Investors Gain New Clout Essay

From the many problems now being experienced by the US in their economy and the way they conduct their businesses, legislators and other groups are turning to new ways to improve the old system and pull America’s economy out of its slump. The latest among these moves is the move by the legislative to give shareholders more power and control in placing and ousting members of the board of directors. This move has become an issue due to the shift in power in terms of whose interest is favored by the ruling. There are several different interests that exist in a company especially when individuals and groups within it make decisions. There are shareholder interests, employee interests, management interests and stakeholder interests that conflict with each other. The current issue highlights the conflicts that arise between the interests of the management and the shareholders as well as the different interests of the shareholders themselves. This is where the clash begins. On the one hand, those who approve of the new ruling maintain that their interests are being upheld especially because they are the ones who invested in the business. This forwards their main interest of the organization succeeding in the long term because of the investments they have put into the business. While the previous ruling handicaps small shareholders, this new rule gives them voice through the process of â€Å"proxy access† as long as they have at least 3% of the controlling stock. This will enable them to express their dissent and dissatisfaction in the board members and oust them especially if they think that the actions of the board are not appropriate. On the other hand, the interests of the management, will be challenged by the new ruling and could result in problems in implementation and efficiency. While the constitutionality and the perceived negative effects of this ruling are contestable, one thing is clear: big business that angered their investors would go under pressure and could find themselves rethinking their strategies. A noticeable thing about this change is the apparent relativity on how democracy is perceived. Before the ruling, many directors served as the signing body for the chief executives and other high ranking officers they are tasked to oversee. This brings into light the apparent control of CEOs and other executives regardless of how the owners of the company feel about their decisions. With owners finally having a measure of control to a fair and impartial opportunity to elect independent directors, many things are going to change in corporations starting with both the board and top management focusing, instead, on serving the interests of the shareholders as their priority. With the democratization of the shareholders as they are given more power, many in management will see such democratic procedures as a bane rather than the boon they have always perceived it to be. Business roundtables, in order to veil their attempts at skewing the corporate election processes to favor the corporation over substantial shareholder interests, have tried to stop such democratization of power within their systems. However, their efforts have recently been trumped by the â€Å"proxy access† rule. The new ruling has made corporate directors directly accountable to the actions of the company. This will result in (at least speculatively) the improvement of performances of the directors unless they want to be voted out of office and replaced by independent candidates chosen by the shareholders who are against their performance. This power is, however, a double-edged sword. Advancing the interests of shareholders who, among themselves, have different interests could prove to be an overly bureaucratic and cumbersome process where all sides would need to be appeased in order to incur no one’s wrath and be dismissed from the position they have been holding. With as little as 3%holding shares, corporate directors will have many parties to appease, which will require them to be very dynamic and charismatic, as well as having an overall good performance, if they want to stay on the board.

Thanatology

Define social death and describe some specific ways in which it is manifested. Social death is described as a concept that â€Å"is defined situationally by observing how a person is treated by others. † (Kastenbaum, 56) Even if an individual is trying to be part of a group, they may be disregarded or rejected. Any person can experience social death because we are all at the mercy of our peers. All people are looking to be accepted and feel like they are part of something greater than themselves.There are many ways that social death can occur. One of the most common occur because of a marriage. In some cultures, if an individual marries someone out of their religious or ethnic group they can experience social death. The individual may be ousted by their group, whether it is family, church, or peers. The individual would likely be completely cut off from that particular group. Social death can also occur if an individual violates some type of law.In western society if a person violates a law they can be jailed and they â€Å"may also strip a person of the rights of citizenship, and the church may excommunicate. † (Kastenbaum, 56) On the same note, in a different culture a tribal person may be subjected to a â€Å"bone-pointing ceremony† (Kastenbaum, 56) where an individual may face a symbolic execution. They may also take away the individuals property and redistribute it among the tribe. Another way a person may be exposed to a social death is by having a physical or mental disability.Many times people who are institutionalized are treated less like a person and more like an object. The individual may be ignored or avoided which leads to a social death. Another social death can occur when an individual has a terminal illness. Many people do not want to acknowledge an individuals pending death, so they pretend as though the dying person is not there. Unfortunately, a social death may be the only option for an individual when people cannot acc ept that someone is dying.The worst part of this type of social death is that most times the dying person is still very much alive and aware of what is going on around them. No matter what the reason a social death must be the worst feeling. An individual must feel a sense of being unimportant and unloved when experiencing a social death. When a person is constantly ignored or discounted it is a deep emotional event that can cause the individual to think less of themselves. â€Å"The concept of social death recognizes that when we die on the eyes of others, we may become somewhat less of a person. † (Kastenbaum, 56)

Article summary Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Article summary - Research Paper Example The study employed a venue-based sampling strategy for recruitment of respondents during randomly selected blocks of time. Research staff gathered the data on the basis of a master schedule of monthly activities that conducted throughout metropolitan Atlanta. The sampling frame included 25 locations including churches, bookstores, educational forums, community meetings, and special events such as family health fairs. Three hundred seventeen people were invited to participate, and 223 provided written informed consent (response rate: 70%). The research employed SPSS 17.0 (SPSS Inc, Chicago, IL) and SAS 9.2 (SAS Institute, Inc, Cary, NC) for analyses. Descriptive statistics and cross-tabulations were also generated for variables of interest. In addition, bivariate correlations were also generated to explore key relationships. An exploratory factor analysis was conducted, and resulting scale-reliability estimates were generated. We determined that a Cronbach’s ÃŽ ± reliability estimate of ≠¥ 0.70 would support reliability of each subscale. A multivariate logistic regression models were also used to analyze the independent contributions of variables. Quantitative result revealed that twenty two percent (n=50) of the parents had had their children vaccinated for seasonal inï ¬â€šuenza in the previous 3 months. The overall seasonal inï ¬â€šuenza vaccine-acceptance rate for children was 40.8% (n = 91). Also, the overall acceptance rate of obtaining H1N1 vaccine within 90 days for children was a low 35.9% at n = 80. The significant factors that were identified that could predict predicted H1N1 vaccine acceptance for children included lack of insurance (OR: 3.04 [95% CI: 1.26 –7.37]), higher perceived child susceptibility to H1N1 (OR: 1.66 [95% CI: 1.41–1.95]), prioritizing children over other family members for vaccination (OR:3.34 [95% CI: 1.33– 8.38]), and having the belief that H1N1 is a greater community

Evaluation of a company Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

Evaluation of a company - Essay Example The Coca-Cola Company is a multinational beverage firm, and manufacturer, marketer, and retailer of non-alcoholic beverage drink and syrups. The company has a headquarter in Atlanta, Georgia. The company is popular for its Coca-Cola product that a pharmacist John Stith Pemberto invented in 1886 in Columbus, Georgia. Asa Griggs Candler bought the formula from Permberto in 1889 and built-in The Coca-Cola Company in 1892. The company runs a business distribution arrangement, which dates back to 1889 where the company produces a syrup concentrate and sell it to various bottlers all over the world. The company owns Coca-Coca Refreshments, a bottler in North America. It exists in more 200 nations and sells over 50 billion drink servings of various types every single day. The spin-off of the bottling operations belonging to Coca Cola in Brazil and Philippines in 2013 affected negatively the profits of Coca Cola as it slowed sales growth. Apart from the spin-off, the continuing global macroeconomic problems in many markets have also led to the reduction of profits. In addition, the weakness in sales in North America, the largest market for Coca-Cola has led to slow growth of profits. Global sales rose in volume by 2 percent in 2013 as related to 4% of 2012. The global last quarter sales in 2013 rose by 1%, which was below the expected level of 3%. As a consequently of reduction in the sales, Coke’s shares reduced by 3.8%. A share was sold by $37.47 in 2013. Revenue reduced by 3.6% to 11.04 billion U.S dollars. Therefore, revenue for 2013 was lower than that of 2012, which was 11.46 billion U.S dollars. Drink sales reduced by 1% in North America. The income statement shows the impacts of the three issues earlier mentioned. PepsiCo is the main rival of Coca-Cola in the soft drink industry. PepsiCo is second to Coca-Cola. It outsells Coca-Cola in certain markets. RC Cola

PKG Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

PKG - Assignment Example It is now apparent that the meaning of ethics is rather difficult to discern and quite many people may not know the meaning of the word. Many literatures define ethics as the set of rational standards of right and wrong, pertaining to what people ought to do, their rights, obligations, benefits, fairness, and virtues (Blackburn, 2001). For an illustration, ethics place reasonable obligations on people not to murder, assault, slander, fraud, rape, or steal. Additionally, ethics deal with honesty, compassion, loyalty, and rights to life, privacy, and the right to freedom for good health and life and right to freedom from injury among others (Blackburn, 2001). In this century, ethics could also refer to the study and development of ethical standards for the contemporary and future society. As the world changes, earlier established social norms, peoples’ feelings, and laws could deviate from what was considered ethical, making it necessary that ethical standards are constantly examined to ensure they are not only reasonable but also well-founded. Thus, in the 21st century, ethics entails the endless efforts at studying and exploring peoples’ moral norms, beliefs and conduct so that the concerned institutions help in shaping the solidly based and reasonable ethical standards to live by (Blackburn, 2001). This paper thus undertakes an in-depth analysis of the 21st century’s ethical status, more so with regards to the moral choices that people make in ethically challenging situations. The ethical or moral rules and standards governing peoples’ existence and actions in the contemporary world have changed greatly in the 21st century. Although barely into its second decade, the 21st century’s moral climate has been marked by hitherto unknown levels of dishonesty not only in the public spheres but also in peoples’ private lives (Bailey, 2004). Examples of the aspects of life that are faced

Financial structure and macroeconomic stability Research Paper

Financial structure and macroeconomic stability - Research Paper Example However the ability of the policy makers and financial regulators to implement different rules depends upon the control they have upon reducing inflation and output volatility. The transmission of interest rate fluctuations to output levels and prices depends upon a country’s policies regarding banking and management of financial markets. For most policy makers, in majority of the nations, controlling the interest rates in the short run is considered to be most important. Policy development and interest rate changes are however effective only when they lead to an increase the level finance available to firms and individuals who are willing to invest in projects or shift consumption. In many nations it is observed that the banking system is guarded from the impact caused by monetary policies through barriers which are created by the government (Iakova & Wagner, 2001). Monetary policy which gets transmitted to the real economy and thereby impacts the lending policies of the bank requires to be altered as they hinder growth. When the government sheds the assets of the bank, they indirectly create scope for the central banks to bring about stability in output and inflation rates. Therefore establishing a control over the assets possessed by the bank is a suitable way by which it is possible to manage the macro-economic environment. The deposit insurance system is also identified as a crucial factor in the financial regulatory system which affects the economy. The absence or the presence of a deposit regulatory system affects the readiness of bank managers to undertake risks. Subsequently the access available to firms to raise finance through equity and bonds may also get affected. Financial regulators are frequently seen to use bank loans as a tool to implement monetary policies. Therefore if firms are more dependent upon banks, then the efficient implementation of

Licensing Agreement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Licensing Agreement - Essay Example This is considered to be the first step of intellectual property. This report will identify issues that Alarmz ltd might face by entering into an agreement with a Brazilian company and how identified problems might be overcome. Introduction Alarmz Ltd is a company that prides itself with the use of technologically updated car alarms five years running. We deliver and fit the top brands in car alarms including Clifford, Cobra, Hornet, Viper, Avital, Laserline and Autowatch and all forms of car alarm, parking sensors, audio, hid lighting etc. We also fit car accessories at amazingly low prices. Our specialty includes remote start and 2way car alarms and our clients are guaranteed excellent results. With the increase in car thefts and faulty vehicle tracking devices, there is a need to ensure that cars have well manufactured and functioning alarms. This has led to our company, Alarmz Ltd to create ideas for the manufacture of a new tamper proof alarm. This alarm will be designed in a wa y that minimizes chances of tampering by people who have malicious intentions with the car. This alarm system will have features that will be different from other market alarms. In this quest, we were able to identify the Brazilian Company Redfern Integrated Optics (RIO) Inc as our preferred manufacturer. RIO Inc. is a company that is well known for the manufacture and development of optical and subsystems based on Planar External Cavity Laser Technology (PLANEX). It distributes exclusive price-performance returns in energy, security, infrastructure, metrology, and other markets. The qualities of products produced by RIO Inc are the best so far in the market. Cases of dissatisfaction by customers have been minimal. The distribution of their products is on a wide area scale, as they have adequate transportation that oversees distribution. This is therefore, the better option we have identified to work with as a manufacturing company. There is a need for Alarmz Ltd to enter into a lic ensing agreement with RIO Inc. A licensing agreement is necessary because, our company needs to protect its intellectual and invention rights. Since our company came up with an idea and wants to make the product a reality, we still need to have rights over the product as the inventors. Alarmz ltd will need to increase its revenue, and the product can do that. Making a licensing agreement ensures that Alarmz ltd; the original inventors of the product enjoy the benefits of the product and are involved when an increase of price for the product is needed. A licensing agreement will enable our company to increase visibility and access to our product under a trademark with RIO Inc. A licensing agreement will enable the product to bring attention to our company. This is an intellectual property that can become symbolic, when shared and used in the right way. Alarmz ltd needs to be careful in entering a licensing agreement and adequate research should be done before with adequate legal guid ance. The agreement is contractual between Alarmz ltd and RIO Inc., or any other company that we may choose to do business. In this agreement, RIO Inc. can exploit our product, process and manufacture it, but obliged to pay us royalty from the sale of the product. The licensing agreements will give Alarmz ltd enjoyment of benefits that will be achieved by the production and sale of the alarm. In creating a licensing agreement, we will give limitations to RIO Inc, who is not the

Personal Action Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Personal Action Plan - Essay Example Those who migrate from other regions feel uncomfortable with the cultural and social surroundings of the host country. These issues include, but are not limited to, dressing style, eating habits, language barriers, religious affiliations, and cultural festivals and so on. The most pressing issues that I found are communication and/or language barriers and prejudice against people in minority threatening their integration in the new environment and with the new people. During the course, I realized that my social network with others was weak and full of prejudice and self seeking. In response to this I will strengthen my social relation by making more friends both in the college and in the community as a whole. Improving social network through appreciations and accepting every culture creates a social bond between people. I would focus my action plan in the friends’ group area initially. I would like to take part in making people from different backgrounds mingle and forget differences in their backgrounds, accents, languages and dressing. I would work hard to bring them on the same page by emphasizing on the equality that exists between them for being humans. Another aspect that was identified during the course that has not been up to date is communication. On the personal ground my communication has been moderate. I have been concentrating on my peers and those in the same class. This course has exposed me to learn how to communicate with those in the higher position. These include the lecturers, administrators and university workers. In light to what I have learnt, I will improve my language which has been a barrier to communicate with those in senior authority. Communication has also been a challenge to other who shared this class with me. They did not know how they could channel their complaints to the authority. Hence, I would like to reduce their hesitation by guiding them toward the official procedures that work in a systematic manner to address

COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY - Essay Example Of course, it is always possible that what is known can greatly influence the way something is perceived to such an extent that it becomes a misperception. Visual and auditory misperceptions have been studied widely in the literature, as they illustrate not only how something can be misperceived due to top-down factors but can shed some light on how perception relies on these factors also. A variety of empirical evidence will be used to evaluate the role that these top-down factors have in perception, focusing mainly on visual and auditory misperceptions. One of the most widely studied examples of the way that top-down factors have a role in misperceptions are illusions. Optical illusions are often used as fun examples of how the mind can trick us, but they also have a huge role in cognitive psychology. Illusions are good because they show how the mind follows certain rules and places certain constraints on perception, and how top-down factors cause the brain to have a bias towards p erceiving certain things (Eysenck & Keane, 2005). In everyday life, these are usually correct and can help us to identify objects that have never been perceived before accurately and simply. Without these rules, there would be no perception in the sense we understand today. However, when these rules are applied in a different sense to that which they would usually be employed misperception or illusion results. Misperceptions can be found within all sensory systems, although visual and auditory are the most researched and understood. Sometimes, a healthy individual can briefly mistake one object that is known for another. The research by Summerfield, Egner, Mangels & Hirsch (2006) investigates the reaction of the brain during these occasions using functional magnetic resonance imaging to understand the neuroscience behind this. The interesting part of this research is that Summerfield et al (2006) manipulated images of houses and faces to such an extent that they could be realistical ly mistaken for the other. This may seem ridiculous, as houses and faces are two very different structures that could not easily be mistaken for each other in reality. This is an example of a top-down factor; we think that it would be impossible to mistake a house for a face (or vice versa) because of the rules and regulations put in place in the way that objects are perceived. However, this research showed that at a certain level of degradation, this misperception can easily occur. This misperception occurs even in psychologically normal patients. Top-down factors associate some areas of the image with a house or a face and the medio-frontal and right parietal regions of the brain make assumptions based upon what is already known and help the individual perceive. Faces themselves are also victim to visual misperception. Research by Leopold, Rhodes, Muller and Jeffery (2005) has shown that top-down factors can lead to perceived identity and expression. In this case, what is known ab out individuals that are familiar is applied to individuals that are not, and thus misperceptions occur. The brain here is suggesting that someone with similar visual appearance to an individual must be that individual. Again, this is an example

Interpersonal Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Interpersonal Paper - Essay Example We have been friends for seven months now. Ronnie is in his second year of study. He lives with his parents several blocks away from by place and after school we usually take a bus home together. Currently the relationship between Ronnie and I is in the integration stage. The integration stage in a relationship is the fourth stage where those involved in the relationship start to get closer than before. Our friendship is at this stage because we are getting close as friends and getting to know each other better. We spent a lot of time together both at school and during our free times playing video games. There are several communication behaviors that indicate that our friendship with Ronnie is in the integration stage. An example is the fact that every time I am through with my classes and ready to board the bus home, I have to call Ronnie to inquire where he is so that we can go home together. The second communication behavior that indicates that the relationship is in the integration stage is the way Ronnie laughs at my jokes. I seem to find Ronnie’s joke interesting and he also seem to find my jokes interesting (Devito 7). We keep laughing every time we are togethe r since Ronnie is the funny type. In some cases Ronnie sneaks into our lecture hall when the instructor has not yet arrived, hits me from the back and then escapes. This is something that he can two several times in a week and it shows that we are integrating and getting closer as friends. My experience in this relationship can be best analyzed using the social penetration theory, uncertainty reduction theory and the interpersonal deception perspective. The uncertainty reduction theory has been chosen to demonstrate my experience during the initial stages of the friendship (Alder, Rosenfeld, and Proctor 23). The social penetration theory on the other hand will clearly help show how we have come closer with Ronnie in terms of what we share and what we keep away from each other over

John the Baptist Rewrite Essay Example for Free

John the Baptist Rewrite Essay Abstract John the Baptist practiced preaching and baptizing Jews in the river Jordan. He was the one who recognized Jesus as the messiah and baptized him. This baptism was the beginning of Jesus’ life as a teacher. But it is his death that is almost always how John the Baptist is remembered and studied. His teaching is the basis of Baptist today. His life is told in only the Gospels and not much is really known about the man who came before Jesus to preach the word of God and of Jesus’ coming. INTRODUCTION: John the Baptist practiced preaching and baptizing Jews in the river Jordan. He was the one who recognized Jesus as the messiah and baptized him. This baptism was the beginning of Jesus’ life as a teacher. But it is his death that is almost always how John the Baptist is remembered and studied. His teaching is the basis of Baptist today. The New Testament does not supply precise information about the dates of John’s or Jesus’ birth. Usually John the Baptist is associated with the Advent season. His Birth is celebrated on June 24th. In the third or fourth century the birthday of Jesus was assigned to Dec. 25th, around the time of the winter solstice, after what we call the shortest day of the year, when the time of daylight begins to increase. In John’s Gospel there is a saying from John the Baptist, referring to Jesus, that â€Å"he must increase; I must decrease† (3:30). And so the birth of John was assigned to June 24th, after the summer solstice, when the daylight begins to decrease, following the longest day of the year. The Scripture readings for the nativity of St. John the Baptist reflect the dynamics of Decrease and increase between John and Jesus. Today’s Old Testament reading is one of the servant songs from Second Isaiah. It was chosen for its reference to the servant having been named from his mother’s womb (Luke 1:60). But the passage also expresses important aspects of John’s career as a prophet to God’s people and a light to the nations. At the same time his status as servant makes him subordinate to Jesus. The selection from Paul’s speech in Acts 13 reminds us that John played a pivotal role in Salvation history and so won a place in the early Christian proclamation. Importance is given to John’s own recognition of his subordinate status with respect to Jesus, â€Å"I am not worthy to unfasten the sandals of his feet†. HIS HISTORY: John the Baptist was described as a man that walked among the Jews in animal’s hair that was not covered by his own skin and he was a savage. He came with a message that â€Å"God hath sent me to show you the way of the law, by which ye shall be freed from many tyrants. And no mortal shall rule over you, but only the highest who hath sent me. † He dipped them into the stream of the Jordan and let them go warning them that they should renounce evil deeds (Harrington, 2005, p. 25). In Luke’s early narrative there are many parallels and comparisons between John and Jesus, both in the announcements of their births and in the accounts of them. While John is great, Jesus is greater is the message given. The idea is not to critic John but rather to highlight Jesus’ greatness. The birth of John is presented by Luke as the fulfillment of God’s promises not only to his elderly parents but also to God’s people as a whole, Elizabeth and Zechariah, John’s parents, insists that the child be named John , a name whose Hebrew form, Yohana, celebrates God’s mercy and favor to his people . If there is any connections between Jesus ant the Dead Sea Scrolls, it is through John, who was â€Å"in the desert until the day of his manifestation to Israel† The child John grew up to become a herald of God’s coming kingdom, the messiah and the mentor of Jesus. The Gospel of Luke provides some of the chronological history of John the Baptist. According to Luke, John began to preach his baptism of repentance in the fifteenth year of Tiberius. Jesus was born sometime before the death of Herod the Great. This puts him at about thirty when he began to preach and died during the reign of Pontius Pilate, whose term was terminated shortly before the death of Tiberius in 37 c. e. Since in all three gospels Jesus’ ministry appears to last no more than about a year, the gospel of Luke places the death of Jesus between 25 C. E. and 29 C. E. with the latter being a range that would fit with Luke’s claim that John began preaching around 28 C. E. (Kraemer, 2006, p. 334). There is a period of John the Baptist life that is blank and because the gospels are the only mentioning of the man, speculation has given a possibility of where he was. They believed that John the Baptist was a recluse who spent a great amount of time with a group of people named the Essenes. These people lived in the desert awaiting the imminent arrival of the Messiah (Miller Scelfo, 2007). The Essenes had turned its back on the Herodian temples and its worship to withdrawal to the Judean desert. Their communities were created using monastic style communities, but also to instill a religious life for families. These religious instructions included a literary center and used exclusive rituals such as baptism and prayer. This is probably where the basis of John’s beliefs was founded. In an article in Newsweek it discusses how close John the Baptist, Jesus and possibly his family were to the Essenes community. The actual ritual of Baptism, that was the Essenes belief, symbolizes â€Å"the leaving behind the sinful life one has led until now and to start out on the path to a new, changed life (Ratzinger, 2007). A Professor of religious studies wrote a book in 20006 that gave a little different look at the historical life of John the Baptist. According to this author, James Tolson, Jesus with his cousin John were in partnership and saw themselves as the founders not of a new religion but of a worldly royal dynasty that would be fulfilling ancient prophecies. The dynasty had come down from King David and was to restore Israel and guide it through an apocalyptic upheaval that was growing in the Kingdom of God on Earth. All of this was supposed to happen not in the distant or metaphoric future but then and now. True their message was one of a peaceful change, but Jesus knew he had aroused suspensions of Herodian rulers of Palestine as well as the Romans. So, according to Tolson, Jesus had to establish a provisional government with 12 tribal officials and named his brother James, not Paul as his successor. Later James became the leader of the early Christian movement (Tolson, 2006). HIS DEATH: History remembers Archelaus’s brother, Herod Antipas, because of his interactions with the prophet John the Baptist. John would loudly condemn Antipas immoral behavior of having stolen his brother’s wife, who was also his niece. Antipas arrested and kept John in chains, unable to kill him yet unable to put him out of his mind. According to the Book of Mark, â€Å"When Herod heard John, he was greatly puzzled; yet he liked to listen to him† (Mark 6:20). Through a trick thought up by his wife and her daughter Salome, Antipas ended up executing John. Reports then filtered in of another prophet, and Antipas, perhaps plagued by remorse tried to see Jesus who avoided him, because of what he had done to his cousin. In both Mark and Mathew, the death of John the Baptizer is told in flashbacks. Jesus’ activities have attracted attention, and there have been speculation as to his identity, with some proposing that Jesus could be John the Baptist. Ross S. Kraemer of Brown University wrote an essay dealing with this subject. He also wrote that, â€Å"Herod Antipas too having heard the word of the prophet after John’s beheading, believes that Jesus is indeed John. Herodias, Herod’s wife, was the one who resents John and wishes to kill him but she was still prevented by Antipa’s fear of John’s righteousness and holiness. In Mark’s account at Antipas’s birthday meal was when an opportunity presented itself to Herodias. Antipas became entranced by his wife’s daughter dancing and offered this daughter anything she wished, even half of his kingdom. The daughter then goes and asks her mother what to request and her mother replies that she wants her to ask for the head of John the Baptizer on a platter. Antipas complies only in order to keep his oath and preserve his honor before his guests. In Matthew’s account there are some differences but still significant differences. Both agree that it is Antipas who orders John’s execution, but in Mark it is only because of Herodias that he does so, because Antipas has no desire to kill John. In Matthew Antipas himself desires to be rid of John, but has reservations because he fears the people who see John as a prophet. In Matthew’s account Antipas thought well of John and found his speeches pleasing. In Matthew, Herodias does not appear as a player until the end where like in Mark; Herodias capitalizes on Antipas’s offer. In Mark, Antipas has been totally manipulated by Herodias and her daughter, but in Matthew, he has merely been enabled to do what he had wished all along but was too weak to do. One more account from the book of Josephus tells that Herodias and her daughter played no role whatsoever. Josephus and Matthew actually concur in seeing Herod as always desiring John’s death, but with different motivations being that John was critical of Herodias for the way of flouting Jewish tradition by marrying Antipas and this was the motive for Herods ordering the beheading. But Josephus does cite that Antipa’s was fearful of John’s popularity and that could have started and uprising. HIS PROPHECIES: John the Baptizer was a prophet that preached with not so much words but with life. The words of the prophet ring true only because they carry with them the sweat, tears and blood of the prophet. According to Abraham Joshua Heschel, prophets are preachers whose lives are under siege, â€Å"The prophet is a man who feels fiercely. God has thrust a burden upon his soul and he is bowed and stunned at man’s fierce greed. Frightful is the agony of man; no human voice can convey its full terror. Prophecy is the voice that God has lent to the silent agony, a voice to the plundered poor, to the profaned riches of the world. It is a form of living a crossing point of God and man. God is raging in the prophet’s words†. (Dube, 2002, p. 42). The ministry of John the Baptizer was to challenge, provoke and call towards holiness. Because prophets are on the cutting edge of the call for repentance, their call is to shatter the comfort zones of sin and complacency. The conditions that call fourth prophets are conditions of idolatry, moral decadence and weak spirituality. This is why strict conditions are set up for any prophet who prophesies peace. The message of the prophet is one that calls for repentance, one that threatens us with its incarnated holiness, rages at us with God’s words as with John the Baptizers words of, â€Å"Repent, God’s rule is around the corner! † John’s whole life was directed towards one goal, one direction, to give witness to the transcendent reality of God, which now made near, our eyes can see it and our hands can handle it. In John’s own words, â€Å"I did not know Him, but that He should be revealed to Israel, therefore I came baptizing with water† (Dube, 2002, p.43). What this means is that, ultimately, every prophet has to let go. John the Baptizer has to let that which he has given witness to take its own shape and form. Letting go seems easy, a holy thing to do, but in its aftermath it is a very hazardous moment for the prophet. What is hazardous for the prophet is thinking about what has really taken place. The result is that this final movement of the prophetic life is bound by some kind of crisis such as doubt or a trouble in the mind. The prophet discovers that he or she is not the sound from the trumpet but just a reed. This realization requires a re-centering. In John’s case, the crisis is his doubts about the Messiah. But after John sends two of his disciples to ask Jesus a question if he was the one or whether they should look for another his fears were relinquished (Yancey, 2007, p. 72). In Christian faith they believe that John the Baptist was ordained by God to preach and reveal the Messiah, they believe this to be Jesus. Prophecies that were foretold by John are in Luke 1:17, â€Å"And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest, for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways. † and also Luke 1:75. In the Book of Malachi John the Baptist is referred to as a prophet who is to prepare the way of the Lord, â€Å"Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me, and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in, behold, he shall come, saith the Lord. † (3:1). PROOF OF EXISTENCE: In recent times a cave was discovered not far from the traditional birthplace of John the Baptist, Ein Kerem, just west of Jerusalem on a Kibbutz. Where John the Baptist was born and also where churches and monasteries are built to commemorate his birth. The cave is of considerable size with genuinely puzzling feature such as a large amount of broken patter, some dating to the period when John was active, a pool used perhaps for ritual immersion, a stone with the imprint of a foot, apparently used for foot-anointing and pictures on the walls that could relate to John the Baptist that depicts an upraised arm with three crosses. But much speculation as to whether this is a representation of John or not is still up in the air (Scham, 2004). Caves have long been associated with John. In the bible, his mother, Elizabeth, flees with him to a cave to escape Herod’s massacre of male infants, and as an adult he frequently lives in caves, giving some weight to the cave findings mentioned earlier. After John’s beheadings cults formed around his memory and often held religious rituals in caves. The site was excavated by Shimon Gibson an Israeli archaeologist in 1999 and 2000. Around the perimeter he discovered the remains of walls with large dress stones which usually is a sign of an important place in the Near East. Although Gibson isn’t clear on their age, he still uses this to uphold his find. Another artifact is a unique water channeling system suggesting the presence of a reservoir from its earliest occupation, probably between 800 and 500 B. C. This, Gibson proposes, was used for baptism rituals. Along with these relics are thousands of pieces of pottery, dating from Hellenistic times. CONCLUSION: John the Baptist was a prophet of the coming of Jesus and as elusive in history as was Jesus. Not much information can be obtained about much of his life except for what is mentioned in the Gospel. The finding of the cave and if it is indeed where John the Baptist did work his miracles would be the first evidence to his existence. In all the information I found most focused on his death and the meaning of his sermons towards the end of his life. If the evidence at the excavations do prove to the existence of John than evidence on Jesus’ life will follow. I was most interested in the essay by Ross S. Kraemer that mentioned a possibility that John and Jesus could be the same. Whatever is true, it is easy to say that John the Baptist was a man that through his sermons changed the world and created a faith. Bibliography Bugge, J. (2006, April). Virginity and prophecy in the old English Daniel. English Studies. 87(2), 127-147. Dube, C. (2002). From ecstasy to ecstasies: A reflection on prophetic and Pentecostal ecstasy in the light of John the Baptizer. Journal of Pentecostal Theology, 11. 1 41-52 Gibson, S. (2004). The cave of john the Baptist. New York: Doubleday Harrington, D. (2007, June 18). Decrease and increase. America, 196(21), 38-39. Kraemer, R. S. (2006). Implicating herodias and her daughter in the death of john the Baptizer: A christian theological strategy? Journal of Biblical Literature, 125(2), 321-349. Miller, L. Scelfo, J. (2007, May 21). A portrait of faith. Newsweek, 14(21), n. p. Ratzinger, J. (2007, May 21). The meaning of baptism. Newsweek, 149(21), n. p. Scham, S. (2004, November). St. john’s cave. Archaeology, 57(6), 52. Tolson, J. (2006, March 17). The kingdom of Christ. News World Report, 140(14), n. p. Warrington, K. (2006, April). Acts and the healing narratives: Why? Journal of Pentecostal Theology. 14(2), 189-217. Yancey, P. (2007, January). A tale of five herods. Christianity Today, 72.

Visual Pleasure And Narrative Cinema Analysis Film Studies Essay

Visual Pleasure And Narrative Cinema Analysis Film Studies Essay In this paper we are going to discuss the position of Laura Malvey in her work Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema. We will also discuss how Mulveys thesis may be convincing in one instance but tested to its limitations in another using two examples. The psychoanalytic interpretation of the position of women viewers gets back to the famous essay by Laura Mulvey Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema, the original thesis of which was that the film form is structured by the unconscious of the patriarchal society and that woman as a spectator is always imposed the rules of a foreign game getting of the male type of pleasure for example, inherently scopophilic pleasure from the examination of the female body. But the issue in this work is not only and not so much about the pleasure itself, but about more serious things how the vision is the instance of identification formation of the subject through the visual practices and how the power is incorporated into the play that is, the question is raised in the work about the ideological effects of the basic cinematic apparatus. Mulvey argued that ideology is involved in forming the subjectivity of the individual at the level of the unconscious and that is how a female spectator, through borrowing the male gaze, takes the ideology of a patriarchal society, which is imposed. Laura Mulvey in Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema explains how the traditional Hollywood film claims the scopophilic view: In a world ordered by sexual imbalance, pleasure in looking has been split between active/male and passive/female. The determining male gaze projects its phantasy on to the female form which is styled accordingly. In their traditional exhibitionist role women are simultaneously looked at and displayed, with their appearance coded for strong visual and erotic impact so that they can be said to connote to-be-looked-at-ness. (Malvey, 1975). The woman, demonstrated as a sexual object, acts as a leitmotif of erotic spectacle. The formulated problem in this context may be solved through a strong deconstruction of the vision machine, which constitutes a woman as an image, and a man as an owner of the sight. Mulvey proposes to destroy the voayeristic-scopophilic opinion, consistently destroying cinematic codes that postulate such view. Will this be the solution of the problem? Mulveys emphasis on the analysis of the specific of the cinematographic system, with all its radical and provocative judgements, seems to be legitimate. The real is the question of the discursive mediation properties. However, in general, the psychoanalytic criticism of visual representations may also have a profound methodologic effect. In our work we have to give two examples from visual culture and discuss how Mulveys thesis may be convincing in one instance but tested to its limitations in another. For this discussion I propose to take two films: Rare Window by Alfred Hitchcock and Kill Bill by Quentin Jerome Tarantino. The film Rare Window by Alfred Hitchcock is convicing the thesis of Laura Malvey that Man is the bearer of the look while Woman connotes to-be-looked-at-ness. The main character of this film is put in such conditions that he has to be scopophilic. A photographer Jeffries has broken his leg and now he has to watch everything going on outside through the window. The film reveals to us one of the main needs of men peep through the keyhole, figuratively speaking. It is really impossible to keep away from such a forbidden fruit. And the blame of everything is curiosity, namely it moves the main mechanisms in a man, allowing to forget about other equally important needs (food, rest, sex) and exciting the imagination at a time. In this film everything is concentrated around the man, Jeffries, women are just a background here. In this film we can see many scenes convincing Malveys thesis. Jeff Jeffries (Stewart), a photographer who works in magazine and has broken his leg, is forced to miss in the four walls and have fun just because of peeping into the daily life of the yard, and neighbors with binoculars. Having noticed the suspicious behavior of one of them, he comes to the firm belief that the latter has murdered his wife. Being motionless himself, Jeff enlists the aid of Lisa (Kelly), a quiet blonde working model in the fashion house here she is particularly beautiful. The girl is desperately in love with him and therefore agrees to perform for him a dangerous work down. Of all the works by Hitchcock this is an exercise in scopophilia in which the viewer is nothing left to do but to take part in the process. Its like to stay Hitchcock himself within 112 minutes. Look out the window and see what you should not see says Jeff to the nurse (Ritter), and the viewer looks through the window and sees what the main character sees. A men chained to the chair, staring out the window is one part of the film. The second part shows what he sees, and the third one how he reacts to what he sees. This is the purest expression of the idea of narrative cinema. Another confirmation of Malveys thesis is how Jeffries renews his erotic interest for girlfriend when she enters the other apartment and Jeffries sees her at distance. This is the power from a voyeurism point of view because Jeffries is controlling the visual the spatial and the temporal. In addition the camera movements are dictated by the male hero, Jeffries. Now let us discuss another film, in which Malveys thesis that Man is the bearer of the look while Woman connotes to-be-looked-at-ness in classical Hollywood cinema is tested to its limitations. As an example I would like to take the film Kill Bill by Quentin Tarantino. In this film we see a strong girl who denies Malveys view of women in the Holywood cinema. Having been four years in coma the girl-victim wakes up in the hospital in shock and with the atrophy of muscles, but in a few minutes after waking up she commits a double murder and steals the car of one of her victims. Further, in the course of the movie she can not stop, especially since the recalls, who is responsible for the fact that she has lost her baby, her husband and all the guests at the wedding, where her beating took place. The female character Uma Thurman (the bride) wears little makeup or did her hair in a manner to arouse the male audience through her physical looks. Additonally she hardly smiles on the camera drawing a distinction to the female characters in classical Hollywood cinema. The episode when the bride in cold blood composes a list of five names of her future victims, the main and the latest of which is Bill also deserves a special attantion. Here we see not a classical woman who appears as an erotic object, but a strong, manlike heroine. Further, in the course of the first part the violence over the first two names in the list of death follows. Even in the eyes of the main heroine, the bride, we see a burning, glowing white-hatred and this is the limitation of Malveys thesis that that Man is the bearer of the look while Woman connotes to-be-looked-at-ness in classical Hollywood cinema. The monologues of the character are also uncommon for a classical woman: Look lifeless, right? Well, I am not dead, the fortune smiled at me, thats what I can tell you. It so happened that the last Bills bullet drove me into a coma. In coma I was destined to lie for five years. Then I woke up And immediately I ran, as it is taught by one advertisement, fret and fume. I fumed and raged, and craved, and found blood. In total, until today, I killed 33 people. Only one remained. So, as we can see, the bride is a strong, manlike female character, unusual for the Hollywood cinema. To make a conclusion it should be said that in our work we have discussed the position of Laura Malvey in her work Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema. We have also discussed how Mulveys thesis may be convincing in one instance but tested to its limitations in another using two examples. For discussion we took two films: Rare Window by Alfred Hitchcock and Kill Bill by Quentin Jerome Tarantino.

Analysis of Hospitality Industry in Mauritius

Analysis of Hospitality Industry in Mauritius 2.1 Definitions of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) CSR has been defined as the duty of the organization to respect individuals rights and promote human welfare in its operations (Manakkalathil and Rudolf, 1995; Oppewal et al., 2006). Businesses not only have the economic responsibility of being profitable and the legal responsibility to follow the laws or ground rules that guide their ability to achieve their economic requirements, but they also have ethical responsibilities that include a range of societal norms, or standards (Carroll, 2000). CSR has been around for more than two decades. During the later half of twentieth century there arose the idea of the corporate social contract, which today underlies the CSR concept. Given the sometimes adverse effects of business decision making on society as well as corporate reliance on society, the notion of an implied corporate social contract was conceived by social and economic theorists. This contract spells out societys expectations of business as well as (although much less discussed) businesss expectations of society (Bowie, 1983). There is no single authoritative definition of CSR (ISO COPOLCO, 2002). The CSR agenda seems to be a loosely defined umbrella embracing a vast number of concepts traditionally framed as environmental concerns, public relations, corporate philanthropy, human resource management and community relations. One of the most referred definitions is by World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) (1999) that defines CSR as à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“the continuing commitment by business to behave ethically and contribute to economic development while improving the quality of life of the workforce and their families as well as of the local community and society at largeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?. CSR means being a good steward of societys economic and human resources ( Journal of Consumer Marketing, 2001). In summary, CSR entails the obligation stemming from the implicit à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“social contractà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? between business and society for firms to be responsive to societys long-run needs and want s, optimizing the positive effects and minimizing the negative effects of its actions on society. To synchronize that organizational social responsibility concerns are treated in the same routine manner in which legal, financial, and marketing concerns are addressed, four theories of corporate social responsibility have been advanced in the literature. The four positions are the classical, stakeholder, social demandingness, and social activist theories. The classical theory is the oldest of the four, and is grounded in classical economic theory. Firstly business executives are said to be primarily responsible to the shareholders of the corporation and their primary goal is to promote efficiency and secure effective economic performance. Secondly managers are said to be responsible to respond to the shareholders demands. These views are often thought to coincide with each other, because it is usually assumed that the main demand of shareholders is to maximize economic performance. In addition, both versions agree that managers are to perform their corporate function according to the laws and, thus, to avoid such things as fraud and deception. Friedman (1970), points out à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Here the businessman self-selected or appointed directly or indirectly by stockholders is to be simultaneously legislator, executive, or juristà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦He becomes in effect a public employee, a civil servant, even though he remains in name an e mployee of a private enterprise.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? This theory, albeit the oldest of the four theories, is still well and alive; it has many supporters and proponents among academicians and practitioners. The second theory is the stakeholder theory which integrates the main idea of classical theory, that is, corporate executives are responsible to stockholders. Nevertheless, what differs it from classical theory is that other groups are directly affected by the conduct and decision of the firm. These groups can employees, consumers, creditors, suppliers, and legal sub-systems who have a stake in the organisation and who might affect, in one way or another, the corporate decision making process. Furthermore, corporate executives have a direct responsibility to promote the interests of these groups. The main disagreement among stakeholder theorists, however, over whether stakeholder interests of these groups take precedence over the financial interests of stockholders or the stakeholder interests are the overriding ones. Social demandingness theorists argue that corporations have a responsibility to protect and promote certain interests of the general public. They agree with the stakeholder theorists that the interests of stakeholder groups are important, but they believe that these interests do not override non-stakeholdersà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ interests or demands for such things as safety, health, freedom, and prosperity. As with the stakeholder theory, this theory repudiates the notion that there is some balanced or sensible list of tangible responsibilities that corporate executives always have toward society. The list varies as the nature and ranking of the interests or demands of the public change. The fourth and final theory is the social activist theory which is distinctively the most socially and morally demanding of the four theories. While agreeing with the stakeholders and social demandingness theories that executives have responsibilities toward stakeholders groups and the general public, social activistsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ theorists argue that corporate managers should sometimes strive to undertake projects that advance the interests of the public even when these undertakings are neither expected nor demanded by them. Social activists theorists contend that such projects should, for the most part, be in the area of corporate know-how, but they sometimes urge that executives deliberately take on social projects for which they have no special training or expertise 2.1 Types of CSR and Corporate Governance The notion that business has duties to society is firmly entrenched, although in the past several decades there has been a revolution in the way people view the relationship between business and society. Carroll (1979) and other researchers believe that we should judge corporations not just on their economic success, but also on non-economic criteria. Carroll (1979) proposed a popular four-part definition of CSR, suggesting that corporations have four responsibilities or à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“four facesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? (Carroll, 2000b, p. 187) to fulfill to be good corporate citizens: economic, legal, ethical and philanthropic: Economic responsibility. Economic responsibility is to be profitable for principals, by delivering a good quality product, at a fair price, is due to customers. Legal responsibilities. Legal duties entail complying with the law and playing by the rules of the game Ethical responsibilities. Ethical duties overcome the limitations of legal duties. They entail being moral, doing what is right, just, and fair; respecting peoples moral rights; and avoiding harm or social injury as well as preventing harm caused by others (Smith and Quelch, 1993). Philanthropic responsibility. Interest in doing good for society, regardless of its impact on the bottom line is what is called altruistic, humanitarian or philanthropic CSR. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“giving backà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? time and money in the forms of voluntary service, voluntary association and voluntary giving à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" is where most of the controversy over the legitimacy of CSR lies. CORPORATE GOUVERNANCE (CG) Moreover, CSR is closely linked with the Corporate Governance of the organization, be it hotel organization. Any of those types of CSR should start in the hotel organizations first and then move to external environment. The key people should be taken into consideration so the CSR practices should be geared towards the internal customers who will in turn become CSR delegates to reach the external customers and environment. Companies must improve their business models by bringing CSR and sustainability into their strategy. Shleifer and Vishny (1997) define CG as the ways in which suppliers of finance to organisations assure themselves of getting a return on investment. Over the years, CG has evolved from the traditional à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“profit-centered modelà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?. By incorporating the community in which firms operate, the political environment, laws and regulations, and more generally the markets in which firms are involved. See Figure 1: The Business in Society which reflects a stakeholder perspective on the firm (Jensen, 2001) 2.1The Hospitality Industry à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å"Definitions Definitions of the hospitality have been approached from a number of different perspectives. Most of them combine physiological and psychological elements with security and levels of service. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Hospitality is concerned with the provision of physiological and psychological comfort with defined levels of service. The satisfactions may be physiological (thirst, bed, warmth), economic (value for money), social (company, service) and psychological (self-esteem, status, security).à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? Source: C.Cooper, R.Shepherd, J. Westlake (1994) Even if the approach to defining hospitality may shift according to the authors, there are a number of integral elements that are common to all. These are: Hospitality is a complex combination of tangible and intangible features and benefits Hospitality involves a satisfying interaction between the service provider and the customer Hospitality provides guests with security, psychological and physiological comfort by offering food, beverage and accommodation. Therefore, bearing in mind the above characteristics, a simpler definition of the hospitality industry may be: The Hospitality Industry is involved with providing accommodations, food, beverage, entertainment, comfort and recreation for travelers away from their usual residences and normal surroundings. The industry also naturally look forward to meet the customer`s needs for safety and support of their persons, property, modes of transportation, and even the varying purpose of their travel. Speaking generally, those who make use of hospitality services demand attainment of a professional level of quality consistent with world standards, although perhaps adjusted for local conditions. They anticipate the facilities will be clean, comfortable, safe and secure. They expect good food and beverage at a reasonable rate. Furthermore, they look for courtesy, friendliness, respect and identification from the host. Perhaps more importantly they demand honesty, truth and equity in their dealings with the operator and his employees. Hospitality Industry In Mauritius HISTORICAL BACKGROUND In Mauritius, the first hotel was the Park Hotel in 1952 so as to accommodate the crew members coming at that time. Then came the Mauritius Hotel, the first beach hotel, built in 1954 at Le Morne followed by Le Chaland, another beach hotel in 1961. But the real development of tourism took place soon after Mauritius got its independence from the British. In early 1970`s the creation of Trou aux Biches Hotel by the Mauritius Hotels, the setting up of the Club MeditÃÆ' ©ranÃÆ' ©e and the Saint GÃÆ' ©ran Hotel by the Southern Sun Hotels as well as the Merville Beach Hotel by the ex-British Colons who wanted to come back here during the winter months of England. The Mauritius Hotel is now the Beachcomber group and the Southern Sun Hotels is the Sun International Resorts Limited. At present there are 95 hotels in Mauritius and there are not less than 5 more under construction as per the registered list set by the Ministry of Tourism. The numbers of hotels, rooms and bed places have increased constantly from 1991. Moreover the Prime Minister has announced his vision to reach 2 million tourists in 2015. Consequently an average annual growth of 10% in tourist arrival is expected. In order to reach this target, an approximate nu mber of 18500 rooms should be made available. This will bring about the creation of around 37000 direct jobs and double the amount in terms of indirect jobs. Due to the rapid growth of tourism and hospitality industry, government has introduced incentives for the private sector to bring in a sustainable development, namely by corporate governance and corporate social responsibility. This is achievable through proper public-private sector partnership. Overview of the Hotel industry IN MAURITIUS The hospitality industry in Mauritius has developed rapidly during the past 25 years. The coastal regions as well as the interior part of the island are constantly changing with the construction of the hotels and the increasing number of vehicles being used for the tourism industry. In 2007, the tourism industry was considered the third pillar of the economy after Sugar and Textile, and currently it plays a vital role in the economic growth of the country. The undoubted fall of 35% in the price of sugar and the removal of preference agreement with the EU market, has earmarked the tourism industry as the main industry capable of boosting the Mauritian economy. In July 2008, according to the last bulletin published by the Central Statistical Office (CSO), Mauritius welcomed 81,169 tourists as compared to 77,225 in 2007, registering a 5.1% growth over the same period a year ago. Table 1: Monthly tourist arrivals, July 2007 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" July 2008 Source:Tourism sector performance for the month of July, AHRIM Report, August 2008, pg 2 But after two decades of impressive growth, the need for responsible corporate governance has been felt in the country as the attitudes; mentality and knowledge of those working in that industry have not evolved at the same pace in terms of social responsibility and environmental awareness. Impacts of this rapid and somehow unplanned development are being experienced in the environment at large. Still, a lot has to be done to meet the competitive edge through proper campaign and involvement of all stakeholders so as to contribute towards sustainable development of the hospitality sector. In order to support its continuous growth, the Mauritian Tourism and Hospitality industry needs well-trained staff with full knowledge of their product while respecting the socio-economic and cultural environment in which the Mauritian tourism product is evolving. It is really important to maintain a high standard of efficiency and service so as to meet the requirements of an increasingly competitive and sophisticated global market. 2.7 CSR in the hotel industry In Mauritius Within the hospitality industry it has been agreed that there are increasing environmental and societal concerns. The big question is how to manage our environmental impact as demand grows against a backdrop of increasing vulnerability. As a result of demand for more sustainable destinations and travel preferences, management policies are being felt. Hotels practicing CSR look at the following areas: Workplace (where employees are treated equally and fairly) Marketplace (stakeholders) Environment (which has to be sustained for the future generation) Community Ethics Human rights Many hotels are now aware of CSR practices and have begun to use environmental-friendly products. Hotels in Mauritius are reducing the use of hazardous or non-degradable chemicals. Big hotel chains like Oberoi Mauritius recycle oil, water and plastic bottles while all hotels with more than 50 rooms are compel to recycle water as per the legislation. Hotels tend to purchase products that have a reduced environmental impact during their life cycle, from suppliers that demonstrate environmental and social responsibility to their customers and the society. Furthermore, Association des Hoteliers et Restaurateurs de L`Ile Maurice (AHRIM), is fully supporting the CSR initiatives initiated by the Mauritian Government. Through its members, they are actively putting forward the CSR activities on a regional basis all over the island. (See Appendix 1: Recommended CSR activities by AHRIM to its Members in June 2008). Stakeholders (employees, customers, shareholders, suppliers, business partners, government) are getting more and more involved the hotelsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ CSR activities. Hotel employees are educated to make a conscious decision in favour of environment and social issues in their private and business lives. Hotel guests are informed about CSR activities and are asked to participate in responsible business activities within the hotels and to work together to find innovative solutions that satisfy the hotelà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s economic, environmental and social objectives. Managers are asked to abide by local and EU legislation especially on labour laws, health and safety, human rights and the environment. A great deal can be done when developing a hotel property in order to make both the development process and the eventual operation more environmentally sustainable. One of the aims of CSR is to make the community benefit from the hotel industry. 2.8 Benefits of CSR in the hotel industry Hotels who adopt CSR into their operations and public image depend on the following factors: Size Level of diversification Research and Development Advertising Government Intervention Consumer Income Labour market conditions Stage of the industry life cycle However this differs for different hotel organization, for example, larger hotels like international hotel chains may operate a CSR program at a lower cost than a small hotel because of economies of scale. It is a method for organization to distinguish themselves from their competitors Firstly, hotels benefit from CSR as it helps to reduce operating cost such as implementing of recycling and energy saving programs. Secondly, their brand image and reputation are enhanced as consumers prefer companies with CSR programs. Another benefit derived by hotels is in terms of productivity and quality since productivity goes up whenever working conditions improve. Other beneficiaries of the CSR programs are immediate environment in which the company is evolving. It comprises of the local community, neighboring villages, employees who usually live in those areas, the hotel guests and the host country at large. Hotels are expected to have ethical and social commitments, valued connections with partners and consistency over time to build trust with the stakeholders. In doing so, the hotel organizations are also developing societal marketing concept, therefore beneficiate from it. Analysis of Hospitality Industry in Mauritius Analysis of Hospitality Industry in Mauritius 2.1 Definitions of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) CSR has been defined as the duty of the organization to respect individuals rights and promote human welfare in its operations (Manakkalathil and Rudolf, 1995; Oppewal et al., 2006). Businesses not only have the economic responsibility of being profitable and the legal responsibility to follow the laws or ground rules that guide their ability to achieve their economic requirements, but they also have ethical responsibilities that include a range of societal norms, or standards (Carroll, 2000). CSR has been around for more than two decades. During the later half of twentieth century there arose the idea of the corporate social contract, which today underlies the CSR concept. Given the sometimes adverse effects of business decision making on society as well as corporate reliance on society, the notion of an implied corporate social contract was conceived by social and economic theorists. This contract spells out societys expectations of business as well as (although much less discussed) businesss expectations of society (Bowie, 1983). There is no single authoritative definition of CSR (ISO COPOLCO, 2002). The CSR agenda seems to be a loosely defined umbrella embracing a vast number of concepts traditionally framed as environmental concerns, public relations, corporate philanthropy, human resource management and community relations. One of the most referred definitions is by World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) (1999) that defines CSR as à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“the continuing commitment by business to behave ethically and contribute to economic development while improving the quality of life of the workforce and their families as well as of the local community and society at largeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?. CSR means being a good steward of societys economic and human resources ( Journal of Consumer Marketing, 2001). In summary, CSR entails the obligation stemming from the implicit à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“social contractà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? between business and society for firms to be responsive to societys long-run needs and want s, optimizing the positive effects and minimizing the negative effects of its actions on society. To synchronize that organizational social responsibility concerns are treated in the same routine manner in which legal, financial, and marketing concerns are addressed, four theories of corporate social responsibility have been advanced in the literature. The four positions are the classical, stakeholder, social demandingness, and social activist theories. The classical theory is the oldest of the four, and is grounded in classical economic theory. Firstly business executives are said to be primarily responsible to the shareholders of the corporation and their primary goal is to promote efficiency and secure effective economic performance. Secondly managers are said to be responsible to respond to the shareholders demands. These views are often thought to coincide with each other, because it is usually assumed that the main demand of shareholders is to maximize economic performance. In addition, both versions agree that managers are to perform their corporate function according to the laws and, thus, to avoid such things as fraud and deception. Friedman (1970), points out à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Here the businessman self-selected or appointed directly or indirectly by stockholders is to be simultaneously legislator, executive, or juristà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦He becomes in effect a public employee, a civil servant, even though he remains in name an e mployee of a private enterprise.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? This theory, albeit the oldest of the four theories, is still well and alive; it has many supporters and proponents among academicians and practitioners. The second theory is the stakeholder theory which integrates the main idea of classical theory, that is, corporate executives are responsible to stockholders. Nevertheless, what differs it from classical theory is that other groups are directly affected by the conduct and decision of the firm. These groups can employees, consumers, creditors, suppliers, and legal sub-systems who have a stake in the organisation and who might affect, in one way or another, the corporate decision making process. Furthermore, corporate executives have a direct responsibility to promote the interests of these groups. The main disagreement among stakeholder theorists, however, over whether stakeholder interests of these groups take precedence over the financial interests of stockholders or the stakeholder interests are the overriding ones. Social demandingness theorists argue that corporations have a responsibility to protect and promote certain interests of the general public. They agree with the stakeholder theorists that the interests of stakeholder groups are important, but they believe that these interests do not override non-stakeholdersà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ interests or demands for such things as safety, health, freedom, and prosperity. As with the stakeholder theory, this theory repudiates the notion that there is some balanced or sensible list of tangible responsibilities that corporate executives always have toward society. The list varies as the nature and ranking of the interests or demands of the public change. The fourth and final theory is the social activist theory which is distinctively the most socially and morally demanding of the four theories. While agreeing with the stakeholders and social demandingness theories that executives have responsibilities toward stakeholders groups and the general public, social activistsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ theorists argue that corporate managers should sometimes strive to undertake projects that advance the interests of the public even when these undertakings are neither expected nor demanded by them. Social activists theorists contend that such projects should, for the most part, be in the area of corporate know-how, but they sometimes urge that executives deliberately take on social projects for which they have no special training or expertise 2.1 Types of CSR and Corporate Governance The notion that business has duties to society is firmly entrenched, although in the past several decades there has been a revolution in the way people view the relationship between business and society. Carroll (1979) and other researchers believe that we should judge corporations not just on their economic success, but also on non-economic criteria. Carroll (1979) proposed a popular four-part definition of CSR, suggesting that corporations have four responsibilities or à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“four facesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? (Carroll, 2000b, p. 187) to fulfill to be good corporate citizens: economic, legal, ethical and philanthropic: Economic responsibility. Economic responsibility is to be profitable for principals, by delivering a good quality product, at a fair price, is due to customers. Legal responsibilities. Legal duties entail complying with the law and playing by the rules of the game Ethical responsibilities. Ethical duties overcome the limitations of legal duties. They entail being moral, doing what is right, just, and fair; respecting peoples moral rights; and avoiding harm or social injury as well as preventing harm caused by others (Smith and Quelch, 1993). Philanthropic responsibility. Interest in doing good for society, regardless of its impact on the bottom line is what is called altruistic, humanitarian or philanthropic CSR. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“giving backà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? time and money in the forms of voluntary service, voluntary association and voluntary giving à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" is where most of the controversy over the legitimacy of CSR lies. CORPORATE GOUVERNANCE (CG) Moreover, CSR is closely linked with the Corporate Governance of the organization, be it hotel organization. Any of those types of CSR should start in the hotel organizations first and then move to external environment. The key people should be taken into consideration so the CSR practices should be geared towards the internal customers who will in turn become CSR delegates to reach the external customers and environment. Companies must improve their business models by bringing CSR and sustainability into their strategy. Shleifer and Vishny (1997) define CG as the ways in which suppliers of finance to organisations assure themselves of getting a return on investment. Over the years, CG has evolved from the traditional à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“profit-centered modelà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?. By incorporating the community in which firms operate, the political environment, laws and regulations, and more generally the markets in which firms are involved. See Figure 1: The Business in Society which reflects a stakeholder perspective on the firm (Jensen, 2001) 2.1The Hospitality Industry à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å"Definitions Definitions of the hospitality have been approached from a number of different perspectives. Most of them combine physiological and psychological elements with security and levels of service. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Hospitality is concerned with the provision of physiological and psychological comfort with defined levels of service. The satisfactions may be physiological (thirst, bed, warmth), economic (value for money), social (company, service) and psychological (self-esteem, status, security).à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? Source: C.Cooper, R.Shepherd, J. Westlake (1994) Even if the approach to defining hospitality may shift according to the authors, there are a number of integral elements that are common to all. These are: Hospitality is a complex combination of tangible and intangible features and benefits Hospitality involves a satisfying interaction between the service provider and the customer Hospitality provides guests with security, psychological and physiological comfort by offering food, beverage and accommodation. Therefore, bearing in mind the above characteristics, a simpler definition of the hospitality industry may be: The Hospitality Industry is involved with providing accommodations, food, beverage, entertainment, comfort and recreation for travelers away from their usual residences and normal surroundings. The industry also naturally look forward to meet the customer`s needs for safety and support of their persons, property, modes of transportation, and even the varying purpose of their travel. Speaking generally, those who make use of hospitality services demand attainment of a professional level of quality consistent with world standards, although perhaps adjusted for local conditions. They anticipate the facilities will be clean, comfortable, safe and secure. They expect good food and beverage at a reasonable rate. Furthermore, they look for courtesy, friendliness, respect and identification from the host. Perhaps more importantly they demand honesty, truth and equity in their dealings with the operator and his employees. Hospitality Industry In Mauritius HISTORICAL BACKGROUND In Mauritius, the first hotel was the Park Hotel in 1952 so as to accommodate the crew members coming at that time. Then came the Mauritius Hotel, the first beach hotel, built in 1954 at Le Morne followed by Le Chaland, another beach hotel in 1961. But the real development of tourism took place soon after Mauritius got its independence from the British. In early 1970`s the creation of Trou aux Biches Hotel by the Mauritius Hotels, the setting up of the Club MeditÃÆ' ©ranÃÆ' ©e and the Saint GÃÆ' ©ran Hotel by the Southern Sun Hotels as well as the Merville Beach Hotel by the ex-British Colons who wanted to come back here during the winter months of England. The Mauritius Hotel is now the Beachcomber group and the Southern Sun Hotels is the Sun International Resorts Limited. At present there are 95 hotels in Mauritius and there are not less than 5 more under construction as per the registered list set by the Ministry of Tourism. The numbers of hotels, rooms and bed places have increased constantly from 1991. Moreover the Prime Minister has announced his vision to reach 2 million tourists in 2015. Consequently an average annual growth of 10% in tourist arrival is expected. In order to reach this target, an approximate nu mber of 18500 rooms should be made available. This will bring about the creation of around 37000 direct jobs and double the amount in terms of indirect jobs. Due to the rapid growth of tourism and hospitality industry, government has introduced incentives for the private sector to bring in a sustainable development, namely by corporate governance and corporate social responsibility. This is achievable through proper public-private sector partnership. Overview of the Hotel industry IN MAURITIUS The hospitality industry in Mauritius has developed rapidly during the past 25 years. The coastal regions as well as the interior part of the island are constantly changing with the construction of the hotels and the increasing number of vehicles being used for the tourism industry. In 2007, the tourism industry was considered the third pillar of the economy after Sugar and Textile, and currently it plays a vital role in the economic growth of the country. The undoubted fall of 35% in the price of sugar and the removal of preference agreement with the EU market, has earmarked the tourism industry as the main industry capable of boosting the Mauritian economy. In July 2008, according to the last bulletin published by the Central Statistical Office (CSO), Mauritius welcomed 81,169 tourists as compared to 77,225 in 2007, registering a 5.1% growth over the same period a year ago. Table 1: Monthly tourist arrivals, July 2007 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" July 2008 Source:Tourism sector performance for the month of July, AHRIM Report, August 2008, pg 2 But after two decades of impressive growth, the need for responsible corporate governance has been felt in the country as the attitudes; mentality and knowledge of those working in that industry have not evolved at the same pace in terms of social responsibility and environmental awareness. Impacts of this rapid and somehow unplanned development are being experienced in the environment at large. Still, a lot has to be done to meet the competitive edge through proper campaign and involvement of all stakeholders so as to contribute towards sustainable development of the hospitality sector. In order to support its continuous growth, the Mauritian Tourism and Hospitality industry needs well-trained staff with full knowledge of their product while respecting the socio-economic and cultural environment in which the Mauritian tourism product is evolving. It is really important to maintain a high standard of efficiency and service so as to meet the requirements of an increasingly competitive and sophisticated global market. 2.7 CSR in the hotel industry In Mauritius Within the hospitality industry it has been agreed that there are increasing environmental and societal concerns. The big question is how to manage our environmental impact as demand grows against a backdrop of increasing vulnerability. As a result of demand for more sustainable destinations and travel preferences, management policies are being felt. Hotels practicing CSR look at the following areas: Workplace (where employees are treated equally and fairly) Marketplace (stakeholders) Environment (which has to be sustained for the future generation) Community Ethics Human rights Many hotels are now aware of CSR practices and have begun to use environmental-friendly products. Hotels in Mauritius are reducing the use of hazardous or non-degradable chemicals. Big hotel chains like Oberoi Mauritius recycle oil, water and plastic bottles while all hotels with more than 50 rooms are compel to recycle water as per the legislation. Hotels tend to purchase products that have a reduced environmental impact during their life cycle, from suppliers that demonstrate environmental and social responsibility to their customers and the society. Furthermore, Association des Hoteliers et Restaurateurs de L`Ile Maurice (AHRIM), is fully supporting the CSR initiatives initiated by the Mauritian Government. Through its members, they are actively putting forward the CSR activities on a regional basis all over the island. (See Appendix 1: Recommended CSR activities by AHRIM to its Members in June 2008). Stakeholders (employees, customers, shareholders, suppliers, business partners, government) are getting more and more involved the hotelsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ CSR activities. Hotel employees are educated to make a conscious decision in favour of environment and social issues in their private and business lives. Hotel guests are informed about CSR activities and are asked to participate in responsible business activities within the hotels and to work together to find innovative solutions that satisfy the hotelà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s economic, environmental and social objectives. Managers are asked to abide by local and EU legislation especially on labour laws, health and safety, human rights and the environment. A great deal can be done when developing a hotel property in order to make both the development process and the eventual operation more environmentally sustainable. One of the aims of CSR is to make the community benefit from the hotel industry. 2.8 Benefits of CSR in the hotel industry Hotels who adopt CSR into their operations and public image depend on the following factors: Size Level of diversification Research and Development Advertising Government Intervention Consumer Income Labour market conditions Stage of the industry life cycle However this differs for different hotel organization, for example, larger hotels like international hotel chains may operate a CSR program at a lower cost than a small hotel because of economies of scale. It is a method for organization to distinguish themselves from their competitors Firstly, hotels benefit from CSR as it helps to reduce operating cost such as implementing of recycling and energy saving programs. Secondly, their brand image and reputation are enhanced as consumers prefer companies with CSR programs. Another benefit derived by hotels is in terms of productivity and quality since productivity goes up whenever working conditions improve. Other beneficiaries of the CSR programs are immediate environment in which the company is evolving. It comprises of the local community, neighboring villages, employees who usually live in those areas, the hotel guests and the host country at large. Hotels are expected to have ethical and social commitments, valued connections with partners and consistency over time to build trust with the stakeholders. In doing so, the hotel organizations are also developing societal marketing concept, therefore beneficiate from it.

Growing up Around Agriculture :: essays research papers

I believe everyone has been born to do something. I was born to be a veterinarian. People tell me that I will probably end up changing my degree choice â€Å"twenty seven times† before I even graduate form college. I believe otherwise. I have grown up on a farm with filled with adopted animals of all kinds- rabbits, pigeons, goats, frogs, dogs, chickens, cats, cattle, and an iguana. Ever since I was seven I new I was born to become a veterinarian. This past year I was hired to work at the veterinarian clinic in Bullard. Within one month I got to help de-claw a cat and watch many surgeries. I learned how to medicate animals without getting bit, give hydrotherapy, and many other things. My title was kennel attendant and I still tried to help and learn up front, in surgery, when I finished the kennel. I always watched for depressed animals especially the ones that went though surgery, because sometimes with out the tender care they needed they would not eat and lose weight. Just recently I have been accepted to Texas A&M University I have also decided my degree choice will be biomedical science. With a biomedical science degree I have over fifty career choices I can go into. Also, this is my backup plan if I am not accepted into vet. School right away. The choices of careers range form agricultural economist, animal breeder, dentist, game manager, veterinarian assistant, and even zoologist. I have decided that what ever my career will be, it will be in agriculture and will deal with animals. Animals are so interesting and tricky they can’t tell you what is wrong with them like people can. With animals you have to find out for yourself. In the degree that I am seeking I know there will be a lot of science to take. Science has always come natural to me, possibly because you can actually see the product and touch it. I plan to become a veterinarian not just for the love of animals but for the science and knowledge also. The dissecting of animals has always been interesting to me. It is a whole new world that I can wait to explore even more. It is amazing how God made living creatures. I just want to help keep them form getting sick and doctoring them when they do. This scholarship would help my parents and I a lot. Growing up Around Agriculture :: essays research papers I believe everyone has been born to do something. I was born to be a veterinarian. People tell me that I will probably end up changing my degree choice â€Å"twenty seven times† before I even graduate form college. I believe otherwise. I have grown up on a farm with filled with adopted animals of all kinds- rabbits, pigeons, goats, frogs, dogs, chickens, cats, cattle, and an iguana. Ever since I was seven I new I was born to become a veterinarian. This past year I was hired to work at the veterinarian clinic in Bullard. Within one month I got to help de-claw a cat and watch many surgeries. I learned how to medicate animals without getting bit, give hydrotherapy, and many other things. My title was kennel attendant and I still tried to help and learn up front, in surgery, when I finished the kennel. I always watched for depressed animals especially the ones that went though surgery, because sometimes with out the tender care they needed they would not eat and lose weight. Just recently I have been accepted to Texas A&M University I have also decided my degree choice will be biomedical science. With a biomedical science degree I have over fifty career choices I can go into. Also, this is my backup plan if I am not accepted into vet. School right away. The choices of careers range form agricultural economist, animal breeder, dentist, game manager, veterinarian assistant, and even zoologist. I have decided that what ever my career will be, it will be in agriculture and will deal with animals. Animals are so interesting and tricky they can’t tell you what is wrong with them like people can. With animals you have to find out for yourself. In the degree that I am seeking I know there will be a lot of science to take. Science has always come natural to me, possibly because you can actually see the product and touch it. I plan to become a veterinarian not just for the love of animals but for the science and knowledge also. The dissecting of animals has always been interesting to me. It is a whole new world that I can wait to explore even more. It is amazing how God made living creatures. I just want to help keep them form getting sick and doctoring them when they do. This scholarship would help my parents and I a lot.

Indias Economic Success :: essays research papers

India's Economic Success In every region of the world there are culture and social differences that set countries apart. Each with an economic, social and political outlooks on the future that determine the way people live. These endless arrays, even occur in different parts of a particular of every country including one of the worlds most diverse, India. India is separated into 25 states and 7 territories which create 16 major languages and 1,000 minor languages and dialects. This diversity in language creates somewhat of a barrier for India to become one of the foremost leaders in world because of the lack of unity. Although, in the past, the India government has taken steps to correct this matter with promoting Hindi as the national language. However, Indians who cannot speak Hindi frowned upon this notion. They believed the best jobs would go to Indians who spoke Hindi and with their pride of their regional languages kept them from accepting this unity, thus government decided against this idea. Now, the India government recognizes 13 regional languages as official languages. Children in schools learn Hindi as their second language, with English being used primary in higher education. Education has become the most recognizable forms of advancing one's country, India has exploded in schools and enrollment in these schools. As we can see by page 2, both chart's, the difference in a little more then 10 years is considerable. Both school enrollment and the number of educational institutions have increased by an average of 63%, however do not get fooled by these numbers. The Indian's school system are extremely overcrowded and many children drop out to get a job to help support their families. This problem with India's educational system falls in two parts, the first being that children who do drop out to find a job, is part of the social problem that India has been trying to correct. The Indian government started this quest to eliminate child labor in 1986 with a whole section in the United Nations' convention on the Rights of the Child. Additionally, in 1986 they passed the Child Labor Act that intended to ban the employment of children in occupations that are considered hazardous and to regulate conditions of work for children employed in occupations where child labor is not actually banned. However, as we can see by the summery of this act it does not make the necessary changes to the social conditions in which children have to work to ensure that the family has money. The second problem with the educational system in India is the overcrowding. However this occurrence has more to do with the situation of population

Alienation in Hamlet Essay -- Shakespeare Hamlet Essays

Alienation in Hamlet In Hamlet, Shakespeare depicts alienation among the younger characters. Trusting no one, Claudius, the new king, and Polonius send out spies to obtain information from others to assure Claudius's rule of Denmark runs smoothly. Claudius killed Old Hamlet for the rule of Denmark and he fears that Hamlet might know of the murder. Both Claudius and Polonius spy on Hamlet to find out if he knows of the murder. Polonius sends his daughter, Ophelia, out to also gain information. Hamlet begins going mad and people claim that the cause is from the death of his father. Truly, though, Hamlet knows of the murder. But Claudius and Polonius are not the only ones, Gertrude, the queen, blames Ophelia for Hamlet's madness. Polonius's lack of trust in Laertes forces him to send Reynoldo to follow Laertes to France and spy on him. Shakespeare presents alienation of Hamlet, Ophelia, and Laertes resulting from a lack of trust from elders and the deception present in the royal family. While Claudius and Polonius spy on Hamlet, Hamlet loses all of his hopes and happiness. The problems began with the Claudius murdering Old Hamlet and taking over the rightful throne of Hamlet. Procrastination prevents Hamlet from avenging Old Hamlet's death and only causes more problems for the entire family in the end. With the kind of problems he possesses, he has no one to turn to for help. Even his friends, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, are sent to spy on him. Hamlet cannot speak of the murder because of its confidentiality and spies he might not know of. With no one to turn to, the thought of suicide crosses his mind as a solution on several occasions: "I am myself indifferent honest, but yet I could accuse me of such things that it wer... ...ing and spying, Ophelia suffers alienation throughout Hamlet. Polonius' distrust in Laertes results in Polonius' sending Reynoldo to France to spy on Laertes. Reynoldo reports information back to Polonius about Laertes and what he is doing. By stating: "...your bait of falsehood takes this carp of truth... by indirections find directions out. So by my former lecture and advice we shall you my son" (Shakespeare 90), Polonius reveals the lack of trust he has in Laertes. Therefore, by spying, Polonius alienates Laertes. Hamlet, Ophelia, and Laertes all suffer character alienation throughout Shakespeare's play, Hamlet. Claudius and Polonius spy on Hamlet and Laertes to maintain a safe rule of Denmark for Claudius. The queen also blames Ophelia for Hamlet's mental instability. As a result of the alienation of each, Hamlet, Ophelia, and Laertes, meet a tragic end.

Benchmark Jobs

In the business world today, many companies are made up of benchmark jobs and also non-benchmark jobs. A benchmark job is an occupation that is common throughout that field of work. Therefore, it is a job that has standard responsibilities that can be found from one organization to another. A non-benchmark job is just the opposite. It is a job that it is unique to the organization and cannot be found in other organizations of the same occupation. Through our interviews one will be able to have a better understanding of a benchmark job, with it being applied to reality. Also, through reading, â€Å"Lectures on the Measurement and Evaluation† by Saul Rosen one will be able to clearly identify a benchmark job. Throughout this article, it goes into detail about real and synthetic benchmark job. As stated in the article, a synthetic benchmark job is one that has been designed specifically for inclusion in a benchmark model. They use this model of benchmark jobs for system measurements or testing of evaluation. Throughout the paper we will discuss the importance of benchmark jobs, the process of determination, what has been found in the past, future research, and discussion on personal interviews and information from articles and books. In the end the reader will be able to have a better understanding from our research on benchmark jobs. The importance of a benchmark job Many individuals may wonder why benchmark jobs are important to an organization. Companies use benchmark jobs as a form of evaluation in order to better their company. Through this information it opens the eyes of the organization to be able to see many new methods and ideas that they may not of otherwise been able to acknowledge. They use these methods and ideas towards improving their effectiveness within the company. Another benefit of a benchmark job is that they can be applied to many different kinds of jobs and also newly created jobs. It is not built to only benefit a certain type of career. The benchmark job process In order to determine a benchmark job, the company can do a survey to compare jobs throughout their industry. There are several questions that a company can ask themselves in order to determine what occupations within their company are classified as a benchmark job. Why does the job exist? What knowledge is needed? What does the job consist of? What couldn’t be done without it? Does almost every company in our industry have this job? Simple questions like these can help businesses determine what jobs are a benchmark job. Some examples of a benchmark job would be a secretary in an administrative company, a scientist in a technical group, or an inspector in a manufacturing business. In the reading â€Å"Handbook of Industrial Engineering: Technology and Operations Management† it discusses the benchmark job process and how it is used for evaluations. The first step is to select a benchmark job. This is very critical to an evaluation, because the entire method is based on them. These benchmark jobs serve as reference points. The number of benchmark jobs for the evaluation varies, because it depends on the range and diversity of the work to be evaluated. Next, one will want to rank the benchmark job. They are ranked on each compensable factor, they use the example of a job family consisting of six jobs is first ranked on mental requirements, 1 being the highest, then on experience and skills, and so on. After each benchmark job is ranked on each factor the next step is to allocate the current wages of that benchmark job among the compensable factors. â€Å"This is done by deciding how much of the wage rate for each benchmark job is associated with mental demands, how much with physical requirements, and so on, across the compensable factors (Salvendy, Gavriel). †