Durga Puja Essay

One of the biggest social events of India, Durga Puja is considered the main festival for Bengalis. It is a ten-day carnival in West Bengal, the eastern state of India. Magnificently created puja pandals are erected at every other street of Kolkata, the capital city of West Bengal. Every pooja pandal is unique in its own terms, with beautiful patterns that are true delight to the eyes. A spurt of fanfare can be sensed all through the ten days, especially on the last four days of the festival. Bengalis in the metro city rejoice to their heart’s content. They consider the festival as a wonderful occasion to reconnect to their family and friends. The air is filled with festivity, during the season. In the following lines, we have provided information on the celebrations of Durga Puja in Kolkata. Durga Pooja Celebrations In Kolkata Preparations The preparations of the festival commence one or two months in advance. Puja bonus (extra money apart from the salary) is given to the employees of both government and private organizations, in Kolkata, since the bread-winner of the family brings in clothes and furbishes for the home, during the festive season. Pre-pooja bargain sales are displayed by shops, as they cash in a lot during the festival. Every household prepares itself to welcome the season, with great enthusiasm. Pre-Puja Celebrations Celebrations of the festival start with Mahalaya, the first phase of the waxing moon in Aswin. During the time, about thousands of people offer prayers to their ancestors at the city’s river banks. This ritual is referred to as ‘Tarpan’. The festive mood builds up in the people, when Dhakis (drummers) belonging to the countryside start gathering near the city. The local Puja organizers are attracted by the feathered drums played by the drummers. Making Of Idol While the festival was celebrated within the families some times back, it has taken the shape of a community festival, celebrated at Puja pandals. The  construction of the deity of Goddess Durga and other gods start a couple of months prior to the festival. A place in the north Kolkata – Kumartuli is famous for the production of beautiful idols made of clay. This is the region, where expert artisans show their dexterity of making idols of Goddess Durga, the demon Mahisasura, Lord Kartik, Lord Ganesha, Goddess Saraswati and Goddess Lakshmi, required for the festival. Construction Of Puja Pandal Puja pandal is the main attraction of Durga Puja. Many people are expert at making magnificent Puja pandal, (the covered huge stage for the Puja), by using paper, wood, bamboos, clothes and other materials. They come up with a number of innovative ideas every year and cash in a lot of money by erecting the Puja pandals that comprise of mesmerizing art work. Some pandals are also built as the replica of world-famous structures. Celebrations On The Main Days Of Puja The main days of Durga Puja are seventh, eight, ninth and the tenth day. The festival picks up pace on the sixth day – Maha Shashti. The long and details rituals of the Puja start on the seventh day. An expert priest is called upon to chant mantras, shlokas and perform aarti and offerings at the Puja pandal. Apart from the rituals, cultural activities such as song and dance competitions and games are also organized during the last four days of the festival. Professional singers are called upon to sing bhajans and stuti, to praise Goddess Durga. Outside the pandal, the city is illuminated with display of sparkling and colorful lights. Educational institutions and offices are closed during the four main days of Durga Puja. To put it in simple words, it can be said that Durga Pooja is the greatest festival of Kolkata.

Business Ownership Essay

There are three different forms of business ownership, the Sole Proprietorship, the Partnership, and the Corporation. Each of these businesses have major advantages and disadvantages. The sole proprietorship is a business which is owned and managed by one individual. Some of its advantages are, the ease of formation, its management control, and its distribution of profits. Some of the disadvantages are, its unlimited liability, the lack of continuity, the capital requirements. Let’s begin with the advantages. A sole proprietorship is very easy to create. Anyone who wants their own business simply needs to get the necessary licenses from, for example, the state, the county, and/or their local government. After he or she obtain these licenses, he/she can begin operating their business. In a sole proprietorship, the sole proprietor has full control over his/her operations. Because he/she has this control, they can respond quickly to the changes that may occur in the market. This is a great motivator for a sole proprietor because he/she can keep up with the trends. The sole proprietor also owns all the profits that his/her business takes in. They themselves own the business and therefore do not have to distribute the profits with anyone else. The only thing that he/she needs to do with the profits is pay the company expenses and the rest is theirs to do with as they please. This tends to be a great incentive for a sole proprietor. Next, we have the disadvantages. The sole proprietorship has unlimited personal liability. The sole proprietor is personally liable for all of the businesses debts. He/she is the sole owner, which means there is no one else responsible to contributing to the payment of debts. This is one of the biggest disadvantages of a sole proprietorship. There is also a lack of continuity in a proprietorship. If for some reason the sole proprietor dies, retires, or becomes incapacitated, the business could end. When this happens, if a member of the family, or an employee, does not take over the business, the business could be in big trouble. A proprietorship is usually a small business, and to find good employees that are dedicated to staying with the business could be hard. The reason for this is that most people look for security, and advancement in their employment, this usually does not exist in businesses which are small. If no one takes over the business, and the business had debts, creditors can go to the courts for a petition to sell off the assets so that they can pay back these debts, therefore the business has discontinued. It is also very hard in a sole proprietorship to obtain capital. Most banks and other lending institutions have certain formulas/requirements for determining how eligible a borrower may be. Many proprietorships do not meet these formulas/requirements and are therefore limited to whatever capital the owner has to contribute, and whatever money he/she can borrow. This can be a major set back in a proprietorship depending on the amount of capital the owner has to invest. The next form of business ownership is the partnership. A partnership is an association of two or more people who co own a business for the purpose of making a profit. Some of its advantages are its ease of formation, its distribution of profits, its capital requirements, and its taxation. Some of its disadvantages are, its unlimited liability, its lack of continuity, and it management control. Once again, let’s start with the advantages. The partnership, like the sole proprietorship, is also easy to establish. All the owners have to do is obtain the necessary business licenses, and submit a few required forms. If the business is run under a trade name, the partners will have to file for a certificate to conduct their business. When the accomplish all of the above, they can start operating their business. In a partnership, an agreement is usually made up outlining the share of profits each partner should receive. It is necessary for the partners to abide by this agreement when it comes to distributing the profits to ensure that each partner receives the right amount. Besides for this technique, there are no restrictions as to how the partners distribute the company’s profits, they just need to stay consistent with the agreement. A partnership also has a broader pool of capital than the sole proprietorship. In comparison to the sole proprietorship, the partnership has several owners instead of one. This means that each partner’s personal assets will support a larger borrowing capacity from lending institutions. When you are a part of a partnership, the business is not subject to federal taxation. A partnerships net income/losses are passed along to the partners as personal income, in which the partners have to pay income tax on. This way, the partnership avoids â€Å"double taxation†. Next, we have the disadvantages of the partnership. One of its main disadvantages is its unlimited liability. One partner is given the title of the general partner. This means that if there are any problems (for example with debts), that partner assumes full responsibility. This is also why the general partner is usually the partner with the least personal resources. A partnership, once again like the Sole Proprietorship, has a lack of continuity. Complications begin to arise if one of the partners die. A partnerships interest inheritance is often non-transferrable because the remaining partner may not agree on working with the person which inherited that portion of the partnership. This would cause great implications in the partnership because one person is no longer there, which means the work that person was responsible for now has to be distributed among the rest. There is a way of avoiding this problem though, the partners can agree on who will obtain the partnership interest in the event of them dying. Lastly, there is great potential for conflicts in a partnership. There is no longer one owner which means control is distributed among several people.  With several people in control, there is no way to completely avoid conflicts. However, the partners will have to learn to work through their problems by communicating with each other. If they do not do this, their conflicts will remain unresolved which could end up being the cause of their partnership, and business, failing. Communication is essential in a partnership, as it is in any form of business. Finally, there is the corporation. A corporation is a separate legal entity apart from its owners, in which receives the right to exist from the state in which it is incorporated. It is the most complex of the three major forms of business ownership. Some of the advantages are, its limited liability, its capital requirements, and its continuity. Its disadvantages are, the cost and time in the incorporation process, the double taxation, and the loss of management control. A corporation lets its investors limit their liability to the corporation by letting them decide the total amount of investment in the business. This is allowed because it is a separate legal entity, whereas a Sole Proprietorship and a Partnership are not. This also gives the corporation stockholders legal protection towards their personal assets outside the business. A corporation has great ability when it comes to attracting capital. The only limitation they have, is the number of shares authorized in its charter, this too can be changed. The corporation can raise money by simply selling shares of some of its stock to investors. This way they gain money to begin business and expand. A corporations future does not lie in the hands of one individual person. It has shares worldwide, and will continue to live as long as people invest in it. The only way a corporation can discontinue, is if it fails to pay its taxes or is limited to a specific length of life by the charter. Next, there are the disadvantages. To start a corporation it can be costly  and time consuming. The actual creating of the corporation can cost between $500 and $2,500. There are also fees involved in establishing a corporation which does not exist with a sole proprietorship, or a partnership. In some states you need the assistance of an attorney to establish the corporation, whereas in others you can do it all on your own. A corporation also has the disadvantage of double taxation. This means that it must pay taxes on its net income at the federal level, in most states, and to some local governments as well. The corporation pays taxes on dividends at the corporate tax rate, then stockholders must pay taxes on the dividends they receive from the same profits at the individual tax rate. As you can see it is being taxed twice. There’s also a potential loss of control by the founder(s) of the corporation. When shares are sold in the company, you are really selling shares of ownership, which gives some control to the person who bought the share. The more shares the founder sells to gain capital, the more control he/she is losing. This could be a big problem and amount to a great loss of control for the founder if he/she needs a large capital infusion. Lastly, the profits of the corporation are widely distributed. People all over the world can obtain shares on the corporation, and therefore receive dividends from the corporation. Therefore the profits are widely distributed among all the shareholders. As you can see from the information I have given, there are three major types of business ownership. All of these types have their advantages and disadvantages, so it depends on what you decide is better for you in starting a business.

Nike Brand equity Essay

Nike Corporation was incorporated in 1968. In their thirty-four year history, Nike has primarily been in the business of designing, developing, and marketing athletic footwear, attire, equipment and accessories, Ð ° lot of companies go out on a limb when it comes to business decision or management strategies with Nike Corporation. Nike is Ð ° powerful company. Nike Corporation is a well managed company in Ð ° striking industry, the company has a strong brand image, and they are effectively capturing the value shaped from their savings. Modern superior ways to make products are significant in today’s Apparel companies, both to be efficient and to be able to make hi-tech products. Nike is dependent upon high technology in their effort to stay ahead of their competitors and create products. These technologies are found within computers, used to create, design and develop the products and machines that actually make the shoes. Besides these main areas of technology such a large corporation also uses a lot of diverse technology such as accepting programs on computers, intranet within the headquarters and not to forget Web page technology for their web page. They have Ð ° extremely developed Web site used for marketing and sales purposes. (Carty 2001 34-47)Nike primarily competes in the footwear industry, a subset of the consumer cyclical sector. The major competitors of Nike are Reebok and Adidas, but any company that sells athletic and leisure footwear, apparel, or sports equipment could be considered Ð ° contestant too. Competition within the footwear industry can be very strong and change quickly due to rapidly changing customer preferences and technology. With an active industry such as Nike, it can be challenging to sustain a competitive advantage. Nike positioned itself in an industry where are virtually no substitute products. Runners, walkers, basketball players, football players, and virtually every person that moves by foot needs footwear. Since people are beginning to become more concerned with their health, active lifestyles are becoming more common. Strong rivalry still exists between Nike, Adidas and Reebok, but the competitive environment does not present a threat to the industry’s feasibility. Within the value chain in the footwear industry, there are only certain areas where profits can be extracted. Nike is keenly aware that this fact, therefore contract out portions of the business that  they do not want to be as intimately involved. According to Bigelow (1997) Nike took on the new trend aggressively and imposed a management strategy that targeted on building its brand name, differentiation of its product, intense marketing and creating new markets and exploiting its potential. (Miller 2002 311-31)Market positionNike is an industry leader in developing innovative new products. One of the powers of Nike Corporation is its brand name recognition, because Nike has been around so long, the brand is Ð ° recognized and respected both internationally and locally. Nike has effectively marketed their products and in addition understands the importance of Ð ° quality product. They are continually improving their shoes through new technologies that are developed by their research teams. Nike’s important sustainable competitive advantage is their intangible assets, such as brand image and organizational culture. Everybody knows that Nike Corporation is Ð ° competitive company. Strength of Nike is their brand loyalty, Nike has consistently produced quality products that appeal to its consumers, and Nike carries a wide arrangement of products with Ð ° large amount of options for personal preference. Strong international presence is an advantage for Nike Corporation, in the U.S sales continue to slack off or the economy continues to worsen, they have their international investment that consistently turns into a profit. Nike is the number one footwear manufacturer in terms of international rivalry in the market; with the distribution centres. Research and growth organization of Nike is one of the company strength, which has the ability to keep the company’s pipeline full in pioneering new products. The companies also have manufacturing contracts with manufacturers in countries that do not have as many requirements for conditions of work environment and others that increase costs. Also because of the process is labour concentrated, the manufacturing tak es place where labour is cheap. Nike is trying to increase their international presence. On-line store is an important factor in the presence of Nike Corporation; the company believes it is vital to run on-line operation. (Peters 2005 3-6)Nike despite popular belief the very good thing about them is that the company is aware of their social responsibility, and donated million of cash and products to different charitable organizations. In addition to their contributions they have also  developed Ð ° labour practices department, which pays close attention to Ð ° labour practice of third world countries in which it produces. Even though they are charitable organization they have not forgotten to be environmentally aware, with the introduction of Ð ° environmental concern showing consumers that they have a heart. Because of the Nike growth they are an advantageous position in the market. This can also be attributed to their market share leadership, wide product selection, and stronger name recognition. (Peters 2005 3-6)Brand loyaltyBrand faithfulness is the major succes s of any company and Nike has managed faithfulness with the customers now for Ð ° long. There are some factors which played important role for Nike brand loyalty are:The Social Factors -The age structure of population affects the lifestyle of sports. There would be higher chances of Ð ° purchasing trainer shoes in the market, if the age groups were younger. The catchments area of class and income-structure as trainers are relatively expensive to purchase. Sports have become a widespread interest for the pursuit of physical health development. It is why Ð ° mass market for training shoes products to serve the new-found past-time after World War One. It has become Ð ° global consumer product even they were perceived as a youth fashion item worn by film stars and famous athletics. The low wage labour is also a social issue in Vietnam. The Technological Factors – This forms the physical environment as Ð ° availability of equipments affects the business organization. Their products and technologies must be up-to-date in order to research new innovative marketing s trategy. The design of Ð ° training shoe is acknowledge being crucial to its commercial success. The shoe’s style and technology are most likely to influence purchasers. For example, Nike’s 1977 introduction of its Air sole, which contained pockets of pressurized inert gas, established an industry benchmark. They have â€Å"Design to Fit soles† for Ð ° every individual foot. They make money with digital technology taking advantage of new technologies and their potential to cut costs (Moore’s Law). (Carr 1998 10)Economic Factors – Analyzing their pricing strategy for Ð ° lower class population, the number of potential manufacturing countries and cost of labour, purchasing quantities, information about customer demand, competitors, competitor strategies, shopping patterns and the economic environment has help Nike to analyze today’s world. The training shoe manufacturing has shifted their financial investment from South Korea  and Taiwan, now considered to be higher-cost production locations, to lower-cost ones such as Indonesia, Thail and and China. The trend has been for trainer companies to continue to use the same Korean and Taiwanese manufacturers, who have set up and manage production plants in the new geographic locations. They are also able to profit from beneficial trade and tariff agreements, wherever they exist. (Bigelow 2006 87-90) Political Factors – Such as capitalism and democracy of the state influence their organization. For example, the labour in third world countries causes Ð ° criticism against Nike. But since they have been exposed, Nike has been trying to fix this horrible problem they created. They have been sending people to upgrade the standards and have had routine checks on their plants all over the globe for Ð ° crack down on child labour. A short time ago, the CEO of Nike, Phil Knight, was quoted as saying, â€Å"Nike has zero tolerance for under-age labour.† So, it is good to know they are at least trying to clean up the mess they have made. Recently, Nike has been making an attempt to help the environment. They have done many things like building an environmentally safe factory in Europe and used their own sustainable manufacturing system. This system â€Å"strives to use Ð ° minimum amount of resources, at 100% efficiency with zero waste.† Also Nike created the Air to Earth Program. It is Ð ° program that is designed to make learning about the environment safe and entertaining for children. They have also taken into considerations of the regulations and legislation for future likely developments. The inter-relations and interdependency activities of the environment affected the Nike organizations. Their business affects the economic, technology, political and social factors (STEP) which these four factors affect their businesses as well. For Nike to make Ð ° profit, they must maintain high margins whilst expanding sales. These can only be done with a more selective distribution system that maintains margin. (Carr 1998 10)Brand awarenessBuyers in the athletic footwear industry enjoy a great deal of power. Consumers have shown again and again that they will simply wait until prices reach Ð ° level they feel is reasonable before making a purchase. Nearly 40% of all shoe purchases are made through discount stores. Also, consumers are able to make informed decisions about a purchase through utilization of Internet websites. The bargaining power of retailers is also Ð ° problem for footwear manufacturers. In recent years, retailers have begun  to hold fewer inventories, forcing manufacturers to pay for increased inventory levels on their end. Manufacturers must also make sure that retailers are selling the product in accordance with the desired image of the shoe. Nike has recently experienced a disagreement with their largest retailer Foot Locker due to pricing disagreements. As Ð ° result, Foot Locker significantly reduced its high end purchases from Nike and Nike decided to shift their high end product sales elsewhere. (Mokhiber, Weissman, 1997, 9)Brand associationWhilst looking at the different trends and styles of present day athletic footwear, we can further our research within the product and look at the different customer groups that our three companies focus their attention towards. We are primarily looking at the three different companies and the rules of style that may apply to a specific customer group for this product. In some cases, the customer group that they are focusing on may greatly impact the demand for the product because of different influences whether it is there income level, influence of childhood, or even there changing preference of Ð ° specific product. Footwear is classified within many different categories, which makes the research of specific athletic footwear more difficult. For example, we are focusing on the companies of Nike, Adidas, and Reebok, and all of these companies make numerous styles of shoe lines. They range from golf cleats to soccer cleats to cross-country shoes. So when trying to determine the main customer groups, each line of shoes is basically broken down within the group that the specific product is directed towards. So when looking at the different types of customer groups within the athletic footwear industry, some of the key customer demographic trend are broken up into different generations of tastes in style. (Teremenko 2003 207-249) The industry of footwear can be broken up into three main customer groups, which are the Baby Boomers, Generation X, and Generation Y. These customer groups do not have much in common except for their love of shoes and the different tastes in the new fashion trends of footwear. These three generations are broken down as follows: Baby Boomers are from ages 35-53, Generation Y are consumers from 4-21, and Generation X is consumers from 22-32. As we develop ideas about the main customer groups within the footwear industry we can conclude that the Baby Boomers account for 31% of the population, which is equal to about 81 million consumers. Generation Y is the second largest group that accounts  for 28% of the population which represents about 75 million consumers. The smallest customer group is Generation X, they comprise about 17% of the population, which equals about 46 million consumers. collected information from many consumer surveys rates Nike high among the consumers of Generati on Y and X. Nike has become more appealing among younger consumers and has shifted away from the Generation of the Baby Boomers. (Teremenko 2003 207-249)Proprietary assetsIn fiscal 2005, NIKE met their financial goals. The revenues grew 12% to 13.7Billion, net income grew 28% to 1.2 billion and NIKE delivered diluted earnings per share of $4.48, Ð ° 28% increase versus fiscal 2004. The gross margin percentage increase 44.5%. The return on invested capital has improved and free cash flow from operations has increased. They continue to return cash to shareholders through dividends and share repurchases. Cash provided by operations was $1.6 billion in 2005 compared to $1.5 billion in 2004. There has been an improvement in cash management of accounts receivables and timing of inventory receipts and vendor payments. (Teremenko 2003 207-249)Perceptions of qualityOpportunities include that Nike is not Ð ° fashion brand; their main selling point is the quality of their manufacturing. However true this is, people–particularly youth–are greatly concerned with fashion. Whilst the sneakers are made well, and help you run faster, jump higher, and so on, they have to look good. This is an importa nt opportunity since styles will change faster than the sneakers will wear out, hence forcing consumers to purchase more sneakers. Also, since Nike is as far into the apparel industry as its footwear market competitors, it has great opportunity to expand on this into accessories (ex: sunglasses). The road is open as to where Nike can bring their apparel ideas. Lastly, since Nike is a global company, there are many areas they can expand into. China is a newer market for them and there is opportunity to establish the same brand recognition there, and in similar countries, as they have in the U.S. overall Nike remain itself high in quality compare to Reebok and other competitors. And it seems to be continued in future after seeing the fresh and strong marketing approaches by Nike. Nike has loyal customer market with brand aware customers, which will drive Nike on a successful future. (Anonymous 2006, 30-31)ThreatsCompetition is always a threat to a competitive company both domestically and internationally. The rivalry is very fierce with many  companies competing for sales. Lots of money is spent on marketing and promotions through diverse channels in order to converse to the young demographic group of consumers who spend the most money on their products. Development has also slowed in the athletic footwear industry, however new markets are emerging with high growth rates. Nike currently dominates the market, but Nike competitors pose a potential risk to the company’s reputation If Nike cannot stay one step ahead of their competitors in terms of product design and customer satisfaction the corporation could flounder. Another threat is the maturing market in athletic shoes. There is also rising adverse demographic change in the marketplace relating to brand image and promotions that Nike is unable to overcome. (Egan 1999 66-70)ConclusionMarketing on-line or E-commerce is really an opportunity for every company, if of course they will do it correctly. Consumers are using the Internet more and more to purchase their goods and service. In stipulations of the Nike Corporation’s Information Technology safety, the company or let’s say in any business organization, their IT is always at risks for the reason that some bad element had their own bad elements and are always trying to get some very sensitive and important information to suit their best interests. The company should invest for the company’s safety measures in terms of their information technology. Several company not only the Nike Corporation should be give an attention to these issues. The problem might be very costly for it needs some money to develop its security, but the results of it would be very promising and indeed very helpful. On the other hand, their marketing mix, mission statements as the company’s marketing strategies are extremely important because this will propel the company because customers would be informed that Nike is serious in making innovations not only on their products, but also on their service. This will create a good impression not only on the customers or consumers, but also on the sports apparel market. This will result to a successful marketing strategy employed by Nike. (Enderle et all 2000, 11-19) References Anonymous, â€Å"Adidas stands its ground on Salomon merges: 2006, Corporate Finance, 30-31. Bigelow, B. The human lives behind the labels: 2006, the global sweatshop, Nike, and the race to the bottom. Phi Delta Kappan, Vol. 92, 87-90. Carr, Robert. SGB: Sporting Goods Business: 1998, Vol. 31 Issue 8, p10, 1/2p. Carty, Victoria. â€Å"The Internet and Grassroots Politics: 2001, Nike, the Athletic Apparel Industry and the Anti-sweatshop Campaign†, George Mason University pp. 34-47Dworkin, A. â€Å"Nike prepares to step into e-commerce with acquisition of online firm: 1999, The OregonianEgan, T. â€Å"The swoon of the swoosh: 1999, New York Times Magazine. pp. 66-70Enderle, Kim, Dan Hirsch, Lisa Micka, Brian Saving, Sheetal Shah, and Tatiana Szerwinski (2000). Strategic Analysis of Nike, Inc. ISS 395, De Paul University. Chicago Illinois, 11-19. Miller, K. â€Å"A Framework for Integrated Risk Management in International Business†: 2002, Journal of International Business Studies, 23(2), 311-331Mokhiber, Russell; Weissman, Robert. Multinational Monitor: 1997, Vol. 18 Issue 12, p9, 10p, 5bw. Peters, J. â€Å"Business policy in action: 2005, Management Decision, p. 3Teremenko, Victoria Dizik. DePaul Business & Commercial Law Journal: Fall2003, Vol. 2 Issue 1, p207-249, 43p.

Human Resource Management in Multinational Banks in Tanzania Research Paper

Human Resource Management in Multinational Banks in Tanzania - Research Paper Example Standard Bank provides a variety of specialized financial services to the local population and is focused on the small business needs of the area. They have a formal hierarchy and channels of communication which run from top to bottom; making use of specific technology and softwares to manage their transactions smoothly. The strategic decisions, including HR functions are made in the Head Office with full operational control of all the activities taking place in each regional branch. The directives from the Head Office are issued to the regional Head Office and then passed on to the country branches. The Branch representatives are responsible for monitoring and implementing all the directives and for maintaining the company culture. Utilizing traditional African ideas and values the bank has a team based approach which fosters collective work mindset and a relaxed work environment. There is a structure enforced through physical space but communication is free flowing and relaxed with a mix of Swahili and English. The company is concerned with the personal and professional satisfaction of its employees stating that â€Å"The more we treat our employees fairly, the more they will work well for us† (Newenham-Kahindi, 2007). Standard Bank has strong training and development programs, bringing in expatriates for extensive training with smaller in-house training programs available as well. These training sessions incorporated input from the employees and allowed local participation. A worker’s committee made up of bank representatives also serves to protect employee welfare; even though it does not have autonomous decision making. In many ways the bank is attempting to be mindful of the local needs and the traditional work expectations. However some areas of improvement have to be management correctly as the bank moves forward. In recent

Twentieth century in America Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Twentieth century in America - Essay Example Its militarism snared for it various colonies such as Cuba, Mexico, Hawaii, in the Philippines, in Puerto Rico, Guam, and wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The main political principle used by previous administrations to justify this expansionism was the so-called Manifest Destiny, that it was inevitable for America to rule the world. Many events comprise the twentieth-century for America, but some of these events admittedly are more impactful than others, in terms of their continuing influence on the course of events for the country even today. Some events were celebratory, victorious or triumphal, but sadly also, some events were traumatic which seared the American citizen consciousness. It takes great discernment for an expert of history and political science to connect or relate the significance of these events to the current happenings all over the world. However, it is also incumbent on a student of history to detect and realize the subtle changes occurring in the country, which if these are viewed over the long term, form a distinct historical pattern. It is the purpose of this brief paper is to discuss some of these events and their perceived impacts. The most significant events are re-examined and a major theme is propounded to explain it. Discussion Some of these big events were the two world wars (First World War, 1914-1919 and the Second World War, 1939-1945), first flight by humans due to the Wright brothers (1903), the rise of free-market capitalism with the advent of big business barons (tycoons) who in turn controlled most of the American economy during the years of the Industrial Revolution such as banking, railways, manufacturing industries, the telegraph, mining, and shipping, the Great Depression (1929-1941) which destroyed a big portion of the nation's wealth and its citizens. It was preceded by the stock market crash of October 29, 1929 but one positive outcome of it all was that monetary and fiscal authorities are now better able to control e conomic crises than before, by lowering interest rates instead of raising the rates which worsened the depression. The Vietnam War (1959-1975) is the only modern war which America had lost but it created a new awareness among Americans about how their country conducts foreign policy. The loss has cast a long shadow over the way America now avoids any long-term involvement in military conflicts, extricating itself from Iraq and soon, from Afghanistan too. Citizens keep questioning the ethics of a preemptive war that has no clear objectives; its bitter memories are a constant reminder to how mission creep can drag a war with no hope for a victory. This lead to a growing sense of pacifism and conservatism, how the nation should use soft power in its international relations instead of relaying on regime change by overthrow (Kinzer 552). President Dwight D. Eisenhower became the foremost proponent of this change to a reliance on diplomacy rather than military power alone, by warning abou t the ill effects of the growing military-industrial complex which drains precious tax dollars away from important projects like education, health care, and infrastructure (Eisenhower 7). Growing involvement of the federal government in the national economy and in society as well started with Franklin D. Roosevelt in his New Deal programs but which

Annotated Bibliography for Africa's Hunger Essay

Annotated Bibliography for Africa's Hunger - Essay Example This has made it impossible for some African countries because they lack personnel to work in industries for production of food. For this reason, the rate of poverty still goes high as people do not earn an income. HIV/AIDS has resulted further to deaths resulting in desperation amongst some Africans to the extent that they are discouraged to work and produce food. In the end, they die of hunger. The contents of this newspaper article give information on how this situation has become life threatening in Africa. Hunger in Africa: Hearing before the Subcommittee on African Affairs of the Committee on Foreign Relations, United States Senate, Ninety-eighth Congress, Second Session, March 1, 1984. Washington: U.S. G.P.O., 1984. Print. This book was written following a hearing that had been held in 1984, on the basis of African affairs; inclusive of the hunger problem that had started become a problem in the continent. They spoke of the unfair trade markets and how it affected the peopleâ €™s trading of goods across continents Unfair trade markets has also contributed to hunger in one way or another, the exportation of food crops has become very lucrative in Africa, but the problem arises because the crops being exported are being underpaid and the freight charges are high. This still hinders the growth of GDP. It contributes to hunger as it increases the rate of hunger in the population due to poverty. Pantaleo, C. and S. Jaspars. Cash Transfer Programming in Emergencies, Oxfam Skills and Practice series, Oxford: Oxfam. (2005). Print. C. Pantaleo has written this book on how the aids are distributed and how effectively that should be done. He speaks of Africa’s dependency on some of his funding. Dependence on donor funding has made more people in Africa not work for their food. They do not look for sustainable measures to end poverty and food insecurity in their regions. The wait for donor funding and food aids from the various donors for their survival. He mentions that this is what is pulling down Africa in terms of being funded throughout and not working on sustainable means of survival. Karapinar, Baris and Christian Haberli. Food Crises and the WTO: World Trade Forum. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge UP, 2010. Print. B. Karapinar wrote a book that capitalized on issues to do with the food crises in Africa. He mentioned the dire effects of the hunger in the continent. He gave a brief explanation on what this crisis entails and its relations with the WTO. The results of hunger in some of these regions are death due to starvation, malnutrition in children and adults due to lack of nutritious foods; there is a loss of population that is brought about by the deaths that occur due to hunger, the economy is crippled even more because of poverty. Hunger also makes people to migrate a lot as they evade the death due to hunger. There is loss of biodiversity and habitat disturbance that come about due to cutting down of trees by people to grow fo od crops. The latter also brings about human wildlife conflict as a result of deforestation too. People end up encroaching forested areas as they search for fertile lands to grow their foods. Child mortality due to hunger also increases. Diseases caused by hunger have become rampant due to the condition, for example, children get malnourished and eventually die. For example, in East Africa, Kenya, there have been instances when people died of hunger in Turkana. Lavy,

Entrepreneurial Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Entrepreneurial Leadership - Essay Example Case (2010) identifies three P’s (people, passion and perseverance) as the key ingredients of a successful entrepreneurship. He said that the presence or absence of the three P’s in the right mix can lead to success or failure as an entrepreneur. His successful steering of AOL has been contributed to these 3 P’s by him (Case, 2010). However, the failure of merger of AOL with Time Warner was a result of incorrect focus on the 3 P’s. The merger resulted in cultural clash of employees and hence they were focused on their personal issues rather than the innovations. The passion that was earlier present in AOL employees was lost in the huge merged enterprise and finally perseverance was hit hard because people lost their belief in internet and they stopped investing in innovation. Another thing lacking in the deal was â€Å"vision execution†. A great idea rebounded because the 3 P’s were not rightly focused on â€Å"executing† the vision (C ase, 2010). Kouzes (2008) talks about five leadership practices which help in motivating people to perform at their best. Thus, he also focused on people and showed how great leaders inspire them to arouse perseverance and passion in them. The five principles are – having a clear vision of what is required so that the employees understand what is expected of them and they move accordingly, setting example by doing what is being preached, challenging the current state of affairs as status quo never inspires people to perform at their best, enabling others to act in line with the vision by understanding the motivation factors of a team or individual and encouraging the heart by rewarding exemplary performance (Kouzes, 2008). Drucker (2007) distinguishes between entrepreneurial strategies and entrepreneurial management. The first strategy is that of being seen as the undisputed leader in the market. Strategies are for external markets and can be used alone or in combination with others. It is the riskiest but pays the most if successful. This is what AOL tried to do by merging with Time Warner. Other strategies involve â€Å"creative imitation†, â€Å"entrepreneurial judo† and finding a specialized â€Å"ecological niche† (Drucker, 2007). This gives rise to entrepreneurial leadership where leaders operate in dynamic market conditions and transform the inconsistency and dynamic character of the market into opportunities (Tarabishy, Fernald and Solomon,). He is capable of using different strategies or a combination of them to establish his product/ service or company in the current environment. The entrepreneurial leader should have a clear vision, communicate it well and then help his people execute it. Types of organizations and leadership styles Organizations can be classified into different types depending on their size, culture, decision making authority and design etc. An organization which follows top-down communication, has very rigid rules, is bureaucratic in authority and has very narrowly defined tasks is called a â€Å"Mechanist Organization† (Kinicki, 2007). On the other hand an â€Å"Organic Organization† is flexible, with open communication networks, flat hierarchical structure and employees who perform variety of tasks and not just the specific ones (Kinicki, 2007). Decision making in such organizations is de-centralized and middle and lower level managers have more control over various decisions. For transformational leaders, an organic organization is best

Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 15

Assignment Example According to Linda Alchin, William Shakespeare invested in the Globe Theatre and it was in his interest to write as many plays as possible! Six men became the joint owners of the Globe Theatre, the largest stakes were put up by the Burbage brothers. The initial investment by William Shakespeare made him a wealthy man and successful man due to his share of the large profits which were made at the Globe Theatre. The traditional camp (Stratfordian’s) maintains that the famous Bard was indeed a poet, playwright and an actor. Critics known as "Oxfordians" argue that a more likely contender may have been Edward De Vere (1550-1604), Christopher Marlowe, Sir Francis Bacon, Derby or even Queen Elizabeth herself! Polonius is councillor to King Claudius and the father of Ophelia and Laertes in Shakespeare’s tragedy Hamlet. He is especially known for his maxim-filled speech (â€Å"Neither a borrower nor a lender be†). His meddling garrulousness eventually costs him his life. Polonius hides himself behind an array in Gertrudes room, in his last attempt to spy on Hamlet. Hamlet deals roughly with his mother, causing her to cry for help. Polonius requests to help and is heard by Hamlet, who stabs through the array and kills him (due to mistaking him for Claudius). Fights between Catholics and Protestants led to the Civil War in 1642 between the aristocratic, royalist â€Å"Cavaliers† and puritan, parliamentarian â€Å"Roundheads†. The conflict ended with victory for parliamentary forces. In 1649 Charles I was captured and executed after formal trial for crimes against his people. The country became republic. The religious problems took place in Ireland a conflict between Catholics and Presbyterians. Anglican Church was restored, but the conflict between Monarch and Parliament was going on. 24. Identify the underlined words/phrases in the following passage from â€Å"The Great

Positioning Challenges Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Positioning Challenges - Essay Example This enables a proficient X-ray hence preventing lordotic appearance. Correct lateral head positioning has proven to be a challenge considering the fatigue patients undergo during X-ray. A tangle in the head position mobilizes a short cone minimizing the long cones hence limited resulting image. In order to ensure a correct vertical angulation of the head during X-ray, various lines must lie parallel to the table top (Adler & Carlton, 2012). According to Rothbart Proprioceptive therapy the Median Sagittal line, which serves the role of a vertical line must lie parallel to the tabletop. The spinal segment prevents lateral displacement ensuring a steady posture during the X-ray process. Patients suffering from osteoporosis have painful experiences while sitting on the X-ray table. It is in this regard that positioning aids remain in use. To achieve an AP position, positioning aids such as radiolucent sponges and sandbags as well as mattress get applied (Adler & Carlton, 2012). The aids foresee a direct central ray perpendicular through the Patellofemoral joint hence leading to the success of an X-ray. Darrin is also used as an X-ray aid in an AP

Questions on Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Questions on Management - Essay Example A case in point can be drawn from the lawsuit involving the Bank of America versus the City and County of San Francisco. In this case, the Bank of American seeks to annul ordinances passed by the city and county of San Francisco to protect consumers; the states are mandated by Congress to enact additional legislation especially with respect to consumer protection (Mitchell). The ordinances prohibit financial institutions (all banks, industrial loan companies and savings associations) from charging ATM fees to non-depositors. According to the cities, an ATM charge on non-depositors is punitive to consumers and weakens competition in the banking industry at the local state level (Bank of America). In this case, congestion in smaller banks makes the smaller banks to lose clientele to bigger banks that operate many ATMs in the city. Conversely, the Bank of America argued that the above-mentioned ordinances were disadvantageous as they impaired its operations. Ultimately, the Bank of Amer ica disputed the city’s contention because the city’s characterization of the ATM market was faulty. Unfortunately, the district court ruled in favor of the bank with the city falling on the losing end. According to the District Court, the savings clause in the Electronic Fund Transfer Act does not grant the cities permission to regulate fees charged on ATMs as a measure to protect the consumers. In addition, the court also ruled that Home Owners' Loan Act (HOLA) and Office of Thrift Supervision's (OTS) regulations gave savings banks the legal permission to charge ATM fees on consumers (Bank of America). †¢ Among the issues which have come to the fore are those concerning the attempts of states to enact laws which main purpose is to protect those who live within these states. The laws that have been enacted most often have tended to be overridden by the financial regulatory agencies in the name of implementing federal laws (Mitchell). Since the American Constituti on states that all the laws that are passed at the federal level are supreme to those passed at the state level, many of the agencies have used these laws as an excuse to frustrate any laws that have been passed at the state level for the benefit of the citizens. In contrast, these agencies have developed a culture of helping banks (especially national banks) to establish their dominance over their rivals at the state level. In fact, the lawsuit involving the Bank of America versus the City and County of San Francisco indicates clearly that the HOLA and OTS regulations override the ordinances. The District Court also ruled that the National Bank Act and the regulations of the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) are supreme to the ordinances passed by the city and county of San Francisco. Federal law annuls state law both directly (by stating preemption in explicit terms) and indirectly (by leaving no room for state regulatory control). A state law may also be annulled if it is established that its execution is in contravention of a preexisting federal law. In such cases, the federal law normally preempts the state law as the application of both laws is always deemed inadvertently impossible under the provisions of the constitution; therefore, it is clear that the federal regulations

Profit And Loss As Index Of Company Success Assignment - 12

Profit And Loss As Index Of Company Success - Assignment Example The business had total expenditure of $20,756 which includes non-cash expenses of $175 for depreciation on equipment. Although depreciation does not involve the movement of funds it represents a charge for the use of the asset. This charge should not be deducted for income tax purposes. However, the charge is reflective of the use of the asset in the company. The charge was calculated for two months based on a 5-year straight-line method of depreciation. It is expected that the useful life of equipment which includes a computer, fax machine and a copy straight-line longer than 5 years. The Internal Revenue Service (2012) indicates that businesses must prorate depreciation deduction based on the months in use. The items of equipment were in use for 2 months and so the charge in the accounts is based on this fact. Other expenses of note include bad debt expense which includes write-offs as well as provisions made for debts that may not be collected. The two bills representing a total o f approximately $11,000 and due from Delta Company is not collectible since the company is bankrupt. A total of 25% of the debt of $8000 (that is $2,000) due from Baker Company for consultancy fees and $763.86 for reimbursable are also not considered to be recoverable based on previous experience with the client. Additionally, $432.78 for costs may not be recovered from Charlie Company. These amounts have been included as a provision for doubtful debts and included in Bad debt expense. The total amount of bad and doubtful debts expensed represents 40 per cent of income. The company made a net profit of $15,686 which represents 41 per cent of total income. Depreciation of $175 will be added back to the net profit figure. Income tax has not been accounted for since the proprietor’s will include this profit when filing his personal income tax returns. This will be filed on the appropriate form for business proprietors.

The Art of Delegation Essay Example for Free

The Art of Delegation Essay The Art of Delegation: Five Behaviors of Effective Delegators Managers of companies of all varying sizes often will have multiple tasks to perform. Good managers need to decide which tasks they will perform themselves and which tasks will be delegated to others. When managers delegate assignments they must be aware of the five behaviors used by effective delegators. These behaviors are as follows: 1. Clarify the assignment 2. Specify the employee’s range of discretion 3. Allow employees to participate 4. Inform others that delegation has occurred 5. Establish feedback controls This discussion will analyze the five individual delegation behaviors and how they apply to the scenario at the end of chapter 10. Scenario: Ricky Lee, who is a manager of a contract group of a large regional office supply distributor, is given a project from his boss Anne to develop the department’s new procedures manual. This manual will outline the steps followed in the company’s negotiating contracts with vendors. Anne’s requirements are for the project to be completed by the end of the month. Ricky Lee informs Anne that he is currently working on another major project and asks Anne if he can delegate this project to Bill. Anne agrees to the delegation as long as Bill is aware of the parameters and expectations for the completion of the project. Ricky Lee must be aware of the following behaviors regarding delegation when delegating this project to Bill. Clarify the Assignment Bill has worked for three year in the contracts department, and Ricky Lee has determined that Bill is the most qualified person to do the job. Ricky Lee had deemed that Bill has the right motivation, experience, and drive to complete the project successfully. Ricky Lee must clarify the assignment to Bill, laying out responsibilities of the project, expected results, any confidential natures, and performance expectations. Because the project needs to be completed by the end of the month, Ricky Lee needs to make sure Bill understands the time constraints. The clarification of the project should be done in person, through a meeting with all the stakeholders, and followed up with an e-mail that summarizes the meeting. Specify the range of discretion Ricky Lee needs to communicate to Bill what his authoritative constraints are regarding this project. Ricky Lee must also determine if Bill should have the authority to delegate part of this project to others. Questions and clarifications regarding the project should be addressed directly to Bill, but ultimately, Ricky Lee and Anne will review, and make the final decisions. Ultimately, Bill must have enough authority to complete this project effectively, but enough constraints should be put in place to monitor Bill, so that he does not exceed his authority. Allow all employees to participate Ricky Lee should allow Bill and any other employees involved in this project to make suggestions regarding how to complete the procedures manual. Ricky Lee must be aware of Bill’s own self-interests and biases, and use this knowledge to evaluate how Bill and other employees involved in the project, create the manual. Allowing Bill and other employees to participate in how to complete this project will empower and motivate them; leaving everyone believing that they are part of the process, instead of another cog in the wheel. Inform others that delegation has occurred It is imperative that Ricky Lee informs both internal and external stakeholders of the delegation of this project to Bill. Additionally, Ricky Lee should make sure everyone is aware of Bill’s authorities. Some internal stakeholders who should be aware of the delegation are other employees whose jobs may be affected by the delegation, other managers who would be affected by the delegation, and Ricky Lee’s boss Anne. The external stakeholders may include software vendors as well as other consultants/contractors that Ricky Lee’s company has contracted to assist with this project. Establish feedback channels Establishing feedback channels will enable Ricky Lee to identify any problems regarding completing the task on time and with the correct specifications. These controls will also identify if correct policies and procedures are followed. Setting these controls will allow Ricky Lee to get status checks on the project and will enable him to ensure that Bill is not abusing his authority. Without out setting these controls, Ricky Lee runs the chance of major problems arising. Conclusion: In conclusion, it is important for managers to understand the five behaviors of delegation, so that any issues involving the project will be resolved quickly and effectively. Effective delegation means possessing good communication skills. Managers must have good communication skills so that all parties involved know what their assignment is and understand everyone’s authoritative discretion. Finally, establishing feedback channels are necessary to ensure all aspects of the project run smoothly.

Leonardo Davinci The Greatest Genius History Essay

Leonardo Davinci The Greatest Genius History Essay Leonardo da Vinci was born on April 15, 1452 in Anchiano, near Vinci in the Republic of Florence, which is now Italy. He died on May 2, 1519 in Cloux (now Clos-Luce) France. Leonardo da Vinci is believed to be the greatest genius that ever lived. Leonardo had become a master in more fields of any other before or since him. Most geniuses such as Albert Einstein or Alfred Hitchcock were masters only in a single field. It was not the case with Leonardo. He believed that all subject matter was interconnected in one way or another. Leonardo expressed a great deal of his other works in his works of art. He was an Italian painter, draftsman, sculpture, architect, engineer, mathematician, musician, scientist, a writer, and a well-known inventor. Da Vinci, the Artist Leonardo started his career as an artist in about 1469 in Verrocchios fabled workshop. Leonardo, a youth at the time was Verrocchios assistant. One of their famous masterpieces was the Baptism of Christ. This painting was started in 1472 and took roughly 3 years to complete. It is currently being housed at the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Italy. A great deal of the detail of this painting was believed to be done by Leonardo himself. X-rays of the painting and comparing them to the original sketches shows that Leonardo had done the painting entirely different that the way Verrocchio had intended it to be in finished form. This may be the earliest indication that Leonardo was trying to free himself from his masters coaching to follow his own path. Verrocchio had felt threatened by the fact that da Vincis angel in the painting had seemed to be a great deal better than the other three which were painted by Verrocchio (John the Baptist) and other students) After this Verrocchio had lost in terest in painting and concentrated on his other talents such as sculpture and metal working. Suffice to say, this was Verrocchios last well-known painting and the start of Leonardos career as a famous artist. Another of his more famous works, the Mona Lisa, has brought forth much controversy over the years since its completion in 1506. It was painted in Florence, Italy on wood with oil paints and now currently resides at the Musee du Louvre, Paris. Some of this controversy includes such questioning as follows: Why is she smiling (was she secretly pregnant at the time of the painting), is this really a woman or a cleverly disguised self-portrait of Leonardo himself? If Mona Lisa was actually a self portrait of Leonardo, then the smile couldnt have been of a secret pregnancy, but most-likely of a secret that the painting is actually based on the artist. The Last Supper is another one of Leonardos great works of art. It is a mural that measures 30 feet by 14 feet. This great size mad it a great challenge for the very talented Leonardo. The work was started in 1495 and after 3 years of many sketches and preparatory drawings, the work was finally completed in 1498. This painting was done at the church of Santa Maria delle Grazie on the north refectory. This job focused on a scene at the moment of the announcement Judas betrayal. Instead of seating them in a traditional seating arrangement for that time, he seated them so that one could see each of the apostles faces and facial expressions as they hear the announcement of the betrayal of Jesus. This job couldnt have come at a more perfect time for Leonardo, for he was in his time of depression. This job not only brought him out of his depression, but it also won back the Duke Lodovicos patronage and through this he acquired a vineyard and a piece of property of 16 rods located near San Vittore. Other paintings by Leonardo include St. John in the Wilderness, Benois Madonna, Sala delle Asse, St. Jermome, Adoration of the Magi, and many others. Da Vinci and his sculptures Leonardo not only had a talent for art, which he seems the most famous for, but also he had a flare for sculpture. Some of his more well-known sculptures are the Horse in Bronze and the Il Cavallo. The Bronze horse was started in 1482 when the Duke of Milan had commissioned Leonardo to build the worlds biggest horse in honor of his father to guard over the Dukes castle. It stood 24 feet high upon its completion. The sculpture started out as a full size cay model and was eventually later cast in Bronze, thus the name the Bronze Horse. Leonardos other well known sculpture, Il Cavallo, was another horse sculpture that he would not see completed. This only exists in the form of the multitude of drawings that were left behind by da Vinci. Also left behind were two issues da Vinci had with his sculpture. The first was the fact that he needed to fill the space where the horses belly was to be and the second issue was settling on the position of the rider. Unfortunately for Leonardo, this wa s one sculpture he could not complete. Da Vinci, the Inventor Leonardo had many great inventions for his time period and a great deal of them was ahead of their time. These inventions can be put into a number of categories according to the invention and the intended purpose of the invention. The first category would be flight. This category includes the parachute, the helicopter, and the glider. The second category is forgeries. In this category would be the Turin Shroud. The reason for this as being in the forgery category is the fact that people question whether it is authentic or it was one of da Vincis illusions of making it look authentic by using his many artistic talents. The third category of his inventions is maps. Leonardo had made great improvements in the area of map making in his time period. The fifth category is the military. This category includes the plans he had drawn up for an automobile (re-invention), the invention of a three-tiered machine gun, a scaling ladder (improvement), and a military tank. Even his paintings, which are the sixth category, can be considered as inventions for Leonardo in the fact that he had made improvements in the art and also in his creative techniques. The seventh category for inventions for da Vinci is statues in the fact that, just as in paintings he had made improvements and used different techniques and also invention. The last but not least category in the inventions for da Vinci is a category that I would have never even thought or known about is robots. Leonardo was experimenting with this concept in 1495. The robot is a knight in appearance and is wearing the traditional armor for the time which was Italian-German. It had realistic features as well. For instance if one were to look into the mouth of the robot one would find it looked as a real humans mouth would. Leonardo had done this to prove to himself how easily a human beings body could be imitated. This to me in itself shows pure genius. I could go basically on and on forever about the great deal of accomplishments of the great Leonardo da Vinci. He had made great improvements to the art world, helped science a great deal, made inventions and plans for inventions that would be a great help to society. He was also a great mathematician, musician and writer as well. I believe that for one to be considered the greatest genius to ever live they need to have a vast knowledge of a multitude of different subjects. Leonardo da Vinci is the only person thus far has come to mind as that such person who greatly qualifies for such an honor.

Economy system of Nigeria

Economy system of Nigeria INTRODUCTION Nigeria has produced several hundred billion dollars worth of oil since its independent in 1960, but its citizens benefit from none of this wealth. This situation primarily exists because successive governments, both military and civilian, have stolen or misused much of Nigerias tremendous oil wealth.[1] The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), a state-owned XXXX designed to investigate and enforce all laws against economic and financial crimes in all its ramifications[2], reported a total loss in the trillions because of corruption and waste. Nigeria, located in West Africa, holds many of the worlds valuable natural resources such as crude oil (petroleum), tin, columbite, textiles, cotton, palm oil, and steel amongst others. Specifically, Niger Delta, located in XXXXX, is the main producer of oil, and mainly contributes to Nigerias economy. According to World Bank statistics, in 2008 Nigerias oil and gas sector contributed about ninety-six percent (96%) of export revenues, eighty-one percent (81%) of government revenues, and only seventeen percent (17%) of gross domestic product (GDP) due to declining oil output in the Niger Delta region.[3] GDP indicates the stability of a countrys economy in relation to the total value of its goods and services over a specific period. Despite Nigerias abundance of natural resources, its economy continues to stagger with future development becoming impossible. Development desperately needed to reduce poverty levels resulting in improvements in its hospitals, schools, roads, and XXXXXXX. Specifically, Nigerias oil industry has become a pool of corruption between surrounding states, individuals seeking power, and the federal government. The opportunities, large oil and gas deposits might have brought have, over the years, mostly been squandered, as corruption, bad governance and over-dependence on oil have undermined the growth of other sectors, including agriculture. Today, approximately sixty-five percent (65%) of the population live below the poverty level of US $1/day, and more than fifty (50) million Nigerians, suffer from debilitating diseases.[4] As oil revenues fuel[ed] the rise of federal subventions to states and precariously to individuals, the federal government soon became the cent[er] of political struggle, and the threshold of power in the country. This created a dangerous situation as it became increasingly dependent on oil revenues, and the international commodity markets for budgetary and economic concerns eschewing economic stability spelling doom to federalism in Nigeria[5]. After conducting research, corruption appears as one of the many contributions to the downfall of Nigerias economy including political instability, inadequate infrastructure, and poor macroeconomic management. Understanding the existence, growth and impact of corruption within the Nigerian state, requires the definition or conceptualization of corruption within the context of first, the legal system and administration of justice, and second, the international legal normative expression of the term, since there is no universally acceptable definition.[6] This paper is divided into five (5) parts allowing a thorough analysis on XXXXXX being portrayed. The first part will provide a background into Nigeria, and its oil sector. The second part will present the current status of Nigerias economy. The third part will define and XXXX corruption, and XXXXXXX. The fourth part will provide a comparison of other countries within West Africa, and how corruption is handled. And lastly, the fifth part will provide solutions. Each part is interlocked by the term Nigeria, and its Oil Sector Nigeria is located in West Africa, and covers an area of 923,768 sq km (356,669 sq miles) measuring about 1,200 km (about 750 miles) from east to west, and about 1,050 km (about 650 miles) from north to south.[7] Nigeria is surrounded by the Republic of Benin, Chad, Cameroon, and Niger with the Gulf of Guinea, part of the Atlantic Ocean running from Cape Palmas in Liberia to Cape Lopez in Gabon[8], as its coast. Its terrain is diverse, and consists of mangrove swamp jungles stretching across the entire coastline composing mostly of small rivers, creeks, and branches of the Niger and Benue Rivers.[9] The Niger River enters the country from the northwest, and the Benue River enters from the northeast with both rivers merging at the city of Lokoja emptying into the Niger Delta; together it forms the shape of a Y.[10] The Niger Delta is composed of nine (9) states within Nigeria located in the : Abia, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Edo, Imo, Ondo, and Rivers. There are thirty-six (36) XXXXXXXXX. The regions oil contributes approximately 90 percent (90%) of the value of Nigerias exports even though Nigeria, in its entirety, remains XXXXXXXXX. The Niger Delta is increasingly becoming unstable with contributing factors to include inter-ethnic clashes, violence triggered because of its oil revenues, and chiefly, corruption. Pipelines are regularly vandalized by impoverished residents, who risk their lives to siphon off fuel.[11] Such behavior results to barrels of crude being wasted, a significant economic loss to Nigerias economy. According to the XXXXXX, Nigeria is the worlds eighth (8th) biggest exporter of oil with a production rate of approximately three (3) million barrels per day (bpd). But, its production of barrels of oil substantially fluctuates compared to other nations due to internal turmoil[12] preventing the country from making the most of its human resources.[13] Threats, attacks, and tension exist between oil companies and ethnic tribes resulting in the Niger Delta being inconsistent in oil production. Though possibility of wealth exists in Nigeria, the people remain impoverished, unable to sustain a normal life, and consequently subject themselves to violence in order to survive. The output of oil in the Niger Delta has the ability to remedy the poverty problem, and provide hope for Nigeria, and its economy. The Oil Sector It can be safely argued the problems suffered by the Niger Delta influenced the demise of Nigerias economy. According to a timeline given by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC), oil was first discovered at Olibiri, XXXXXX, in 1956 by Shell-BP after decades of oil exploration. In 1958, Nigeria became one of the top producers due to its first oil field producing approximately 5,100 bpd. At the conclusion of the Biafran War in 1970, Nigeria began benefited from the oil production with the help of rising oil prices throughout the world. In 1971, the country joined the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Companies (OPEC), in which the establishment of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) followed in 1977. The OPEC is a permanent intergovernmental organization of twelve (12) oil-exporting developing nations coordinating and unifying petroleum polices of its Member Countries.[14] Member countries include Algeria, Angola, Ecuador, IR Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, SP Libyan AJ, Nigeria, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Venezuela. OPEC is designed to monitor oil prices in international markets in order to eradicate harmful fluctuations. It oversees an efficient, economic and regular supply of petroleum to consuming nations to result in fair returns on capital to those investing in the petroleum industry securing steady incomes[15] to their Member Countries. The NNPC is a state-owned company established to increase the value of Nigerias oil sector to the community. It has powers, and operational interest in refining, petrochemicals, and products transportation.[16]The company is compartmentalized into twelve (12) sections with the mission of pinpointing potential problematic issues within the industry. Also, the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), which is under the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, works alliance with the NNPC. DPR ensures complete compliance with industry regulations, licenses, and environmental regulations. Within the next couple of years, Nigerias production level was over two (2) million barrels (bpd) with levels fluctuating during the next years. Current development plans involve increasing oil output to approximately to four (4) million bpd. Despite all measures implemented for efficiency in Nigerias oil sector, the country suffers greatly with no possibility of changing. With each day, its oil industry grows, corruption invades the output, and the people of Nigeria continue to suffer. The Economy of Nigeria Nigerias economy has promising XXXXXX, and has been variable since the transformation of its form of government from military rule to civilian rule. There are vast resources in production resulting in XXXXX revenues, though no amount is sectioned off to be placed back into the economy. Poverty is widespread, and Nigerias basic social indicators[17] earn it a place among the poorest countries in the world. As experienced by many other countries, the economy is what allows existing infrastructure to be maintained, and industrialized. But, viewing Nigerias economy from the past to current, there has not been any real changes required for revolution into the following era. Nigerias economy began in the agriculture world before its oil discovery. Agriculture and farming was the way of life, and the source in its trading market. Upon the initial oil discovery in the Niger Delta in 1958, agriculture contributed to majority of Nigerias GDP, and export revenues. In the next following years, the oil sector stepped into mainstream, and became Nigerias key source of revenue. The oil sector provided approximately twenty percent (20%) of GDP, ninety-five percent (95%) of foreign exchange earnings, and about sixty-five percent (65%) of budgetary revenues.[18] According to statistics given by the United States Agency of International Development (USAID), industrialization plays a huge role in its economy. It averaged fifty percent (50%) of GDP during the period of 1994 to 2004, and in 2004 it accounted for fifty-seven percent (57) of GDP.[19] Industrialization XXXX. On the other hand, services accounted for about twenty-seven percent (27%).[20] Services XXXXXX. The agriculture market still remained one of the main sources within the economy, but not as vital as the oil sector. It attributed to twenty-three percent (23%) of GDP in 2005, values significantly falling over time. Decreasing values will continue as economic development occurs, its agriculture market usually decreases. An estimate of sixty percent (60%) of the Nigerian community is employed in agriculture contributing to employment, food production, foreign exchange earnings, and industrial inputs. Though, the boom in the oil sector brought about distortion within the labor market.[21] An additional factor to the agriculture market is cattle herding, poultry, and fishing adding to more than two percent (2%) towards the GDP in the 1980s. In 1987, the Food and Agriculture (FAO) of the United Nations report majority of the livestock is located in Northern Nigeria, and in the possession of rural citizen. Fisheries output have fallen tremendously due to environmental issues in the Niger Delta at the hands of existing oil companies. A countrys business arena can play a vital important role in its economy, and are critical determinants of private sector development and prospects for sustainable growth.[22] Nigerias business environment is encroached with corruption of its governmental sector, and with the people themselves. According to the Transparency International Corruption Perception Index (TICPI), Nigeria is the sixth (6th) most corrupt nation in the world following other countries having similar drawbacks. According to research conducted by USAID, Nigerias business arena has a flexible labor market, liquidable credit, and high investor protection, attractive factors to outside investors. Though, the country has its weaknesses, and in need of improvement, corruption is prevalent. Structure is needed to improve transparency and the judicial system, promote institutional reform[23] resulting in dominating corruption. Overall, there are many factors contributing to the demise of Nigerias economy. It is of basic knowledge that without money these factors cannot grow towards the expectations of the community, government, and potential investors. With its oil, and agricultural sector, with the former being most influential, proof is provided of Nigeria having the ability to build a strong economy resulting in a renaissance for its future. The Government Governments are established to govern the people of the land, maintain public order, make laws to protect everyone, and provide essential components needed for social order. The government sets the standard of the way of life for its citizens illustrating the importance of an efficient leadership. With an inoperative government, a country may suffer secondary effects affecting both, related and non-relating factors, such as those suffered in Nigeria. Since Nigerias freedom from Britain rule on October 1, 1960, its government system has not been stable, and either taken form of military or civilian rule. The initial form of government used by the first (1st) president of Nigeria, Nnamdi Azikwe, during the first (1st) federal republic was parliamentarian in 1963. In a parliamentarian system, there is a separation between the executive and legislative branch to be governed by a head of state and head of government. During this time, Nigerias main crisis was the struggle for power by whomever desired it, specifically clashes between ethnic groups. From this point, a series of coup dÃÆ'Â ©tat (coup), XXXX, plagued its government system, and initiated Nigerias need for a stable form of government to rule the land of the people. Upon the arrival of the third (3rd) president, General Yakubu Gowon, during the first (1st) military regime of the first (1st) federal republic in 1966, Nigeria experienced an oil-price boom as a result of increased prices of crude oil in 1973[24]. Soon thereafter, an expansion of its federal government occurred resulting in the rise of corruption of and by federal government officials. In reaction, Gowon issued a nine-point transition program culminated in the handling over of power to a civilian government on October 1, 1976[25], and to include a curriculum for the reorganization of its infrastructure. Though, this plan never took place, and he was eventually overthrown, the same homogenous pattern taken since 1963. Corruption reached new depths upon the arrival of General Sani Abacha, Nigerias ninth (9th) president in 1993. He was credited for misappropriating approximately three (3) billion dollars of national assets during his military rule[26], funds accounted by the Swiss Federal Office of Justice, not including assets located in other European countries. Abacha set out to effect change in the leadership of government, but failed in that respect. He died while in office in 1998, and since then, his family and colleagues have been accused of plundering on a grand scale during his five-year rule.[27] Most funds obtained by Abacha during his regime were deposited in numerous European accounts, and discovered by Swiss officials due to its enactment of legislation to stop banks from accepting deposits of wealth stripped from poor countries.[28] In an attempt by Nigeria to reclaim as much as four (4) billion dollars from Abachas regime, an out-of-court settlement was reached by his family. A total of five hundred and thirty-five (535) million was to be relinquished to the Bank for International Settlements in Basel, XXXX for Nigerias use. The settlement also allowed Abachas family to keep one hundred (100) million dollars, funds alleged by the Nigerian authorities acquired before Abachas office term, and not demonstrably derived from criminal acts. In 1999, Obansanjo was re-entered into office Against the backdrop of endemic corruption, Nigeria is sitting on the brink of a west African oil boom that will see billions of pounds flow into government coffers and could see the situation becoming even worse.- http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/curse-of-oil-sees-corruption-soar-in-nigeria-434405.html Solutions After thorough research of possible solutions to curtail corruption and its effects, several factors came to light. It will take more than implementation of such solutions to get this problem on track. These solutions include, but not limited to, best practices of other countries, anti-corruption programs, alliances with both, private and public sectors, strengthening accountability, membership into anti-bribery conventions, reformation of political system, and modification of the constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria. Depending on the countrys status, the right solution with the outcome varying by participation by its population to ensure effectiveness. Specifically, the USAID offers strategies against corruption where good government, and business practices can flourish, and in which corruption cannot easily take root. These programs sets evil occurring. There are numerous programs that contribute significantly to the establishment of an environment in which good government and business practices can flourish and in which corruption cannot easily take root. These programs include fiscal reform efforts, financial sector restructuring and improvement, privatization of state-owned enterprises, more efficient and transparent capital markets, and land titling reforms. Programs like these encourage competition, transparency, and accountability. They also facilitate the efficient and effective functioning of free markets and encourage private sector growth, both domestically and through foreign direct investment. Finally, such programs help to incorporate developing countries into the mainstream of the global marketplace Conclusion Corruption poses as an extreme problem as it challenges a countrys developmental prospects, emasculates governmental structure and its rule of law, demotes accountability, and lessens conformity with laws and regulations of the land. This results in the reduction of quality of life, and uproar of disdain and frustration experienced by the citizens of Nigeria. Collectively, these developments worsened the low productivity, both per unit of land and per worker, due to several factors: inadequate technology, acts of nature such as drought, poor transportation and infrastructure, and trade restrictions. As food production could not keep pace with its increasing population, Nigeria began to import food. It also lost its status as a net exporter of such cash crops as cocoa, palm oil, and groundnuts. According to U.S. Department of State FY2001 Country Commercial Guide, Nigerias total food and agricultural imports are valued at approximately US$1.6 billion per year. Among the major imports from the United States are wheat, sugar, milk powder, and consumer-ready food products. Efforts since the late 1970s to revitalize agriculture in order to make Nigeria food self-sufficient again and to increase the export of agricultural products have produced only modest results. The Obasanjo administration, however, has made agriculture the highest priority of its economic policy. Exploration simply translates into exploitation culminating into poverty which often metamorphoses into different kinds of crises such as intraethnic uprising, communal clashes http://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/reports/nigeria0107[1].pdf http://efccnigeria.org/index.php?option=com_contenttask=viewid=35Itemid=38 http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/AFRICAEXT/NIGERIAEXTN/0,,menuPK:368906~pagePK:141132~piPK:141107~theSitePK:368896,00.html http://www.new-ag.info//country/profile.php?a=848 Watts Michael, State, Oil and Agriculture in Nigeria, Berkeley, 1987. Retrieved February 22, 2007Available at http://www.somalipress.com/nigeria-overview/modern-history-nigeria-1054.html Rule 18.2.2 http://www.enelsyn.gr/papers/w16/Paper%20by%20Prof%20Oyelowo%20Oyewo.pdf http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761557915/nigeria.html Need to find in specificity http://www.ecowas.info/nigeria.htm http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761557915/nigeria.html http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/war/nigeria-2.htm http://www.heatingoil.com/articles/profile-oil-producer-nigeria/ http://www.new-ag.info//country/profile.php?a=848 http://www.opec.org/library/what%20is%20OPEC/FAQ.pdf http://www.opec.org/library/what%20is%20OPEC/FAQ.pdf http://www.nnpcgroup.com/corporate-profile/about-nnpc http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/1763464.stm http://www.iss.co.za/Af/profiles/Nigeria/Economy.html http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PNADF350.pdf http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PNADF350.pdf http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/economies/Africa/Nigeria-AGRICULTURE.html http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PNADF350.pdf http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PNADF350.pdf Helen Chapin Metz, ed. Nigeria: A Country Study. Washington: GPO for the Library of Congress, 1991, http://countrystudies.us/nigeria/ Helen Chapin Metz, ed. Nigeria: A Country Study. Washington: GPO for the Library of Congress, 1991, http://countrystudies.us/nigeria/ http://www.nytimes.com/2002/04/18/world/nigeria-to-recover-1-billion-from-the-family-of-a-late-dictator.html http://www.nytimes.com/2002/04/18/world/nigeria-to-recover-1-billion-from-the-family-of-a-late-dictator.html http://www.nytimes.com/2002/04/18/world/nigeria-to-recover-1-billion-from-the-family-of-a-late-dictator.html

Longitude Essay -- essays research papers

Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time is written by Dava Sobel. The book is called Longitude because it is about a clock maker who was able to determine longitude. Determining longitude was the superlative scientific question in the eighteenth century that Galileo and Newton were not able to resolve.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The principal inspiration behind the invention completed in this book is that many sailors were lost at seas as a result of their ignorance regarding longitude. So, without the competence to determine longitude, many innocent lives were disintegrated at seas.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  England’s Parliament was desperate for an answer to this problem. So, in 1714 England’s Parliament offered 20,000 pounds to anyone who invented a method or a device for measuring longitude and then proved successful.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As a result, a Frenchman, sieur de St. Pierre, frowned on the moons of Jupiter as means of determining longitude. He theorized that longitude could be found by the position of the moon and select stars. At the time, Dr. Edmond Halley proved this theory wrong. After many observations, Halley concluded that the moon’s rate of revolution around the earth was accelerating overtime.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  John Harrison was a simple clockmaker and a self-educated person who was accredited for finding longitude by means of a timeke...

Graduation Speech: Nothing is Accomplished Without Risk :: Graduation Speech, Commencement Address

I would like to begin by saying that I am honored to be able to stand before you tonight as a representative of my class, a great class, the class of 2012! I remember starting kindergarten and looking at high school with such awe. It was almost a dream. Each year I took a step closer, but it always seemed so far away. And yet tonight, I stand up here representing the realization of that dream. We have done it! No, really, think about it for a second, we have achieved the biggest, most anticipated event of our lives. We made it! Graduates congratulate yourselves on a job well done. Sitting here tonight shows a great deal of work and dedication. Seriously, look back on what you have done in just that last four years, let alone what you have accomplished in all your years of school. It is astounding what we have done. Congratulations, your perseverance has finally paid off. But also, we must remember to thank our parents, for it has been with their help and support that we have achieved our goal. We stand here tonight celebrating the accomplishment of our greatest achievement. But we also stand on the brink of the greatest challenge and adventure of our lives. This ceremony is all that lies between us and the so-called "real world." We are about to embark into the future. A future with infinite possibilities. High school was an important step in our lives, but it was only a step. We must always strive to educate ourselves and work to the best of our abilities. We must use the tools that we have been given to push ourselves to our fullest potential. The only way to utilize the infinite possibilities of the future is to work. To strive to do our best and then some, and to risk. Nothing in life is accomplished without risk. A risk of self, a risk of time, of money, of anything, a risk. With this is mind I would like to close by sharing with you a quote called "Man in the Arena," by Theodore Roosevelt. "It is not the critic who counts. Not the one who points out how the strong man stumbled or the doer of deeds might have done them better.

The 1820 Missouri Compromise Essay -- essays research papers fc

The 1820 Missouri Compromise Slavery and the Civil War Research Task- Describe the role of the 1820 Missouri Compromise in the campaign against slavery! The 1820 Missouri Compromise played a large role in the campaign against slavery. In 1819 Missouri became a statehood and congress considered framing a state constitution, with this a representative attempted to add a anti-slavery legislation with it. This is what started the process of the campaign against slavery. Henry Clay made a large contribution toward this compromise in 1820, with his new ideas on how to settle the conflict between the North and the South, which lasted until 1954.All the compromise’s made from 1820's to the Kansas Nebraska compromise in 1854, were all factors which led to the civil war. The state constitution in 1819, was what began of this compromise when James Tallmadge, a representative from New York attempted to add a anti- slavery amendment to the legislation. This gave a ugly and conflicted debate over slavery and the governments rights to restrict slavery. This Tallmadge amendment restricted all further introduction of slaves into Missouri and provided setting free once they reached the age of 25.This legislation was not passed, as the House of Representatives which was controlled by the North passed the idea, but it failed in the Senate which was equally divided between the North and the South. Although the legislation didn’t pass it led to Henry Clay taking it on when Maine became a free state. When Maine became a free state, the plan was largely that of Henry Clay who became known as the ‘Great Compromiser.’ Before there was a Compromise, there was a lot of controversy as there was always a equal amount of free states and slaves states since 1789, if Maine was to become a free state (which was highly unavoidable as slaves started to migrate into Missouri and the West of Mississippi), there became a unbalance. This issue was resolved through a two-part compromise, the northern part of Massachuset became known as Maine and was made a free state, at the same time Missouri was a slave state which would once again maintain a balance of 12 slave and 12 free states. In addition to this, a line was drawn at 36 degrees 30 minutes North latitude, and any sections of Louisiana territory lying North of the compromise would be free. This act also pr... ...ving twice been a resident on Free soil. The lower court and the Missouri Supreme Court ruled against him; and the case went to the US Supreme Court. The Chief Justice Rodger Taney declared that the Missouri Compromise, was unconstitutional and the congress didn’t have the power. The issue of slavery, once again, made war sound as if it couldn’t be avoided. The 1820 Missouri Compromise was known as highly dangerous and conflicting as it was trying to keep an equal balance of Free and slave-holding states between the North and the South, although the compromise did play a vital role in withholding the peace between the North and the South until the new compromise in 1854 came about. The Missouri compromise was said that it with held the Civil War for over three decades and it played a vital role in the start of the abolition of slavery in America. Bibliography- Word Count- 1112 Internet Sites Used- http://www.rosecity.net/civilwar/capesites/warmap.html - Sat 12 February, Time 12:42-1:09pm http://colfa.utsa.edu:16080/users/jreynolds/Textbooks/Abolition/Abolitionists%20Mussey.htm Sat 12 February, Time 12:12-12:56pm. Books Used

Short Story Analysis

Short Story Analysis In this essay, your purpose is to fully explain an element (theme, characterization or symbolism) in a short story of your choice. I will provide you with examples of each element from stories by Hemingway, Updike and Vonnegut ; you may write about any of these authors except the ones that we have discussed in class. However, you may choose to investigate an author of your own choice. Below I have listed some contemporary authors and story collections you may want to check out: Jhumpa LahiriFlannery O'Connor Raymond Carver William Faulkner David Sedaris Tobias Wolff Ernest Hemingway John Updike Kurt Vonnegut Carolyn Ferrell E. Annie Proulx T. Coraghessan Boyle Melissa Bank John Edgar Wideman Jim Ray Daniels Kevin Canty Nathan Englander Amy Tan Z. Z. Packer Thom Jones Sarah Vowell â€Å"The Best of Non Required Reading† Series All-Story Magazine *If you choose an author not listed above, please clear your choice with me before you begin drafting. __________ _________________________________________________________ Below re definitions of the three elements that you can focus on for your analysis. Characterization – the creation of the image of imaginary persons in drama, narrative poetry, the novel, and the short story. Characterization generates plot and is revealed by actions, speech, thoughts, physical appearance, and the other characters’ thoughts or words about him. Theme-The idea or point of a story formulated as a generalization. In American literature, several themes are evident which reflect and define our society.The dominant ones might be innocence/experience, life/death, appearance/reality, free will/fate, madness/sanity, love/hate, society/individual, known/unknown. Themes may have a single, instead of a dual nature as well. The theme of a story may be a mid-life crisis, or imagination, or the duality of humankind (contradictions). Symbolism- A person, place or object which has a meaning in itself but suggest s other meanings as well. Things, characters and actions can be symbols. Anything that suggests a meaning beyond the obvious.Some symbols are conventional, generally meaning the same thing to all readers. i. e: white= purity, fire=passion/intensity, Spring=rebirth Short Story Analysis Requirements You will complete 2 short story analyses for this unit; you will choose 2 of the 3 elements (theme, characterization or symbolism) to focus on. You may do the 3rd element for extra credit. In this essay, write as if your audience is not familiar with the story; therefore, you may have to do some summary of the story and provide some background so that you discussion would be understandable to your audience.Here is what you will need for this essay: 1. A great title that alerts your reader to the content of the discussion. 2. A full introduction in which you present the title of your story, the author’s full name, and your thesis about the story. 3. A multi-paragraph body in which yo u explain the major element you are focusing on (theme, characterization or symbolism). 4. Strong transitions that move the reader smoothly through the discussion. 5. A wealth of evidence from the story in the form of plot summary and quotation that SHOWS what you are saying is true. . Parenthetical references to show where your quotations come from. 7. A Works Cited page showing where you found your story. 8. A suggested total length of not less than 500 words (excluding Works Cited, title, etc. ) 9. An authoritative tone that displays a thorough understanding of the story in question and the particular element being analyzed. 10. A conclusion that provides a sense of closure and leaves us with a strong thought or observation about the story or its themeWithout Politics: An Analysis of Symbolism in Ernest Hemingway’s â€Å"The Old Man at the Bridge† Masterpiece. We tend to overuse that epithet today, but Ernest Hemingway’s short story â€Å"The Old Man at the Bridge† is certainly deserving. Set during the Spanish Civil War, Hemingway’s tale is a masterpiece of conciseness and verbal economy, and the plight of the defenseless old man who is â€Å"without politics† clearly demonstrates the author’s condemnation of the senseless brutality and destructiveness of modern war (Hemingway 79).In this brief glimpse of war, Hemingway weaves several important symbols into the story to enhance his theme and point out the tragically ironic features of war’s ability to destroy even the most innocent creatures in its wake. The story’s most obvious symbol is the bridge itself. The nameless old man of the title has walked over six miles from his home in San Carlos and now finds himself exhausted at the foot of the bridge over the Ebro River. There he is met by the narrator, a scout for the anti-fascist forces, and warned to move along. Unfortunately, the old man is too tired to journey any further.On the far side o f the bridge lies Barcelona, which symbolically represents the possibility of safety and refuge. On the near side, only certain destruction awaits as the old man was warned to evacuate his hometown because of the impending shelling by fascist artillery. In short, the bridge symbolizes the point of no return for the old man: if he crosses over, he may be safe but he must give up all that he knows and loves in San Carlos; if he stays, however, he will most likely share the fate of his beloved animals he cared for in San Carlos.The unseen animals are also important symbols in Hemingway’s story. The old man tells the narrator that he cared for â€Å"two goats and a cat and then there were four pairs of pigeons† (Hemingway 79). Caring for the animals is the old man’s sole purpose and joy in life, and because he does not have the strength to bring them with him to safety, he has had to leave them behind. Their fate troubles him. He tells the scout, â€Å"The cat, of course, will be all right. A cat can look out for itself, but I cannot think what will become of the others† (Hemingway 79).When the narrator tries to assure him that the birds will also be fine, the old man says, â€Å"Yes, certainly they’ll fly. But the others. It’s better not to think about the others† (Hemingway 80). Of course, the animals are all that the old man is thinking of and concerned about, and their safety is more important to him than his own. Unlike the warring factions, the old man feels compassion for those who are not equipped to survive the massive destruction about to be unleashed.Also, the different animals were able to live together peacefully with the old man’s care and love, but the two human armies, ironically, cannot. The significance of the old man’s birds is heightened when the narrator asks the old man if he left â€Å"the dove cage unlocked† (Hemingway 80, my emphasis). By referring to the pigeons as dove s, the narrator is alluding to the traditional symbolism of the dove as a bird of peace and innocence. In such an environment of hatred and carnage, these symbols of peace have no place and must â€Å"fly† or face death.Their beauty and gentle nature are not fit for survival under such conditions, just as anyone who stands for peace will have no effect on the bloodshed to come. The narrator also points out that the story is set on Easter Sunday, a Christian holiday meant to celebrate Christ rising from the dead. The irony is apparent; no one will rise from the dead, only join the dead, when the shells begin to rain down and the skies clear to allow the fascist bombers to make their runs. Easter is symbolically viewed as a highly anticipated, welcome time of rebirth, renewal, and possible change.For the old man at the foot of the bridge, this Easter brings only inevitable death and the destruction of all that is meaningful to him. Finally, he most important symbol in the story is the old man himself. His symbolic innocence is seen when he tells the narrator, â€Å"I am without politics† (Hemingway 79). The unarmed old man does not belong to either side and he has no interest in participating in the conflict. He is 76 years old and has barely enough strength to make it to the bridge; he clearly poses no threat to anyone.Even so, his fate is made clear when the narrator ominously tells us that the momentary delay of the imminent bombing â€Å"and the fact that cats know how to look out for themselves was all the good luck that old man would ever have† (Hemingway 80). Since the Spanish Civil War was a precursor to World War II and alerted the world to what horrors would lie ahead for innocent men, women, children, and animals all over the planet when the conflict spread, Hemingway shows us what happens to the innocent and the powerless in this new brand of total war.There is no place for sympathy—beyond alerting the old man to keep movi ng and possibly hitch a ride to Barcelona, the narrator does not go out of his way to help the defenseless old man. Since the old man cannot help in the war, he is a hindrance, as is feeling any excessive emotion for him that might detract from performing one’s military duty. The scout tries to reassure the old man that his animals will be fine, but he is not going to go retrieve them for the old man.He advises the old man to cross the bridge, but he is not going to move the old man himself. After all, he has the â€Å"business† of war to tend to (Hemingway 78). This is as much kindness and compassion as the innocent can expect, and it is nowhere near enough to ensure survival. In the end, Hemingway captures the inhumanity and barbaric nature of war. Ironically, he does so without a single shot being fired or one drop of blood being spilled in his tale of a nameless old man at a forgotten bridge.His symbols are carefully placed and subtly developed, allowing readers to focus on the tragic fate of the old man without being sidetracked by heavy-handed literary devices. We feel sympathy and sorrow for the old man and ultimately realize that he is a symbol of all those caught in the crossfire, those who have died and will continue to die in the wake of and the inhuman â€Å"business† of modern war. Works Cited Hemingway, Ernest. â€Å"The Old Man at the Bridge. † The Short Stories of Ernest Hemingway. New York: Macmillan, 1986. 78-80.