Post-Stonewall LGBTQ Civil Rights and Lesbian Feminism (responses) Assignment

Post-Stonewall LGBTQ Civil Rights and Lesbian Feminism (responses) - Assignment Example gard, the topic is properly covered by the writer; however, the major issue that arising in relation to his/her presentation is that he/she did not focus on other extra information, but rather focused strictly on answering the three major questions that guided the task. The writer begins properly by providing a discussion the directly answers question one. He/she goes further provides supportive information regarding the facets of the first question. However, discussions regarding the second and the third questions are presented in a vague and a generalized manner, with the writer using only one in-text citation. In addition, he/she goes further and describes the pertinence of the week’s reading towards enhancing his/her understanding of the issues of LBGTQ community. There is also the use of poor language i.e. â€Å"we realize† and lack of adequate referencing. However, the entire presentation is quite appropriate as it depicts that the writer made an attempt to answer all the research questions, except for the vague discussion of question 2 and

Functionalist Views on Religion Essay Example for Free

Functionalist Views on Religion Essay The functionalist view of religion stems from Durkheim who said that society is like the human body. He argued that that religion reinforces collective conscience that leads to a unity within society as a whole and that each member of the society is joined in solidarity, therefore it acts as glue. It does so by reinforcing social norms and values that bring the community together. It allows people to accept that society is about more than just the individual. However this can be questioned as western societies such as Britain are becoming increasingly secular. This means that they don’t believe in religion as much, and therefore how can religion act as a collective conscience. People are turning to science as a way of life, theories which head down the evolutionary approach. It suggests that the theory is out of date. Malinowski looked at the psychological function of religion. This looked at when things such as funerals and divorce occur. Religion acts as an act of hope which allows individuals to feel at ease when they are increasingly stressed out. They are brought together like a community within things like a funeral because it allows the individual to grieve but collectively with active members of the family and church/synagogue/mosque etc. At times of uncertainty and stress, religion helps people to gain control of themselves again, and community acts like funerals progress that. This is supported by the study of the Trobriand Islanders. The fisherman had a number of prayer rituals which they performed before going out to sea. They did this as a group of individuals to have a sense of a belonging to a community of fishermen. They would not perform these then they were sailing because of safety. Malinowski suggested that the threat of the open sea to them, was like a threat to the stability of their community and therefore they had to perform those prayer rituals to prevent that from happening. However Marxists would criticise this and say that actually religion teaches people social control. And actually when people have grieved at a funeral it doesn’t allow them to fully express their grief, they are socially controlled into â€Å"getting over it† which is morally wrong. Parsons agreed with Malinowski and Durkheim, but went further and suggested that religion provided answers to unanswered questions about the meaning of life, and about things like death, it also prevented anomie. He agreed that religion promotes social solidarity, and agreed that it helps in times of stress. EG during the Second World War, people began to gather together in churches as a community as a source of comfort. Bellah suggested that there were functional alternatives to religion known as â€Å"civil religion†, which brought whole countries together regardless of their faith but on behalf of a civil religion. He suggested that instead of religion facing secularisation it is facing transformation into isms such as Americanism. Uses religious images to promote national identity, EG in America having â€Å"God bless America† on coins or the Queen’s coronation in Britain. It is an act that allows the country to come together without questions of ethnicity, gender, religion etc. The functionalist theory of religion benefits wider society and the individual through marriage, bar mitzvahs, christenings, pilgrimages to Mecca/Lourdes, praying the holy books – Quran, Bible, Torah, and things like hymns. Religion helps to bring communities together and also helps individuals who may not feel wanted, welcomed into religious practices. However, contemporary examples suggest that religion doesn’t bind people together at all; in fact it allows the complete opposite. For example, in Northern Ireland there is conflict between the Catholics and the Protestants, which suggests that religion doesn’t help equality between religious groups. And as functionalism is a consensus theory it is doing the actual opposite – allowing conflict. Functionalism has been criticised because of today’s multicultural society. Theorists such as post-modernists are questioning whether religion can actually integrate a multi-faith society, where lots of small groups have different religious views. They would agree that Durkheim’s view of religion was accurate for a primitive society but not for a complex society such as today. Many other theorists have criticised functionalists and their theories about religion. Marxists would argue that religion oppresses groups of women and the poor, so how can religion benefit the individual or society. If an individual is being separated due to his/her gender and class then how can religion allow them to fit into a community when the elites would look down upon them. People recognise that Bellah’s approach of civil religion begins to overcome the problem, but again can something like Americanism be considered as a religion, especially if there is no belief in he supernatural? Some people would argue that religion is spread as a plan to spring hatred on one group of people. It benefits one group but puts down another. Today’s example would be of Pastor Terry Jones, wanting to burn the Quran. He brought about this plan to make Muslims angry, and therefore how can a group of Muslims be part of a community when someone in a position like his can provide such hatred for another religious group. It goes back to the question of integrating a multi-faith society. Granted that the church proposing this was small, but sometimes minority influence has an impact which is why it was all over the media. This provides evidence that religion isn’t able to benefit society or an individual because certain groups are always made to feel alienated, from a mainstream trend. To conclude, religion is inevitably able to help people in terms of crises, and does prevent anomie, but on the other hand it does allow for social cohesion to break down, as hatred for religious groups grow subtly in countries.

Free College Essays - Identity in Their Eyes Were Watching God :: Their Eyes Were Watching God Essays

Identity in Their Eyes Were Watching God    In life everyone tries to find his true identity. For some it comes naturally.   For others, it might take years to find, or it might never be found at all. In the novel Their Eyes Were Watching God, Zora Neale Hurston reveals a woman’s identity through her struggles in life, her treatment by society, and her thoughts on life. Janie is a young African American girl who grew up in a white life style. She believed she was related to the white man until she was around six. This impact changed Janie’s view on life. While she thought she was able to do things, the color of her skin held her back. This made her try harder to accomplish her goals. When her grandmother insisted that she marry Logan, she did not want to.   Even so, Janie married him to fulfill her grandmother’s dreams. Even though Janie did not love him, she struggled until she could not stand it, and finally ran away with Joe. â€Å"It had always been his wish and desire to be a big voice and he had to live nearly thirty years to find a chance.† (28) ***HOW DOES THIS QUOTE RELATE?*** While Janie was with Joe in Eaton Vile, she had a higher status then the rest of the town’s people. Janie tried to interact with them, but Joe would not let her. He thought of Janie as being better than all of them. This led to the way she was treated in society. All of the women in the town thought Janie had everything, but Janie did not. She wanted to be accepted as part of them. When Joe died, people in the town expected Janie to be mournful, so she put on an act for them. â€Å"She sent her face to Joe’s funeral, and herself went rollicking with the springtime across the world.† (88) After Joe’s death Janie continued to run the store. While working, she met Tea Cake, who showed her how to play checkers. â€Å"Somebody wanted her to play. Somebody thought it natural for her to play.† (96) This illustrates how he treated her as equal. Compared to the other two husbands in Janie’s life, Tea Cake was very progressive and open minded. Tea Cake taught her so much that she started to feel more independent. After Tea Cake’s death, Janie grieved on the inside so much that she did not care what people thought of her.

Communication Research and Advertising Essay

1 MAIN ISSUE Content analysis of different creative concepts and their characteristics applied in eight selected advertisements found in two publications – weekly magazines – Drum and You of July 11, 2013. 1.1Main issue criteria Creative concepts applied in the advertisement will play a meaningful role whether the campaign succeeds or not. Pictures, text and captions are but some of the few items that are used to structure the advertisement. In other instances, advertisers use unique payoff lines which enable them to be a cut above the rest. 1.1.1Nature of research The research approach is both qualitative and quantitative. The use of narrative data on the study prompted the adoption of qualitative approach. The quantitative approach came as a result of a data that was counted and numerically measured. 1.1.2Time dimension The nature of the research is cross-sectional. The study is conducted through the use of July 11, 2013 editions of Drum and You. Both are weekly magazines. Therefore research findings are limited to the abovementioned period. 1.1.3Action Exploratory and descriptive studies are used to determine characteristics of creative concepts used in selected advertisements for the research project. see more:pta meeting narrative report 1.1.4Issue The issue at hand is to look at creative concepts used by various advertisers from the selected advertisements published in the July 11, 2013 editions of Drum and You. 1.1.5Method A content analysis of two publications – Drum and You – and promotional messages carried through the use eight selected advertisements. 2RESEARCH CRITERIA Every study conducted has to meet research criteria. It had to be relevant, researchable, cost-effective and should not violate acceptable ethical standards. 2.1Relevance Drum and You form part of the print media which remain vital component of mass communication. Advertisers also used these platforms to reach out to the target market. As a result of that, the research issue is relevant and meets the criteria for communication research. 2.2Researchability Every newspaper and magazine carries various advertisements. Advertisers pay for the space booked in the publication. The study will therefore be easily conducted due to the growing number of businesses that used these platforms to promote their goods and services. Every advertisement has atleast a creative concept. 2.3Feasibility Drum and You have been readily available. There were other daily and weekly newspapers to choose from. The same goes about magazines; there were weekly and monthly magazines which were available at a reasonable cost. One has chosen these two publications as they were already in the collection. They form part of researcher’s regular weekly and monthly read. Decision to choose the two publications was somehow influence by the content they offer. The other one carries women issues while the next one is for soccer enthusiasts. 2.4Ethical acceptability Advertisements used will be acknowledged in the ‘sources consulted’ section. The same will apply about publications that carried them, Drum and You. 3EXTENT Two publications have been chosen to conduct the research; they are July 11, 2013 editions of Drum and You – both are weekly magazines. The study analyses creative concepts applied in the advertisements. 3.1Brief background of the publications It is imperative to know about the publications used for the study. In this research we use popular weekly publications. 3.1.1Drum Drum is a family magazine mainly aimed at black readers and contains market news, entertainment and feature articles. It was established in 1951 as â€Å"African Drum† by former test cricketer and author Bob Crisp and Jim Bailey. In 2005 Drum was described as the first black lifestyle magazine in Africa. Drum’s heyday in the 1950s fell between the Defiance Campaign and the tragedy at Sharpeville. This was the decade of potential Black emergence, the decade when the Freedom Charter was written. The aim was to promote an equal society. The Nationalist government responded with apartheid crackdowns and treason trials. Drum was a â€Å"record of naivety, optimism, frustration, defiance, courage, dancing, drink, jazz, gangsters, exile and death†. The magazine described the world of the urban Black; the culture, the colour, dreams, ambitions, hopes and struggles. The backbone of the magazine was crime, investigative reporting, sex (especially if across the colour line) and sport. This was fleshed out by imaginative photography. The formula worked and made for compulsive reading. Each issue of Drum was read by up to nine people, passed from hand to hand on the streets, in the clubs or on the trains. It became a symbol of Black urban life. About 240000 copies were distributed each month across Africa. This was more than any other African magazine. 3.1.2You You is a South African family magazine which is aimed at demographically diverse South African English-speaking readers of different ethnicities with coverage on current events and â€Å"interesting people†. It has two sister magazines: Huisgenoot (aimed at White and Coloured Afrikaans-speaking readers) and Drum. The You magazine was launched in 1987 by Nasionale Pers, which later became Media24. You is published in Cape Town. The publication covers human interest articles, celebrity news, both local and international current affairs. 3.2Geographical boundary The study will be conducted in Bloemfontein, Free State. The researcher is based in the Free State capital hence the reason for the study to be conducted in the area. 3.3Nature of the time dimension This is a cross-sectional study which will be conducted through the use of Drum and You – July 11, 2013 editions. Drum has variety of advertisements targeting general society, from body lotions to luxury vehicles. You on the other hand had advertisements such as education, men’s health promotions and cellphones. The study will be conducted between July and September 2013. 3.3.1Motivation for choice of time Both copies of Drum and You have been purchased a few weeks after one has registered for the course – Communication Research (COM3706). Advertisements which met basic requirements for the assignment were readily available. This is the main reason why the choice of time is relevant to pursue the study. 4POPULATION According to Van Rensburg (2010:150) a population can be defined as the entire group of persons or set of objects and events the researcher wants to study. 4.1Target population According to Du Plooy, GM (2009:109) target population is the actual population to which the study is used to generalise results. The population for the study has to be all the newspapers and magazines from which various advertisements were reviewed before a final decision was taken by the researcher. Eventually two publications – Drum and You – were identified. Four advertisements have been selected from each publication. Both copies have carried many other advertisements but the assignment’s requirement is to select just four of them from a copy. The researcher has gone through weekly and weekend newspapers. They included Sowetan, Daily Sun, The Citizen, The New Age, Mail & Guardian, City Press and Sunday Times. On the other hand magazines included KickOff, Move, Real, Soul, True Love, Drum and You. 4.2Accessible population In this regard, the accessible population is the publications from which the sample will be drawn for the study. Drum and You are conveniently available for the researcher to identify advertisements that will be analysed for research purposes. 4.3Population characteristics Advertisements comprise various creative concepts to make sense of the meaning and messages conveyed to the target market. Therefore various population parameters have been used to achieve advertisers’ goal with the published promotion. In the study, we have seen how pictures, punchy headlines, well-designed texts, among others, were used to draft different creative concepts. Below is the list of four population characteristics that one reported about in the research findings. âÅ"“ Colour codes applied âÅ"“ Headline âÅ"“ Photographs âÅ"“ Body copy âÅ"“ Text visuals 4.4Units of analysis The smallest units that were analysed for the study, among others, include well-designed texts to differentiate certain products from that of their competitors. Pictures of the advertised products were also attached. In Drum, DSTV, Rajah, Playtex and Edgars advertisements have been identified for the research. On the other hand, in You the researcher has identified advertisements of Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC), Samsung, Dermalex and Regal Pet Health. Various eye-catchers have been applied in the advertisements used for the study. Subheadings were punchy, but we cannot confirm if they were indeed factual. Headlines and pictures seemed to complement each other. So far, headings that promised customers benefit appeared to work the best. One has analysed pictures and graphics used, slogans, text applied, including headlines used in the advertisement. The abovementioned elements form a backbone in making sense of creative concepts. 5ASSUMPTIONS Lingerie designers use young, beautiful ladies in their promotional campaigns to drive the message home that their underwears will make them look stunning and energetic. Advertisers use slogans to catch the attention of consumers and thus ensuring that they easily recall their products. And more importantly, they were able to differentiate them from those of their competitors. Amplification creative concept becomes a must when advertisers promote expensive goods such as cars. Brand names are repeated more than once in the advertisements and this is done through the use of well-designed texts, logos and pictures. 5.1Sub issues Do lingerie designers use young and gorgeous ladies to promote their wears? Do advertisers use slogans to get the attention of consumers in order to ensure that they recall their products and not confuse them with those of their competitors? Is an amplification creative concept a must when advertisers promote expensive goods such as cars? Do brand names get repeated more than once in the advertisements through the use of well-designed texts, logos and pictures? 6GOAL and OBJECTIVES The study seeks to investigate practical issues which are creative concepts used in advertisements. 6.1Nature of the goal The nature of the research is applied goal. The researcher has investigated how creative concepts can be more effective in the advertisements. The study is more practical as one had to cut advertisements from both Drum and You magazines before they could be converted into soft version via the use of a scanner. 6.2Relationship of goal to the main issue By its own nature applied communication research is descriptive and explorative. This is also the case with the study the researcher is persuading. The explanatory objective is as a result of practical exercises to be conducted throughout the course of the study. The descriptive objective is as a result of determining how creative concepts will be applied in the selected advertisements from Drum and You. 7RESEARCH QUESTIONS Does the use of young models in lingerie effective to attractive customers and connect them with the benefits of the advertised underwears? Can advertisement deliver the good message to the intended audience even if the slogan was not applied to the optimum use? Why is it so vital to use amplification creative concept over others when promoting expensive goods such as vehicle? What is the role played by headlines, pictures and copy text in conveying the advertisement message? 8THEORETICAL APPROACH The theory that is applicable for the study will be explained through both connotative and denotative. Some of the creative concepts used are attached to literal meaning while others are figurative. For instance, some beauty products claimed that they will enhance the skin of young ladies and they will appear more attractive than ever before after using their lotions. The use of young models offered the literal meaning as one could easily associate with what was seen on the photo accompanying the advertisement. Pond’s and Johnson’s African Nurture are case in point in this regard. Figurative meaning, for example, can be seen in the Toyota Etios advertisement. The words such as, ‘Take your smile for a test drive’. It was a figurative expression that one will be happy to drive the car and the testimony of that can be found in the test drive. 8.1What each creative concept mean Pink is the feminine colour. The Pond’s and Johnson’s African Nurture advertisements made use of the colour as they promote women’s beauty products. The happy looking ladies, who have been used as the faces of these products, somehow, were a sign of the benefit that comes with their use. The promise of benefit was one of the fundamental creative concepts. The ladies were used as a proof to the claim that was made by the advertisers that their products will do wonders for the users. Another colour that was used by the advertisers was yellow. The denotative meaning of the colour was happiness. The Toyota Etios advertisement promised users some excitement as they will be smiling. The yellow colour was used extensively in the background of the advertisement. The same colour yellow was used heavily in yet another Johnson’s African Nurture advertisement. We have seen a group of young gorgeous ladies, mostly dressed in yellow dresses, overjoyed after using the beauty-enhancing product. A factual approach was applied that one can hammer on was in the SuperSport advertisement of HD-PVR Decoder. Action pictures of footballers such Orlando Pirates striker Benni McCarthy and Chelsea forward Fernando Torres have been used to back up the story. Over and above watching high definition pictures on television, viewers will have the benefit of watching best football matches in Europe – the live coverage of Barclays Premier League, Spanish La Liga, German’s Bundesliga, South Africa’s Premier Soccer League and the UEFA Champions League matches. Slogans on the other hand form a vital component. The advertisements of Peugeot, Toyota and Pond’s were among those that have used this creative concept to back up their brands. A detailed explanation of the new Toyota Etios summed up the use of amplification creative concept in the advertisement. Users were informed in not so many words about the benefits of the car and which features have been installed. Both the Johnson’s African Nurture advertisements were loaded with the appeal creative concept. They were specifically targeted at African women. The SuperSport advertisement provokes curiosity while it also had the slogan on, â€Å"World of champions†. They urge readers and â€Å"welcome them to the next level†. It was a metaphor used to urge readers to use HD PVR Decoder for better and quality television pictures. The Scorpion Legal Protection advertisement urged the consumers to take action by enlisting their legal services from as little as R39. Clients were also provided with an sms number for further clarity. A classic example of the use of brand name in the advertisement was visible in the Peugeot promotion. It was repeated with words and pictorially with the logo emblazoned. 9RESEARCH DESIGN The research design is both qualitative and quantitative. 9.1Qualitative design The design is relevant as the study will identify and examine various creative concepts used on eight selected advertisements. Effectively this also serves to examine elements that distinguished various advertised products from those of their competitors. Creative concepts remain fundamental muscle of each advertisement. The critical aspect in this regard is the fact that the design is all about analysing content from, among others, pictures, texts, messages used from selected advertisements for the purpose of the study. The study will go further to analyse data by comparing findings from all identified advertisements. The researcher will look at the similarities and differences spotted on the selected advertisements. The comparative analysis comes as a result of explanations of similarities and differences found in eight selected advertisements which prompt the study. This, after having realised how various advertisers use creative concepts in getting messages across. 9.2Quantitative design The researcher will count the number of creative concepts applied in each an every single advertisement selected. The figures will be presented on the tally sheet. The tally sheet will show in detail which advertisement that has used many creative concepts compared to others. However, we cannot make a claim directly that there was a common and obvious creative concept appearing most often or less often in any advertisement. 9.3Inductive reasoning This was applicable as the researcher has interpreted the collected data for the study. For example, the use of certain colours such pink and purpose would best be aligned with femininity. This was the reason why Playtex has resorted to these colours for their advertisement. 9.4Deductive reasoning The researcher looks on how general assumptions related to the advertisement messages are applied. For instance, creative concepts remain the lifeblood of each an every advertisement. 9.5Methods and techniques to collect qualitative data The researcher will read and look intently on how advertisements are crafted. How the graphics, pictures, headline texts and words, among others, are put together in building creative concepts and eventually producing the advertisements. We get to understand the meaning even though connotative and denotative messages are delivered to draw the attention of the readers. One had to understand the style and language used and its relevance to the advertisement. The researcher looks on how certain colour codes are applied to ensure certain advertisements live to the theme of the promoters. 9.6Methods and techniques to collect quantitative data Content analyses of various advertisements as well as inferential statistics of the number of creative concepts used were fundamental in this regard. As outlined earlier, the outcomes to this fact had been presented in the tally sheet as appeared in the data analysis section. 10CONCLUSIONS 11SELF-ASSESSMENT AND REFLECTIONS Learnt Skills Shortcomings Outcomes SOURCES CONSULTED Barker, R & Angelopulo, G. 2009. Integrated Organisational Communication. Cape Town: Juta. Du Plooy, T. 2001. Communication research. Only study guide for COM306D. Pretoria: University of South Africa. Du Plooy, GM. 2009. Communication research: Techniques, methods and applications. Cape Town: Juta. Fourie, PJ (ed). 2009. Media Studies Volume 3: Media content and media audiences. Cape Town: Juta. Johnson’s African Nurture advertisement. 2012a. Real, August: 2. Johnson’s African Nurture advertisement. 2012b. Real, August: 47. Koekemoer, L (ed). 2005. Marketing Communications. Cape Town: Juta. Peugeot advertisement. 2012. KickOff, August: 5. Pond’s advertisement. 2012. Real, August: 51. Reid, J & Van Heerden, M (eds). 2009. Media studies: media content and media audiences. Only study guide for COM303A. Pretoria: University of South Africa. Scorpion Legal Protection advertisement. 2012. KickOff, August: 22. SuperSport advertisement. 2012. KickOff, August: 83. Toyota advertisement. 2012. Real, August: 111. University of South Africa. 2012. Department of Communication Science. CMNALLE. Important guidelines and Information regarding your studies: University of South Africa. University of South Africa. 2012. Department of Communication Science. Communication Research. Tutorial Letter 101/2012: Semesters 1 and 2: University of South Africa. University of South Africa. 2012. Department of Communication Science. Communication Research. Tutorial Letter 102/2012: Semesters 1 and 2: University of South Africa. University of South Africa. 2012. Department of Communication Science. Communication Research. Tutorial Letter 103/2012: Semesters 1 and 2: University of South Africa. Van Rensburg, GH. 2010. Research in the social sciences. Only study guide for RSC2601. Pretoria: University of South Africa. Vaseline advertisement. 2012. KickOff, August: 17. SELF-ASSESSMENT AND SELF-REFLECTION The researcher has learnt about effective techniques of how to collect research data, analyse and interpret for both the research proposal and the final study. One has also been able to identify and solve research problems. Important skills earned from the study were to understand how advertisements can use more than one creative concept to convey the message to the users. The concepts used completed each other and pointed out to different angles of the final output. It goes without saying that one has managed and was able to interpret print advertisements accurately. To get to understand subproblems and underlying assumptions in the research study and how to formulate relevant research questions. In addition to that, the researcher is now able to craft relevant research designs that are appropriate for investigating the main research problem. A notable shortcoming of the study was that it could not address all the problems identified as the advertisements were already been printed. But could only make certain inputs. Due to the changes in the market, researchers were prompted to always come with the ways and ideas of overcoming these challenges and gauging the emotions of consumers.

A declaration of war justify behaviour Essay

Whether or not the declaration of Just War justifies behaviour that is morally or legally unacceptable in peacetime depends firstly on the sort of behaviour we are talking about. There are a number of behaviours that are legally permitted in peacetime that many people would and do reject as morally unacceptable. This includes abortion, euthanasia and animal rights. The legal acceptability of these issues depends on the government, and varies from state to state. In this country, during peacetime it is acceptable to kill in self defence – for instance, if one’s house is being robbed and the burglar threatens the owner, the owner would not be penalized for shooting and killing the burglar. Pacifists object to all kinds of killing in both war and peacetime, whereas just war supporters try to draw parallels between civil justice and international justice in the attempt to justify certain behaviour. There are also behaviors such as propaganda, espionage and deliberate infringement of human rights that are more doubtful and are usually seen as unacceptable in peacetime. Certain examples of violent behaviour in peacetime in hindsight appear unacceptable, yet at the time those guilty were not prosecuted. There have been a number of incidents when armed Police officers have shot dead suspects who were not carrying a weapon. None of the police officers who killed those people were convicted. This is because killing in defence of innocent life is acceptable in peacetime, and the boundaries and conditions can be bended to suit the individual. Pacifists believe that therefore no killing can be acceptable on deontological grounds. Some religious people argue for the absolute sanctity of human life; they would say that ideally no incidental killings would take place if all killing was prohibited. Thus, this position would assume that a declaration of war does not justify any kind of killing either. Christian absolutists believe they are following the example of Jesus Christ by refusing to resort to violence, even if they have been treated cruelly. Therefore a declaration of just war would not be able to justify any unacceptable behaviour such as murder and violence – this would only further divide men, who are already divided by sin. Nevertheless, those who support the Just War theory believe that killing in the name of resisting an unjust oppressor is justifiable. The declaration of just war must be a proportionate response, and must discriminate between the guilty and the innocent. Oliver O’Donovan suggests war is an act of armed judgment and must be carried out by an unbiased judge to ensure its fairness. This judge must have a clear perspective on the gains and losses this act would entail and the final aim must be to bring about peace. In theory, military aggression is not defined by killing and violence. For instance, British troops that entered Iraq do not kill unless attack. Therefore killing is still self defence and this is no different to peacetime. Walzer thinks killing in self defence is justifiable and supports the theory of ‘legalist paradigm’. This means interstate justice basically reinforces the civil legal system, but on a larger scale – it is analogous. The right of a given state to defend itself must be accepted, just as an individual has the right to do the same. Walzer believed whichever side begins aggression to be automatically in the wrong. There is also the question of propaganda and whether it becomes appropriate to mislead people into thinking in a certain way in order for them to support the supposedly just war movement. In a healthy and functioning democracy during peacetime it is prohibited to lie to citizens or conceal the truth of political work. Some would argue that in wartime morale need to be boosted However, when a nation is at war, its citizens are often indoctrinated via mass media with the sort of messages that would disorientate their judgment and evoke hatred for ‘the enemy’. Propoganda can lead to disproportionate warfare and killings, therefore it cannot be justified. Human rights have always been an issue, for it is no certain whether it is morally right to deny someone the right to life in favour of another objective. From a utilitarian perspective, it would depend on whether the war was successful. If more people than soldiers killed are able to lead happy and fulfilled lives after the war ends, then it is acceptable to justify military confrontation in wartime. However, The High Court has recently decided that it soldiers human rights should not be overlooked either. This means the Ministry of Defence has to ensure the soldiers are not subjected to combat in intolerable heat or cold, and have functioning equipment. Certain equipment would be forbidden entirely, such as Nimrod planes. Of course, this would affect the damage potential of British troops, and possibly extend the war and subsequently take more lives. A utilitarian critic would ask whether in the long term this court order is going to cause more death and pain.

ADOLF HITLER Essays (1231 words) - Hitler Family, Klara Hitler

ADOLF HITLER Essays (1231 words) - Hitler Family, Klara Hitler ADOLF HITLER Adolf Hitler changed the course of history. His childhood strongly shaped his personality. There were many deciding factors that determined the kind of person Hitler finally became. Adolf's father was Alois, an illegitimate child, his mother was Marie Schickulgruber. Alois took his fathers name Hitler before Adolf was born. Alois was already a successful border guard when he was 18, and later became an Austrian customs official. He retired in 1849 after 40 years of service. He was 58 and retired early because of bad health. After he retired he bought a nine acre farm near the small town of Hafeld. His dream was to live a country life, but the farm took much more work than he expected. Since his health was poor, he had a very hard time making a living on the farm. He had always found that spending time with his children was irritating, but on the farm they were forced to work side by side. This was difficult for Alois, who was very hard on the children. He often beat them when they didn't mind. Adolf's father's main hobby was bee keeping, often the mother had to remove 30 or more bee stingers at the end of a day. Alois married his former house keeper, Klara Poelzl, in 1885 she was already pregnant. Klara had three children who died when they were very young, before she had Adolf. Five years late she had a daughter, Paula. Even though Klara was kind to her step children she showed favoritism to her own children. Adolf was fond of his sisters but never got along with Alois Jr., A step child from a previous marriage. Alois Jr. especially disliked Adolf because their mother always loved Adolf more. Alois Jr. resented his father, who often beat him with a whip for disobedience, and ran away at the age of fifteen and never came home. He was jailed twice for theft and led an unhappy adult life. He lived in Paris for a while and then moved all the way to Ireland, but when Adolf became famous he moved to Berlin and opened a cafe hoping to take advantage of his brother's popularity. Adolf disliked him and told his friends never to mention his name. When Adolf was born his mother was afraid he would die so she gave most of her attention to him. She treated the other two kindly but never with the same affection as she treated Adolf. Adolf liked his half sister Angela much better, but his baby sister Paula was his closest sibling. Paula too charge of his household, and remained faithful even after he became famous. Adolf was born in 1889 in Brounan, Austria, a small city on the German border. When Adolf was young, he took singing lessons and sang in the choir in a Benedictine monastery. Adolf did very well in elementary school until he became interested in art. As soon as he saw all the attention he could get from drawing he immediately began drawing pictures of castles and landscapes that amazed his peers. Much to his fathers disappointment he decided to pursue a career in art instead of following in his fathers footsteps. Since he did his drawing in class his school work suffered. Hitler said later on in life that he did bad in school so his father would let him pursue his career in art. At this time children either went to Gymnasium or Reilschule. Gymnasium was for people who wanted a classic education and Reilschule was a technical and scientific school. His father wanted him to go to Reilschule and Hitler agreed mainly because it offered a drawing class. Every day Hitler walked 3 miles to attend Reilschule in Rintz. Reilschule was much bigger than his old school and he didn't get the attention he was used to. After a while though, he started to fit in. He often organized the children into groups to play war games in which he was always captain. He based many war games on the stories he read out of James Cooper. Even as a child he was a convincing speaker, organizing the children into debate teams. He wrote later in Mein Kampf that he thought that this is where he got his speaking and organizational skills Hitler was fourteen when his father died. He could now follow the career of his choice. When he was 16 his grades were to

Cement Insudtry Overview Last 49 Years Essay Example

Cement Insudtry Overview Last 49 Years Essay Example Cement Insudtry Overview Last 49 Years Essay Cement Insudtry Overview Last 49 Years Essay Bangladesh 40 years on Introduction Last year Bangladesh celebrated its 40th birthday. Possibly a celebration for some but more likely, for others, the occasion brought back terrible memories of suffering and hardship. This country of fertile plains, luscious terrain, with its remarkably rich history and heritage, was born in 1971 following a bitter struggle for independence that claimed the lives of over 3  million people. The birth pains linger; there is much poverty and many challenges lie ahead, but there are also expectations for better things to come through foreign direct investment (FDI) and infrastructure development. Meeting infrastructure needs Last year, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) indicated that Bangladesh’s economy had become the 48th largest in the world. The UK Investors Chronicle has identified Bangladesh as one of the world’s seven hottest emerging markets due to its relatively stable currency with solid foreign reserves and record foreign remittances, as well as 6. 7% real growth rate in 2011. The Bangladesh government has set itself the challenge to transform into a middle income country by 2021. In line with this strategic vision, the government has undertaken massive programmes for infrastructure development in partnership with the private sector. As the government allows 100% FDI, the infrastructure sector offers an interesting mix of opportunities for overseas interests. In October 2011, Bangladesh and the ADB announced a US$4. 5 billion five-year Country Partnership Strategy (CPS), which will include an investment programme of about US$4. 5 billion for 2011 – 15. ADB’s support will be focused on six sectors: energy, transport, urban development, education, agriculture, and natural resources and finance. In the energy sector, ADB will aim to enhance access to power, to improve energy efficiency and to develop a policy and regulatory setting conducive to private sector participation. In transport, ADB’s assistance will be targeted at better road and railway infrastructure for fostering higher growth, and support for environmentally friendly modes of transport. To accelerate growth, the CPS will prioritise private sector development by addressing major infrastructure constraints and skills gaps. Building for the future In February, transport expert, M. Rahmatullah, said that Bangladesh could earn about US$44 million pa by providing a transit facility to India and its neighbours over the next five years while developing the infrastructure for this facility. If the infrastructure was ready in five years, the country could earn US$0. 5 billion from the sixth year and US$1  billion from the sixteenth. He said: â€Å"For Bangladesh, transit will open up new avenues of opportunities. It will make out a case for India and China investing in deep-sea port facilities in the country. Some 16 million t of cargo would possibly move between the northeastern Indian states and the rest of the country. Bangladesh would require US$7 billion over the next decade to develop its transport system, including roads, rails and waterways for the transit system to be in place. As might have been expected, these comments were met with a degree of derision and cynicism in some sectors, but with welc ome comments in others. Whatever the outcome of talks surrounding this and other projects, the construction industry in Bangladesh is currently booming. This is due to housing, industrial and infrastructure demand,† says Mehedy Amin, Technical Director, Development Constructions Ltd. â€Å"We expect this demand to stay on due to the high population and expanding middle class society. † Cement production increases Mehedy Amin is predicting some problems in the future, especially regarding cement prices. â€Å"The country imports most of its clinker from abroad and with the increasing value of the US$ against local currency, the price of cement is rocketing up along with most construction materials. In January 2012, Bangladesh’s Export Promotion Bureau released data confirming that cement exports had witnessed a 21% increase in the first seven months of the current fiscal year (July 2011 – January 2012). Abdul Khaleq Parvez, Vice President of the Bangladesh Cement Manufacturers Association, commenting on the export situation said: â€Å"The export market is growing slowly as the prices of local cement increased sharply following devaluation of the local currency. Cement prices have increased by at least US$17/t†. The prices rose because of the sudden rise in production costs, this being a consequence of power shortages and a rise in labour wages. Shankar Kumar Roy, General Manager, Business Development, Holcim Bangladesh, told WORLD CEMENT that in 2011 there were 45 active cement companies in the country. â€Å"Cement demand was 14 million t, while capacity reached 24 million t and exports totalled 250 000 t†. It is said that cement production has boomed in Bangladesh since the late 1980s, with many cement plants springing up across the country. New projects Shun Shing Group International Ltd (SSGIL) has developed into a successful bulk commodity trading, shipping and investment company. A landmark investment took place in 2001 when it established a 0. 5  million t cement grinding mill in Kaligoni in Bangladesh. By the end of 2012, SSGIL’s cement production will be 3. 1 million t through increased capacity at the current site and a new plant in Khulna city, to cover the southwest market. In January of this year, HeidelbergCement officially inaugurated a new cement mill at its plant at the seaport of Chittagong. The project involved the installation of a cement grinding mill with a capacity of 105 tph, and a slag dryer with a capacity of 45 tph. HeidelbergCement has been active in Bangladesh since 1998 and is one of the largest German investors in the country. In addition to the grinding plant at Chittagong, the Group operates another grinding plant in Dhaka. Bashundhara Cement, part of the major Bashundhara Group, is currently building a 7000 tpd plant in Narayaganij. Meghna Cement, also part of the Bashundhara Group, together with Bashundhara Cement will jointly manufacture 13 500 tpd of cement, equating to 15 – 18% of cement demand in the country. In July 2011, India’s Supreme Court granted permission for Lafarge Surma Cement to resume mining limestone in the East Khasi Hills in Meghalaya state in the country’s mineral-rich northeast. The limestone is transported from Meghalaya to Lafarge Umiam Mining Pvt Ltd by a 17 km conveyor belt, where it feeds the company’s cement plant at Chhatask in Bangladesh. In February 2010 the court halted Lafarge from extracting the limestone as it was mining in an environmentally sensitive zone. India’s environment ministry told the court in April that it had cleared the mining project with strict conditions. Up to then it was reported that Lafarge had been importing clinker from abroad. The original agreement between India and Bangladesh to permit the cross-border industrial project was signed in November 2000. It was financed by Lafarge, Cementos Molins, the IFC, the ADB, German Development Bank, the European Investment Bank and the Netherlands Development Co. Unique Cement Industries Ltd. : Unique cement industries ltd established in the year 2002. The factory is built with modern machinery imported from Germany and China with production capacity of 1800 M/T per day. Unique cement industries ltd. as ISO 9001:2000 Certificate. They have two brands of cement in the local market namely FRESH and MEGHNACEM. Holcim (Bangladesh) Ltd. : Holcim (Bangladesh) Ltd started its operation in this country with of the acquisition of the-then Hyundai cement. Subsequently it acquired United Cement and Saiham Cement. Holcim (Bangladesh) Ltd is affiliated with the Holcim Group worldwide and is one the lar gest multinational cement producers in the world with manufacturing in over 70 countries. The group has a produrtion capacity of mor than 120 million tones of cement per year. MTC Cement Industries Ltd. MTC Cement Industries Ltd established with the tehnical co-operation of CITIC engineering of PRC in year of 1998 is situated on the embankment of the river Meghna. There is a two unit cement plant with capacity of 1200 MT per day. TIGER BRAND Cement started its commercial voyage on july 2001. Currently MTC is on an expansion program in pagla with a small 150 MT per day capacity cement grinding plant. Lafarge Surma Cement Ltd. : Lafarge/cement mills is setting up the only modern, integrated cement manufacturing plan known as Lafarge Surma Cement Ltd. in Bangladesh at Chattak under Sunamgonj district. The majority of Lafarge Surma Cement Ltd. Shareholding (60%) is held by a 50/50 joint venture company bewteen Lafarge and cementos molins. Founded in 1833, Lafarge operates in 75 countries, employing 77,000 people. In 2002, the group generated annual sales of Euro 14. 6 billion and globally holdstop ranking positions in Cement, Aggregates amp; Concrete, Roofing and Gypsum. Cementos Molins is a renowned spanish cement company with an annual revenue of Euro 485 million and net profit of Euro 70 million. Operating in Spain, Argentina, Uruguay and Mexico, it produces Portland and Calcium-Aluminate cement, Concrete and Precast concrete, Aggregates and Special purpose ortars. Lafarge Surma Cement Ltd. will extract and procss the basic raw materials like limestone and shale from its from its own quarry in Meghalaya, India. A 17 km crossborder belt conveyor will be installed to link the quarry with the cement plant for transportation of raw materials. A massive land filling and site development has been completed on the 90 acre plan t site. The construction and erection is also. The plant will initially produce 1. 2 millions tons of cement per year. Premier Cement Mills Ltd : Started its production in March, 2004, Premier is the second largest cement manufacturer in Bangladesh. With a total installed cement capacity of almost a million tons per year at Muktarpul, Munshiganj, the Company is recognized as a leading cement producer with abundant supply of raw materials, low production cost and an energy efficient operation. The Company currently employs 216 persons and has an extensive distribution system throughout the country. Its transportation subsidiary, with three prominent transport companies in Bangladesh, operate a large fleet of trucks to distribute cement products in bags almost anywhere in the country. The Company was founded in 2001 as the private cement producer in Bangladesh, with a factory in Muktarpul, Munshiganj. The Company started production in March, 2004 with Unit 1, which had an installed capacity of 730,000 tons of cement per year, and would be followed by Unit 2, also at 730,000 tons of cement per year, by the mid of 2005. The factory is equipped with world-class European technology built in Denmark and Germany. Within the span of first 5 months, the company has achieved the ISO 9000-2001 certification from TUV, with highly skilled employees.

Spanish Verbs Meaning to Begin

Spanish Verbs Meaning to Begin Spanish has two everyday verbs that can be used for to begin or to start: empezar and comenzar. They usually can be used interchangeably. Although empezar is more common than comenzar, comenzar doesnt come across as conspicuously formal like its English cognate, commence. Both empezar and comenzar are conjugated irregularly. Correct Way to Use Empezar and Comenzar To say to begin to do something, you can use either of the verbs followed by the preposition a and an infinitive: El web empieza a generar dinero. The website is beginning to generate money. ¿A quà © hora empezà ³ a nevar? At what time did it begin to snow?Cuando llegamos a Quito, comenzaba a llover. When we arrived at Quito, it was beginning to rain.Uruguay comienza a estudiar la produccià ³n de energà ­a nuclear. Uruguay is beginning to study the production of nuclear energy.Empiezo a pensar por ti mismo. I am beginning to think just like you.La inflacià ³n va a empezar muy pronto a bajar. Inflation is going to begin to drop very soon. Each verb can stand by itself without an object: La lluvia empieza a caer ms y ms fuerte. The rain is beginning to fall harder and harder.El mitin comenzà ³ finalmente a las 10 de la noche. The meeting finally began at 10 p.m.Bueno, pues sà ­, empezamos con esto. Good, then, lets get started with it. (Literally, with this.)La boda comenzar a las 12:30 hora local. The wedding will begin at 12:30 local time. When either verb is followed by a gerund, it often has the meaning of to begin by or to start out: Empezà ³ estudiando en el taller del escultor famoso. She started out studying in the famous sculptors studio.Comencà © trabajando 10 horas por dà ­a como limpiadora de casa. I started out working 10 hours per day as a housecleaner.Empezamos corriendo juntos el primer kilà ³metro. We begin by running the first kilometer together. Although probably not as common as in English, the two verbs can also take direct objects to indicate what is getting started: Tiene muchos consejillos para comenzar un negocio. He has many tips for starting a business.La ciudad empezà ³ la reparacià ³n de la calles en abril. The city began the street repairs in April. Other Verbs for To Begin As just shown, you often can use the verbs to refer to beginning an activity with the activity as the object of the verb. But it is also common to use the verb emprender for that purpose. Emprender is especially common when referring to the beginning of travel. No quiere emprender la tarea sin ayuda. He doesnt want to do the task without help.Dentro de unos minutos emprendo el viaje. Within a few minutes I begin the trip.Emprendieron el reto de construir un proyecto conjunto. They began the challenge of building a project together.Emprendà ­ el vuelo en direccià ³n hacia donde el sol se pone. I began the flight in the direction of the sunset. The verb originarse often translates to begin when it is used to mean to originate: El problema se originaba cuando navegaba ciertas pginas web. The problem started when I was going to certain web pages.La crisis econà ³mica mundial se originà ³ en EEUU. The world economic crisis began in the U.S. Use of Verb Tense To Indicate Beginning Often, when speaking of events in the past, the preterite tense is used in preference to the imperfect to indicate that an activity began. A form of begin isnt necessarily used in translation, however. A common example is the verb conocer, which often means to know a person. The difference between Conocà ­a a Katrina and Conocà ­ a Katrina is roughly the difference between I knew Katrina and I began to know Katrina. Typically, the second sentence would be translated as I met Katrina. Other examples: Yo tenà ­a calor. (I was warm.) Tuve calor. (I began to be warm. I got warm.)Ella sabà ­a la verdad. (She knew the truth.) Supo la verdad. (She began knowing the truth. She found out the truth.) This concept is further explained in the lesson on using the past tense with certain verbs.

Entrepreneur interview & Personal Analysis Essay

Entrepreneur interview & Personal Analysis - Essay Example A decision maker, leader, communicator and a good team player is what an entrepreneur is. This paper provides an analysis of the personality of a small business entrepreneur. Entrepreneurial Interview This paper deals with analyzing and conducting the reflective study of the small business entrepreneurs. The interview conducted here reflects upon the background, motivating factors and personalities of the businessmen. The survey questionnaire contains 15 questions which are aimed upon discovering the personality traits and capacities. The survey has been conducted with the owner of fashion boutique, Ellen Sandry. Ellen has been a successful entrepreneur for a few months and has been really successful in quite a short time. Fashion industry has motivated him a lot and considering the interests, the interview responses have been analyzed below: What is you educational background? Ellen has studied fashion designing at a reputable institute and this education aroused interest in pursuin g the field of fashion as his personal career. Besides interest, Ellen feels that the scope of fashion industry has gained great heights in the present era and thus, it would be a good initiative to take up. What have your previous experiences been? The entrepreneur’s response to this question was amazing as he mentioned many experiences that he has been through recently. He has taught, worked as a steward at a hotel and interned at a local bank for a while. Later on, his professional enthusiasm compelled him to start his own business. How did you get into this business? In reply, Ellen mentioned that his interest brought him into this business. He had a passion for colors, beauty and money. Thus, this capacity seemed to be suitable. How many employees do you have? Ellen has only two people who look into his business. He calls them his helpers and pays them a good salary at the end of every month. They manage his boutique on a daily basis and even stay overtime and help Ellen wind up the necessary tasks. How do you finance your business? Ellen mentioned that he already had enough capital at the time of initiation of his business. Besides this, he takes small loans from the financial institutions and invests them into business. What have been the major challenges that you have countered while initiating and managing the business? Ellen Sandry has been a successful owner of a small boutique and earns good profits every month. According to him, it is necessary to take risks and accept challenges with good entrepreneurial skills. During the starting up of his fashion boutique, he had to counter the shortages of finance, skilled labor, and inventory. Moreover, decision-making was an area where he was not much confident. Besides this, arranging for a considerably sophisticated infrastructure also became a problem which he quickly managed with the help of his own skills. Do you take social and environmental factors into consideration? To this Ellen replied tha t while starting up his boutique, he assured that it will not create any negative externalities for the society. He took care of all the security standards, societal costs, and made sure that the environment is not affected from the existence of his business in any way. How does the economic environment impact your business? The economic booms and depressions impact all the businesses and similarly,

Position Paper on Achilles (As the Hero) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Position Paper on Achilles (As the Hero) - Essay Example In Greek mythology honor meant courage, integrity in ones belief and actions and honesty of intent. Achilles fulfills all of them whereas we see that Hector is unable to stand his ground in trying to fight for his people. In book 22, Hector was the single Trojan left outside Troy. His father, Priam, stands guard observing the battleground from the Trojan fortifications. He pleads with Hector to come inside. We then see that Hector contemplates finding a less damaging solution by giving over Helen of troy, who was the fountainhead of the war, and with her the treasures that Alexandrus bought, in order to settle with Achilles. But he still stands guard deciding that Achilles would not be merciful. However, the sight of Achilles at the gates struck fear in the heart of Hector who fled with Achilles in hot pursuit. Hector runs the length of troy thrice, trying to rid himself of Achilles. Meanwhile in Olympus Zeus, watched this chase and pitied the noble Hector who had ‘burned many a heifer’ in his honor and considers saving him. Minerva (Athena) then flares up saying that if her father wishes to alter the prophesied fate of Hector then she would not be of mind with him. In response to Athena’s disapproval, Zeus urges her to descent from Olympus and fulfill Hectors predefined fate. Then at last as the two warriors were approaching the fountains of Troy for the fourth Troy, Zeus balanced his golden scales and placed on each end the fate of Achilles and Hector, whereby Hectors scale fell into the depths of Hades. We witness then that Athena goes to Achilles relays news of his upcoming victory and informs him of her plan to trick Hector. Athena then appears near Hector disguised as Deiphobus and convinces Hector to face Achilles with Deiphobus by Hectors side. When Hector finally faces Achilles he pledges not to mistreat his body if Achilles is slain and return it to the Achaeans, in turn for a return favor incase Hector meets his end. Achilles refu ses to bind himself in any such pledges and tried to strike his spear at Hector. But Hector managed to avoid it. In retaliation Hector, with remarkable aim, hurls his spear at Achilles but it bounces off his armor. When Hector turns to Deiphobus to ask for another spear he finds that his brother has disappeared and then it dawns on him that Minerva has tricked him to his doom. Hector, nevertheless, wants to die a glorious death and swoops upon Achilles with a sword. Achilles moves forward for an attack as well and having spotted the exposed collarbone of Hector through the armor he pierces his neck. As the last breathe leaves him Hector asks for his body to be sent to his parents instead of being devoured at the banks of the Achaen ships but Achilles does not honor his request and ridicules him. Following this the Achaen soldiers wounded the body of Hector and his body was then dragged in dirt by the chariot of Achilles. The city mourns for their hero as Hectors father, mother and w ife go manic with grief. An example of a show of honor is when Achilles shows immense resolve and righteousness for his cause as Hector nears his end. While Hector lay bleeding, he tries to entice Achilles with promises of gold and treasure if Achilles would return Hectors body to his people. Earlier when Hector asks Achilles to deliver his body to his city if he dies, he replies: â€Å"Hector stop! You unforgivable you †¦ don’t talk to me of pacts. There are no binding oaths between men and lions –

Human nature and politics Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Human nature and politics - Dissertation Example This essay tells that in the present day turmoil, observed worldwide in various political circles, and the disillusionment faced by the citizens thereafter, the focus has steadily remained on the changing political actors and their varying political ideologies, which are in reality superficial in nature. In a persistent move to examine various political theories and doctrines, one has failed to observe the most important aspect, which plays a decisive role in the world of politics and power play (both globally and nationally), which is the ‘human nature.’ However, the term human nature is not easily defined, and includes complex characteristics like human perception, reasoning, behavior, ways of feeling, thinking, that are naturally observed in any individual in context of his or her surrounding socio-political world. The questions as to what causes these characteristics to take shape and form within human thought processes, in what exact manner the causal factors work, and as to how well the human nature is entrenched, form the bases of various researches in the world of western philosophy, with considerable implications in the practical fields of psychological and biological sciences, religious studies, politics, and ethics. This is primarily owing to the fact that Ð °human nature can be seen as antecedent of a benchmark for ‘living well’ and behavioral norms, while on the other hand it can also be perceived as a characteristic that creates problems and constraints in the way of a good life. Aristotle in his virtue theory claimed that ‘virtues’ are human qualities that assist an individual to achieve the benchmark and ‘live well,’ which is in concordance to human nature.5 Machiavelli and Hobbes on the other hand believed that human nature tends to be egoistic thus creating problems and constraints in ‘living well.’ Machiavelli further suggests that each individual has the potential of ‘li ving well’ and being happy, as long as he/she does not face suffering. Hobbes however, takes an extreme view and states that human nature is entirely derived from materialist axioms, and the state

MSc Strategic Accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

MSc Strategic Accounting - Essay Example Due to the fact that the strategic costing technique firmly implies long-term future oriented attributes, it can facilitate the organisations to reduce different types of accounting uncertainties (Cadez & Guilding, 2008). Critical Review of Literature With respect to the significance of the strategic costing, Cadez (2008) has mentioned that the notion of strategic costing has become a widely used technique for the organisations in case of proactively performing their range of accounting practices. In relation to the present fiercely competitive scenario of the global business environment, the organisations seek to integrate well-built Strategic Management Accounting (SMA) techniques in order to efficiently attain their strategic goals (Cadez, 2008). Contextually, it has also been found from the study in Qucosa (2006) that the concept of strategic costing constitutes a broad focus beyond the notion of controlling or reducing organisational costs associated with its range of business o perations. Moreover, the nature of strategic costing also encompasses cost information which is significantly recognised as one of the major attributes of making exceptional organisational decisions. In this regard, the study of Qucosa (2006) has further depicted a conceptual framework with respect to the major characteristics of strategic costing. Fig: Concept Strategic Cost Management (Qucosa, 2006) Philosophy: The philosophy of strategic costing can be considered as one of the major attributes which ensures to improve revenue as well as cost of the organisations. The concept of strategic costing significantly emphasises upon enhancing organisational productivity, capitalising in terms of profit enhancement along with augmenting customer satisfaction (Qucosa, 2006). Attitude: The concept of strategic costing constitutes a proactive attitude which ensures to encompass all the costs associated with the organisational processes that result from the management decisions. In this regar d, the attitude of strategic costing involves six important elements such as holistic nature, market orientation, anticipatory approach, continuousness, participative and cross-functional attributes (Qucosa, 2006). Techniques: Techniques can be recognised as the major attribute that exists within the concept of strategic costing. The concept of strategic costing firmly involves reliable techniques that are implemented by the organisations in order to accomplish their desired goals or obtain overall needs (Qucosa, 2006). The notion of strategic costing can also be considered as an effectual curriculum for the organisations. In accordance with the viewpoints of Banerjee (2006), it has been revealed that an effective practice of strategic costing tends to facilitate the firms to frequently analyse and recognise their major cost drivers, thus helping them to minimise costs and increase the overall value of the firms. Such types of management accounting programme plays a vital role for t he organisations in terms of preparing budget parameter as well as it also facilitates

French Politics and Public Policy Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

French Politics and Public Policy - Case Study Example An examination of the theoretical and ideological apparatuses that precipitated this political shift along with a presentation of cultural and political events that led to a realignment of political strategies of the two parties will be followed by an inquiry into the organizational and leadership practices and beliefs of the two groups. The subsequent analysis of the ebb and flow of the respective fortunes of the PS and PCF should reveal that the Political Left in France has operated under a "Coalition as Rivalry"2 paradigm to the ultimate benefit of the PS and the seemingly irrecoverable detriment of the PCF. Forming out of the Section Francaise de I'lnternationale Ouvriere (SFIO) in 1905, the Socialist Party was cobbled together with an uneasy mix of Marxists, members of worker's parties, revolutionaries and reformists.3 The uneasiness of this arrangement eventually led to a splintering of the "feeble" alliance and at the 1920 Congress of Tour, what was to become the PCF was formed.4 The rather hard ideological line of the PCF illustrated by the slogan, "sovietization outrance" is indicative of the affiliation that French Communists had at the time with Soviet Politburo.5 The Socialists and Communists did briefly come together in an unofficial capacity, along with the radicals in a mid-1930's movement known as the Popular Front. That coalition was interrupted by WWII. After WWII, much of the left was united against Gaullism though nevertheless splintered over the issue of Algerian Independence. The start of the Fifth Republic saw perpetuation of the orthodox commitments of the Communist Party in France despite growing dissention among the ranks in the European left. These parties, including ones in Britain, Italy, and Hungary were experiencing a mass exodus of party faithful and a philosophical crisis of faith. The PCF however remained nominally loyal to their Leninist-Stalinist roots, exemplified by their indignation and recrimination of the "Khrushchev Thaw."6 The SFIO, beginning at the end of the Fourth Republic and continuing into the Fifth Republic, struggled to define itself ideologically between centrist factions and the committed PCF, and as such saw a steady decline through the 1950s and 1960s.7 Despite attempts by SFIO to form alliances and create coalitions with the Radicals and remaining non-Communist remnants of the Popular Front, 1969 saw electoral disaster when Gaston Defferre, the newly formed PS candidate for president received less than 5% of the electoral vote.8 The French Left overall suffered losses in the National Assembly throughout the first two post-war decades, representing 60% of the vote in 1945 to just under 40% in 1968. Figure 19 The primary issue for the Left and specifically for the Communists was motivating its constituents in the economically and politically stable milieu of Gaullist France.10 As one commentator described it, "What is certain is that the France of 1968 does not seem able to give itself the luxury of a political

MSc Strategic Accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

MSc Strategic Accounting - Essay Example Due to the fact that the strategic costing technique firmly implies long-term future oriented attributes, it can facilitate the organisations to reduce different types of accounting uncertainties (Cadez & Guilding, 2008). Critical Review of Literature With respect to the significance of the strategic costing, Cadez (2008) has mentioned that the notion of strategic costing has become a widely used technique for the organisations in case of proactively performing their range of accounting practices. In relation to the present fiercely competitive scenario of the global business environment, the organisations seek to integrate well-built Strategic Management Accounting (SMA) techniques in order to efficiently attain their strategic goals (Cadez, 2008). Contextually, it has also been found from the study in Qucosa (2006) that the concept of strategic costing constitutes a broad focus beyond the notion of controlling or reducing organisational costs associated with its range of business o perations. Moreover, the nature of strategic costing also encompasses cost information which is significantly recognised as one of the major attributes of making exceptional organisational decisions. In this regard, the study of Qucosa (2006) has further depicted a conceptual framework with respect to the major characteristics of strategic costing. Fig: Concept Strategic Cost Management (Qucosa, 2006) Philosophy: The philosophy of strategic costing can be considered as one of the major attributes which ensures to improve revenue as well as cost of the organisations. The concept of strategic costing significantly emphasises upon enhancing organisational productivity, capitalising in terms of profit enhancement along with augmenting customer satisfaction (Qucosa, 2006). Attitude: The concept of strategic costing constitutes a proactive attitude which ensures to encompass all the costs associated with the organisational processes that result from the management decisions. In this regar d, the attitude of strategic costing involves six important elements such as holistic nature, market orientation, anticipatory approach, continuousness, participative and cross-functional attributes (Qucosa, 2006). Techniques: Techniques can be recognised as the major attribute that exists within the concept of strategic costing. The concept of strategic costing firmly involves reliable techniques that are implemented by the organisations in order to accomplish their desired goals or obtain overall needs (Qucosa, 2006). The notion of strategic costing can also be considered as an effectual curriculum for the organisations. In accordance with the viewpoints of Banerjee (2006), it has been revealed that an effective practice of strategic costing tends to facilitate the firms to frequently analyse and recognise their major cost drivers, thus helping them to minimise costs and increase the overall value of the firms. Such types of management accounting programme plays a vital role for t he organisations in terms of preparing budget parameter as well as it also facilitates

Stereotypes of African American Women in Film Essay

Stereotypes of African American Women in Film - Essay Example In film, the seductive and worldly imagery of the African American woman has endured. While more empowered positions have been created over time with race relations slowly repairing and providing for a less judgmental view on the African American woman, the films of the early twentieth century reveal the story of how she was viewed. Through the work of Lena Horne and Dorothy Dandridge, the stereotypes can be seen, but explored with a deeper complexity that was brought to the roles because of the presentations that Horne and Dandridge brought to their work. In many ways, the work that was done by Lena Horne and Dorothy Dandridge broke some of the stereotypes that had been most prevalent about African American women. Horne stated of her position in Hollywood that â€Å"They didn’t make me into a maid†¦but they didn’t make me into anything else either. I became a butterfly pinned to a column singing away in Movieland† (Bogle, 2001, p. 127). She came across as w holesome a problem for the sex-object roles that she was given. Because of her nature, she was not seen as a â€Å"slutty† character, but was engaging as an alluring woman who flirted and teased, rather than performed acts that would diminish her nature. She was elegant and poised, thus creating sophisticated presence. In this, her roles created a sense of broken stereotypes, the women she portrayed not the average that was promoted during her time. Horne’s portrayal of Georgia Brown in Cabin in the Sky never broke through to representing a woman of ill-repute. Bogle describes her work as â€Å"startling freshness and untainted wholesome beauty† from both Cabin in the Sky (1943) and Stormy Weather (1942). Her role in Stormy Weather, made her an â€Å"object of contemplation, rather than one of possession† (Bogle, 2001, p. 127). In Cabin in the Sky, she is positioned as an instrument of Lucifer, but she brings a complexity as she never fully slips into the state of a tainted woman. In Stormy Weather, puts Horne in context with the music industry of the early 20th century. She represents an ambitious, but desirable woman who is seeking a career over love. This representation broke with the traditions of both women and African American women, her desires for something beyond an immediate gratification not a familiar stereotype. One of the problems with Cabin in the Sky was that it was set in a familiar type of fantastical setting in which there was an ideal ‘otherness’ in which African Americans lived. This concept suggested that while their lives were separate, they did not suffer from segregation, but flourished in communities that were just out there somewhere (Bugle, 2001, p. 131). Where Cabin in the Sky created an unrealistic domestic space, Stormy Weather created a somewhat unrealistic professional space in which African Americans experienced their lives. The film was an example of wartime escapism, providing an unre alistic world in which to experience a diversion from the seriousness of the nature of life during the war. Both of these films, however, were ground-breaking as they each had fully African American casts, the diversity of the roles within those films providing for a better exploration of African American life. Two roles that Horne greatly desired, ended up being given to Dorothy Dandridge. The role of both Carmen Jones (1954) and Jane Richards in Bright Road (1953) were given to Dandridge over Horne. Where Horne exuded a ‘

Leadership Essay Example for Free

Leadership Essay The importance in developing greatness and achieving success lies within the ability to carry out Level 5 leadership. It is evident that companies who are Level 5 leaders have prospered greatly and attained stock returns at least 3 times the markets (Collins, 2005). Taking this into consideration those companies who did not possess level 5 leaders were able to achieve success only for a period of time but failed to sustain it any longer than that. Humility and will are behaviours that make up the qualities of a level 5 leader and their importance lies in the fact that having this quality either can make or break a company. Over many years, out of a large number of companies that were researched, only a small number of them truly sustained their growth and this came down to whether or not the leaders of these Fortune 500 companies sat atop the hierarchy or whether they lacked the level 5 trait. There are also implications for todays management and the issue of whether executives need to plan for the future and weigh the costs against the benefits of certain projects. Workplace branding is also an important factor that needs to be taken into consideration by Level 5 leaders as they have huge potential to influence their organizations brand. Furthermore, level 5 leadership is an attribute that can be developed but is not for everyone. Analysis Leadership is a significant element in any business as without it, a business is doomed to fail right from the start. Having a strong leader can eliminate disputes and internal problems. A company must have internal strength before it can be strong enough to outperform the general market. Humility in a Level 5 Leader We can characterize a level 5 leader by many unique traits however, the two most important according to Jim Collins is humility and will. Collins depicts these leaders as modest and willful, shy and fearless (Collins, 2005). Jim Collins defines a level 5 leader as an executive in whom genuine personal humility blends with intense professional will (Collins, 2005). He describes a hierarchy where level 5 leaders sit on the top and exhibit these tendencies while working in professional frameworks supported by effective teamwork. Since a level 5 leader is said to have both humility and will, level 5 leaders exhibit a twofold quality, therefore, humility is positively acknowledged as a quality of successful leaders. Humility is a key aspect to level 5 leadership and those that emboss this quality often credit others, external factors, and good luck for their companies success (Collins, 2005). These types of leaders, when commenting on their company success will praise the employees for contributing their skills and efforts to its triumph and shy away from giving themselves attention. According to a report, a leader who has humility is unlikely to impose their own personal vision on others and is more likely to admit any flaw in their own vision (Lawrence, 2006). Instead of crediting themselves and their own efforts they exhibit a type of nature that allows them to recognize others. Leaders with humility dont seek success for their own gloryand theyre first to accept blame for mistakes (Mind Tools Ltd. , 2013). Level 5 leaders possess the seed (Collins, 2005) which is a quality that allows them to subjugate to something larger than themselves (Collins, 2005). This is a powerful virtue and one that sets those companys who succeed apart from those that fail. Those leaders that possess humility managed to transition their companies from good to great. We have seen in comparison companies that failed to do this, their downfall was their lack in humility. As a result, we can make the connection that humility is necessary to a companys success. A company is a network of people who work as a team and leaders that display humbleness towards their employees, by taking responsibility when things go wrong and recognizing the team for their hard work, will reach eminent success. Companies that exhibited this kind of behaviour included Kroger Co, Kimberly-Clark, and Gillette to name a few, while others such as AP, Scott Paper, and Bank of America were comprised of leaders that were self centered. It is evident that these types of leaders led their company to destruction especially during the 2007 to 2008 crisis. In this case and every other, humility matters [because] chaos could have been averted if appointment committees had recruited Level 5 leaders (Mind Tools Ltd. , 2013). Collins was able to change the worlds view about what makes a great leader which many thought was charisma and personality. The mistake most of these comparison companies made was believing that level 5 leaders gentle and shy nature would bring them down when in reality, those characteristics are what brought them to the top. Comparison company leaders felt that charisma and forwardness was the way to the top of the hierarchy however, they soon found out this was not the key to success. Other important characteristics that mold a level 5 leader is discipline, determination, and integrity. While most people believe that having an extreme personality is necessary, they fail to recognize that these traits are what makes up some peoples personalities, which is what makes them great leaders. Jim Collins emphasized Darwin Smith in this respect; a man with iron will (Collins, 2005) and one that never stopped having faith in the success of his company. There arises a compelling need for leadership in a business and this need stems from the desire to grow and achieve higher goals [which] never develops, (Martin, 1999) if there is no potent leader in place. Corporate Changes in Leadership As only 11 Fortune 500 companies flourished to greatness, the attributes each company possessed in similarities was Level 5 leadership. These 11 companies that made Collins list averaged returns 6. 9 times greater than the markets, (Collins, 2001) doubling the returns of their rivals. There have been many attempts to change a corporate vision by changing leadership however, setting a new direction has not shown anticipated results nor has articulating a fresh corporate vision (Collins, 2001). The mistake most companies have made is focusing more on the direction of the business rather than the people implementing the strategy. World leaders have sought to take advantage of this unique approach by having the right people on the management team and then divulging into the what question many have asked. Having a company comprised of the right people is the most important step because these types of people can adapt to changing circumstances rather than having to adapt the companys direction to match the teams vision. What leaders such as Darwin Smith did, was develop a hedgehog concept where they can simplify a complex world into a single, organizing idea (Collins, 2001) and take their company to new lengths. Kimberly-Clark Kimberly Clark, a paper company, was one of these that had remained successful after experiencing a change in leadership. With Darwin E. Smith in position to act as CEO, the company was transformed into the giant success that it is today. Initially, Kimberly-Clark was just like any other old paper company that was considered good but not great. All that changed when Darwin Smith became CEO in 1971. This man was credited with turning Kimberly-Clark into an innovative consumer products powerhouse (Anshuman, 2005). The first step to its transformation was the elimination of the Kimberly-Clark mills. Many people were skeptical about the move but Darwins determination allowed the company to overcome its rivals and beat the market. It was his strength and leadership that paved the way for its transformation. Anshuman mentions in his blog that Smith made sure his leadership team consisted of those people that met his standards and separated them from those who did not (2005, October 22). By building strength within the company first, Darwin was able to create strength externally as well, which gave the company an advantage and allowed it to expand geographically. Furthermore, Darwin pushed his efforts towards strengthening the companys position in the tissue segment of the paper industry (Anshuman, 2005). It was evident that these newly implemented strategies were thriving since stockholders experienced returns of 19. 6% annually (Anshuman, 2005) and it was his qualities of crediting others for the companys success that truly brought it to greatness. Before Darwin, Kimberly-Clarks CEO was headed in the wrong direction as its stock had fallen 36% behind the general market, (Collins, 2005) and this was no small number. The reason for this fall was because the companys leadership team was not focused on its main operations and the areas that would bring the company to greatness which in turn caused Kimberly-Clark to fall short. This downfall was brought by Kimberly-Clarks failure to keep up with early disposable diaper improvements and market innovations (Funding Universe, n. d. ). Clearly Smith had the right idea when he took the initiative to merge with Scott Paper. After its transformation, Kimberly Clark was generating stock returns 4. 1 times greater than the general markets (Collins, 2005). Kimberly-Clark became the leading consumer paper products company in the world, (Collins, 2005) outperforming not only the market but even other giant, well known, companies such as Hewlett-Packard, General Electric, and Coca-Cola. Kimberly-Clark was on Collins list because the company was able to sustain greatness after they had attained it for the first time. Smith succeeded in making Kimberly-Clark a great company and this was possible because he had the qualities of a level 5 leader. It is duly noted that transforming a company from good to great is not an easy task but those leaders holding this paradoxical combination of traits, (Collins, 2005) those of humility and professional will, have the ability to achieve this prominence. What Kimberly-Clarks team and other great companies did was not starting something new but essentially taking the action to stop doing something they have done for many years. To discontinue a main part of their business is what led them to become great. For Kimberly-Clark, that meant it would have to stop doing paper mills, (Collins, 2001) for other companies it may mean eliminating unnecessary or time consuming strategies. This company did not achieve success over night or by some miracle but through simplicity and diligence (Collins, 2001). Kroger Co Kroger Co, a grocery store chain, was normally seen as an average company or nothing out of the ordinary until it dramatically transformed and started racking up large returns. When it broke free of its mediocrity to beat the stock market by 4. 16 times, (Collins, 2001) it continued its rally and in a 15 year period Kroger outperformed the market by 10 times (Collins, 2001). Before this occurred however, Kroger was run by leaders that were less likely to succeed and turn the company around to sustainability. From the early years, Kroger was a successful company because its strategy emphasized customer wants and needs rather than the organizations itself, although for the first 80 years it was nothing more than average. However, a main reason for Krogers experienced growth lay in its acquisitions such as the one with Dillon Companies Inc. in 1983 which smoothed Krogers transition into [becoming] a coast-to-coast operator of food, drug and convenience stores (The Kroger Company, 2013). During the time of this acquisition, Lyle Everingham was CEO of Kroger and his leadership skills led the company to utilize extensive consumer research to focus on meeting customer needs first, rather than on what suited Kroger best, (Zwiebach, 2008) which is the vision Kroger initially set out in the beginning and proved to be successful. The acquisition with Dillon was not the most significant either but it was Krogers merger with Fred Meyer that developed the companys geographic culture as well as created the widest variety of formats in the foot retailing industry (The Kroger Company, 2013). This merger under the direction of the next CEO, Joseph A. Pichler, created a major buzz and resulted from his outward looking perspective. All of these leaders possessed the skills that allowed them to sustain the growth in the business which was seen in the many years Kroger beat the stock market. Following the years of average performance, the leaders from there on in all had something in common; they were all level 5 leaders who contributed their own efforts to continuing Krogers growth and from 1973 to 1998, Kroger outperform the market by 10 times (Collins, 2001). 1973 was Krogers turning point and leaders realized that the current model was going to continue demonstrating average performance so they took the initiative and began eliminating, changing or replacing every single one of its stores (Thill, 2003) to fit new certainties. The common link between these companies was their approach: a down-to-earth, pragmatic, committed-to-excellence process (Collins, 2001). In other words, this framework kept successful companies on the right path and molded them into their strong counterparts that were able to uphold their greatness. The changes in leadership that these companies experienced resulted in momentum change where this increase in energy encouraged them to keep going and carrying it on with greater velocity until exceptional results were produced.

Human Resource Management Case Study

Human Resource Management Case Study Abstract Strategic Human resource management is a long term proactive planning by the Human Resource department on how organizational goals and missions will be achieved by the means of its labor force resources. This essay is based on Strategic Human Resource Management theories and practices as a requirement for our Human Resource Management unit HR633. For this assignment Baa Bar restaurant has been chosen where the interrelationship between human resource management and Baa Bar restaurant’s environment will be evaluated and discussed. The definition provided by Michael Armstrong and Long (1994) is discussed together with the matching model by Devanna, Fombrun and Tichy (1984) is also discussed. The relationship between these theories, ideas and model are evaluated with the context of Baa Bar restaurant current practice and philosophies. Introduction Human resource management is about management of people at all levels in the organizational structure in order to achieve an competitive advantage over other business with the help of implementing their own HR policies and practices which are in alignment with their goals and missions of the organization. Armstrong and Long expand the idea of Walker who defined strategic human resources management as â€Å"the means of putting together the management of human resources with the strategic content of the business† HRM is also a strategic and comprehensive approach to managing people and the workplace culture and environment. Effective HRM enables employees to contribute effectively and productively to the overall company direction and the accomplishment of the organizations goals and objectives (About.com,2014). Baa Bar The corporate mission of Baa Bar restaurant is to be well recognized as one of the top â€Å"A† grade family restaurant in both its local and International tourist market. (Personal communication: Mr Sohal, S., 4th July, 2014) Key objectives To train and develop current employees in response to equip them with the changing trends and markets for effective and efficient customer service deliverance To deliver a safe and secure working environment to its employees To be in alignment with the organizational goals and mission To promote fair and equal employment opportunity for all people despite their race, culture ,religion and gender of people Adhere to fair selection process for new recruitment To adhere to the minimum wage rate for its employees despite the race, culture, religion , or gender This department is responsible overall management of human resources who are seen as the biggest asset for any organization’s success. The HR department is responsible for staff recruitment, training them effectively, developing them and allocating them to their respective duties. Their strategies need to be in complete alignment with the mission and goals of the restaurant. They acquire the right person with the right job at the right time in right number through training and developing them through organizational training and workshops in order to achieve efficiency and effectiveness in all other departments of the organization. They are main responsibility is to recruit, develop, use and maintain the employees of the restaurant as there is a shortage of employee loyalty and employee come in the restaurant to gain workforce experience and leave for better opportunities. Therefore to put a measure to this problem the HR department of Baa Bar restaurant has formulated a writt en contract outlining the Baa Bar restaurant’s policies and practices that employees need to adhere while working for the restaurant. The new employees that are recruited to be placed on a three months probation period to show the restaurant their ability and capabilities and as a means that shows the restaurant that they are the people for that position. Furthermore the contract restricts employees from leaving the company without giving the restaurant time to advertise, recruit and train another replacement for that position. All the employees are provided with basic training in all spheres of the restaurant duties so that when the need arises to cover up or switch positions for another employee due to absenteeism or if any emergency arises, they have the knowledge and are equipped to carry out of those responsibilities efficiently (Scribd.com,2014). Baa Bar restaurant is a family owned small restaurant run by Mrs Sunaina khan as CEO and Mr Sohail Khan as the Manager /Human Resource Manager and Mr D. Patel as the Supervisor/floor Manager/Human Resource officer for the restaurant. It has other ten kitchen employees. The structure of baa bar restaurant has four levels, upper most is the CEO, second level is the Manager, third level is the human resource manager and at the bottom level are all the kitchen employees. The HR department is managed by the floor manager and the restaurants manager. All HR planning and strategies are formulated at the third level of the organizational structure Mr. Patel who carry out the planning process and forward it to the upper level ,to the manager and CEO ,for the final approval for all Human resource issues. Therefore the HR department has formulated some internal policies for their human resource requirements. The department has formulated yearly proactive plans to cater for the increased produ ction and so that work flow in the restaurant is constant and does not stop due to shortage of staff. Every year the restaurant allocates certain amounts of profit for Human resource development for current employees and recruiting new employees depending on the requirements of the yearly projects. Every year the restaurant allocates a budget of $100,000 for its HR department from which the depart allocates $55000 for casual 3 to 5 new employee that are recruited every year during the summer for two months, mid November to mid January, when it’s the peak season for the restaurant due to general public holidays and influx of heavy tourist market. The department advertises on the seek website, Baa Bar restaurants official website and in restaurant’s fortnightly newsletter. At times they also outsource to Frog recruitments to get casual labors on short notices (About.com,2014). HR department formulates an action plan for its own department as a measure to attain their outlined projects and goals in order to achieve their organizational goals and mission. HR works in accordance with the restaurants mission and goals and have employees lined up to fit in when the need arises so that the operations of the restaurants day to day activities do not stop. The HR department of Baa Bar restaurant act as the chain agents for the change as the change arises. The HR manager and the restaurants manager work together hand in hand, educating, developing, motivating, supporting, coaching and training the employees beforehand and during the transition period so that employee are well prepared and equipped for the change. For Example, the one of the outlined goals for 2014 is to expand the Baa Bar restaurant’s current sitting arrangement to a new outside courtyard dining to mark the restaurant’s 10th birthday on 23rd of November. The CEO, the Manager and HR Manager together with other department managers, had a meting with the front line workers and the kitchen staff and advised them about the planning and what strategies the managers will conduct in order to achieve the success of the project. They were also explained why the restaurant needs to expand and what is expected from the employees and how it is going to affect them. T hey were further explained on how their current role will change. The HR department came up with the idea on how to cater for the increased employee requirements and resources as the work load will increase dramatically. The HR came up with the action plan on how to cater for the increased work load. It has made provisions to recruit 5 new employees, 3 new waiters and 2 new kitchen hands to help in the kitchen. It has also made provision to send the existing waitresses and the bar tenders to attend workshops organized in house by outside representatives and also cater for further developments for kitchen hands and chefs to upgrade their skills and attain further education in their respective positions at the restaurants expenses (About.com,2014). 2.0. Policies and practices with reference to Devanna, Fombrum and Tichy The Matching Model According to Devanna, Fombrum and Tichy, (1984) Human resource management are the operational plans of the organization that emphasis on the strategic plans and are conducted by the top level people in the organizational structure. It further defines that the organizational mission and strategy should be entwined together with the human resource policies and practices like job designing, employee training and development etc.so that they are in constant flow with each other in order to achieve the organizational missions and strategies. Human resource management department needs to scan the external forces that effect the organization at whole. The external forces are political, cultural and economic forces. Political forces are the laws, legislations and policies placed by the New Zealand government and ministry of labor such as organizational health and safety regulations which Baa Bar restaurant need to abide by at all circumstances and average wage regulations, taxation, IRD deduction, child labor, illegal employment etc. such laws are placed by the concerned authorities in order to standardize the local workforce by safeguarding the employee as well as the restaurants interest. Therefore it effects the human resource management of the Baa Bar restaurant where it has to base it’s employee salary, benefits, etc. in consideration and then decide the numeration packages for them. It also has to place internal policies and practices to ensure that OHS regulations are adhered by all employees at all time. It has to provide proper equipment and gear for the kitchen staff and send them to proper training on what to do in case of emergencies like fire, food poisoning. All employees have to go through proper food handling and hygiene courses before they start their new jobs at the expense of the restaurant. Such regulations put constrains on the human Resource management budgets thus increasing the expenses of the restaurant. Therefore, the HR department has to keep updated with the new policies and regulations in order to be in aligning with the New Zealand’s law and order as the government has placed a severe consequences for being infringement if found the restaurant could even be ceased from operating (Scribd, Inc.,2014) Social forces have effect on HR management because the type of background that employees come from defines their work ethics, behavior, and attitudes towards their role in the restaurant. It also defines their level of commitment and responsibilities they display in their performances. An employee’s attitude towards their present and future personal goals defines them as where they want to be in their career which will show their attitude towards their work. It also highlights the background from which they come from and how they will interact and behave with other employees therefore HR rules and regulations need to provide certain guidelines and principles that all employees need to adhere to to reduce conflicts (Scribd, Inc., 2014) Human resource management also has to pay emphasis on the economical forces of the restaurant because the economy of a nation either it’s suffering a recession period or growth; it will define the availability of its people’s education and health which simultaneously have a major effect on the available labor workforce. Therefore recruitment, selection and placement and well being in the restaurant will be affected and needs to be taken in consideration while making HR policies for the restaurant. The restaurant needs employees who are able to work up to their maximum capabilities. A growth in the economy means that the people are able to afford higher education and qualifications which the restaurant can utilize to its maximum in their respective tasks towards the achievement of the organizational mission (Scribed.Inc., 2014). Likewise competition also affects the HR policies as and increase in competition increases the need for the restaurant to retain their key emplo yees with more benefits and renumuration as the demand for them increases. 3.0. Human resource contribution to organizational strategy and planning Human resource management and planning emphasis on scanning the current human resource and forecasting for their future need in order to cater as the need arises. The HR department assesses the employee performance, education, qualification and skills with their current roles and assess if they match and compliment each other or not with the means of staff appraisal and performance measure on every six months basis. The employees who are no performing at their expected level are given six months to progress on their performance and by the end of the year all employees are rewarded with bonus in accordance with their performance. Accordingly the HR department rearranges the structure by regrouping duties to create more positions vice versa which is more favorable towards accomplishment of the restaurants mission and goals. The HR department provides on job training for its new recruits and further development opportunities to be aligned with the current trending skills and qualificati ons as the restaurant sees its loyal employees as asset to the organization and their updating developments will provide a competitive edge for its competitors. It believes that whatever they spend on staff development will be reaped by the restaurant and help the restaurant to equip it better with its competitors and in return will benefit in increase in profit level. Furthermore HR department needs to recruit only those candidates who are best equipped with the required skills and qualifications and capabilities that suits that specific position (Scribed, Inc. 2014). The problem with the Baa Bar Restaurant’s human resource policy and practice is that the policies and practices that are formulated is from the top level management and there is no provision for lower level employee involvement and insight from them as they are the ones who are affected by all the policies. The human resource department needs to make provision for an employee representative who can act on behalf of the employees of the restaurant in order to get their support and involvement when formulating HR policies and practices. Conclusion Human Resource Management and Planning involves taking measures and equipping the human resource of the organization for their current and future opportunities in achieving the organization’s missions and goals by formulating and updating respective policies and practices. Policies and strategies are formulated in order to set a fair and justified standards for recruitment, training and developing, redundancy process. The HR department has to scan its external environments in order to be aware of their impact on the organization’s labor force. References About.com,(2014). Human resource. Retrieved from  http://humanresources.about.com/od/hrbasicsfaq/a/hr_onestop.htm Armstrong, M. and Long, P. (1994). The reality of Strategic HRM. Institute of Personnel and development. London. Devanna, M.A, Fombrun, C. J. and Tichy, N.M. (1984). A framework for Strategic Human Resource Management, in Fombrun et al. (eds), Strategic Human Resource Management, New York, John Wiley. Scribed, Inc. (2014) External factors affecting human resource management. Retrieved from  https://www.scribd.com/doc/43375780/External-factors-affecting-human-resource-management-HRM