Case studies x 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Case studies x 2 - Essay Example The team leader should not waste much time once he realized the diversity of his team vis-Ã  -vis the group task and must make efforts to reinforce the idea of collective achievement and mutual respect. The most important task is to motivate the unmotivated and who better to do this than the thinkers? They should be used to interact with the former subgroup to listen to their views, and check if there are any systemic defects or issues that need to be resolved. These interactions give the tutees opportunities to ask questions and for the tutors to be surprised by the elements of human attitude that govern group functioning and motivation. This two-way learning process helps the group cohesion and builds a sense of belonging. In a similar manner, the team leader has to publicly acknowledge the creativity and the hard work of individuals, and explain the gains that everyone in the team would enjoy as a result of the team effort, monetary or otherwise. The role of a CEO is judged by the touchstone of a healthy growth of his organization and keeping the stakeholders happy. In order to realize his objectives, he creates his teams and treats each individual on the merits of his/her contribution to the organization in achieving the short/medium/long term goals. One of the important aspects of performance is team spirit that overcomes short term individual grouses. Comparison and discontent are universal in organizations. They are to be handled in such a way that the solution neither creates more discontent nor demoralizes. In the present case, Jim has an impeccable track record of performance. His ability to develop contacts and build networks is of considerable value to the company and at the same time, points to the respect he commands in the market. He is thus a key resource that directly generates revenues for the

Origins Of The British East India Company History Essay

Origins Of The British East India Company History Essay The British East India Company was most likely a successful period in the British domains history. It was responsible for the invasion of the Indian subcontinent, which turned out to be the empires leading supplier of profits, beside Malaya. The Company was responsible for the overthrow of Hong Kong and other immediate Asian countries; it was liable for creating Britains Asian empire. It began as a joint-stock company of traders and investors which was granted a Royal charter by Queen Elizabeth 1 to trade with the East. The original name of the corporation when it was first formed was Governor and Company of Merchants of London Trading into the East Indies (Landow). They joined together to generate money importing spices from South Asia. James Lancaster was in charge of the 1st company voyage in 1601 that sailed around the coast of South Africa and across the Indian Ocean, arriving back in London in 1603 with ships filled with pepper. In the 1600s, pepper was the most significant part of the British East India Companys commerce. The group established its first Asian factory in Bantam and it was here that the English were able to expand into other parts of Asia (The [British East India] Company Story). Market at Bantam was multicultural because of other merchants from Arab, Turkey, Iran, and China trading products from their own nations. The Company had woolen cloth and silver, but Asian traders favored Indian textiles which were good quality; therefore, it had to uncover ways to attain fabrics from India. In 1611, after failed attempt to enter into agreement with Mughal Emperor, Jahangir, the British East India Company enquired King James 1 to send a representative. The ambassador was to negotiate with the Mughal Emperor to allow the company to establish a factory in his region. The Mughal territory included northern and central India and it was rich in merchandises that would profit the Company. Final agreements were reached in 1615 that allowed the corporation to start a base. It sent Indian textiles to the market at Bantam [from Surat] (The [British East India] Company Story). This led the group to become the major trading business over the French, Dutch, and Portuguese trading companies in the Indian subcontinent. India had great proficient dyers and weavers that created cloth that went in demand throughout Asia and England. The Company by 1690 had trading centers (known as factories) all along the West and East of India (The [British East India] Company Story). For instance, major bases were located at Calcutta and Bombay. London was also an essential trading base where goods were imported, exported and transferred from one country to another. The British East India Company was allowed by the Chinese to trade at Canton in 1699. The Company purchased products like tea and silk from China, in return of silver. England began to worry that too much silver was being used to pay for the tea; as a result, the British East India Company started to grow Opium in India to pay to the Chinese. By 1750, Indian silks, cottons and calicoes formed 60 percent of the Company (The [British East India] Company Story). Throughout this time, the Mughal Empire was subsiding. Provincial states began to emerge and they were controlled by local leaders who in conflict with each other. British East India Company became active in power and politics; it started to expand territories. Thus, using the divide and rule tactic. The Companys challenges with foreign rivals led it to build military and administrative departments, thereby becoming an imperial power in its own right (Landow). When Nawab of Bengal took the settlement at Calcutta in 1757, the British East India Company recaptured the colony at the Battle of Plassey and it took charge of the whole Bengal. According to the British Library, the Company assumed the Diwan of Bengal. A business which was established for the purpose of trade, was now responsible for the civil, judicial, and revenue administration of Indias richest province, with some 20 million inhabitants (The [British East India] Company Story). As the British East India Company became wealthy from land taxes and profits of trade, more Indians experienced famines and died. Many individuals were dispossessed of their land, andlocal industries [crippled] (The [British East India] Company Story). This resulted in reduced labor and decrease in profits. The managers of the company tried to prevent liquidation by begging Parliament for financial help. Since the French and Indian War was expensive for the British, King George 111 wanted to tax and regain control over the American colonies. The King together with his government made up a strategy to give the struggling East India Company a monopoly on the importation of tea to America (The Boston Tea Party, 1773). This led to the passing of the Tea Act of 1773. It gave the Company sovereignty in controlling trade in America. The American colonists after hearing of the tax, they argued that even though the price had gone down, the king had no right to levy without cause. Reduced tea price decrease the profits of the local merchants. It triggered the Boston Tea Party of 1773. The British administration became concerned about the companys capability to regulate its regions. According to the British Library, in 1783, the government decided to make Calcutta the center [rule] under a new Governor-General. Warren Hastings was the first to be appointed to the position. Authority was now falling into the hands of the British government. The British East India Companys trade was limited to China by 1813. However, it was abolished in 1833. The company struggled to survive until there was a rebellion in Bengal by the Indian troops which worked for the company in 1857. The Indian troops were also known as the Sepoys. It finally went out of existence in 1873 (Landow). In the course of its reign, the British East India Company created trade across the Middle East and Asia. It regulated its own regions and played a role in influencing the American Revolution. The companys products were the source of the Boston Tea Party in colonial America.

Essay --

Vigilantism is deeply rooted in American tradition (Brown, 1975). Arising in response to an absence of law and order in early frontier regions, and a concern with self-protection and self-preservation, vigilantes were seen as valued members of society. One of the primary reasons for the value of vigilantes is that their jurisdiction began where the law ended (Burrows, 1976; Perry & Pugh, 1989). Moreover, vigilantes partook in behaviors that legal authorities would not, could not, and should not perform (Brown, 1975). Incidents of vigilantism are not isolated to the American frontier, though. Reports of vigilantism have emerged in countries such as the United Kingdom (Evans, 2003; Sharp, Atherton, & Williams, 2008), Kosovo (Wheeler, 2000), Nigeria (McCall, 2004), Indonesia (Barker, 2006), Israel (Yanay, 1993), and Ghana (Adinkrah, 2005). These reports often conjure up mixed beliefs. Some society members and organizations publicly chastise vigilantes (Hine, 1998; McCall, 2004; Perry & Pugh, 1989), while others publicly herald them as heroes (Perry & Pugh, 1989). Lawyers, judges, and citizens have seen vigilantes as necessary components in the framework of America (Brown, 1975) and several movies have idolized real (e.g., Issakaba series) and fictional vigilantes (e.g., Death Wish and Vigilante). Pundits and intellectuals have also defended real-life vigilantes (i.e., the Bakassi Boys) accused of torture, rape, and arbitrary imprisonment. Interestingly, individuals view behaviors such as rape and t orture as deplorable when enacted in everyday situations; however, when vigilantes behave in such a way, their actions are not viewed as negatively (Ekeh, 2002; McCall, 2004). Although the general concept of a vigilante is somewhat clear... ...g victims using the mechanism of dehumanization. Dehumanization removes human qualities and/or attributes from individuals by stripping them of thoughts and feelings. For example, during Vietnam, soldiers referred to the enemy as â€Å"gooks† rather than Vietnamese citizens (Kaiser, 1969). After removing the moniker of humanness, deplorable actions are more acceptable. If removing human qualities is not successful though, individuals might also ascribe demonic or bestial qualities to their victims (Bandura, 2002). Attribution of Blame Individuals might also derogate victims by using the attribution of blame mechanism of moral disengagement. Attribution of blame portrays the aggressor as a faultless victim driven to harmful conduct through forced action (Bandura, 2002). For example, some rapists suggest that the victim was â€Å"asking for it† by the way she dressed or acted.

The Business Activities Study

This case study is related to the business activities of a hedge fund which performs a macro investment strategy. Its investment manager Troy Dexter seeks for profits which arise from shifts in the real economy. As he considers an end of the Australian housing market boom as likely, he anticipates that Australia's overall economic growth will slow down, whereas the prices for energy will go up. In reaction to those expectations he decides to purchase treasury bonds and stocks of energy companies Against this background Case Study 1 is aimed at classifying Troy Dexter's two investment decisions as either direct or indirect investments. Such a classification provides different results depending on the party from whose perspective it is assessed. Thus, it is the purpose of the following section of this work to distinguish between the terms direct and indirect investment based on the corresponding point of view using practical illustrations whenever possible. This is to be done after clarifying key terms associated therewith first. Term definition A hedge fund is an alternative investment vehicle which excessively uses financial instruments such as derivatives and leverage and in which an aggressive management strategy is usually applied (Fung & Hsieh, 2004). As Capocci and Hà ¼bner (2004) state, a hedge fund's major purpose is to generate active return (called alpha) for its typically wealthy investor base. As hedge funds are less exposed to capital market regulation than other fund types, they are able to generate – on average – higher returns, but associated with higher levels of risk as well (Lederman, 2012). Troy's decision to purchase energy stocks is related to his expectation of rising oil prices. Given his expectation turns out to be correct, the share price of oil producing companies will increase. The term â€Å"energy stock market†, however, comprises not only oil producing companies, but all other kinds of energy producing firms, as well as energy infrastructure and energy service providers, too (Henriques & Sadorsky, 2008). As Henriques and Sadorsky (2008) note, a rise in the oil price will not only increase the share price of oil and gas producers, but also the market value of those firms which offer substitutes (e.g. solar and wind energy) will increase. This holds as their products become more competitive in such an environment and their turnover is likely to increase. Stockholders who have purchased such stocks directly for their own stock portfolio before a rise in the oil price has taken place, will profit. Their profits, on the one hand, consist of the 4 chance to sell those shares at a higher price at the stock market and, on the other hand, of (increased) dividend payments (Bodie, 2013). Treasury bonds purchased in the debt market are usually characterized by less risk than any kind of stock market investment (Sharpe et al., 1999). Given Troy's expectation about the future economic environment of Australia, his decision to purchase such long-term fixed interest debt instruments is reasonable. This holds as they are issued by the Australian government which is very unlikely to default (Chaudhuri ; Smiles, 2004). On the contrary, as the Australian government has several tools at hand which allows it to make interest payments as promised (e.g. increase taxes), a treasury bond is considered as one of the safest investment forms available in the market (Hull et al., 2005). Investors who have decided to hold treasury bonds in their stock portfolio (direct security investment) can expect a fixed interest on their investment. The historic development of the Australian 10-year treasury bond is illustrated below.   Source: Reserve Bank of Australia, 2017. From this graph it can be derived that the long term trend of Australian treasury bonds is downward sloping. Starting from a level of more than 10.0% in 1995, the interest rate went down to about 3.0% in 2013. Interest rates in the short run are stagnating on a relatively low level of about 3.0%. Based on the fact that Troy Dexter has founded the hedge fund in 2009, it can be stated that his decision was right in the short run: Interest rates, indeed, went up from 4.0% to 6.0% between January 2009 and January 2010. However, it has to be noted that in the subsequent years his expectation turned out to be incorrect: Starting from January 2011, interest rates on the Australian 10-year treasury bond went down to about 3.0% in January 2013. This implies for Troy Dexter as the fund manager that his hedge fund may have generated losses from 2011 onwards as the interest rate of Australian treasury bonds have lacked his expectations. The figure adds value to the topic of this work as it illustrates that the fund manager's decision to invest in treasury bonds could not have been a smart decision in the long run: Fund investors are indirectly suffering from this decision as they have decided to provide Troy Dexter with parts of their funds which are now invested in a non-optimal security. 1. Direct vs. indirect securities – Northwest Capital Management perspective In order to classify Northwest Capital Management's investments in treasury bonds and energy stocks from the firm's perspective, one has to understand the business concept of capital management firms first. Firms such as Troy Dexter's hedge fund business aim at professionally managing private investor's funds. They do so by investing customers' money in a broad range of asset classes, restricted by particular investment goals (Fung ; Hsieh, 2001). However, as Brav et al. (2010) notice, the service such firms provide is not just related to the optimum asset allocation, but financial statement analysis as well as the monitoring of existing investments plays an important role, too. Hedge funds – in contrast to more conservative capital management firms – invest a relatively high percentage of its assets in risky asset classes such as the stock market of even emerging market economies (Jansen et al., 1998). The portfolio composition of an exemplary hedge fund is illustrated in the graph below. Source: Blair, 2001. The figure above already reveals that it is the hedge fund manager Troy Dexter who is responsible for the investment decisions of his fund and who chooses between the above asset classes (asset allocation). It is important to understand that the private investor is not involved in the daily investment process of the hedge fund, but hands over any responsibility for the invested amount of money to Troy Dexter. 0.50% 0.50% 31% 19% 15% 14% 7% 6% 3% 2% 2% Strategy composition of a hedge fund Short selling Other Equity long/short Macro Relative value arbitrage Event driven Fixed income Convertible arbitrage Distressed securities/high yield Equity markets neutral Emerging markets 6 Derived from this line of reasoning it can be stated that Troy Dexter's intended purchase of treasury bonds and energy stocks can be considered as a direct securities investment from the firm's point of view. This holds, because there is no third party involved in Troy's securities acquisition process (Bodie, 2013). In contrast, it is likely to be assumed that Troy himself owns a trading platform which he can use to exercise any stock market transactions personally and immediately. Even if Troy does not own such a trading platform, the consultation of a stock broker can still be considered as a direct securities investment from Northwest Capital Management's point of view. This holds because a stock broker can simply be considered as an entity which executes buy and sell orders on behalf of someone else for a particular fee or commission (Pollock et al., 2004). As Pollock et al. (2014) note, brokers are not allowed to alter the order, but execute the transaction only. 2. Direct vs. indirect securities – Investor perspective Taking the viewpoint of an investor in Troy Dexter's hedge fund, Troy's investment decisions can clearly be considered as indirect investments. As stated above, the fund manager decides about the allocation across available asset classes. The investor knows about the financial risks tied to Troy's investment decisions from the prospectus and may have expectations about a desired return, but cannot alter Troy's daily sell and buy orders. However, this would be a vitally important characteristic of a direct securities investment. As soon as customers have decided to invest in the fund, they have to sign a declaration of consent in which they transfer the responsibility for managing their funds to the portfolio management team (in our case to Troy Dexter) (Philpot ; Jonson, 2007). Not the investors themselves engage a broker who carries out financial market transactions, but Troy Dexter does that on behalf of them using his financial market knowledge. In this context it is important to note that – although restrictions are less strict in a hedge fund – fund managers have to stick to the proposed fund objective and are not allowed to invest in anything which is not related to the praised goal of the fund, although it may be a lucrative investment (Philpot ; Jonson, 2007). This assignment of any kind of right to alter the investment decision related to maximizing investors' own monetary wealth underpins the indirect nature of a fund investment from an investor's point of view. The incentives for customers of Northwest Capital Management to provide Troy Dexter with the rights to manage their savings on behalf of them (indirect investment) is related to Troy Dexter's expertise about financial markets (Capon et al., 1996). Additionally, as Capon et al. (1996) state, the pooling of large amounts of money in the hedge fund provides customers with a lot more market power than they would have when investing on their own. This shows that although private investors cannot actively decide about each investment decision on their own, the indirect securities investment through Troy Dexter's Northwest Capital Management is utterly worthwhile for its investor base. It can be summarized that investing in a hedge fund implies no direct securities investment from the private investors' perspective. This is compounded by the fact that private investors of a hedge fund do not own any securities themselves (Droms & Walker, 1996). Instead, those securities are entirely controlled by the fund managers who either own a trading platform themselves or contact brokers to carry out deals which are likely to benefit the fund's investor base. Shareholders are not able to access the fund's existing investments on a daily basis, but have to rely on the fund managers' expertise (Droms ; Walker, 1996). This trust, however, may be the basis for higher returns compared to investing individually on any kind of capital market. 7 Furthermore, the indirect securities investment from the investor's point of view implies that each single investor gains or loses proportionally to his or her investment in Troy Dexter's hedge fund. This fact stands in sharp contrast to a direct securities investment in which an investor is on his own and has a claim on any gains and losses related to this investment (Bodie, 2013). Instead of having the chance to convert profits right away in a direct securities investment, an indirect investment via a fund prohibits an investor from this right and makes him dependent on the decisions of the fund manager. Recommendations: A common way of how to classify securities is to divide them into either direct or indirect securities. In this context it is of particular importance to distinguish between either an investment manager's or a private investor's perspective (Davis, 2004). Conclusion: The statements above have shown that the classification of any kind of investment as being either direct or indirect depends on the party from whose perspective such a classification is made. In the case of a hedge fund one can categorize an investment as an indirect one from the investor perspective and as a direct one from the fund manager's perspective. This holds as it is not the investor who makes any kind of investment decision, but the fund manager on his behalf. The investor puts trust in the fund manager's capital market expertise when deciding to invest in a fund and – at the same time – cedes any kind of rights to alter the fund manager's perspective on the future development of the capital market. In contrast, the fund manager, on a daily basis, has to directly â€Å"step† in the capital market and has to sell or buy certain types of investments. References Blair, F. (2001): Managing the equity portfolio: South-Western College Publishing. Bodie, Z. (2013): Investments: McGraw-Hill. Brav, A.; Jiang, W.; Kim, H. (2010): Hedge fund activism. A review. In: Foundations and Trends in Finance 4(3), p. 185–246. Capocci, D.; Hà ¼bner, G. (2004): Analysis of hedge fund performance. In: Journal of Empirical Finance 11(1), p. 55–89. Capon, N.; Fitzsimons, G. J.; Prince, R. A. (1996): An individual level analysis of the mutual fund investment decision. In: Journal of Financial Services Research 10(1), p. 59–82. Chaudhuri, K.; Smiles, S. (2004): Stock market and aggregate economic activity. Evidence from Australia. In: Applied Financial Economics 14(2), p. 121–129. 8 Cristodoulou, A. (2016): The internal rate of return problems and manners of solution. In: Prospettive e Proposte Mediterranee-Rivista di Economia, Agricoltura e Ambiente. Online available at http://www.iamb.it/share/img_new_medit_articoli/802_32cristodoulou.pdf. Davis, E. P. (2004): Institutional investors. In: MIT press. Droms, W. G.; Walker, D. A. (1996): Mutual fund investment performance. In: The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance 36(3), p. 347–363. Fung, W.; Hsieh, D. A. (2001): The risk in hedge fund strategies. Theory and evidence from trend followers. In: Review of Financial Studies 14(2), p. 313–341. Fung, W.; Hsieh, D. A. (2004): Hedge fund benchmarks. A risk-based approach. In: Financial Analysts Journal 60(5), p. 65–80. Hasan M. (2013): Capital budgeting Techniques used by small manufacturing companies. In: Journal of Service Science and Management. Henriques, I.; Sadorsky, P. (2008): Oil prices and the stock prices of alternative energy companies. In: Energy Economics 30(3), p. 998–1010. Hull, J. C.; Preduescu, M.; White, A. (2005): Bond prices, default probabilities and risk premiums. In: Working paper. Jansen, A.; Mathieson, M. D. J.; Eichengreen, M. B. J.; Kodres, M. L. E.; Chadha, M. B.; Sharma, M. S. (1998): Hedge funds and financial market dynamics 166. Jung, K.; Yong-Cheol, K.; Stulz, R. M. (1996): Timing, investment opportunities, managerial discretion, and the security issue decision. In: Journal of Financial Economics 42(2), p. 159-186. Layton, A., Robinson, T., & Tucker, I. (2015): Economics for today (5th ed.). Thomson, South Melbourne, Australia. Lederman, S. J. (2012): Hedge fund regulation. Philpot, J.; Jonson, D. T. (2007): Mutual fund performance and fund prospectus clarity. In: Journal of Financial Services Marketing 11(3), p. 211–216. Pollock, T. G.; Porac, J. F.; Wade, J. B. (2004): Constructing deal networks. Brokers as network architects in the US IPO market and other examples. In: Academy of Management Review 29(1), p. 50–72. Reserve Bank of Australia (2017). Online available at http://www.rba.gov.au/statistics/historicaldata.html. Rudolph, S. (2008): Net Present Value Rule in comparison to the payback and internal rate of return methods. In: Working Paper. Sharpe, W. F.; Alexander, G. J.; Bailey, J. V. (1999): Investments: Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall 6. Titman, Sheridan (2015): Financial Management. Principles and Applications. (7th ed.). Frenchs Forest, NSW: Pearson.

Analysis of “The School of Athens” by Raphael Essay

Raphael, the youngest of the three great artists who defined the Italian High Renaissance, was born in the small yet artistically significant Central Italian city of Urbino. It seems that Raphael attained his natural gift of creativity from his father who was a poet and a painter. Orphaned at an early age, Raphael was sent to be an apprentice to the distinguished painter Perugino, and by the tender age of twenty-one had flourished into an impeccable artist with talent surpassing that of his mentor. Over the course of the next four years, Raphael lived and worked in Florence alongside Leonardo DaVinci and Michelangelo. Raphael could not escape the imminent influence of these two legendary artists. By 1508, Raphael’s reputation had already been established and at the age of twenty-five he was summoned by Pope Julius II to decorate the walls of the papal apartments in the Vatican Palace, which happened to be just steps away from where Michelangelo’s Sistine Ceiling was in progress. This commission allowed for the creation of the world-renowned fresco titled, The School of Athens. This work is revered as one of Raphael’s greatest achievements and possibly the greatest achievement of the High Renaissance period. This commission would bring Raphael deserved recognition and notoriety and ultimately led to him becoming the leading painter in all of Rome. The School of Athens is a painting of world-renowned stature because of its impeccable harmony, which was characteristic of Raphael’s work. In order to understand the influence of this piece one must recognize Raphael’s overall achievement here: he successfully created a scene of nearly sixty figures, each individual and alive, that yet combines in a design that is harmonious, clear, and befitting the classic importance and dignity of its subject. Harmony is created in part by the use of contrasting elements. Most obvious of these elements would be the differing philosophical ideas of the two principal characters, Plato and Aristotle. Plato is shown pointing upward suggesting his emphasis on the existence of a spiritual realm beyond the physical world. The gesture is a reference to, â€Å"Plato’s interest in the world of ideas, a meta-world that exists beyond our comprehension of reality† (Crenshaw 126). On the other hand, Aristotle gestures his hand downward stressing his belief that the physical world is the basis of all knowledge and understanding. Plato carries the Timaeus, one of his dialogues that explains his belief in the reality of a world of ideal forms which exists beyond the material universe. Aristotle is shown holding his famous Niomachian Ethics that illustrates his belief that knowledge is only gained through empirical observation and experience of the material world. The two figures are further differentiated by their sense of movement and their age. Plato appears to be an older gentleman who seems to be moving with an air of patience and grace while Aristotle is a younger man who se ems to be moving forward with a greater sense of urgency and energy. The picture is then divided neatly in half, the idealists or â€Å"thinkers who concerned themselves with ideas and abstract concepts† (Crenshaw 126) are on the left side with Plato. To the left of Plato in a dark green robe, Socrates can be seen engaging in an argument amongst a circle of his disciples enumerating points on his fingers, â€Å"in a classic visualization of the Socratic argumentation technique† (Crenshaw 126). Socrates was an influential and revolutionary Grecian philosopher whose work was meant to show how argument, debate, and discussion could help man to understand and resolve difficult issues. Although the notion that this figure is indeed Socrates has been widely accepted for generations, a new idea has recently emerged among art historians. These historians speculate that Socrates is actually the figure shown sprawled about on the steps directly in front of Plato and Aristotle. Some interesting theories support their argument. The first point they make states that, â€Å"compared to most of Raphael’s figures who are rather richly dressed, this man, with his simple, bare-shouldered himation, gives the impression of far more modest tastes. He also seems to have come from an earlier era† (Bell 641). These obvious features accurately describe Socrates. Another important point to note would be the placement of this figure. One cannot deny that the figure is in a place of specific significance and attention. Our eye is drawn first to the central figures, Plato and Aristotle, and secondly to the figure lying on the steps in front of them. The new identification of Socrates suggested here, â€Å"places the three most important philosophers in the center of the School of Athens, where they are depicted without any intervening figures between them† (Bell 641). This strategic placement allows for a natural emphasis on the three most influential philosophers of all time. This new identification becomes problematic when one considers the fact that for most of history, this figure on the steps has been identified as Diogenes the Cynic. Diogenes’ philosophy encouraged men to live a life of simplicity and to reje ct all forms of luxury. He sought to expose the falsity of most conventional standards set by society. While Diogenes was a philosopher of significant stature he does not measure up to the over arching influence of the famed Socrates. This figure has been widely accepted as Diogenes because of his apparent demeanor and clothing. The figure is shown in what some refer to as rags, which supports the argument that this character is Diogenes. Another element that supports this man being Diogenes is the way the character interacts with the philosophers around him. He appears to be withdrawn from the rest of the group, which was characteristic of Diogenes, who was considered by most to be an individual who lived on the fringes of society. Although this figure could possibly be Diogenes, I conclude that the new identification suggesting that this figure is actually Socrates proves more convincing. If the figure on the steps is Socrates, where is Diogenes? Some art historians have theorized that Diogenes is the man standing alone under the statue of the God Minerva. No other philosopher appears so unkempt and disheveled, almost shunned by his fellow Athenians. Adding further evidence to this theory, â€Å"it would be appropriate to portray Diogenes as a very old man, dressed in only a simple red-brown cloak, which, according to Laertius, he wore everywhere† (Bell 643). In my opinion, I would argue that this new identification is indeed more valid than the previously accepted version. The fact that not all of these figures have been correctly identified or even identified at all, keep art historians interested in the work. Perhaps Raphael intentionally left the identities of these two figures unexplained to spark the viewer’s curiosity. In the lower left foreground Pythagoras is shown â€Å"illustrating his musical theorem† (Crenshaw 126) to a group of his students. Shown leaning on a block in the foreground is the pre-Socratic philosopher Heraclitus, who claimed that understanding is realized through introspection. Heraclitus seems to be lost in thought and appears to be uninterested in interacting with the other figur es surrounding him. This figure is thought to be a portrait of Michelangelo therefore portraying him as a man of little social capability. Raphael is possibly also contrasting himself to Michelangelo suggesting that Michelangelo is a man of quiet introspection while he is a sociable man who is well liked by all. The realists or Aristotelians are on the right side with Aristotle. Further emphasizing their realist ideals the right side of the painting is shown under the statue of Minerva, the goddess of wisdom and the sense of sight (Crenshaw 126). Shown in the lower left foreground is Euclid, the Greek mathematician, and his four students absorbed in their mathematical demonstration. Euclid is remembered as the â€Å"Father of Geometry†. He also researched and closely observed optics and perspective (Janes 57). Euclid resembles the influential architect Bramante, who was a friend of Raphael. Zoroaster and Ptolemy are shown facing opposite one another directly above Euclid. Zoroaster, a philosopher of ancient Persia, shown here holding a celestial globe is discussing with Ptolemy, the Greek geographer who believed that the earth was the center of the universe, holds a terrestrial globe (Janes 57). Directly above Ptolemy and Zoroaster is a figure standing alone wrapped up in his cloak and his thoughts. This figure is the lawgiver Solon. Tucked into the right corner of the composition is Raphael’s teacher Perugino. By placing Perugino in the composition, Raphael is showing his deep respect for his mentor and thanking him for sharing his knowledge. The figure next to Sodoma is actually a self-portrait of Raphael himself. By placing himself along with other artists in the scene, â€Å"Raphael asserts that art is, in fact, an intellectual enterprise — a form of study and enquiry, n ot merely a manual activity† (Crenshaw 126). It is also no coincidence that Raphael places himself on the Aristotelian side, among philosophers who work from observation. The School of Athens is considered to be one of the most important achievements of the High Renaissance. This work exemplifies the High Renaissance in the graceful movements and gestures of the figures. All the figures appear to be moving and actively interacting with one another. The figures are also very large in scale and fully idealized in form. The fact that this gathering is completely idealized is also characteristic of the High Renaissance. The philosophers come from a wide range of times and places who could not have possibly met or interacted with one another. The composition displays the gathering under an architectural framework that is reminiscent of the Italian Renaissance architect Bramante’s plan for the New St. Peters. During the early 16th century, architecture was inspired by the grandiosity and monumentality of ancient Roman building s such as the Coliseum in Rome. The main architectural element portrayed in the fresco is executed in the classic Doric style, characterized by simplicity and minimalism of decoration. The architectural framework also creates a sense of symmetry and special depth. All of the elements stated above combine to make this work a masterpiece of the High Renaissance. The School of Athens is undoubtedly a work of art that will continue to be viewed as an outstanding achievement of the High Renaissance, and the most impeccable work produced by the famous Raphael. Art historians will continue to research the work and perhaps uncover the philosophers depicted whose identities have yet to be revealed. The legacy of this pià ©ce de rà ©sistance lives on.

Odyssey Book IV - Summary of the Events

Odyssey Book IV - Summary of the Events Odyssey Study Guide Contents Telemachus and Pisistratus arrive at the court of Menelaus and Helen where they are welcomed, bathed, oiled, dressed, and feasted even though the royal couple is making their childrens wedding preparations. After they eat Menelaus hazards a guess that they are the sons of kings. He says that few among mortals have as much wealth as he although he has also lost much, including men; the one whose loss he most laments is Odysseus. He doesnt know whether Odysseus is dead or alive but when he sees how moved Telemachus is, he silently deduces that he is the son Odysseus left in Ithaca as a baby. Helen comes in and voices Menelaus suspicion. More stories bring more tears until Helen doses the wine with a pharmacopeia from magical Egypt. Helen talks about how Odysseus disguised himself to get inside Troy where only Helen recognized him. Helen helped him and said that she regretfully longed to be with the Greeks. Then Menelaus tells about Odysseus work with the wooden horse and how Helen almost undid it all by tempting the men inside to call out to her. Telemachus says its time to sleep, so he and Pisistratus sleep outside in the colonnade while the royal couple goes to their indoor bedroom. At dawn, Menelaus sits beside Telemachus. Menelaus asks why Telemachus came to Lacedaemon. Telemachus tells him about the suitors, which Menelaus says is shameful and Odysseus would do something about if he were there. Menelaus then tells Telemachus what he knows about Odysseus fate, which involves the story of meeting Proteus, the Old Man of the Sea, at Pharos. Proteus daughter, Eidothea, tells Menelaus to take 3 men (whom she covers with sheep skin) and wait until her father has finished counting his seals and fallen asleep. Then Menelaus is to grab Proteus and hold on regardless of whether Proteus becomes a lion, a boar, water, or fire. Only when Proteus stops morphing and starts asking questions should Menelaus let go and ask him how he can get out of Egypt. After gaining the necessary information about sacrifices and doubling back down the Nile, from Proteus, Menelaus inquires about Odysseus and learns he is being held by Calypso. Menelaus asks Telemachus to stay a while so he can gather together gifts. Telemachus says he wants to get going on his quest, but appreciates the gift offers. Theres only one problem, Ithaca is ill-suited to horses, so could he please exchange the kind offer of horses for something else? Menelaus agrees and thinks well of him for asking. Back in Ithaca, the man who lent the ship to Telemachus wants it back and asks the suitors if they know when it will return. This is the first the suitors know that Telemachus is gone. Penelope also hears about it for the first time and is distraught. She questions Eurycleia who dissuades Penelope from notifying old Laertes about his grandsons departure. The suitors plan to ambush and murder Telemachus on his return. They sail out to wait in a cove. Penelope is comforted by a dream phantom of her sister, Iphthime, to reassure her of Telemachus divine protection. Book III Summary|Book V Read a Public Domain translation of Odyssey Book IV. Odyssey Study Guide Contents This book suggests that Helen may have gone willingly to Troy and then later regretted her decision. Menelaus may not have entirely forgiven her. He changes the topic from her helpfulness towards the Greeks in her narrative about Odysseus to the related one of the men inside the horse who are tempted by her voice to call out to her. It is not clear why it matters whether Menelaus makes it back before Orestes does to kill Aegisthus, murderer of Agamemnon. Proteus tells Menelaus that because he is the husband of Helen, who is the daughter of Zeus, he will end up in a good spot in the afterlife, in the Elysian Fields. Telemachus had told his nurse Eurycleia about his plan but hadnt wanted his mother to know for fear she let on too soon. He had good reason as her tearful behavior shows. Had the suitors known any earlier, they might have killed him before he had accomplished anything. Mentor was recognized in the ship in which Telemachus set sail, but he was also seen in town. This doesnt present a problem. It is simply assumed that one, presumably the one with Telemachus, is a god in Mentor-disguise. Telemachus didnt turn down a present but asked if he could have something else instead because the present was unsuitable. I dont think we do that very much today because we are afraid of hurting feelings, but perhaps people today would react as Menelaus did perfectly amenable to replacing it with another. Near the start of the book, the familiar theme of hospitality creeps up. Menelaus is prepping for weddings, but when he hears there are strangers on his shore, he insists that they be properly entertained, and all, of course, before he questions his visitors. Odyssey in English Odyssey Study Guide Contents Telemachus - Son of Odysseus who was left as a baby when Odysseus went off 20 years earlier to fight in the Trojan War. Menelaus - king of Sparta and brother of Agamemnon. When Menelaus married Helen, a promise was extracted from all the rejected suitor-princes that they would come to the aid of Menelaus should anyone try to abduct her. Helen - daughter of Zeus and wife of Menelaus. Paris took her to Troy and the Greeks came to take her back, fighting the Trojan War over her. On her return, she and her husband Menelaus are long delayed in Egypt where Helen learns some of the magical properties of herbs. Pisistratus - Youngest son of Nestor. Younger brother of Trojan War fighters Antilochus and Thrasymedes. Pisistratos accompanies Telemachus on his journey. Proteus - the Old Man of the Sea. He herds seals and can change into any form. Menelaus has to hold onto him no matter what shape he changes into. His daughter is Eidothea, who not only helps Menelaus against her father, but s laughters four seals in order to provide covering for the men. Penelope - the faithful wife of Odysseus who has been keeping the suitors at bay. Iphthime - sister of Penelope, daughter of Lord Icarius and bride of Eumulus. A phantom of her is sent to comfort Penelope. Eurycleia - the old faithful servant who kept Telemachus secret when he left Ithaca and didnt want his mother to let on to the suitors. Antinous - The ringleader suitor who is approached for information about the ship Telemachus borrowed. He gathers together the suitors chosen to ambush and murder Telemachus. Profiles of Some of the Major Olympian Gods Involved in the Trojan War Poseidon Zeus Athena Notes on Book IV

democratic route to modernity essays

democratic route to modernity essays Barrington Moore, Jr. in Chapter seven of his Social Origins of Dictatorship and Democracy, explores among other things, the reason for England and other countries (such as the US and France) taking the democratic route to the modern world; a route which he refers to as the bourgeois revolution. This is relatively different for each country at the inception and at various points in time, but is essentially a combination of parlimentary democracy and capitalism. Whereas in China, Russia, and Germany, preindustrial bureacratic rule has proven unfavorable to democracy, in England, on a comparative level, there was more of a balance between the crown and the nobility. Moore maintains that the concept of a relatively independent nobility has proven favorable to the growth of democracy. The bourgeois class was essential to this growth as well. Whereas in France, Russia and a large part of Germany there was a strong growth of absolutism, in England there was resistance to this ideology. The landed aristocracy began getting involved in commerce at an early date in England whereas in large areas of Europe there were still communities of self sufficiency. In England a particular type of commercial agriculture (or an appropriate form as Moore puts it) was conducive to the democratic route. It fostered a relationship of dependency between the landed upper class and the bourgeois class. In order to portray the differences with the English (or even on a smaller scale) route to democracy and the Russian route, for example, Moore examines critically all these aspects and explores the variants on a comparative level, and concludes that the English experience for these specific reasons was conducive to a democratic route to modernity. social origins of dictatorship and democracy ...

Hand Sanitizer Fire Project - Instructions

Hand Sanitizer Fire Project - Instructions Here is an easy fire project that produces flames cool enough for you to hold. The secret ingredient? Hand sanitizer! Hand Sanitizer Fire Materials Be sure your hand sanitizer lists ethyl alcohol or isopropyl alcohol as the active ingredient. Other chemicals may not work or they may burn too hot. Hand sanitizer gelLighter or match Instructions On a fire-proof surface, make a pattern using the gel.Ignite the edge of the gel. The flame will spread.If you like, you can touch the flame. Be careful! Although the hand sanitizer flame is relatively cool, its still fire and it can burn you. Colored Fire You can mix colorants into the hand sanitizer gel to produce a colored flame. Boric acid or borax (found in cleaners and pest control products) will produce a green flame. Potassium chloride (lite salt) will give you a purple flame. You can create cool special effects by applying the burning gel to other surfaces. For example, coating a metal object will form a halo of flame around it, which makes a great effect for photos. If you choose to coat a flammable object (e.g. a stuffed animal or a cardboard shape), soak it in water first. While this wont completely protect flammable matter from damage, it will keep it from bursting into flame. Watch the video of this project. How to Put the Fire Out Because hand sanitizer is a mixture of water and alcohol, once some of the alcohol burns, the water puts the fire out on its own. How quickly this happens depends on the specific product youre using but its usually around 10 seconds. If you want to put out the flames before that, you can simply blow them out, as you would a candle. Its also safe to douse the flame with water or suffocate it by covering it with the lid of a pot. About Hand Sanitizer Fire Hand sanitizer has applications beyond killing germs. Gels that contain ethyl alcohol or isopropyl alcohol produce a relatively cool flame that is made more manageable by the high percentage of water in the product. You can use the gel to draw with fire or for projects in which you need to hold fire. Keep in mind, the flame is still hot enough to burn you if you hold it too long and it can also ignite paper, fabrics, etc. Take care to perform this project in a safe location, away from flammable material. As with any fire project, its a good idea to have a fire extinguisher or at least a glass of water handy. Hand sanitizer fire is an adult-only project. Fun Fire Projects If you liked making fire using hand sanitizer, try these related flame science experiments. How to Breathe Fire, Safely: Using a nonflammable, edible chemical to breathe fire.Handheld Fireballs: Water is the key ingredient to creating a flame cool enough to hold.Make Green Fire: You can use the same chemical to color hand sanitizer flames.More Fire Projects: Were just getting started!

Explain about this picture using roland barthes Essay

Explain about this picture using roland barthes - Essay Example The coastal background of the picture is ideal; tourist can have a cool breeze at the coastline of any ocean or sea. In addition, human beings can manifest the world through pictures, not just through photojournalism (Watson, 2012). Our snaps are a perfect example of how human beings can view the world as a social construct or our personal, individual life. The picture’s relevance can be drawn from the context in which it was taken. Denotative quality of the photograph is portrayed by the human being and the coastal objects contained in the photograph and their relationship with the human being. Denotatively, human beings can find coastline settings ideal for holidays and tourism activities. Tourism is also important for economic growth as well as contributing to employment opportunities. The content of the photograph’s message shows the literal reality of how human beings enjoy nature. The scene is real and not imaginary (Noth, 1995). A photograph is a proof that the holiday adventure occurred in reality. The picture may be distorted; however, there is some evidence that something occurred, which resembles the picture. The notion of style in the picture is evident because it represents reality. The object (human being and the coastline) are objects from reality. The pose in the picture represents how human beings can enjoy the sunshine at the coast. In addition a relaxed pose shows how holiday experiencing can be fulfilling. Stress levels can be reduced when human beings find time to relax and be away from work. Holiday activities rejuvenate strength lost during work. After leisure or holiday, more effort can be achieved at work. Use of communication technologies such as phones helps to get in touch with families and friends. The picture’s background also shows how human beings should relate with the environment. The coastal background is clean and free from waste. Waste disposal to the

Software Requirements Specification Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 6250 words

Software Requirements Specification - Essay Example To address this problem PCI offers its clients a service that would allow clients to forward all their calls to them and PCI in turn would collect all the messages and forward them to employees that are on the road and away from their desk. These messages would usually be forwarded to their phones or pagers. Goals of the project The basic goal of the project is to ensure that the company’s clients’ businesses are not affected because their employees are on the road and important messages do not reach them. The second goal of the project is to improve communication between employees of a business and the headquarters of the business to ensure that there is better coordination amongst them all. The final goal of the project is to help PCI improve their overall service and ensure that they retain their old customers and obtain new customers as well. Stakeholders of the project The company: One of the main stakeholders for the project is the company for which the system is being created. The company would also be the main user of the software that is going to be developed through this project. The company’s name is PCI (Pivotal Communication Inc.). Clients: The second major stakeholders are the clients to whom PCI would provide its services to. These clients would be able to only get their desired service if the project being worked on is a success. Software Company and the development team: The software company that is responsible for developing the solution for the given issue have an equal share in this project. The software company tends to make a great deal of profit with the successful completion of this project. Other stakeholders: The complete list of stakeholders can be viewed in the diagram below Users of the software: The main users of the system developed would be PCI’s agents. Agents are responsible for answering and handling all the transactions regarding a call or message that is supposed to be provided to a particular cli ent. The second users of the system would be the clients that would interact with the system to manage messages and calls that they receive. Characteristics used to define users The users that have been identified above would be assessed in the following categories. The categories would be helpful in identifying the correct functional and non-functional requirements of the project. Understanding of technology Physical impairments Qualifications and credentials Project constraints Mandated constraints Resource constraints: The software is to be developed using the resources that have been provided by PCI. The developers have to work within the time frame provided and equipment that the company owns. Requirements constraint: The graphic user interface of the system should be easy to work and operate. Users of the system must easily understand how to operate the system and employees of client companies must be able to easily handle the messages they receive. Legal constraint: The contr act that PCI has signed with its clients states that PCI is responsible for storing all the messages it receives for at least 90 days. This means that the system should be able to store vast amounts of data. Furthermore PCI is required by law to inform callers that their calls are being recorded. This means that before recording a message the system must inform the caller that their call is being recorded. Glossary Glossary of all terms: The following table contains a

Causes of World War I Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Causes of World War I - Research Paper Example The second industrial revolution also resulted in unprecedented horrors of war just because this was an industrial war that saw for the first time weapons like machine gun, barbed wire, heavy artillery, tanks, airplanes and zeppelins, bombs and grenades, poisonous gas, submarines and gunboats (Junger, 1920). The   steam   engine   and development of rail lines meant   that   more   artillery   could   be   deployed   to   the   armies, and   the   armies   could   be   kept   clothed, fed, and   armed   indefinitely   (Junger, 1920; Best et al., 2004). The result was unprecedented volume of casualties. For example, in 1916 alone, the Germans lost 850,000 men, French lost 700,000 and the British lost 400,000 men (Merriman, ---year, 907).  Q2: The   nature   of   the   â€Å"The   Great   War†.  The   nature   of   WWI   was   grim and not even closer to what was anticipated   by   the   countries   when    they   decided   to   stage   it. Two of the elements that made it really grim were that it was a â€Å"total war† and also an industrial war. A â€Å"total war† in this context means that it was a global war involving nations across the world, secondly, it was a war in which the nations were totally equipped in terms of weapons and technology to wage an unprecedented war, and thirdly, it actually brought into the battle field, all the social, political and economical resources available for all nations involved. It could be called a global war just because the European states collected the resources needed for war from its Asian and African colonies, and troupes and laborers were imported into Britain and France from these colonies. The Middle East, Japan and the USA were also participants in the war in one way or other. The role of industrialization in deciding the nature of the war was also manifold. As â€Å"mechanized production† replaced the à ¢â‚¬Å"primacy of agriculture†, international trade grew resulting in the emergence of a more influential public (Best et al., 2004).5 Another consequence of this was that the public â€Å"

Management Accounting for Business Decisions Essay

Management Accounting for Business Decisions - Essay Example In the case of CoolSchool and Scrubs, differences in operations present the greatest challenges to the whole merger. The new company resulting from the merger will have new dynamics and set of accounting challenges which must be addressed in order to ensure success (Bierman 2010). CoolSchool supplies school uniforms at the beginning of the school year and the number of uniforms is based on the previous year’s enrollment. It is important to note that despite the merger, there will still be an important need to ensure that uniforms are supplied to the schools every year and on time. In addition, it is difficult for schools to provide the exact number of uniforms they shall need. In this respect, it becomes necessary for the company to continue its present production method which uses estimates from the previous year. However, this can be further improved to enhance accuracy. Since CoolSchool has supplied uniforms to schools for a number of years, it has records on the supply for every year. By using the record, the new merged company can extrapolate and estimate the enrolment rate in the coming year. Production of uniforms will then be based on the extrapolated figure which will be fairly accurate than using the enrolment for the previous years (Brush 20 08). Regarding hospital uniforms, the new company will easily predict the number based on the staff numbers previously used by Scrubs. Considering the accurate production in this regard, it is important that the new company produces a large amount of uniforms for 8 months. Producing large numbers of uniforms on a single occasion helps the company to enjoy the economies of scale associated with large scale production. In addition, hospitals will always require new uniforms and the company should not therefore worry about any excess inventory (Gleich 2010). Producing a large amount of hospital uniforms at one time will help the company in creating

CISCO Case Study Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

CISCO Case Study - Research Paper Example 2). This means that dynamism has been the strategic approach of the company and in doing this, it has made the entire globe its platform for operation. Hitherto, Cisco began a right company to include in the Partnership for Lebanon (PFL) when it became necessary to put together five companies to send relief to the country in various ways. If for nothing at all, functions of corporate social responsibility are part of a globalised dynamic strategy and so meet the vision and culture of Cisco squarely. CSR Lessons Reading through the case, there are several key strategic lessons that any senior manager of projects within a company could adapt. The first of this has to do with the use of integration in both the approach and stakeholder base. That is, the Partnership for Lebanon, as the name implies, was undertaken in an integrated or partnership manner. Integration has been found to hold the key to the many failures recorded in project management in terms of effectiveness and efficiency (Nonis & Swift, 2001). This is so because most project managers tend to take up all the task of project implementation and execution or at best include only a few stakeholders. Once this happens, there tend to be inefficiency and ineffectiveness because very little is achieved within a longer time frame and what is achieved is hardly guaranteed of quality. From the manner in which the Partnership for Lebanon was implemented using as many stakeholders and agents as possible, it is important that senior managers always adapt an employee involvement approach when carrying out major projects. In terms of approaches too, it could be seen that as many as five criteria were set for the implementation and running of the development program. In light of this, senior managers are admonished to always have a backup strategy that they can fall on in case substantive strategies fail. Alternatively, they may choose to use many strategies at a go so the weaknesses of some of the strategies will be overshadowed by the strengths of others. The second lesson that can be learned in terms of implementation and running of development programs has to do with the implementation approach adapted by the stakeholders. Indeed, not only did the stakeholders have a differentiating approach that was made up of several different strategies. What is more, the approach that was adapted when implementing the strategies gives a strong signal to senior managers. The implementation approach is what could be referred to as the spiral implementation approach. In such spiral implementation approach, the strategies or tasks in implementation are prioritized. The prioritization is made to move from the less complex to the most complex. Complexity could be defined in terms of cost, urgency, relevance and resource demand. In whatever the case, the ones that demand less are first implemented before jumping on to the ones that demand more (Norberg, 2000). In the present case, we read about stakeholders of the project at the April 2007 conference in Paris, deciding on the immediate priorities to

Infant and toddler safety at home Research Paper - 1

Infant and toddler safety at home - Research Paper Example Toddlers and infants do not seem to understand the risks that they are involved in on a daily basis (Sonna, 23). This warrants that those taking care of them need to be extra careful with them and the surroundings. Vigilant care is needed in order to ensure the overall safety of infants and toddlers. In this essay, attention will be focused on safety of toddlers and infants at home. It may be assumed by many that a toddler or an infant is at the safest place when at home (Carolyn et al, 317 – 332). The truth of this matter is that there are as many risks at home as there are anywhere else. At home, there are numerous risks that include serious injuries like falling or being hit against something causing injury, poisoning, burns and maltreatment, just to name but a few. There are various places that a toddler or an infant is unsafe (Sonna, 23). Places such as the bedroom, kitchen, living room and other common areas that a toddler can have access to can result to harm to the child. Another hazard that poses a threat to a toddler is choking. Toys that children are bought in order to keep them occupied and even obtainable and reachable items to the child are a risky. Parents and those taking care of children should ensure that they work on preventing the leading causes of harm to children like drowning, fires, falls and poisoning (Ahmann, 56). A toddler does not know that water can drown someone, nor do they know that a fire can bring burns and kill someone. It is the duty of parents and those concerned with taking care of toddlers and infants to ensure that such harm does not come to affect them. Poisoning can be in the form of medicine, like the prescriptions that are given to them. Taking care of a toddler requires one to be aware of what a toddler should take and what they should not take. Powerful medications may lead to unintended poisoning and such an accident should be prevented. Toddlers and infants should

CISCO Case Study Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

CISCO Case Study - Research Paper Example 2). This means that dynamism has been the strategic approach of the company and in doing this, it has made the entire globe its platform for operation. Hitherto, Cisco began a right company to include in the Partnership for Lebanon (PFL) when it became necessary to put together five companies to send relief to the country in various ways. If for nothing at all, functions of corporate social responsibility are part of a globalised dynamic strategy and so meet the vision and culture of Cisco squarely. CSR Lessons Reading through the case, there are several key strategic lessons that any senior manager of projects within a company could adapt. The first of this has to do with the use of integration in both the approach and stakeholder base. That is, the Partnership for Lebanon, as the name implies, was undertaken in an integrated or partnership manner. Integration has been found to hold the key to the many failures recorded in project management in terms of effectiveness and efficiency (Nonis & Swift, 2001). This is so because most project managers tend to take up all the task of project implementation and execution or at best include only a few stakeholders. Once this happens, there tend to be inefficiency and ineffectiveness because very little is achieved within a longer time frame and what is achieved is hardly guaranteed of quality. From the manner in which the Partnership for Lebanon was implemented using as many stakeholders and agents as possible, it is important that senior managers always adapt an employee involvement approach when carrying out major projects. In terms of approaches too, it could be seen that as many as five criteria were set for the implementation and running of the development program. In light of this, senior managers are admonished to always have a backup strategy that they can fall on in case substantive strategies fail. Alternatively, they may choose to use many strategies at a go so the weaknesses of some of the strategies will be overshadowed by the strengths of others. The second lesson that can be learned in terms of implementation and running of development programs has to do with the implementation approach adapted by the stakeholders. Indeed, not only did the stakeholders have a differentiating approach that was made up of several different strategies. What is more, the approach that was adapted when implementing the strategies gives a strong signal to senior managers. The implementation approach is what could be referred to as the spiral implementation approach. In such spiral implementation approach, the strategies or tasks in implementation are prioritized. The prioritization is made to move from the less complex to the most complex. Complexity could be defined in terms of cost, urgency, relevance and resource demand. In whatever the case, the ones that demand less are first implemented before jumping on to the ones that demand more (Norberg, 2000). In the present case, we read about stakeholders of the project at the April 2007 conference in Paris, deciding on the immediate priorities to

Historic leaders Vs Nowadays leaders Dissertation

Historic leaders Vs Nowadays leaders - Dissertation Example Copyright Copyright in the text of this dissertation rests with the Author. Copies (by any process) either in full, or of extracts, may be made only in accordance with instructions given by the Author. The ownership of any intellectual property rights, which may be described in this dissertation, is vested in the author and may not be made available for use by third parties without the written consent of the author, which will prescribe the terms and conditions of any such agreement. Acknowledgements I dedicate this dissertation to my loving mother and father as well as all of my friends who helped in numerous ways to conclude successfully this project. Abstract It is unfortunately true that no one single perfect leader in human history is the ideal in terms of leadership, and this means that it is impossible to define precisely the set of characteristics and skills that any leader should aspire to. However, it makes sense to try to understand better leadership and the attributes, sk ills and characteristics desired in leaders by examining that which great leaders have demonstrated through the ages because such an effort assists with the understanding of leadership and aspirations for leadership. Although leadership is an intensely human activity, leaders must strive to attain the right vision for the future of their group in an environment in which they exist with their groups and in their time. This means that the right leadership must present a regard for the complexity of organised society and the state of development of humanity to confront future challenges. Because leadership is of significance for any group and there is a shortage of talented leaders in all spheres of human activity, with unique challenges lying ahead, it is possible to gain from insights about leadership by comparing a sample of leaders of the past with a sample of modern leaders to decide about leadership and its evolution over time. This dissertation presents a comparison of Alexander the Great, King Leonidas, Napoleon, Che Guevara, Margaret Thatcher and Barack Obama as leaders to decide about leadership and the evolution of leadership. Contents Chapter 1 Introduction 1 1.1 Background 3 1.2 Objectives of study 7 1.3 Scope of study 9 1.4 Structure of dissertation 10 Chapter 2 Historic Leaders 11 2.1 Alexander the Great 13 2.1.1 Alexander the Great in the Light of the Trait Theory of Leadership 14 2.1.2 Alexander the Great and the Situational Theory of Leadership 16 2.1.3 Alexander the Great in the Light of Contingency Theory of Leadership 17 2.1.4 Alexander the Great as a Transformational Leader

Factors Contributing To Building Defects

Factors Contributing To Building Defects Defects occur in building for a variety of reasons. This is perhaps not surprising when one considers the wide range of materials and techniques used in the construction of building, differences in condition on building sites and the varied occupational uses of the completed building. The defects in buildings occur because the inadequate or drawback of the original design, the building was constructed without according with the design or with appropriate practise, or the workmanship was below standard, or because the building has been accepted forces. The emergence of defects will affecting the comfort of occupants, such as noise interruption, solar gain and glare, have however been omitted as it is considered that they do not affect the fabric or the services and are not therefore building defects but purely defects of design. Basically, most of the defects are created from: The applications of forces either from internally or externally, even whole of building, or the components or materials of the building. The effects of materials no matter in a gaseous, liquid or solid state which contribute with the external climatic conditions and caused by the occupancy of the building The effects of biological agents Changes in temperature Those factors may lead to: Changes in the composition or condition of the materials used in the construction of the building such change may cause the materials more vulnerable to force Changes in the construction, ranging from slight cracking not affecting stability to complete destruction Changes in shape, size or weight Changes in appearance, including colour If slightly of changes from the original condition may not be considered as defects but this depends on the situation. As for major changes will generally be considered as defects, but may not if the changes do not affect the appearance. In general, Changes in composition can be result from: Fire The effects of gases, liquids and solids Biological agents Sunlight Changes in the structure from: Applied physical forces, including those from ground movements Fire Climatic condition Changes in shape, size and weight from: Applied physical forces Effects of gases, liquids and solids Effect of change of temperature Changes in appearance from: Wear Fire Effects of gases, liquids and solids Effect of changes of temperature Effect of sunlight From the more practical aspects, most of the defects can be placed in one of the three major groups and those defects are no means to clear-cut and will often overlapping. These groups are: Defects cause by dampness Defects cause by applied forces Defects cause by changes in size Besides, most of the defects can be occur due to the designer did not fully appreciate that the changes can befall in the construction or in the materials used, therefore the designer did not provided adequate safeguards in his design. If the chosen materials are unsuitable for the conditions, the materials will consider as defects. Most of the times, designer will take into account the cost to determine the choice of materials. It is important to understanding of the inherent properties of materials before select any materials. Before making the choices of materials for the construction, the designer must understand of the inherent properties of those materials. Greater use of the concept of trouble-shooting in advance can improved the designs and will undeniably lead to a reduction in the defects which occur in buildings. On the other hand, poor workmanship, especially do not compliance with the instruction given in the specification is also responsible for the occurrence of defects. The lack of maintenance or incorrect maintenance can reduce the effective life of a material and far lower than it should be achieved (Eldridge, 1976). Dampness Dampness is one of the defects which are most difficult to trace and diagnose. The dampness only can be perceived once it appears at the surface of the walls. There are countless ways in which water can exist in a building. Dampness may occur in the same building and at the same time even be responsible for the same damp patch. Buildings are assembled by a lot of different materials. All the materials have different inherent properties and many of them are water-absorbent. There are the major sources of water caused the dampness in building, such as construction water, intruding water, condensation and occupational (Eldridge, 1976). Construction Water In the construction of a building, a great quantity of water is required. A great quantity of water is required in the construction of a building, even for an ordinary building at least several tons of water is necessary. As well as some of the water will be used in setting the materials such as Portland cement, gypsum plasters and etc. Some construction water may be dried up at the time before the buildings have been occupied, but some construction water will still be retained in the buildings structure. Even though heating will dry up the water inside the structure, but in some case the water inside the structure are failed to dry up due to the walls have been applied the impervious decorations such as paintwork. And finally, the construction water will kept accumulate inside the walls (Eldridge, 1976). Intruding Water Rainfall is one of the reasons to allow the water into a building. While rain falls by gravity but it can be blown by the wind in all directions against a building. The driving rain will find any weakness on the wall and into a building either directly through the defects of the walls or indirectly by absorption. The water may transfer through the defects on the walls such as cracks or hollow sections for some distance and wet the internal surface of walls. Therefore, this would be very difficult to find the points of water entry. Besides, dampness may be enter a building from ground even the properly constructed of damp-proof course or membrane have been carry out. The watertightness of the joints is very important in the prevention of rain penetration. Intruding dampness which wets insulating materials may seriously lower their effectiveness and lead to condensation. The intruding dampness can be divided into penetration damp and rising damp (Eldridge, 1976). Penetration Damp Penetrating damp is caused by the porous nature of the building and as a result of external water getting into a building through the external walls and ultimately affects the internal wall surfaces. Besides that, the buildings near coastal areas or areas facing the sea can also suffer from penetrating damp. The penetrating damp of the walls will caused serious deteriorating affects to the internal finishing like damp staining, salting, blown plaster, spoiling and peeling of the wall finishes. Wall penetrating dampness occurs in a building are related with the somewhat faulty building work or the fault in the plumbing work which has allowed water to enter into the building. The common defects that can result in the transfer of water from the external faà §ade of a building into its living accommodation such as the defective of roof coverings, poorly maintained walls, poorly guttering and down pipes, poorly fitting or rotten door and windows frames, broken render or damaged pointing. Even these defects can be cured, but the affects of residual moisture within the building can continue to create problems for months and sometimes years. On the other hand, a watermark may be appearing on the internal wall and it will grow if the water continues to enter thus penetrating damp walls. In addition, the watermark will grow rapidly and become worse especially after the heavy rainfall. (David Sutcliffe, n.d.) A damp wall will take one month for each inch of the wall thickness to dry out after the source of the penetrating damp is removed. (David Sutcliffe, n.d.) Some of the buildings have exceptionally thick external walls and thus the affect of penetrating damp will continue over a longer period of time if nothing protective is done. The penetrating damp may be minimised, once the defect of the walls is correctly identified and the source of water ingress eliminated. Rising Damp Rising damp usually occurs in the older brickwork which the brickwork or the mortar between the brickwork is more porous. The mortar in the older buildings will losing its original adhesive properties, becomes soft and crumbles easily, almost reverting back to a sandy base, therefore the mortar will becomes absorbent and pass water through it. In other word, the rising damp is hardly occurs in the newer brickwork where the brick and cement mortar courses are in good condition. Besides that, the rising damp also may occur in the brickwork due to not providing the damp proof course or where the damp proof course has failed. The rising damp can be occur in the brick walls due to the water upward movement through the porous mortar from the ground salt (Chloride Nitrates), this action as known as Capillary Action. Once the rising moisture is above the floor level, the water evaporates and leaves the salt deposits behind. The evaporation often draws more water up and in turn leaves more salts behind. The longer the moisture is allowed to rise, the more salts will become evident. The rising damp will as a result of deteriorating affecting to the external finishes and internal finishes of the walls such as: Paint does not adhere to the wall. Wall paper lifts and stains appear on the walls. Plaster flakes away, feels soft and spongy, bubbles and white powder or crystals appear. Skirting boards and floor boards rot. Mortar frets and falls out between bricks and stonework. Stains or white powder appear on walls. There problems are mainly aesthetic problems only, however it is conceivable that the structural damage could result from extensive rising damp, and of course a damp mouldy environment could pose a health risk to people. (Graham Drage, Causes and Remedies for the Three Main Causes of Damp in Dwellings) Condensation Water vapour is normally present in the air. The quantity of water vapour contained depends on the temperature of the air. This ratio is called the relative humidity. Hot air is able to carry much more water vapour than cold air, so as the temperature of air increase, it is able to hole a greater volume of water vapour. Such water vapour comes from our breathing, bathing, cooking and other domestic activities. When the water vapour contact with cold surface it will converted into liquid water. The temperature of the surface at which the water vapours condensate is called the dew point. The condensed water may appear on any of the internal surfaces of the building or form within the construction and known as interstitial condensation. The condensed water may through a crack on the wall to appear possibly on the internal surface of wall even some distance from its points of origin. Therefore, this form of condensation can be very knotty due to the difficulty in identifying and its adve rse effect on the insulation. Besides, it also damaging and give rise to other defects to the walls such as the materials used in the walls especially in cavities and voids. Moreover, the condensation is most lightly to occur especially in locations where the relative humidity of the internal air is high such as bathrooms and kitchens. Some of the materials have the property of absorbing moisture from the air. The amount of water condenses in walls is very considerable indeed, because it is not only damage the fabric of a wall and lead to more frequent redecorating, but it is also may leading the wall to a state of almost permanent dampness and providing suitable conditions for the growth of mould and mildew. The growth of mould and mildew will affect the health of the buildings occupants. Occupational Besides the water vapour produced by the occupants of building (one adult produces half a litre of water in 9 hours simply from breathing), water may be present in a building by leaking pipes, tanks and cisterns. It will caused the problem of condensation become more worsen. Cracks Cracks are occurred because the building or part of building has been withstanding the applied forces greater than it can be withstand. These applied forces may have applied externally to the building, internally within the building or have been built up in the materials of the building as a result of chemical changes. These may be a single force or a combination of forces, or having a single cause or several causes. Much of the cracking occurs in the early in the life of the building is inevitable since it is due to the internal forces built up in many materials when the water used in the construction process dries out. Such cracking is generally superficial but it is potential to cause little problem later on if the remedial measure is not taking. Obviously every crack is a sign that the building is become instability. Some looked very serious cracks on the structural may have little or no effect on the stability either because the building has a high factor of safety or because the affected area does not influence to the stability of the structure. Rarely does a building collapse soon after the appearance of a crack, even if the crack is large. The cracking of the brick walls may be caused by overloading in structural, foundation settlement, excessive floor loadings, temperature settlement, contraction in structural members, or poor materials and poor workmanship in the original construction. The types of crack include horizontal cracks, vertical and diagonal cracks, shrinkage cracks and step cracks (Integrated Publishing, n.d.). Horizontal Cracks Horizontal cracks are generally long, wide cracks in the mortar joints that occur along the line of lintels over the window or along the line of the roof slab or floor. Where the horizontal movement cracks turn the corner of a building, they often rack down. Racked-down corner occur where the horizontal cracks along the side and end of a building meet. Normally, the horizontal crack not only continue around the corner but forms part of a diagonal crack that takes a downward direction and meet a similar crack from the other side, forming a V. The bricks inside this V are loosened and must be reset. Vertical and Diagonal Cracks Vertical and diagonal movement cracks usually occur near the ends or offsets of buildings. These cracks may also found extending from a window sill to the lintel or a door or window on a lower floor. The cracks can be from à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ º to à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã…“ of an inch in width and follow the mortar joints. However, in some cases, they may break through the bricks or other masonry. Shrinkage Cracks Shrinkage cracks are the fine hairline cracks that are found in mortar and concrete walls. the most noticeable ones are those running vertically, but a close examination of a section of a wall that leaks may also show them in the horizontal or bed joints of brick or block walls. Step cracks Step cracks is also known as stairstep cracks or stepping cracks, which is refer to cracks that follow the mortar joints in a brick o block wall. The cracks may be step up or step down along the wall. Generally, the step cracks is caused by minor movement of the footing, shrinkage or wall movement and by itself is not a major cause for concern. However, wide cracks or step cracks combined with other cracks and movement indicate a problem. Defect of External Finishes are various sorts of finishes was applied to the external faces of walls for a better achievement of the protection and aesthetically. Those finishes vary from rendering applied to structural walls to paint applied to walls. To carry out the finish-treatments to the wall may be subject to aspects such as defects intrinsic to the particular material, defects in the backgrounds to which they are applied and the defects arising from incompatibility of the finish and its background. Even though these various aspects are very important, but they are not considered fully enough to enable a correct diagnosis to be made. This is partly because the part played by the background is not appreciated. Generally it seems to be thought that if the background was in a satisfactory condition prior to the application of the finish any subsequent change in it must be due to the finish. On the other hand, the finishes also will be affected by the background. Wide cracks will present no difficulty since it may be possible to see into them, but if the cracks are only hair-crack width it will often be necessary to take a part of the finish off to expose the background. Sometimes the wrong type of finish has been used for the particular surfaces and condition and this possibility should be considered when deciding on the remedial work. It must also be considered at the design stage when buildings of similar type are to be erected in the same locality or where the exposure conditions are similar. Defect of Internal Finishes The internal finishes applied to the walls whether the sub-strate of such walls is an internal wall or the inner face of an external wall, the finishes are often identical and subject to the same occupancy conditions. For a variety of reasons the maintenance of the internal decorations is carried out at reasonably short intervals and this often conceals the consequential effects caused by the defects and therefore the symptoms of defects in the underlying fabric or in other related parts of a building. However, this may cause to take more time to discovery of a defect or camouflage its seriousness if the defects were found. Most of the defects concern either the plaster applied to the walls or the decorations. In addition the finishes such as timber paneling and decorative faced boards are unlikelihood to defects except the possible opening of the joints between the boards. Most of the cracks in the plasterboard will usually have their origin in the sub-strate. By inserting a thin and stiffish piece of wire in to the crack in the plaster can make sure whether the crack have it origin in the sub-strate and it is also a efficient way to measuring the distance penetrated of the crack. The decoration on the inner face of the external walls is likely to be damaged by the moisture. On the other word, moisture damage to the decoration on the partition walls is less probable because the surface of partitions will usually be warmer and therefore less vulnerable to condensation. If the ground salts (Chloride Nitrates) have accumulated in the wall over a long period and have been transferred into the plaster it will brought deteriorative effect for the finishes of the walls. This because the ground salts have the property of absorbing moisture from the air and influence the plasterwork damp. One of the problems with internal walls is ascertaining the form of construction and the materials used. If they are of solid construction it may often be possible to drill a small hole at some convenient point to find out what material has been used, but this information is accurate only if it can be assured that the same material has been used for the whole wall.

Analysis of Works From Art from the Ashes edited by Langer Essay

Analysis of Works From "Art from the Ashes" edited by Langer How can a person reach back into the past and retrieve the criminal events of sixty years ago? Read the works provided in â€Å"Art from the Ashes,† and wait; wait for words to explode onto an emotionally unprepared mind with enough force to awaken previously dormant areas of one’s psychological capacity. One can then begin to understand. Lawrence L. Langer’s introduction provides keys to open doors of impossibility, to expand sympathy, and to venture into the dark corners of an individual’s capabilities. He reminds us not to mistake true experiences for â€Å"an alien world of fantasy† or to look for triumph of love over hate (Langer 4). The stories he has selected for this anthology â€Å"gaze[] into the depths without flinching† (Langer 5). They must also â€Å"discover and accept the twisted features of the unfamiliar without searching for words, like ‘suffering’† (Langer 6). His main principals of selection, how ever, include â€Å"artistic quality, intellectual rigor, and physical integrity of the texts.† The works chosen by Langer must be academically appealing but still be able â€Å"to liberate responses on the deepest levels of psychological, mental, emotional, and aesthetic concerns† (Langer 8). The following stories represent the approaches and difficulties put forward by Langer: â€Å"The Key Game† by Ida Fink, â€Å"Spring Morning† also by Ida Fink, and â€Å"Poem About a Herring† by Abraham Sutzkever. In these works, characters yearning to exist fully are placed in critical situations where they are always faced with the constant anticipation of death. The striking shortness of time is an always present force facing the characters. Ida Fink’s short story, â€Å"The Key Game,† begi... ...e taking place somewhere else in the dark depths of someone’s imagination. Unfortunately, it must be taken â€Å"in literal, not metaphorical, terms† that the child had â€Å"a bloody herring in his mouth† (Langer 5, 581). Secondly, it â€Å"gazes into the depths without flinching† (Langer 7). Sutzkever, to the best of his ability shows the truth of the situation. His provides images of child dying of fatal gunshots – when most would try to avoid that image. Reading these works without the help of Langer’s introduction would be enlightening, but his statements should be considered and remembered during the â€Å"venture into disorientation† of mind and soul. Since the writers of these works were brave enough to release their experiences using an art, the reader should be brave enough to briefly imagine their experiences without transforming them into a type of fiction.

Import Cars vs. Domestic Cars :: Compare Contrast Cars Car Essays

Muscle cars have always been a big in the United States such as the Ford Mustang, Chevrolet Camaro, and Chevrolet Corvette. These cars have been some of the most popular cars for the past 35 or more years, but over the past 20 years, Japanese cars are becoming more and more popular. Many people who are into muscle cars despise these 'imports' and people who are into these imports have the same feelings toward muscle cars. These two types of car lovers have a strong dislike for each other and these cars. Many people see both muscle and import cars as just a car and don't perceive any difference between the two cars. One of the major differences between the two is the type of engines they have. Most muscle cars have a V-8 or even a V-10 with a large displacement. These engines produce a large amount of horse power and create a lot of torque at the higher RPM (Revolutions Per Minute) range, but to fit these large engines, they need large cars to put them in. On the other hand, imports have a much smaller, inline 4 engine, and because it has a smaller engine, it can fit into a smaller car. To make comparing easier, a 2004 Ford SVT (Special Vehicle Teams) Mustang Cobra and a 2000 Acura Integra Type R will be used as the comparison. The engine in the Mustang is a 4.601 liter, 280.8 cubic inch V-8 engine with 32 valves DOHC (Dual Over Head Cams), sequential electronic fuel injection, and an Eaton Generation IV roots-type supercharger, with a TTC T-56 6 speed Manual creating 390 break horse power at 6000 RPM and 389 foot pounds of torque at 3500 RPM. It has a 0-60 mph time of 4.5 seconds, a quarter mile time of 12.6 seconds at 112 mph, and has a limited top speed of 155 mph. The Integra has a B18C5, 1.797 liter, 110 cubic inch, 4 cylinders, 16 valves DOHC VTEC engine. It creates 195 horse power at 8000 RPM and 130 foot pounds of torque at 7000 RPM. It has a 0-60 mph time of 6.5 seconds, a quarter mile time of 14.7 seconds, and has a limited top speed of 135 mph. Even though the Integra is slower than the Mustang, the Integra engine has something the Mustang engine does not have, and that is a VTEC.

Corporate University Model Essay

From my readings and research I have learned about the corporate university model. I will be evaluating why many organizations today are emphasizing training as an employee development tool and focus on why utilizing the internal university structure has become very popular. I think that the corporate university model is a very effective model. It is an educational entity that is a strategic tool designed to assist its parent organization in achieving its goals by conducting activities that foster individual and organizational learning and knowledge. It is set up to bring common culture, loyalty, and belonging to the company. Our text states that â€Å"a corporate university model is a training model in which the client group includes not only company employees and managers but also stakeholders outside the company (Roe, pg. 551, 2010).† â€Å"It response to the rapid changes in information and technology that characterizes our society. A companion to the concept of life-long learning, the corporate university enables businesses, both for profit and not for profit, to maintain and expand the expertise of their workforces and, as a result, to secure their positions in the marketplace. The corporate university adds value to the business and, in some cases generates revenue (Gould, 2005).† â€Å"The top five organizational goals of corporate universities were to improve customer’s service and retention, improve productivity, reduce costs, retain talented employees, and increase revenue (Roe, pg. 84, 2010).† If revenue is generated, the chief learning officer develops and implements the appropriate business and marketing plans (Gould, 2005).† Training functions organized by the university model tend to offer a wider range of programs and courses (Roe, pg. 84, 2010). Culture and values tend to be emphasized more often in the training curriculum of corporate universities. It centralizes training to make sure that â€Å"best training practices† that may be used in one unit of the company are disseminated across the company (Roe, pg. 84, 2010). It also enables the company to control costs by developing consistent training practices and policies (Roe, pg. 83, 2010). â€Å"Companies  have found that investment in human capital in the form of training and development yields high returns. The ones that recognize the value of their employees and place a new emphasis on education and training are becoming more competitive, successful, and profitable as a result (Dutkowsky, 2014).† â€Å"Transferring knowledge leads to synergistic cost advantages, better implementation of organizational strategies, and competitive advantage. Organizations are implementing corporate universities to aid in knowledge transfer. This allows organizations to customize them to meet their training needs (Clinton, Merritt, & Murray, 2009). Knowledge is the primary ingredient in gaining a competitive advantage and knowledge is a firm’s main inimitable resource. Knowledge has to be effectively transferred within organizations in order to maximize the competitive advantage arising from knowledge (Clinton, Merritt, & Murray, 2009). Corporate universities are also vital to employees as well. In this day and age, responsibility and authority are pushed downward and all employees are expected to make decisions and to contribute to competitive advantage. This requires workers who can think and do for themselves (Clinton, Merritt, & Murray, 2009). Advanced education and continuous learning is crucial. â€Å"The key goal for an organization is to provide its workers with the ability to retool their skills and knowledge continually. Corporate universities allow employers to provide employees the opportunity to increase their knowledge, and in return, employees will take education from the corporate university and give bac k to the organization through innovation, efficiency, and productivity (Clinton, Merritt, & Murray, 2009).† Overall, corporate universities are built on a system that understands the chief concern for knowledge workers in nearly every industry and occupation is the shelf life of their knowledge, causing them to have a constantly retool their schools. Employees benefit from the corporate university movement in more ways than simply being able to perform their assigned jobs better. They also learn skills and possibly earn degrees that can be carried through their career, making they, themselves, more marketable to the workplace. Corporate universities are the â€Å"fast growing segment of the adult education market. Corporate universities strive to achieve their mission of developing programs that are clearly linked to business objectives and organizational strategy. These programs are designed to convey corporate culture and focus  on learning beyond on-the-job training. By doing so, many employees throughout the United States and abroad are offered educational opportunities that might not otherwise be available to them. In conclusion, the corporate university model is a very effective model. Organizations constantly need to adapt themselves to stay aligned with an ever-changing and increasingly complex environment. Corporate Universities puts â€Å"smart learning† at the forefront, with strategies to secure alignment between organization and environment, which need both speed of learning and learning in the right direction. Across the globe, corporate universities have emerged as vehicles of such strategy-driven learning. References Clinton, M., S., Merritt, K., L., & Murray, R., S. (2009). Using corporate universities to facilitate knowledge transfer and achieve competitive advantage: An exploratory model based on media richness and type of knowledge to be transferred. Retrieved from: http://eds.b.ebscohost.com.proxy-library.ashford.edu/eds/detail?vid=2&sid=4fbbc155-1ebe-4a53-b4b7-309ae9d4306c%40sessionmgr112&hid=115&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmU%3d#db=psyh&AN=2009-19970-003 Dutkowsky, S. (2014). Trends in Training and Development – THE NEW ECONOMY, TRAINING IN U.S. COMPANIES, WHO DOES THE TRAINING IN CORPORATIONS? Retrieved from: StateUniversity.com http://careers.stateuniversity.com/pages/852/Trends-in-Training-Development.html#ixzz34jTinPJA Gould, E., K. (2005). The Corporate University. A Model for Sustaining an Expert Workforce in the Human Services. Retrieved from: http://bmo.sagepub.com.proxy library.ashford.edu/content/29/3/508.full.pdf+html Noe, R. (2010) Employee Training and Development (5th editi on). McGraw-Hill/Irwin