Essay on Use of Satire to Attack Optimism in Voltaires...

Use of Satire to Attack Optimism in Voltaires Candide In its time, satire was a powerful tool for political assault on Europes corrupt and deteriorating society. Voltaires Candide uses satire to vibrantly and sarcastically portray optimism, a philosophical view from the Enlightenment used to bury the horrors of 18th century life: superstition, sexually transmitted diseases, aristocracy, the church, tyrannical rulers, civil and religious wars, and the cruel punishment of the innocent. Through the steady adversity faced by Candide, Voltaire brings up important questions about how the nature of optimism appears to commoners. Panglosss philosophy of the best of all possible worlds - an example of the misleading†¦show more content†¦Mentioned above, Candide fervently attacks the idea that optimism, which says that rational thought can restrain the evils committed by humans. It can be concluded that Voltaire attacks optimism because he did not believe that the sole power of thought and reason could overcome modern social institutions with. For example, Voltaire has Pangloss (a characterization of the typical optimist) prove admirably that there is no effect without a cause, and that, in this best of all possible worlds, the Barons castle was the most magnificent of castles, and his lady the best of all possible Baronesses (1). This reasoning, along with the infamous nose has been formed to bear spectacle (2) conclusion are irrelevant trains of thought. These misconstrued ideas that everything was made to work perfectly together is not a cohesive explanation outside of Panglosss mind. Voltaire proves, in paragraphs following the description of the magnificent castle, that in reality things do not go as planned. The Utopian castle remarks are contradicted when Candides simple and easy life is complicated by his ousting from the most magnificent of castles. The great Baron banished his daughters love because he was not of as noble heritage as she. This event does not coincide with the ideas that everything fit s together works well together. ToShow MoreRelatedSatire in Candide by Voltaire Essay example1474 Words   |  6 PagesSatire in Candide by Voltaire Voltaire who was a French writer, philosopher and one of the leaders of the Enlightenment is known as one of the greatest satirist ever. Voltaire wrote about important genres: tragedy, history, philosophy and fiction just as his English contemporary Samuel Johnson. American heritage dictionary defines satire as, An artistic work in which human vice or folly is attacked through irony, derision, or wit. Irony or caustic wit used to expose or attack human follyRead MoreCandide by Voltaire Essay1734 Words   |  7 PagesCandide Voltaire’s most classic work, Candide, is a satiric assault on most everything that was prevalent in society during the author’s lifetime. The entire novel can be regarded as a bleak story where every character compares life stories to see whose life is worse. Just when the novel cannot get anymore morbid or depressing, it does, to a much greater degree. While Candide is generally considered a universal denunciation, it is optimism that Voltaire is attacking to the greatestRead More Candide by Voltaire Essay example1218 Words   |  5 Pagesthe author of the novella Candide, also known as Optimism. The the novella, Voltaire portrays the idea of Optimism as being illogical and absurd. In Candide, Voltaire satirizes the doctrine of Optimism, an idea that was greatly used during the Enlightenment time period by philosophers. In this narrative, Candide is a young man who goes through a series of undertakings and ventures around the the globe where he experiences evil and adversity. Throughout his journeys, Candide maintained the ideas ofRead MoreEssay on Candide: a Satire on the Enlightenment604 Words   |  3 PagesCandide is an outlandishly humorous, far-fetched tale by Voltaire satirizing the optimism espoused by the philosophers of the Age of Enlightenment. It is the story of a young mans adventures throughout the world, where he witnesses much evil and disaster. Throughout his travels, he adheres to the teachings of his tutor, Pangloss, believing that all is for the best in the best of all possible worlds. Candide is Voltaires answer to what he saw as an absurd belief proposed by the Optimists - anRead MoreEssay about Use of Satire in Voltaires Candide1568 Words   |  7 PagesSuccessful Use of Satire in Voltaires Candide Voltaires Candide is the story of how one mans adventures affect his philosophy on life. Candide begins his journey full of optimism that he lives in the best of all possible worlds, but he learns that it is naà ¯ve to say that good will eventually come of any evil.   Voltaire successfully uses satire as a means of conveying his opinions about many aspects of European society in the eighteenth century.   He criticizes religion, the evils foundRead MoreThe s Candide And The Old Woman Arrive Of Cadiz, And Of Their Embarkation1422 Words   |  6 PagesVoltaire’s Candide, or Optimism is widely regarded as a work of the enlightenment period and offers a satire on philosophy, religion and current events (of the time). This essay aims to provide an analysis of Chapter 10: In what distress Candide, Cunà ©gonde and the old woman arrive in Cadiz, and of their embarkation. Firstly considering terms of context this essay will look at the way knowledge of philosophy and attitudes towards women illuminate the readers understanding of the passage. SecondlyRead MoreThe Candide By Francois Marie Arouet970 Words   |  4 PagesWorld History-H/P8 January 7th 2015 Candide Candide was written by Franà §ois-Marie Arouet or as he is most well known by his pen name, Voltaire. Candide was published by Sirà ¨ne in January 1759. This book was chosen because it is relevant to the Enlightenment through the stories of Candide. mentions many key points that period. One reason why this book is very controversial and important is because the enlightenment believed in the Leibnizian philosophy of blind optimism, but Voltaire criticizes it throughoutRead MoreWhat was the historical significance of Voltaires Candide and its relevance during the Enlightenment?1445 Words   |  6 PagesWhat was the historical significance of Voltaires Candide and its relevance during the Enlightenment? In his work, Candide, Voltaire uses satire as a means of conveying his opinions about many aspects of European society in the eighteenth century, a period known as the Enlightenment. This Age of Reason swept through Europe, offering differing views on science, religion, and politics. The following essay will outline the philosophical theory of Pangloss, a character of the novel and suggestRead More Essay on Satire in Voltaires Candide625 Words   |  3 PagesUse of Satire in Voltaire’s Candide  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚   Voltaire successfully uses satire as a means of conveying his opinions about life.   In his novel, Candide, Voltaire satirizes the philosopher Liebnitzs philosophy that this is the best of all possible worlds.   In the novel, the perpetually optimistic and naive character, Candide, travels around the world, having various experiences that prove, at least to the reader, that evil does exist.      In one particular passage, Voltaire uses explicitRead MoreThe Age Of Enlightenment By Voltaire1572 Words   |  7 Pageswas at an all-time low. Voltaire’s French philosophy included free-thinking and the struggle for defense of civil liberties, in which he uses almost every known literary form, including novels, poetry, and performance art such as plays. His intellectual skepticism of traditional beliefs and dogmas denotes an â€Å"illumined† contrast to the supposed dark and superstitious character of the Middle Ages. http://www.pbs.org/faithandreason/gengloss/enlight-body.html 2. Satire is a literary genre in which

Chem 112 Free Essays

Experiment 2 Acetic Acid Content of Vinegar By Kelsey Huber Chem 112L-01-George Gachumi September 19, 2011 Lab partners: Danielle Antes, Alex Ogren, Vanessa Kellems In this experiment acetic acid will be titrated with sodium hydroxide. As the sodium hydroxide is titrated into the acetic acid it is measured by pH. The sodium hydroxide is added into the acetic solution in small increments using a burette. We will write a custom essay sample on Chem 112 or any similar topic only for you Order Now The concentration of acetic acid averages at 0. 9Â ±1. 5M and the known value of the acetic acid is 0. 833M. The percent error of the experiment averages at 0. 66%. Possible errors could include incorrect measurements of sodium hydroxide and/or acetic acid. Background: Titration is when one solution is slowly added to another solution so that the reaction between the two can be accurately recorded or measured. For example, when a base is slowly added to an acid the equivalence point should be neutral. Methods of titration are even used in the food industry to express the oil and fat contents in different products. For example, titration is used in the cheese and the wine business to test if the product is ready for consumption. Procedure: Hirko, R. Chemistry 112L General Chemistry I Laboratory, 5th ed. ; bluedoor: Eden Prairie, MN, 2011; Experiment 2. Results: Graph A. 1 shows the second derivative used to find the volume of NaOH to equivalence point which equals 8. 02 ml. Graph A. 2 shows the titration curve of the pH versus the volume of the solution. Graph A. 1 Graph A. 2 Discussion: The titration of sodium hydroxide to acetic acid eventually produced a dark pink solution. The equivalence point of this solution is a weak acid. The acetic acid molarity of commercial vinegar varied slightly in the three trials. In trial one the vinegar molarity was 0. 173 M, in trial two it was 1. 061 M, and in trial three it was 1. 322 M. The concentration of acetic acid was calculated at 0. 9Â ±1. 5 M, by taking the average of three trials. This is within 0. 067 M of the known value which is 0. 833 M. By inspection of the titration curves there could be a difference based on the exact amount of sodium hydroxide being dropped from the burette into the acetic acid solution. At the equivalence point the pH is not seven because acetic acid is a weak acid and it is being mixed with a strong base, sodium hydroxide. The indicator turned red when it reached the equivalence point. Phenolphthalein was a good indicator for the titration of a weak acid with a strong base because it was the solution that caused the red color as the sodium hydroxide and acetic acid reached an equivalence point. Phenolphthalein would however not be a good indicator for titration of a weak base with a strong acid because the phenolphthalein reacted with the sodium hydroxide to create the red color; it was not turning red as a result of the acetic acid. Inaccuracies in the determined concentration of sodium hydroxide to acetic acid can be attributed to possible measurement errors. Inaccurate measurements while adding the sodium hydroxide from the burette into the acetic acid throughout the three trials could result in various outcomes on the graphs effecting results such as the equivalence point and the titration curve. How to cite Chem 112, Essay examples

Diversion of Pharmaceutical Drugs free essay sample

An in-depth examination of the causes and effect pharmaceutical drug diversion in the U.S. Drug diversion ( abuse of prescription drugs ) is a major problem within the United States today. It affects all levels of society and has hidden ramifications for individuals, health care professionals and institutions. This paper looks at the types of drugs that are most commonly abused and discusses the numbers of ways drugs and other pharmaceuticals are diverted from their appropriate use and sale. It also reviews the law and campaign against prescription drug abuse. According to the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA)s Office of Diversion control, physicians and dishonest pharmacy staff result in the majority of cases of pharmaceutical diversion (DCP, 2002). Investigation into these common sources of drug diversion is clearly inadequate. (NDSN, 1996) reports that fewer than 24 cases are prosecuted each hear in the state of California. Given that abuse of pharmaceutical drugs may be as large a drug problem as non-pharmaceutical drugs, the need for more investigation into diversion of pharmaceutical drugs is apparent. We will write a custom essay sample on Diversion of Pharmaceutical Drugs or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page

McKenzie Journey Essays (311 words) - Actuarial Science,

McKenzie Journey 3 June 17 Summary Response 3 Bockoven Summary Response In Monica Potts essay, "What's Killing Poor White Women?" she explains the shocking decline of death rates happening all around us. Potts tells us a story of a women named Crystal Wilson, who died in her sleep at just 38 years old. Potts uses Wilson's story to justify the mystery of declining life expectancy in poor white women. Potts expressed that white women who don't graduate from high school have a life expectancy that has declined rapidly over the past 18 years. These women now are expected to die five years sooner than the generation before them. Lack of education, medical care, good wages, and healthy food is killing off these poor white women. A woman's life expectancy has fallen from nearly 79 to 73 years old, which implies that more and more women are dying in their twenties, thirties, and forties than ever before. A five year drop in life expectancy over the course of 20 years is disturbing for both its swiftness and its magnitude. Potts argues that white women in some so cieties are frequently starved for education, opportunity, and socialsupport. After reading this essay it has alarmed me. Not only are white women dying early, there life expectancy is dramatically decreasing with every early death. Most women in our society have a good source of food and education but not everyone does. Those women who don't have good connections to the world around them are automatically dying off and that is very tragic to say the least. With these women dying off there seems to be nothing you can do about it. These women need access to education, food, health care, and many other things that they don't have money for. Hearing this essay makes me cringe at the thought our society lets people dye off way too young.

20 Topics for an Anxiety Disorder Case Study

20 Topics for an Anxiety Disorder Case Study When a student has to write an anxiety disorder case study, he or she should not only find a proper case but also be aware of the topic and everything that concerns the matter. That’s why such academic assignment is quite difficult and challenging. 20 Topics for You to Choose A student has to choose a good topic and base it on some concrete case study. For example, one can write about post-traumatic stress disorder in general and then proceed to a particular case study. Here are 20 sample topics for a case study research. Many People Suffer from Insomnia. Do All of Them Have Anxiety Disorder or Do Sleeping Problems Signify Something Else? How not Acquire Anxiety Disorders When You Are a Lonely Woman about 35? When Is It Time to Worry: How to Recognize First Symptoms of Anxiety Disorder in Children and Adults? Can Hormonal Imbalance and Bad Immune System Cause an Anxiety Disorder Case? Treating an Anxiety Disorder Case: What to Do if the Dream Doesn’t Come True Can Physical Exercising Help a Person Get Rid of Anxiety Disorders? What Mobile Apps Can Help to Treat Anxiety Disorders? Medicines with Natural Ingredients vs. Drugs with Artificial Components: What Remedy to Choose to Treat Anxiety Disorders Pros and Cons of Group Therapy for the Treatment of Anxiety Disorder Cases Do Animals Suffer Anxiety Disorders and Do They Become Dangerous because of That? Advantages and Disadvantages of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for the Treatment of Anxiety Disorder Cases The Role of Social Media in Anxiety Disorder Progress (cyberbullying, false friends, â€Å"a gallery play†, fake relationships and love affairs, etc.) Five Major Reasons for Anxiety Disorders in Children: Family Problems, Inability of Self-Realization,   Drug Dependence, Stress, and Genetics Can a Person Suffer from Anxiety Disorders and Be Successful? Treating an Anxiety Disorder Case: Is It Possible to â€Å"Kill† Genetics and Give Birth to a Healthy Child? How to Manage Anxiety Disorders If You Live in the Third-World Country? What Are the Reasons for Social Anxiety Disorder and How Can People Fulfill Themselves when Having It? Why Do People with High IQ Often Suffer from Anxiety Disorders? Do Elite Athletes Risk Getting Anxiety Disorders after Their Failure or Retire? Pros and Cons of Practicing Mindfulness by Patients with Anxiety Disorders General investigation on the topic allows getting information about the issue, and concrete case study lets a person check the theory based on some examples. Mind to use appropriate facts to support each of these topics. The Sample: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Case Study Post-traumatic stress disorder occurs when people overcome some situation that had caused both mental and physical injury. Almost seventy percent of adults have experienced post-traumatic stress disorder in some way in the United States of America. That’s approximately 224 million people. Women are more likely to develop this particular disorder. The reason for PTSD can be different. Some people get into an automobile crash, a number of individuals survive after assaults committed by animals and people, some persons are injured at war and during military service, and some people overcome natural disasters. These reasons are considered to be serious ones. There are other events which can lead to PTSD. For example, a person can go for a walk and get scared by the sudden appearance of the barking dog. The dog cannot even touch a person but the person will be afraid of other dogs. Why? When a human being sees something unexpected one can either become paralyzed or think of possible outcomes of the situation. In the first case, shock awakes nightmares and recalls to negative information about dog’s bites which a person has heard of or seen somewhere. Due to that, this person may get PTSD that will follow his or her till the last breath. The object of the study is a man over 40 who used to be a military man. He became a disabled veteran and had to come back home. In addition to his traumas and after-war rehabilitation, he realized that he had acquired post-traumatic stress disorder. It’s a common problem of people who have been engaged in the military service. Military men follow certain rules and get commands. They are sure that their partner will protect his back and vice versa. Everybody trusts everyone there because that’s how they live and serve. When such people come back home, they realize that they cannot trust anybody. By the way, they have to deal with other serious problems. They don’t feel safe anywhere. Consequently, they try to isolate and avoid places inhabited by a great number of people. The vet (the object of the research) turned to have such problems as well. He had to rent a house in the wood far away from the town. He owned a 20-acre farm with lots of birds and geese which were his private guards. He didn’t trust anyone, including his own family. He woke up at night, took a rifle and went around his house to check if everything was alright. His family and friends thought that he would get over that. They couldn’t understand him and that was the main problem. He had only one friend who also was a disabled vet and who did really understand his state of mind. Soon, he started suffering from headaches, insomnia, muscle stiffness, paranoia, suicidal thoughts, and anxiety. His after-war life became his daily burden. In addition, he had a two-year-old son and a wife. He felt desperate because he didn’t know how to protect them. That’s why he decided to visit his physician. After some medical tests, he was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. He took some medicines (Clonazepam, Cogentin, Florinal, Levothyroxine, Haldol, and Chlorpromazine) to cope with headaches, insomnia, anxiety, and muscle spasms. He had also to visit his psychiatrist and communicate with other disabled veterans who had already treated or at least delayed the symptoms of PTSD. Such rehabilitation and course of medical treatment helped him to sleep better and feel less worried. He also managed to give up taking the drugs but it had not changed his attitude towards people (he still doesn’t trust them). References: PTSD United. PTSD Statistics. ptsdunited.org/ptsd-statistics-2/ FQ Facts. Case Study 2. fqfacts.com/case-studies/case-studies-anxiety-disorders/ A. Bystritsky(2013). Current Diagnosis and Treatment of Anxiety Disorders. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3628173/ MAYO CLINIC. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/post-traumatic-stress-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-20355967 MAYO CLINIC. Post-traumatic stress: How can you help your loved one? https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/post-traumatic-stress-disorder/expert-answers/post-traumatic-stress/faq-20057756 National Institute of Mental Health. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/post-traumatic-stress-disorder-ptsd/index.shtml

Marquis de Lafayette, French and American Revolutionary

Marquis de Lafayette, French and American Revolutionary Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette (September 6, 1757–May 20, 1834) was a French aristocrat who gained fame as an officer in the Continental Army during the American Revolution. Arriving in North America in 1777, he quickly formed a bond with General George Washington and initially served as an aide to the American leader. Proving a skilled and dependable commander, Lafayette earned greater responsibility as the conflict progressed and played a key part in obtaining aid from France for the American cause. Fast Facts: Marquis de Lafayette Known For: French aristocrat who fought as an officer for the Continental Army in the American Revolution, and later, the French RevolutionBorn: September 6, 1757 in Chavaniac, FranceParents: Michel du Motier and Marie de La Rivià ¨reDied: May 20, 1834 in Paris, FranceEducation: Collà ¨ge du Plessis and the Versailles AcademySpouse: Marie Adrienne Franà §oise de Noailles (m. 1774)Children: Henriette du Motier, Anastasie Louise Pauline du Motier, Georges Washington Louis Gilbert du Motier, Marie Antoinette Virginie du Motier Returning home after the war, Lafayette served in a central role during the early years of the French Revolution and helped write the Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen. Falling from favor, he was jailed for five years before being released in 1797. With the Bourbon Restoration in 1814, Lafayette began a long career as a member of the Chamber of Deputies. Early Life Born September 6, 1757, at Chavaniac, France, Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette was the son of Michel du Motier and Marie de La Rivià ¨re. A long-established military family, an ancestor had served with Joan of Arc at the Siege of Orleans during the Hundred Years War. A colonel in the French Army, Michel fought in the Seven Years War and was killed by a cannonball at the Battle of Minden in August 1759. Raised by his mother and grandparents, the young marquis was sent to Paris for education at the Collà ¨ge du Plessis and the Versailles Academy. While in Paris, Lafayettes mother died. Gaining military training, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Musketeers of the Guard on April 9, 1771. Three years later, he married Marie Adrienne Franà §oise de Noailles on April 11, 1774. In the Army Through Adriennes dowry he received a promotion to captain in the Noailles Dragoons Regiment. After their marriage, the young couple lived near Versailles while Lafayette completed his schooling at the Acadà ©mie de Versailles. While training at Metz in 1775, Lafayette met the Comte de Broglie, commander of the Army of the East. Taking a liking to the young man, de Broglie invited him to join the Freemasons. Through his affiliation in this group, Lafayette learned of the tensions between Britain and its American colonies. By participating in the Freemasons and other thinking groups in Paris, Lafayette became an advocate for the rights of man and the abolition of slavery. As the conflict in the colonies evolved into open warfare, he came to believe that the ideals of the American cause closely reflected his own. Coming  to America In December 1776, with the American Revolution raging, Lafayette lobbied to go to America. Meeting with American agent Silas Deane, he accepted an offer to enter American service as a major general. Learning of this, his father-in-law, Jean de Noailles, had Lafayette assigned to Britain as he did not approve of Lafayettes American interests. During a brief posting in London, he was received by King George III and met several future antagonists, including Major General Sir Henry Clinton. Returning to France, he obtained aid from de Broglie and Johann de Kalb to advance his American ambitions. Learning of this,  de Noailles sought aid from King Louis XVI who issued a decree banning French officers from serving in America. Though forbidden by King Louis XVI to go, Lafayette purchased a ship, Victoire, and evaded efforts to detain him. Reaching Bordeaux, he boarded Victoire and put to sea on April 20, 1777. Landing near Georgetown, South Carolina, on June 13, Lafayette briefly stayed with Major Benjamin Huger before proceeding to Philadelphia. Arriving, Congress initially rebuffed him as they were tired of Deane sending French glory seekers. After offering to serve without pay, and aided by his Masonic connections, Lafayette received his commission but it was dated July 31, 1777, rather than the date of his agreement with Deane and he was not assigned a unit. For these reasons, he nearly returned home; however, Benjamin Franklin dispatched a letter to General George Washington asking the American commander to accept the young Frenchman as an aide-de-camp. The two first met on August 5, 1777, at a dinner in Philadelphia and immediately formed a lasting rapport.   First meeting of the Marquis de Lafayette and George Washington, 1777. Library of Congress Into the Fight Accepted onto Washingtons staff, Lafayette first saw action at the Battle of Brandywine on September 11, 1777. Outflanked by the British, Washington allowed Lafayette to join Major General John Sullivans men. While attempting to rally Brigadier General Thomas Conways Third Pennsylvania Brigade, Lafayette was wounded in the leg but did not seek treatment until an orderly retreat was organized. For his actions, Washington cited him for bravery and military ardour and recommended him for divisional command. Briefly leaving the army, Lafayette traveled to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania to recuperate from his wound. Recovering, he assumed command of Major General Adam Stephens division after that general was relieved following the Battle of Germantown. With this force, Lafayette saw action in New Jersey while serving under Major General Nathanael Greene.  This included winning a victory at the Battle of Gloucester on November 25 which saw his troops defeat British forces under Major General Lord Charles Cornwallis. Rejoining the army at Valley Forge, Lafayette was asked by Major General Horatio Gates and the Board of War to proceed to Albany to organize an invasion of Canada. Before leaving, Lafayette alerted Washington about his suspicions regarding Conways efforts to have him removed from command of the army. Arriving at Albany, he found that there were too few men present for an invasion and after negotiating an alliance with the Oneidas he returned to Valley Forge. Rejoining Washingtons army, Lafayette was critical of the boards decision to attempt an invasion of Canada during the winter. In May 1778, Washington dispatched Lafayette with 2,200 men to ascertain British intentions outside Philadelphia. Further Campaigns Aware of Lafayettes presence, the British marched out of the city with 5,000 men in an effort to capture him. In the resulting Battle of Barren Hill, Lafayette was skillfully able to extract his command and rejoin Washington. The following month, he saw action at the Battle of Monmouth as Washington attempted to attack Clinton as he withdrew to New York. In July, Greene and Lafayette were dispatched to Rhode Island to aid Sullivan with his efforts to expel the British from the colony. The operation centered on cooperation with a French fleet led Admiral Comte de dEstaing. This was not forthcoming as dEstaing departed for Boston to repair his ships after they were damaged in a storm. This action angered the Americans as they felt that they had been abandoned by their ally. Racing to Boston, Lafayette worked to smooth things over after a riot resulting from dEstaings actions erupted. Concerned about the alliance, Lafayette asked for leave to return to France to ensure its continuance. Granted, he arrived in February 1779 and was briefly detained for his earlier disobedience to the king. Virginia Yorktown Working with Franklin, Lafayette lobbied for additional troops and supplies. Granted 6,000 men under General Jean-Baptiste de Rochambeau, he returned to America in May 1781. Sent to Virginia by Washington, he conducted operations against the traitor Benedict Arnold and shadowed Cornwallis army as it moved north. Nearly trapped at the Battle of Green Spring in July, Lafayette monitored British activities until the arrival of Washingtons army in September. Taking part in the Siege of Yorktown, Lafayette was present at the British surrender. Return to France Sailing home to France in December 1781, Lafayette was received at Versailles and promoted to field marshal. After aiding in planning an aborted expedition to the West Indies, he worked with Thomas Jefferson to develop trade agreements. Returning to America in 1782, he toured the country and received several honors. Remaining active in American affairs, he routinely met with the new countrys representatives in France. French Revolution On December 29, 1786, King Louis XVI appointed Lafayette to the Assembly of Notables which was convened to address the nations worsening finances. Arguing for spending cuts, he was one who called for the convening of the Estates General. Elected to represent the nobility from Riom, he was present when the Estates General opened on May 5, 1789. Following the Oath of the Tennis Court and the creation of the National Assembly, Lafayette joined the new body and on July 11, 1789, he presented a draft of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen. Lieutenant General Marquis de Lafayette, 1791. Public Domain Appointed to lead the new National Guard on July 15, Lafayette worked to maintain order. Protecting the king during the March on Versailles in October, he diffused the situation- although the crowd demanded that Louis move to the Tuileries Palace in Paris. He was again called to the Tuileries on February 28, 1791, when several hundred armed aristocrats surrounded the palace in an effort to defend the king. Dubbed the Day of Daggers, Lafayettes men disarmed the group and arrested many of them. Later Life After a failed escape attempt by the king that summer, Lafayettes political capital began to erode. Accused of being a royalist, he sunk further after the Champ de Mars Massacre when National Guardsmen fired into a crowd. Returning home in 1792, he was soon appointed to lead one of the French armies during the War of the First Coalition. Working for peace, he sought to shut down the radical clubs in Paris. Branded a traitor, he attempted to flee to the Dutch Republic but was captured by the Austrians. Marquis de Lafayette, 1825. National Portrait Gallery Held in prison, he was finally released by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1797. Largely retiring from public life, he accepted a seat in the Chamber of Deputies in 1815. In 1824, he made one final tour of America and was hailed as a hero. Six years later, he declined the dictatorship of France during the July Revolution and Louis-Phillipe was crowned king. The first person granted honorary United States citizenship, Lafayette died on May 20, 1834, at the age of 76. Sources Unger, Harlow Giles. Lafayette. New York: Wiley, 2003.Levasseur, A. Lafayette in America in 1824 and 1825; or, Journal of a Voyage to the United States. Trans. Godman, John D. Philadelphia: Carey and Lea, 1829.Kramer, Lloyd S. Lafayette and the Historians: Changing Symbol, Changing Needs, 1834–1984. Historical Reflections / Rà ©flexions Historiques 11.3 (1984): 373–401. Print.Lafayette in Two Worlds: Public Cultures and Personal Identities in an Age of Revolutions. Raleigh: University of North Carolina Press, 1996.

INTELLIGENCE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

INTELLIGENCE - Essay Example However, the legislations pending offers CIA director with ways of prohibiting its Inspector General from handling the matters when reviewing poses a threat in the security of the nation and that is a risky loophole. Other bills that were recently introduced also have useful provisions. A single bill required that the committees of intelligence be provided prior notice for covert actionsi. It highlighted that in certain specific cases where time is important and the head of state determines the actions is crucial to the interest of national security of the US, the president may spearhead a covert operation with no notice. But when in those scenarios the president need to notify the panel within 48 hours, and the bill will prohibit the funds expenditure when actions are necessary but needed that record be made and that the outcomes be confined to the writing within 2 days. Additionally, the prohibited finding to incorporate requests from the US 1 Government to other nations or private members to carry out the covert action on behalf of the nation. Consequently, the expanded current reporting needs regarding the transfer of covert to include the transfer reporting within one financial year of the collection of items worth a million dollars or more. The provisions do not incorporate other attempts in legislating the fidelity or iigood judgment to the law. Rather, they are confined in practical consideration. Meaning they are important to making the proper foreign policy and the efficient functioning of the nation. A conventional theory of the rules and guidelines is that the policies formed through the democratic process and consultations are normally better than those developed through other mechanisms. The analysis is based in the balancing questioniii. The nation needs to balance the implication that may arise from disclosing the secret against and

Utopia Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Utopia - Term Paper Example As the definition says, most of these schemes are impractical. John Stuart Mill, an English philosopher and economist created the word â€Å"Dystopia† to represent the opposite of Utopia. Dystopian is defined as â€Å"an imaginary place or state in which the condition of life is extremely bad, as from deprivation, oppression, or terror.† In September 1836 Frederick Henry Hedge, Ralph Waldo Emerson, George Ripley and George Putnam formed a club for like-minded thinkers to meet and discuss their ideas. They called the club the â€Å"Hedges Club† because most meetings took place at Hedge’s home. It was the citizens of Concord who were not members who named the club the â€Å"Transcendental Club. They saw the members as being unworldly, detached from society and inactive. Other members included Henry David Thoreau and Nathaniel Hawthorne. The club was not like the usual club, holding only occasional, informal meetings. It closed after 1840, although the membe rs kept in touch. The Transcendentalists lived in a time of transition in the United States. It was the time between the Revolutionary war, and building toward the Civil War. As the country was moving towards the early 1850’s, America was in the period of the greatest prosperity prior to the Civil War. Several members of the club had very definite ideas of what an ideal society and individual should be, and several of the members tried building their own Utopian ideals, hoping they would be models for the developing new country. 2. Ralph Waldo Emerson Emerson was born on May 25, 1803, educated at Harvard College and taught at his brother’s school for young ladies in Boston after graduating in 1821. He returned to Harvard Divinity School in 1825. In 1829 he was ordained as a minister and married his first wife, Ellen Tucker. For three years he was a Unitarian minister at Boston’s Second Church. He left shortly after the death of his wife, and traveled to Europe, where he met English Transcendentalists Wordsworth, Coleridge, J.S. Mill and Thomas Carlyle. Ralph’s philosophy of life was influenced by his time spent with these men. When he returned to Boston, he began a new career as a lecturer and was very successful. He married Lidian Jackson in 1835, and together they had four children. Emerson relocated his family to Concord Massachusetts. Emerson is considered to be the leader of the Transcendentalist in Concord. His social ideal was a utopia based on private property, where each person could live a simple, solitary life of a farmer or craftsman. Self-reliance should be the goal of all mankind. Ralph believed in the importance of being in touch with nature. He felt that only in solitude was a man free to think freely. A deeply religious man, he left the church because he felt it was no longer relevant to the modern world of his day. He felt that the church had not progressed with man, and that it had become oppressive, deadening the spirit. In his speech to the Divinity School graduates, he asked the graduates to breathe new life into the old forms of their religion. He told them to be friends with, and set good examples for their parishioners. Emerson advised them to listen to their parishioners because each person had their own thoughts, liked to be recognized and their opinions heard. His views were not popular with the church, and he was

Immanuel Kant Essay Example for Free

Immanuel Kant Essay Deontological Theory The deontological theory state that the consequences or outcomes of actions are not important, what actually matter is that the actions are morally justified. For example drunken driving is wrong, now if a person argues that he safely navigated his way back home and for that reason he/she should not be held accountable by law, they are wrong because their action was wrong in the first place and was breaking the basic principle for morally correct behaviour that a person should not drive while being drunk. The contribution of Immanuel Kant towards development of Deontological theory Immanuel Kant proposes that in taking a decision â€Å"Duty† carries the foremost importance. Kant is of the view that a person’s actions will only be regarded as morally and ethically correct when they are taken keeping in mind the sense of duty and responsibility in mind. Teleological Ethical Theory The teleological ethical theory put the primary focus on the â€Å"Consequences† i. e. â€Å"What are those actions that produce the best possible results†? Along with attaching importance to the consequences the teleological theory also suggests that the decisions framework that is developed for achieving the desired consequences should also be managed with care. Consequentialist Theory According to the â€Å"Consequentiality Theory†, the basis for determining how moral a person’s actions are the consequences. The consequences of actions can be good or bad, and they can be damaging or favourable. The contribution of Jeremy Bentham towards development of a person’s actions can be a classified as good or bad depending on what consequences the action has produced. According to Bentham’s opinion the good things are classified as â€Å"pleasure† and the bad ones as â€Å"pain†.1. 2 Absolute ethics has only two sides: Something is good or bad, black or white. Some examples in police ethics would be unethical behaviours such as bribery, extortion, excessive force, and perjury, which nearly everyone would agree are unacceptable behaviours by the police. Relative ethics is more complicated and can have a multitude of sides with varying shades of gray. What is considered ethical behaviour by one person may be deemed highly unethical by someone else. The Absolutist theory is the theory that certain things are right or wrong from an objective point of view and cannot change according to culture. Certain actions are intrinsically right or wrong, which means they are right or wrong in themselves. This is also known as deontological. The relativist theory is the theory that there are no universally valid moral principles. All principles and values are relative to a particular culture or age. Ethical relativism means that there is no such thing as good â€Å"in itself†, but if and action seems good to you and bad to me, that is it, and there is no objective basis for us to discover the truth. This theory is also known as teleological. An example of an absolutist ethical system would be if a single mother with a very young child had no money and therefore no food to feed the child, and she stole some food from the shop and the mother was caught and had a trial, an absolutist would argue that its morally wrong to steal and should suffer the consequences of the crime. They don’t take into account the situation the person might be in and use an absolute law. However, this is in contrast to the alternative ethical system, called â€Å"relativist†, because this system is really the complete opposite. Again I’ll use the same example as I did for absolutist. If a relativist was looking at this they would take into consideration the situation the woman might be in and empathize with her and try to find an outcome that is the most fair. One reason to support the absolutist approach as the only defensible approach is that it provides justification for acting which means that morality seems to demand some sort of obligation. If there’s a fixed moral code then there is no obligation to act in a way. Another strength is that it gives clear guidelines, which basically means the rules are fixed and clear to apply. 1. 3 Ethics refers to a prescribed or accepted code of conduct. Ethical issues are a set of moral values that need to be addressed while carrying out business. Businesses operate in a society that is structured around moral values. Therefore, when conducting its operations, a business has certain responsibilities which are to provide the society with quality goods and services that will improve the people’s living standards. In order to survive, a business needs to maintain its customers. Product packaging is one way of ensuring a business maintains its existing customers and also acquire new customers. Some companies are known to allow underweight packaging of products which are then highly priced and this is a rude way of increasing profits. However this negative trend will affect the business in the long run as customers will eventually come to learn that they are being swindled. In an attempt to boost sales, some businessmen adapt promotional methods that mislead customers as the message conveyed may not give the exact details of the product. Businesses should desist from increasing prices without valid reasons. In doing so, they will be taking advantage of the customer and this is unethical. Businessmen should also desist from taking part in corrupt practices such as selling low standard goods while bribing government officials in order to continue operating. Entrepreneurs should consider the effects of their activities on the society they serve. In the long run, wrong dealings and corruption will tarnish the image of the business and have a negative effect on sales. Business people ought to comply with the law requirements and observe laid down principles of morality in their dealings. They should seriously consider expectations of the community they serve. (http://www. lawrencegmcdonald. com).

Industrialization :: essays research papers

How far do the sources support the conclusion that, during the period 1780-1914, the economy and society of Britain was transformed, and with remarkably little conflict?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  During the period 1780-1914 Britain witnessed an industrial revolution that put it head and shoulders above other developing countries in Europe as well as the Americas. However, was this transformation the one Karl Marx had predicted, one of a series of steps towards the establishment of the Communist state? If this were true, then the period of 1780-1914 will show transformation with a series of revolutions and wide conflict between the social classes as the growth of the proletariat. However, the liberal view suggests that regardless of all the new innovations and advancements in industry and social structure, there will be little conflict, mostly of opinions only. So how revolutionary was the industrial revolution? This brings us to the subtext of the question, whether this transformation was more liberal or Marxist. Through analysis of the sources, this essay will argue the issue and come to judgement at the end.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Eric J. Svedenstierna, the author of Source 1 describes Manchester as a town at the forefront of the industrial revolution, mainly due to its cotton manufactures and spinning machines. His positive description of the city shows that not only is he impressed with the advancements evident, but is favourable towards the nature of that advancement and therefore can be inferred that his view of the situation was relatively sophisticated and calm. This therefore supports the belief that the transformation was with remarkably little conflict, a contradiction of the Marxist view. However, it can be argued that the revolution was not like the French political revolution in 1789 which took place suddenly, but was a process that took over 50 years. The source is dated at 1802, which was a period that saw relatively slow growth in comparison with the years 1815-1821, where the Corn Laws were introduced and a trade recession created unemployment, poverty and unrest. Marxist hi storians such as E.J Hobsbawm and Friedrich Engels will argue that it is at this point where revolutionary ideas grow among the workers. Yet Source 1 suggests that there was no conflict of any kind and therefore agrees with the conclusion. Source 2 also takes a more liberal approach in terms of the advancement in industry, describing the mills’ conditions as ‘exceedingly favourable’, and ‘toil is not very great nor is it incessant.

Cultural Similarities and Differences

The Indian culture has different languages, which include Hindi, Bengali, and Urdu. The officially recognized language is Hindi with other local languages not recognized by the central government. Texans officially use American English with various variations and accents. Australian languages Include Australian slang, Indigenous Australian languages, and variations of Australian English (Dally, 1998). Nigeria has over 50 indigenous languages with very many local dialects. The predominant languages are Your, Bio, Afro -Asiatic and Kanji. The official language is English ND Is used across all states to unite the people.Except India, the other three countries share a salary language (I. E. English) though It has small variations In accent and pronunciation. Family Systems Indians maintain close personal ties with their families including the extended family members. Family relationships are hierarchical and the father is the patriarchal leader of the family. All members have mutual obli gations to their families and they maintain deep rooted trust among all relatives (Maker, 2008). Nigerian maintain an extended family system with relationships guided by hierarchy and seniority.Individuals are obliged to give the extended family members financial assistance and guidance (Coelenterates. N. D). The American family unit Is nuclear with the extended family living away from it. Individualism is highly practiced. The family set ups across the four countries recognizes the father as the head of the family. The role of extended family members is emphasized in Nigerian and Indian cultures where people recognize the senior members of the society. Australian and Texan cultures emphasize individualism and the societies generate highly independent people. Behavioral NormsIn India, greetings follow seniority with the most senior person being greeted first. Though shaking hands Is common, men seldom shake hands with women because of religious beliefs and It Is mandatory to bid eac h person farewell Individually when leaving a group. In Nigeria, shaking hands is the most common form of greeting. Men 1 OFF other person's well being. Direct eye contact is avoided when meeting with older and senior members of the society and as a sign of respect one is expected to bow. Nigerian place importance to professional titles and surnames. In Texas greetings are casual, a handshake, a smile, and a hello are enough.Men use only handshakes but women and children may hug and shake hands even in formal settings. Introductions are very important before any communication. It is considered rude to call senior persons by their first name. Men are supposed to be polite to ladies, they pull chairs and open doors for them and ladies are expected to say a polite thank you in return (Celebrities, 2012). Australian forms of greetings are informal and brief; shaking hands is common in formal setups. Ladies generally do not greet each other. Australians maintain good relationships with a ll people as they are down to earth ND modest.Religion India is a secular state with a lot of religious diversity. Hinduism, Buddhism, Jansenism, and Schism are practiced by most of the people. Christianity is practiced by a minority. Texas has a wide range of religious diversity with Christianity being practiced by the majority. Adherence levels are very high and individual religious beliefs are tolerated. Religious diversity in Nigeria is great with Christianity and Islam being practiced by the majority. Native religions that believe in deities, spirits, and ancestral worship are spread throughout the country. The country constitution remunerates freedom of worship.Majority of Australians are Christians with Islam being practiced by a few. Traditional aborigine religious cultures are practiced by a few aborigines as the others have converted to Christianity. The country laws are tolerant to different religious beliefs. Across the four countries, religion influences the culture of the people with Christianity, Salamis, Hinduism, and Judaism being recognized and accepted by the societies. Freedom of worship is allowed by their respective constitutions; but in Nigeria emergence of radical Salamis has affected he culture of the societies living in the affected areas.Business Etiquette There are various ways in which business is approached in various societies. In Indian society, it is customary for all sides to personally know each other before any business transaction take place. Business meetings are planned by appointments and punctuality is kept as a sign of mutual respect. Negotiations are non confrontational and the final decision is made by the person with the most authority. Decision making is slow and informal and successful negotiations are concluded by a word of mouth and celebrated over a meal. Formal dressing during meetings is expected and shows respect.In the Nigerian culture, developing a personal relationship is essential before any business tra nsaction. Business is conducted in a formal setup and decision making involves all the stakeholders. Nigerian are overly suspicious and proceed with business cautiously. Punctuality for meetings is very important to Texans and it is a sign of disrespect to be late. There is little emphasis on small talk and business is conducted rapidly. To conduct business, an appointment is necessary in Australia. Business is conducted rapidly in a relaxed environment. Personal relationships and show of emotion is not important in their business transactions.Conclusion The culture across all the four countries is steeped with differences and similarities continually changing with advent of globalization and information technology. The family and religious inclinations of these societies fundamentally influences their behavior, norms, and way of thinking. The cultures have inherent mechanisms of maintaining their way of life. In all the cultures, younger members are expected to respect their elders and this maintains social order. Though fundamentally different, arioso cultures have a lot to teach and are universally almost the same.

Group Work and Free Riders: Mitigating the Situation

In most universities, if not all, group work aims to enhance the learning experience of students. This is primarily done through collaboration among the students in meeting specific objectives for group activities. While group work trains students in work-related skills, it also improves their personal inclinations to adjust to a group environment where individual tasks may be designated in order to meet the goals of the collective whole. However, group work can also serve potential problems to the group in terms of members who are mere ‘free riders’.These loafers may not be of any use or help to the entire group since they do not provide significant contributions. Instead of aiding the group in keeping with the tasks at hand, the free riders become burdens to the group, thereby giving weight to the tasks all the more. One way to mitigate this problem is to give less complicated and less tedious tasks to the ‘free riders’ in the group while keeping a closer eye on their performance. It can be said that collaboration among group members helps in easing the larger chunk of the tasks involved.A reasonable distribution of tasks among members is â€Å"an advantage to a group essentially because it divides the general tasks required necessary for achieving certain goals (Barley & Kunda, 2001, p. 78). † Although the distribution of tasks may vary depending on several factors which include but is not limited to individual capabilities, it nevertheless creates the sense where each member has a definitive role and share in the interest of the group. By doing so, every member is also given certain responsibilities to meet under a specified timeframe. More importantly, the distribution of tasks entails certain expectations from the members.In the end, the overall welfare and performance of the group will have to depend on the members themselves. Since both the welfare and the performance of the group rely on the individual members, free rid ers among the group can pose serious disadvantages not only to the entire group but also to those who are working appropriately with their designated tasks (Pelled, 1996, p. 616). For one, there may be a psychological effect on the attitude of the other members when the ‘free riders’ tend to give no consideration for their respective responsibilities.When there are members of your group who do not function according to the group’s expectation, it is most likely the case that the other members will have negative responses whether explicit or not. It can affect their individual inclination to perform their duties because they can be influenced with regard to their behavior in doing their responsibilities. In order to mitigate the problems posed by the free riders in the group, these group members should only be given less complicated and less tedious tasks.It should also be the case that the free riders should be given more attention or focus from the group members since the free riders are the ones who are most likely to give problems to the group in terms of the completion of tasks among others. Given a number of tasks involved in completing the group requirements, the division of tasks should be appropriated in such a way that the perceived ‘free riders’ are given the lighter responsibilities instead of the tedious ones (Phillips & Phillips, 1993, p.534). The roles to be given to these members should be the ones which, when removed or separated from the overall product of the group work, can only give minor disadvantages. These minor disadvantages can come in the form of the absence of peripheral parts of the group work. By doing so, even if the free riders in the group are not able to submit their expected contributions to the group the overall group project can nevertheless still stand on its own.Or it can also be the case that even without the minor contributions from the free riders the rest of the group can still be able to amend the situation by fulfilling the peripheral tasks left behind. Moreover, the free riders should be given more focus by the group members so as to at least make certain that their tasks are met and that no delays will hinder the progress of the group work. This can be done by constant meeting with the group members so that the tasks can be done while every member is present.When each member of the group is present, there will be more chances for the group members to keep a close attention on what everybody else is doing (Formanek & Sibley, 1991, p. 650). By doing so, the free riders will also be guided accordingly by the other members of the group in cases when the free riders are unable to efficiently perform their responsibilities. An early correction of the perceived problems can â€Å"greatly help in arriving at a thoroughly crafted products or goals at the end of the day (Parboteeah & Cullen, 2003, p.139). † However, one problem that can surface even in the light of the suggestions offered to mitigate the probable problems that may be encountered by the group with regard to the free riding members is the problem of the total absence or non-participation of these members. If the free riders in the group do not actually attend meetings or escape from participating in the group tasks, even the suggestions to mitigate the perceived problems may not be able to fully address the problems.Nevertheless, one thing that can be done to avoid the eventual downfall of the group as caused by the free riders is that the rest of the group can choose to take charge of the supposed responsibilities of the free riders as early as possible. After that, the rest of the members can then suggest to the teacher or the instructor in charge to relieve the supposed free riders from being members of the group due to the reason of complete lack of participation. In general, as long as there remains the possibility of controlling the problem, mitigating the situation is still the best option.In fact, the act of mitigating the situation in itself is already a task which requires a collective effort from at least the majority of the group. More importantly, mitigating the situation can win back the free riders as functioning members of the group, thus leading to fruitful results to the group as a whole and to each member of the body. References Barley, S. R. , & Kunda, G. (2001). Bringing Work Back In. Organization Science, 12(1), 78. Formanek, E. , & Sibley, D. (1991). The Group Determinant Determines the Group.Proceedings of the American Mathematical Society, 112(3), 650. Parboteeah, K. P. , & Cullen, J. B. (2003). Social Institutions and Work Centrality: Explorations beyond National Culture. Organization Science, 14(2), 139. Pelled, L. H. (1996). Demographic Diversity, Conflict, and Work Group Outcomes: An Intervening Process Theory. Organization Science, 7(6), 616. Phillips, L. D. , & Phillips, M. C. (1993). Faciliated Work Groups: Theory and Pra ctice. The Journal of the Operational Research Society 44(6), 534.

Human observation Essays - Philosophical Realism, Free Essays

Human observation Essays - Philosophical Realism, Free Essays Human understands the world based on observation and imagination. Human get knowledge based on observation, and human get information to get knowledge based on imagination. Observation give human a thought that what an event is for, while imagination give a thought how an event exist. Realism events is important to understand the world path; however, anti-realism is the more general theory of knowledge and reality. According to realism, an unmeasured space-time event has intrinsic properties and is complete determined. It means if it happens again, its behavior should be as same as its previous appearance. However, it could behave as same as or different from its previous appearance. For example, lightning is a realistic thing, but its material that is called electron is not real. Physic scientists try to study lightning and predict its hitting position, but they cant get it right. Lightning is made from electrons flow, and electrons behavior isnt determined completely. To understand lightning behavior, scientists have to fully understand electron behavior which is difficult to observe. Therefore, anti-realism events can be used to explain realism events more clearly. Realism events are helpful to verify our thoughts; however, anti-realism events help us to have new thoughts to understand more about realism events. For example, if Newton believed the apply fell by itself, the world didnt have any airplane or spaceship now. To explain and predict future events, realism events use their past and relative events which can go to nowhere. That means if scientists get to a wall, they have to turn back and find any existed way to go through the wall rather than thinking a new way. I believe nothing is impossible if we think out of our boxes which are our knowledge, and it was lucky for us that Newton didnt think in his box. Indeed, the world path is still far from the current human knowledge, and anti-realism events help us to get more clear views about it. Realism events can be a good tool to verify anti-realism events and take us close to the world path. If one of them isnt used, it will be human extinction.

Benefits Of Outsourcing To Host Country

Benefits Of Outsourcing To Host Country In spite of the recent global economic recession, the worldwide business outsourcing market has achieved tremendous growth, According to one of famous International investment consultancy firm known as â€Å"McKinsey & Company† predicts that the demand for outsourcing services will obtain $230 billion by in 2011 from whole worlds and it will grow and by 10.5 percent (compound annual growth rate.). In the current business world many large organizations are outsourcing various jobs for example call centre services, payroll, e-mail services, Business Process Outsource and HR. As example: HSBC Bank has outsourced their call centres and Electronic Data Processing at India and Sri Lanka. AVIVA Insurance outsourced their call centres at India and Sri Lanka. IBM has outsource business Transformation system and customer contact work [call centres] at India 1.1 Outsourcing Outsourcing can be defined as contact between two companies to provide services which might otherwise be performed by in-house employees. In today’s world there is trend of outsourcing .Many multinational companies are now outsourced various level of jobs, as example such as call centre services, payroll management-mail service assistance. These outsourced jobs are handled by companies who have skilful labours who specialize to provide in services which are located outside the home country. In today business world Outsourcings has become latest trend which is becoming more common in information technology field. 1.2 Reasons for Outsourcings There are various reasons behind for outsourcings. Following section will describe the reasons for outsourcing: Improve Goal Congruence Outsourcing allow management to make attention on the vital or core business issues related with meeting customer needs and maintaining day to day issues. Outsourcings Allow To Access World-Class Capabilities Each notation is specialization in their own core activities. Ex: Qualitative labour-India. Advance technology -China and Japan. Outsourcing allow to access world-class capabilities, including innovative technology and so forth Share Risks With Different Peoples Outsourcing allows management spread certain level of risks as example demand variability and capital investments. Provider Free Resources for non core activities Outsourcing allowing organization to concentrate on non core activities and it allow to allocate those free resources among other activities Reducing Cost By Economic Of Scale Outsourcing allows organization to provide services at lower cost structure, which resulted from economies of scale. Reducing cost is the most persuasive reasons for outsourcing. Allow To Use Resources Not Internally Accessible Outsourcing is most preferable opportunity for companies that have potential to rapid growth, expansion into a new geography area , or spin-offs . Outsourcing Allow to use Resources not internally accessible Allow To Mange Functions Are Difficult Control problems are a one of m ajor reason for outsourcing. However, managers have to find out underlying causes for difficulties rather than outsourcing Even though there are various reason behind for outsourcing , ability of obtaining cost advantages is The main objective of outsourcing is, But lot of organizations are fail to realize any cost advantages received from outsourcing. The famous investment company â€Å"Gartner† is predictive that in 2009, 80% of organizations outsourced by having primary goal of coat cutting bit they are unable to achieve their primary goal of cost cutting, because there are various hidden cost of outsourcing. Such as outsourcing companies have high level of staff turnover rates than other organizations ,Normally it is high as 80% – 100%, cost of losing client due to increases of frustration. Therefore outsourcing must be fully monitored. Can easily fail.

The Law of Contract Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

The Law of Contract - Essay Example It is the incumbent on the employer to prove that the employee's absence or incapacity was of such a nature that further performance of his obligations in the future would be either impossible or a thing radically different from that undertaken by him to perform. The doctrine of frustration applies in the same way when a workman is physically or mentally incapacitated. In such cases, the workman would be entitled to be paid termination benefits under the Regulations 4 of the Employment (Termination And Lay-Off Benefits) Regulation 1980 and all statutory benefits due to him under the relevant legislation. Therefore, illness of an employee may operate to determine the contract if the illness is such as to interfere materially with the proper performance of the contract. On the other hand, a mere temporary illness will not so materially affect the employee's ability give personal service and, therefore, will not entitle the employer to dismiss the employee. The court affirmed that it was only in the case of a very serious sickness which may be considered as an event sufficiently fundamental to frustrate the contract and to give the employer the right to immediately dismiss the employee concerned on the grounds of disability. The incapacity or illness should not be temporary, but it should be serious and prolonged that the employee cannot be expected to perform his duties in the foreseeable future. In such circumstances, the employer has the right to terminate the employee's services. ... which may be considered as an event sufficiently fundamental to frustrate the contract and to give the employer the right to immediately dismiss the employee concerned on the grounds of disability. The incapacity or illness should not be temporary, but it should be serious and prolonged that the employee cannot be expected to perform his duties in the foreseeable future. In such circumstances, the employer has the right to terminate the employee's services. However, terminating the services of any employee while he is still on sick leave is an unfair labour practice. In the case of employee under police detention/custody, it is settled law that detention by police is a reasonable excuse to be absent from work. It is the finding of the court that absence from work due to arrest by police without any fault of the claimant is not misconduct and should not lead to his dismissal by applying provisions of S.13 (2) and S.15 (2) of the Employment Act 1955.In any event simply not being present at work is not per se a frustrating event, especially the time concerned was of short duration. If the company relies on the frustration of contract, it is for the company to establish that the employee's absence was of such duration that further performance of his obligations in the future is impossible. Thus, a contract of service may be frustrated if it is established that the nature of work so performed is critical to the operation of the company and the absence of the employee concerned is of a duration or nature that further performance of his duties under his contract of service in future would be impossible. The critical nature of work performed in relation to company's operational requirements

Response Paper on On Being an Atheist, by H. J. McCloskey From a Essay

Response Paper on On Being an Atheist, by H. J. McCloskey From a Christian Viewpoint - Essay Example While to some this position on face value may seem to have credibility, a careful analysis of the theories from a Christian perspective shows his arguments lacking. The first thing that strikes is McCloskey’s choice of beginning his discourse with a usual and chronically pleading argument that would appear to make sense and put the entire onus of â€Å"believing† or of â€Å"faith† on a human need to want to believe, rather than a spiritual analysis of why we do. McCloskey puts forth that many theists take the position that â€Å"atheism is a cold, comfortless position,†1, and quotes one Christian as saying, â€Å"It’s harder if you don’t believe in God.† 2 McCloskey’s argument, which he extracts totally from this position, is a tired one at best, tied to a humanistic era [the 1960s] that overly promoted, at the exclusion of the spiritual founded in the intellectual, the concept of science, be it the science of human psychology or otherwise. â€Å"Proof† is the buzzword, a strange choice since proof of this overriding human need to feel comfortable in an uncomfortable world has neve r been proven, but is itself founded on the â€Å"discoveries† suggested by psychologists and sociologists and hardly based in solid scientific irrefutable fact. Much of McCloskey’s so called scientific approach falls far short of anything resembling proof. Consider McCloskey’s cosmological argument as examined by Privette (2009). â€Å"McCloskey argued that the cosmological argument was an argument from the existence of the world, as we know it.    He stated that believing in an uncaused first cause of the universe is a problem because nothing about our universe forces us to that conclusion.†3 I agree with Privette and would use the following argument, as she has, with a few of my own thoughts added on the concept of contingencies. If

Fields of dreams Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Fields of dreams - Movie Review Example This film’s theme was about a man’s search for his father. He hears heavenly voices, develops a field of baseball on faith and converses with famous dead players who appear to be angels. In the film, Terence Mann tells Ray Kinsella that crowds will come, because they have money and lack peace. He also states that the crowds can even dip themselves, just like a religious rite, in magic waters (Wood et al, 70- 72). Both the Natural and Field of Dreams show how baseball is redemptive. In The Natural, Roy Hobbs, in his journey of becoming the â€Å"best there ever was†, experiences a short fall when his career is ended before he achieves his dream. Through baseball, however, sixteen years later, he comes back and manages to redeem himself by achieving his dreams and being able to fulfill his role as a patriarchal family figure. This is also demonstrated in Field of Dreams, whereby the voice of Ray’s dad drives Ray to generate this illogical field as is brought out through the personification of the Voice. However, it represents a space whereby ghosts from the past can come back from the purgatory of a cornfield to be with the present-day people (Wood et al, 72). 2. Hearing plays a very important role in Field of Dreams. Ray Kinsella, played by Kevin Costner, creates the ball field for Joe, the â€Å"Shoeless Joe†. ... This happens also because a voice had instructed him so. Compared to the role of sound in The Exorcist, while in Field of Dreams hearing is excellently used to build more on the theme of the film, this is not the case in the Exorcist. In the Exorcist, sound is several decibels higher compared to the visuals, which augments the tension of the audience. When for example, Regan is brought in the foreground, as she listens to her mother, the sound of the voice of Chris is shrill and piercing. In Field of Dreams, cause-and-effect is demonstrated by Costner’s clear view of his logic supporting his intuition. Having a clear vision of the cause-effect judgment behind his intuition, Kevin Costner followed his instincts and then went on to take action to ensure things happened to keep the farm. Costner says â€Å"If we build it, then they will come.† This quote is about a principle that is profound for not just Costner but for the film as well. At the time he was saying the words , the farm was in foreclosure, which makes it justifiable to presume that the higher objective was to save the farm. It is this goal of saving the farm that focused his project, and ended up contributing to the objective of using baseball to reconnect with his father (Baltov, p. 40). 3. Imagination plays a very important role in the discussion of God. Imagination answers the question of how people can begin to perceive God. The most appropriate manner of trying to perceive God is using our minds that are limitless; our imagination. Imagination is limitless and beyond the primitive logic of people, which makes it important when discussing God. Worth noting is that coincidentally, God is described in the same way, a limitless way. When forming an image of God, it is important that

Ethics in the Finance and Investment Industry

Ethics in the Finance and Investment Industry Introduction Ethics can be defined as the study of what institutes of right or wrong behavior in terms of ones principle and integrity expected to be by society. It is the branch of philosophy that focuses on morality and the way in which moral principles are derived or the way in which a given set of moral principles applies to ones conduct in daily life. Different people face different ethical questions in their day to day life and as well as in their business life. Ethics usually assumes people are rational and make free choices correctly. We can also give or take that it has got certain rules to follow in our collaborations and our actions that affect others. There can be ethical questions that have influence in our daily life or in business life like fairness, justness, rightness or wrongness. Both ethics in finance and investing are part of business and business ethics focuses on what constitutes right or wrong behavior in the business world and on how moral and ethical principles are applied by business persons to situations that arise in their daily activities in the workplace and their handling of client asset. Ethics that are faced in personal life is much more different and complex in business life. Social Influences on Ethics When evaluating professional decisions and behavior in the finance and investment industry, high standards of ethics and blatant violations of ethical conventions are difficult to explain solely in terms of individual traits and personality. Situational factors may lead to considerable differences in the ethical standards of behavior of a single individual in different social situations-a fact that has been revealed time and again by media reports. Thus, a true understanding of the psychology of ethics in the world of finance and investment requires awareness of how people interact and influence each other ethically. 1 1. See: Thomas Oberlechner Webster University Vienna The Psychology of Ethics in the Finance and Investment Industry Research Foundation of CFA Institute from http://www.cfapubs.org/doi/pdf/10.2470/rf.v2007.n2.4697 Ethics in Finance When anyone thinks about financial market they think about money, that also trillions of dollar. With that amount of money in greed, which can be defines as excessive desire to posses wealth, mixed with competition can be powerful combination to introduce unethical behavior. This is not solely concerned with the individuals but also with financial markets and financial institutions. Financial ethics is more to do with maintaining trust between the financial industry and client. If we analyze how financial system works, it is easy to see that it is easy for financial fraud and deceit. As almost all the people in United States have a 401K which is invested in financial market through different financial companies. All the people investing their money come from different walk of life and have limited knowledge in financial market. The only way public can believe in an investing firm to invest in their lifetime saving is by trust. This trust is built over the years by these firms by foll owing correct ethical procedure (by the firm and its staffs). Ethics in the Investment Profession Ethical practices by the investment professional benefit all market participants and stakeholders and lead to increased investor confidence in global capital markets. Ethical practices instill a public trust in the fairness of markets, allowing them to function efficiently. In short, we can say that good ethics is a fundamental requirement to the investment profession. The Code of Ethics for Finance and Investment Act with integrity, competence, diligence, respect and in an ethical manner with the public, clients, prospective clients, employers, employees, colleagues in the investment profession, and other participants in the global capital markets. Place the integrity of the investment profession and the interests of clients above their own personal interests. Use reasonable care and exercise independent professional judgment when conducting investment analysis, making investment recommendations, taking investment actions, and engaging in other professional activities. Practice and encourage others to practice in a professional and ethical manner that will reflect credit on themselves and the profession. Promote the integrity of, and uphold the rules governing, capital markets. Maintain and improve their professional competence and strive to maintain and improve the competence of other investment professionals.   See: Ethical and Professional Standards and Quantitative Methods. Level I 2008. Pearson Custom Publishing The Psychology of Ethics in the Finance and Investment Industry Financial and investment professionals are mainly susceptible to ethical misconduct. But what makes some obviously violate ethical standards and even violate the law while others behave highly ethically? Besides in all the courses taught in the entire business program we are taught that the objective of rationale individual is to maximize wealth. The psychology of ethics tries to find out why and when does a person behave (un) ethical way, their motivation, influence and social dynamic behind a certain active. It also tries to analyze individual cognitive and emotional dynamics. This analysis will help figure out the most effective may an ethical code can be written and implemented. Approaches to Ethics When people talk and write about ethics in the finance and investment industry, they approach the topic in variety of ways and address different realms of ethics. Usually, their dealing with ethics takes one of three main directions: (1) what investment professionals should do, (2) what they actually do, or (3) how finance and investment professionals can be helped to get from what they actually do to what they should do. Normative Ethics What should finance and investment professionals do? As the name implies, normative ethics aims at establishing norms and guidelines for professionals regarding how they should behave. This approach to ethics is inherent in, for example, the ethical theories of moral philosophy, theology, and definitions of professional norms, standards, and acceptable behavior for a professional field. Thus, a normative approach to ethics in finance and investments defines what is ethical in this profession. It tells practitioners how investment professionals should act to be ethical, which behavior should be considered ethical, and which behavior should not. Descriptive Ethics What do investment professionals actually do? Descriptive ethics aims at describing not how people should behave but how they actually do behave. And descriptive ethics attempts to explain and predict the unethical behavior of people in real-life situations (OFallon and Butterfield 2005). Psychological research conducted in controlled laboratory studies and real world settings of professional decision makers offers a systematic and comprehensive basis for descriptive ethics in finance and investing. Only this psychological and descriptive approach allows us to understand when and why people and organizations in the investment industry engage in ethical behavior and when and why they do not. Prescriptive Ethics How can finance and investment professionals be helped to get from what they actually do to what they should do? Based on descriptive insights about the factors influencing actual ethical decision making, the Prescriptive approach to ethics aims at helping people and organizations toward ethical decision making by giving advice about how to create environments that foster ethical decisions and how to improve the ethical component of decisions. The two main questions addressed by prescriptive ethics are the following: How can we create organizations that foster ethical behavior? How can we train professionals to readily perceive the ethical dimensions of their own behavior and to act ethically? Thus, prescriptive ethics suggests tools that assist people in making the prescribed decisions. 4 4 See: Thomas Oberlechner Webster University Vienna The Psychology of Ethics in the Finance and Investment Industry Research Foundation of CFA Institute from http://www.cfapubs.org/doi/pdf/10.2470/rf.v2007.n2.4697 Ethics and Investment in Global Perspective As the financial market now is more open globally, investment flows from one country to another more efficiently. With this comes an ethical risk for a financial firm. E.g. A financial firm in US investing in Singapore, but the ethical standard in both this countries financial market are different. Now which ethics standard should the firm or its employee follow? Can a firms employee ignore financial ethics code in US when he travels to Singapore? In this situation a firm should always follow the ethics code which is stricter. If US ethics code is stricter than the one in Singapore, it should still follow the US code of ethics. For individuals, the ethics code will apply globally i.e. if a person travels to jurisdiction outside of United States he is still bound by code of ethics and SEC laws. He is still not supposed to disclose all the protected financial information to any individual or firm. When analyzing investment opportunities in emerging market a financial firm much always check the ethical code of the country he is investing in. Even if the probability of profit is high but there has been high number of cases of ethical violation then the investment might not be a good idea. A good example of this is the amount of investment that went in China during Chinas IPO boom, a lot of companies from that boom is no where to be seen and the financial report present were falsified. Ethical Issues in Finance Industry Ethical issues in the financial services industry affect everyone, because even if you dont work in the field, youre a consumer of the services.  The public seems to have the perception that the financial services sector is more unethical than other areas of business. In the real business scenario there are many positions where we act without considering the ethical implication. Sometime what we think is ethical (because of the way we are brought up in society) might not be an ethical one in the world of finance or business. For example, one can have close friend with whom he share everything in life. Like normal individuals they talk about their work along with other stuff. But for the person who works in financial market there are certain discloser standard he has to follow. Let us say their discussion is related to financial market. So is it ethical for this person who is working with a financial firm to tell his friend all about the things he has information on, that is covered under discloser standard, or is it ethical for him to tell his best friend that he cant talk about this information and then risk his friend feeling that he does not trust him?. Because lets face it if I know something and I dont tell you that means you dont trust me, t hat is the idea implanted in our brain from our childhood. This is an example of social ethics dilemma that intertwines with financial (professional) ethics. Therefore the boundary between ethical and unethical is quite skinny. So, how can do companies ensure that the company and staff follow ethical behavior? Most large firms have implemented their own code of ethics-a set of general professional guidelines to inspire employees to behave ethically and responsibly as an individual or as a group representing the company.  But as in our examples these codes are stringent dos and donts that will cause more harm than good as the employee might be hesitant to even do the right ethical thing. As there is a thin line between ethical and unethical behavior this might give the employees a false notion that anything if it is not specifically prohibited would be acceptable. In addition to the company specific codes of ethics, companies and professionals are also bound by ethical codes of conducts of numerous professional organizations and institutions. Companies should train employees to these organizational code of ethics would be more effective as employee would think that its a global financial society standard. As global financial market is more combined with millions of transactions daily, the chances of business and professions using to more unethical conduct in todays age compared to previous decades. However, in this internet age, business condition and the resulting troubles are more complex. For example, companies and CEOs (for a public company) have to put their shareholders interest first before any other. The shareholder interest is to get maximum profit; CEOs are paid million of dollar in benefit and salary to achieve the goal of maximum profitability. They are under tremendous pressure to keep the company profitable every quarter and also outperform its competition. This might lead to a situation where the companies higher level staff might think they have found a loophole in the system and perform unethical adjustments of financial numbers. Recent example we can find is the collapse of ENRON because of fraud and FANNIE MAE accounting irregularities in start of this decade. It can also be pointed out that that ethical behavior is governed more by the individual rather than the environment. If we can establish a norm on the financial industry that its not only immoral to do unethical activity but its also immoral to not to notify of other peoples unethical activity, then there will be more violations reported. There have few instances where whistleblowers have reproted unethical behavior or violations of the companys code of ethics and brought big corporations down to their knees. But these kind of whistle blowing is rare. Research shows that this rarity is because whistleblowers are scared of getting fired from their jobs, especially if the violators are of higher post. In ones mind question arises is it ethical to whistleblower a violation and risk getting fired or is it ethical to keep quite and not risk putting food on family table? Companies should try to resolve this kind of dilemma , by implementing anonymous whistleblower program and by rewarding a them anonymously. A company code of ethics is useful only when the companys actions are consistent with it. Only then can it be followed consistently within the company. Conclusion Our society is interworking of people built in the pillar of trust. This trust is based on molarity and ethical behavior. For financial market not only Ethics is the pillar, it is also a ladder for success. Lose that trust and the firm or individual is going downhill. So financial firms should not only keep code of ethics in paper but also promote self-regulation. For financial market Ethical integrity is paramount and clients always come first.

Shakespeares Macbeth - The Tragic Hero Essay -- Macbeth essays

Macbeth - The Tragic Hero      Ã‚  Ã‚   Every true Elizabethan Tragedy comes complete with a tragic hero.   The tragedy Macbeth, written by William Shakespeare, has a perfect example of a tragic hero, otherwise known as Macbeth.   A tragic hero must be a man who is great and admirable in various ways.   He should be placed in society in such a way that everything he does affects all of the members of his society.   A tragic hero should at some point reach the top of Fortune’s Wheel, but land up at the bottom by the end of the tragedy due to the continual change of fate.   Macbeth fits the description of being a tragic hero, displaying his strengths, his weaknesses, his tragic flaw, and how influential outside influences are on him.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Macbeth definitely has a number of strengths that are prevalent throughout the entire play.   At the beginning of the play, Macbeth seems quite noble.   He fights in the battle against Norway, proving his honor (Lowe).   Ambition is another one of these strengths.   Macbeth is so determined that it enables him to become King of Scotland (Lowe).   It facilitates him to be strong, to overcome his hindrances, and to attain goals (Lowe).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Weaknesses are another characteristic of a tragic hero, and Macbeth displays these quite evidently.   Although ambition was one of the aforementioned strengths obtained by Macbeth, it is a weakness of his, as well   (â€Å"Macbeth – Tragic Hero†).   In fact, it is such a substantial weakness that it constitutes as Macbeth’s tragic flaw.   Being so motivated can cause someone to do horrible things to get their way, as one can see by noting that â€Å"ruthless† is a synonym of â€Å"ambitious.†Ã‚   Through the course of the play, Macbeth kills several people in order... ...gic Hero†).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There are many traits that make up a tragic hero, and Macbeth displays each of these.   Macbeth definitely completes a cycle in Fortune’s Wheel, starting off as a highly venerable man at the play’s beginning and being the exact opposite by the end.   His actions affect everyone in his society.   He displays strengths, weaknesses, a tragic flaw, and the fact that he is vulnerable to outside persuasions, thus making him a perfect example of a tragic hero. Works Cited Lowe, Lawrence.   â€Å"Macbeth’s Tragic Flaw.†Ã‚   http://server44.hypermart.net/homeworkdatabase/essays/essay11lit.html (10 January 2005). â€Å"Macbeth – Tragic Hero.†Ã‚   http://www.digitalessays.com/essays/eng_plays/eng_plays_0013.html (10 January 2005). Shakespeare, William.   Macbeth.   Ed Louis B. Wright and Virginia A. LaMar.   New York:   Washington Square Press, 1959.

Nba – a New Digital Entertainment Model in China

Entertainment and Media Industries Professor Sam Craig NBA – A New Digital Entertainment Model in China Name : Ted Mui Executive Summary The National Basketball Association’s expansion into the Chinese market has been met with great success. The company’s China operation currently generates over UDS$150 million in annual sales, and is one of the most recognized international brands in the country. To further focus on the growth of this unique market, a subsidiary was established in 2008, with former head of Microsoft China Tim Chen serving as the first CEO. The NBA has had great success in developing strategic partnerships in China. Over 290 games are broadcasted on Chinese TV per year, and NBA-related content can be readily found online on Chinese websites. However, NBA China has thus far generated little revenue directly from its end consumers, especially with its digital offerings. In reviewing its target market, we find that the NBA is in direct competition with other online entertainment products for the time and money spent by this market. Popular online entertainment options for China youths share the following traits: simple to learn and use, ability to interact with other users, a high (and almost addicting) replay value, and contain many customizable features for its users. Based on these ideas, it is suggested that NBA China pursue the development of a brand new web portal combining the components of gaming, social networking, and video streaming, which currently all exist as separate components. Using a concept based on an old video game idea, the web portal will aim to move consumers down the marketing funnel, eventually expanding the fan base and leading to end-user generated revenue. The cliche of the China market is well known to everyone by now. With its population of 1. 3 billion steadily increasing its purchasing power, China has become the focal point of just about every multinational company. Despite its potential, many multinational corporations’ attempt in entering the China market ends in failure, with millions of dollars of investment vanishing without producing any returns. The National Basketball Association is one of the rare success stories in China. Since opening its first office in Hong Kong in 1992, the NBA’s Greater China operation has grown to four offices with over 100 employees, generating over USD$150 million in annual sales. According to a survey, nearly 90% of Chinese people aged 15-54 in 11 urban markets had some awareness of the brand. 1 Despite this initial success, there remain many opportunities for growth in this market, especially in the digital sector. Facing increasing pressure from competition wishing to emulate its success and from shareholders seeking greater returns from the market, the NBA must look for new ways to build on its success in China. Company Background The National Basketball Association, founded in 1946, is a global sports and entertainment brand that features 30 teams in the United States and Canada. It is currently the third largest sports league in North America, with an estimated league revenue of $3. 2 billion for the 2008-09 season. Looking to expand the association’s presence outside of North America, the NBA occasionally hosts exhibition games around the world. 1 The NBA first made its presence in China in 1979, when the Samantha Marshall, â€Å"NBA’s China Strategy a Slam Dunk,† Crain’s New York Business. com, May 29, 2008. 2 Source: Plunkett Research, Ltd Washington Bullets traveled to China to play two exhibition games against the Chinese National Team. Seeing the potential for the Greater China market, the NBA sent its first Asia-based employee to Hong Kong in 1990. The association’s operations in China have grown substantial since, leading up to the formation of NBA China in 2008. As a subsidiary of the association, NBA China is responsible for conducting all of the league’s business in Greater China. While the NBA remains as the majority shareholder of the new entity, 5 other strategic partners invested $253 million to acquire 11% of the company in preferred equity. The 5 partners are ESPN (a division of Walt Disney), Bank of China Group Investment, Legend Holdings Ltd. Li Ka Shing Foundation, and China Merchants Investment. 4 Timothy Chen, former CEO of Microsoft China, was appointed as the new entity’s first CEO. NBA’s Digital Strategy in China Since Yao Ming’s entry into the league, NBA coverage has grown substantially along all lines of Chinese media. The country’s national television network, CCTV, has Each season, the CCTV established a long-term partnership with the association. sports channel televises over 90 regular season games, including the NBA All-Star Game, NBA Playoff games and The Finals. In addition to CCTV, the NBA is also covered by 50 other broadcasters around China, covering all but 2 provinces in the country. In total, about 290 NBA games are broadcasted on TV in China each year. 5 3 Pete Thamal, â€Å"The NBA and China Are Fans of Each Other,† New York Times, August 9, 2008. Source: nba. com 5 Source: hket. com 4 The NBA has also been able to capitalize on the rapidly increasing population of internet users in China. The association has partnered with Tom. com to revamp its localized websites in Greater China (Mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan). Among the new features, the sites will include online webcasts allowing viewers to watch live games and Chinese-language talk shows daily, and provide gaming and fantasy basketball options and networking capabilities. 6 Moving towards high definition media, the NBA has recently signed a strategic cooperation agreement to allow BesTV, Shanghai Media Group's (SMG) Internet Protocol TV (IPTV) subsidiary, to offer pay-perview broadcasts of up to 14 high-definition NBA games daily over a four-year period. 7 Through a partnership with KongZhong Corporation, the NBA has also launched a China WAP site in 2007. The site will allow mobile users to access a broad range of content options including news, scores, editorial content, player interviews, TV schedules, wallpapers, ring tones, video clips and live NBA games. The NBA hopes to generate revenue from the site through offering advertising options to corporations and premium downloadable content to end-users. 8 The NBA’s media blitz in China appears to have produced great results. Currently, more than 30% of nba. com traffic comes from China, and this number can be expected to increase over the years. NBA† was ranked 7th in the hottest search keywords in 2008 for Baidu, China’s leading search engine. Similarly, â€Å"NBA† was ranked 10th for Google China’s most popular search words. Other than the NBA, only Xunlei and QQ, 6 7 Anita Davis, NBA Inks Tom. com Online Deal, CEI, August 20, 2008 st Source: 21 Century Business Herald 8 Source: nba. com two of China’s largest web portals, appear in the top 10 of both those lists. However, it is unknown how effective this web traffic has been in generating actual revenue for NBA China. Market Overview In 2008, China overtook America as the country with the largest number of internet users. As of the second quarter of 2009, the country now has over 330 million users, with a growth rate of over 50% annually (see exhibit A). The demographic groups growing comparatively faster than this average are people living in rural areas (with over 100% annual growth), young â€Å"netizens† aged 18 and under, and adults aged 30 and up. Exhibit B shows a breakdown of the age demography of internet users in China. There are also an increasing number of users accessing the internet through mobile devices. Currently, over 29% of internet users use mobile phones to get online, with a growth rate far exceeding that of laptop users. 9 The high growth rate indicates that more and more of the country’s 600 million mobile-phone subscribers now own mobile devices capable of accessing internet information. With next generation mobile technologies such as the iPhone and Google Android yet to reach the mass market in China, there remains great potential for significant growth in this market for years to come. The Meek Shall Inherit the Web, Economist, September 6, 2008 Exhibit A 100 million Total Internet users in China: 2005-2009 3. 5 3 2. 5 2 1. 5 1 0. 5 0 1. 23 1. 03 1. 62 2. 50 3. 38 Total Internet Users 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 Exhibit B Age structure of Internet users in China Source: Statistical Survey Report on the Internet Development in China, CNNIC, January 2008 Competition Many sports a nd entertainment companies have tried to emulate the NBA’s success in China and have invested heavily in its digital marketing efforts. The National Football League has launched a Chinese website (nflchina. com) providing up-to-date news and score, discussion boards and mini-games. Manchester United, the richest sports club in the world, also has an all-Chinese website with online media and shopping to capture on its Chinese fan base. But as the earlier search rankings would suggest, the NBA is by far the leading sports entertainment company in China. Leading infotainment web portals such as sina. com and sohu. com have pages dedicated to the NBA linked from their front page. Already in a dominant position in the sports entertainment sector in China, the NBA should perhaps look at its competitive landscape from another perspective. At present, the NBA generates the majority of its revenue in China through broadcast rights, branding partnerships and ad sales through its media channels. However, it has thus far been able to generate relatively little income from its actual fan base with its digital content. In comparison, end-user Internet Value Added Services (IVAS) made up for the majority of the revenue for Tencent Holdings Ltd. another digital media partner of NBA China. Tencent Holdings Ltd. is the largest and most used internet service portal in China. The company’s strategic goal is to provide users with a â€Å"one-stop online life service†10 While its product offerings are similar to that of MSN Messenger, Facebook, World of Warcraft, 10 Source: tencent. com and other leading instant messaging, social networking, and online gaming com panies, Tencent is unique in its ability to generate revenue directly from the end users of its products. Most of Tencent’s products are interconnected through its QQ Network, ncouraging its free users to upgrade in order to access its value-added services such as ringtone downloading, SMS sending/receiving, and online gaming. QQ Coin was later introduced to allow users greater ease in making purchases in the â€Å"virtual world†, and incentivizing video gamers with rewards for performance. With a retail value of 1 yuan (about 14 cents) per coin, users are able to use the coins to purchase â€Å"virtual goods† such as avatars, virtual gifts for friends, and even items for use in games. Due to its ease of use and low denomination in value, the QQ Coin took off with the company’s young user base. It is estimated that nearly $2 billion in virtual currency was traded in 2008, even leading the Chinese government to implement restrictions to the trade. 11 Exhibit C Tencent Holdings Ltd. Quarterly Revenue by Sector Source: Tencent Holdings Ltd. Investor Fact Sheet 11 David Barboza, In China, New Limits of Virtual Currency, New York Times, June 30, 2009 Strategic Analysis While NBA China has succeeded in building brand awareness with its target demographic market, its digital strategy has thus far only focused on only the active fan base of this market. Its licensed product with Tencent and EA Sports, NBA Street Online, targets only the segment of gamers who are passionate about NBA basketball. Likewise, services on the NBA China website such as video games and news updates are mainly targeted to already converted basketball fans. A recently initiative called NBAiD was launched exclusively for the NBA China website. Looking to capitalize on the growing popularity of social networking and blogging, NBAiD acts as a personal page for NBA fans, allowing fans to connect with one another and express opinions through blogs. However, at this point, the product itself has very little added value for active or casual fans. Segmenting user categories using the concept of the marketing funnel, we see that NBA China has succeeded in both capturing awareness in the mass market and driving loyalty from its core fan base through its digital strategy, but have done little to drive â€Å"aware† consumers down the funnel (see Exhibit D). There remains great potential for the NBA to generate greater interest and desire for its product through a revision of its digital strategy. Exhibit D The Marketing Funnel Applied to NBA China Target Market Awareness Casual internet users who are aware of the NBA brand, but have no intent to spend money on its products Internet users who are interested in learning more about the NBA, and look to utilize free products and services made available to them Interest Desire Internet users who are attracted by the entertainment value of the NBA and may take action upon receiving an attractive offer Action Individuals who are engaged to the NBA and are most likely to purchase new products and services offered to them Repeat Purchases The digital age has changed the landscape of sports marketing. Martin Sorell, chief executive of WPP, recently advised the International Committee on the importance of meeting the needs of the new generation of young and tech-savvy consumers: There are 1. 6 billion people online today and 4 billion mobile phones. The key audience with whom these digital opportunities resonate is of course young people. They are a valuable and massive audience. Globally they impact over $600 billion in consumer spending. The young people take their media habits with them, so if you are ot part of their habit now – you most definitely will not be in the future. Let the children play. You have to let them play with your content, your assets in their own way. 12 12 Karolos Grohmann, Don’t Restrict Games Media Access, Sorrell urges IOC, Reuters, October 5, 2009 While referring to a different context, Sorrell’s remarks can also be addressed to NBA China’s current situation. Ther e is indeed a huge market of internet and mobile users, and the majority of them belong to the young demographic group that NBA China is targeting. The media habits of youths in China also differ greatly than that of the United States (see Exhibit E for comparison). On average, Chinese youths spend about 18 hours on the internet a week, compared to 12 hours in the US. 13 Social networking sites such as renren. com and kaixin001. com, streaming video sites such as youku. com and todou. com, and online games make up for the majority of these hours spent online. NBA China should now look to capture a bigger share of the â€Å"entertainment hours† spent by youths online. To accomplish this, NBA China must understand and tap into the media habits of these users, as Sorrell suggests. Exhibit E Comparison of Internet Activities Used by US and China Internet Users Source: China Internet Network Information Center & Pew Research Center 13 Shaun Rein, Blogging Down in China, BusinessWeek, July 27, 2006 Popular online entertainment options for China youths share the following traits: simple to learn and use, ability to interact with other users, a high (and almost addicting) replay value, and contain many customizable features for its users. One such example is the recent phenomenon of the Happy Farm game (see Exhibit F for screenshots). The concept of the game is not a breakthrough in any way: In the game, players act as owners of a farm, and are responsible for cultivating, irrigating, fertilizing, spraying, harvesting and selling crops. Each action will add points to the player’s level. However, a player can not only take action on his own farm, but also on his friends’ farms. Thus, people can either help their friends manage their farms, or steal crops from other players. The accumulation of all these actions will eventually help the players get bigger farms. Made available for users in social networking sites such as kaixin001. com and renren. com, the success of the simple game has been phenomenal, with reportedly 23 million users now playing the game. 14 Tencent has since created its own version of the farming game, and is expected to generate RMB50 million (USD $7 million) from the game each month. 15 Exhibit F Screenshots of â€Å"Happy Farm† Game 14 15 Source: duowan. com Source: tradingmarkets. com Recommendation Currently, the NBA China already has components of gaming, social networking, and video streaming. The idea is to combine all these components into one entertainment web portal targeted to youths that will drive interest and desire, leading to generation of revenue from end users. In 2005-06, video game developer 2K Sports added a new feature to its yearly NBA and NFL games called â€Å"The Crib†. The feature awards players as they accomplish feats and milestones within the game. With crib credits, players are then able to decorate their crib (slang for home), buy music, or play mini-games (see Exhibit G for screenshots of Cribs). While this feature was innovative in adding replay value to the game, its customizable options were limited and the feature was eventually removed in future renditions of the sports games. However, such a concept may be much better utilized in an online environment where crib owners can interact in real time, new videos and games are readily accessible, and virtual items are plenty to satisfy the customization appetite of its users. Exhibit F Screenshots of â€Å"The Crib† from video game NFL 2K5 Source: ign. com The possibilities stemming from such an idea are endless. Having already an established network of corporate partners, â€Å"The NBA Crib† can serve as a media channel for product placement. Already showing an appetite for spend virtual dollars, users in return can earn or buy credits to purchase branded virtual products for their cribs (ie. a Coca Cola machine) or even themselves (ie. the latest basketball shoes from Adidas). Other uses for crib credits can include purchasing coupons for use at the online NBA store and video clips and music exclusive to the NBA. Most importantly, interaction between crib owners should be encouraged through games within the crib system. Basketball-themed games can take place within the assigned neighborhoods of owners, and friends can â€Å"visit† each other’s crib with their custom avatar. With the right combination of attractive gaming options, customizable features, and interactive capabilities, this concept will substantially increase the interaction between the NBA and its fans, and eventually lead to a sustainable model for generating revenue from its target market of Chinese youths. NBA China has successfully developed a unique and dominant position in the sports entertainment sector in China. However, the NBA can not simply rely on its popularity and brand recognition to succeed. With Yao Ming injured this season, there are worries that NBA viewership rates in China will significantly drop this coming season. It is therefore crucial for NBA China to connect with its target market and provide supportive product offerings to satisfy their entertainment needs. In this market of technologydriven consumers, NBA China must strive to not only become the leader in sports entertainment in China, but also a leader in digital entertainment.