Spontaneous Consumer

The impacts on ’Spontaneous Consumer’ have resulted in the trend on Auckland Theatre Company. Impacts such as raising demands in the sales of tickets at the last minute. As inferred from the case study, â€Å"on average, 25-30 per cent of a season is booked in advance by subscribes. This may create loss of sales revenue from the particular group of ‘Spontaneous Consumers'. However, Auckland Theatre Company may extend their registration dates to cater to this particular group's needs. Extended registration dates such as having two sessions. First session registration dates to be launch earlier in the month, second session registration dates to be launch end of the month to cater to busy consumer who are not able to make it for the first launch dates. Other impacts such as disputes consumers may derive from ‘the spontaneous consumers. ‘ The inability to purchase a ticket to the play due last minute decision may result in poor customer experiences and thus poor customer retention. As inferred from the case study, â€Å"Part of the reason for the success of Auckland Theatre Company lies in the company's ability to recognize and address the safety, social, ego and self-actualization of the consumers. The inability to purchase a ticket to the play due last minute decision may also result in the lack of ego needs toward consumers. In addition to minimize the negative impacts on Auckland Theatre Company. Auckland Theatre Company can accommodate to this particular group of ‘spontaneous consumer' by using the power of marketing strategic to enhance attractive promotion such as ‘ early bird promotion' to attract spontaneous consumers to purchase their tickets in an earlier timings. This may help to increase the impulse of spontaneous consumers and influence their buying decision through marketing strategic and also help generate revenues for their company.

Movie and Personality Theory Analysis Essay

John Q is a movie about a desperate father who finds himself in an impossible situation when his son, Michael, collapses during a baseball game and turns out to be in need of a heart transplant. John Q. Archibald discovers that his health insurance does not cover such an expensive procedure, and unable to raise the 75,000 dollar deposit needed to place his son in the donor list, John resorts to taking the staff and patients of the hospital’s emergency room hostage and held at gunpoint. The hospital administrator then decides to place Michael in the donor list and Michael is soon given a new heart. John, as described by his wife Rebecca, â€Å"is a sweet kind man†. His personality does not pinpoint to violent tendencies, and yet the radical decision to seize part of the hospital and take the people in it as hostage are not indicative of a meek and pleasant individual. It is therefore worth remembering that genes can influence the behavior only in people who live in some kind of environment. Without an environment there would be no behavior at all, regardless of what genes were present. And the reverse is true about the environment: without a person built by genes to affect, no behavior can occur, no matter what the environment. In the determination of personality, genes and the environment interact (Funder). Thus, John with his genetic instinct to love and protect those that he loves combined with the injustice of his circumstances induced him to go against his sweet nature as an attempt to remedy the situation in any way he can. One theme of the movie is self-sacrifice, this is apparent when John decides to give his own heart to his son when he finds no other options available, fortunately he is stopped before he pulls the trigger when a heart arrives for his son. John’s complete devotion and his willingness to do everything for his son can be partly explained by the evolution theory. A theory that endeavors to illuminate how patterns of behavior that characterize all humans originate from the survival value these characteristics provide over the history of the species. Specific to this theory, is the tendency to aid close relatives to ensure the survival of ones own genes into succeeding generations, an outcome called inclusive fitness (Funder, 2002). Evolutionary theory has also been used to explain why self esteem is so important for human beings. Our feelings of self-esteem evolved to monitor the degree to which we are accepted by others, a principle most exemplified by Gus Monroe, the Chicago Chief of Police, as he basks in apparent joy by the adulation of the media and the crowd. The hospital director Rebecca Payne is most notable in the rationalizations that she uses to distance herself from the unfairness of the situation. Rationalization is the usage of contrived explanations to conceal unworthy motives for ones behavior. Ms Payne deftly suggests that John accept his son’s impending death and strive to make Michael’s remaining days a happy time. She stands by the financial rules of the hospital and claims that her hands are tied by the fact that the family is unable to come up with the amount of money needed for their son’s surgery. But when Denise Archibald expresses her dislike for Rebecca, the hospital director changes her mind and announces that Michael will be placed at the top of the donor list. When we detect signs of not being adequately valued or respected, our self-esteem goes down, motivating us to do things that will cause others to think better of us so we can think better of ourselves (Funder) A subplot in the movie is the relationship between two hostages, Julie, who needs treatment for a broken arm and her boyfriend Mitch, who has no wounds aside from scratches in his arm. Mitch claims that a car crash had caused it, but due to a number of dubious elements in their narrative, John and another hostage named Lester is able to conclude that the two are lying and that Mitch had in fact beat Julie up. The fact that Julie lied and helped Mitch in covering up the event indicate signs of a battered woman in the stage of denial, where the woman refuses to admit, perhaps even to herself that there is a problem in her relationship, she calls it an accident and may believe that it will never happen again. However, during the course of the movie, when Julie sees Mitch helpless on the ground she seizes the opportunity to douse his eyes with a caustic agent, and as Mitch screams in pain Julie announces that what she did was revenge for the physical hurt he caused her. This is a tacit admission that she will no longer submit to Mitch’s violent ways. On the other hand, Mitch’s personality demonstrates arrogance, an overblown ego and a tendency for stress and hostility as shown by his attempted attack on John. Mitch’s controlling tendency is revealed when Julie screams she will â€Å"no longer be his Barbie doll† and rips of her blonde wig as an indication that he wants specific physical attributes for his girlfriend. The movie also touches on the subject of death and loss when a patient adjacent to Michael’s hospital room dies and her family is shown grieving and inconsolable. Depression that follows a social emptiness such as the death of a loved one is characterized by pain and crying. Weeping is a useful way of seeking social support and fatigue and pessimism can prevent one from wasting energy and resources on fruitless endeavors. (Funder) This is further discussed by claims of psychologists Matthew Keller and Randolph Nesse that in the same way that blocking fever may prolong infection, blocking normal depressive symptoms could increase the risk of negative life situations. When John Archibald is faced with the actual possibility of his son’s death, he engages in the ego-defense mechanism called denial of reality, wherein the individual protects the self from an unpleasant reality by refusing to perceive or face it. In this case however, John’s belief that his son will not die is compounded by his extreme actions and the decision to offer his own life, if need be, for his sons survival. The movie also involves the occurrence of Stockholm syndrome, a phenomenon wherein positive feelings are developed by hostages towards their captors that appear strange in light of the danger or risk endured. This happened when John showed kindness towards the hostages and when they understood the circumstances that forced him to take drastic measures. A psychological perspective towards an existential movie like John Q offers a unique understanding of the film, revealing philosophic and scientific dimensions that enrich a person’s comprehension of the world. This enables one to engage in analytic thinking and to apply classroom theories to real-world situations. Works Cited Funder, David C. The personality puzzle, fourth edition. W. W. Norton & Company, 2007. John Q. Screenplay by James Kearne, Dir. Nick Cassavetas. , Perf. Denzel Washington, Kimberly Elise and Daniel Smith. New Line Cinema, 2002.

Moon as a character Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Moon as a character - Essay Example The centrifugal elements of the story have served to also deliver a sense of shock value to those who hear it. These main elements are Salome herself, so beautiful and enchanting that her own stepfather Herod the king, is smitten by her. This is an incestual element which is certainly edgy enough to gain attention. Secondly, a man of God who claims to be a prophet, is so hated that he is murdered in a brutal way in order to please a beautiful woman. These elements are just the surface of a thicket of metaphorical allegory. The moon is of course something of a constant. Certainly, we assume that in any story taking place on this planet, the moon is automatically thought to be lurking overhead in the night. This however, is not the only place for the moon in this particular tale. Salome uses numerous references to ‘white’ which is thought to in essence, represent the moon. Additionally, the story has two human voyeurs, the page and the Syrian. It is the page who is smitten or hypnotized by the moon but really, the moon is serving as a metaphor for princess Salome. This gives a circular quality to the story and reminds the reader that on one layer, there are these people of royalty who are in fact subject to voyeurs. Princess Salome is the object of her stepfather Herod’s voyeurism as well as the voyeurism of the page and the Syrian. Beyond this layer, the voyeurs are subject to the moon itself as it looms overhead as a distant but present voyeur. The moon in fact, is the voyeur watch ing this entire story unfold. Getting back to the nature of the story’s conflicts, it is both an incestual situation materializing which leads to the brutal murder and sadistic handling of a man of God. The piece is entirely fashioned around an emphasis on the dark side of human beings with the additional almost cautionary sense that someone is always watching. This is perhaps the heaviest and most impressive metaphor used in the piece between the moon and

Discuss 'residential satisfaction' Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Discuss 'residential satisfaction' - Essay Example With this backdrop, people seek to stay in houses which give them complete residential satisfaction by way of good neighbourly relations, peaceful surroundings, serene environment, suitable facilities and good administration of residential complexes. Depending on individual tastes and preferences, aspirations and satisfaction levels change but most house owners or tenants prefer to seek better houses in order to get full residential satisfaction in all respects whenever their aspirations are not met with in their existing homes. As everyone commonly understands, satisfaction is a state of happiness derived through fulfilment of an objective. It can be more clearly described as a sort of contentment one gains by fulfilling a desire, need or hope. Residential satisfaction is therefore a certain state of happiness gained by a person in all respects in relation to his / her residence, own or rented. Going by common knowledge, people would generally tend to continue to reside in houses where full satisfaction is sustained in relation to their neighbours, environment, facilities available and maintenance of the premises. When one runs out of residential satisfaction with regard to any of these issues, he or she may opt to move out of it in search of better residential satisfaction. In such a case, either the house is sold off or vacated by the occupant. Golledge and Stimson (1996: 473) quite appropriately describe ‘residential satisfaction’ as the meeting point of the residential achievement with the residential aspiration. Aspirations are not similar and most of the times, they differ depending on the different tastes of people. This is especially so with regard to a dwelling unit. Because of the different perceptions of different people on how to achieve residential satisfaction, all house owners would not display the same level of satisfaction from a single residential environment (Galster, 1987: 93). One therefore has to understand

Roman and Mongol Conquests Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Roman and Mongol Conquests - Essay Example The leaders crafted policies that ensured continued survival and expansion through ruthless crusades and strategic treaties. It may also have been their dogged determination and ability to rise from the ashes of defeat on to victory as was the case for Rome (Livy, 1905). Monarchies and ruling hierarchies were established along either blood or loyalty lines depending on which strategy served best. At times, it included both cases, for instance, in the case of Genghis Khan. In each case, the subjugation of conquered territories through force, surrender or the brokering of peace treaties fortified the might of the Empire and gave strength and momentum for expansion. During their various conquests and expansion under various rulers, initial wars were fought with neighboring nations or tribes. Campaigns were sent out in all directions to conquer new lands for the Empire. The rise of the Mongol Empire began at a time when the usually dry and cold steppes of Central Asia got their most favorable conditions for over a hundred years. Thus, the rapid growth in numbers of battle horses, other livestock and food supplies (Burgan, 2005). The growth may have enhanced the military ability of the Mongols. The strategic placement of Rome gave it unrivaled dominance of the Mediterranean Sea and allowed it to encompass peripheral lands was its greatest advantage (Livy, 1905). Won wars always led to subjugation of conquered peoples. While Rome imposed measures such as payment of taxes and tributes to Rome, Mongols approached matters from a platform of unification by making conditions more favorable for the People. Genghis Khan united rival tribes by banning fighting among Mongols, successfully ending civil strife. He also forbade trading of women, pilfering of other’s property and desiccation of animal populations during the breeding season. According to Burgan, He shared his bounty among all crusaders and their

Newspaper's editorial evaluation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Newspaper's editorial evaluation - Essay Example Bush's repeated and emphatic claim that Hussein had already developed WMDs, which he possessed and was prepared to use-a bogus claim that the mainstream media, led by the Times' own Judith Miller, largely accepted as an article of faith and bolstered with credulous reports based on faulty information.The purpose of this editorial article of the New York Times is to convince the audience that the revision of stance by the New York Times with respect to the Iraq War does not absolve them from the culpability of misleading their readers of their initial position. The editorial article attempts to show that the arguments expounded by President Bush that Iraq had nuclear weapons were not compelling. There are other ways to prove and investigate to determine if Iraq indeed had nuclear weapons.The argument appeared as an opinion piece in the New York Times and is written in a familiar style appropriate to that context. The style is formal and the author rarely adopted emotionally charged la nguage, writing in a mostly composed, brief and judicious style. Its simplicity and clarity is a veritable proof of strength of the argument, since many readers will have varied views on the Iraq War. This text was written in a respectful way that will not annoy the key officials of the Bush Administration.The use of persuasive language is well-defined and well-chosen. The argument is neither bombastic nor incendiary in its approach of the subject matter. For instance, the use of the phrase "Iraqi WMDs as a "possibility" is a way of making the mistake of NYT stand on the Iraq War less horrendous. The main argument has three premises. The first two premises present the stand of President George Bush, the UN Security Council, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and the New York Times on the justification for the invasion of Iraq. The third premise focused on the change of stand by the NYT on the Iraq War brought about by the lack of physical evidence of the Weapons of Mass Destruction WMD). This is a positive premise since the article bases its argument on the subsequent UN reports on the presence of WMD in Iraq. However, these three premises are still weak. They do not support the conclusion that NYT and US President George Bush are culpable for their stand. There is a need to add many supporting premises such as the number of military casualties (US and

Document Analysis oin the Holocaustand the Nazis Coursework

Document Analysis oin the Holocaustand the Nazis - Coursework Example He addressed the Jews in order to unite them as one during the trying times. Weltsch blamed the Nazis for their chauvinism addressing the events that took place on 1 April 1933 calling this an important date for the Jewish people. In his article, he expresses the sad presentation of not only political and economic inconsideration, but also the spiritual and moral injustices shown by the Nazi people. The article notes that on this day â€Å"German-Jews learnt a lesson which penetrates far more deeply than even their embittered and now triumphant opponents could assume†¦Ã¢â‚¬  According to the article, this was a Jewish rebirth or awakening. The author advised the fellow German Jews not to lose their heart urging them to analyse the situation without deceiving themselves. Currently, the document alleged to be the cradle of Zionism should be distributed to everyone whether Jews or non-Jews according to the author. Weltsch explained that the Nazis called the Jews enemies of the state leaving them defenceless arguing that they never betrayed anyone. The author wrote this document as a wakeup call for the Jews who suffered the great humiliation. The article intended to bring the German Jews together, while encouraging them to walk with their heads high despite the frustrating boycott of their shops. The author wanted the Jews to prove to the German-Nazis unity and power brought to this dishonoured community. For this reason, a reader may argue that this document’s purpose was to remind the fellow German-Jews what they stood for meaning peace and unity. This document is credible considering the events that took place in German especially during the Holocaust. Study shows that the German-Jews suffered greatly under the Nazis. In addition, it is clear according to the article that some German Jews tended to leave their community to benefit from personal positions, and this betrayed

The Logic of Firm and Market Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Logic of Firm and Market - Term Paper Example As any business, the firm exists to profit as it performs its function which is to produce products and services through process (Jelen). It is then its responsibility to create goods and services that would meet the consumers’ demands and needs which are quality based. On the basis of value, modern entrepreneurship does not limit his definition to goods alone that would give profit to the firm but the services as well and of course those which are involved in rendering the services, the human being. Thus, skills, intelligence, knowledge and understanding are also considered values as these are used to produce the tangible produce exchanged in the firm. As Coase says, a firm thus is made up of the system of relationships when the direction of resources is dependent on the entrepreneur (393), giving it the responsibility to give value to its good relationship with the service providers. A firm is likely to survive in cases where a very short term contract would be unsatisfactory (Coase, 392) since the goal of the firm is to profit, therefore, it looks into the inclination of minimizing expenses. In contrast, the market is a system of producers, sellers and consumers in an unorganized fashion where services and goods are exchanged as the need arises in an unprecedented manner and where contracts are on a short term, if there are any. The players in this system could find people whom they could exchange goods and services depending on the prices set in the market, ending contracts in an untimely manner. Why did the network, flat structure of production not emerge before the late 20th century? Or did it? And, conversely, why were we dominated by- and infatuated with- the hierarchal (organizations) of productive entities? Flat structures of production I guess were existent even before the late 20th century however, it was not so much noticed and valued as it is today. History would show that

Assessment and care of a client with complex needs. Mental Health Essay

Assessment and care of a client with complex needs. Mental Health nursing] - Essay Example 15). This involves a methodical evaluation of the social and health care requirements of an individual who has been brought to the ‘specialist mental health services’ (Forster, 2001, p. 15). An important component of the CPA is the assigning of a service provider who will work with the client and his/her family or caregivers to evaluate needs, create and carry out a care plan. In the CPA service provider task, the nurse is largely involved in locating an array of assessment needs, several of which could be outside the own knowledge or capability of the nurse. Besides the troubles brought about by mental disorders, numerous clients with serious and chronic mental disorders will be further impaired by ‘secondary impairment’ (Bartlett & Sandland, 2007). This will lead to a kind of disability marked by difficulty carrying out daily tasks such as cooking, going to the grocery, using public transport, and so on. Professional assessments from service providers shou ld be requested. In nursing theory and practice, bipolar disorder is classified as one of the most complex mental health disorders. The best nursing care takes place during the acute illness stage and remission (Suppes & Dennehy, 2010). This paper presents a case study of the mental health condition of Ms. ... She eventually became tardy. Her performance at work began to deteriorate. Ms. M herself admitted that she has difficulty concentrating at work. She also said that she feels lost and lonely at times. Her sleep patterns also became abnormal. She sleeps late but wakes up very early. But, interestingly, she began to show more enthusiasm and energy in the morning. Her sister reported that Ms. M became short-tempered all of a sudden and has been, for the first time, openly expressing her desire to become a model. Ms. M was diagnosed with depression and alcohol related problems. Ms. M’s mental health condition may be caused by genetics or environmental factors. A depressive episode may take place without any clear cause. It could be that something stressful in Ms. M’s immediate environment caused the sudden changes in her behaviour; it could be a stressful event at work or at home. A medical condition can also cause episodes of depression, such as brain tumour or stroke (Vide beck, 2010). According to Boyd (2008), use of substance and consumption of alcohol may also activate symptoms of depression. Case Analysis The symptoms of Ms. M are indicative of bipolar disorder. An individual episode of abnormal and chronic irritable mood. During Ms. M’s episodes of mood disorder, the following symptoms of bipolar disorder have continued: difficulty concentrating; more conversational than normal; excessive energy and enthusiasm; abnormal sleeping patterns; and increased confidence (e.g. desire to enter modeling). The mood disorder is quite serious to cause noticeable disruption in occupational performance or in personal relationships. The symptoms may be triggered by alcohol related problems. Because bipolar disorder often includes depressive and manic episodes, knowledge of

Qualitative Research Critique Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Qualitative Research Critique - Essay Example I noticed that the problem statement was quite implicit, or not stated directly in this paper, which is why I used the verb "would" and put in parenthesis the word "elder" as this was not stated directly, too. But since this is an article in a journal publication, it is understood that non-detailed information that are established clearly are an accepted norm. The Purpose of the research was clearly defined in this paper. In fact, besides the already stated Problem Statement which I have supposed as the problem and the purpose in one, there is a presented secondary purpose which was "to sensitize health care professionals and other caregivers to the chronic wound experience." The Literature Review defined and detailed "phenomenological" research as well as presented at least 13 related studies on ulcer wounds, both qualitative and quantitative in approach. There is the 2000 study of Langemo, Melland, Hanson, Olson and Hunter on eight persons with pressure ulcer, Charles (1995) study of four subjects with chronic venous leg ulcers, Walshe's 1995 study of 13 participants with venous ulcers, Chase et al's 2000 study of 21 subjects with chronic venous leg ulcer, Pieper, Szczepaniak and Templin's 2000 investigation on psy-chosocial adjustment, coping, and quality of life in persons with venous ulcers from intravenous drug abuse of undisclosed number of participants or subjects, Flanagan, Rotchell, Fletcher, and Schofield's 2001 study on a focus group of health caregivers and professionals, Krasner's 1997-98 investigation on painful venous ulcers of eight participants, Chase et al's 1997 study of seven persons with venous leg ulcers, Neil's 2000 investigation using Stigma Scale, a 24-item instrument of 150 subjects with chronic wound or serious skin problem, Neil and Munja's 2000 interview of 10 participants with chronic wounds, Ribu and Wahl's 2004 study of persons with chronic wounds, Orsted, Campbell, Keast, Coutts, and Sterling's 2001 in-depth study of several people with chronic wounds, and Hodges, Keeley, and Grier's 2001 investigation on the experience of chronic illness in older adults. Most of the mentioned studies' previous findings were all present in the

Good Governance Essay Example for Free

Good Governance Essay Good Governance has 8 major characteristics. It is participatory, consensus oriented, accountable, transparent, responsive, effective and efficient, equitable and inclusive and follows the rule of law. It assures that corruption is minimized, the views of minorities are taken into account and that the voices of the most vulnerable in society are heard in decision-making. It is also responsive to the present and future needs of society. But there is one characteristic I like most, it is the Accountability. Accountability is a key requirement of good governance. Not only governmental institutions but also the private sector and civil society organizations must be accountable to the public and to their institutional stakeholders. Who is accountable to who varies depending on whether decisions or actions taken are internal or external to an organization or institution. In general an organization or an institution is accountable to those who will be affected by its decisions or actions. Accountability cannot be enforced without transparency and the rule of law. Maybe some of you will ask why is accountability important to Governance? It is because it evaluates the ongoing effectiveness of public officials or public bodies ensures that they are performing to their full potential, providing value for money in the provision of public services, instilling confidence in the government and being responsive to the community they are meant to be serving. Being accountable is also being liable, responsible for every person that affects your decision. For example, me as a Student leader we are here to serve students, to fight for their rights. Therefore, we must consider first the sake of the students before we make a decision. Because when we took our positions there is a corresponding responsibility that we must face. Reproductive Health Bill informally known as the RH Bill, are proposed laws in the Republic of the Philippines aiming to guarantee universal access to methods of contraception, fertility control, sexual education, and maternal care. For sure you are wondering why this issue is in this essay, well I believe this issue is related on being accountable. Why? Did government even consider that our country is well known to be a religious country? That, in every time they use those contraceptives they are actually killing an innocent life? They always say that this is the only way to surpass, lessen poverty. But it’s actually wrong, do they consider the effect of this or should I say to they consider themselves accountable/liable for this? Corruption is definitely one of the problems seen by the citizen and the government as well. There have been lots of controversies relative to government officials being involved with money issues. The thing is that even though there are hearings and investigations, the truth never seems to come outwhether its positive or negative news. Poverty and employment would also be among the problems. There are more people that are going hungry. Government and Us are all accountable to it. Why? We as a citizen we can make a living among ourselves because at the end of the day we are still the driver of our own life. But, as a citizen we voted those who are on the position now because we believe that they will minimize our burdens. At the point that we elect them they are already accountable. But after they got what they want all their promises turn to trash. They do things without even considering us. In the end, nothings happen. Accountability or being accountable can be achieved by putting and doing all our jobs in our hearts. Yes, it’s hard but we chose to be in this place all we need to do is face it effectively and do the best we can for the better. Don’t be scared to commit mistakes because those are our experiences and lesson learned. Remember, think first before you make a decision.

Illiberal Practices of Liberal Regimes

Illiberal Practices of Liberal Regimes Should liberal societies tolerate illiberal practices? Discuss with reference to Kukathas. Most liberal democracies would claim to be liberal societies with hardly any or no restriction on liberal practices such as freedom of speech, freedom of religious belief, or freedom of information. However, not all of the liberal societies have the same levels of illiberal practices potentially restricting the freedom of their citizens. Liberal societies need to consider whether they should tolerate illiberal practices for various pragmatic and theoretical reasons. Not all of the liberal societies are the same and therefore tolerate different levels of illiberal practices. The level of illiberal practices that liberal societies will tolerate can depend, as will be discussed, on whether there are threats to those societies than can justify illiberal practices being used to safeguard those liberal societies from greater damage. Alternatively, toleration of illiberal practices depends on whether any particular liberal society sees a need to intervene when other liberal societies would not. The following discussion, as to whether liberal societies should tolerate illiberal practices, is with reference to the arguments of Chandran Kukathas in the ‘Liberal Archipelago’ and his other works. Kukathas and his work have aroused controversy especially with regard to whether minority groups should receive extra protection or special treatment in liberal societies, for instance being able to educate their children in separated schools. Discussions of liberal societies have shifted in emphasis to pluralism and whether it should be promoted or not. That change of emphasis from past debates occurred due to a greater recognition of the increased diversity in multicultural societies and the increased social conflicts or disagreement that can entail. No liberal society is free to operate without restraints, whether those are legal restraints or illiberal practices that have evolved over time or have been applied upon an ad hoc basis. Liberal societies have to find a balance between the greatest amount of freedom for every individual within those societies with the need to maintain stability plus law and order. Liberal democracies are regarded as the best form of state that allows liberal societies to flourish with the least number of illiberal practices (Comfort, 1993 p. 345). Kukathas himself contends that although not perfect in practice that ‘democratic states have been kinder and gentler rulers’ (Kukathas, 2003 p. 195). A problem with the toleration of illiberal practices is that people’s definitions of illiberal practices differs widely and is entirely subjective. The illiberal practices of some people are the necessary and common sense measures advocated by others to maintain law and order. Liberalist me asures do not even have to be introduced by liberal societies, for instance Russia, France, and Prussia in the 18th century or present day China have adopted economic liberalism without lessening the authoritarian grip of the state (Held, 1996 p. 70). The acceptable level of illiberal practices tolerated in liberal societies is dependent on how much interference from the state in the political, economic and social spheres of societies is considered justified. Liberalism as a political, economic and social concept had evolved and changed over the centuries. Liberalism has been subject to changes and trends just like the other ideologies such as socialism and conservatism. In its original guise liberalism called for the minimum amount of state interference as possible in social and economic affairs. Liberalism contends that states were only needed to ensure that people had basic legal rights and that the property of the wealthy or businesses was protected. This classical liberalism wa s linked to the political ideas of John Locke and the economic liberalism of Adam Smith amongst others. Kukathas finds Locke’s views appealing, as Locke was a strong supporter of religious toleration and freedom of conscience (Held, 1996 p. 70). Classical liberalism stresses the freedom of individuals to do what they like, when they like and be free to use their money and their property as they like. New liberalism, which developed towards the end of the 19th century, stresses the importance of society and the role that the state has in providing welfare as well as promoting equality. Adherents of both types of liberalism claim that their form of liberalism is the true form, making the other redundant. Classical liberalism gives a greater scope for the acceptance of illiberal practices as it stresses minimum state intervention. On the other hand, new liberalism is more likely not to tolerate illiberal practices, particularly if those practices prevent welfare provision and social equality (Schumpeter, 1954 p.394). Aside from maintaining law and order plus preventing the poorest starving to death, no illiberal, or for that matter well-intentioned liberal practices, were to be tolerated, that was the belief at the centre of classical liberalism. Liberal societies emerged at different times and at different rates. Economic liberalism often emerged before political and social liberalism. This would explain how illiberal societies could embrace economic liberalism without embracing political and social liberalism. From the 19th century a more proactive form of liberalism termed new liberalism emerged that intervened in societies to tackle social and economic problems such as basic levels of welfare provision. As the 20th century progressed liberal societies embraced further interventions to ensure full employment and to counter social issues such as race and gender discrimination. The issues of diversity and multiculturalism have changed the debates over the illiberal practices that liberal societi es should tolerate. These issues have added complexity as to how illiberal is defined and whether some groups should have their illiberal practices tolerated to further diversity or whether no illiberal practices should be tolerated from any group (Bellamy in Eatwell Wright 2003 p.33). The post –war consensus on high spending liberal democracies with ever expanding social and welfare provisions, with an increasing emphasis on the pluralist nature of liberal societies was challenged by neo-liberals such as Fredrich von Hayek and John Rawls. It was such views that had a strong influence upon Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan (Bellamy in Eatwell Wright, 2003 p.39). Hayek and Rawls have also proved influential on Kukathas’ ideas concerning liberal societies tolerating illiberal practices. Rawls believes that economic liberalism needs to be combined with social justice. It is Rawls later works that interested Kukathas the most as Rawls displays libertarian views that he shares with Kukathas. Rawls thought that distinct ethnic or religious groups should receive differing levels of toleration depending â€Å"on the extent to which they can be allowed an equal place within a just system of liberty† (Rawls, 1993). Kukathas himself is an advocate of classical liberalism where state intervention is kept to the lowest possible minimum rather than later versions of liberalism in which the state intervenes more frequently to achieve set economic, social, and political aims. Kukathas has provoked debate by stating in his works that the states of liberal societies should not even intervene to promote the interests of minority ethnic or religious groups, liberal societies should only permit the toleration of these groups. Kukathas believes that the toleration accorded to such groups should not be dependent on how liberal the internal practices of such groups are. Once groups have received toleration then they can run themselves as they please as long as they are not breaking any laws. If any individual members of these groups are unhappy then they should not look to liberal societies to help them, all they need to do is leave their particular group. Liberal societies should not promote the interests o f any groups ahead of all the groups, or any particular sector within society no matter how well intended its motives are, also they should not make such treatment conditional. Toleration is beneficial to the whole of society; special treatment for individuals and groups is not. Discrimination in favour of certain groups does not benefit them in the long term and is harmful to society (Kukathas, 2003 p. 5). Kukathas regards all groups that form voluntarily to be enhancing liberal society, which includes those with illiberal practices. States are the main actors that threaten liberal society when they restrict such groups. The illiberal practices of these groups might not be illegal activities and whilst they remain within the law, no action should be taken against such groups. The motivations for such groups to form can be due to a sense of being different from the rest of society. If liberal societies are truly open and democratic, then they should accept that some people are oppos ed to the majority of the populations’ beliefs and behaviours. For people that wish to safeguard their diversity forming separate groups is a means to live how they want to live. To such groups illiberal practices are a way of maintaining their distinctiveness from the rest of their society. Groups may also believe that their illiberal practices are not illiberal at all and can be justified as part of their culture and beliefs (Kukathas, 2003 p. 36). There is one freedom that Kukathas believes that liberal societies should promote above all other freedoms and rights, which is freedom of conscience. Freedom of conscience is so important for the proper functioning of liberal societies that these societies should be prepared to tolerate illiberal practices to ensure that freedom of conscience is maintained for the maximum number of people and groups within each liberal society. Allowing freedom of conscience is perhaps the best way of achieving and maintaining a diverse and multicultural liberal society. Governments should not intervene in the internal matters of illiberal groups to remove their illiberal practices. If illiberal practices are based upon the freedom of conscience of individuals or groups then liberal societies should tolerate such practices. If individual members of such groups change their opinions and no longer accept the group’s ideological or religious viewpoints then they can leave the group. As long as i ndividual members are free to leave, then there are no reasons to end the illiberal practices of such groups (Kukathas, 2003 p.36). Kukathas does admit that some members of these groups may find it more difficult to leave than others could, for instance women and children. Women in such groups may face disadvantages such as being unable to support themselves outside of their groups through lack of education and skills. Groups may also be difficult to leave because they use propaganda to persuade doubters to remain or intimidate members into staying within the group. Kukathas again argues that liberal societies should tolerate those illiberal practices if groups ultimately allow members to leave them. As soon as illiberal practices become life threatening to members that wish to leave then it is appropriate for liberal societies to stop tolerating illiberal practices. Therefore, state intrusion into the illiberal practices of groups should be a last resort rather than undertaken lightly or with little respect for their freedom of conscience and association (Kukathas, 2003 p. 107). Kukathas contends that there are two main types of religious or social groups. There are those groups that are a ‘Union of Liberty’ and those groups that are a ‘Federation of Liberty’. States are less likely to intervene in the affairs of the Union of Liberty groups than they are to intervene with a Federation of Liberty group. Groups that are a Union of Liberty type are less likely to have illiberal practices, whilst members are more likely to be able to leave these groups without any obstructions. In contrast the groups which are Federation of Liberty type are more likely to have illiberal practices and are more likely to prevent members leaving their fold. The Union of Liberty groups are more likely to have a strategy over shared property rights and the rights of children to leave their membership, as the parents chose to join and the children did not (Kukathas, 2001 p. 43). When liberal societies opt to tolerate social and political freedoms such as freedom of religion and conscience they are voluntarily restricting their rights to intervene in the internal affairs of political or religious groups. However, the rights of states to intervene to restrict such freedoms still remain. The rights to intervene and therefore no longer tolerate illiberal practices can be used if or when groups abuse their freedoms to abuse others. Such views are put forward by those that disagree with Kukathas willingness to tolerate more illiberal practices rather than less. Kukathas’ views on pluralism and multiculturalism plus whether illiberal practices should be tolerated have been criticised by many contemporary liberal writers and academics. Those that argue against Kukathas’ views on tolerating illiberal practices most notably include Will Kymlicka. Kymlicka contends contrary to Kukathas that liberal societies are justified in denying toleration to ethnic or religious groups that have an illiberal or authoritarian hold over their members. Kymlicka sees that the majority of liberal societies tolerate illiberal practices not through choice but because of their benign negligence. Kymlicka views the tolerance of illiberal practices in liberal societies as being undesirable, especially when that the freedoms of individuals are subordinated to the freedoms of the illiberal groups that they belong to (Kymlicka, 1995 p. 239). Liberal societies should not have to tolerate illiberal practices especially when these societies have the ability to stop such illiberal practices at any point they wish to. Liberal societies should certainly end illiberal practices before the freedom and the safety of group members is at risk. Freedom of conscience should not be given priority over freedom of association or speech. At no point should liberal societies decide to place freedom of conscience above the personal safety of any of its citizens. Whilst the state in liberal societies should not have to decide on whether groups should allow their members to leave, the state does have a duty to uphold law and order or public safety or if they are under actual or potential threat. Kymlicka argues that illiberal practices are easily recognisable. Illiberal practices occur when groups â€Å"simply assign particular roles and duties to people, and prevent people from questioning or revising them† (Kymlicka, 1995 p.94). Brian Barry is another critic of the concept that liberal societies should accept or tolerate illiberal practices. Barry is arguing from a different viewpoint than Kymlicka when he criticises Kukathas for proposing that liberal societies should tolerate illiberal practices. Unlike Kymlicka, Barry is not a strong advocate of multiculturalism. In fact he argues that multiculturalism can introduce illiberal practices in to liberal societies that should not be tolerated. The basis of his arguments against the illiberal practices linked to multiculturalism are that minority ethnic and religious groups should not be allowed to exclusively educate their own children. For if these groups educate such children then they may not learn about equality and political moderation. If not monitored groups educating their own children can pass on religious and political extremism on to them. The governments of liberal societies have shown most concern over Islamic schools and the perception that they will increase illiberal practices. Muslims argue that their children are not catered for in non-Islamic schools. For instance, Britain has not provided public funding for Islamic schools, although it does for Christian and Jewish schools. In Northern Ireland, separate Roman Catholic and Protestant schools have arguably helped to maintain the sectarian divisions. By contrast, the French have kept their schools strictly secular since the revolution and will not tolerate Muslims (or any other religious group) trying to bring religious elements into schools. Education is a vital area to consider when it comes to deciding if liberal societies should tolerate illiberal practices. Therefore, deciding what should or should not be permitted and taught in schools is a highly contentious area. In the wake of the 9/11 attacks there has been a closer scrutiny of the education that Muslims receive in schools and mosques and whether tolerating illiberal practices is good or bad for the security of liberal societies (Barry, 2001). Therefore, to some extent liberal societies should tolerate illiberal practices with certain limitations to operate. Liberal societies have to maintain a balance between all the individuals and groups within them. A Liberal society usually attempts to give individuals and groups as much freedom as possible, which is what distinguishes liberal societies from illiberal societies. It should be remembered that illiberal practices are not necessarily illegal and that the state will not intervene if groups with illiberal practices keep their activities legal. Liberal societies tend to tolerate as much as they can. Toleration though has limits. Liberal societies will not tolerate illiberal practices that threaten the safety of individuals or that risk breaking down law and order or inciting violence between groups on racial, ethnic or religious grounds. There are political, social and philosophical arguments as to why illiberal practices should or should not be tolerated. Kukathas’ s trongest arguments in favour of tolerating illiberal practices is that allowing individuals or groups freedom of conscience is more important than the liberal or illiberal nature of their practices. For Kukathas toleration is the key to achieving a well- balanced diverse multicultural liberal society. Toleration is more important than making special provisions for minority groups, which are discriminatory and counter-productive. Critics of Kukathas counter his arguments by stating that liberal societies should not tolerate any illiberal practices that restrict the freedom of individuals, especially if such illiberal practices place people in danger. Much of the debate between Kukathas and his critics hinges around the rights of individuals to leave groups with illiberal practices. The thorniest issue regarding individuals leaving groups is whether children have to remain in these groups even when they did not chose to join in the first place. Kukathas contends that groups should be tolerated as long as members are free to leave. Critics of Kukathas believe that groups with illiberal practices should change those illiberal practices or at least guarantee that members can leave whenever they want to before they are tolerated within liberal societies. Critics of groups with illiberal practices point to the problems that members of these groups can face, such as not been educated, being educated with extremist views, being physically and mentally abused or simply forced to stay in these groups. Governments should not stand by and let those things happen if they can be prevented. The arguments over the toleration of illiberal practices in liberal societies have been brought in to greater focus in relation to issues concerning religious and political extremism, particularly in relation to Islam. The dividing lines between promoting diversity and multiculturalism on the one hand or appeasing to illiberal and possibly illegal practices can be blurred. Bibliography Barry B, (2001) Culture and Equality: An egalitarian critique of multiculturalism, Polity Press, Cambridge Bellamy R ‘Liberalism’ in Eatwell Wright (2003) Contemporary Political Ideologies 2nd Edition, Continuum, London Comfort N (1993) Brewer’s Politics, a phrase and fable dictionary, Cassell, London Held D, (1996) Models of Democracy 2nd edition, Polity Press, Oxford Kukathas, (2001) Can a Liberal Society Tolerate Illiberal elements? Policy 17, No. 2 Kukathas (2003) the Liberal Archipelago: A theory of Diversity and Freedom, Oxford University Press, Oxford Kymlicka W, (1995) Multicultural Citizenship, Oxford University Press

Why International Business Differs from Domestic Business

Why International Business Differs from Domestic Business It is almost common place today to find businesses venturing into international markets. Thanks to advancement in communication and information technology, this trend will most certainly persist for the predictable future. Most domestic organisations when considering expansion will usually look outside their geographical location. This usually means looking at opportunities in international markets. It is believed that managing and running a domestic business is less complex than undertaking international business for a number of reasons. Nation states typically have unique laws governing trade and investment, variations in business ethics and culture, different political systems, monetary policies, currencies and so on. And these are all possible factors that could make international business more complicated and therefore, riskier than doing business at home. In discussing the differences between international business and domestic business, it will make sense to discuss issues involved in doing business internationally which will not otherwise be present or prove as complicated as when doing business at home. International business could range from the smallest of firms with the smallest possible activities with just a single country, to a much larger world-wide organisation with more interconnected operations and strategic alliances all over the globe. Comparison are frequently made within this range, alongside other forms of international business, and these differentiations make it easier to comprehend an organisations strategy, structure, and decision making processes. A notable comparison is that between nation-wide operations, and standalone subsidiary companies which act basically as domestic organisations, and global organisations, with subsidiaries which are tightly integrated and interconnected; like double ends of a band, with multiple openings in the middle. However, it will be less likely that you will find organisations at any one end of the band because, nowadays, companies frequently mix elements of domestic activities with those of global operations. Domestic versus international business All enterprise, whether domestic or international, and in all sector, have the same business aims; which is to be successful in its functions in order to be able to stay operational. In what ways, can we say that international business is distinguishable from domestic business? One can say loosely that the difference is mainly about location; domestic businesses exist and do business within a nation while international businesses exist and do business beyond those national boundaries. Typically, most countries have unique systems of government, laws, monetary policies, cultural differences, etc. For example, someone travelling to a new place on a visit will be required to be in possession of the right travel documents, have the appropriate foreign currency, some basic understanding of the local language (or device a way to interact with people),etc. Similarly, an individual or organisation going to do business in a different land will be faced with many such issues, making it potenti ally more difficult if he was to stay domestic. I am going to spend the next few sections of this essay comparatively discussing some of these issues which makes doing business internationally different from doing it domestically . International trade and investment theories A good place to start painting a picture of international business is to have a general conception of why business takes place beyond national borders. We can examine trade and investment as an expression of the comparative advantage of nations. That is, to suggest that every nation will usually be exceptionally excellent at producing some sort of goods or services or both. This is what is known as a countrys comparative advantage and it is based on a nations ample factors of production, such as land, labour, and capital. A country will therefore export such products and services that draw more on its rich factors of production. Take for example, labour and capital, two factors of production, and two countries, A and B. Country A may have a wealth of human resources and country B, a comparative richness in capital. It will therefore make sense for country A to export products or services that draw on labour intensively. Country B on the other hand, could export products or services t hat require a lot of capital. This is a rather one-dimensional way of looking at it. Many factors of production abound and in varying amount and will usually have more impact on trade. However, this is a an ideal point to start to get a clearer picture of what countries need in exchange for what they might in turn be able to supply to other countries. The flow of investment, one of the most versatile and mobile of all factors of production, can also be better explained by this comparative advantage concept. So, a country rich in capital but not enough labour force may want to invest in another country with abundance of labour but less capital to take advantage of that countryà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s richness in labour. Differences in business environment When a business takes its operations outside its national borders, the business environment changes. Clearly, an organisation will haveà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"inside-outà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ knowledge of its domestic environment, but this will rarely be the case when it decides to go international. Understanding the business environment of the foreign country is crucial to the successful launch of an international firm. Therefore, organisations must commit to a greater extent, time and resources in order to understand the new environment. Below are some of the business environments that may affect international business, their complexity are the main distinction between international and domestic operations. Economic environment The economic environment changes as you move from country to another. There are generally three main categories of world economies; the developed nations, the developing or third world nations and the emerging economies. These classifications are usually based on the gross domestic product per capital (GDP) income of the nations. Within these economies exist huge gaps in the standard of living, educational standards, health care provision (from excellent health care system in a developed country, for example, to a complete lack of such facilities in a developing or poor country), trade standards and culture. Additionally, one could also classify nation states by such activities as: Free-market economies; those markets where there is very little or no interference from the central government and demand and supply determines whats produced and sold for what price. Centrally planned economies; where government controls production and price. or Mixed market economies; where some activities are determined by market forces and some controlled by government. Since the last part of the 20th century we have seen significant move to free-market economies globally. However, countries like China, Russia and a few other communist inclined societies, have maintained mostly centrally projected economies, with most business activities remaining under the direct influence of the government. The level of government control of the market, available infrastructure, political climate, etc, impacts the business environment and organisations venturing into international market will need to be aware of this to be effective. Political environment Different types of government, the relationship between government and business, and the political hazard in a country all impact the environment in which people do business. Organisations doing business internationally will have to deal with different types of political authority, one that may be radically different from its home country, with varied legislation and different degrees of risk. The political system of one country may be different from that of another; unilateral states, multi-party republics, monarchies, dictatorships, etc exist in various forms from place to place. There are also differences in the way power changes among countries worldwide. Some happen through some sort of democratic election process, military coups, regime change through war, and so on. The relationship between government and businesses also varies from country to country. Some countries favour capitalism, and business may be seen as a positive catalyst for development. It may also have a negative outlook in some places where it may be seen as exploitative particularly when firms from rich countries takes advantage of cheap labour in disadvantaged countries. The biggest issue that international business needs to grapple with in terms of the political environment is the level of political risk. Some countries have unstable government, uncertain legislation, occasional or frequent social unrest, high level of corruption, acts of terrorism, war, etc, which could make doing business very difficult and dangerous. However, some organisation may particularly find it more attractive to do business in high risk zones as the financial rewards will usually be exceptionally high. For example a firm supplying security personnel may see a country at war an opportunity despite the high risk. An international organisation therefore needs to be aware of the political environment in the foreign country order to function successfully. Cultural environment Culture is one crucial and complex part of the international business environment. The complexity of culture lies in its abstract nature. According to Kluchohn and Strodtbeck (1961), culture can be conceptualised as a body of general beliefs, values shared by a group of people. Common beliefs and values shared by a people are usually as a result of common history, religious beliefs, educational background, geography, etc. International businesses therefore will seek to understand these elements that make up peoples beliefs and values in the foreign location. Some scholars have proposed various models of culture. Hofstede (1980), developed one of such models. He posited a four dimensional cultural values which included masculinity, power distance, avoidance of uncertainty and individualism. According to Hofstede (1980), masculinity refers to the extent to which a country consents to traditional male or female values. Power distance means the extent to which a society acknowledges differences in power. Avoidance of uncertainty is the extent to which society shows willingness to acknowledge and handle uncertainty. And individualism refers to the level to which a country respects and promotes individual action. The application of this model by Hofstede has been extensive in its use as it makes available data for a range of countries. It has also proved popular among academics and managers who find it useful in researching management styles that may be suitable in a number of cultures. Competitive environment The cultural, political and economic environment affects in part the changes in competitive environment from one nation to another. One can say that the environmental elements collectively determines to a large extent the level of competition that exist within a nation or internationally Competition may have different roots. It could come from small or large companies, operating in both private and public sectors, domestic or global, and so on. Organisations may find it easier to understand their competition when operating domestically as opposed to when operating in foreign territory. In the UK for instance, most businesses are owned privately and competition is usually among companies in this sector. Countries like china on the other hand have mostly state-owned companies. Therefore, a UK company doing business in China may end up with competition from state-owned organisation which could lead to tremendous change in the competitive environment. Types of competition faced by businesses will change according to location. Some countries may encourage competition or discourage it in order to favour some sort of cooperation, state legislations in some societies may allow or forbid certain competitive activities. International firms will therefore, need to grasp these issues that can affect the business competitive environment. Technological advancement and innovation has helped create more competitive advantage in today business, as a result, companies are increasingly vying for access to latest technological development. The internet has made it easier for businesses of all sizes to gain global exposure and expand their market. Nevertheless, it is worth noting that some countries are more receptive than others when it comes to technological innovations. Differences in modes of entry There are different ways that organisations can do business internationally. It could be through exports, outsourcing, joint ventures, franchising and so on. Exports are probably the most common form of entry option for organisations considering international business. Outsourcing on the other hand has also become very popular in the last couple of decades particularly in the technology sector. Effective outsourcing requires careful consideration and concise definition of the terms of the contract. For example both parties to the outsourcing agreement need to be clear as to what is expected of them right from the onset. Outsourcing are used frequently by organisations that provide specialised services, such as management, technical knowledge, engineering, information technology, education, and so on, usually for a contractual period of time and fee. Outsourcing contracts are particularly appealing for firms as it allows the opportunity to provided services utilising talents that they would otherwise not have. Contracts maybe long-term or short-term, leaving room for flexibility and because the cost of the contract are usually fixed, income forecasts are easier to make. One shortcoming however, is that, due to the short-term nature of the contracts, organisations utilising outsourcing will constantly need to be involved new business negotiation which are usually a many month process and often requires more money and specialist negotiation skill. Another issue international business need to consider is that of licensing. Different countries have different rules governing such things as patents, copyrights, trademarks, etc. Organisations need to be aware of the various licensing laws in the country they operate in. Franchising involves selling or buying whole business operational rights. What makes a franchise valuable is typically the name, product and perhaps a tradition. Most franchises will usually have set requirements, terms and conditions for granting a franchise license. This could be a very complicated process when been considered outside national borders. Joint ventures are about partnerships. It enables a firm to invest in another country with only a share of the responsibility. The amount of responsibility will usually depend on the level of investment. For instance, there could more organisations involved in a single venture where they are all partners. The level of responsibility will be determined by their stake. Deciding on whom to go into partnership with is very crucial. Agreement need to be struck at the onset on such issues as what the objectives of the venture will be and how conflicts will be resolved. Joint ventures can be a great entry choice for international business if done properly. Conclusion Doing business is a lot more complex when in foreign land than when at home as we can see from the discussions above. There is no doubt that entry into international business has become easier for organisations due to a more wide spread liberalisation and relaxation of trade laws, and of course, immense advancement in high tech. However, an organisation desirous of entering into international business has more environmental issues to contend with in addition to issues of actually running the business. Treading into international market is very delicate and organisations will need to take into consideration virtually all issues in their desired location. In other words, no stone can left unturned or ignored as doing so will jeopardise their chances of success.

Scandle in the church :: essays research papers

Headlines were captured in February by the tragic reports that as many as seventy priests in the Archdiocese of Boston, Massachusetts, allegedly have abused young people whom they were consecrated to serve. In the wake this news, allegations of sexual abuse by Catholic priests have sprung up nationwide. It is a huge scandal, one that many people who dislike the Catholic Church because of its moral teachings are using to claim that the Church is hypocritical and that they were right all along. Many people have come up to priests like myself to talk about it. I imagine many others have wanted to but have refrained out of respect or from not wanting to bring up bad news. We need to tackle the issue head-on. We cannot pretend it doesn't exist, and I would like to discuss what our response as faithful Catholics should be to this terrible situation. The Judas syndrome The first thing we need to do is to understand this scandal from the perspective of our faith in the Lord. Before he chose his first disciples, Jesus went up the mountain to pray all night (Luke 6:12). He had many followers at the time. He talked to his Father in prayer about whom he should choose to be his twelve apostles-the twelve whom he would form intimately, the twelve whom he would send out to preach the good news in his name. He gave them power to cast out demons. He gave them power to cure the sick. They watched him work countless miracles. They themselves worked countless others in his name. Yet one of them tuned out to be a traitor. One who had followed the Lord-who had seen him walk on water and raise people from the dead and forgive sinners, one whose feet the Lord had washed-betrayed him. The gospels tells us that Judas allowed Satan to enter into him and then sold the Lord for thirty pieces of silver, handing him over by faking a gesture of love. "Judas," Jesus said to him in the garden of Gethsemane, "would you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?" (Luke 24:48). Jesus didn't choose Judas to betray him. But Judas was always free, and he used his freedom to allow Satan to enter into him, and by his betrayal Jesus was crucified and executed. But God foresaw this evil and used to accomplish the ultimate good: the redemption of the world.

international terrorism :: essays research papers

After reading Martha Crenshaw’s essay on The Causes of Terrorism, thoughts were provoked that allowed me to look at the causes of terrorism from an entirely new perspective. It took my preconceived notions and feelings towards terrorism out of the picture and really let me look at the subject from a balanced point of view. I found this appealing because I have never been able to comprehend how there could be rational justifications to such a harsh reality. It really motivated me to try and understand more about such a complex subject.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This essay explained settings for terrorism, reasons for terrorism, and individual motivation and participation. All three of which made me think of the America before the constitution, before equal rights were assured to all individuals. These privileges did not come for free; we had to fight for them.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In settings for terrorism, the author talked about subgroups of larger populations that may be discriminated against, or suppressed and not given equal opportunity for political participation. These particular situations may be conducive to terrorist organization and activity. These were some of the same settings for the causes of wars in America’s history, from the American Revolution, to the Civil War. During the American Revolution fighters for their cause were not looked at as terrorist although they did participate in, what was considered at that time to be, unconventional warfare which most consider today to be a personality of terrorism.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Reasons for terrorism are more complex. One intention of a terrorist organization may be to provoke a counter reaction from the government, to increase publicity for the terrorists’ cause, and to demonstrate that criticism of the regime is well founded. The terrorists mean to force the state to show its true repressive face, thereby driving the people into the arms of the challengers. September 11, 2001 was an excellent example of this. After the attacks, Americans were outraged and emotional. Action had to be taken to revenge the lives lost and to ensure our national security. Everyone seemed vulnerable now, more than ever. America’s fight against terrorism led to the invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq, and at the same time America tried to spread democracy in, previously, undemocratic countries. The intention of the Al Qaeda to strike fear in their target population was only the beginning of what they were able to accomplish. Al Qaeda showed the world that their criticism of America’s attempt to force democracy throughout the world was true. international terrorism :: essays research papers After reading Martha Crenshaw’s essay on The Causes of Terrorism, thoughts were provoked that allowed me to look at the causes of terrorism from an entirely new perspective. It took my preconceived notions and feelings towards terrorism out of the picture and really let me look at the subject from a balanced point of view. I found this appealing because I have never been able to comprehend how there could be rational justifications to such a harsh reality. It really motivated me to try and understand more about such a complex subject.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This essay explained settings for terrorism, reasons for terrorism, and individual motivation and participation. All three of which made me think of the America before the constitution, before equal rights were assured to all individuals. These privileges did not come for free; we had to fight for them.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In settings for terrorism, the author talked about subgroups of larger populations that may be discriminated against, or suppressed and not given equal opportunity for political participation. These particular situations may be conducive to terrorist organization and activity. These were some of the same settings for the causes of wars in America’s history, from the American Revolution, to the Civil War. During the American Revolution fighters for their cause were not looked at as terrorist although they did participate in, what was considered at that time to be, unconventional warfare which most consider today to be a personality of terrorism.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Reasons for terrorism are more complex. One intention of a terrorist organization may be to provoke a counter reaction from the government, to increase publicity for the terrorists’ cause, and to demonstrate that criticism of the regime is well founded. The terrorists mean to force the state to show its true repressive face, thereby driving the people into the arms of the challengers. September 11, 2001 was an excellent example of this. After the attacks, Americans were outraged and emotional. Action had to be taken to revenge the lives lost and to ensure our national security. Everyone seemed vulnerable now, more than ever. America’s fight against terrorism led to the invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq, and at the same time America tried to spread democracy in, previously, undemocratic countries. The intention of the Al Qaeda to strike fear in their target population was only the beginning of what they were able to accomplish. Al Qaeda showed the world that their criticism of America’s attempt to force democracy throughout the world was true.

The Ineffectiveness of the Film Ratings System :: Movie Film Essays

John Small, a fourteen year old boy in Uptown St. Paul, proceeds into the Suburban World Cinema, anxious to see Abel Ferrara's Bad Lieutenant. He is equipped with a parental note, replete with the phone number where his parents can be reached to verify that they did indeed author the note should its authenticity be questioned. John pushes seven crumpled-up dollar bills and the folded note into the metal dugout under the box office window, only to be met with a tinny, disinterested voice booming through the round silver speaker mounted on the window: "No children under seventeen allowed! Sorry. This note isn't gonna cut it." The incident exemplifies a pressing issue in the ever-topical discussion of the oft-vilified film rating classification system in our country. Is the movie rating system, originally designed to assist parents in guiding the movie-going habits of their children, actually preempting parental choice? To at least some people, however, Jack Valenti, the man responsible for devising the Motion Picture Association of America and the National Association of Theatre Owners, is leading the effort, as editorialist James Wall put it, "to protect children" (1227). Valenti wrote, "The voluntary Movie Rating System has one objective: to issue advance cautionary warnings to parents so they can make their own decisions about what movies their children should or should not see. No one -- appointed, anointed, or elected -- ought to insert themselves into individual parental decisions" (87). But the film classification system, designed to assist parents in making decisions about their offspring's film patronage, often thwarts that very purpose and, in the process, actually stifles the creativity and honesty of the film industry as well. Although Valenti and the Rating System's advocates claim that parents should have the final choice in what their children view, the system may, in practice, obstruct that purpose for parents who decide that their children should see some films. For films with the controversial NC-17 rating, the theatre is prevented from letting young John Small and his under-aged ilk from seeing a film despite his parents' permission. In fact, had John actually been accompanied by his parents, the theatre would have had every right -- some would even say responsibility -- to refuse his admission. The printing of the NC-17 rating often does not read -- as would be reasonable -- "Intended for Adults Only" but rather the more rigid "Not to be Attended by Children Under Seventeen.

Argumentative Paper- Innocent Until Proven Guilty

More than 20 years ago, Troy Davis, an African-American man from Georgia, was convicted of shooting and killing an off-duty police officer and sentenced to death. Several years later, seven out of nine eyewitnesses altered or completely recanted their stories (Troy). There was an obvious lack of evidence linking Davis to the crime. His legal team argued that he was Just in the â€Å"wrong place at the wrong time† (Troy). The U. S. Supreme Court repeatedly ruled against Davis' appeals for a new trial. Davis was ultimately executed based on the original Jury verdict.Troy Davis maintained his innocence until his death by lethal injection on September 21, 2011. His last words to the family of the murdered officer were, â€Å"All I can ask is that you look deep into this case so you can really find the truth† (Troy). There are a countless number of convicts like Troy Davis that are sentenced to death, but insist they are innocent. How do we know if they are truly guilty or n ot? Just because a Jury finds a person guilty, does not mean they are. From 1976-2005, 119 people were released from death row with evidence of their innocence Cost).This hooked push lawmakers to abolish capital punishment, also known as, the death penalty. There are several reasons why the U. S. Should abolish the death penalty. First, and most obvious, the Innocent may be wrongly executed. There Is proof of wrongfully executed people. Yes, It Is very rare but it has happened before. Secondly, some Jurors are reluctant to convict If It meaner putting someone to death (Should). It Is bad enough to convict someone of a crime they did not do, sentencing an Innocent person to Jail time. Sentencing an Innocent person to death, Is an even more guilt- earning act.Meaning, some Jurors will not convict at all If they know they will have anything to do with putting a person to death. It may be because of their religious beliefs, uncertainty, or anything of that nature. Lastly, capital punish ment Is much more expensive than life In prison. It costs around $500,000 to keep a person In prison (Reasons). Executions cost approximately $2 million per person (Reasons). A large amount of this money comes from the taxpayers! Many people are for capital punishment and have strong beliefs on why It should stay In the U. S.First, the death penalty gives closure to the families of slain vellums (Should). They feel like Justice has been served. Secondly, It contributes to the problem of overpopulation In the prison system (Should). It Is true all U. S. And state federal prisons are overpopulated, some as much as 33% (U. S. ). Another reason people are pro-capital punishment, Is because DNA testing Is now available and can now effectively eliminate almost all uncertainty as to a person's guilt or Innocence (Should). Many people who opposed the death penalty are now for It, all because of the availability of DNA testing.They think If DNA proves a person Is guilty, then they are guilty . However, what If there Is not any DNA evidence, but other evidence linking a person to a crime such as, an eyewitness? Executing the murderer of a volt will give closure to the velum's family. What If simply meaner the real murderer is out on the street and able to take more lives. Pro capital punishment activists believe executing death row inmates will help solve the overpopulation problem in the U. S prisons. Obviously, yes it would but why would you want to think of a person as a waste of space?That person could actually be innocent and ultimately executed to help with the overpopulation Just because he was wrongfully convicted. Pro capital punishment activists also believe since DNA evidence is available now, there is almost no way a person can be wrongfully convicted. However, like Troy Davis' trial, some cases have no DNA evidence linking to them to a crime. WSDL you still execute them? The United States is ranked fifth in the world behind China, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Ira q, among the number of executions (Death).

Responsibilities of a team leader Essay

Four responsibilities of a team leader in our organization: 1. Food alert files (Health and Safety, Food and Safety). First of all, to make sure that all work environment is safe for employees and customers. Second, to check if all departments are providing good Food alert standards set by government at work place. As well, to make sure that all legally required documents would be up to date. 2. Communication. All team leaders constantly need to be in good communicational skills, if you want to run successful business. Everyday you have to communicate with Head office as well as other restaurants, to know what’s happening in all company, using phones or e-mails. And don’t forget to pass important news for team members. Inside the house, usually, Managers team is communicating though the LogBook, and with team members during briefing times before sifts. 3. Motivation is the driving force, which help courses us to achieve goals. Leaders using motivation will satisfy individual needs and team will have inspiration to complete the tasks. It’s very important point in running business. Depending on how motivated teams are, it may further determine the effort they put into their work and therefore increase the standard of the output. 4. Presenting good example and standards or the company. Team Leader always needs to be as example how to act at work, and that other team members would be able to take some experience. If everyone will represent good company standards and will look after the customers well, they will not only think well of the team but also of the company in general. Two examples of the problems you would need to refer to someone with more authority: 1. Racism. It is illegal to discriminate against anyone of the grounds of their race. If it would happen in work place, management team needs to investigate. Just GM or Head office member has authority to take action on  such a complaint. 2. Reconstruction. Every business has yearly budgets, if someone wants to reconstruct the building outside or inside it has to be approved by GM. Feedback on own performance Collected feedback to identify one of my strengths as a team leader and one area for improvement: †¢ Strength – Organized team supporter. Always supporting team and showing organizational skills. †¢ Area for improvement: rudeness, toughness. Sometimes, choosing wrong way of speaking + plus very demanding on the things to be done. Establishing trust One thing to describe what you can do to establish and maintain trust within the team you lead: Respect for others. One of the most important points to work on. If it will be trust and understanding in the team, there will be respect and good atmosphere for work, witch will course business to run smooth. To maintain trust you have to work on couple of following points: †¢ Time- set aside time to be with these people, work with them, talk with them and even play with them. In the end you will gradually start to realize that there personality or point of view aren’t that hard to get along with after all. †¢ Patience – The truth is that the best people, the smartest people and the most successful people take a good long look at other people and express empathy and selflessness towards the people they associate with. †¢ Listening- always to have time to listen for the others, to step aside and to take a look at their opinion. Maybe some examples can be even better then yours. †¢ Laughing- it’s one of the important points, to build the team, not just to be a working robots. With the laugh in the teamwork will run perfectly, plus good relaxed atmosphere. †¢ Honesty- if you will be honest with them, they will be the same with you.

Online Shopping Essay

Online shopping has become a popular shopping method ever since the internet has declared a takeover. There are many individuals that are looking for other amazing alternatives shopping and online shipping is just the fix for that. There are many advantages of online shopping; this is the reason why online stores are a booming business today. If there are advantages, most likely there will be disadvantages. Despite the success of purchasing through online shopping stores, there are still some disadvantages that most people complain about. The advantages There are many advantages of internet shopping, firstly is it save time. Do you have the specific list that you want to buy? With just a couple of clicks of the mouse, you can purchase your shopping orders and instantly move to other important things, which can save time. Second is save fuel. The market of fuel industries battles from increasing and decreasing its cost every now and again, but no matter how much the cost of fuel are it does not affect your shopping errands. One of the advantages of shopping online is that there is no need for vehicles, so no purchase of fuel necessary. Third is save energy. We admit it, it is tiresome to shop from one location and transfer to another location. What is worse is that there are no available stocks for the merchandise you want to buy. In online shopping, you do not need to waste your precious energy when buying. Forth is comparison of price, the advanced innovation of search engine allows you to easily check prices and compare with just a few clicks. It is very straightforward to conduct price comparisons from one online shopping website to another. This gives you the freedom to determine which online store offers the most affordable item you are going to buy. Fifth is available in any time. Online shopping stores are open round the clock of 24/7, 7 days a week and 365 days. It is very rare to find any conventional retail stores that are open 24/7. The availability of online stores give you the freedom to shop at your own pace and convenience. Sixth is no need to waiting in lines. When buying items online, there are no long lines you have to endure, just to buy your merchandise. The idea of shopping online is cutting down those bad habits of standing in a long line and just waiting. Every online store is designed with unique individual ordering features to purchase the item. Lastly is easy to search merchandise you want to buy. You are able to look for specific merchandise that includes model number, style, size, and colour that you want to purchase. In addition, it is easy to determine whether the products are available or out of stock. The disadvantages There are few disadvantages of internet shopping despite of advantages. Firstly is personally check the item. If you are one of those shoppers who want to touch, see, and test the product personally, at online shopping, you are not able to do so. Online stores are only showing product description and photos of the merchandise, which can be a disadvantage for many online shoppers. Second is diminished instant satisfaction. Unlike buying at retail stores, you are able to use the product instantly after you buy it, which can be satisfying. However, online shopping requires patience to wait for the item to arrive at your door step about 2 to 3 days or even longer depending on the location you’ve ordered it from.

Developmental Delays and Trauma Essay

Developmental delays is when your child does not reach their developmental milestones at the projected times. It is an ongoing major or minor delay in the course of development. Developmental delays can have many different causes. There are many types of Developmental delays in children; they include problems with language or speech, vision, movement (motor skills), social, emotional and cognitive skills (van der Kolk, 1995). Developmental delays are easily distinguished if you pay close attention to the development and milestone periods contained by children; for example if you notice a child having a low attention span, they can’t stay still, they’re highly active and energetic all the time, that’s perhaps due to attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, known as ADHD. There are so many different things that can cause developmental delays and children aren’t always born with developmental delays. Although, developmental delays can be genetic or born with , there are times when trauma at different ages can cause developmental delays such as a child being abused and suffering brain trauma, concussion, which could cause memory lost. Or there could be an accident and a child or adult undergo serious injuries to the spine, eyes, etc. Spinal injuries can be of damage to you motor skills. Spinal injuries or brain injuries if serious can lead to you basically having to start over as if you were a baby learning to walk, read, jump, or talk. The Shaken baby syndrome also can be a trauma that can cause brain injuries. There are numerous of things that have major components to play in developmental delays. Trauma definitely plays a one of those major parts in developmental delays. There are a number of Trauma’s that can cause development delays. It doesn’t always have to be abuse or accidents. Trauma can be caused by divorce, neglect, bullying, sports injuries, or even bad relationship breaks up. These types of trauma are called psychological trauma. Psychological  traumas effects are mostly emotional and it isn’t always permanent. Psychological trauma causes anger, irritability; mood swings, guilt, hopeless, anxiety, withdrawing, and disconnected to name a few. For divorce, Feldman says (2011) ch ildren and adults may experience depression, and disturbances and phobias and these things last from 6 months up until 2 years. Feldman states children whose parents are divorcing blames themselves for the breakup. He also states, evidence shows that twice as many children of divorced parents enter psychological counseling (Feldman, 2011). Children under the age 18 suffer 40% more anxiety as a result of divorce (van der Kolk, 1995). About 10-15 percent of students are bullied one time or the other (Feldman, 2011) and almost 85% of girls and 80% of boys are being bullied (Feldman, 2011). Those who are bullied lack social skills, cry easy (Feldman, 2011), and they experience depression, stress, anger, etc. Prayer and meditation help brain activity. Mediation to the mind is like an aerobic exercise to the body. Studies have also shown that meditation promotes mindfulness, decreased stress, insomnia, illnesses, depression, anxiety and panic. Spiritual connection brings comfort and healing to trauma. Researchers are learning the parts of the brain that are responsible for the spiritual thoughts, prayer and meditation. In one of our presentations his week, Dr. Jeanne Brooks stated that we have a spir itual part in our brain (2014). There are good and bad parts to everyone, I believe the good part is the spiritual part in everyone. For example, we’ve all seen cartoons in which there was a devil on one shoulder and an angel on the other. The shoulder with the angel is the part of us, the part of our brain or conscious that’s spiritual. References Brooks, Jeanne Dr. â€Å"Divorce and Stress† video presentation. LUO (2014) Feldman, R.S. (2014). Development across the Life Span (7th edition) Namka,, L. (2001). Children who are traumatized by bullying. alk, Trust and Feel Therapeutics., p. 18. Van Der Kolk, an der Kolk, B. (1995). developmental trauma disorder : Towards a rational diagnosis for children with complex trauma histories.

Selecting a Disciple-Maker's Message Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Selecting a Disciple-Maker's Message - Essay Example These are tradition, observation, participation, and inspiration (Servants of Grace, The Disciple-Maker’s Message). To further discuss these points that the author made, tradition was used to pertain to the teaching and doctrines God relayed to his disciples when he was still alive. This source is a basis of credibility that needs to be established by any evangelist to ensure that the message truly came from God and is not any person’s own understanding or interpretation of God’s word which is subject to error. Also, in being able to cite certain scriptures from the Bible that directly came from God’s word would mean the avoidance of false teachings or prophecies. Observation, the second source to which a disciple-maker should shape his or her message from is also very significant in such a way that one is able to know how to approach one’s audience. People who still do not have any knowledge of God’s word would take a spiritual message diffe rently because of what they were taught, where they came from, what they are currently going through and etc. With this said, being able to shape an effective message that would open their hearts to God would entail knowing which among God’s promises in Bible to highlight. ... This will not only give them hope but also make them realize that no matter what kind of past they have, it is never too late to get to know our loving God. The final source is inspiration, which for me, means praying and allowing the Holy Spirit to speak through you. This for me is also a very important reminder that what you are doing is for God’s glory and not your own. When it comes to the forms of a disciple-maker’s message, Mitchell suggests tackling forms such as the subject matter, environment, life experiences, and one’s own life as a model (Servants of Grace, The Disciple-Maker’s Message). The subject matter is the main message that the disciple wants to convey. Being able to choose a specific topic is key in being able to convey a simple and yet clear message your audience can easily understand and absorb. Environment pertains to one’s choice of audience, where knowing their behavior and experiences can be very helpful in shaping an effec tive message. The third & fourth form, which is life experience & the communicators’ life/message are basically a sharing of testimonials to help the audience know how to apply God’s word into real life which is at most tricky for all of us and yet is a very good source of inspiration that despite the impossibility of living a Christian life, our loving and forgiving God gives us the grace to do so. 2 With all these said, I could see so many teachings in the Bible that corresponds to the points Mitchell made in shaping an effective evangelical message. According to 1 Corinthians 2:6, â€Å"We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing† (Bible Gateway, 1

Governance, Regulation and Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Governance, Regulation and Ethics - Essay Example Fox quickly gets used to rape, murder and follow no ethical principles. Finally, going up a career ladder turns into a destructive downfall of Bud Fox. A voice of clear mind and wisdom is echoed in his ears sometimes†¦this is a voice of his father, an ordinary airline mechanic. This film is often characterized as a symbolic embodiment of political and economic situation of those years. Gordon Gekko’s character depicted by Douglas is a collective image of moral degradation drowned in corruption of the majority of businessmen and politicians. It is generally accepted that greed is considered to be a perfect theme for discussion in filmmaking industry. This kind of discussion appeals to the inner world of the viewers and shows what ‘good’ is and what ‘evil’ is in the world. In 90s stock market made people insane. They would risk their reputations and lives for profits. Financial conditions of America perfectly depicted in the Wall Street movie predi cted financial collapse of stock market in some years. The director of the film Oliver Stone shows an ethical lesson to his viewers: an improper attention to the details of business in stock market may result in the market collapse. Authorities didn’t care much about the process of business doing they were focused on potential benefits and profits and neglected procedures of daily routine in the market of shares (Ross, 2005). Ethical issues are neglected by Bud Fox as well. His consciousness is concealed from moral or ethical considerations. He is interested in monetary profits only. On the example of the main characters’ behaviors (Gekko and Fox) the director shows that they didn’t have right to behave in such a way and neglect generally accepted moral and ethical norms and rules (Wall Street Movies Hit Big Screen, 2010). Corporate America has a dark side drowned in corruption and ethical neglect (Geisst 1999, p. 23; Jordan, 2003). The main characters are drive n by Machiavelli’s claim that the end justifies the means. This great ancient philosopher justified the actions of the authorities in the name of their reached goals. But Machiavelli’s claim if not misinterpreted should be followed by any ruler. It should be explained in the following way: the end justifies the means, i.e. there is no need to stop before obstacles in order to reach success. Thus moral degradation and ethical neglect of the main characters would be hardly justified by Machiavelli. If to consider law breach of main characters from the perspective of legal regulations, their behavior may be considered from criminal liability regulations assigned to corporations, such as The  Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977  (FCPA) developed in USA and UK Bribery Act (2010). The former document deals with two main claims of the document such as accounting transparency requirements and a point concerning bribery  of  foreign officials (Differences between corp orate offences regulations). Starting from 2010 UK has updated these regulations and introduced stricter regulations for international companies or UK companies acting in the international arena. The UK Act extends the limits of criminal liability to senior officers of a company in case there are offences of regulatory or criminal nature (Differences between corporate offences regulations). Moreover, criminal liability applied for companies may be clarified by Companies Act 1967. In accordance with this Act, company may be responsible for financial, labor or