Business Environments Of Chinese Society - 2814 Words

Assignment: Business Environments in Chinese Society: (Student’s Name) (Professor’s Name) (Course Title) (Date of Submission) Introduction Business environments across the world have been experiencing numerous and rapid dynamics, forcing business enterprises to look for more intelligence before entering such markets. The need to start businesses in foreign markets is created by variety of factors which includes saturation of local markets and availability of attractive opportunities in foreign countries. China has been a focus of many foreign investors, owing to various reasons which serve to create attractive business opportunities. For instance, the country has been experiencing rapid infrastructural developments, reducing cost of doing business within the society. It has also been remarkably stable in terms of both political and economical pillars of the state. It has also a wide market due to its high population, providing market for products and services of many businesses (Hill, 2014). These numerous businesses cropping up in China have created a business opportunity, in marketing and packaging, since they do not have much of information about the history of the nation and its markets. Our team has developed the idea and decided to venture into business to exploit the opportunity. This documentation focuses on deliberating on the details of the business idea to inform our decision on how to progress with it (Zinzius, 2004). Currency conversionShow MoreRelatedCritically Evaluate Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs as Way of Understanding Employee Motivation in Contemporary Chinese Business.1372 Words   |  6 Pagesevaluate Maslow’s hierarchy of needs as way of understanding employee motivation in contemporary Chinese business. The Chinese economy has changed significantly since the reform in 1978.Chinese economy has experienced a rapid development and trends to an open and market-driven system in recent years (Klein and Ozmucur, 2002). A lot of foreign companies want to invest in Chinese companies or start business in China but most of them fail in the end. One of the reasons why they can be successful in theRead MoreThe Cultural Differences Of Adidas1336 Words   |  6 Pagesdevelopments, legal and cultural requirements and the business environment are taken into account. In this section we will discuss about the cultural differences that Adidas has to consider to operate business in china moving from brazil. The chart below shows the comparison of the cultural dimensions according to Hofstede. Brazil to China: The Hofstede Dimensions of Culture PDI (Power Distance Index) - With a score of 69, Brazil reflects a society that believes hierarchy should be respected andRead MoreBusiness in China1188 Words   |  5 PagesBusiness in China 1. What challenges do foreign firms face when they seek to transfer their home management style to China? 2. Discuss the reform of Chinese state-owned enterprises and related government policy changes. Evaluate the impact within the state-owned businesses and the chinese society. Chinese management Doing business in China requires a throughout understanding of their management philosophy and practices. Their management style is different in many respects from mainstreamRead MoreBenefits And Risks Of A Foreign Investment Project1415 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction Expanding business activity to a foreign country presents many opportunities and risks. Rewards and risks has to be analyzed and weighted carefully before committing capital for a foreign investment project. Socioeconomic as well as cultural factors must be considered since countries vary in levels of wealth, education, needs and wants. China and Iraq has many differences politically as well as socioeconomically and culturally; therefore, both countries present different levels of riskRead MoreChina s Strategic, Marketing, And Economic Reasons1143 Words   |  5 Pagesaround 9.6 percent every year on average. China joined the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2001 which means an extension of the reform, meanwhile, brings the new opportunities to Chinese companies’ growth. The development of both society and economy in China helped introduced foreign direct investment. At the same time, Chinese enterprises invested abroad and got access to foreign resources, new markets, human capital, technology, and knowledge. Therefore, multinational enterprise seems little by littleRead MoreHuman Rights Violations in China - Should Western Companies Continue to Do Business with China?1636 Words   |  7 Pagesdiscrimination. In the western society, the principles of freedom, democracy and human rights are fundamental rights. However, the People’s Republic of China, commonly known as China, is still known as the largest human rights violator in the world. This raises the question whether or not western companies should continue doing business in China despite of the human rights violations. To find an answer to this question, the human rights violations and the values of the Chinese population will be analysedRead MoreCultural Differences Of Business Practices1625 Words   |  7 Pagesopportunities for business but yet brings some challenges because stakeholders become more geographical diverse and the market is bigger than before. Companies are also facing c ultural differences when they enter into different countries. Culture is an important part of human society composing of knowledge, beliefs, art, morals, laws and other habits. Cultural differences are the variations in what people have, think and behave between different countries, religions or societies. (ghauricateora,2006)Read More PEST Analysis and SWOT Analysis of China Essay1661 Words   |  7 Pages............................................4 2.0 – Environmental Analysis: Chinese Market....................................................................4 2.1 – Political Environment, Rules Regulations ............................................................... 4 2.2 – Economic Environment..................................................................................................4 2.3 – Society and Culture..................................................................Read MorePest Analysis of Gap Inc1178 Words   |  5 Pagesusually can not operate on those countries. In the case of the regulations in the retail industry it has negative impacts because the regulations in the retail industry could easily be changed beyond the established limit and will affect the business adversely, in addition companies such as target will obtain higher costs in expenses due to the changes. Furthermore, changes and transformation in overtime regulations and the share of the retail stores in the healthcare bill. It has a hugeRead MorePest Analysis of Gap Inc1171 Words   |  5 Pagesand usually can not operate on those countries. In the case of the regulations in the retail industry it has negative impacts because the regulations in the retail industry could easily be changed beyond the established limit and will affect the business adversely, in addition companies such as target will obtain higher costs in expenses due to the changes. Furthermore, changes and transformation in overtime regulations and the share of the retail stores in the healthcare bill. It has a huge effect

Adidas Promotional Campaign Free Essays

The purpose of this case assignment is to evaluate Adidas’ new promotional campaign and identify the key factors affecting its success. Promotion serves as one of the fundamental tenets in marketing mix. Promotion is the communication of information by a seller to influence the attitudes and behaviors of potential buyers. We will write a custom essay sample on Adidas Promotional Campaign or any similar topic only for you Order Now 1 (Christ). Advertising, sales promotion, and public relations comprises promotion which are used to target specific buyers. These three aspects of promotion work together to attract and retain potential and existing buyers and also highlights the foundation of Adidas’ promotional campaign for the Beijing Olympics. Sportswear manufacturer Adidas’ recent merger with Reebok represents increased clout the firm can use exert on Nike in upcoming promotions for the Olympics. Nike which currently holds the majority of athletic footwear market has done an excellent job promoting its products to focus on target markets. Both manufacturers target the same markets which include the Basketball, Soccer, and Football athletes, as well as, Hip Hop culture. 4 Promoting sales of sportswear through the use of professional athletes has been a venture both Adidas and Nike have done very well. However, Adidas took a big hit when Nike was capable of capitalizing on the â€Å"Hip Hop Nation †, or subculture closely intertwined with performance sportswear. Rapper artist, Nelly, wrote a song about Nike shoes in 2005, underscoring Nike’s image change from solely performance sportswear to including fashionable and â€Å"cool†. Adidas returned with signing performing artists Jay-Z, Missy Elliott, and 50-Cent to their sportswear lines. Promotional campaigns by both Adidas and Nike reflect consumer focus when purchasing athletic apparel is not solely tied to performance, and suggests that some consumers view athletic apparel as a reflection of personality and a fashion statement. A perspective from Gonzalo Basilico, a 12 yr old student, supports this notion, â€Å"I like Adidas, but I still prefer Nike for the fashion, colours, combinations [. . ] It’s all Nike at school. Everyone talks about Nike, no one talks about the others. † 5 Adidas’ merger will allow them to compete on multiple fronts, and also eliminates the no. 3 contender, Reebok, from the competition. The combination of the two will allow Adidas to focus on both performance and fashion sportswear. Adidas styled high heel shoes pictured on their website, indicate a shift Adidas’ intention of attempting to claim both the performance and fashion athletic apparel markets. Moreover, Adidas will be able to promote their brands â€Å"Adidas† and â€Å"Reebok† by targeting specific athletic groups like Soccer and Football; respectively, that hold one or the other in high regards. 7 Both Adidas and Nike have robust advertising campaigns. Webpage, television, and magazine advertisements all suggest that the products are not merely performance sportswear, they’re fashion statements. Adidas’ iconic â€Å"3 stripes† and Nike’s â€Å"swoosh† are plastered all of over their advertisements and products. The icons which at first were a company logo, represent a designer label that consumers want. Adidas’ division of efforts between the Adidas and Reebok lines will serve them well in the future. Reebok will be focused on middle priced shoes, while Adidas will focus on high end sport performance and fashion. Division of efforts between the two will pose a formidable advantage against, Nike, the current no. 1 contender in the sport performance apparel market. References 1. Christ, P. (2008). Principles of Marketing. Retrieved 20 JUL 08 from http://www. knowthis. om/tutorials/principles-of-marketing/promotion-decisions/1. htm 2. Unknown (2008). The Promotional Mix. Retreived 20 JUL 08 from http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Promotional_mix#cite_note-0 3. Kiley, D. (2005). Reebok and Adidas. Retrieved 20 JUL 08 from http://www. businessweek. com/bwdaily/dnflash/aug2005/nf2005084_8340. htm 4. Ibid. 5. Richardson, B. (2005). Adidas Bid Raises Image Concerns. Retrieved 20 JUL 08 from http ://news. bbc. co. uk/1/hi/business/4741343. stm 6. Adidas (2008). Adidas Homepage. Retrieved 20 JUL 08 from http://www. adidas. com 7. Kiley, D. (2005). How to cite Adidas Promotional Campaign, Papers

Marketers Are Not Doing Enough Toward Sustainable Consumptions

Question: Discuss about the Marketers Are Not Doing Enough In Directing Their Target Markets Toward Sustainable Consumptions. Answer: Introduction It has been identified that the markets of each sector has become dynamic and competitive. The organizations are in the rush of developing theirmarketing strategies and increase the growth of the business. However, it has also been identified that marketers hold an enormous responsibility in respect with the influence of buying patterns of the market. The essay reviews the role of marketers in encouraging sustainable production as well as the consumption by mapping the sustainability programs considering the marketing skills. Undoubtedly, the marketers play a crucial role in leading the business in a competitive market. For example, in order to become sustainable, an organization should have the ability to address each aspect of the organization-manufacture of products, delivery of services and operation within and outside the organization. Discussion When the attention is given to marketing as a whole, it is observed that every marketers deal with different types of challenges; even though, they typically share similar goals, some organizations stuck in hiring the top most talents, while others are having the issues in having the appropriate technology for their needs. Nonetheless, whatever, the case could be there remains an area that the marketers need to enhance. In other way, it can be added that there is always an opportunity to optimize significant aspects of the strategy and turn the business into a revenue generator. According to Shankar et al. (2011), generating traffic, leads as well as proving the Return On Investment are the significant challenges that marketer deal with the recent time. Hence, Wymer (2011) also identified this fact as the challenge because certainly, the marketers are making large efforts in producing sufficient demand for their content. As the years are passing, the competition becomes more tougher. Moreover, as the marketers have several options to publish their content and the ways to promote it, it has become difficult for the marketers where to emphasize. When it comes to generating the content that provide sufficient traffic and leads, the marketer need to focus on high quality content, the type of content, the audience wish to pay and the needs and demands of the audiences. For example, the market research conducted by HubSpot found that almost 43% of the customers wish to watch the videos from the marketers while 29% of the wish to see blog spot (Steenburgh, Avery and Dahod 2011). When the marketers know that they are creating the type of content that their audience prefers, the focus automatically shifts to promote it in a way that the target audiences observe. When it comes to return on investment, selecting the wrong target or one of less value could certainly minimize the growth and the return on investment potential (Wymer 2011). It is significant for the marketers to figure out the effectiveness of each particular marketing campaign and the piece of content. Adequate focus should be given to develop the links between marketing activities as well as sales result. This means the marketers need to make use of marketing software and CRM solutions and apply them together to bridge the gap between the marketing and sales efforts. Likewise, allocating sufficient budget is another significant challenge faced by the marketers in the recent time. Getting more budgets is easier to say but to do- particularly the smaller organizations that are not working with the sizeable market expenditure. In this context, Halligan and Shah (2014) commented that unlocking the budget relies on being capable of proving the return on investment of the marketing ef forts. The organizations that calculate return on investment are more likely to receive larger budgets. Hence, again the success with the inbound marketing could play a significant role in driving the high budget. The customer engagement is another significant marketing issue faced by the organizations as a whole and the marketers (Opreana and Vinerean 2015). In a business environment, where the brands have more capability to understand their consumers than ever before, and where the buyers have the power to become more selective than ever, it could become incredibly significant for the marketing department to create significant customer engagements (Barbu 2013). In order to implement such strategy, the marketers not only define an intensive or more nuanced picture of customers but they need to put themselves in a position to leverage that picture to provide more useful as well as personalized engagement. Conclusion In conclusion, it can be mentioned that as the market is changing with a rapid pace, the marketers should not rely on the long-term goals and ease out. Sometimes, the short-term goals and objectives are the weapon against the marketing threats. The achievements of short-term goals to strengthen the market position of the organization. However, it is certain that marketing challenges appear to be different as it depends on the sector and the market needs. References Barbu, A., 2013. Eight contemporary trends in the market research industry. Management Marketing, 8(3), p.429. Halligan, B. and Shah, D., 2014.Inbound Marketing, Revised and Updated: Attract, Engage, and Delight Customers Online. John Wiley Sons. Opreana, A. and Vinerean, S., 2015. A new development in online marketing: Introducing digital inbound marketing.Expert Journal of Marketing,3(1), pp.29-34. Shankar, V., Inman, J.J., Mantrala, M., Kelley, E. and Rizley, R., 2011. Innovations in shopper marketing: current insights and future research issues.Journal of Retailing,87, pp.S29-S42. Steenburgh, T.J., Avery, J. and Dahod, N., 2011.Hubspot: Inbound marketing and web 2.0. Harvard Business School Publishing. Wymer, W., 2011. Developing more effective social marketing strategies.Journal of Social Marketing,1(1), pp.17-31.

Opposing viewpoints of two authors Essays - Animal Welfare

Opposing viewpoints of two authors According to the news paper's editorial board, "Few people knew how easy it is to own a wild animal as a pet. Or how potentially tragic " ( 306) . A two year old Florida girl was attacked by a 12 feet long python which was the family's pet. It later got out of its own space and attacked the little girl. According to Zuzana Kukol, "Responsible private ownership of exotic animals should be legal if the animal welfare is taken care of" (307). Terry Thompson was not a responsible owner. He had charges of animal abuse and criminal record. We have no control over insane people. What he did was selfish and insane. The news paper's editorial board is more credible, because it has more examples and viewpoi nts that supported the argument. The audience of the first side are adults who have kids. The reason why they would be against having wild animals as a pet, is because they don't want to risk their kid's life. The audience for the second side are irresponsible middle clas s teenagers, who have little income that want a wild animal for couple of hundred dollars.

The Changing World Essays

The Changing World Essays The Changing World Essay The Changing World Essay The world is has never been the same. People living a century ago, can never imagine the world we are living in. Over the last one hundred years we have seen extraordinary changes in technology. We had been on the foul smelling four leg  carts and now at the foul smelling gas consuming four wheels. We wished to be like birds flying here and there, now we are visiting planets and isolated areas. We dreamed to go â€Å"Around the world in Eighty Days† and now we communicate across the world  in seconds. The culture of the people changes accordingly with the devolvement in science and technology. From the literature to living styles, every thing changes shape with the passage of time. Changes in our world are occurring at the both sides of the spectrum. With all these developments, there are also some negative effects. Pollution and global warming are the best examples caused by these changes. Change in the living standards should be for the betterment of mankind and to make this world a better place to live. Technology: One single thing which we are unable to predict is the continual change in the technology. Communication: Technology has enabled us to connect with others any where in the world. Today we’re no longer forced to send letters through the postal service, or spare some time to specially meet some one just to talk. Thanks to technology today we can communicate with any one in this world just in seconds. Mobile phones were launched in 1983, changing the route of the world: connecting people around the world. The advent of the Short Message Service (SMS) allowed inarticulate youths everywhere to express their interest. You can imagine this great change by just knowing that in 1992 first SMS was sent and now 6,700,000,000 SMS are sent every day! Media: Today, digital technology is changing this whole concept of â€Å"mass media†. There used to be a known â€Å"news hour† and a place to go to for the news, but now we get the news on the move (mobile phones). Put another way, we used to go to the news, but now the news comes to us. On the internet, people create even more content of their own using blogs (personal websites accepting contributions) and social networking sites like MySpace, Facebook and YouTube. Transportation: In this modern era, technology has enabled us to travel thousands of kilometers in some days or just some hours. People used to travel through wooden carts powered by animals or humans. Today we travel around the world by fuel consuming cars or by flying in planes here and there. Gadgets: People living in the world before us never imagined how the gadgets of today will work. Gadgets are considered to be more unusually or cleverly designed than normal technological objects at the time of their invention. Here are some interesting gadgets; ULTIMATE GAMING CHAIR: This chair is packed with features. To start off, there are 12 vibration motors throughout the chair that are synchronized with the games action, including the PS2, Xbox, GameCube, PC, Mac, PS1, and Xbox Live. For audio only, you can use all those and your iPod, DS, PSP, or generic MP3 player. AUTO-PARKING SYSTEM: Good news for inexperienced drivers is news that Volkswagen’s Touran and Sharan will come with Valeo’s Park4U auto-parking system,  which uses ultrasonic sensors to automatically park the car without scraping across neighboring vehicles. ION AUDIO’S COZ-E: The Electric Snuggie the COZ-E is essentially an electric blanket with sleeves, and it has a control pad with a green light for low heat,  a yellow light for medium heat, and a red light for high heat. Now this is an electric quilt which warms you up any one in few seconds! Education: We have seen a huge change in education in our lives. The changing education changes the world we live. Now there are new learning and teaching styles which have improved the learning of the students. Today students learn from the Multi-Media as well as from the Computer aided learning programmes which were quite rare not so long ago. Today even dumb and blind can also have this opportunity to learn and be educated. The information age has led to the use of computers in the laboratory, as an aid to teaching. New education styles have enabled us to move beyond the blackboard and chalk times of old fashioned school houses. Now, we have the ability to use computers to show students how to better understand math and science. With the improvement of audio technology, we now have the ability to replay historical speeches so they can be listened to by a new generation or even show how they were originally broadcast. Today online college courses allow working professionals to work on higher degrees while working. Online high schools will allow students to participate in the extracurricular activities of their choice while working on their high school diploma. Students who once could not finish their high school classes due to chronic illness are able to finish their classes now. Students will also be able to enter the workforce sooner and start college sooner. Education as we know it is reversing itself in that the student will be able to complete their education at their own pace, similar to the education of students in the one room schoolhouses. Students will no longer be grouped based on age. With computers being able to do some of the work of the teachers, education will become more individualized. Culture: Over the last centuries we have seen extraordinary changes in culture. Culture refers to the ways we live, for example, language, style or fashion etc. Fashion always changes, it never remains the same. So does the literature, if we compare books of present and 100 years ago, there will be a lot of difference i. e. language, style and type of the literature. Literature: We have been listening and reading stories about fairies and a â€Å"happy ever after† and now these fairies are converted into vampires and wizards, for example very famous twilight series and harry potter series. Today, unbelievable fantasies are converted into modern science fiction like Super man, Bat man etc. Today, simple communicative language is preferred and used in our present books but before, classic language was used which was difficult to understand and study. Fashion: Fashion is a general term for currently popular style or practice. The concept of fashion implies a process of style change, because fashions in dress, as well as in furniture and other objects, have taken very different forms at different times in history. Since the beginning of the 20th century, however, fashions have changed rapidly. We would look strange indeed if we wore the styles our great-grandparents wore. Fashion reflects the society of which it is a part. It has been influenced by wars, conquests, laws, religion, and the arts. Individual personalities have also had an impact on fashion. Fashion industry developed first in Europe and America, today it is an international and highly globalized industry, with clothing often designed in one country, manufactured in another, and sold in a third. Adverse changes in the world: Our world is constantly changing. These changes affect our lives in a good way; technology has made our lives easier, new education systems has enabled our students to learn in a easy and more effective way. But obviously the world is changing on the both sides of the spectrum. If these changes have given benefits to the people, these are also destroying the systems of the world. The best examples of the adverse affects are our environmental changes and our social interactions. Environmental changes: Social interaction: Change is also seen in people’s behavior after the advanced technology. If we move back to the time when there were no electronic communication devices, like cell phones and internet, people were more close to each other. They had more time for their friends and family, they were not so â€Å"busy† in their work that they didn’t even had time for their parents. But today,

Discomfort and Discomfiture

Discomfort and Discomfiture Discomfort and Discomfiture Discomfort and Discomfiture By Maeve Maddox A reader asks, Can you explain the origin of the word discomfiture? This seems to be a recent invention; I was not coming across this word about 10 years ago. However, recently its use has increased. Is it the same as discomfort? Discomfiture is not as common a word as discomfort, but it has been used continuously in English since Chaucer’s day. Discomfort is a little earlier, dating from about 1350, when it meant â€Å"deprivation of happiness.† The earliest OED citations show discomfiture used with the meaning â€Å"defeat in battle.† Meanings that developed from there include â€Å"frustration of plans or hopes; utter disappointment; perplexity, confusion.† In time, the meaning weakened to include lesser emotions, such as unease, embarrassment, and similar-sounding discomfort. Although the words may be considered synonyms, discomfiture implies a stronger sense of unease and confusion than discomfort because it combines the connotation of both defeat and embarrassment. Even when defeat is not implied, discomfiture suggests a sense of agitation that discomfort lacks. I never was more completely whipped in a criminal case, and I always thought Judge Miller enjoyed my discomfiture more than anyone else. So terrible was his appearance that Spitz was forced to forego disciplining him; but to cover his own discomfiture he turned upon the inoffensive and wailing Billee and drove him to the confines of the camp. Tempting as it is, though, to smile at the courts discomfiture, the bigger issue here is whether the federal judiciary should be so actively engaged in the details of the electoral process.   Discomfort implies a sense of uneasiness, inconvenience, or mild physical pain. If you have a comfort zone, you must also have a discomfort zone.   Why Getting Comfortable With Discomfort Is Crucial To  Success About a dozen new teachers of criminal law at multiple institutions have told me that they are not including rape law in their courses, arguing that its not worth the risk of complaints of discomfort by students. If you experience any discomfort in your eye after doing an activity in which a small particle could have entered your eye, such as hammering or working under a car, don’t ignore it.   I would save discomfiture to describe the kind of discomfort that includes embarrassment on the part of the person feeling it. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Math or Maths?Expanded and ExtendedPresent Participle as Adjective

Managing Crisis and Risk Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Managing Crisis and Risk - Coursework Example It is also for the effective and appropriate purchases and sales of the required financial assets. There are quite a number of techniques that are put into place for the modeling. Some of the measurers are the marketing risk, the historical simulation, the value at risk as well as extreme value theory. It is also important to highlight that a business should be guided appropriately with certain principles as well as theories for the successful operation of the business (Jacques, 2007). Just as the saying goes, for one to be successful; and rich, one must be ready to venture into a risky business. It is therefore of the fact that one bears all these risks in the action. It is important to highlight that risks are in segmented into different categories. These are credit risk, liquidity risks, Market risk as well as the operational risks (Jacques, 2011). These are risks that are anticipated in a financial institution or any business entity based on the credit transactions that occur or might have occurred during the moment of truth. It is important to highlight that for a credit transaction, it is important to consider the credit worthiness of the buyer, the financial status or position of the buyer, the frequency of the buyer purchasing firm the business entity, the credit worthiness of the buyer as well as the amount of stock that is available in the business entity. This helps the business people in evading certain risks after they become well equipped with the consumer knowledge. Under this category of risk, the following are the risks that form up this group: These are risks that are associated with the consumer either making a purchase or consuming the product or service or the consumer accessing some form of financial assistance. These in many cases are experienced in cases that the consumer thereby defaults in making payments. This thereby results into bad debts that would therefore force the financial managers or

Quantitative easing and inflation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Quantitative easing and inflation - Essay Example In the year 1694, the bank was established and on 1st March 1946 it became nationalised (Sayers, 1976). It gained its operational significance in the year1997 and from then the bank can independently work on the implementation of monetary policies (Bank of england, 2013). From the year 1993 the bank started to publish its inflation report on a quarterly basis. It contains a detailed economic analysis with the inflation projections for the upcoming months (Tennant, 2009). By depending on this analysis, the monetary policy committee of the bank take several decisions based on the interest rate (Bank of England, 2013). Quantitative Easing is a strategy in monetary policy that has been adopted by several governments and central banks to ease the effect of inflation. It helps to increase the money supply by purchasing securities from government or other securities from the market (Fukasawa, 2000, p.65). As the financial institutions got flooded with capital it helps to increase the money supply which will subsequently promote to increase the lending and liquidity. Quantitative easing is used by the central banks when the interest rates have already been minimized to near 0% levels and unable to produce the desired effect (Kimura & Small, 2004, p.45). In the following research the researcher will try to understand how the â€Å"Bank of England† is trying to minimise the inflation rate and if the Quantitative Easing program will cause higher inflation in future or not (Rochon & Rochon, 2012, p.69). Policy adopted by the Bank of England to minimise the inflation rate In the month of March of the year 2013 the inflation rate of United Kingdom has been rated as 2.80. For the purpose of national statistics inflation rate has been reported to the UK office. From the past history it has been found that from the year 1989 until 2013 the average inflation rate of United Kingdom is 2.81%. In the year 1991 it has its highest point at 8.50 and the lowest was in the year 2 000 rated 0.50 percentile. In this country the most important categories in the consumer price index are transport and housing, followed by water, electricity, gas and other fuels. The following chart shows the previous inflation rate in a bar chart format- The consumer price index grew by 2.8% in the current year. In spite of the large increase and decreases the CPI remain broadly flat. The central bank of UK introduced a monetary policy balloon which helps to set the interest rate to control the inflation. One needs to keep the balloon flying at a steady height of 200 meters. It is like the same as the bank’s monetary policy committee tries to make the inflation steady at 2%. The main objective of the bank’s monetary policy is to bring stability in the price, lower the inflation rate by supporting the objectives of the government for growth of the economy as well as employment. The targeted inflation rate is 2%. In the budget statement each year the Chancellor of the Exchequer announces the targeted inflation rate. The bank can change the interest rate; however in an extreme condition the government also can ask the central bank to change the inflation rate for a certain period. Depending on the consumer price index the inflation rate

Public School System Essay Example for Free

Public School System Essay Abstract The public school system in America is a topic that is surrounded by great debate. There are many questions that surround this topic. The research question for this paper was, is the public school system failing to prepare our children for the future? And, what solutions are available if the system is failing? The methodology the researcher used in this paper was literature review, and he also conducted an interview with someone working in the field. In this paper the researcher explains how the public school system is failing to prepare our children for the future. The paper also explains how the teaching styles are out dated. The researcher also explains the solutions that are already in place and the possible solutions for the future. Introduction For several decades, the public school system has been a topic of great debate. There are many questions surrounding this topic, such as: Is the public schools system failing to prepare our children? Who should make the curriculum? Who should make the policies? And what role and say do the parents have in their children’s education? These are just a few examples of the questions that may come up with the topic of public education. This topic is important to me because of the diverse educational background I come from. I started out my educational experience in regular classes and then was moved to advanced classes and finally, after failing, I ended up at an alternative school. That is why I ask the question, is the public school system failing to prepare our children for the future, what are the problems, and if it is what is being done to fix it? Due to my educational background I do believe that the public school system is failing to prepare our children. I also believe there are many contributing factors, such as, the school staff, the government, the teachers union, and even the parents. I also believe that there are many ways to fix the system, like new union and staff rules, changing the curriculum, and involving more educators than politicians when forming policies. This topic is important for all children in the U.S. public school system, because if the system is successfully improved, their learning experience will be greatly enhanced. It will also benefit the teachers, because they will have the opportunity to truly serve the community rather than just going to work. This has become a very complex topic but after reading the research ahead you will see that the answer is relatively simple. Review of Literature There is an idea that our public schools are failing to prepare our children for the future. This future could be four year college, technical school or directly into the work place. It is the job of our public schools to prepare each student for all of these futures. However, it seems that the idea that their failing has become the reality and it is a concerning thought that America is producing children less prepared for the world than are other countries. The National Center for Education conducted a study in 1995 involving students from forty one countries. They tested skills in math and science for students in fourth, eighth, and twelfth grades. What they found at the fourth grade level was that the students were above the international average in mathematics and science. At the eighth grade level they found that the students scored below the international average in mathematics, but above the average in science. At the twelfth grade level they found that the students scored below the international average among the lowest of the participating nations. (Calsyn, Gonzales, Frase, 1999) This seems to be the trend with our students in America. They tend to level off instead of advancing like students in other nations. Part of this problem is due to the teaching that the students receive. This is described in the 1995 study by the National Center for Education; â€Å"eighth grade U.S. mathematics teachers’ typical goal is to teach students how to do something, while Japanese teachers’ goal is to help students learn how to do something and also understand mathematical concepts so that they can solve future problems.† (Calsyn, Gonzales, Frase, 1999) Some teaching was said to be boring and out dated. The students sometimes seem like drones listening to the person in the front of the room rather than grasping the whole idea. Mike OConner described in his interview. (OConner, 2012) The documentary Waiting for Superman also talked about the case of the bad teacher. Which, if your school has one, it was said that you would be stuck with it? This is mainly because of the union benefit called tenure that protects teachers from being dismissed for the wrong reasons, but also makes it very difficult and sometimes impossible to dismiss the bad teachers. (Guggenheim, 2010) Teachers are not the only problem and should not be the only source of blame. There are higher positions to the school system than just teachers such as principals, administrators, and city officials that all play a role in the failing system. The article Dependant teachers, Ineffective Principals, Failing Children describes the differences between having good administrators and bad. The article goes on to say that if a school has a good administrator they will attract good teachers. Then it talks about bad administrators and their need for power and control. This in turn will attract teachers who have dependency needs and do not tolerate independence. (Muschel, Fall 1979) In other words, if you have bad leaders you get bad followers. This article also describes how through the use of rules, regulations, paperwork, and language an administrator can control the staff. They do this to give themselves job satisfaction, but it ultimately stops the teachers from effectively engaging in the classroom. (Muschel, Fall 1979) The government officials also play a role in the way our schools’ lesson plans are laid out. The article Needed: Educational Philosophy as a guide for Decision Making in the Public Schools touches on this. (Klein, Spring 1977) The article talks about how the endeavors of our politicians change our schools curriculum. It also states that the direction our country is going in comparison with other nations changes our curriculum. One example of this is during our endeavors to beat Russia into space our children were required to learn complex and abstract science and math disciplines. (Klein, Spring 1977) Another example of the politics behind education is the No Child Left Behind act of 2002. This act by congress states that each state set up a standard that each student has to test at. It also gives the parents the right to pull a child out of a failing school and put them in a better one. In addition it holds the state accountable for its education. The article Conflicts over Directing the Education of Children: Who Controls, Parents or School Officials, talks about this act. It says that the schools are more accountable for a student’s yearly success. It also states that the schools need to use researched based methods of teaching. It also talks about how the act is somewhat of a control of parental rights; in the manner that it is up for the individual to seek education. Overall, it mainly talks about how the act should help improve students who are in economically disadvantaged areas, but does not touch on the failing children in the more economically fluent areas. (Russo, 2005) Mike O’Conner also talked about the No Child Left Behind act in his interview. He mainly said that it is a good idea, but it is about twenty years too late. He said this because of the times we are in. He also described how this is the technology and information age, it is time we start teaching in that capacity, rather than make provisions that still support our old system. (OConner, 2012) One other problem which was touched on by the film Changing Education Paradigms. This problem was the fact that children are medicated for ADHA too much and too quickly. It was described that children now are being bombarded by information from every technological device around them. This, in turn, distracts them from the information on the blackboard, which appears boring. To deal with this the students are medicated to calm them down and making them pay attention. It also showed that the prescriptions are given more frequently as you head east across the states. (Robinson, 2010) That is just some of the problems with public education today. There are many more like attendance issues, and the children’s home environment. These are just some of the main points surrounding our public schools problems. Now it is time to address some of the solutions to these problems. As the problem of the failing public education system grew so did the demand for a solution. Educators and others came up with one solution which has mixed reviews. This was the invention of the alternative, or charter schools. These schools are set up for the student to ultimately succeed in today’s curriculum, with more ease and confidence. The article An Oasis of Hope: the Power of Thinking Developmentally (McCarty Quirk, 2003) talks about how the public schools have placed some children in low quality, control based programs which give them limited outcomes. It goes on to say that these children need to be put in alternative programs that follow positive guidelines. These guidelines should follow these principles: All children must have opportunities for success based on efforts which are celebrated by significant adults. All children need to be seen for their strengths. All children must have opportunities to develop qualities which follow a healthy developmental progression. All children have the right to live and learn in contexts relevant to their real lives and dreams. (p. 106) The article also describes how to use these principals in the framework for alternative schools for special needs children. (McCarty Quirk, 2003) The idea of alternative and charter schools is in our own backyard of Milwaukee. â€Å"Wisconsin ranks among the leaders in education,† according to the article Alternative Education Programs in Milwaukee. (Howard, Summer 2003) The article states that, â€Å"in 1990 the state of Wisconsin legislated mandatory alternative education programs for children at risk of not graduating from high school.† Howard states that the legislation set parameters that qualify the children as at risk such as; one or more years behind their age group in the number of high school credits attained, habitual truants, adjudicated delinquents, and parents. (Howard, Summer 2003) The article also says that by August fifteenth of each year the schools must have a plan in place for each student who is at risk. It goes on to describe the classes as a fifteen to one student to teacher ratio, which allows personalized time with each student. (Howard, Summer 2003) Howard also talks about three different alternative schools which are Silverspring Neighborhood Academy, Shalom High School, and Cornerstone Achievement Center. Each school has a different approach to the alternative setting, but they all share equal success with their students, according to the article. (Howard, Summer 2003) The video documentary Waiting for Superman is a great example of the successes of charter schools. This documentary talks about several schools across the country. Most of these schools are in the larger cities, but some are in the suburbs. It talks about the great success stories that each school has where the public sector is failing. It also stated that the students graduating from the schools shown were adequately prepared for college. The film also showed the demand for the schools in the failing districts, because the students had to be placed in a lottery just to get in. According to the film, almost all the students who attended the charter schools were successful and most went on to college. Another way the school system can improve is by completely restructuring the way the children are taught. According to Mike O’Conner, in his interview, the schools were designed to educate children fifty years ago. He states that the schools need to â€Å"personalize learning† and base the education on â€Å"competency rather than credits.† One example of this would be not having â€Å"archaic technology bans such as cell phones and I Pads.† Also, with the competency rather than credit program, a child could start school and finish at their own pase, rather than six years of elementary, two years of middle school, and four years of high school. An example of that is two students start their freshman year; one student finishes school in three years, the other in five. Mike also says that part of the â€Å"solution is pacing, relevancy, and refocusing on creativity† which will help keep children involved and help them develop their passions. This is the focal points of what he is trying to do at his school. He also states that although these are great solutions, he does not see it at the state or national level yet. Additionally he thinks that if the school system does not act soon on these ideas, America’s dropout rate and failure rate will rise drastically. (OConner, 2012) Discussion As the research shows the public school system is failing to prepare our children. There are many contributing factors to this. The way I see it is there are too many people trying to be in charge. The schools are controlled by federal, state and local governments. First of all, none of these bodies are education experts. Second, each of these government bodies has their own interests in mind, not necessarily the well being of the children. Third, the three different bodies of government seldom see eye to eye with each other. This is why I think the state and local government need to step out completely in the areas of curriculum not in the areas of budgets. I think if this happened the school system will be on one united front, which would be a good start. They could make teaching a federal job then, and at that point they could abolish the teachers union, and the teachers could still get union like benefits. With this they could make the teaching jobs more performance based. This would also abolish the idea of bad teachers and administrators, because if they have bad performance they would no longer be working in that field. That is just part of the problem. The bigger problem at hand is our outdated curriculum and teaching style. I experienced this, my whole life in school, until my senior year of high school when I was placed in an alternative program. The idea of alternative and charter schools is great, because it gives children a chance, and it promotes competition with the public sector. I think the charter schools are on the right track, but if they do not keep continue with innovative ideas, they will be in the same situation as the public sector. I think the best way for all to benefit is to restructure the whole teaching curriculum and learning environment. I think we need to structure it as if our current time was 2025 and not 2012, because if we do that we will not be starting out dated from the get go. Conclusion Public education is an important role in our children’s lives. It is there to help them develop learning and life skills for the future, so that they may go on and play vital roles in society. It is unfortunate that the research shows that our current public school system is failing to prepare our children for the future. It also shows that there are many reasons for this such as, the government, the design of the curriculum and teaching styles, school staff, the parents, and, in some regard, the teachers union. There is hope however, the invention of the charter school is helping children graduate and preparing them for college. There are also some acts that the government has put in place to have some accountability for the children’s success. It is hopeful because there are others out there trying to reshape our whole education system to benefit today’s needs. Our current system is failing. We are behind in almost all subjects when compared to other nations. This is a scary thought when you think of a global economy. Our children are not as prepared as children in other countries to fulfill job needs on a global scale. This means that our children currently are less likely to have the skills to make the new inventions that will carry our nation into the future. This potential is that America, as a whole, will fall behind other nations in all aspects, and it could all be due to education. All of these are frightening thoughts and if we do not act quickly and make changes now it is only going to get harder. Education is one of the most important parts in building society. In our country we are provided the opportunity to have somewhat free public education. Our system seems to be failing; this failure provides a great opportunity. There are many ways to repair it and it is time that we stop crawling with the issue, and start making leaps and bounds. If we start working together we can rebuild the corner stone to a successful society, which is education. References Calsyn, C., Gonzales, P., Frase, M. (1999). Highlights from TIMMS. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Education. Guggenheim, D. (Director). (2010). Waiting for Superman [Motion Picture]. Howard, T. (Summer 2003). Alternative Education Programs Milwaukee. Reclaiming Children and Youth , 121-123. Klein, D. S. (Spring 1977). Needed: Educational Philosophy as a Guide for Decision-Makeing in the Public Schools. Education , 290-293. McCarty, B. C., Quirk, C. A. (2003). An Oasis OF Hope: The Power of Thinking Developmentally. Reclaiming Children and Youth , 105-107. Muschel, I. (Fall 1979, Fall). Dependent Teachers, Ineffective Principals, Failing Children. Education , 06-12. OConner, M. (2012, February 2). A Principals Point of Veiw. (D. Miller, Interviewer) Robinson, K. (Director). (2010). Changing Education Paradigms [Motion Picture]. Russo, C. J. (2005). Conflicts over Directing the Education of Children: Who Controls, Parents or School Officials? The Journal of Education , 27-40.

Landmines Essay examples -- Research Paper Violence Papers

Landmines On a beautiful, sunny morning in November 1994, an 11-year-old girl set out in search of firewood. Her grandmother had awakened her, warning that if she returned empty handed, there would be no food that day. Pausing under a shady tree, Amelia looked up and wondered if there was any way she could reach all those branches. Testing the possibility, she jumped. She missed the branches, but when she landed, there was a loud crack, like a lightning bolt. Amelia was immediately thrown back up into the air. She tumbled to the ground and passed out. It is very hard for Amelia to remember when she regained consciousness. People can usually remember the first face they see, but Amelia would never see again. She remembers feeling wet, drenched in her own blood, and hearing the voice of her grandmother -- praying between sobs. Most of all, she remembers the excruciating pain. Amelia lost her left leg, most of the fingers of her left hand and her eyesight. The account goes on to speak of her drive to live, but she cannot help wondering what is to become of her in a society that survives on physical labor. Despite her strong will, she knows she will always be a burden to her family, someone who eats but does not work. Amelia fell victim to an anti-personnel landmine, a silent killer hidden in the grass [1]. Amelia is by no means alone. Every month over 2,000 people are killed or maimed by mine explosions [2]. Most are civilians killed or injured long after hostilities have come to an end. The toll comes not only in human life, however. Also crippled by widespread use of landmines are the fragile economies of war-torn nations. The devastation continues for decades, long after all the battles have ended and all the soldiers h... ...pidemic of Landmine Injuries. (Geneva: ICRC, 1995). 5. Jody Williams. Landmines and Measures to Eliminate Them. (Geneva: ICRC, 1995). 6. International Committee of the Red Cross. Report of the International Committee of the Red Cross for the Review Conference of the 1980 United Nations Convention on Prohibition or Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons which May Be Deemed to Be Excessively Injurious or to Have Indiscriminate Effects. (Geneva: ICRC, 1995). 7. Louise Doswald-Beck, Peter Herby, Johanne Dorais Slakmon. Basic Facts: The Human Cost of Landmines. (Geneva: ICRC, 1995). 8. Physicians for Human Rights. Landmines: A Deadly Legacy. (New York: Human Rights Watch, 1993). 9. United States Department of State. Hidden Killers: The Global Problem with Uncleared Landmines. (Washington DC: Department of State Publications, 1993).

Organizational Profile of UT Bank Ghana Ltd Essay

The Chief Executive Officer of UT Bank has been Mr. Prince K. Amoabeng since its establishment. The bank has 24 banking halls nationwide, 2 loan centers and 16 ATM outlets. Kumasi Branches which are the focus have 40 staff members which comprise of 2 Management Staff, 25 Senior Staff and 13 Junior Staff. The branch has four departments namely; Banking (Operations), Wholesale Banking and Investor Relations, Retail Banking and Administration (UT Bank, 2011). Organizational culture Basically, culture is defined as â€Å"the way we do things around here† (Deal & Kennedy, 2000) or â€Å"the way we think about things around here† (Maull, Brown & Cliffe, 2001). Deal and Kennedy (1982) argue that culture is the single most important factor accounting for success or failure in organizations. They identified four key dimensions of culture: 1. Values – the beliefs that lie at the heart of the corporate culture. 2. Heroes – the people who embody values. 3. Rites and rituals – routines of interaction that have strong symbolic qualities. 4.  The culture network – the informal communication system or hidden hierarchy of power in the organization. Groeschl and Doherty (2000) pointed out that culture consists of several elements- implicit and otherwise. Most often these elements are explained by terms such as behaviour, values, norms and basic assumptions. According to Schein (1996), culture may be studied at its most visible level through the examination of its artefacts and creations, which include physical space, technology, art, symbols, language, mottoes, and overt behaviour are the values espoused by individuals as the organisation faces and deals with new situations. These represent â€Å"what ought to be, as distinct from what is†. The culture of an organization develops through the course of social interactions rather than being imposed, and creates system of shared meanings to mobilize members of the organization in pursuit of the desired aims and objectives. Morgan (1997) focuses on the whole organization, the cultivation of harmonious relations at all levels, the merging of individual with common goals and a reliance on worker responsibility (Japanese approaches) as success factors in organizational culture. Successful organizations build cohesive cultures around common set of norms, values, and ideas that create a focus for doing business. Organizations are socially created and exist as much in the minds of their members as they exist in concrete structures, rules and relations. Organizational culture facilitates the acceptable solutions for knowing the problems, which members learn, feel and set the principles, expectations, behaviour, patterns, and norms that promote a high level of achievement (Marcoulides & Heck, 1993; Schein, 1992). Analysis of the culture of the organization based on observation The observation was made on the basis of the artefact, norms, values and, the assumptions and beliefs within the organisation. The observation followed through the working periods of the organisation: the observer was as objective as much as possible. Artefacts From the observation, every office and employee had stickers of â€Å"Loan in less than 48hours† and crests embossed to their breasts respectively. Also, each branch had the missions and vision of the bank hanged on the walls of the banking halls. The bank’s physical arrangement is a well-planned architecture of the office which shows clearly the various departments. Also, it was observed that the office design is one that fit the organisation and what it does. It has offices for various departmental heads and that of a shared office for the other employees which enhanced communication. There is no specific dress code for the employees, but the employees are also smart and formal in appearance. However, on Friday, employees wear prints made of the colours and descriptions of the bank. Employees spoke a corporate language which is English; but also intermittently spoke Twi when attending to the illiterate clients as well as casual conversations among staff. Values and Norms From the observations, the values of the bank are not only visibly seen on their walls, but also clearly evident in the behaviours of the employees. It was observed that, the general demeanours of the employees exude respect, integrity and high level professionalism. Workers reported to work as early as 06:00 GMT, and left the office as late as 21:00 GMT. Workers were willing to go the extra mile to keep the customers happy. According to Hunt, Boal and Sorenson (1990), leadership is a process involving the leader, task and situation and indeed. Most of the leadership literature confuses the definition of effective leadership by failing to make clear distinctions in some definitions, such as between leaders and non-leaders, effective and ineffective leaders, as well as overlooking the definition of the levels of leadership (Bennis, 1998; Bergsteiner, 2005; House and Aditya, 1997) Leaders are often tangible images of successful endeavour in organizations, serving as role models and mentors for the more junior and aspiring employees. The evaluation and explanation of leadership is the domain of theorists and researchers who offer organizations a range of approaches or theories, which may be said to evolve from the changing expectations of organizations. Leadership is â€Å"the process wherein an individual member of a group or organisation influences the interpretation of events, the choice of objectives and strategies, the organisation of work activities, the motivation of people to achieve objectives, the maintenance of cooperative relationships, the development of skills and confidence by members, and the enlistment of support and cooperation from people outside the group or organisation† (Yukl, 2002). When leaders are effective the influence they exert over others help a group(s) or organization(s) to achieve its performance goals. On the other hand, if leaders are ineffective, their influence does not contribute to and often detracts from, goal attainment. Leadership depends on the use of power, influence, vision, persuasion and communication skills to coordinate the behaviour of individuals and groups so that their activities and efforts are in harmony. Leaders encourage employees to perform at a high level to achieving targeted oals (Jones et al. 2007). Leadership in UT Bank Ghana Limited, Kumasi Branch UT Bank believes in quality leadership and its management opines that leadership is all about team-building and the expression of selfless work ethics. The leadership is a participatory one and as such it is a rule that all employees irrespective of the management level address one another by the first name. There is a vision for the organization; guiding, training, coaching and motivating employees to work effectively to achieve the organization’s objectives. The trend is to empower employees, give them as much freedom as possible to become self-directed and self-motivated. Often, that means working in teams. Teamwork aids communication, improves cooperation, reduces internal competition and maximizes the talents of all employees on a project. Strength and limitations of UT Bank Ghana Limited, Kumasi branch as organisms Strengths The organisational culture and leadership in the organisation helps develop an understanding between the organization and its environments. This describes the organization as existing in an open system where the environment has a great impact on the way the organization is run. It shows that the management of UT Bank can often be improved through systematic attention to the â€Å"needs† that must be satisfied if the organization is to survive. It emphasizes survival as the main task facing the organization which helps the goals to not be an end in themselves, but media of survival. The leadership in UT Bank shows that there is no best way of managing – thus, the best way of management is determined by the events happening at any point in time. It clearly shows that different approaches to management may be necessary to perform different tasks within the organisation. Limitations A careful look at UT Bank as an organism makes one assume that the organisation is functionally organised which leads to â€Å"functional unity† – interdependence where every element of the system works for all the other elements. However, in organizations, self-interest is a major conflict and also different elements of an organization are usually capable of living separate lives and often do so. Also, the rise in importance of the organic metaphor in UT Bank has undermined the efficiency of bureaucratic organizations. The metaphor leads UT Bank and its environments in a way that is far too concrete. This is because organizations and their environments can be understood as socially constructed phenomena. Their shape and structure is much more fragile and tentative than the material structure of an organism. It is misleading to suggest that UT Bank need to â€Å"adapt† to its environment or that environments â€Å"select† the organizations that are to survive. On the contrary, organizations have a choice as to whether they are to compete or collaborate. Collaborating organizations actions can have an impact on the environment. Conclusion Since an organisation is an organism made up of systems working together, keeping such systems in good and workable conditions is very crucial to the survival and subsequent success of the organisation. Culture and leadership can be seen as effective lubricants to the effective functioning of an organisation. The culture of an organization is many times created by those who lead it. The culture of an organization speaks directly to the beliefs and practices that it holds to be true. When thinking about culture a leader must help define why the organization exists and to lead by example. Thereby satisfying the needs of employees organisations operate more effectively and people truly become the lifeblood of organisations.

Clothing, Handbags and Jewelry Industries in the Us

Clothing Accessories * The global clothing accessories industry is worth close to $16. 5 billion, according to research from Packaged Facts. During the economic recession, many consumers opted to buy accessories instead of more expensive items of clothing(Accessories can be sold even in recession). Spending patterns concerning accessories are slightly different than clothing purchases as accessories are often bought on impulse or as add-on purchases. The world clothing accessories market is expected to exceed $20 billion by 2012.The global clothing accessories market is expected to see growth resume in the post recession period. Consumer confidence is recovering from the lows of the economic recession, with shoppers more willing to splash out on luxury and non-essential items. As consumers become increasingly conscious about the environment, demand for environmentally friendly luggage will rise(focus more on environmental friendly products, could also be used as a marketing strategy) . Handbags This U. S. industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in manufacturing women's handbags and purses of any material (except precious metal).This 6-digit NAICS industry (316992) is under the hierarchy of Other Leather and Allied Product Manufacturing Industry (31699), Leather and Allied Product Manufacturing Subsector (316), and the Manufacturing Sector (31-33). Revenue, Profitability ; Foreign Trade Preview The industry's revenue for the year 2010 was approximately $351. 1 million USD, with an estimated gross profit of 51. 29%. Import was valued at $2. 3 billion USD from 111 countries. The industry also exported $256. 2 million USD worth of merchandise to 117 countries.Adding import value to and subtracting export value from the industry's shipment value, the total domestic demand for the industry in 2010 was $2. 4 billion USD. (This could be the biggest market for sale) Jewelry 1) Costume jewelry is considered a discrete category of fashion accessory, and display s many characteristics of a self-contained industry. Costume jewelry manufacturers are located throughout the world, with a particular concentration in parts of China and India, where entire city-wide and region-wide economies are dominated by the trade of these goods.There has been considerable controversy in the United States and elsewhere about the lack of regulations in the manufacture of such jewelry—these range from human rights issues surrounding the treatment of labor, to the use of manufacturing processes in which small, but potentially harmful, amounts of toxic metals are added during production. (lot of cadmium found) As part of the supply chain, wholesalers in the United States and other nations purchase costume jewelry from manufacturers and typically import or export it to wholesale distributors and suppliers who deal directly with retailers.Wholesale costume jewelry merchants would traditionally seek out new suppliers at trade shows. As the Internet has become increasingly important in global trade, the trade-show model has changed. Retailers can now select from a large number of wholesalers with sites on the World Wide Web. Some of these sites also market directly to consumers, who can purchase costume jewelry at greatly reduced prices. Some of these sites include fashion jewelry as a separate category, while some use this term in favor of costume jewelry.The trend of jewelry-making at home by hobbyists for personal enjoyment or for sale on sites like Etsy has resulted in the common practice of buying wholesale costume jewelry in bulk and using it for parts. 2) World costume jewelry market stands enthused by the increasing emphasis laid down by consumers on fashion and style(most important for the attraction of the customers). Demand for costume jewelry and fashion accessories, such as, rings, earrings, bracelets, bangles, lockets, and brooches, is waxing at a healthy pace, driven largely by consumer preference for affordable, yet fashio nable jewelry.Costume jewelry has tailored looks and styles borrowed from fine jewelry. However, updated impressions of these are needed to supplement and accessorize the latest apparel from couture houses and the fashion industry. Fashions in costume jewelry are generally reflected in the ready-to-wear apparel and accessories industry. Given the relative inexpensiveness and affordability of costume jewelry, purchases are predominantly impulsive especially for the younger generation(could be one of the main target markets).Designing of costume jewelry is closely in line with the apparel market. Strong economic development in developing countries, rise in GDP, standards of living, and disposable incomes, are all factors fuelling the market's growth. Growing sophistication of consumer tastes(what exactly does the customer wants? ) in the developed markets is fingered as a key reason for sales gain in these markets. Design innovations from manufacturers and fashion designers are helpin g attract fashion-savvy consumers.Unique designs, durability, and high quality are all variables for product success in the marketplace. General idea about the market for jewelry Costume jewelry market worldwide is dominated by the United States with an estimated 32. 49% share in the year 2007, as stated by Global Industry Analysts, Inc. Asia-Pacific represents the fastest growing market, mirroring a projected CAGR of 6. 93% over the period 2000 to 2010. In the Necklaces, bracelets & chains market, sales are forecast to rise by US$3,853 million between the period 2007 to 2015.Global sales of Brooches, Pendants & Pins are projected to reach US$2. 0 billion by the year 2015. Ear Rings market in Asia-Pacific is forecast to grow at a robust CAGR of 9. 52% over the 2011 to 2015 period. Leading players operating in the global costume jewelry market include Avon Products Inc, Adrian Buckley Jewellery, DCK Concessions Ltd, H. Stern Com. & Ind. S. A, K&M Associates, The Colibri Group, Roman Research Inc. , and Swank Inc. (we could implement their strategies)

SAT French Subject Test Information

SAT French Subject Test Information Bonjour! Êtes-vous qualifià © pour parler franà §ais? Bilingualism is a trait that may set you apart on your college application if the decision is tight whether or not you make it in. Here, youll find out what this test is all about. Note: The SAT French Subject  test is not part of the Redesigned SAT Test,  the popular college admissions exam. The SAT French Subject test is one of the many SAT Subject Tests, which are exams designed to showcase your particular talents in all sorts of fields. And if your talents extend into the French realm, then this exam can help you showcase it to your future alma mater. SAT French Subject Tests Basics Before you register for this test, here are the basics about how youll be tested: 60 minutes85 multiple-choice questions200-800 points possible3 different types of French questions: Vocabulary in context, Fill-in-the-blank, and Reading comprehension questions SAT French Subject Test Content Vocabulary in Context: Approximately 25 to 26 questionsWith these questions, youll be tested on vocabulary used in various parts of speech. You will also need to know a few basic French  idioms.Structure: Approximately 25 to 34 questionsMany of these fill-in-the-blank questions will ask you to read a slightly longer passage and select the best choices for the blanks. Your knowledge of French sentence structure is tested.Reading Comprehension: Approximately 25 to 34 questionsHere, youll be given a multi-paragraph passage and asked reading comprehension questions about the passage to gauge your true comprehension of the language. The passages can be drawn from fiction, essays, historical works, newspaper and magazine articles, and everyday materials such as advertisements, timetables, forms, and tickets. Why You Should Take the SAT French Subject Test In some cases, you will need to take the test, especially if you are considering choosing French as a major in college. In other cases, its a great idea to take the French Subject Test so you can showcase that highly sought-after skill of bilingualism. It shows the college admissions officers that you have more up your sleeve than your GPA or wonderful SAT or ACT test scores. Taking the test, and scoring high on it, demonstrates qualities of a well-rounded applicant. Plus, it can get you out of those entry-level language courses. How to Prepare for the SAT French Subject Test To ace this thing, youll need at least two years in French during high school, and youll want to take the test as close to the end of or during your most advanced French class you plan to take. Getting your high school French teacher to offer you some supplementary materials is always a good idea, too. Plus, the College Board offers free practice questions for the SAT French Test along with a pdf of the answers, too. Sample SAT French Subject Test Question This question comes from the College Boards free practice questions. The writers have ranked the questions from 1 to 5 where 1 is the least difficult. The question below is ranked as a 3. Si tu faisais du jogging tous les jours, est-ce que tu te -mieux? (A) sentiras(B) sentirais(C) sentais(D) sens Answer: Choice (B) is correct. Sentences introduced by si express hypothetical situations when the verb in the clause introduced by si is in the past tense (imparfait). When this is the case, the verb in the main clause must be in the conditional. Choice (B), sentirais (would feel), is the conditional form and therefore the correct answer. Choice (A), sentiras (will feel), is in the future tense; choice (C), sentais (felt), is in the past tense (imparfait) and choice (D), sense (feel), is in the present tense.

Marquis de Montcalm in the French and Indian War

Marquis de Montcalm in the French and Indian War Marquis de Montcalm - Early Life Career: Born February 28, 1712 at Chateau de Candiac near Nà ®mes, France, Louis-Joseph de Montcalm-Gozon was the son of Louis-Daniel de Montcalm and Marie-Thà ©rà ¨se de Pierre. At the age of nine, his father arranged for him to be commissioned as an ensign in the Rà ©giment d’Hainaut. Remaining at home, Montcalm was educated by a tutor and in 1729 received a commission as a captain. Moving to active service three years later, he took part in the War of the Polish Succession. Serving under Marshal de Saxe and the Duke of Berwick, Montcalm saw action during the siege of Kehl and Philippsburg. Following his fathers death in 1735, he inherited the title of Marquis de Saint-Veran. Returning home, Montcalm married Angà ©lique-Louise Talon de Boulay on October 3, 1736. Marquis de Montcalm - War of the Austrian Succession: With the beginning of the War of the Austrian Succession in late 1740, Montcalm obtained an appointment as aide-de-camp to Lieutenant General Marquis de La Fare. Besieged at Prague with Marshal de Belle-Isle, he sustained a wound but quickly recovered. Following the French withdraw in 1742, Montcalm sought to improve his situation. On March 6, 1743, he purchased the colonelcy of the Rà ©giment dAuxerrois for 40,000 livres. Taking part in Marshal de Maillebois campaigns in Italy, he earned the Order of Saint Louis in 1744. Two years later, Montcalm sustained five saber wounds and was taken prisoner by the Austrians at the Battle of Piacenza. Paroled after seven months in captivity, he received a promotion to brigadier for his performance in the 1746 campaign. Returning to active duty in Italy, Montcalm fell wounded during the defeat at Assietta in July 1747. Recovering, he later aided in lifting the siege of Ventimiglia. With the end of the war in 1748, Montcalm found himself in command of part of the army in Italy. In February 1749, his regiment was absorbed by another unit. As a result, Montcalm lost his investment in the colonelcy. This was offset when he was commissioned mestre-de-camp and given permission to raise a regiment of cavalry bearing his own name. These efforts strained Montcalms fortunes and on July 11, 1753, his petition to the Minister of War, Comte d’Argenson, for a pension was granted in the amount of 2,000 livres annually. Retiring to his estate, he enjoyed the country life and society in Montpellier. Marquis de Montcalm - The French Indian War: The next year, tensions between Britain and France exploded in North American following Lieutenant Colonel George Washingtons defeat at Fort Necessity. As the French Indian War began, British forces won a victory at the Battle of Lake George in September 1755. In the fighting, the French commander in North America, Jean Erdman, Baron Dieskau, fell wounded and was captured by the British. Seeking a replacement for Dieskau, the French command selected Montcalm and promoted him to major general on March 11, 1756. Sent to New France (Canada), his orders gave him command of forces in the field but made him subordinate to the governor-general, Pierre de Rigaud, Marquis de Vaudreuil-Cavagnial. Sailing from Brest with reinforcements on April 3, Montcalms convoy reached the St. Lawrence River five weeks later. Landing at Cap Tourmente, he proceeded overland to Quebec before pressing on to Montreal to confer with Vaudreuil. In the meeting, Montcalm learned of Vaudreuils intention to attack Fort Oswego later in the summer. After being sent to inspect Fort Carillon (Ticonderoga) on Lake Champlain, he returned to Montreal to oversee operations against Oswego. Striking in mid-August, Montcalms mixed force of regulars, colonials, and Native Americans captured the fort after a brief siege. Though a victory, Montcalm and Vaudreuils relationship showed signs of strain as they disagreed over strategy and the effectiveness of colonial forces. Marquis de Montcalm - Fort William Henry: In 1757, Vaudreuil ordered Montcalm to attack British bases south of Lake Champlain. This directive was in line with his preference for conducting spoiling attacks against the enemy and conflicted with Montcalms belief that New France should be protected by a static defense. Moving south, Montcalm mustered around 6,200 men at Fort Carillon before moving across Lake George to strike at Fort William Henry. Coming ashore, his troops isolated the fort on August 3. Later that day he demanded that Lieutenant Colonel George Monro surrender his garrison. When the British commander refused, Montcalm began the Siege of Fort William Henry. Lasting six days, the siege ended with Monro finally capitulating. The victory lost a bit of luster when a force of Native Americans who had fought with the French attacked the paroled British troops and their families as they departed the area. Marquis de Montcalm - Battle of Carillon: Following the victory, Montcalm elected to withdraw back to Fort Carillon citing a lack of supplies and the departure of his Native American allies. This angered Vaudreuil who had desired his field commander to push south to Fort Edward. That winter, the situation in New France deteriorated as food became scarce and the two French leaders continued to quarrel. In the spring of 1758, Montcalm returned to Fort Carillon with the intention of stopping a thrust north by Major General James Abercrombie. Learning that the British possessed around 15,000 men, Montcalm, whose army mustered less than 4,000, debated if and where to make a stand. Electing to defend Fort Carillon, he ordered its outer works expanded. This work was nearing completion when Abercrombies army arrived in early July. Shaken by the death of his skilled second-in-command, Brigadier General George Augustus Howe, and concerned that Montcalm would receive reinforcements, Abercrombie ordered his men to assault Montcalms works on July 8 without bringing up his artillery. In making this rash decision, Abercrombie failed to see obvious advantages in the terrain which would have allowed him to easily defeat the French. Instead, the Battle of Carillon saw British forces mount numerous frontal assaults against Montcalms fortifications. Unable to break through and having taken heavy losses, Abercrombie fell back across Lake George. Marquis de Montcalm - Defense of Quebec: As in the past, Montcalm and Vaudreuil fought in the wake of the victory over credit and the future defense of New France. With the loss of Louisbourg in late July, Montcalm became increasingly pessimistic about whether New France could be held. Lobbying Paris, he asked for reinforcements and, fearing defeat, to be recalled. This latter request was denied and on October 20, 1758, Montcalm received a promotion to lieutenant general and made Vaudreuils superior. As 1759 approached, the French commander anticipated a British onslaught on multiple fronts. In early May 1759, a supply convoy reached Quebec with a few reinforcements. A month later a large British force led by Admiral Sir Charles Saunders and Major General James Wolfe arrived in the St. Lawrence. Building fortifications on the north shore of the river to the east of the city at Beauport, Montcalm successfully frustrated Wolfes initial operations. Seeking other options, Wolfe had several ships run upstream past Quebecs batteries. These began seeking landing sites to the west. Locating a site at Anse-au-Foulon, British forces started crossing on September 13. Moving up the heights, they formed for battle on the Plains of Abraham. After learning of this situation, Montcalm raced west with his men. Arriving on the plains, he immediately formed for battle despite the fact that Colonel Louis-Antoine de Bougainville was marching to his aid with around 3,000 men. Montcalm justified this decision by expressing concern that Wolfe would fortify the position at Anse-au-Foulon. Opening the Battle of Quebec, Montcalm moved to attack in columns. In doing so, the French lines became somewhat disorganized as they crossed the uneven terrain of the plain. Under orders to hold their fire until the French were within 30-35 yards, the British troops had double-charged their muskets with two balls. After enduring two volleys from the French, the front rank opened fire in a volley that was compared to a cannon shot. Advancing a few paces, the second British line unleashed a similar volley shattering the French lines. Early in the battle, Wolfe was hit in the wrist. Tending to the injury he continued, but was soon hit in the stomach and chest. Issuing his final orders, he died on the field. With the French army retreating towards the city and the St. Charles River, the French militia continued to fire from nearby woods with the support of floating battery near the St. Charles River bridge. During the retreat, Montcalm was hit in the lower abdomen and thigh. Taken into the city, he died the next day. Initially buried near the city, Montcalms remains were moved several times until being reinterred at the cemetery of the Quebec General Hospital in 2001. Selected Sources Military Heritage: Marquis de MontcalmQuebec History: Marquis de Montcalm Fort Ticonderoga: Marquis de Montcalm

Aristotle Quote Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Aristotle Quote - Essay Example Aristotle implies that every person should carefully analyze the circumstances of each situation and apply this advice, seek for an even solution. What is important is finding a mean of solving a situation, not necessarily by following blindly the general moral principles, but by carefully equilibrating one's hopes and desires in relation with the social demands. Aristotle suggests that circumstances dictate and sometimes even stand as an excuse for our behavior, but passion should not influence the core values of courage or boldness, depending on the case. Emotions and passions cannot be silenced and they do shape our life as humans, but the deliberation over a situation in a reasonable manner grants, if not always a clear solution, at least a better and, certainly ethical, aim in life; that aim is to make the best of our 'practical reason' that we can only acquire by learning how to act far from anxiety and pure instinct, under the influence of ethical values.

Feminism in Literature Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Feminism in Literature - Essay Example Men had more rights, and it seemed to be the most natural thing. The term "feminism" generally meant "the qualities of females during the mid-1800s. (Sally Haslanger; Topics in Feminism, Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy) But in a way, it sort of distinguished women from men and may have led some women to start comparing the rights and roles attributed to both. After the First International Women's Conference in Paris in 1892, the term "feminism" came to mean "the belief in and advocacy of equal rights for women based on the idea of the equality of the sexes." (Sally Haslanger; Topics in Feminism, Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy) "On the wave model, the struggle to achieve basic political rights during the period from the mid-19th century until the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment in 1920 counts as 'First Wave' feminism. Feminism waned between the two world wars, to be 'revived' in the late 1960s and early 1970s as 'Second Wave' feminism. In this second wave, feminists pushed beyond the early quest for political rights to fight for greater equality across the board, e.g., in education, the workplace, and at home. More recent transformations of feminism have resulted in a 'Third Wave'. Third Wave feminists often critique Second Wave feminism for its lack of attention to the difference among women due to race, ethnicity, class, nationality, religion, and emphasize 'identity' as a site of gender struggle." (Sally Haslanger; Topics in Feminism, Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy) No doubt, feminism was meant to be founded and rallied for by women - it was just a question of which age in the history of the world it was destined to finally be started. No doubt, women were destined to know there is more to life that what it had to offer them during the dark ages when the world was mostly the men's world. A.2 The Major Issues and Concerns of Feminism There have been many published definitions of feminism, and there have been varying causes that feminism, as represented by different groups of women, has lobbied for. One general statement about feminism goes as follows: "Feminism is both an intellectual commitment and a political movement that seeks justice for women and the end of sexism in all forms." (Sally Haslanger; Topics in Feminism, Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy) Justice for women, though, cannot always be easily determined - because women do not always compose one unified and solid group. This is because of the many varieties and differences that can be used as divisions - this can be both good and bad. When done in a logical and organized way that is accepted by everybody as binding and fair, then the further formation of small groups within the whole all-encompassing group would have meant strength in terms of unity and solidarity in the face of many issues and problems of the society. Feminism may be deemed as simply protecting the interests of women or fighting for their equal rights with men. "However, there are many different kinds of feminism. Feminists disagree about what feminism consists in, and what exactly ought to be done about it; they disagree about what it means to be a woman or a man and

Observational Essay -Time Square, New York Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Observational -Time Square, New York - Essay Example Most of the buildings are tall and seem to beckon to passers by. The streets are well tarmaced and clearly marked to make the follow of traffic as efficient as possible. The place is full of different types of businesses ranging from hotels, bars, peep shows, and supermarkets among others. The businesses and activities taking place in this area make it a fashionable tourist destination. This became evident as I could see many tourists waltzing in the area, and they kept coming in good numbers. My observation reveals that for its numerous attractions, the place attracts very huge numbers of tourists from different parts of the globe every day. I noticed a huge presence of uniformed police officers along the streets of Times Square. The officers patrol the place night and day to ensure that assure people’s security is secured. I noticed that Times Square hosts very many beautiful hotels some offering pocket friendly menus while others are extremely expensive. Some of the inexpensive hotels I happened to visit during my tour of the area include The Hotel at Times Square, The Portland Hotel at Times Square and the Comfort Inn Times Square Hotel. These hotels offer a variety of foods with some offering traditional and others exotic. The hotels I visited include the InterContinental Times Square, New York Times Square, and The Cooper Square. I discovered that since it is very expensive to have an accommodation in the three of these hotels, majority of those who eat or get an accommodation there are tourists and extremely rich nationals. Prostitution is also very high at Times Square, particularly male prostitution. Here, male prostitution appears to be a common entrepreneurial business, done in a very organized way. This is because it is openly done and is commonly referred to as ‘hustling’. The term ‘hustling’ is used since the young prostitutes use

Causes of the Lebanese Civil War

Causes of the Lebanese Civil War The Middle Eastern region has always been a symbol of regional instability; much like a leaky propane tank in an area prone to wild fires, just one spark in the wrong place can create an inferno. The subject of this investigation is to determine the primary causes for the Lebanese Civil War, why the fighting persisted for the better part of two decades, and how it finally ended. Using books written at the time of the war from scholarly sources and examining the firsthand accounts of individuals affected by the war, we will be able to at least draw some conclusions of how and why history unfolded the way it has. For fifteen years (1975-1990), Lebanon was embroiled in a vicious civil war that ultimately resulted in de facto Syrian military control over the small Middle Eastern state and left thousands of people dead—many non-combatant civilians. Most civil wars are fought between two religious or political factions, but the belligerents included the Lebanese Front, Syria, the Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO), Israel, and the Lebanese National Movement (LNM), though it can be argued that this was a battle of control between the region’s Muslim and Christian populations though the scope of interests involved would make it far more significant. Thus, it would not be entirely accurate to refer to this conflict as a ‘civil war’, but an ideological struggle of an entire region fought on a very small piece of land. According to David C. Gordon in his book Lebanon, the Fragmented Nation, ‘It has been a war between haves and have-nots, Christians and Muslims, Lebanese nationalists and non-Lebanese Palestinians, as well as a war between rival Arab states and ideologies on Lebanese soil, and part of the confrontation between Israel, the Arabs, and more.’[1] Summary of Evidence: A Timeline Lebanon obtains her independence in 1946.[2] The state of Israel is formed in 1948. Palestinian refugees are driven from Israeli territory to neighbouring countries. Lebanon attempts to absorb more than half a million Palestinian refugees, not really welcoming them into the society. Stability is compromised during the 1960s and power shifts several times ultimately leading to civil war in 1958.[3] During the 1960s and 1970s, the PLO violates Lebanese sovereignty to attack Israel. Lebanese society is polarized as the Muslim minority feels powerless and allies itself with more powerful Muslim forces such as the PLO and the Syrians.[4] Christian majority allies themselves with the nationalist forces. Open warfare breaks out in 1975 and becomes a microcosm for the rest of the conflict in the Middle East.[5] An Evaluation of Sources Itamar Rabinovich’s The War for Lebanon 1970-1985 was a source of basic information. It identified the various factions and their objectives and provided a summary of the major events in the war and the tensions leading up to it. A valuable source for someone that needs to familiarise themselves with the general situation, though it does not adopt a particular perspective. This would be a good place to start when beginning research. In Syria and Iran by Anoushiravan Ehteshami and Raymond A. Hinnebusch, the subject of discussion focused on the growing hegemony of Syria and Iran as an opposition to Israel’s growth in the Middle East. At first glance, the subject matter had very little to do with the Lebanese Civil War, however, the books sixth chapter introduces the theory that the war in Lebanon was critical to the interests of many factions in the region rather than being a simple resolution of sovereignty and government representation. ‘The struggle for Lebanon is most usefully understood, not as part of a civilizational conflict between Islam and the West, but as a conflict of national interests: if Israel could control Lebanon, it could smash Syrian and Palestinian resistance to its hegemony. Syria and Iran sought to make Lebanon, respectively, a buffer and a front in the struggle with Israel.’[6] This book was critical to understanding how a delicate situation was pushed into civil unrest by external forces. In this case, Iran and Syria were threatened by an Israel backed by the superpower that was the United States of America and much of the Shi’a Muslims in the region became more energized to resist that influence. Of special interest was the alliance of the Lebanese Shi’a Muslims with Syria and Iran, and their ultimate success. ‘The USA and Israel withdrew from Lebanon. Syria and Amal had forged an alliance in opposition to the USA, the Phalanges and Israel which would prove remarkably enduring.’[7] In contrast Lebanon, the Fragmented Nation by David Gordon was indispensable to understanding the internal issues that precipitated the war, focusing on the diverse nature of Lebanon and its inability to decide whether to become a part of a ‘greater’ Syrian society or remain the Arab World’s link to the West. When asked, the Christian and Muslim population offered radically different visions of the society that Lebanon should become.[8] This may suggest that religious diversity is not possible, especially when the religions involved tend to be expansionist and the practitioners themselves extremist, albeit co-existence is possible in a society where the diverse groups were moderate and non-expansionist (i.e. believe that everyone should abide by the mores of their particular group). While the first source couched the war in terms of Islam vs. Christianity and Zionism, this source explored the fundamental division between Christians and Muslims in Lebanese society, which could never lead to a lasting peace. The personal account provides a most important perspective for this investigation: the individual soldier or civilian whose life was impacted by the hostilities. Scholarly historical books and documents offer a bird’s eye view of the social and political forces that led to this outcome, however, it does not capture the personal element of how the individual is pushed into fighting for a particular cause. According to Lebanese writer Fawaz Gerges, the Civil War was a grand struggle ‘for the soul and future of the Muslim and Arab world.’[9] This is not an exaggerated statement given that the causes for the war and the parties involved originated beyond Lebanon’s borders, but the writer of this story wanted to express how the interference of the West and the extremism of the Christian soldiers began to inflame the passions of young jihadists. This source was chosen for its historical relevance because the jihadist movement is more powerful than ever in the twe nty-first century and Lebanon is considered more an ally of the Muslims than a Christian state even as it retains a sizeable Christian population. Although this does not show the origin of the war per se, this book highlights the origin of Muslim extremism and how a climate embroiled in religious strife can polarise the most moderate reasonable people. Analysis From the sources that were gathered for this study, it is clear that the seeds of the conflict were sown in 1948 when the Jewish state of Israel was formed. With its alliance with the Western world and a new religious influence in the area, it challenged the existing balance of power in the Middle East. As we know, the Palestinians already inhabiting the territory ceded to Israel were strongly opposed and began to attack the newly formed nation because there was a resentment against having to give up land that was theirs to begin with, and that they had done nothing wrong to merit its loss. When the Israelis won and expanded their borders, many Palestinians were forced to seek refuge in neighbouring countries. When Jordan expelled many of the Palestinian refugees for reasons of national security, the refugees (along with PLO forces) began to migrate into Lebanon in greater numbers. Political asylum seekers that could not have easily assimilated into Lebanese culture were absorbed int o the population resulting from Israel’s treaty with Lebanon. ‘One result of Israel’s creation was that Lebanon became host to many of the some 700,000 Arab Palestinian refugees. Most of the Diaspora was Muslim, and so in this predominantly Christian state, it was inconceivable that they should be given citizenship and assimilated. To do so would have been to undermine the statistically based legitimacy of the Establishment to continue to rule. Muslims of course took full note of the fact that when thousands of Christian Armenians had poured into Lebanon after the First World War they had been quickly provided with the rights of citizenship.’[10] Lebanon had only been independent of France for two years and a nation is most vulnerable in the first years of formation as the stronger factions seek to overcome the minority groups and the new order overturns outdated power structures, and attempted coups by ambitious power brokers were rather common.[11] With the influx of Palestinian refugees, the balance of power began to shift. The Lebanese government was created to empower both Christians and Muslims. The President of Lebanon must be a Maronite Christian and the Prime Minister must be a Muslim. However, the balance of power strongly favoured Christians. When Muslims began agitating for more influence because they believed they were in the majority, a mini-civil war was fought in 1958, which claimed 4,000 lives leaving the region even more fraught with religious tension. The rise of religious extremism in general and Muslim fundamentalism in particular characterised the 1970s social and political climate, and many hard line members of the Abrahamic religions believed that their sect should be in control of the Holy Land, with the city of Jerusalem at its centre. While this in and of itself was not enough to spark the war in Lebanon per se, Palestine’s insistence on using its adopted country as a staging ground for an attack on Israel polarised the Lebanese people into two camps. The Muslim faction supported Palestine’s military efforts while the Christians were strongly opposed, and many Christians commonly support the Jewish claim to the city of Jerusalem. Considering Lebanon’s religiously and politically diverse population, it is not difficult to imagine that obtaining a consensus on foreign relations would be extremely difficult. This was especially true once the United States and Europe were intervening on behalf of the newly formed Jewish state that most of the Arab nations in the region wished to destroy. Tensions between the Lebanese and Palestinians escalated as the Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO) sought to fight Israel from Lebanese territory, which suggests that the root of this conflict was the seizure of Palestinian lands when Israel was founded in 1948. ‘It was not the Lebanese that started the violence; rather, Israel’s dispossession of the Palestinians was the root of the Lebanese civil war and the civil war was greatly exacerbated by the 1982 Israeli invasion which was supported by the USA in order to smash the PLO and the Islamic movement and reinforce Israel.’[12] Conclusion After Israel’s invasion of Lebanon in 1982, the Shi’a Islamic group Hezbollah was created as a political group that provides social services to the Shiites living in Lebanon, however, it is considered a terrorist organisation in the West. The Ayatollah Khomeini’s revolution in Iran inspired and influenced the development of radical and powerful Islamic political groups in Lebanon, and eventually the small nation had become an enemy of Israel and the West. The Lebanese Civil War was a historically significant event because it led to a revival of Islam centred on Jihad. The growing influence of the West in the Middle East caused moderate Arab Muslims to turn to religious extremism, which is evident in the acts of terrorism taking place in the Middle East, Asia, Europe, and North America. Would the war have taken place had the United Nations never introduced the state of Israel into the region? It is rather unlikely, as the Palestinians would have remained in their homeland and many speculate that there would not be a radical Muslim movement except at the fringes of society, much in the same way that hard line Christian sects are on the fringes of European society. However, it is usually quite difficult to predict what would happen on an alternate timeline because who would have known that the assassination of two aristocrats in Austria-Hungary would have led to one of the worst wars of all time? Bibliography Ehteshami, A Hinnebusch, R A (1997) Syria and Iran: Middle powers in a penetrated regional system Routledge, London Gerges, F A (2006) Journey of the Jihadist: Inside Muslim Militancy Harcourt Trade, Orlando, Florida USA Gordon, D C (1980) Lebanon, the Fragmented Nation Croom Helm Ltd, London Rabinovich, I (1985) The War for Lebanon, 1970-1985 Cornell University Press, Ithaca, New York USA 1 Footnotes [1] D C Gordon (1980) p. 234 [2] Gordon (ibid.) p. 49 [3] Rabinovich (1985) p. 42 [4] A Ehteshami R A Himmebusch (1997) p. 116 [5] Gerges, F A (2006) p. 61 [6] Ehteshami Hinnebusch (ibid.) p. 116 [7] Ehteshami Hinnebusch (ibid.) p. 122 [8] Gordon (ibid.) p. 145 [9] Gerges (ibid.) p. 61 [10] Gordon (ibid.) p. 49 [11] Gordon (ibid.) p. 50 [12] Ehteshami Hinnebusch (ibid.) p. 127