Tuesday, August 25, 2020

Philippine Prehistory: Lessons from the Historical Past Essay

During the time of this course, I’ve took in significantly progressively about the Philippines as a spot, just as the individuals themselves and about the things they do. Previously, I just went with the generalizations that everybody says about Filipino’s, they’re all short, they’re poor, and so forth. Now and again, that remaining parts valid, however not for every one of them out there. They likewise appear to be further developed in innovation than I suspected they were. There is significantly more to the individuals, the nation, the way of life and their rich history. A few things I didn’t think about the Philippines were that they had set up their own composing framework before they had any contact or information about others or dialects on the planet. Baybayin or Alibata comprised of 14 consonants and 3 vowels, while utilizing dabs on the tops and bottoms of characters to recognize consonants with specific vowels and a cross underneath character which takes out the vowel, leaving only the consonant. They additionally had innovation of apparatuses, utilizing them to imprint the Baybayin composing into bamboo posts and making the Angono Petroglyphs and the Laguna Copperplate Inscription (LCI). The LCI was found and no one comprehended what it was, nor did anybody need it. In any case, it held significant data about how society was in those days. The engraving was about the pardoning of an obligation. It was connected to a few urban communities that despite everything exist now. The Angono Petroglyphs exist in a collapse the region of Rizal. They contain pictures on rock dividers of creatures and people that go back to 3000 B. C. Presently days, because of disintegration of the dividers and damaging of the dividers, a few pictures have gotten vague. Something else about the Philippines that I didn’t think about was the Tabon man. The Tabon man is accounted for the most established known arrangement of bones found in the Tabon Caves said to go back 30,000 years making it the most seasoned stays found in the Philippines. Some additionally trust it to be a lady. Some geologic things I didn’t think about were that the Philippines have three segments; Palawan, Mindanao, and Visayas. Inside these zones, there are more than 100 unique dialects communicated in, despite the fact that the national language is Filipino. In Mindanao, it is where the Islam religion is generally conspicuous. It was presented 100 years before Christianity. The Philippines comprise of 7,100 Islands, however some of them just being above ocean level in low tide, and under ocean levels in elevated tide. There are just around 500 islands that are bigger than 1 square mile and just 800 of the 7,100 are occupied. The Philippines, in general, is around multiple times bigger than Hawaii. There are two articulated seasons, wet and dry, where June †November is wet and December †March is dry. Manila is the Capital of the Philippines and the Philippines has the second biggest shopping center on the planet, the Mall of Asia. The Philippines is not quite the same as how I had taken a gander at it previously, and now I find out about their way of life and how they live. This history is significant on the grounds that it shows where these individuals have been and where they are going. In spite of the fact that there may be some awful things since the beginning to a great extent, it’s what carried the nation to where it is currently. This Country has more to offer than what I recently had idea and in my eyes, it appears to be a truly pleasant spot to visit or live in.

Saturday, August 22, 2020

Mmw 13 Notes

SAFAVID EMPIRE Key Focus: 1) The Ottoman (Sunni)- Safavid (Shi’ite) split in Dar al-Islam 2) Safavids’ utilization of strict radicalism to rouse an after and manufacture a domain 3) Transition from heterodox philosophy to standard religious government under Shah Abbas I) The Safavid Rise to Power in Persia †¢3 realms commanded by nearness of Islam †¢M2oguls in India, Ottoman Empire, and Safavids an) Isma’il and the Messianic Ideology of the Qizilbash (warriors; â€Å"red heads† > their turbans) I) How did a multi year-old set up a line? †¢Led Turkish armed force to catch an Iranian city it was at that point a powerless area †¢envisioned an idealistic Islamic world (1) Claim heredity from thirteenth century Sufi leaderâ€Safi al-Din (2) Reincarnation of the â€Å"hidden† Twelfth Imam of Shi’a Islam (3) Claim of godlikeness as the â€Å"God-shah† ?possibly rebirth of Allah himself!! ii) Sufi faith in the transmis sion of enchanted forces †¢maybe a savior figure iii) Qizilbash zeal †¢sometimes went into fight unarmed; trusted Isma’il’s force could spare em †¢the increasingly outrageous their conduct, the more they demonstrated their dependability to Isma’il b) The Safavid-Ottoman Conflict Safavid’s were determined to spreading their Qizibash religions I) Clash of Heterodoxy versus Universality (1) Safavids purpose on spreading their Sufi/Shi’ite philosophy ? Footrests had power over Mecca ?Safavid debilitated journey to Mecca to sabotage Ottoman’s rule (2) Ottoman Selim the Grim’s guarantee as the â€Å"exterminator of idolators† ? alluding to Safavid ?made it his essential objective to wipe out Safavid (3) Battle of Chaldiran (Kaldi-ran) 1514 ?slave armed forces were imposing; utilized firmarms ?compelled to withdrew to focus of their realm ii) Geopolitical results 1) Interruption of the Mediterraneanâ€Middle Eastern b usiness arrange iii) Changes in Safavid Policies (1) Adoption of increasingly moderate brand of â€Å"Imamite Sh’ia† II) Safavid Consolidation under Shah Abbas I (r. 1588-1629) a) Securing the Empire oAdopted Shi’a Imam/not all that outrageous ofanaticism is useful for GOING to control, however not moderate o1588 o1590, set up great I) Military Reorganization †¢reorganized armed force (1) Ghulam framework ?enlisted; much better sorted out and faithful armed force (2) Alliances with Europeans to counter Ottoman development ?first, with Portuguese, yet quite often about arms I) Promote business (1) New capital in Isfahan as a cosmopolitan focus of exchange ? transparently welcomed Euro and Asian vendors; and Christian missionaires ? turned out to be staggeringly worldy and assorted ?â€Å"to see Isfahan is to see a large portion of the world† (2) Secured exchange courses inside the Safavid domain b) Pragmatic ruler â€Å"both dreaded and loved† I) Ruler in the Machiavellian vein? †¢he did everything perfect of Machiavellian ruler (1) Pragmatist not ideologue ?talented in statecraft and discretion ?close eye on dubious stuff ?very â€Å"hands-on† ?great on philosophical talk (2) Manipulation of his open imageâ€â€Å"Shah of the People† ? ffect sovereign must extend to his kin to be dreaded and adored ? profoundly obvious; blended with the ordinary citizens ?made it a point to be unassuming and second thought †¢wore basic materials; not silks (3) â€Å"More dreaded than loved†? ?played no top picks ?no persistence for toadies ?controlled viably and definitively ii) Religious Policies (1) Father Simon’s report to Pope Paul V in 1605 (2) Purged of the Qizilbash iii) Symptoms of decay after Shah Abbas (1) Increasing narrow mindedness towards other Muslim orders (2) Greater abuse of non-Muslims Shi’a imam was more endured; even Sunni’s were oppressed .

Thursday, July 30, 2020

Is Neglecting Your Physical Well-Being Affecting Your Work Productivity

Is Neglecting Your Physical Well-Being Affecting Your Work Productivity This week I learned the importance of exercise in my work productivity. A top business strategist, Tony Jeary, was asked in the August 2017 edition of Success Magazine for some quick leadership tips. The person asking owned a company that had just expanded from a two-person startup to a ten-person operation. He claimed to have “no management experience.” I expected answers like learn everything you can about management, listen to your employees, create a clear mission and vision, and commit to your personal growth. I expected him to warn against errors like the ones I wrote about last week in The 9 Biggest Mistakes a Leader Can Make. Jeary gave four pieces of advice. And while three of his answers were along the lines I had anticipated, I was surprised that this one made the top four: “Take care of yourself. Eat well, sleep enough and exercise regularly.” The “exercise regularly” part stood out for me in particular. This is great advice for everyone, whether you’re expanding a company from two to ten, or you’re an entry-level employee, a CEO, the owner of a start-up, or somewhere in between. A Harvard Business Review article went so far as to claim that Regular Exercise is Part of Your Job because of its mental benefits (improved concentration, sharper memory, faster learning, prolonged mental stamina, enhanced creativity, and lower stress). And exercise is especially important as a job seeker. It will bring structure and energy to your day, which is key to a successful, productive job search. All it takes is a quick Google search to see at least one recruiter’s assertion that exercise is one of the most important parts of the job search. Excusing vs. Exercising Most of us know the advantages of regular exercise: It eases stress, increases work productivity, reduces sick days, boosts confidence, improves sleep, gives you energy, and releases positive, mood-enhancing chemicals into your brain that ward off anxiety and depression. Some of these benefits are outlined in an article from Livestrong.com, How Does Exercise Improve Work Productivity? Who wouldn’t want all those benefits? Yes, we know we could have them, and we want them! But knowing is not doing, and many of us regularly make up excuses rather than take care of our bodies. “I need to sleep!” “I have to work.” “I have to make lunch for the kids.” “I have a cold.” “My back hurts.” Or simply, “I don’t feel like it.” I grew up with a condition that makes me prone to breaking bones, and I was taught that daily exercise was essential to minimizing fractures. Believe it or not, I internalized that advice, and have exercised daily for as long as I can remember. For the past 20 years or so I have done yoga or gone swimming almost every day, with a few phases of walking or working out when injuries prevented me from my go-to activities. But here’s the catch: I wasn’t lifting weights almost ever, or doing much walking or jumping â€" the impact activities that truly increase bone density. My excuse? “I’m in shape.” “I already spend an hour exercising every day.” “I don’t have time to do everything!” Then, three weeks ago, on an impulse, I started an intensive fitness program that entails weight lifting, ball throwing, tire flipping, jumping in various ways, and other muscle-building, bone-building activities. I have managed to fit in these workouts five days/week, and somehow still to get everything done that I have needed to for my business. I’ve built muscle and lost some extra pounds without changing what I eat. Plus, I have been in a better mood and made more sales than I did in the weeks before I started this program. Coincidence? Probably not. What would inspire you to prioritize exercise, if you’re not doing so already? What motivated me to make this change was that I got a substantial gift certificate for a well-reputed program, and I love a good deal. I was also curious to find out more about my body composition and to see if I could bring it to a more ideal balance. I started the program and liked how I felt in my body so much that I kept going, way more often than I expected. I like the attention and encouragement I get from the trainers, and I look forward to seeing them each day. And my numbers have been going in the right direction, which for me is very motivating. What is it for you? Is there a type of movement you enjoy? Is it walking, running, biking, dancing, swimming, lifting weights? If you’re a social person, would having a workout buddy help? Maybe even a different buddy each day? What about working out as a family activity? Would you show up to a group exercise class (Zumba or Water Zumba anyone?) if you put it on your schedule? If not, what if you paid in advance and would lose your fee if you ditched the class? Maybe the option of multitasking would make the difference for you. If you have work calls to make, can you make them from the treadmill? Maybe you could answer emails while on a stationary bike or elliptical machine. If you love listening to music, exercise time could be your opportunity to get lost in your favorite tunes. Or if there are shows you like to watch, perhaps you could watch them from a home exercise room. Exercising can also be a form of meditation â€" swimming plays that role for me, and I know others who walk to clear their minds. So if you’re not making time to meditate, at least make time to exercise! Some people will get into gear for a competition. There are lots of opportunities for that, whether it’s a marathon, a charity walk, run or ride, or a friendly competition between friends (in person or using a fitness app). For more ideas, see 29 Ways to Get Motivated to Work Out. I like some of these! Or check out the 25 Best Fitness Apps of 2017 for some technological support on your fitness goals. And please share your experience… Do you notice a difference in your work productivity when you exercise regularly? What’s working for you?

Friday, May 22, 2020

Conformity Essay - 786 Words

A Japanese proverb says, quot;The nail that sticks out will be hammered down.quot; Society tries to place many rules on us as individuals as to what is acceptable and what is not. We must decide for ourselves whether to conform to such a social decorum. We are taught as soon as we are old enough to grasp the idea that it is bad to be unique and to avoid being different. At some point, however, we must decide within ourselves whether to spend every day trying to be like everyone else because society says we should or living each day true to ourselves. Our strength as a person is proven through what we decide. E. E. Cummings once said, quot;To be nobody but yourself-in a world which is doing its best night and day to make you like†¦show more content†¦We are simply told how to solve a problem or accomplish a task. We are never taught why or how something works. If we do not attempt to break out of that mold, we will never get to the point where we wonder why or how things work . A young child constantly asks quot;why?quot; He has yet to realize that it does not matter, according to teachers and leaders of society, why the sky is blue. It only matters that it is blue. Perhaps there is an underlying fear that if we begin to question innocent things like the color of the sky we will one day begin to question government policies, etc. Then we might discover that many quot;great leadersquot; in this world have convinced us to believe their version of the truth. quot;To be great is to be misunderstood†¦quot; (Ralph Waldo Emerson, Self-Reliance). The greatest people in the history of the world were misunderstood. If we want to be great, we can safely assume that we must be willing to be misunderstood. However, we cannot be misunderstood if we conform to the standards of society. If we act and think and talk exactly as everyone else, we will never run the risk of being taken the wrong way. Therefore, by being ourselves we are grouped with the some of the greatest people who ever lived. We may not reach their ranks of fame simply by being ourselves, but, in essence, we are just as great as they are in that we have the strength to be ourselves. It has been said that fools seldom differ. So if we were notShow MoreRelatedConformity Vs. Conformity Theory1713 Words   |  7 PagesConformity theory is used to explain why people eat bugs, smoke cigarettes, enjoy boring tasks, following trending wardrobe styles, and under appreciate enticing opti ons (Jones Mills, 1999). These tactics are performed in an effort to maintain consistent views among group members and reduce the number of attitude conflicts and tension (Matz Wood, 2005). Conformity will be defined as changing one’s own response to be consistent with other group member’s responses (Asch, 1955b). Asch’s work supportsRead More Conformity Essay1362 Words   |  6 Pagesto Leon Mann, conformity means ‘yielding to group pressures’. Everyone is a member of one group or another and everyone expects members of these groups to behave in certain ways. If you are a member of an identifiable group you are expected to behave appropriately to it. If you don’t confirm and behave appropriately you are likely to be rejected by the group. Like stereotypes, conforming and expecting others to conform maintains cognitive balance. There are several kinds of conformity. Many studiesRead MoreConformity Is The Most Popular Form Of Conformity909 Words   |  4 Pageswho matter don t mind.† Through this quote, the foundation of conformity is uprooted from its murky hovel and is disputed with. Despite, though, how many people preach these words, they still succumb to the mind numbing effects without even realizing it, because they are not fully aware of the causes of this topic. That is why one needs to understand the causes of conformity before preventing the effects. The three causes of conformity include: changing how one acts to avoid the rejection of theirRead MoreConformity And Its Effect On Society1431 Words   |  6 Pagessociety if they don’t stick out with ideas opposite or different to the â€Å"main stream†. To answer the question what is CONFORMITY we ca use the description of psychologists who described it as: The most general concept and refers to any change in behaviour caused by another person or group; the individual acted in some way because of influence from others. (Breckler, 2006) Conformity can be caused by different reasons. For some people it will be a way of looking for clues of how to behave, as otherRead MoreEssay on Conformity and Rebellion834 Words   |  4 PagesA certain amount of conformity needs to exist in life in order to avoid disorder. This is the reason we have laws. Take those laws, rules, control, or even expectations, to an extreme, and some form of rebellion is probable. Struggle with these opposites, and you have a catalyst for war, or perhaps, being fired from a job. Literature represents life, and this theme can be found at the root of many literary works. â€Å"The Lottery,† by Shirley Jackson, reflects blind conformity by the villagers withRead MorePersuasive Essay On Conformity1016 Words   |  5 Pages Conformity is killing the beauties of individualities Should we blame society or ourselves for conforming? As a struggling college student, today we are continually attempting to fit in and discover their place and role in society. Drug and alcohol abuse are turning into the responses for us so we do not have to deal with the social expectations of society. 3 out of 4 of high schoolers have reported that school stress is the reason behind it (12 Keys Rehab, 2013). Imagine there were 4 people inRead MoreLeadership And Teams : Conformity1278 Words   |  6 PagesLeadership and Teams – Conformity Conformity continues to be an expectation and need in many groups. The ability for a group to resolve differences or come up with the required conclusion could require that one or more people in the group need to conform with a premise that the majority considers. This paper will present answers to the following questions. Does the desire to be accepted as a part of a group leave one susceptible to conforming to the group’s norms? Can a group exert pressure that’sRead MoreConformity And Its Effect On Society Essay1436 Words   |  6 Pagesfrom home for the first time, take on many obstacles. Along with the difficulties of balancing academics, self care and missing home, students face immense pressures from their peers. Conformity is the alteration of a behavior due to the influence of others, regardless of if their presence is real or imagined. Conformity often occurs in groups, and because groups are a very common and important in college, it becomes a time in one ’s life when pressure is extremely high. My group of girls are tightlyRead MoreConformity and Individuality Essay933 Words   |  4 PagesConformity Speech I strongly believe that individuality should be valued over conformity. Today I will tell you how precious and rare individuality is, and why we should value it over conformity. As human beings, our lives are circled around a thin line that separates conformity and individuality. There are countless times when we are confused about whether our choice was made by others, or yourself. Deep inside, we all want to be liked; we all want to be loved, we all crave the warm feelings ofRead MoreConformity vs. Individuality1437 Words   |  6 PagesConformity versus individuality Willa Cathers Pauls Case, displays the conflict between conformity and individuality through the main character, Paul. On a number of occasions, Paul is forced to lie and steal to escape the conformists who wish to control him and stifle his unique imagination. However, his lying, stealing, and attempts to escape the conformists, only force Paul into isolation, depression, and feeling a sense of shame for his individuality. Throughout the story one might see

Sunday, May 10, 2020

What Everyone Is Saying About Julius Caesar Essay Topics Is Wrong and Why

What Everyone Is Saying About Julius Caesar Essay Topics Is Wrong and Why Although the conspirators are the principal antagonists, they aren't the only characters using manipulation to reach their ends. This demonstrates he knows the way to use brain rather than force and violence to receive whatever he wants. Cassius exits to tackle another region of the crowd. Cassius exits to address another portion of the group. We are going to take a look straight away. It couldn't take days to go for an outfit. An excellent leader has to be able to create his own decisions because if he cannot, he is going to be considered a weak leader. A nation's leader has to be in a position to communicate with the folks as well because if he gets the folks of the nation to listen, then his job would be a lot simpler. If you're trying to find F 451 essay help, there's present a few ideas which may be of assistance. If you're looking for top essay writing companies, try out the mentioned above. More or less every essay starts off with an exceptional issue idea. There are numerous essay writing services that think they're the very best, and thus don't be cheated and check the authentic list of the very best. This writing company makes sure their papers are all the excellent quality and all the customers are pleased. Our staff creators wish to aid you to publish a wonderful essay on a selection of subjects. If you're on the lookout for F 451 essay help, there's present a couple of recommendations that might be of assistance. The issue is that most students aren't very good academic writers. 1 sort of essay is expository, which intends to explain or describe a notion. It's a profession where the therapist applies some manual tactics, and could apply at adjunctive therapies. Your summarize is really essentially the most significant segments of the publishing procedure, so make sure to set in the majority of hard work. To find out more about essay writing, have a look at this page. DRUID'S CIRCLES A Druid's Circle is a favorite name for circles of standing stones like Stonehenge, that's the most renowned example. No matter the reason, everyone knows that you'd like to reveal throughout the best essay feasible. The topic ought to be relatively complex, but not so challenging. Every one of these topics asks for descriptions or explanation on unique facets of the play. In the event you accomplish lots of exploration, and have superb info, you will most probably compose an exceptionally strong newspaper on Caesar. Although this excerpt was proofread, occasional errors may appear as a result of the scanning approach. It's an error of only a single day about every 3,225 decades. History has such means of turning around. The End of Julius Caesar Essay Topics Julius Caesar is the man who was praised for what Rome managed to achieve at that moment. He starts out with power and of course he does not want to listen to other people. He came up with a brilliant plan to quickly defeat Pompey's scattered forces and gain control of Rome. He was a significant author. This lie is critical to the narrative for the reason that it convinces Caesar to attend the senate where his murder happens. Brutus' very first statement to the crowds is they should listen to him because he's honorable, which ought to engender respect for him. The creators who've supplied this sort of wonderful help inside this report, will be quite delighted to compose your Julius Caesar essay for everybody. In case you really accomplish a good deal of investigation, and take outstanding notes, you will almost certainly write an unbelievably productive paper on Caesar. Brutus is the sole conspirator who doesn't act out of jealousy and envy. Brutus is extremely near Caesar. Then Brutus makes the decision to kill himself. Marcus Brutus had an extremely important part in the conspiracy against Caesar.

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Promotion Strategies Free Essays

For many years I have been considering the idea of learning a foreign language: for example, Italian or Spanish. I was always interested in foreign languages and linguistics, especially in European languages of Latin origin. Besides, some of my far relatives have Italian roots and can speak Italian very good. We will write a custom essay sample on Promotion Strategies or any similar topic only for you Order Now I could hear this language occasionally since my childhood and was truly fascinated with its melodiousness and beauty. But, unfortunately, I did not have a good deal of free time for learning a second language when I was studying in high school, because I had to take care about my little brother. This summer when I was staying with my family in my home town, I saw an attractive bright advertisement in a local newspaper. This ad was informing people about opening new language learning facilities and inviting people to join the lessons. Unfortunately, the newspaper was a little old and I was late to enter the course. Nevertheless, to my mind, advertising in a newspaper was a good promotional idea, because it was necessary to attract attention of general public and inform target audience about opening the course. Three-four weeks later I bought a fresh newspaper and found there an article about that language school. The article was not only informing about opening some extra courses, but also presenting opinions of the students and interviews with some teachers. Publicity, as an element of promotional mix, was also quite successful technique, because a great deal of potential customers of such courses are young businessmen or officials, who plan to join international enterprises and are regular readers of newspapers. In addition, the author of the article gave detailed explanations as to the company’s discount policy. In particular, students and youth were offered up to 20% discount. Besides, those who could bring â€Å"a friend† as one more student of the course could receive extra 10% discount. Certainly, in such situation discounts are also among the most effective elements of sales promotion, because language courses can be interesting for students and even for teenagers, who can be financially embarrassed. Couple of days later I visited my favorite bookstore in the center of the city and saw there a promotion agent, who was distributing flyers and leaflets to potential students of the course. He also had a variety of other promotional materials: for example, he was giving a pen and a colorful notebook to the people, who were entering their names to his list and intended to join the course. Probably, this was a little less effective strategy, because there were not many people in the bookstore who could be really interested in language courses. But it was a good opportunity to talk to a representative of the school about the details of their programs. In addition, the company spent a lot of resources for advertising their services in Internet. An up-to-date site was created, which had all necessary information about the lessons and was quite easy to navigate.   Besides, I could see their banners and small ads on other local Internet sites, attracting attention of numerous Internet users. I suppose that this strategy could also bring good results, because nowadays everyone uses Internet and it is easy to reach potential customers through the web. Finally, there was one more very interesting promotional technique, which was directed not only on attracting new customers, but also on challenging and stimulating the students to achieve great success in learning languages. As I could learn from Internet site of the language school, they were going to award the best students of the courses with different prizes, including a trip to the West Rim of the Great Canyon. I suppose, this is one of the best promotional ideas, which can bring to very good outcomes. Unfortunately, I could not join the class of Italian because it would take me minimum three months to complete the first level. But I had to be back to university to continue my study. Nevertheless, it was an amazing opportunity for me to observe how different promotional strategies work and can be effective in this particular marketing environment. I have to admit that marketing specialists of the language school were very well qualified, and they managed to organize a very successful promotion campaign. Bibliography: PACE, Unit 15. (2001) Promotional Basics [Brochure]. The Center on Education and Training for Employment, The Ohio State University. OH: Columbus. How to cite Promotion Strategies, Essay examples

Wednesday, April 29, 2020

Zulu and Yoruba Religions an Example by

Zulu and Yoruba Religions The Zulu consider real anything that holds power, but particularly the supreme God of the Sky, the ancestors (whom the Zulu revere), and medicine. Diviners (who may be either male or female) are particularly real because they diagnose problems, offer solutions, and mediate between the Zulu and the divine forces, and the ancestral spirits determine their roles and status (not every Zulu is entitled to mediate between spirits and humans). In addition, herbalists (who are mostly male) enjoy special significance; though most Zulu have some familiarity with herbal medicine, only a select few can attain special proficiency and status. Need essay sample on "Zulu and Yoruba Religions" topic? We will write a custom essay sample specifically for you Proceed Students Very Often Tell EssayLab writers: Where can I get help for writing macbeth essay? EssayLab specialists advise: Here Is Your Life Vest! 5 Steps To An EssayHow To Write An Essay FastBuy 1000 Word EssayResearch Paper HelpWrite My Paper For MeCollege PapersCoursework Writing ServiceCustom Essay Writing Service The Zulus' most important religious purposes include rooting out sources of destruction and social disruption, because the Zulu value harmony and order; thus, having a sense of control over their lives (as a group rather than as individuals) is vital. Their rituals are thus geared toward this maintenance of order and control, and refusing to properly worship these forces represents a serious threat to their society, not simply a breach of practice. At the personal level, they value the intricate social relationships that exist in their villages, as well as the ties to their ancestors (whom the Zulu believe live in the earth, the main reason why cattle enclosures at the center of each village are sacred). The Zulu consider witchcraft and sorcery dangerous because witches "derive their power from, and base their operations in, a shadowy world that is neither that of the ancestors nor that of the God of the Sky" (37). They defy the ancestors by ignoring the proper rites and rituals, as well as threatening public order. Among the more desirable aspects of Zulu religious and social life are praise (frequently part of their rituals), harmony, solidarity (as expressed in the role of ritual), maintaining proper relations to their ancestors, and the sense of control over their destiny and environment that their religious life helps them attain. The Yoruba share key aspects of their religion with the Zulu, but their more urban-based, decentralized society reflects in their religious beliefs and practices. It is more complex, prompting Earhart to joke, "The diversity of Yoruba thought and practice is so great that some scholars - tongue in cheek - recommend studying its art instead" (Earhart 61). The most real aspects of Yoruba religion are the holy Nigerian city of Ife and the dominance of the deities orisa (who are approachable through ritual) and olorun (a remote, supreme god approachable only through mediators). In addition, lesser spiritual power exists in villages, all physical objects, and in people as well. They consider discovering and living according to their destiny most important, as shaped by their adherence to ritual, deference to authority, and maintenance of group solidarity. (Like the Zulu, the Yoruba value herbal medicine and diviners, though any Yoruba can be a diviner and Yoruba herbalists have more of a divine role than their Zulu counterparts do.) In addition, they value. The Yoruba consider witches and sorcerers dangerous because they defy traditions, social harmony, and religious conventions. In addition, the trickster god Esu can be dangerous because he is fickle; thus, he must be recognized and respected in Yoruba rituals in order to win his favor and that of the olorun. In addition, unbalanced people who fail to properly revere the ancestors, gods, and earthly authorities. They consider being spiritually balanced (through honors to ancestors and gods, such as the fickle Esu) a desirable object in life, because such people heed divine forces and thus help bring good fortune to themselves and their people. Divinity and community for the Zulu are more spatially concentrated, since they center on two chief locations - the kraal, or cattle enclosure around which Zulu villages form a ring, and on the hills surrounding Zulu villages. Because they believe that their ancestors reside in the earth, the kraal around which circle-shaped Zulu villages are built is sacred ground, the location of most Zulu religious activity and social rituals. Major events in life, such as marriages, coming of age, death, and others, involve rituals that take place in this space, which symbolizes the contact and constant presence the Zulu feel with their ancestral spirits. In addition, the hills surrounding Zulu villages are important because they are sites where the Zulu can directly commune with the God of the Sky, their supreme deity. Zulu communities place village headmen at the top of not only the secular hierarchy but also in control of religious life. They serve as priests as well as playing social and political roles, mediating between the worshippers and spirits and leading in both the religious and secular realms. According to Earhart, "These ancestors require reverence and devotion, and the [village headman] ensures that both in attitude and in act the members of the community . . . perform their religious duty" (Earhart 35). Adhering to the headman's authority is a key component of maintaining proper relations with ancestors as well as with fellow villagers. In a society where balance and respect matter utmost, their sense of community is defined by the networks of social relationships that bridge the earthly and spiritual, tying the living to the ancestors and gods. Among the Yoruba, whose society is more physically dispersed and significantly more urbanized than that of the Zulu, both divinity and community are more complex. Not only does it have a somewhat more abstract sense of community, with a sacred central city and lesser power dispersed from this site throughout the Yoruba world, but it also operates on more levels, with more layers of mediation between worshippers and deities than the relatively less complex Zulu religion. The Yoruba community, on the other hand, is more physically dispersed and decentralized, with Ife the most important religious site because of its connections to the god Orisa-nla, whose first acts of creation occurred there (Earhart 61). (This is somewhat similar to the importance of Jerusalem in the major Western faiths, being the spiritual center of their world.) In addition, many other places in Yoruba society have a lesser but nonetheless vital spiritual importance. The Yoruba believe that their towns and local chiefs derive their power directly from Ife, which exerts a powerful spiritual influence throughout Yoruba lands and determines who should wield such power. In addition, Yoruba divinity takes place in a variety of sites, not simply in the kraal or hills as in the Zulu tradition. Yoruba homes often have shrines where family-centered worship occurs, and the town has a higher level of spiritual and social importance (under the chief's spiritual leadership), demonstrating a more complex social hierarchy and corresponding religious practice. The ancestors are not shared in such a broadly common way among the Yoruba, because ancestor worship is centered more at home than in a common holy space. As with the Zulu, the Yoruba depend on religion to maintain a strong sense of community and seek harmonious relations with divine forces. However, they differ on spatial and hierarchical grounds; the Zulu world is more village-centered, with simpler spiritual and religious hierarchies. The Yoruba reflect their more dispersed and urbanized society in their religion, which has more levels of deities and spiritual practices and protocols. Reference Earhart, H. Byron. Ed. Religious Traditions of the World. New York: HarperCollins, 1993.

Friday, March 20, 2020

Tips for Expressing Sympathy

Tips for Expressing Sympathy Unfortunately, bad things happen. When we hear about these events happening to people we care about, expressing our sympathy can go a long way. Doing so is often difficult as we want to communicate  our concern but dont want to be intrusive or offensive. With these tips and your sincere sentiments, your words of comfort are likely to be meaningful to the person in your life who is having a tough time. Structuring Common Phrases of Sympathy in English Here are some common phrases to help you express sympathy. Im sorry to hear about Noun/Gerund   Im sorry to hear about your difficulties with the boss. I know he can be really difficult at times.Ellen just told me the news. Im sorry to hear about your not getting into Harvard! Please accept my condolences.   This phrase is used to express sympathy when someone has died. Please accept my condolences. Your father was a great man.Im sorry to hear of your loss. Please accept my condolences. Thats so sad. Thats so sad that you lost your job.Thats so sad that he doesnt love you anymore.  I hope things get better soon. This phrase is used when people have been having difficulty over a long period  of time. I know your life has been difficult lately. I hope things get better soon.I cant believe how much bad luck youve had. I hope things get better soon. I hope you feel better soon. This phrase is used when someone is experiencing health problems. Im so sorry you broke your leg. I hope you feel better soon.ï » ¿Stay home for the week. I hope you feel better soon.   Example Dialogue Expressing sympathy is used in a number of situations. For example, you might express sympathy for someone whose family member has passed away. Generally,  we express sympathy to someone who has difficulties of some sort.  Here are some example dialogues to help you learn when to express sympathy in English. Person 1:  Ive been rather sick lately.Person 2:  I hope you feel better soon. Another Example Person 1:  Tim has been having a lot of troubles lately. I think he might be getting a divorce.Person 2:  Im sorry to hear about Tims problems. I hope things get better for him soon. Writing Sympathy Notes Its also common to express sympathy in writing. Here are some common phrases you can use when writing a sympathy note to someone. Notice that it is common to use the plural we and our when expressing written sympathy as a way to express that a family. Finally, its important to keep a sympathy note short. My heartfelt condolences on your loss.Our thoughts are with you.She/he was a lot of things to many people and will be missed tremendously.I am thinking of you in your time of loss.We are very saddened to hear of your loss. With deepest sympathies.You have my sincere sympathy.You have our deepest sympathy. Example Sympathy Note Dear John, I heard recently that your mother passed away. She was such a wonderful woman. Please accept my heartfelt condolences on your loss. You have our deepest sympathy. Warm regards, Ken

Wednesday, March 4, 2020

Slang and shortened words are too casual and vague to others

Slang and shortened words are too casual and vague to others Hashtag: #RuinAFriendShipin5Words Social Media Words and Phrases in the Academic World Slang and Shortened Words are Too Casual and Vague to Others Slang words like â€Å"cops† and â€Å"pigs†, phrases similar to â€Å"It’s cool†, and shortened words such as texting terms (â€Å"r u†, â€Å"2moro†, etc.) are never tolerated in the academic sphere. One good reason is that readers of academic papers are not limited to natives, but include individuals from different ethnic groups who do not understand English slang words. Another is the fact that slang words are too informal for scholarly works that are mostly intended for a critical and educated audience. Shortened words, on the other hand, are usually texting terms that are rarely used in the academic sphere and may be misinterpreted by some readers. Identifying somebody from Asia using the phrase â€Å"that Oriental man† is offensive and humiliating to that particular person. Similarly, calling or labeling a black person â€Å"Nigger† is a mockery of his ethnicity. Moreover, they signify racial discrimination, a humanitarian issue that the academic world strongly opposed. People commonly use the word â€Å"retard† as a more sarcastic substitute for the word â€Å"stupid†. â€Å"Retard† is, in reality, a hate speech and oral transgression generally aimed to make somebody with mental and developmental disabilities feel bad. The word â€Å"retard† according to one study is scary and hurtful to those with intellectual problems. The affected individual often feels bitterness and often becomes aloof and socially isolated. Derogatory, Discriminatory, and Rude Words Offend People Insulting and discriminatory words hurt people’s feelings and dignity as human beings and therefore unacceptable in the academic world. The word â€Å"toilet† may be all right for other people, but it is insulting to an older generation. Similarly, words such as â€Å"wuss† or a weakling, â€Å"derp† or foolish and popular phrases like â€Å"That’s so gay† and â€Å"Don’t be a girl† have a huge emotional impact on people. A college in the United Kingdom banned the words â€Å"history†, â€Å"lady†, â€Å"mad†, â€Å"crazy†, and â€Å"slaving† because they are offensive to different people. These insulting words according to this institution offend women, ethnic groups, homosexuals, and upset those with mental illness. The phrase â€Å"taking the Mickey† is considered Anti-Irish and therefore racially offensive. The phrase â€Å"Go to hell† that most people frequently hear on TV is cruel and severely degrade someone’s dignity. Similarly, swear or rude words like â€Å"damn†, â€Å"scumbag†, â€Å"cripple†, and other dirty or obscene language hurts people’s feelings and dignity. These foul languages are somewhat comparable to Twitter users phrases that are offensive enough to #RuinAFriendShipin5Words such as â€Å"Dude, your sister is hot†, â€Å"I don’t like infected mushrooms†, or â€Å"Wow your baby is dumb† Ethics is the main reason for restricting these offensive and derogatory words. The academic world is against any form of marginalization, bias, narrow-mindedness, and stereotyping. The other reason is practical. For example, the meaning of incomplete words is often difficult to comprehend and therefore likely to be misunderstood and interpreted differently by readers. Words that are not inclusive can personally affect some readers while others, thinking that such words are inapplicable to their circumstances, disregard them at once.

Sunday, February 16, 2020

Final research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Final - Research Paper Example This is because the racist view of the white people was that freedom would radically alter the minds of the blacks. They therefore sought means and ways to eradicate them through conducting round ups and vandalizing the black neighborhoods with an aim to demonize the blacks and consequently raise funds to ship them back to Africa. The whites believed that the blacks had an innate inferiority and thus their impoverished condition and thus their concerted efforts to eliminate their presence.an example is Robert Carter III sent his sons to be educated in the Baptist College so that they could not be influenced by his five hundred slaves. The blacks therefore had a hard time trying to succeed in various aspects like their political ambitions and social economic situation. This is because of barriers put in place by the whites which degraded the free black people. They believed that the moral rectitude of the slaves was wanting. They therefore regarded the black people as strangers whose presence was unexpected and unaccounted for as they had no citizenship. The blacks on their side, sought to fight the racists beliefs and perceptions by seeking to strengthen their pride through the emphasis of the African distinctiveness. The negative interpretations of slavery among the whites made them to sideline the blacks in sectors like politics, social and economic development. The blacks played no role in crucial roles in the society and this led to the Civil war. This gained them some mileage and they began to have a small influence in the decision making process of the Country. Despite these advancements racism was still evident as the whites still believed in the discrimination and insubordination of the black people (Blackmon 156). Most historic writers like Joanne Pope Melish had the view that racists perceptions though they facilitated the enslavement of the black people, they did not solidify into ideas of permanent

Monday, February 3, 2020

Labor and employment issues in the hospitality industry in San Research Paper

Labor and employment issues in the hospitality industry in San Francisco - Research Paper Example The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act requires hospitality employers to provide heath care coverage for its full-time employees. The Act provides that employers with more than 50 full-time employees or full-time equivalents must provide heath care coverage for its employees. Such an employer will be subject to tax if one or more of its enrolls for cover through a state exchange and qualifies for a premium tax credit or a subsidy because the employer does not provide minimum cover or provides cover that does not meet minimum value or is inappropriate. The tax for the employer, in this case, ranges from $2000 to $3000 for every employee who is not covered. Hospitality employers with more than 50 employees must, therefore, provide minimum essential coverage in order to avoid these taxes. The tax liability can adversely affect the operations. In order to ensure that employees have the appropriate cover, it is essential for the employer to determine if it's employees are full-time employees. The Act provides that a full-time employee must work for at least 30 hours a week and should have worked at least 130 hours in the preceding month. This implies that both hourly and non-hourly employees qualify as full-time employees if they meet the criterion. Additionally, the IRS provides the use of the look back or stability period. Under this method, an employer will need to look back at a period of three to 12 months and if the employee worked an average of 30 hours per week then the employee qualifies as a full-time employee.

Saturday, January 25, 2020

The power of transnational corporations

The power of transnational corporations Footloose can be defined as free to go wherever one likes or to do as one likes. According to Taggart (2010), he said that organizations which are flexible and no national loyalties in moving their businesses or operations to anywhere quickly freely and have different nations of consumers. Transnational Corporation can be defined as a company that operates in more than one country. According to UNCTAD (2004), a Transnational Corporation (TNC) is an organizations which control the foreign assets other than its home countries, they usually owning certain of equity capital stake. Nestle and Ford is the example of TNCs in the international country. Based to Fox, Tom and Prescott (2004), they stated that globalization has lead the organizations to spread or operate widely to search for cost efficiency and to implement production strategies across states and regions. Nowadays, Transnational Corporations (TNCs) are central players in the economic environment. According to Macleod and Lewis (2004), TNCs has affect the governments policies which not only local but also include international, besides they also affect the agenda of the World Trade Organization (WTO). Moreover, TNCs also affect the economies and eco-system in the developing world, the wage-levels set by them can influence the purchasing power and demand of goods as well. Power of TNCs According to Dunning and Rugman (1985), TNCs has the capabilities to overcome or reduce market imperfections, improving local and international markets, and to develop systemic, network-related rather than just asset-based only. Furthermore, the power or strength of TNCs also include they can support the global market in terms of survival, profitability and growth. According to Christian Aid (2001), he stated that TNCs has increased and growth quickly and dramatically over the past 30 years, there were only 7,000 TNCs available during 1970, however today there are 63,000 parent companies which operating with about 690,000 subsidiaries in the world. (Further information refers to Appendix 1 2). TNCs have involved themselves in different sectors, industries, economic activities in the global market. Most of the TNCs are mainly from Western economies, TNCs now occupy a powerful position in the global economy, which around two-third of international trade. General Electric which is one of the TNCs, had revenues of $126 billion in year 2001, which is more than the combined national incomes of sub-Saharan African countries, except the Republic of South Africa. TNCs are playing important roles in the global economies and it might be possible that they have the power to control over the economy in the future. As Michael Kitson (No date) states, TNCs are very powerful than the previously, nowadays they are playing an important roles and act as powerful players in the global economy. TNCs not only affect the local economic but it is also involve the global economic because they operate in large business which surrounding the world, it would affect the global employment rate and economics. Factors to Move As Footloose The factor that drive TNCs move and operate freely in the international country is the cost of production and also labor cost. This issue usually will be the first and most important reason for TNCs to consider with. According to Schaub (2004), he states that TNCs are profit from a division of labor, they tend to concentrates their operations in those countries which are usually allocate labor-intensive and specialized tasks to peripheral countries. They invest in different geographical areas to get multiple advantages from other countries so that they able to improve their operation in their home country. Many of the US firms are prefer to set up production facilities in the foreign market because they saw an opportunity to reduce production and distribution costs or low threat of their market position. For example, Renault-Nissan is one of the examples of TNCs which manufactures its product in China, Taiwan, and the Philippines, to profit from low-cost, high quality labor. Other than generate huge profits, resources available will be also one of the factors that lead TNCs to operate freely and globally. The resources are referring to human resource management, technology resources and also the resources to build up the products. This can be explaining by the technology advancement, human capital and capabilities, rich of the resources in a country. TNCs will consider all these factors in a country only will decide to operate or set up their manufacturing factory in a new place. Due to limited of capital resources, Intel actually relies extensively on the global manufacturing network, they set up manufacturing company at Penang, Malaysia is because they can get the resources at there and the human capabilities is high. On the other hand, political conditions will also affect the TNCs to operate freely in a country. Since China opens their market to the foreign investors and enters into the international trade, China has become the new and favorite place for TNCs and FDI to make investment and set up new subsidiaries and factories. Chinas rapid integration into the global economy has created many investment and trade opportunities between China and the rest of the world. It has created a lot of business opportunities and employment opportunities for the local people of China. China is a country which has the advance infrastructure, reasonable levels of taxation, cheap labor cost and production cost, and also the conditions that support personal security and the most important is stable political. Examples of TNCs which operate their business in China include Wal-Mart Stores, BP, Royal Dutch/Shell Group, Toyota Motor, Ford Motor and many others. TNCs will rather invest in China than Middle East Count ries as they always suffer with political unstable as well as race discriminations. Barries That Restrict TNCs to Move However, there are some factors such as Trade Barriers that will restrict TNCs to move freely in the international countries. It is usually refers to the external factors that is unable to be control by them. The most common sorts of trade barriers are things like subsidies, tariffs, quotas, duties, and embargoes. While TNCs enjoy the profits they earn, governments are usually concern with the consequences of these products have produced, and these consequences is usually caused by smoking, drinking, asbestos, chemicals and fertilizer/pesticide that can seriously lead to water pollution. Many countries are suffer 80% of their water is polluted by the chemical toxic such as pesticides, fertilizers and herbicides with consequential effects and the nations have to pay higher price for their water. Besides, the other TNCs needs to overcome this entire problem before the consumer can use it or consumed it safely. In this situation, profits of TNCs will be reduce when the citizen pay for w hat an unpolluted and healthy resources or goods, they always have a human right to consumed clean, safe and drinkable water. Besides that, some of the governments argue that TNCs locate in third countries or poor countries just want to make a profit only, they usually pay low wages, especially to those innocent such as women and young children. Some of the people said that TNCs usually look after themselves rather than them. Local labors usually poorly paid, most of the profits will go overseas, and products often of little value to local people and TNCs may pull out anytime. In order to guarantee the life and also the rights of local people, government usually will restrict some rules to protect their peoples. Senegal is the example that the government and the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights of International concern with the workers rights and health. For your information, Senegalese workers are employed with low wage and do not provide basic social services such as social security, medical check up and health insurance. Hence, TNCs wish to offshore to Senegal must be able to fulfill the requirement of the government whereby treat the local labors fairly. Besides that, culture will be also one of the barriers for the TNCs to offshore or move abroad. Cultural issues would not affect all the TNCs, it is usually refer to the food industry. For example, McDonald is carefully selected suppliers and also producers of their ingredient. The food of McDonald is including beef, chicken, pork, egg, milk, coffee and potatoes. However, pork is not accepted by the people, who are religious Islam; they are anti-pork due to the religious. Hence, if McDonald wishes to franchise their business to those Middle East countries or Islamic countries, they could not sell pork meal and get any pork supplier at there. It is the same case in India, Hindu state that cow are a gift of the gods to human race. Hence, for Hindus do not eat the meat of the sacred cow. McDonalds is the worlds largest user of beef. Therefore, all foods are strictly segregated into vegetarian and nonvegetarian lines to conform with preferences in a country where many Hindus are vegetari an. McDonalds has had to customize its offerings to the tastes and preferences of a Hindu culture that venerates the cow, will not eat beef, and has a large vegetarian population. Cultural factor will affect McDonald to operate their business in a new place such as Islamic country and India. Next, the other barriers that TNCs might face also include customer preferences. Customer preferences are refers to the consumers buying habits, product usage and so on. Nowadays, the living standards and income of peoples have been increase and they tend to enjoy their life. As income increase, so the purchasing power has been increase as well. China would be the best example; Chinas luxury car market is mainly controlled by Audi and Mercedes-Benz. Previously, Toyota will be the first choice for the China as this is more affordable for them. China does have their own automobiles produced such as BYD, Chery, Hafei, Roewe and so on. As the income and lifestyle have been improve, many of the Chinese tend to purchase high quality and foreign car as this is the status recognition for them. Hence, in this case it is a barriers for Toyota as they have the own manufacturing in China. Customer preferences change has cause negative effect to Toyota as it will affect their profits. Customer pr eferences would change anytime and TNCs could not estimate about it, hence before they want to set up new business in a country they need to encounter this problem and think of solutions. Fact to Support TNCs Move As Footloose After analyzing the factors to drive TNCs operate freely and globally, it show that Transnational Corporation can move footloose within the global economy. However, it is not all the TNCs able to move freely, some of the industry might be difficult to move. According to Ha-joon Chang, who is a South Korean economist in Economics and Politics faculty at the University of Cambridge (UK), he notes that there are some industries such as cloth, shoes, foods and garments where the sunk costs are low and firms can be easily footloose, while for the high elements of sunk cost such as chemicals, pharmaceuticals are more difficult to move. Overall, majority of TNCs are moving as footloose in the global economic, and this is support by Dicken (1998), he outlined that TNCs are becoming global corporations, stateless, placeless and locally embedded. Many authors suggest that the ideas of transnational manufacturing investments are footloose and not tied to particular locations and regions. For example, TNCs located in the Republic of Ireland also show signs of being highly footloose. Ireland is a country which their manufacturing industry is heavily dependent on foreign TNCs. The importance of TNCs for the Irish economy is now reflected in the fact that in the manufacturing sector, foreign plants accounted for 47 percent of employment, 77 percent of net output produced and 83 percent of total exports in Ireland in 1995 (Central Statistics Office, 1997). Ikeas Successful Footloose Manufacturing Network (Ferdowsi, 2009) With a network of 1300 suppliers in 53 countries, IKEA which is a Swedish furniture company with à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬14.8 billion sales in 2005 and growing at 15% annually and like to find the right manufacturer for its 9500 products. Ikea usually look for new suppliers with its own 46 trading offices in 32 countries. Major are in Europe, but IKEA want to add suppliers from other regions, especially Asia. In 2005, China, with 18% of all its purchases tops the list, followed by Poland (12%), Sweden (9%), Italy (7%), and Germany (6%). IKEAs suppliers are an integral part of this unique and intelligence system. IKEA design their products with standards modules and procures similar pieces used in different product from the same suppliers. It is a brilliant use of footloose manufacturing. IKEA simplifies what it needs from factories, hence has many potential bidders and gets competitive prices, and does not reveal design of its new products to its widespread and leak-prone supply network. Impact of TNCs to Move As Footloose Besides benefits to TNCs itself, they actually also bring benefits to the country that they operate other than home country. TNCs and the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) bring in able to improve employment rate, increase productivity, enhance skills transfer and technology transfer, increase volume of exports and also contribute to the long term economic development of the developing countries. The impact for the TNCs itself, they can earn more profits, increasing market share, becoming market leader and so on. While for the local labor, it will create employment opportunities for them, improve their living standards, opportunities for them to learn new skills and knowledge. While for the host country, TNCs actually help to improve the economy conditions, reduce unemployment rate, enhance advancement of technology and attract FDI to invest in their country. Furthermore, TNCs also improve conditions of the private sectors in the countries where they operate, a process which is very important to overall economic growth and economic health. They also bring benefits to the government as they invest money into an economy where it can supplement or free-up government revenues and development assistance funds. Many of the Government tend to welcoming for the TNCs to set up new business of manufacturing factory in their country because they can create more employment opportunities, improve the economy conditions and so on. According to Christian Aid (2001), TNCs bring benefits to the economies of developing countries and improve poor peoples living standard, invest money to build up infrastructure and facilities, provide employment opportunities, their investments can aids in local businesses and also boost up the local economic activities. As a conclusion, TNCs move as footloose has brought a lot of advantages to the community. In this free trade century, many firms tend to expand further in order to gain more profits as well as looking for the opportunities to growth. Although footloose may not suitable to some of the industry, however TNCs tend to move forward and further hence they will try to reduce threats to restrict them to expand globally. In the future, there will be more competitive in the global economics due to the growth of TNCs. (2503 words)

Friday, January 17, 2020

Shareholders Activism

What is shareholder activism? In the last decade, and especially after the global financial crisis, shareholders of publicly listed companies have started to be more active and advance their views to the board of directors. It should be noted right from the beginning that the intensity of the shareholders activism is not correlated with the state of economy.Therefore, the management of a publicly traded company should not assume that in times of relatively strong economy shareholders will turn a blind eye to issues affecting them (Taylor Wessing LLP, 2012, p. 1). To better understand the concept of shareholder activism, a tentative definition is required. According to the European Corporate Governance Institute (ECGI), â€Å"shareholder activism is the way in which shareholders can assert their power as owners of the company to influence its behaviour† (ECGI, n.d. , para. 1).Shareholder activism has both proponents and opponents. Those sympathising the emancipation of the shar eholders argue that â€Å"when companies perform poorly, shareholders activists are said to play the role of fire brigades that bring about change and more quickly than would have been the case had the fire brigade been on strike† (ECGI, n. d, para. 3). On the other hand, opponents think of shareholder activism as â€Å"a euphemism for disruptive, uninformed, populist ranting† (ECGI, n.d. , para. 4).The rise of shareholder activism in Canada and abroad In the world of business the concept of shareholder activism has lost its novelty a long time ago. However, the last few years saw an increase in the level of this kind of activity. â€Å"Investors appear to be feeling increasingly empowered to intervene in the management of public companies† (Taylor Wessing LLP, 2012, p. 2). The reasons are multiple.Mediatized international scandals involving some of the biggest companies in the United States of America, such as Enron and Worldcom, have led to changes in the legi slation regarding the corporate governance and the directors’ independence. Moreover, the public access to information on unjustified executive compensation and bonuses, and the recent financial crisis have put the shareholders’ patience to test. Closer to home, some changes in the Canadian corporate law have encouraged shareholders to take action whenever they felt their interests were not properly considered by the management.In an interview for Calgary Herald, Noralee Bradley, a partner with Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt, points out some of the changes in the Canadian legislation: A request by five per cent of shareholders can now compel a company to call a shareholder meeting; proxies can now be solicited by an unhappy shareholder through informal public statements such as press releases, without issuing a formal dissident proxy circular; and, a dissident can now privately solicit proxies from up to 15 shareholders before going public with a proxy circular.  (as cited in Burton, 2012, para.7) Another reason for the rise of the shareholder activism in Canada identified by Bradley is the increase in size of pension funds and hedge funds. The size enables these funds to take a stand whenever the companies are underperforming, or they do not meet their targets (as cited in Burton, 2012, para. 8). In the United States of America the situation is almost similar.Some of the most important characteristics are: (1) â€Å"greater financial firepower [†¦] permitting them [the activists] to make larger and more investments† (Noked, 2013, para. 3); (2) the emergence of new activist funds started by individuals who worked for other similar funds; (3) the degree of sophistication has increased, meaning that activists are hiring financial and legal advisors, and they run more professional campaigns.Also, many of the activists have switched their platforms to seek long-term involvement with their target companies; (4) increased attention from the med ia, which is usually sympathetic with the activists and it is always a low cost way to pressure companies (Noked, 2013, para. 4 – 7). Forms of shareholder activism According to Admati and Pfleiderer (2006), shareholder activism can take any of several forms: proxy fights or battles, takeovers, strategic voting, or shareholders’ proposals (p. 1).Other forms of shareholder activism include private discussions or public communication with the board of directors and management (or negations), publicity or press campaigns, blogging or other electronic ways of outing the underperforming managers, talking with other shareholders, calling shareholder meetings, shareholder resolutions, litigations and settlements, whistle blowing, and in extreme cases â€Å"voting with ones feet† and â€Å"seeking to replace individual directors or the entire board† (ECGI, n. d. , para. 1).Many of the tactics employed by the activists do not need any further explanations, but some of them require special attention not only because they are more complicated and not so easy to understand by an untrained observer, but also because they are the best course of action. Proxy fights. â€Å"A proxy is a person to whom a principal with voting authority delegates his voting rights† (MIPR, n. d. , para. 1). A proxy fight usually involves a battle for other shareholder proxies and it is typically in opposition to management (MIRP, n. d., para. 3). According to Burton (2012) a proxy fight has the goal to â€Å"force change on an unwilling company† (para. 4). Shareholder resolutions. â€Å"Shareholders exercise most of their influence over how the corporation is run by passing resolutions at shareholders’ meetings. Decisions are made by ordinary, special or unanimous resolutions† (Industry Canada, 2011, para. 8). In Canada, ordinary resolutions may involve the election of directors or the appointment of auditors, and only a simple majority is r equired (Industry Canada, 2011, para.9). On the other hand, special resolutions must be approved by two thirds of the votes and usually involve fundamental changes, like selling all of the corporation’s assets, or amending the corporation’s name (Industry Canada, 2011, para. 10). Usually management will oppose many of the shareholder resolutions leading to a rather lengthy process in which the sponsoring shareholder and the management summarize their opinion and try to get to a common view (MIPR, n. d. , para. 5). Say-on-pay vote. In the UnitedStates of America, â€Å"the say-on-pay vote asks investors to vote on the compensation of the top executives of the company – the CEO, the Chief Financial Officer, and at least three other most highly compensated executives† (SEC, 2011, p. 1). â€Å"In Canada, say-on-pay began as an investor-led campaign that started in 2007, when the big five banks were asked if they would offer shareholders an annual advisory vo te on executive compensation† (Alberta Venture, 2012, para. 9). It is important to note that say-on-pay give investors a non-binding vote, which makes this vote simply an expression of support, or disapproval (McFarland, 2012, para.12). Voting with their feet. Another tactic employed by activists is to vote with their feet. This is an extreme situation in which the investor sells all the shares of the company and exists the corporation. Historically, this was the most common form of shareholder activism, until proxy battles became more common (Taylor Wessing, 2012, p. 2). Canada is ready for shareholder activism Shareholder activism is not something new in Canada, in fact it is slowly becoming business as usual.Agrium Inc. , Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd., SNC-Lavalin Group Inc. , Telus, and Rona have all been involved in cases of shareholder activism during 2012 and 2013 (Dmitrieva & Pasternak, 2013, para. 2). â€Å"There were 42 cases of shareholder activism among Canadian f irms last year, almost double the 22 a year earlier† (Dmitrieva & Pasternak, 2013, para. 4). Shareholder activism can take many forms, but proxy battles and say-on-pay could prove the most effective in the Canadian corporate world. The legislation has changed and has become more shareholder friendly.Proxy battles are more frequent in Canada and according to Jeffrey Gandz, a professor of strategic leadership at the Richard Ivey School of Business in London, Ontario, â€Å"If it’s happening more, it’s probably because it pays† (as cited in Dmitrieva & Pasternak, 2013, para. 7). Gandz’s statement is backed by facts that indicate an increase in the value of the shares issued by the companies involved in proxy battles. The same view is shared by Robert Staley, a partner at the Bennett Jones law firm in Toronto. â€Å"We’re going to see more shareholder-driven activism in Canada this year; this is a growing trend.This should increase the share pri ces of companies targeted† (as cited in Dmitrieva & Pasternak, 2013, para. 18). Indeed, each company that was targeted by activists recorded and increase in the share prices, from CP Railways Ltd. to Rona and Agrium Inc. These results should motivate shareholders to be more active and to consider proxy battles as a method of voicing their interests. However, proxy fights usually involve strong public attacks on both sides, and some shareholders may wish to keep a low profile. For this reason settlements might seem like a better alternative (Melnitzer, 2013, para. 13).Say-on-pay is another tactic that activists can engage and it is already being accepted by many publicly traded companies. Some of them are Potash Corp. , Manulife, Power Corp, and Bombardier. According to Cornell Wright of Torys LLP’s Toronto office, say-on-pay and majority voting â€Å"allow investors to express themselves to management on frequent basis. The prospect that investors might express their v iew by withholding votes from board members or voting against a company proposal on say-on-pay is in a sense a more nuanced, less costly and lower-risk threat than a proxy fight† (as cited in Melnitzer, 2013, para.20). Say-on-pay votes may not seem like a reliable weapon for Canadian activists, but it will slowly be accepted as a confidence vote for the directors’ compensation and decisions. In Canada, say-on-pay has the potential of increasing the directors’ accountability to the owners of the company. Also, this kind of vote can lead to a better cooperation between the boards and shareholders in order to design a compensation package that will motivate the executives to work harder and maximize the company’s value in the long-run.It is not a surprise to see an increase of say-on-pay votes in Canadian companies because investors are slowly becoming more vocal. It is also not surprising to see an increase in negative votes considering the financial uncerta inty in the business world. Shareholder Association for Research & Education (SHARE) concluded that in 2012 â€Å"4. 5 per cent of Canadian companies had scored less than 75-per-cent support for their pay votes this year, while no companies scored below that level in 2011† (McFarland, 2012, para.6). In the past few years say-on-pay votes in Canada have managed to change the composition of CEOs’ compensation packages to include more share units and stock options. Even though the real benefit is hard to understand very quickly, there is a reason why this tactic should have a big impact in Canada: â€Å"those equity elements more often include additional performance features, requiring a company to meet financial targets before they pay out† (McFarland, 2012, para. 16). ConclusionShareholder activism has become a hot topic in the business world especially after the financial crisis that affected the profits of many publicly traded companies. It is an activity that has both opponents and proponents. Shareholder activism is on one hand just another populist method of influencing the public, but on the other hand is probably the only way to save a company from an underperforming management. Activism has a lot of facets, from proxy battles to takeovers, strategic voting, or shareholder resolutions, from press campaigns and blogging to litigations and settlements, and â€Å"voting with ones feet†.Canada is not immune to these kinds of shareholder activism, but the ones that will really have an impact in the near future are the proxy battles and the say-on-pay votes. Both methods have yielded an increase in the value of the shares of the targeted company. According to Paul Gryglewicz, managing partner at Global Governance Advisors, â€Å"say on pay and shareholder activism are very real and very alive in Canada† (as cited in McFarland, 2012, para. 15).

Thursday, January 9, 2020

Bad Girls Women For Women - 1127 Words

Bad Girls: Women for Women On February 2nd of 2012 artist M.I.A released the music video for her song â€Å"Bad Girls†, the video shows just that, bad girls, who were doing the exact opposite of what their sexual discourse is defined as. The video takes place in a desolate middle-eastern town, it features one of a kind stunt driving as cars drift on two wheels while M.I.A and others casually sit on top of them. It features other amazing car stunts and M.I.A dancing alongside people armed with weapons, there are similar scenes throughout showing this controlled chaos. Though what truly separates this music video from the norm is that women are the ones doing the stunts and holding the guns, while the men are on the sidelines cheering on and dancing in the background. M.I.A and director Romain Gavras show a different reality and change the typical associations of sexuality and power that viewers expect from a music video. The writing of Hà ©là ¨n Cixous in her essay â€Å"The Laugh of the Medusa† relates directly to what M.I.A and Gavras set out to accomplish in their video. In the text Cixous talks emphatically about how women must be for women and place themselves into the masculine world with their own movement, not the ones predetermined by the dominant male cultural codes. 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Wednesday, January 1, 2020

Essay on Wealth

Essay on Wealth The concept of wealth can mean different things to different people. For some people, it is having a nice home to live in, a comfortable car to drive around town, a sufficient bank balance to meet all expenses, and more than enough money to see through life after retirement. For others, it is living in luxurious fashion in opulence and splendor with tons and tons of money at their disposal. Each person has their own specific idea of what wealth means. Their notion of wealth probably arises from their idea of what they would do if they had all the money in the world. Wealth is earned in many ways by different people. Some are blessed with wealth from the moment they are born. Their family could be rich and then they inherit the wealth without any toil of their own. Others work extremely hard to earn their living. They would either work on two or three jobs, or try to launch a profitable business. So, wealth can be gained in many different ways. However, wealth is not truly beneficial if the person earning it has no time to enjoy the benefits of it. Many people work so hard to earn a lot of money that they hardly have any time to spend it. Others have a lot of time on their hands with no money to spend too, but that is another story. Therefore, the best form of wealth is when people have the amount of money they want and have enough time to spend it. This is the kind of lifestyle that can really give meaning to the wealth that people have at their disposal.