapidly. It is true that many international corporations have seen their numerators expand as the top line has grown through sales to emerging markets. Similarly, the 6 denominators of the P & L have benefitted as costs have shrunk through outsourcing and manufacturing at lower costs.But on the other hand many emerging markets have also benefitted as their standards of living have increased and transparency has grown. If we wish to make povert y history and I profoundly hope that this objective remains at the forefront of every global citizen then it will come about by working with the grain of capital flows, by recognizing the reward for risk and through supportive actions by Government creating the climate for enterprise to flourish. We work on the natural assumption that it is a good thing to understand each other’s cultures, aspirations and diversity.However we do have to work on one unfortunate fact of human life. It is not good news but bad news that travels fastest. The Danish cartoon incidents and the activities of radical minorities are flashed across our screens and soon become representative of the cultures being depicted. Every global business will need to develop the necessary training programmes not only to enable the free flow of information to work effectively but to determine how globalising information could bring together incompatible elements of culture.Essentially this is a political question à ¢â‚¬â€œ how can free speech and cultural sensitivities be reconciled? But ultimately it will be on the ground an important issue for businesses who try to create core values for global workforces. Will education of itself lead to greater tolerance? This is a topic too large for this address. But suffice it to say that education and prosperity will not of themselves eliminate global tensions though they are essential pre-requisites. 7 8 Diversity Diversity is important to this process.Diversity enhances competitiveness enabling the most innovative, creative solutions to be advanced as perspectives, eclectically drawn across cultures, countries, products, markets are pooled to provide answers to the issues of the day. For example, UBS needs talented people who can efficiently and effectively work across multiple cultures and time zones. Diversity is therefore not an issue merely of gender or ethnicity but it reflects an open and flexible culture which tries to understand the motivatio ns and aspirations of different people and their points of view.These dialogues above all are integrated into the day to day operations of the firm. To respond to the pressures and to come up with innovative solutions requires close co-operation and the working together of a very disparate group of people with a very common set of values and a common desire to understand and appreciate the ways in which common goals can be achieved whilst recognising diverse and local aspirations. There is I believe an even more fundamental issue that will require addressing. There is strong evidence that in a young and mobile workforce material satisfaction is not sufficient to retain their commitment and motivation.There is a deep hunger, almost spiritual, that is diffused and not traditionally expressed but which needs addressing. There is a desire among young people across the globe that there is more to life than the pursuit of material prosperity. Concern for the environment, for just practice s in the workplace and for a balanced working life are key themes in this emerging generation. Traditionally this has been a â€Å"no go† area. After all religion and work do not mix. But any desire for a values-based organisation will require 9 careful attention to be given to a much deeper understanding and respect for he religious beliefs, cultural and spiritual aspirations of this new global workforce. A new dialogue of understanding faith in business space is rapidly becoming a global imperative for business. Securities Industry Having made these general remarks it is worth looking at trends in the financial industry. ?Expansion of the Business: Financial sector activities are likely to experience substantial growth over the next decade. Two reasons can be singled out: Deregulation and liberalization mainly in emerging markets, and wealth accumulation and retirement provisioning all over the world. Over the past few decades, the trend towards deregulation and liberalizat ion in financial services has contributed significantly to the industry’s expansion. This process is well advanced in many countries, mainly in the mature markets, but further liberalization is, however, likely in emerging market countries where domestic markets are still highly protected. In general, further liberalization of financial markets is expected to benefit investment banking and securities firms which are positioned to 10 ake advantage of any further opening of individual domestic capital markets. Global asset managers could benefit from the facilitation of cross-border mutual fund business, and possibly from a trend towards harmonized pension fund regulation. †¢ Especially in mature markets, but basically to a global extent, financial sector activities are also likely to gain further importance, mainly due to two trends: On the one hand, wealth accumulation is likely to increase as a result of the shift from labour-intensive production to more capital-intensi ve activities.We see a clear secular trend towards wealth accumulation that is likely to continue over the next decade. On the other hand, the fact that in the coming decades, most developed countries will be confronted with significant demographic shifts leads to a trend that pension reform is on the agenda of many governments around the world. Although each country will follow its own regulatory agenda, we believe a gradual shift from public unfunded to private funded pension schemes is likely to take place. Institutional asset management will be the sector most impacted by this trend. ?Increasing Diversity of the Business: Financial market products are getting increasingly diverse and sophisticated with the main characteristics being securitisation, equitisation, and corporate restructuring. 11 †¢ The transformation of financial services over the last years has been driven primarily by the increasing de-emphasis of traditional lending activities combined with the increasing importance of securities trading and financial markets. Corporations are frequently in a position to directly finance their funding needs by accessing the capital markets, expanding corporate bond markets.At the same time, an increase in bank assets has fueled growth in the securitisation of these assets. We expect these trends to continue, as increasing transparency will further facility financing by way of the securities market. †¢ Despite the bursting of the new economy bubble, the underlying trend towards an increasing role of equity finance and equity investments remains intact. Institutional and individual market participants will tend to invest a greater share of their assets into equity products and the corporate sector will increasingly rely on equity financing. We see long-term secular trends pointing towards an ongoing demand for advice on corporate restructuring, as trade liberalization and technological progress will increase global competition for corporations, pr essuring them in turn to restructure and consolidate their business.At the same time, cross-border consolidation in some industries has just begun. ? Further internationalization of business and new markets: It is crucial for financial sector firms to have at the same time both a strong 12 footprint in mature markets and expand actively into emerging markets. Economic growth is a key indicator of the potential for financial services in different regional markets. We expect the largest absolute GDP increase over the next 10 years to occur in North America, followed by Asia and Western Europe. Even though North America is set to grow at a slower rate than Asia, the absolute GDP increase will be higher. This demonstrates the importance of having a significant presence in the US and other mature markets. †¢ At the same time, emerging markets, especially emerging Asia, have a huge potential.GDP growth in China averaged more than 9% since 1979, and India is on track to achieve a high sustainable growth path in the foreseeable future. Other markets in the region are benefiting from the increased demand in the region and globally, increasing the attractiveness for global financial firms. Another important emerging area is the Gulf region, driven by sky-high oil prices and some first steps towards a further diversification of the countries’ economic structure. Based on remarkable macroeconomic stablisation efforts in recent years, Latin America finally seems to have overcome its historical volatility, providing interesting nvestment opportunities. 13 ? Alternative Asset Managers: Hedge funds and buyout groups are raising ever increasing sums of money to be deployed principally cross border. The current size of the hedge fund market is estimated at US$ 1. 2 trillion and will expand significantly in the years ahead. Highly liquid and mobile capital should not be seen as restless capital. Opportunities for long term foreign direct investments in the emerging m arkets continue to grow as infrastructure projects absorb capital and new investment opportunities allow for petro dollars and other pools of investment funds to help grow these economies. ChallengesAn international presence in diverse global environment creates substantial challenges. Global firms have to integrate diverse cultures, strike the balance between global reach and local presence, match the structure and characteristics of its international workforce with functional and regional business needs, and establish infrastructure and processes to provide global communication and co-operation means. ? Integrating cultural diversity: A global firm’s clients and employees are generally, at least to a significant extent, not global in their nature and characteristics, but are based and anchored in their respective home countries.This determines a broad variability of cultural and religious habits, business styles and customs, and consumptions models and needs a global firm i s confronted with on a day by day 14 basis. In order to achieve long-term profitability and growth, this variability has to be managed and integrated into the firm. ? Striking the balance between global reach and local presence: In order to be perceived as a global player, global firms have to establish a global strategy and business model.At the same time, due to the cultural diversity mentioned above, specific market and customer orientation has to be focused along country-specific needs. This is true for the products offered to the customers, the communication employed to establish and strengthen links with clients and stakeholders, and for every other interaction between the firm and the outside (local) world. ? Finding and strengthening a diversified workforce: Especially in the area of service providers, well-skilled staff is crucial for the long-term success of the company. International mobility and intercultural skills have to be ade core value of every corporate culture. T herefore, human capital management and attracting best people is crucial, especially as the international competition for skilled workforce becomes harder and more intense. Especially in the financial sector, specialist knowledge is required and decides on success in a specific region or business area. Hence, if companies wants to achieve continuous success, it has to establish internal talent development and management processes to ensure that employees are promoted in their personal and professional development.To distinguish itself from its competitors, firms have to offer their staff unique development opportunities, thereby attracting current and future leaders. 15 ? Managing critical resources: Internal processes, corporate communication and IT face considerable challenges in a diverse global environment. As such, it is challenging to guarantee a consistent appearance in terms of brand, strategy and communication. In addition, doing business all over the world is especially ch allenging for the IT infrastructure and for know-how sharing on a global level. Yet, this offers economies of scale and synergies at the same time, e. g. y streamlining the brand and the public appearance, by having one integrated IT and know-how sharing platform and by reviewing internal processes re duplications, potential for improvements inefficiency and for streamlining and simplifying processes. UBS manages these challenges and makes them opportunities ? One Firm: We firmly believe our integrated business model creates more value than our businesses would as stand-alone units. Our clients all over the globe should effortlessly be able to access all the services our firm can provide, where and when they are required, and regardless of what combinations of teams lie behind the solutions.This â€Å"one firm† approach facilitates cross-selling through client referrals and the exchange of produces and distribution services between businesses and thus contributes significantl y to our revenue flows. The integrated business model and our â€Å"one firm† approach enable us to combine global reach with local sensitivity. 16 ? Innovative products: As one of the leading global financial services groups, UBS actively shapes the future development of financial markets.As such, challenges emerging from today’s diverse global environment are converted into opportunities by meeting emerging cultural and business needs with innovative products tailored to specific cultural requirements. Another example is the growing importance of hedge funds on international financial markets, where UBS offers products and services specifically targeted at these clients. ? Managing and promoting diversity: †¢ To UBS, diversity means recognizing and appreciating multiple backgrounds, cultures, and perspectives within its organisation.UBS builds on these differences to produce cross-cultural teams that generate new ideas and creative solutions for our increasingly diverse clients. †¢ Diversity consists of a broad range of aspects that vary in their degree of visibility going from gender over ethnicity, age, disability, sexual orientation, religion, nationality to though. †¢ In addition, senior management takes the topic seriously and is often participating in meetings and employee forums on the topic. ? Corporate Social Responsibility: UBS makes responsible behavior an important part of its culture, identity and business practice. As a 7 leading global financial services firm, UBS wants to provide our clients with value-added products and services, promote a corporate culture that adheres to the highest ethical standards, and generate superior but sustainable returns for our shareholders. In order to retain the trust society gives to UBS, UBS conducts its business responsibly and at the same time engages in the communities that it is part of. Socially Responsible Investments In additional to financial considerations, UBS provides e xpertise in incorporating environmental and social aspects into our research and environmental activities.Advice on social investments not only have to take into account financial considerations but also environment, social and ethical criteria. Human Resources To remain at the cutting edge of the rapid changes in the diverse global economy requires an enormous investment in leadership training talent management and attention to cultivating an environment within which entrepreneurial spirit can flourish. The handling of outsourcing, one of the most dynamic developments in the global economy, has become an important part of the HR process. It emains a challenge when developing outsourcing plans to minimize the impact on existing employees, to plan the transition with meticulous 18 execution and to ensure that the benefits are understood and communicated well before the plans inevitably leak out. Managing declining morale and performance of remaining employees is vital as they often s uffer anxiety, envy and a last gasp of invigorated competitiveness. Any outsourcing activity is a time of upheaval and it is important therefore to underline not only what is changing but also what is not.Conclusion Let me conclude by saying that global organizations face an unprecedented opportunity to grow their worldwide businesses. With this comes increased prosperity and therefore the need to ensure the attractions of globalisation are well understood by all participants; that the benefits of increased profitability are seen to be in the interests of all stakeholders not only the shareholders; and that the barriers to the flows of capital are removed as often as they are erected. Fear trade has no place in a fair and free globalised world.

History of God Essay

1. Why you selected the particular book? The diverse religious activities and the differences in faith and belief have divided men into different denominational groupings. For several centuries, religious groupings have engaged in physical and verbal combat in an attempt to spread its faith. However the most fundamental conflict stems from an opposing belief coupled by a summary of socio-cultural differences. These differences have ushered in conflicts that escalated into atrocities and bloodshed. Other conflicts have made religious differences as the organizing point to justify their own superior ambitions. Armstrong however stressed on a comparative history of the three monotheistic religions and exposed the frailty in each belief. Her insistence on the monopoly of truth committed by Christianity, Islam and Judaism as superior to other sects has developed an idea of a supreme being with human similarities. The idea of a personal supreme being has been supported by these religions which condemns and marginalize others. Suc h idealistic behavior of presenting God as a bigger version of man retreats and spins man away from the virtue that the faith teaches. In our present era, God has been adapted to meet the demands of the fast-changing ideas. Armstrong believes that some religions would eventually die out while others would gain strength or change direction. This has actually seen proof in people changing their religious affiliations. Her book is an interesting read that awakens us to the struggle for a religious meaning to an aggressive and extreme personalized stance that totally erases the ethical proportions that embodies that teaching of God. Further in Armstrong’s book, a well-balanced critical perspective on how the Western faith catered to the rise of atheism is clearly presented. It exposed how atheism evolved not merely on the basis of disproving the religious scriptures but as a result of the theological excesses committed in the past years. 2. What is the author’s purpose in writing the book? In our own century, the idea attached to God has been revised several times to meet the demands of the present population. Armstrong believed that when religious ideas cease to be effective, they fade away (376). After so much tribulations and conflicts, the thought that religious roots may cease to exist provides a comforting scene for Armstrong who has seen a drastic shrinkage of religious denominations as common views changed. The reading public’s response in a book with Armstrong’s magnitude has indicated the public’s hunger a theological change. For her, God has been remade to portray a vision that endorses the history and supremacy of the strong to work for their cause. Religion thereby has a social purpose and the idea of God according to Armstrong serves a function for a culture to survive. People have always resisted any type change unless the proposed change fits in with their social and cultural order and lifestyle. This is what Armstrong has continued to stress in her book. Further this book Armstrong aims to express in her history that traditional society practiced spirituality. Men sought nature and use these forces to work for him. Somehow this was depicted in Genesis that was also suggested by Armstrong that Abraham’s God was El (14). Myths evolved around Abraham’s God that was not supposed to be taken literally according to Armstrong. However when behavior or actions of â€Å"God† enabled people to show their best and perform effectively, the concept became highly accepted. The Koran according to Armstrong also taught that God had created Adam in his own image which is why he ordered the angels to bow down and worship the first man (229). Armstrong’s work however signifies that God is either personal or transcendent. He can â€Å"encourage perpetual immaturity,† or be â€Å"essentially subjective and personal enlightenment† which Armstrong stresses can be a very good thing. She means to relay the message th at a transcendent God, when not planning a revolution, is subject to the manipulations of mankind. He could be a racist or a revolutionary depending on our personal views which has been mirrored after man’s own image to portray a supreme being. For modern religion, she stressed that Christianity is faced with atheism which evolved as a rational choice after the Reformation. She also exposed the limitations that Islam has also struggled in order to reconcile religious views with their economic and political position. Modern Islam seeks to either pattern their behavior from western views which altogether eased their strict sanctions over traditional religious practices like Iran and Turkey. The Jews after seeing the horrors of the century have lost forbearance and instead focused on a political battle over the Israeli state. One thing however continues to become a mundane search for everyone which is to seek the truth throughout the long history of God’s existence. 3. Review of the ideas presented The understanding presented in Armstrong was Christianity, Islam and Judaism’s belief that a one true God and religion would evolve (151). Armstrong presented that any conflict should have been erase as they all share a certain similarity existing along the same line of conflict. Biblical evidence according to Armstrong has suggested that the leader Moses convinced his people El and Yahweh were one and the same (21). For her, the call for a one true God is a call for unity among religion. This unity hopes to recognize the aspiration of others but will seemingly focus on a true worship. Additionally, excessive intellectualism is frowned upon which is damaging to the faith. Armstrong provided that is God is not to become an indulgent endorsement of our own egotism, religious experience must be informed by an accurate assessment of its content (205). She stressed a repeated warning against making God into an endorsement of egotism. The Koran is likewise clear that there is to be no compulsion in religion (155-6). God is love as further endorsed in Armstrong’s work which is positively effective in the history of monotheism which speaks of a God who is on the side of the impotent and the oppressed (20). Further she stressed that God would live in a loving brotherhood, and not in a stone temple (71).   Ã‚  It follows then that each human being is a unique epiphany of the Hidden God, manifesting him in a particular and unrepeatable manner (237). But the human mind has conceived concepts that go beyond reticence requiring considerable skill and mental balance when certain symbols emerged. Armstrong has established the roots of atheism were founded on the discovery of biblical errors. Mark’s gospel, which is the earliest of its kind to dismiss Jesus as a god, presents that Jesus was a perfectly normal man, with a family that included brothers and sisters (80). Although the reliability of Mark’s gospel is in question nevertheless Armstrong also insisted that Paul did not believe that Jesus was God incarnated and perfectly adding that the doctrine of incarnation developed only later (83). Christianity is heavily contradicted with atheism as a rational choice against the stringent doctrines of the Christian religion. 4. Analysis and evaluation of the author’s work History of God is a comparative study of monotheistic religions and their experience of the divine throughout history. Armstrong has capitalized that making God to suit one’s personal needs has been practiced all throughout history. The fame of this book certainly banks on how Armstrong seeks to diminish the faith of those who seek to live in within the doctrines of their faith. God comes out as callous, self-righteous and entirely lacking in the compassion and coherence to be worthy of veneration. The best seller status that Armstrong’s book has gained in England is a clear indication though that the public has a hunger to know the truth which has been hidden or concealed. Her apparent endorsement that persons of the cloth and religion might as well be dead serves to instigate lambaste against a belief that she had abandoned. Her distaste for Christianity is riddled by misleading statements that build up certain theories as an indubitable fact. God in Exodus was presented as an example for the people of Midian whom Moses lived in exile. She refused to present that scholars have discredited this belief and continued to bloat the theory as a fact. Theologians have also debated over the compression of several thousand years of history into over four hundred pages of Armstrong’s book. Everything is fast paced that endorsed the acceptance of non-western culture and frown upon the western culture. 5. Personal reaction and conclusion This book produces disorienting yet eye-catching effects as a reading inspires an uprising in history that proclaims God as a God of revolution. Given this build-up, her discussion over the mystical tradition leaves a void for she has nothing else to say after promoting immanence. While projecting religions, she does emphasize a tolerance for Islam and Judaism while castigating the western tradition of Christianity that she grew up in. These profound averments against â€Å"western† religion has created inattention and laxity on greater issues that passed off unscrutinized leaving the reader in midair like Armstrong’s lack of discussion over Newton’s obsession with the Book of Revelations. In conclusion, Armstrong’s book could have provided a better skill is balance was exercised in handling the three monotheistic religions of Judaism, Islam and Christianity. Her condescending tone reflects how she used the deity into a form that best suits her interest. Although she has exposed the struggles of Islam as it tries to suit to western behavior and the Jewish focus on a political status of Israel, the search for the truth prevails. Further she has reflected that a huge amount of strong adherence against excessive intellectualism is damaging to the faith. Her assessment and endorsement of how atheism evolved during the Reformation period is spun over a rational clamor for truth over the long history of God’s existence.