Neoliberalism as a Tool of Market Capitalism Free Essay Example, 5500 words

Globalization is a post-war (1945 -) phenomenon. It describes the process whereby trade , economies and communication become more integrated on a world scale. Largely speaking, it has been facilitated by a marked increase in a variety of technologies, such as progress in the areas of transportation and telecommunications, and it has been also facilitated by relative political stability and a consensus of market capitalism. As a term, it was coined in the early 1950s but did not come into prominence in political literature until the late 1960s. One of the defining features of this process is that it is largely market-driven, and as Moody [1998] argues, legitimated by the rise of neo-liberalism coinciding with the decline of Keynesian economic models [Moody, 1998: 119]. That is, and in brief, Keynesian economic theory, posited that the means of creating economic growth was to centrally control an economy to some extent, and this entailed establishing a social infrastructure which placed money directly into the hands of individuals within a society. The theory suggested that by increasing the amount a government spent in areas such as social programs, the greater the prospects that the benefactors would generate revenue for the economy in general or a believe that money earned by the richest would trickle down to the poorest [Boyle and Sims, 2009: 27]. By contrast, neo-liberalism maintained that by cutting social programs, and in turn, reducing government spending and therefore taxes, more wealth would be generated through the reinvestment of income which would have been paid in taxes: this new policy approach was neoliberalism: a mixture of neoclassical economic fundamentalism, market regulation in place of state guidance, economic redistribution in favor of capital (known as supply-side economics). In his sense, it is both inseparable forces of supply and demand, but it is also largely indifferent to national interests, and even less so with regard t o the interests of labour organized or not. We will write a custom essay sample on Neoliberalism as a Tool of Market Capitalism or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/pageorder now

Bodybuilding Research Paper - 1958 Words

Bodybuilding is a process of developing muscle fibers through special muscle training exercises, increased calorie diet, and sufficient amount of rest. The sport is called Competitive Bodybuilding, where bodybuilders display their physical body to judges and receive points for their musculature appearance (Wikipedia, Bodybuilding). Many people believe that in the end of 20th and 21st century bodybuilders have formed a unique subculture with their own set of values, beliefs, traditions, etc. Now, bodybuilding is regarded as a life style, an attitude towards life, people, and the human physique. As a sport, bodybuilding started back in the 11th century in India. Back then the first dumbbells was created, and the first gyms were opened. The†¦show more content†¦This value is accompanied by the drive for maximum intensity both on stage and in the gym (Berardi). â€Å"Bodybuilding is more a state of mind characterized by excess that is manifest in the gym and on the stage. [â₠¬ ¦] Bodybuilding, by its very nature, screams ‘LOOK AT ME! IM NOT NORMAL AND I LIKE IT’† (Berardi) an important belief in the bodybuilding subculture is the belief that it is good to differ, and in a sense to protest against the socially recognized conventions. According to Berardi, any member of the bodybuilding subculture is easily recognizable. And the factors, which distinguish the members from the rest of the society, are not simply physical and aesthetic. The members share the same appreciation for developed physique and ability to demonstrate strength and musculature, and have a sense of belonging to the smaller group within a bigger society of average people: In the bodybuilding society it is considered to be very good to be different from the rest of the average society. It is good to protest, to show your aggression, and to Ray 4 demonstrate dominance by excess strength and musculature. It is in a sense similar to the values of many marginal protesting subcultures trying to get attention of the public by differing from the rest of the people greatly. In America, the bodybuilding subculture remains veryShow MoreRelatedBodybuilding And The Subculture Of Bodybuilding929 Words   |  4 PagesIntroduction Bodybuilding is the process that involves development of muscle fibers which is facilitated through special exercises, increased diet (calorie) as well as having the recommended amount of rest. I believe that in the current century bodybuilders have formed subcultures that are very unique in the sense that they have their own values, beliefs as well as traditions that are enshrined within their cultural provisions. Description of the Subculture This paper is basically going to lookRead MoreBodybuilding : The Qualities Of Bodybuilding, Backgrounds, And Their Underlying Attitude Toward The Sport1387 Words   |  6 PagesBy using ruthless advance study methods, I was able to ask direct questions about the characteristics of bodybuilding, backgrounds, and their underlying attitude toward the sport (Roberts and Zweig). Bodybuilding is not only about eating high-calorie meals, lifting, and strength. It is about motivation, hard work, and perseverance. Bodybuilding is about delivering that message to number of different audiences at different times and in different places (Beebe). We as humans send and receive messagesRead MoreBcaa Research Paper833 Words   |  4 PagesNick Scott 4-13-2010 Ergogenic aid research paper Branched Chain Amino Acids In choosing branched chain amino acids for my ergogenic aid project, I took a few different things into account. When looking at the list provided to our class for this project, I told myself that I wanted a challenge. I wanted to work on a topic that I knew very little about to begin with. Some of the choices off of the ergogenic aid list seemed to easy and broad. Options such as protein and alcohol would seemRead MoreDiscrimination Towards Disabled Individuals Is Prevalent Society Today Essay1721 Words   |  7 PagesDiscrimination towards disabled individuals is prevalent society today. In this paper I will be discussing various forms of representation of disability in the media. I did my research on the examples by locating an organization known as Stop Ableism, which gave links and sources to various tokenistic and ablist representations in the media. I made the decisions on which section the examples would go into first by deciding if they were ablist and tokenistic or not, t hen figuring out how severe theRead MoreSteroid Use Of Bodybuilding And Steroids889 Words   |  4 PagesSteroid Use in Bodybuilding Chayla Vines Clover Park Technical College Abstract [The abstract should be one paragraph of between 150 and 250 words. It is not indented. Section titles, such as the word Abstract above, are not considered headings so they don’t use bold heading format. Instead, use the Section Title style. This style automatically starts your section on a new page, so you don’t have to add page breaks. Note that all of the styles for this template are available on the Home tabRead More Men, Women and Gender Boundaries in Sports Essay623 Words   |  3 Pagesboundary crossing is significant culturally and socially as it challenges conventional view of male and female characteristics and roles. When altering a customary view of gender in a society, there are both costs and benefits to that society. This paper will discuss the costs and benefits to a traditionally male-centered culture when women and men cross gender lines in sport, and provide examples of different sports in which gender lines are being erased. Allowing men and women to play a sportRead MoreHow Media Images Promote Body Dissatisfaction1364 Words   |  6 Pagesare unable to meet these strict physical requirements. However, unknown to the masses, the majority of the physical characteristics portrayed are achieved from digital enhancement and not only the product of weight loss. It is my goal within this paper to discuss the population is most greatly affected by negative media images, discuss the reason why its effects are so great, and to explore the way to reduce the rising trend of body dissatisfaction. Health issues Negative body image is definedRead More Adolescent Eating Disorders Essay1670 Words   |  7 Pagesproblems which certain adolescents suffer. In this paper I focused on the two major eating disorders of anorexia and bulimia.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1978, Brunch called anorexia nervosa a new disease and noted that the condition seemed to overtake ?the daughters of the well-to-do, educated and successful families.? Today it is acknowledged and accepted that anorexia affects more than just one gender or socio-economic class; however, much of the current research is focused on the female gender. ?Anorexia nervosaRead MoreHercules in Popular Culture1719 Words   |  7 PagesHercules For my research paper I chose to explore and analyze instances of the great Greek/Roman hero, Heracles (Hercules), appearing in popular culture and the effect his myths had on early civilizations. 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How Science and Technology Is Going to Change the Future Free Essays

how the science and technology is going to change the future ! Introduction Science and technology is a systematic representation which helps to build or organize one’s knowledge and to acquire intelligence with some experiments and explanations. The words â€Å"science and technology† are derived from the latin and greek words ‘SCIENTIA and TECHNOLOGIA’. This topic is explained with some details below. We will write a custom essay sample on How Science and Technology Is Going to Change the Future or any similar topic only for you Order Now History of Science and technology The history of science and technology is indentified as a field of history which examines how HUMANITY understands the natural world which is called science and their ability to manipulate it which is termed as technology. Before the word scientist was invented in 1833 , scientists were known as Natural Philosophers. Greatest achievements and inventions The first and foremost invention of mankind is nothing but a â€Å"WHEEL† which further passed down in the inventions of screws , levers etc. By the mid 20th century humans had achieved a mastery in technology by making mankind sufficient to leave the atmosphere of the earth and explore space , another important invention is satellite. The first artificial satellite SPUTNIK-1 was built by SOVIET UNION which was launched on 4th OCT 1957 after revolving around the earth 1440 times which is equal to 60 million miles for 3 months burnt to ground on 4th JAN 1988 which is one of the greatest achievement in human history. Harzadous Developments The growth and development of the harzadous side of science and technology began at the start of the world wars , the invention of ZEPPELIN, a type of rigid airship and other warcrafts such as TANKS, SUBMARINES and BATTLESHIPS caused unestimatable loss to humanity around the world . To tackle the enemies new research and inventions were brought in which resultd in the harzadous poison ‘POLLUTION’ that caused damage to our earth and us at present. Welcome to the FUTURE !!! Technology developments tends to make the life for humans ‘STRESSLESS’. Technology upgrade concept such as flying cars , bullet trains , cloud computing enables humanity to reach their destinations swiftly and complete the works fastly thereby saving time and energy . Therefore Technology development helps the future generations fulfilling their needs. Greener IDEAS! Pollution in the world can be controlled by some of the following methods like RECYCLING , REUSING and preventing the methods and inventions that cause Pollution. Technology deveolpments are profitable to future generations when it combines with the greener ideas! , for example in 2008 the world’s first bio degradable computers â€Å"the IAMECO† was built from the waste products of lumber and pulp industry in Ireland. Conclusion From these things we can conclude that technology development is needed but development which creates a pollution free earth is appreciatable. Therfore the final conclusion is â€Å"GREENER THE WORLD BRIGHTER THE FUTURE† How to cite How Science and Technology Is Going to Change the Future, Essay examples

International Relations Of Asia Essay Example For Students

International Relations Of Asia Essay International Relations Of Asia Essay STRATEGIC GEOMETRY This is the only region in the world where so many combinations and permutations of two- three and four- and even two plus four or three plus three- power games can be played on the regional chessboard with all their complexities and variations. introduction The concept of strategic geometry comprises the notion that that the interactions and interconnections between a number of political actors within a particular system of international relations, either global or regional can be seen in terms of geometric patterns of strategic configurations. It can be a case of simple geometry, in which A interacts with B: but in a more complex system such as that of Asia, with the presence of more than one major actor, each with their distinct, sometimes conflicting political agendas, the interaction between A and B will be likely to affect C or influenced by C. The concept of an international system itself implies that events are not random, and units within the system are interrelated in some patterned way. This patterning maybe envisaged or conceptualized as patterns of strategic geometry. Any attempt to analyze the transition from a Cold War system of international relations to a post Cold War one, will incorporate an analysis of the general nature of the system itself, in this case the system of international relations in Asia; of the actors involved and their respective roles; how changes in the political environment and in specific policies of the actors shape the evolution of a new system; and finally the nature of the new system with its own actors, their new roles, and new concerns. The concept of strategic geometry enables us to understand these changes in the political dynamics from one system to another, in our case the transition from the Cold War to the post Cold War era, by serving as an analytic tool. If we view the international relations of Asia, more and the interactions of the main actors in terms of strategic configurations and geometric patterns of alignments and oppositions, then we can assess changes in the political system over time by way of the changes in the strategic geometry. Some strategic configurations change, others remain the same, while new patterns of strategic geometry appear, as the old forms dissolvethe explanations behind the shifting pattern of strategic geometry is what enables us to understand the transition from the Cold War era to the post Cold War. Geopolitical and politico-economic factors have in some cases changed the content, but not the form of the particular strategic configurations and in some cases however, we find both form and content are changed. In my essay I will focus on this dual analysis of the content and form of the major patterns of strategic geometry and their change over time from Cold War to post Cold War. In order to assess the usefulness of the concept of strategic geometry, we must first see how well the concept is expressed in the international relations of Asia. Firstly I will briefly outline the general strategic concerns or tenets of the Cold War era, the roles and interactions of the actors involved, and the major strategic geometric patterns this produced. The second part of my essay will comprise an analysis of the evolution of the system, and the tenets of the new post cold war system, drawing attention at the same time to the usefulness of the concept of strategic geometry to explain the transition. One may even conceptualize pre -Cold War international relations in strategic geometric terms: the past is replete with instances of three-way interactions between Japan, China and the Soviet Union. According to Mandlebaum, the fate of the region has for the last two centuries depended on the fate of three major powersChina, Japan and Russia, on the stability and tranquillity of their mutual relations. Hence we may presume that it is not novel or unknown to apply the concept of strategic geometry to Asia and as I shall illustrate it will prove particularly useful in understanding the transition from the Cold War to the post Cold War era. Mozart Argumentative Essay Let us begin with a simpler model of strategic geometry which existed in Europe during the Cold War. From 1948 onwards, a more or less clear-cut line divided Europe into two main political and military blocs: the communist bloc and the free world of Western Europe, resulting in an almost perfect bipolarity. However, the politics in Asia during the same period were more dynamic and nuanced than just the simple East-West divide of Europe. Here, there .

Analysis of Culture and Leadership Styles The WritePass Journal

Analysis of Culture and Leadership Styles 1.1 Introduction Analysis of Culture and Leadership Styles ). It is also a factor which hinders understanding of the French culture due to various contradictions in the French culture. Countries with high uncertainty avoidance, acknowledge that employs are supposed to obey their leaders without queries about their decisions and motives. However, France manifests a different channel as employees have the power to understand the operations of the organization and decline to follow an order blindly as opposed to the case in the USA. Employees in France can withhold compliance and decide that the leaders or the supervisor does not have the right to request a certain issue from the employee (Miroshnik, 2010). 1.4 French Culture using the Values Orientation Dimensions Yukl (2006) acknowledges that collectivism measures the socialization gained by an individual as part of a given group. The society believes that their livelihood is alleged to a given group considering its members and seeking support from the group. Individuals offer their products to a group in a collectivistic culture while individuals usually stand apart from a given group in an individualistic culture (Zelden, 2006). France has a mild individualistic culture (Alder, 2008). This implies that France has a consolidated collectivistic culture. Ties are very loose among workers, children and parents and among individuals. France finds it hard to manifest and respect decisions made by a certain ‘group’ but it prefers independent relationships (Adler, 2008). Femininity is a measure by which states pursue attributes linked with women such as; quality of life, social harmony and safeguarding relationships (Williams, 2009). Feminine societies are characterized to put more emphasis on such traits. Masculine societies on the other hand, adhere to manly behaviors like wealth accumulation, quality of life and they value work as opposed to embracing social pursuits. Individuals in a masculine culture gain fame by the extent to what they have while feminine culture defines individuals based on who they are and as intrinsic beings. France has a lower score in embracing masculinity but it has performed well in embracing femininity. France is ranked number six in the world economy due to its adherence to femininity virtues (Yukl, 2006). For France to prosper in its economy, it has to join the USA by setting aside the quality of life and love for harmony. In addition, individual liberties and freedom has caused France to deteriorate in economic growt h. 1.5 Leadership Style to be used in France Charisma invokes an attribution element on the subjects as they envy personal costs and sacrifices made by their leaders in accomplishing their vision. Charismatic leaders have an extraordinary influence on their subjects. Such leaders exhibit dominance, extraversion and self-confidence (Hall, 2009). Charismatic leaders use emotional appeals as opposed to authority when eliciting compliance from their followers. Charisma may be easily adaptable by the French culture as opposed to the US culture. French culture is not limited to adhering to authority despite having a collectivistic culture (Deresky, 2006). In addition, French does not change their ways due to external forces. However, French subjects may be easily influenced by a charismatic leader as they might feel that they respect and adhere to his objections freely. French followers like the fact that they are free subjects with right to act in an appealing manner. This implies that the congruence between followers and leadersâ⠂¬â„¢ vision can merge with the followers and leaders’ values (Hall, 2009). ‘France’ ‘therefore’ is an outstanding state with all these traits in congruence. 1.6 Role of Stereotypes Stereotypes play a huge role in the management of a company and a state. In the US culture, the subjects have been acclimatized to the natural rule of the land. For a long time, the Americans have shown respect to leaders who delegate authority to the juniors and grant autonomy. The Americans have been subjected to the norm rule and show much respect to risk taking and confident leaders. This has been exemplified by leaders such as John Wayne (Hall, 2009). The adoption of masculinity in US has led to its huge growth in economy. Masculinity is associated with creation and accumulation of wealth as well as value addition in someone’s life. Stereotypes in the French culture have made Mitterand and De Gaulle national heroes (William, 2009). This is based on the perceived good leadership skills such ability to build consensus and charisma. The French economy has deteriorated due to believe in femininity which is associated with love for harmony and quality of life. 1.7 Practical Advice The adoption of a single and universal leadership style is quite vital in all sectors of life such as the economic, social and cultural. Policy makers have the mandate to ensure that all individuals adhere to the national culture. Achieving the adoption of policy both at national and company level helps asses the ways in which subjects react towards decisions made. It is difficult for strict measures to be adhered to in the US both at national and organization level. This is due to the pragmatic approach adopted in the analysis of varied situations (Adler, 2008).   On the other hand, French tend to adopt philosophy in most of the decisions as well as protesting both at national and organization level. The French believe in liberty, equality and freedom. Knowledge about the importance of adopting a universal leadership style helps policy makers in transcribing other modes in devising policies. 1.8 Possible Clashes Adoption of a universal leadership style may also help in the economic ‘sector’ especially the relationship between the employees and the boss. Adoption of a transformational system may sometimes be misleading a country like France may require tactics of more than just a transformational leader to convince the subjects accept his or her decisions (William, 2009). A company based in the US may find it hard to cope with French culture as the company may face several ‘riots’ however, a company acting in unison with the anticipations of the subjects’ values and vision will prosper. More so, understanding culture and leadership helps people with diverse culture such as American adopting French standards to cope and ignore differences between cultural values (Hall, 2009). 1.9 Conclusion This paper has theoretically analysed the French culture in terms of the leadership style and culture. The study has also concluded that leadership emerges from influence. In the US, for ‘instance’ leaders propose the decisions that followers must adhere to for the country to achieve the set goals. Decision are made and at times not followed in the French culture as the followers claim that every decision must be in compliance with equality and freedom (Adler, 2008). France is therefore one of the states that ought to redefine its leadership style. The varied cultures in the two countries have forced one group to set up conditions to help express its freedom towards what is considered good as the other group has pursued what is aligned towards the perceptions of the individual. Thus, France and the USA have two varied national leadership and cultural traits. References Adler, N. (2008). International dimensions of organizational behavior, fifth edition. New York,   Ã‚  Ã‚   NY: Thomson Learning. Boehnke, K. (2012). Transformational leadership: an examination of cross-national differences   Ã‚  Ã‚   and similarities. Leadership Organization Development Journal, 24(1), 5-15. Crunden, R. M. (2008). A brief history of American culture. New York: Paragon House. Deresky, H. (2006). International management: Managing across borders and cultures. (5th   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   ed.). NJ: Pearson/Prentice Hall. Hall, E. T. (2009). Beyond culture. New York: Doubleday. Miroshnik, V. (2010). Culture and international management: A review. Journal of Management Development, 21(7), 521-544. Williams, S. D. (2009). Personality, attitude, and leader influences on divergent thinking and   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   creativity in organizations. European Journal of Innovation Management, 7(3), 187-204. Yukl, G. (2006). Leadership in organizations (6th ed.). New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall. Zelden, T. (2006). The French. London: Harvill, Harper Collins.

Comparative Works of Lu Xun Essay Example

Comparative Works of Lu Xun Essay Example Comparative Works of Lu Xun Paper Comparative Works of Lu Xun Paper Essay Topic: Diary Of a Madman Lu Xun writes about the impending doom for China because he hates to see the homeland he loves diminish. The Story of Ah Q and The Madman’s Diary are both scornful critiques of Chinese traditions, values, customs and ways of life. He is able to express his underlying text by the uses of irony and symbolism. The Story of Ah Q and The Madman’s Diary are both prime examples of Lu Xun’s work that forewarns the citizens of China that the traditional way of life will lead the entire nation to a impending doom. Each story written by Lu Xun delivers a different message to the readers, The Story of Ah Q attacks the bad attributes that Lu Xun thought every single Chinese had. . The Madman’s Diary is a direct strike at the most popular ideology at the time, Confucius. Lu Xun brought about these issues because he believes they are the pieces that are holding China from becoming a world power. He has hopes that the Chinese citizens can take the themes from these stories and translate them into their own life’s. The Story of Ah Q was a depiction of a low class citizen in the village of Weichuang who embodied the distasteful traits of the traditional Chinese population. Ah Q was not a respectable man in the slightest; he did not possess any positive qualities and was not respected by anyone in the village. Some of the attributes that made up his personality were close-minded, arrogant, selfish and disingenuous to himself. Lu Xun made this character so that he could showcase every bad characteristic that was possessed by most Chinese people. Lu Xun attempted to built the readers disgust for Ah Q so that the citizens of China may realize that they are Ah Q and work on reforming themselves. Through out the short story of Ah Q, Lu Xun makes references to distasteful Traditional Chinese attributes such as insubordination of Women, China being disingenuous to itself by riding too high on their pride, and mimics China for their poor coordination and direction during the revolution. The treatment of women as second-class citizens can go far back as the traditional Confucian ideals. Lu Xun is bashing common practice and hopes that people can see that a problem is present. Ah Q thinks that he may need a wife to start a family, but then goes on to rant about how women have been the downfall of so many great empires. He considers them â€Å"a menace to mankind† and admits that they are naturally liars and whorish. Lu Xun must have realized that a true indicator of whether a country is â€Å"modern†, is by seeing how women are treated in the culture. The insubordinate Ah Q got into many fights, all of them resulted in him getting beaten senseless by people from a bar where Ah Q goes. But he does not walk home a sore loser, he feels as though he walks home a champion. â€Å"It is as if being beaten by my own son,† says Ah Q. Ah Q views his attacker as his son, thus giving him a psychological victory. Ah Q can attain this psychological victory because of the Confucian teaching of respecting your elders and never to raise a fist. Ah Q views himself as the elder and demands respect from everyone he meets. Ah Q feels more righteous and divine that he does have to use his fists in order to show his power over everyone. The deceitful intellect he views himself having makes him think he is far superior. Ah Q’s moral victories signify the habit of the Chinese of asserting their superiority even if it means ridiculing themselves. The revolution in the story bring upon two points of attack for Lu Xun. He first starts with the lack of revolutionary spirit that Ah Q possesses and goes on to criticize the hypocrisy of the revolution. When Ah Q first hears about the revolution he is excited to join because he could finally gain power and steal other people’s stuff. This is mocking the often misguidedness of the Chinese population when it comes to large-scale movements, such as breaking away from the Qing Dynasty and the May 4th Movement. While Ah Q is trying to become involved in the revolutionary movements, he walks in on a affluent revolutionary group and the swiftly kick him out. The elite of the town who are in the revolution only want to include other high-class citizens thus making it an elitist movement. Ah Q represents the masses of people who were ignored during the May 4th revolution, thus making it unsuccessful since only a percentage of the population, the elites, were actually involved in the revolution. No matter what happens to Ah Q he still tells himself that he is better than everyone around him. Much like China will always views itself as the superior no matter what flaws or defeat they encounter. As Ah Q is about to be publicly executed for committing revolutionary crimes, he noticed that the crowd watching wanted something more than him just to die, they wanted to eat his soul, cannibals. Ah Q believed that the traditional Chinese system could eat away at a human beings life. The story of A Madman’s Diary is a tale of a journal written by a man who is perceived to be mentally insane by everyone who knows him. The subtext can tell the reader something different though; the diary written by the sick man is actually a scathing analysis of traditional Chinese customs. Lu Xun’s goal in writing this expose was to enlighten the Chinese population on how traditional values are holding them back from enjoying the perks of â€Å"modernism†, such as democracy and science. The madman in the story is engrossed in the possibility that every single person that he meets and or sees wants to eat him. He must deal with alienation and struggle in an era where individualism is not tolerated. As he is consumed by his paranoia, he wants to find the history of cannibalism. While he is reading Confucian Virtue and morality, he can only read the words â€Å"Eat People. † The lingering influences of Confucius on Chinese traditions are harmful to Chinese society and need reformed. The madman who is reading the text is the individual and the people who want to eat him represent society, and the acts of cannibalism seizes society’s common practice to tear down anyone who lives out side â€Å"normalcy† and shatter tradition. Lu Xun believes that societies should act like evolution by changing rapidly, if no changes occur then the society is just eating its self because it cannot progress forward. An illness is diagnosed by people who know the madman and the readers of the story, but the madman is the only one who can actually see the truth the other are hiding from. The ugly truth that everyone in China is trying to hide from is something Lu Xun calls the â€Å"iron house. † He claims that the people of china are being suffocated while they sleep. He writes this story to help wake them from their somber and make them realize they are trapping themselves in the â€Å"iron house† by conforming to traditional ideals. Lu Xun gives a creative ending to the story by having the madman be cured and ends up working for the government. This makes the reader wonder what government is the madman working for, did his hopes of a new government prevail or did he get trapped into the traditional government. Lu Xun ends the story with hope that the children who have no yet be warped by Confucius ideals to save the future of the Chinese empire and bring about social change. But change is something that Lu Xun may not even feel is possible, he is sincerely writing this piece to wake people up in the somber of the â€Å"iron house†, not to necessarily motivate them to activate change. Lu Xun was an extremely brave writer at the time and provided the necessary sparks to light the fire called the May Fourth Movement. Lu Xun gave the masses a purpose of what to strive for and advice on how shed traditional ways. Even though Lu Xun gives great purpose behind each of his recommendations for bringing China to a better place, I do think that his goals are unrealistic. Breaking out of a millennia old practice is going to take more than two short stories, but its a start. It is truly up to the new generations to decide the fate of China, whether its impending doom or a prosperous future.

Have women achieved equality with men Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Have women achieved equality with men - Essay Example This is because it has always been one of the root causes behind the segregation between men and women. They both can work together to achieve their individual as well as collective goals yet the inequality arises all of a sudden and mars the whole phenomenon essentially. Plants and offices have of late been filled by women who were reckoned by the authorities as of less efficiency as compared to their male counterparts some years back. This has changed for the better and more and more companies in the world of today are recruiting female candidates for suitable positions within their staff. Apart from this positive change in mindset of the companies and businesses, there have been some pretty negative points attached to the same notion moreover. The top one of these aspects is the indiscriminate attitude of the staff towards the women working in the offices which has given birth to gender issues like the sexual harassment and racial vilification ones. In the present day workplace situation, white men have encouraged the selection of white women as well as minority group members but there is a totally different posture when the selection of black community staffing within these companies starts making waves. (Author Unknown, 2001) Gender is a word, which describes the characteristics and attributes that are culturally accredited with women and men. It is pretty different and distinct from sex, which in its own entirety means the physical characteristics that make up one biologically either a male or a female. Structuralists have been in agreement with seeing the gender as a product of universal cultural laws and customs of the languages that shape up a cultural utterance and assertion. Consequently, structuralism accounts for the gender that focuses on the traditional contour of the male hero as somewhat of an â€Å"active subject† and the heroine (from the female sex) as rather

Activity Based Cost accounting system Math Problem

Activity Based Cost accounting system - Math Problem Example In this case study, the supporting excel computations show that overhead using the traditional cost accounting procedure resulted only P137,994.00 for Lever, P22,079.04 for Spring, and finally P 16,559.28 for pump products. Total manufacturing cost also under the traditional or old fashioned cost accounting procedure resulted to the usual Direct Materials cost of the products P 510,000.00 for Lever, P163,200.00 for Spring, and P 139,200.00 for Pump. Another accounting cost for resulting from the Traditional Cost Accounting procedure is the Regular item Direct labor of P 2,160,000.00 for Lever, P163,200.00 for Spring and again P16,560.00 for Pump. The total manufacturing cost under the Traditional method is the sum of Direct Materials, Direct labor and Overhead. P2,807,994.00 for Lever, P348,479.04 for Spring, and finally P 172,319.28 for pump products. Under the Activity Based Costing, The first cost driver is called VOLUME DRIVER showing amount of P 286,000.00 for Lever, P45,760.00 for Spring and P 34,320.00 for Pump. Another driver in this systems is the PURCHASING DRIVER. The purchasing cost for Lever products is P 14,810,000.00 and P2,369,600 for Spring and, the last item, P 1,777,200.00 for Pump. The next driver is the SET UP driver. Set up driver cost are P 38,533,000.00 and P 6,165,280.00 for Spring and of course P 4,623,960.00 for the last item, Pump. The cost drivers are higher than the total manufacturing cost of the traditional cost accounting system. In this new system, the cost factors can easily be traced to determine what the effects of these costs are to over all manufacturing operations. Some cost activities that will not help in the manufacturing process but sometimes, their costs are included in the factory cost of production in error. The Purchasing cost driver will display if the inventory cost is too high or too low or even unnoticed thus affecting the decision making process of management. Traditional Cost Accounting Direct Materials Lever (100,000

E-Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

E-Business - Essay Example Once Grandma’s Treats has a proper website in place, the next priority is to maximize traffic to the website. There are numerous ways of promoting a website such as; banner advertising, cross media advertising, search engine registration etc. It recommended that Granma’s Treats initially implements the following modes of promoting website. Banner advertising is undoubtedly is the most popular form of advertising on the web. Banner advertising involves putting banners which serve as hyperlinks to your website, on various popular sites. There are both paid and unpaid forms of banner advertising available these days. The unpaid form of banner advertising is referred to as banner exchange – which involves putting banners of other website on your website in return for having your banner placed on other websites (Wilson. 1999). It is recommended that Grandma’s Treats doesn’t indulge in the banner exchange program as having banners on the e-commerce will distract the visitors. So, the best alternative is to go for paid banner advertising, it is important to make a wise decision when choosing a site for placing banner advertisement. The site must be related to gourmet food industry o else the site must be popular locally in he region in which Grandma’s Treats does business. The design of the banner ad is crucial. It should stand out and make people click instinctively (Ryder). Placing banner on the right side of the page is also a good idea as it will be easily noticed, since normally people read from left to right (Ryder. 2007). In order to maximize traffic it is essential to have banner ads on numerous websites. A disadvantage of banner advertising is that it is difficult to track how much they contribute to total sales (Wilson. 1999). However, banner advertising does guarantee increased traffic and it is one of the oldest forms of advertising on the web and it

People With Substance Abuse Problems

People With Substance Abuse Problems Why People Develop Problems with Substances   Psychological and sociological theories as to why people develop problems with substances and their application vary; some theories relate to genetics others to the environment. Most Theories focus on particular features of the rate of drug use: Illicit drugs, Alcoholism, Addiction, The drug experience-how and why people use them, Individuals, Society, Career. Social learning is just one of the theories that try to explain the use of substance misuse. A degree of difference is found in societys attitudes and behaviours. Learning depends on priority, intensity, time and involves practice, motivation, attitude, and meaning. (Edwin Sutherland 1939). Thinking about different theories on behaviour can help us to understand why and how some people have substance problems, for example, Behavioral theories: behavioural psychology or behaviourism is based on all behaviours being learned through conditioning. Cognitive theories:focus on internal thoughts such as motivation, attention, decision making and problem solving. Developmental theories: think about learning, development and growth. Humanistic theories: look at human beings being basicaly good. Personality theories: looks at the behaviours, thoughts and feelings that make each person an individual. Social psycology theories: focus on explaining social behaviours. (Psychologist World) Applying these theories can assist in understanding why some people depend on substances while others do not. Looking at society as a whole does not give a clear picture as to why some people develop substance dependency. If you look at different areas of society you start to see deprived areas, poverty, unemployment, peer pressure, boredom or pressures from work, family history or a pre-disposition to substance problems as well as the environment that a person is brought up in could influence someones substance dependency. If a child is born to a mother that is dependant on drugs or alcohol then the child may be born with a predisposition to that specific dependency, if a child is raised in an area where drugs and alcohol are freely available then they could be pressured by peers to consume the available substances. This is seen commonly among teenagers when they start to experiment with new things and where peer pressure to be the same as everyone else can entice a young person to start taking a substance to please or maintain relationships with peers. This can lead to long term dependency that can continue into adult hood especially if the child has a predisposition to substances or has an addictive tendency, causing the cycle to continue. Societys attitude towards alcohol problems has been largely accepted as the Scottish way of life according to the 2004 Scottish social attitudes survey carried out by the Scottish government. Cultural Attitudes Every person in Scotland has a part to play in reviewing their attitudes and behaviours, and contributing to the debate about how we collectively address these problems. (Carolyn Churchill, 2010) Alcohol problems are estimated to cost Scotland around  £3.56 billion per year in NHS, social work, police, emergency services, and the wider economic and human costs. Alcohol misuse not only affects the health and wellbeing of individual drinkers, but also have a major impact on family relationships, the wider communities as well as society as a whole. (Alcohol Focus Scotland) Through using these services society is trying to reduce the amount of substance abuse within Scotland. This is however an uphill struggle and until attitudes change it will be left to the medical profession, police and emergency services and the social work department to fire fight the problems within the Scottish communities. Social justice is concerned with equality of justice, not just in the courts, but in society as a whole. This idea stresses that people have to have equal rights and opportunities from the poorest to the wealthiest in society deserve equal chances and opportunities. New legislation may assist the problem however it is the attitude of the individual that will ultimately start to change the attitude of society as a whole. Criminal Justice law changed in 2010 this gave courts more flexibility in the way they were able to sentence people that passed through the courts. This now allows courts to look at ways of reparation without using short term imprisonments. Statutory Orders are those non-custodial sentencing options available to all Sheriff Courts in Scotland. This allows greater choice of sentance for the sherriff. Using Social Enquiry Reports, Community Service Orders, Probation Orders (including those with a requirement of unpaid work), Probation Orders with a Requirement of Unpaid Work, Supervised Attendance Orders, Drug Treatment and Testing Orders, Restriction of Liberty Orders, Statutory Throughcare, Voluntary Assistance and the Throughcare Addiction Service, Home Circumstances Reports, Diversion from Prosecution and Bail Information, the sheriff can now look at the crime and the persons background and apply a decision/sentence that is proportionate to the crime. (Criminal Justice Act 2010) Safer and stronger communities are at the heart of Scottish Government policy. Communities that people are proud to belong to, where they feel safe and have confidence that justice and fairness will prevail, where people take responsibility for each other and for their own actions. (People and the Law) Youth justice is closely connected to Getting it Right for Every Child which underpins the principals of agencies involved with young people. Getting It Right For Every Child is the Governments policy for addressing the needs of all children and it provides the framework within which public agencies can work better together with a focus on improving outcomes for children. Building the capacity of families and communities to engage in activities that support children is central to this approach. The Early Years and Early Intervention Framework being developed jointly by the Scottish Government and CoSLA will ensure a strong focus on what needs to be done to ensure that all children, including the most vulnerable, get the best start in life. (The Road to Recovery) Youth justice is about intervening at an appropriate time with a plan and a good framework for the intervention. Multi agency co-operation is needed for this to work effectively using a range of procedures and practices dealing with young people who are putting themselves and/or others at risk or offending. Scotlands childrens hearing system was initiated by a change to the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968 and is now part of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 and is at the heart of youth justice. Since its introduction children under the age of 16 are only considered for prosecution in an adult court if the crime they have committed is deemed to be very serious such as murder. The hearing system deals with children and young people who are in need of care and protection as well as those who have displayed offending behaviours. Youth justice traditionally worked with children from the age of 8 to 16 but has recognised the need to start preventative work with younger children to support them in the transition from children to adults in a more positive way. In recognising this youth justice introduced several preventative measures including restorative justice in schools, safer school partnership, and positive activities for young people, targeted youth support and targeted mental health in schools. The government also introduced the Youth Justice Re-investment Pathfinder Initiative this allows local authorities to act as Pathfinders to develop ways locally of reducing offending and re-offending without a custodial sentence. Assessing, Planning and Intervention Getting It Right for Every Child (GIRFEC) is a good place to start when assessing the needs of children and their families. GIRFEC takes a holistic view of the child GIRFEC has an integrated, common approach to gathering information about a childs well-being. It uses three tools, the Well-being Indicators: identify record and share concerns, and take action as appropriate My World Triangle: Triangle helps practitioners gather relevant information to look at the strengths and pressures affecting a child and their family. The triangle is deliberately offered from the childs view to reinforce the Getting it right for every child principle that children should always be kept at the centre. The Resilience Matrix: help organise and analyse information. All children can be: Confident Individuals, Effective Contributors, Responsible Citizens and Successful Learners. To achieve this all children need to be Safe, Healthy, Active, Nurtured, Achieving, Respected and Responsible and Included. These are known as the wellbeing indicators and are remembered by the acronym S.H.A.N.A.R.I. (GIRFEC) Doing a GIRFEC assessment takes a multi agency view where social work, health and education professionals have a part to play in the assessment process. An assessment should be appropriate, proportionate and timely, once an assessment is done a more holistic picture about the needs of the children and the family has been obtained allowing the practitioner to plan a course of action for the children and family. Through careful planning strategies and interventions can be put into place to allow the children and family to move forward. All interventions and strategies need to be consensual so the whole family need to be involved in the planning and decisions made to ensure their commitment to the action plan. Intervention strategies will vary depending on the family and the problems they are facing. Using evidence based practice the best relevant information based on the best practices in the field of social work, health and education will achieve the most desirable outcome for the fam ily, this also allows for the assessment and intervention to be transparent and informed. The Key Capabilities document has four headings which together form the Key Capabilities in Child Care and Protection: Effective Communication, The Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) codes of practice describe communicating as being done in an appropriate, open, accurate and straightforward way. Knowledge and Understanding, this includes keeping up to date with relevant legislation, being accountable, using professional judgment and knowledge based social work practice, working effectively as a professional. Professional Confidence and Competence include, carrying out duties accountably, using professional judgment and knowledge based social work practice. Values and Ethical Practice, Work at all times within the professional codes of practice, ethical principles and service standards that underpin high quality social work practice, by applying these to any assessments or interventions it is possible for the practitioner to take an non-judgemental and anti discriminatory approach to the clients and there issues. Assessment of the Key Issues Affecting this Family Dean has already been involved in a previous incident involving alcohol where he had assaulted Sandra and her brother in front of the children while he was under the influence of alcohol. Dean has been working with the social worker in an attempt to rectify his relationship with Sandra. Through getting drunk and losing control he has committed a serious offence Dean needs help with his problematic drinking, aggression and anger management as his actions will have a lasting effect on the children and Sandra. Resilience varies from child to child some children do not develop any problems either as children or adults. Families being together in harmony and good social networks are just two of the ways a child builds their resilience however the issues faced by Nathan and Jordan are numerous, they may have to take on responsibilities far beyond their years which effects their education and peer relationships, they may suffer physical and psychological health issues, domestic violence and child abuse, there are concerns regarding anti social behaviour increasing the risk of aggression towards others, hyperactivity or conduct disorders, emotional and attachment disorders and neglect. Building resilience in this situation will need a good level of self esteem, confidence and self efficiency as well as the ability to adjust to change and problem solving skills. There are implications for the childrens safety and welfare which may become a child protection issue. Dean and Sandra are in crisis which would imply that a short piece of intervention work could be used to rectify this situation. Working with Dean and Sandra on new skills to avoid this type of situation and setting achievable goals and supporting them they should be able to continue to work on their relationship as they were before this incident happened. As a longer term intervention such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy could be a useful tool in this situation, by getting Dean to think about his own thoughts, emotions, physical feelings and actions may assist Dean at looking at his behaviours thoughts and feelings differently and try to take a more positive look at how he can deal with similar situations in the future. This is about getting Dean to view situations in a more positive way therefore being able to handle the situation in a more positive way. This work is not a quick fix for Deans behaviours and he needs to want to take part for it to work. Sandra should be included in part of this therapy as she seems to be one of the objects of Deans anger as does Sandras brother. (PSYCH) Dean would also benefit from working with people who have experience in substance related problems such as his GP or a voluntary group. Dean would have to be in agreement with these strategies for them to work. Giving Dean options allows him to take charge of the situation and enables him to move forward at a pace he is comfortable with. If Dean is working voluntarily towards resolving his alcohol, anger and aggression issues it may help his assault case when it goes to court. The impact on the family will be minimized if dean and Sandra are working together to tackle this situation and work through the problems they are now facing as a family unit supporting each other and the children to a mutually beneficial outcome for the family and wider society. Words 2274 Case Study The role of the social worker in criminal justice From 1 February 2011 a Social Enquiry Report will be called a Criminal Justice Social Work Report. When a sheriff or judge wants to know more about an accused persons background, they will ask for a Criminal Justice Social Work Report. If a person is likely to be going to jail for the first time, the court must have a report. The report provides the court with the information needed to decide the most appropriate way to deal with offender. A Criminal Justice Social Work Report is written by a social worker, who contacts you by letter and asks you to attend an interview. The social worker will ask for information about your, current circumstances, personal and social history, previous offences, and current or previous supervision. At the end of the interview the social worker will explain to you what sentencing options are available to the court.

violence in movies Essay -- essays research papers

If you watch movies these days you know you’re sure to see some sort of violence whether it be a killing, beating, or some kind of cruel act. Now every time you watch TV, you are likely to see a commercial promoting a new movie with a catch title such as â€Å"Scream† or â€Å"Fear.† Whether you think these movies are necessary or not, production companies know they will get the viewers and this is why they keep making them.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I was watching a movie the other day, with my lovely girlfriend of course, by the name of â€Å"The Matrix.† The title caught both our eyes as we browsed the aisles of the movie store searching for something good to watch. Seeing that my girlfriend does like violence in movies and thinks its unreal, it seemed like a good enough choice for me. The back of the box showed nothing of violence and the description gave no hints to shootings and killings. The beginning of the movie went well but about a half hour into it, as soon as we could blink our eyes, one of the characters pulls out about twelve machine guns planning to kill the whole city I guess. After blasting all 10,000 of the bullets into the ten guys he was trying to kill, my girlfriend got right up, marched over to the VCR in disgust, and pushed stop before I could get one word of protest out. As you can see, these days there’s not much you can do to get away from watching a movie with even a l ittle violence in it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Why is it that violence attracts us t...

Financial Analysis Coca-Cola and PepsiCo Essay

We will be comparing two companies; both are strong and have great credibility. Ideally with a solid competitor we want to show differentials and make a solid contrast. In this case we want to compare at least two years of financial data. A great way to exemplify this is to compare Coke to Pepsi. To say which one is better to drink is debatable, but what we are looking at is which is better to invest in. We will analyze the information provided in the appendixes and make a conscience decision as to which company is stronger, therefore a smarter investment choice. After all, I wouldn’t want you to throw your money down the drain. The three main characteristics used to determine a company’s success are liquidity, solvency, and of course profit. The aspects, when analyzed, can help you decide which is more successful and financially honored as a better investment. This can also help someone decide which is more successful and financially stable. While we look at these statements I would like to keep in mind how good it is to look at trend over time. This opens our next concept which is vertical and horizontal analysis. By taking a step back and going over the ratio analysis which is composed of the three main characteristics, we are able to see what has happened during the time period we compare with. Hence us making our intelligent investment decision. Going back, ratio analysis is where we divide two numbers in order to get a percentage which we will compare to the competitor. First characteristic is liquidity. This is where we see the company paying their debts, and on time. This is very similar to an individual person’s credit score. Are they paying their bills? This shows financial responsibility and that is a very important component in investments. The information is typically shown as a ratio or percentage of the liquid assets. The higher the ratio the bigger the safety margin is in which the corporation will fulfill their debts. You wouldn’t rent a home to someone with bad credit. Nor would you loan someone money if they had a bad tendency to not be responsible with money. Going back to business mind state, we can look at the potential ability to turn a good or service into profit. This is crucial to investing. It’s also crucial to compare companies within the same industry. It seems logical initially but there are ratios and formulas that are used that operate most efficiently when comparison is done within similarities. So, let’s get on with the fun stuff already! PepsiCo’s Balance Sheet and Liquid Ratio (Remember, we are dividing the current asset with the liabilities for both years, not dividing the annual comparison. Meaning; do not divide the two numbers next to each other. This is the essential difference between horizontal and vertical analysis. ) Current ratio 2005=10,4549406=1.11 Current ratio 2004= 86396752=1.28 Just to make a quick observation before we move on the ratio of 2005 is 1.11:1 and in 2004 it is 1.28:1. We now have the ratios; let’s get the percentage of total assets from cash and equivalents. Then we will do Coca-Cola’s and compare. Percentage of cash for 2005=1716 (cash and equiv)10454 (total assets)= .1641 Percentage of cash for 2004=12808639= .1481 That’s 16.41% for 2005 and 14.81% for 2004. This is solid statistic and I don’t really see much room for improvement based on the information found. It seems to be a solid bet, but we are far from done. Coca-Cola’s Balance Sheet and Liquid Ratio (Again, remember to divide the total asset with total liability.) Current ratio 2005=10,2509,836=1.042 Current ratio 2004=12,28111,133=1.103 So the ratio is 1.042:1 for 2005 and 1.103:1 for 2004. Don’t feel discouraged, we will take this information and further discuss. I would like to mention that liability ratio lowering isn’t a bad thing and can mean potential growth. That being said, I sense improvement. Now that we have our ratio numbers for both companies and both years we will determine the percentage of total assets from cash and the equivalents. Now we will get the percentages of total assets and compare with PepsiCo. Percentage of cash for 2005=4701 (cash and equiv)29427(total assets)= .1598 Percentage of cash for 2004=670731441= .2133 That’s 15.98% for 2005 and 21.33% for 2004. I’m not sure about you, but if my percentage of cash went down 5.35% I would fret. Now, that’s not to say I wouldn’t invest just yet, but it does raise concern. Unless this cash is being used to pay off debts or re-invest into the company however, one should raise concern. Now that we have our calculations let’s make our comparison. In 2004 PepsiCo’s ratio was 1.28:1 then in 2005 it was 1.11:1. Whereas Coca-Cola had 1.103:1 for 2004 and 1.042:1 in 2005. We can divide the total current assets and of the liabilities for the two years giving us the increase or decrease for the same company. Simply divide the total current asset or liabilities for the two different years. We can find the increase or decrease for asset or liabilities. This furthers our comparisons. Let’s get back to solvency. It is a comparison of current assets and current liabilities. It is determined by dividing one with another. This gives an investor a ratio, which is explained earlier, that provides the investor with good information. That being, how does the company do with long-term responsibility? Also how likely will it act in the future with obligations and goals? The lower the ratio is, the less likely they are to have the follow through we are looking for. A high ratio provides the investor with an imminent outlook on the corporation being free of debt and how the company chooses to re-invest its profit. Profitability can allow an investor to monitor the corporation’s ability to produce assets in comparison to the expenses they must pay off. To put it bluntly, if a company has a higher profit ratio or margin than another company than they are doing better. We can do the same thing with profit that we did with liquidity as far as percentages and ratios go. When looking at profits we must be sure to compare annually because many companies have a season where they are selling more product. What the intended affect would be is to get the average and avoid the fluke statistics. When investing, it is a good idea to take a good step back. Like looking through the window of a candy shop. One candy might look good but you take a step back you can admire the entire display and see what is really going on. The big picture. Horizontal analysis can be utilized to provide the investor with the corporation’s financial data over a monthly or annual progression. It can be expressed using a balance sheet, an income statement, or retained earnings statement. When an investor evaluates the horizontal analysis they can determine the stability of the corporation, giving them solid insight. First we will apply horizontal analysis to PepsiCo’s assets and liabilities. We start by dividing the difference of total current assets between 2004 and 2005. As I have provided the spreadsheet earlier with the information it won’t be necessary to repeat. We are still dealing with those highlighted numbers; this will make it easier to locate the correct statistics. 10454 assets of 2005 – 8639 (assets of 2004)8639 (assets of 2004) = .210 We can then turn this into percentage which would be 21% (technically 21.01%) total current asset increase from one year to the next. Now we’ll do the same with liabilities. 9406 liabilties of 2005- 6752 (liabilties of 2004)6752 (liabilties 2004)= .393 Let’s do this in percentage form, 39.3%. That’s increase of liabilities during the time span of 2004 to 2005. By analyzing this information we are provided with the fact that there is an increase in current assets. This can be done by obtaining loans and gaining credibility as a corporation. On the counterpoint here there is a possibility that debt has increased. Keep in mind that while numbers are increasing and numbers don’t lie, it’s the person analyzing them that puts things in perspective. Let’s make a comparison now with Coca-Cola. 10250 assets of 2005- 12281 (assets of 2005)31441 assets 2004= -.064 We made the horizontal analysis to see if Coca-Cola has gone through increase or decrease with assets and liabilities between the two years of information we were given. When we translate our answer from decimal to percentage we get -6.4% which is a decrease. Let’s divide liabilities for Coca-Cola now. 9836 liabilities of 2005- 11133 (liabilities of 2004)11133 (liabilties of 2004)= -.116 This gives us -11.6% decrease in liabilities from 2004 to 2005. Translating that to English, this means that while assets were low it seems they were clearly paying off debts. This is a responsible and promising thing for a corporation to act on. A good investor will recognize debts being paid off and see that they are making profits and creating a solid foundation for the future. By judging the company’s percentage of growth we can easily separate the stronger competitor. Now, let’s do PepsiCo’s vertical analysis. Year 2005=1716(cash and equiv)31727 (total asset)= .054 Year 2004=1280 (cash and equiv)27987 total asset= .046 In 2005 the percentage is 5.4% while in 2004 it was only 4.6%. Let’s now figure out how much of the assets are currently in possession of the company, first with 2005. Oh, and imagine how nice it would be if we could do that with people we’ve loaned money to. Year 2005=10454 (current asset)31727 (total asset)= .3295 Year 2004=8639 (current asset)27987 (total asset)= .3087 So, we have 32.95% in 2005 and 30.87% in 2004. Meaning that PepsiCo’s assets in possession went up 2.08% in a year. Promising, right? Well, what about Coca-Cola’s? Year 2005=4701 (cash and equiv)29427 total asset= .160 Year 2004=6707 (cash and equiv)31441 (total asset)=.213 In 2005 the percentage is 16% while in 2004 it was 21.3%. Interesting, huh? Let’s figure out the assets Coca-Cola owned in possession. This is where investor’s ears perk up and we can get to some real solid numbers that will eventually define our final decision. Year 2005=10250 (current asset)29427 (total asset)= .348 Year 2004=12281 (current asset)29427 (total asset)= .391 In 2005 the percentage is 34.8% while in 2004 it was higher with a 39.1%. One can easily come to the conclusion that Coca-Cola may have fewer assets in possession, but keep debts in mind. Investors are looking for exactly this. Sure, they own less but they are also being financially responsible. In conclusion with all that has been said and analyzed I would like to conclude this intense and considerate examination. Many statistics were provided by the appendix and several calculations were made to come to a logical and sound conclusion. By viewing over the ratios and percentages we can determine that Coca-Cola is a stronger company. With the fact they do have low assets, we consider how many debts are being paid off due to the profits that are made. The CEO clearly had a strong head on their shoulders and even though these numbers are but six years old, I can only imagine their consistence has stayed the same. Reason being, the corporation has remained out of debts and re-invested th eir profits into future proceedings which allow a positive outlook for investors. Resources: Hill, M.G (2009). Financial Accounting

Article Critique Its a Flat World, After All by Thomas Friedman

Article Critique Its a Flat World, After All by Thomas Friedman Friedman (2005) argues that technology adoption is resulting in the transformation of geo-economics and lives of individuals. Indeed, there are different angles in which the technology has transformed the lives of people, ranging from deployment of technology in production to the revolution in information technology.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Article Critique: â€Å"It’s a Flat World, After All† by Thomas Friedman specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The tone of the argument presented in the article shows concern over the pace at which technology is taking shape in the contemporary world. Friedman notes that technology has grown at a pace that has left many people unable to comprehend. One thing that is pointed out in the article is that a technological revolution took place immediately after September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in the United States. It was hard for people to realize the revolution i n technology as they had diverted a lot of time and focus on analyzing and assessing the September 11 incidence. Arguing that the concentration on the September 11 attacks impeded people from realizing a revolution in technology, especially information technology is not up to the point. Contrary to this argument, it is argued that the September 11 attack in the United States is a factor that sparked the use of technology to enhance safety and security of people. Sporadic communication was witnessed after the attack as people sought to ensure that other people were safe (Azari, 2003). Another perspective of technology as presented in the article is that the dot com burst and Enron could be viewed as an end to globalization. However, that was the beginning of globalization and the realization of a more compact world, enabled by availability of technology. This is notable in the way the author explains his visit to India. The realization by the author about the possibility of making mu ltiple transactions at the same place led him to realize the tremendous development in the field of technology (Friedman 2005). Technology had attained a high level of transformation with the ability to engage different stakeholders from different regions on a single information technology platform in one destination. Therefore, ability to transact makes the world smaller and more compact, thereby enhancing business.Advertising Looking for essay on it? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In the article, Friedman notes that the development and deployment of technology in the world accelerated in the bubble era. The bubble era was marked by a revolution in information and communication technology as a result of the spread of internet technology and the development of the World Wide Web, which saw a lot of people use the World Wide Web in enhancing transactions. An example is the growth of the dot com generation, where a lo t of sites were developed on the World Wide Web to aid in exchange of information globally. It can be argued that Friedman’s observations are a real account of the global trend in the development of technology as applauded by several other researchers who have been investigating the development of technology, especially in the 21st century. Another critical feature in the development of technology across the world that is featured in the article is the massive investment in the development of broadband connectivity across the globe. Friedman argues that the early years of the 21st century saw hundreds of millions of dollars being invested in the development of the internet, a vital tool in which information technology is enhanced. Indeed, there was a rapid explosion in the development of technology in the world with the realization that technology was the core basis on which the achievement of a global village could be attained. Information technology was and has remained cri tical in the realization of a global virtual village, which is marked by the ease of access to information from all corners of the world and the ability to make transactions irrespective of the distance that prevails between the parties involved. What the author fails to bring out in his argument is that tremendous achievements in technology had already been made in most of the western countries, which were the main stakeholders in fostering the spread of internet technology in the developing regions of the globe as they pressed for globalization. As brought out in the article, the contemporary information technology environment across the world is because of the increase in access to the internet.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Article Critique: â€Å"It’s a Flat World, After All† by Thomas Friedman specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It is, therefore, irrefutable that the developments that were staged in the bubble era, as the spread of undersea fiber cables has aided is speeding up the technology platform in the developing world by speeding the pace of internet connectivity. Moreover, there is immense increase in the speed at which data is transferred and accessed via the optic cables. During the bubble era, there was a lot of rationalization on the mechanisms of broadening adoption and use of technology in global transactions. According to Friedman (2005), one of the solutions that were reached by critical stakeholders in the technology industry was to make it easy for people to access technology tools as a way of ensuring that benefits of technology are realized across the globe. Prices of computers were dropped, thereby enabling massive shipment of computers from the developed world to the developing world. Computers could be easily afforded by people in the developing world at such prices. With the scale of computer access having risen in the developing world, it was easy fo r information technology companies like Google and many other software companies to launch their activities in the developing world, just as they had established their operations in the developed world. However, there is one thing that ought to be noted when talking about the reduction in prices of computers and shipping of computers across the world. It is essential to talk about the state of computers that are shipped from the developed to the developing world, even as the world seeks to enhance growth and development in technology to realize the benefits of globalization. It is argued that a relatively colossal gap still stands between the developing and the developed world in regard to the nature of computers and computer technologies available in both worlds. One reason that is given for this, which is perhaps linked to the article, is that computers that were spread to the developing world were already outdated; thereby offering them at lower prices is just one of the means of disposing them off. Such developments have continued to take shape as the developed countries continue to develop more sophisticated and efficient computers and computer technologies and releasing computers and computer technologies that they consider outdated to the developing world. Therefore, it is worthwhile to note that access to advanced and sophisticated technology tools is still largely determined by financial capabilities.Advertising Looking for essay on it? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The fact that most people in the developed world are financially stable gives them the advantage of acquiring sophisticated technologies. This is the opposite referring to the developing world. However, one thing that has been noted is that the techniques are availed by firms in all regions of the world, which means that people who are financially stable in the developing world can still access the best technology tools and services. Nonetheless, it should be noted that the move by people from the developing world to access more sophisticated technology tools has also broadened with liberalization of the global environment where people can now easily travel from one region of the world to the other. Friedman also notes in the article that there was an explosion of email. The explosion of email is just one of the many developments that are attributed to the spread of the internet via the fibre cables and other emerging information technologies. With the growth and spread of internet has been the development of different software engines like Google and other applications that enable people to easily access and exchange information irrespective of the distance and the source of information. Therefore, according to Friedman, one can easily develop remotely by utilizing the internet and technology tools that are attributed to the internet. However, it should be noted that internet tools and technologies are provided by given companies. Therefore, as much as attaining remote development through the use of these technologies has been made possible, control and administration of these technologies and tools is a factor that needs to be explored. Cases of inaccessibility are reported More often than not, with suppliers of these technologies being critiqued for imposing controls and limiting the pace at which people use the techniques. The other thing that comes out in the article is the issue of intellectual work and intellectual property. According to the argument in the article, intellectual work can be quickly delivered courtesy of information technology tools and applications. With technology, it is easy to disaggregate, distribute, deliver, and share different kinds of information. This has given people freedom to advance different pieces of work. The contribution of technology to the freedom of people to develop intellectual work is an issue that draws a lot of reactions from different analysts. It cannot be denied that technology has provided an open space where people can easily access a wide variety of information. People can work on their private developments efficiently due to the ease of accessing information, resulting in generation of works or new pieces of information. However, the whole issue of intellectual work is complex. The complexity of the problem comes from the fact that intellectual work is a piece of work that needs to be right protected. Information technology has resulted in technologies that help people to explore a wide range of information on diverse databases that can be accessed on the internet. However, protection of intellectual work has become quite challenging because of issues of security, which has become one of the main concerns as far as protection of mental work is concerned. One ethical issue that is raised as far as the development of intellectual work is concerned are the modalities that are deployed by people when seeking information to aid them in developing certain pieces of work; intellectual work. There is a resounding alarm about stealing of information through the unauthorized access to specific databases by the same people developing intellectual work. Therefore, this can be termed as the first drawback when it comes to development and deployment of technology in the contemporary world. The ease of delivering intellectual work to interested persons across the world ought to be applauded. However, the main concern over the issue revolves around permission to access and di stribute that work on the internet. According to Azari (2003), breaches in information access and use are commonly reported, raising a concern about the possibility of using technology to protect technology. Research denotes an increase in the efforts of technology experts to develop protective technologies when it comes to the use and protection of personal information, which falls under intellectual property. A wide range of technologies has been developed, for instance data encryption and the use of passwords, to protect people from unauthorized access to information. However, the fruits of such technologies are yet to be realized as the world continues to witness an increase in the number of incidences of information breaches on the internet. The conclusion that can be adopted at this point is that as much as technology contributes to the development of intellectual work, it is also the same technology that kills the urge to develop intellectual work through the persistent growt h in issues of information security (Azari 2003). According to Wilson (2004), leveling the playing ground as exhibited by the growth and transformation of technology in the world is something that needs not is overemphasized. Friedman observes that countries that were considered to be underdeveloped, like India, have scaled up their level of competitiveness through adoption and development of technology. The ability of such countries to compete in global knowledge has risen. Whether this is a danger to the developed world is an issue that is subject to debate. Technology adoption and development in the emerging economies is cited as the reason why these countries have been able to broaden the level of production, thereby compounding the level of competition in international markets. A notable example is the high pace of adoption and development of technology in a number of Asian countries, particularly the Asian Tigers. A perfect example is China, where technology has been vital in transforming the size of the economy. China has grown to become one of the largest economies in the world, matching and tempting to surpass the economy of the United States, which has been one of the leading industrial economies in the world for more than a half a century. The contemporary scale of adoption and deployment of technology in the developing world, just as observed by Friedman, is that the current trend of development in the emerging economies has posed severe threats to the heights of competition that have been enjoyed by the developed countries like the United States for a long time. Therefore, I concur with the argument by Friedman that the playing field in technology is being flattened. There is bound to be a tilt in favour of the emerging economies when it comes to future deployment of information technology as these countries pace up their efforts to bridge the competition gap between them the developed economies (Wilson 2004). Reference List Azari, R 2003, Current security management ethical issues of information technology, Idea Group Inc., Harrisburg, PA. Friedman, TL 2005, ‘Its a flat world’, after all’, The New York Times, April 03 2005. Web. Wilson, EJ 2004, The information revolution and developing countries, MIT Press, Cambridge, MA.

Career Change Consider These 5 Ways to Reinvent Yourself

Career Change Consider These 5 Ways to Reinvent Yourself Looking for a new job? Don’t pigeon-hole yourself by only considering opportunities similar to your established career path or what your degree says you are qualified to do. If you are going in a totally new direction with your career, it may require reinventing yourself, utilizing hidden skills and talents, and setting a goal to enjoy your new job more than you ever thought possible. As the poet Robert Frost wrote, â€Å"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.† So your new path may not be the most obvious one to take, but forging in a new direction can be very rewarding.How to Reinvent Your CareerIf you are looking for a change in employment; a job that will be rewarding and actually make you excited about heading to work each day, that job you seek may not even be on your radar.Reinventing your career requires thinking outside of the box (another job skill, by the way). Focus more on your hidden talents and the skills you have acquired through your work experience, in your personal life, or through volunteer work. Look down a different path, rather than the obvious direction of your work history or what you majored in college.What Skills Does a New Employer Seek?You have hidden skills and talents. Whether you mastered creating extraordinary PowerPoint presentations or your were in charge of entertaining your company’s clients while they were in town, you acquired extra skills along the way.So how do you identify these hidden talents and use them to find a new job or career? Here are the basic steps to reinventing yourself and finding a new career path.First, think about any skills you learned at other jobs, especially the ones that were never part of your job description, yet were required for you in order to succeed. This is a tough one because it requires really thinking about what was expected of you in moments where probably not a lot of recognition was given. These were side-skills and until now, nobody paid attention to them.Now begin writing a skill list and include all of your soft-skills as well as hard skills. While it is great that you are a PowerPoint guru, employers want to know that you have the insight to know what should go into a presentation that will reach the audience, motivate a client, or entice a customer. Write down instances where critical thinking and being keenly aware of underlying messages were something you tapped into.Add to your list any examples of being a persuasive public speaker. According to Prinstonreview.com, strong public speaking or presentation skills are vital for many career paths you might take. Think of it as the ability to sell or influence others, which could apply to a myriad of career options.Think about the research skills you have developed through your experience. Whether a career in law, marketing, teaching, politics or public relations, having a solid understanding of research methods will be a val uable asset for employers.If you are skilled at writing and communication then you are in luck. One of the top skills employers look for is good communications skills. If you can write or edit copy, there are many opportunities in which to use these skills. Above all, employers are looking to hire candidates with outstanding communication skills and who are team players, according to results of National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) Job Outlook 2013 survey.Finally, consider out of the ordinary experiences you have had on the job. This is a vast topic because there are so many ways you may have developed creative skills or sharpened organization capabilities. Have you excelled in illustration and design activities at work? Perhaps you were placed in charge of planning and orchestrating your company’s elaborate 10th-anniversary dinner party or an awards banquet?Creative or organizational skills like design or event management are needed in so many different forms of employment. Never leave those little extra talents you possess, like creativity or your ability to manage multiple tasks, off of your list.Think that focusing on your experience and expanded skill-set will not net you a solid job offer? Think again. According to a survey conducted by NACE, a vast majority of employers look more to hands-on experience and those extra skills, the ones most people don’t think twice about, when they are considering applicants.Now you are ready to consider new job opportunities, utilizing additional skill-sets and talents that you previously might have overlooked when searching for a new job. If it is time to explore new career possibilities, sign up with TheJobNetwork, include any hidden-skills that you possess on your resume, and head down a new path to your future.

Health of the UK Automobile Industry Research Paper

Health of the UK Automobile Industry - Research Paper Example The automobile industry contributes 0.73% of the entire UK GDP but over the last decade, the industry has not been witnessing as much growth as the other sectors (Jones 1983; NAIGT 2008). The survey by the New Automotive Innovative and Growth Team (NAIGT) suggested a few success factors. (NAIGT, 2008) The survey revealed that one of the success factors of the industry was the low level of unionization and the flexible working hours that were allowed in the automobile industry that reduced labor costs. In addition, it was discovered that although the UK government does not necessarily provide more subsidies than do governments in Western Europe, they do however provide a sufficient number of them and most of the subsidies are direct i.e. in the form of grants which helps the industry to function better in the region. Furthermore, the report said that the quality of the R&D resources in the UK was very high and that in relation to Western Europe and the BRIC countries the UK offered better after sales service. In comparison to the rest of the countries in the EU, the UK government has a system of lower taxation as well as R&D tax benefits in terms of tax rate relaxation. To this end, the scope for investing in the UK Automobile Industry increases especially since England offers a more hassle-free way of exiting the industry, given lower barriers to closing down. The NGAIT team collected a variety of information about what industry professionals thought was the drawbacks faced by the companies in the sector. Firstly, they all agreed that there was a shortage of skilled labor specific to the industry. Mostly, companies suffered from lack of skilled mid-level management and engineers. It came to be understood that most of the university an college going students do not opt for engineering and those of them who do predominantly take jobs in the financial rather than the manufacturing sector. Trends over the last decade show that although, as mentioned in the success factors, the quality of the R&D resources in the UK is very high, contrariwise, the expenditure on R&D has declined. In the UK, Ford, Jaguar, and Land Rover together spend about $1 billion annually on R&D, which accounts for 80% of the industry investment.

Walker Evans photographs in the book Let Us Now Praise Famous Men Essay

Walker Evans photographs in the book Let Us Now Praise Famous Men - Essay Example Most of Walker’s work were in the 1930s and were even incorporated in some of the documents of the Great Depression. However, these issues did not only concern the 1930s tribulations but also reflected on modern films, literature and traditional visual arts. Although this particular book is presented as documentary and true critics say that the pictures were somewhat posed for technical and aesthetic reasons. This has led to number of controversies over the truth of historical records (Kaja, 2008). Evans pictures are photographic, very direct and even appear to be literal. Perhaps the most remarkable picture in this book is the third, the picture of Mrs Gudger. It shows a woman with a beautifully bony face, thinning black hair, sunken or perhaps bitten-in mouth and sun-narrowed eyes. The face is a single concentrated phrase of suffering; you are bound to have an immediate outgoing impulse toward it, but this is at once hemmed in, at once made careful and respectful, by what the camera does. It is significant that, like all the pictures in the book, this is a portrait; it was "sat for" and "posed" and not only does the pose tell more than could be told by unconsciousness of the camera but the sitter gains in dignity when allowed to defend herself against the lens. The gaze of the woman returning our gaze checks our pity; and it is further checked by the cameras observance of the strands of jetty hair, of the sharp horizontals of eyebrows, eyes and mouth which are repeated in th e three parallel shadows of the clapboard wall behind, and by the cameras light emphasis on the early wrinkles and the puckered forehead, which are delicately repeated in the grain of the wood. And this is true of all of Evans pictures of the Gudger, Woods and Ricketts families. The entire hullaballoo about the photos; the rocking chair being moved, about the time on the clock, about the time the photos, about objects being added or removed is much fuss over

POS 202 - International Relations - Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

POS 202 - International Relations - - Essay Example The author is assuming that the traditional means of bringing order have become ineffective. As much as it sounds hard, leaders should start cultivating the new kind of bringing order. The author’s assumptions are valid, and I agree with his line of argument. It is in line with the Balance of Power theory, which states that when secondary states are given a free will to choose on whom to side in an international system’s two coalitions, they will always side with the weaker side (Waltz 127). It is to avoid being threatened by the stronger side. It is the reason most of the Middle East countries have sided with Palestine over Israel. The only way to control Hamas is by working with moderate Palestinians, and they will thus help Israel control Hamas. Israel faces so many non-state actors, and Hamas, a political group that advocates violence is the main one. Hamas interacts with state of Palestine through its institutions and populations which in turn help them in planning attacks and violence (Papp 102). Hamas can even teach radical Palestine civilians on making homemade drones and rockets. The only way that the state of Israel can curtail the Hamas’ drones and rocket threat is by the Gaza Palestinians demanding the rockets to stop. The only way that the Palestinians can demand that is when the state of Israel works with them. At times, national interest should supersede sovereignty (Papp 88). It is at times preferable to accept freedom of action constraints in order to achieve a wider benefit. Israeli government must be able to let some pride go for the sake of a wider benefit. It must be able to work closely with the Palestine authorities; the same tactic America applied in Iraq, to have lasting peace. Liberty must at times be limited for it to be possessed (Papp 52). States should move from their roles of hedging risks and preservation of failing status quo to shaping a

Is Microsoft a monopoly Essay Example for Free

Is Microsoft a monopoly Essay In order to understand if Microsoft is a monopoly one must first know the definition of a monopoly. A monopoly is a firm that is the sole seller of a product that has little or no substitutes. This automatically should arouse many thoughts in the minds of â€Å"us† as consumers. For all these years have we been monopolized by a producer of a product just because there were limited sources in the same fields? Yes and no should be the floating answer. Microsoft for years has been the producer of almost every necessary component associated with our electrical devices. Microsoft is the developer of multiple operating systems or OS that first entered the market in 1981 but did not officially appear until 1984. In 1984, the Applesoft Basic for Apple Computers was introduced by Bill Gates. Due to the fact that the Apple system was first in this technologically advanced field it was set in the direction of being a monopoly. This is the evident sign that lack of other operating systems would set both Bill Gates and Microsoft in a monopolistic state. So if this monopolistic sign was so evident then why wasn’t it stopped by the government? This is a direct form of a government-created monopoly. Government-created monopolies exist because of patents and copyrights. The government has allowed Microsoft to exist because it was seen to be within the best interest of the public. The government does not actually predict whether a producer or firm will be a monopolist, it only allows a firm or producer to own the rights to the specific fields that they want to create. The communications field often has their own set of economical rules which is commonly set at the understanding that every must benefit from the product. Microsoft has often perfected this with their operating systems by staying consistently up to date with the consumer’s way of life. So what exactly allowed Microsoft to become a monopoly? Microsoft (Bill Gates, Steve Ballmer, and Tim Patterson) would create and enforce universal data interaction standards for computer systems. The timing for this was perfect because businesses were in a technological era that the computer was in necessary and high demand. Microsoft became one of the largest monopolies because of their ability to be in almost every market that had use of a computer system. This was a great thing for Microsoft and for users but it was also a bad thing for users as well. Since the market was so unregulated it would allow Microsoft to not produce a quality product. This was allowed because of their monopoly. This monopoly would be out of the control of the government because breaking up the Microsoft Company into little companies would only cause damage to the consumer. In this I mean you the consumer would have to purchase multiple operating systems in order to maintain computer interacting standards. This would not be the best interest of either the government or the consumer. So unfortunately this monopoly would be allowed to carry on its position in the computer operating fields. Just think by chance that the government did break this monopolistic company up? This would allow so many small companies to produce the same product under the same outdated set of rules. So question, if the same set of bendable rules applied what would stop those small broken up companies from becoming a monopoly as well? Exactly nothing. So the government sees it better for consumers to have to deal with one monopoly compared to multiple. A company like Microsoft falls into a classification of a large monopoly. There are many smaller monopolies that go unnoticed. Some of these companies are Nike, Reebok, New Balance, etc. You may hear about some of these companies monopolistic traits, but choose not to pay much attention because they are not as large as a company as Microsoft. Let’s face it we tend to have a thought that they are just brands. Just a thought, when you walk into your local retail store are you looking for a pair of shoes or a certain style of shoe by name (i. e.Nike Jordan’s, Converse All-Stars or commonly known as â€Å"chuck taylors†, Reebok Zigtechs, New Balance 855’s)? These are the monopolies we do not pay much attention too because they are mainly companies that are in deep competition with one another. In order to compete in their respective fields the company must make a shoe or an article of clothing that is unique whether it carries a label or not. So what exactly makes Microsoft a monopoly instead of a competitive market? Since Microsoft is the only producer in the operating system market it has the ability to set and stay with its own price. Microsoft in recent years have gained a few other competitors that are making their way up the ladder with free trial periods or just general free use with things like email, search engines, and even software purchases through computer brands, printers, etc. A common name that we all use on practically a daily basis is Google. Google Inc. has won a growing number of customers for its Google Apps software, a collection of word processing, email, spreadsheet and other tools that are hosted and accessed online. The company is also reportedly preparing an expansion of its solutions marketplace, to sell software to businesses that can augment Apps. When confronted with questions of their products, an all too modest Google made no response. Unlike Microsoft, Google tends to not make broad promises of software updates until they have perfected the process. This is what commonly makes Google a most used search engine. Google also offers Gmail which carries its own form of complete virus software which sets it in a field of its own unlike Yahoo mail that only offers a low version of spyware with a premium account purchase. Other competitive companies that are climbing on the Microsoft ladder are Oracle Corp. and LotusLive iNotes. When Microsoft was confronted if any of these companies were the reason behind the downed sales of their â€Å"Microsoft Office† version they replied with it is unclear if they had a hand in the matter. This is another â€Å"big headed† response because Microsoft does not want to even think at this time that they could possibly have competition. When a monopolistic company is confronted with competition you will usually see a drop in product prices that may or may not go unnoticed. It is my opinion that this competitive edge brought to Microsoft will not go unnoticed. With the growing state of these other companies, I cannot wait until Microsoft has to become a competitive market instead of a monopoly. Another way to tell whether a company is a monopoly or not, is to follow its revenue. Since a company like Microsoft does not have their â€Å"books† out their like public records, we have to follow media theories and articles. When you see an increase in the company revenue this means that their output has went up. This means that they are producing more and making more because the demand has gotten higher. When revenue has dropped then the company has lost money and no longer producing because the demand has dropped. All too commonly you may see a drop in price because the company is wanting to sell their items rather than taking a complete loss on them. The will also set their prices above marginal cost. This will tend to be a seasonal thing because annually they try to place newer products on the market. Now noticing that other companies like Windows, Macintosh, and Linux are in competition with Microsoft is a huge deal to us as the consumer. To Microsoft this is no real big threat because of the huge market share that they own. This allows a monopolistic company to carry on their threat of being the â€Å"big man† on the block. In this I mean that they are allowed to place what seems to be ridiculous price because they do not see the competition as a true competitor. Consumers frequently take notice to this when they are in the market for the produced good of computer systems. Consumers commonly watch for the better deals while taking â€Å"name brand† and â€Å"off brand† into high consideration. Even though Sony may be the better brand, it is possible that Acer could sell more because of the consumers desire to pay less and receive more. This is just the way that things go in a time of economic struggle. The only time that things like this change is if the consumer has a specific desire for a certain brand over the lesser price. So as a monopoly could Microsoft force these other competitive companies out of their market? Yes they could and it has been accused that they have in the past. To include the list of companies that Microsoft has bought out in order to maintain at the top would be completely ridiculous but to name a few would be ok. Microsoft has purchased companies like Skype, Nokia, and of course we all heard of the Microsoft-Apple buy out in order to stop them from sinking. There is a lot of talk about what should be done to the Microsoft Company with the Department of Justice, Attorney General’s, and Microsoft. Many think that breaking the company up would be a mistake while a majority agree that it would also make them list a fairer price and focus on a better product. This in my opinion is not to the judgment of anyone. Is Microsoft wrong for being the best in their business? In my opinion, absolutely not. It is at the decision of the other competitive companies whether to stay in or back out. Many people think that the treatment they receive while purchasing items from the producer is unfair. I would like to disagree because if you need the item bad enough then whatever dollar amount the producer places is the dollar amount the consumer will pay. Take gas for instance, when gas was hitting its record highs two years ago. All I heard were complaints of how ridiculous it was, we should petition, protest, or even not purchase for days. Where were their complaints when they were driving to McDonalds to get a burger instead of cooking at home? People only complain about the abuse that they cannot control. This is the same with items like the personal computer. Everyone wants to complain about the price they paid for their computer but not the eBay items they are purchasing while they use that same computer. This reminds me of a conversation between the course instructor and myself. He asked one time if there was a sale on hamburger at the store but you really wanted steak which would you choose? I replied with I am going to choose steak because it is what I want. I chose this answer because regardless of the price of hamburger if I want steak, then ultimately steak is what I will get. This is my choice. I choose to not complain about the items that I cannot control because at the end of the day I still need it. So in conclusion, if you ask me if Microsoft is a monopoly or not, my answer will still remain yes and no. Yes, because they are the primary holders of operating systems and they are getting filthy rich. No, because they have made themselves the best. If the other companies want to be on top then they need to fight to be on top. But also in the mean time they shouldn’t complain about the actions that Microsoft takes in order to remain the best. References Mankiw, N. G. (2012, 2009). Principles of Microeconomics (Sixth ed. ). Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning. Mankiw (2012, 2009) Fisher, G. A. (2000, May 30). Why is Microsoft a Monopoly? Retrieved May 21, 2012, from http://www. zaimoni. com/George/MicrosoftMonopoly. htmFisher (2000) South-Western College Publishing (2003). Is Microsoft a Monopoly? Retrieved May 21, 2012, from http://www.swcollege. com/bef/policy_debates/microsoft. htmlSouth-Western College Publishing (2003) ThisNation. com (2008). Is Microsoft a monopoly? If so, why does it matter? Retrieved May 21, 2012, from http://www. thisnation. com/questions/027. htmlThisNation. com (2008) Albro, E. N. (2007). Eight Years Later, Is Microsoft Still a Monopoly? Retrieved May 21, 2012, from http://www. pcworld. com/printable/article/id,139458/printable. htmlAlbro (2007) Jackson, E. Forbes (2012, March 1). Steve Jobs Used Patents to Get Bill Gates to Make 1997 Investment in Apple. Retrieved May 21, 2012, from.