Absolute control on government in the provinces Essay

How successful was Louis of imposing absolute control on government in the provinces? Louis throughout his reign was believed by his predecessors to be an absolute monarch but was this really true when put into practice. To achieve absolute power Louis needed more or less total control over everything that went on in the provinces. For example he needed to make sure the taxes which he imposed were being successfully collected and corruption was to a minimal. To some extent Louis was successful in imposing absolute power on the government in the provinces. He passed laws which they didn’t like and they weren’t allowed to remonstrate until the law was passed meaning no chance for real negotiation. Although to another extent his successes could have been limited as yes they weren’t allowed to remonstrate until the law was passed but the parlements would still be informed about the policy and Louis would discuss it with them first hand showing the parlements still had some control. Furthermore some may say that Louis didn’t mean or intend to enforce absolute control in the provinces. He saw the need for compromise and realised it was in his best interest to do so. To a certain degree Louis successfully imposed more control on the government in the provinces using his absolute powers. The government in France in the seventeenth century had many government bodies. Examples of these are the provincial governors and the parlements. Traditional historian’s believed Louis tried to reduce the powers of these government bodies to show he was gaining the absolute power he needed to be an absolute monarch. To begin with Louis took various measures to lessen the power of the parlements. There were many steps which he took to do this. He firstly decided to cut their judicial wages by a third. Louis wanted to show the parlements he was the main leader in France and no one can question him. The wage cuts could also mean more money for Louis himself, to spend on his own interests. Being wealthy can show a person’s power in society even today, so by gaining more money it would be showing Louis absolute power over France is coming into effect. It would also come clear to the parlements that Louis is gaining absolute power over them and stopping him from doing so would lead to no good. Next Louis created a law that parlements could not remonstrate until a law which was to be put in place was passed. If an act of remonstration was to arise before the law was actually passed than in Louis words they â€Å"must be executed quickly and only once.† Again Louis is imposing his absolute control over the parlements. Louis made all the final decisions, were the parlements had really no say in the matter, if he was to pass a particular law. Louis was the main leader and everyone had to come to him first to pass any type of law. He was the main man. This shows his absolute control over the provinces and the whole of France was successfully being put in place. Louis could do anything without the consultation of others. He could control France in his own way if he wanted to as he made the final decisions over anything which was to be passed by government or even the clergy. Laws would also be passed by Louis that the parlements did not like. An example of this was when in 1714 Louis insisted a law was to be passed that allowed his bastards sons to take the throne if his legitimate family line ended. Many parlements did not like this law but were obliged to pass it as Louis would pass it any way as he is the final decision maker. Liberal historian’s believed Louis successfully imposed absolute control in the provinces. He was seen as an absolutist to them and his absolute powers were not always for good but in short term showed he was powerful. Louis made all final decisions and the government seemed to not have as much of a say as they may have liked too. The policies which he put in place to reduce the power of the parlements successfully showed him to be an absolute power over the government in the provinces. Louis did not just try to reduce power of parlement but he tried to control the provincial governors too. He wanted not just one group of the government to be changed but the whole government to be controlled in his way. Louis wanted to show his absolute control was in place to everyone in the provinces. The provincial governors were usually part of the nobility of sword with ancient land holding rights, privileges and held important status in the particular province they worked in. They traditionally were responsible for raising money through tax collection in the provinces and day to day decision making. Louis tried imposing his absolute control over them too. He made sure taxes were collected properly and to his standards. He needed the right amount of money for him to spend and if they didn’t collect it to a satisfactory standard he would have words and they may be punished in some way. This shows if you cross Louis you will be punished and you needed to keep on the right side of him. The provincial governors were nobility of the sword and were much easier to control. They had not bought their offices like the nobility of the robe. They needed to stay on his right side as they could be easily sacked. His absolute powers were shown through his banishment of Fouquet, who he thought was getting to big for his boots. He tried to disagree with Louis and was banished far away from the king in a rural area. Louis was showing his absolute control of his close companions too and his absolutism was coming through after this event. In some way he was successful in imposing his power over the provincial governors as they were less likely to disagree with him as they were allocated places in the government. The king was the ruler over everyone and to question his authority would be bad idea. One group of people in the provinces who could have helped him to gain absolute control were known as the intendants. They gathered information for the king and supervised the enforcement of his decisions. The intendants were given reports on their progress from the king. If they weren’t doing their job properly then the king would lay down what he wanted of them or else they may be gotten rid of. Louis shows here that he has control over the intendants as if they cross him they will not be part of his governing bodies which most people wanted to be part of. Furthermore the Intendants were only allowed to serve in a particular province for up to three years. Louis made sure they had no family or financial connection with these generalities. This helped Louis to gain absolute control over them. Making them only stay in a province for up to three years would allow Louis to stop the intendants from becoming attached to the province they are in. If the intendants were to stay in a province for too long they may become more lenient towards friends they may have made financial opportunities which could sway them from being loyal to the king. This allowed Louis to gain what he wanted out of the intendants such as they could spy on people in the provinces and see if they were being corrupt in any way. This allowed the king to control other people to as he would find out if a person is not obeying him first hand. Louis could then either punish them or give them are warning. Louis would issue the punishment showing his absolute power over the people and the government. The intendants would be more reliable if not in one place for too long allowing Louis to control them and the people in the provinces. No one would question Louis in the provinces and he made all decisions overall. This showed his absolute power over government in the provinces was successfully being imposed. On the other hand however to another degree Louis power was limited by certain factors. In many areas he compromised and negotiated with government in the provinces rather than imposing absolute control. Even though Louis may have tried to gain absolute control there was still a lot of corruption among the government bodies especially by the provincial governors. The provincial governors collected the taxes for the king from people in the provinces. This may have help Louis build up his empire but the provincial governors would pocket some of the money for themselves meaning not all the money went to Louis. This shows Louis was not successful in imposing absolute power over the provincial governors. If he had absolute control all the money which the provincial governors collected would go to him. Louis did not always keep an eye on the government bodies in the provinces as he would be occupied with doing his own thing. The provincial governors would also employ lesser nobles to collect the taxes for them to give to the king. Some were busy enjoying their own perfect lives using their position as part of government and friend to king. Nobles who were employed in the provinces would too pocket money from the taxes. The king would then receive less and less money. Louis absolutism was limited here as he would not always punish them for being corrupt but just let it go over his head. In his own mind Louis found it better to negotiate with the provincial governors of how much taxes he should receive. The provincial governors were not that much threat to Louis in terms of uprising but he needed to keep them on side in order to ensure continued revenue from provinces. Again it shows Louis did not successfully have absolute control over the provinces. He had to negotiate terms with the provincial governors and did not have full control over what they did in their own lives as part of the government. Louis could not just change what they did as there could be potential for rebellion. Even though it was unlikely it was possible. Consequently Louis powers over the parlements were not as absolutist as people may have thought. Yes he would not let the parlements remonstrate before the law was passed but more often than not he would discuss the law with the parlements first before he actually passed it. This shows he doesn’t have absolute power over the parlements. He did want other people’s opinions before he put a law out there meaning they could sway his decisions on the particular law. He did consult them on the law but he didn’t usually pass it without any discussions. His absolutism was limited as he shows he wants people to be on his side. If he was an absolutist he would not care about other people’s opinions on him. He did have the final say on laws but this was nothing new as forerunners took this on before him. Kings always have the right to formulate and pass laws. He was only doing what he was rightfully allowed. Next Louis was also limited in imposing his absolute power on the parlements as they could either be his biggest supporter or biggest threat. They were not located at Versailles but lived by themselves away from the king. This limited Louis from keeping an eye on them as each member of the parlement was scattered around France. Louis could not control what they did as much as he would have liked as they were far away from him. Also Louis wanted to stay on their good side and didn’t want to try and control them too much. There were still memories of the Fronde in Louis mind, when the parlements turned on his father and Mazarin. He did not want this to happen again as this would disrupt French society. Although Louis may have wanted to impose absolute power on the government in the provinces he could not go too far with his policies. He didn’t want any rebellions to happen among the parlements. He tried lessening the power so this would not happen during his reign. 2oth century historians say the extent to which Louis did have absolute power has anyway been exaggerated. Roger Mettam studied the provinces and it showed Louis ruled through cooperation. He didn’t take powers of parlements but made deals with them. The government bodies in the provinces may have been the main part of Louis limited absolutism but there were other factors which may have limited him. The geography of France was one of these. France was and still is a large country, communication can be very hard. This would have limited Louis from keeping an eye on the government powers in the provinces. He could not be in each province at any one time and during this time the provincial assemblies could have made decisions without his say so. Versailles was located on the other side of France to some provinces and government. This limited Louis from imposing his absolute control over the government in provinces as he was not in the middle of the discussions they may have as they are not located at Versailles with him. Communication between Louis and the government could limit him from knowing everything that that the government and the people in the provinces are doing. To be an absolutist Louis would have to know everything what was going on, so he can lay down the law to them. Similarly his economic position limited him from being successful in imposing his absolutism on the government. He didn’t have the money to do what he wanted. Therefore he needed to keep the church and the government on side. Louis needed money to be raised for him for his own pleasure and for France to run smoothly. Provincial governors raised money for him, do he needed to keep him on side to ensure his taxes were being collected to a good standard. If Louis had the money to be an absolutist he could have been but his financial difficulties limited him. The church needed to be kept on side as they were a big influence on his tax and money income. The divine right of kings could have influenced Louis to try to be an absolute monarch but this could have limited him too. It meant he needed to put the interest of the people of France before his own. Divine right of kings for Louis could mean cooperation with god so shouldn’t he cooperate with the people and government. On the contrary one might argue that it wasn’t Louis intention to impose absolute control in the provinces. He recognised the need for compromise and conciliation and realised it was not in his best interest to simply dictate his will. Louis saw the need to discuss decisions with the government bodies for the country to run in the way he wanted. Trust between him and the government bodies would be a high. He liked being friends with some of the parlements and provincial government. Dictating to them rules and regulations and being overbearing would not allow this.

How Will Science and Technology Change Our Lives Essay

The Contribution of India to the world of Science & Technology dates back to ancient times. India had the best of the scientists in different fields of science and technology – mathematics, medicine, architecture, astronomy, geometry, chemistry, metallurgy, etc. Aryabhatta was a fifth century mathematician, astronomer, astrologer and physicist. He introduced the concept and symbol for Zero and the decimal place value system to the world of mathematics. Bhaskaracharya introduced Chakrawat Method or the Cyclic Method to solve algebraic equations. Kanad, a sixth century scientist developed the atomic theory which says that the material universe is made up of anu/atom, which cannot be further subdivided and they are indivisible and indestructible. This is what the modern atomic theory says. In the field of medicine, India was a front runner. Susruta was a pioneer in the field of surgery. Charak, considered the father of ancient Indian science of medicine, was the first to talk about digestion, metabolism and immunity as important for health and so medical science. The science of Yoga was developed in ancient India as an allied science of Ayurveda for healing without medicine. India was a pioneer in many technologies such as metallurgy (steel making, iron, zinc, bronze etc) and Architecture. The findings in Moganjatharo civilisation stand testimony to this fact. The structures such as Iron Pillar in Delhi, Taj Mahal, Gol Gumbaz, Mahabalipuram, Tanjore Periya Kovil are some examples of India’s supremacy in the Architecture. Science and Modern India Indian scientists have played a stellar role in the development of India. In the short span of its post-independence history India has achieved several great scientific achievements. Indian scientists have proved their mettle in the face of international sanctions and have made India one of the scientific powerhouses of the world. Sir M. Visvesvaraya, Sir CV Raman, Jagadish Chandra Bose, Subramaniam Chandrasekar, Srinivasa Ramanujam, Homi Bhaba, Vikram Sarabhai are some of the names leading the pack of Indian scientists. How technology impacts people’s life? Technology affects people’s lives by improving medicines, provides better treatment for diseases and insures a longer life. It improves transportation by helping people move from one corner of the world to other in hours by using transportation services such as Airways, Railways, or even Bus Transportation. Modern Technology changed people’s lifestyle and the way they live. For example, now it’s possible to surf Internet on TV, watch programs, pause Live TV, and even playback live shows. Internet surfing is a technology revolution. Because of that technology, a person could know what is happening on the other side of the world. Due to Internet, it is now possible to say that the world is at your fingertips. Recent discoveries and scientific breakthroughs such as Cracking the DNA code and Mapping the Genome may completely change the way people look even before they are born. Diseases that are passed through generations, like diabetes, chronic diseases may be eliminated from the unborn child. What India should do? While India is uniquely positioned to use technology for progress, it has in the recent past lagged behind in the quality and spread of science research. The need for a strong science eco-system based on a sound research foundation is the need of the hour for India to become a Global Power house. The key to continued success for India in a globalised knowledge-driven economy is building a higher education system that is superior in quality and committed encouragement of relevant research in science and technology. To achieve this, the government, universities, companies, venture capitalists, and other stakeholders should come together to enable Research and Development to achieve superiority in the field of science and technology.

Public Health Issues Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Public Health Issues - Essay Example The CDC has recently announced that scheduled flu vaccines for the 2012 to 2013 season already include protection for three influenza virus strains: influenza A (H1N1) virus, an influenza A (H3N2) virus, and an influenza B virus (CDC, 2012). Significance to Public Health The World Health Organization (WHO) has identified that influenza could actually afflict all people from various age groups. However, those segments of the population who were identified to be at risk of complications are as follows: â€Å"children younger than age two, adults age 65 or older, and people of any age with certain medical conditions, such as chronic heart, lung, kidney, liver, blood or metabolic diseases (such as diabetes), or weakened immune systems† (WHO, 2009, par. 5). Also, the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID) has emphasized the need for health care personnel (HCP) to be vaccinated on a compulsory level. As noted, â€Å"health care personnel can spread the highly contagious influenza virus to patients in their care. In fact, unvaccinated workers can be a key cause of outbreaks in health care settings† (NFID, 2008, p. 2). In an article written by Sawyer, et al. (2012), it was disclosed that the public health advisory on the need for increased influenza immunization has been succesful in enjoining employers to promote the need for vaccination. However, the results of the study revealed that â€Å"population-based surveys of HCPs did not show significant increases in influenza vaccination. Overall, this study suggests that public health leadership, intensive employer promotion activities, and state-required declinations alone were not sufficient to significantly increase HCP influenza vaccination. Policymakers and employers should consider mandates to achieve optimal influenza vaccination among HCPs† (Sawyer, Peddecord, Wang, Deguire, Miskewitch-Dzulynsky, & Vuong: Abstract, 2012, par. 4). The relevance, therefore, of the issue to public hea lth is paramount in terms of manifesting conformity to the call to action of these high risk populations to be immunized against influenza and therefore contribute to the prevention and spread of this illness. Past, Current, Future Statistics The National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) in conjunction with other national health agencies such as the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), the CDC, and the National Immunization Survey (NIS) have monitored and surveyed the influenza vaccination coverage levels of various population groups. Among which, Table 3 of the report written by Fiore, et al. entitled â€Å"Prevention and Control of Influenza with Vaccines† provides past and current statistics (Fiore & al., 2010). As emphasized, â€Å"in the 2009--2010 vaccination season, 33% of seasonal influenza vaccinations occurred in health departments, pharmacies or drug stores, workplaces, schools, or other nonmedical locations (CDC, unpublished data, 2009). The proportion o f 2009 H1N1 vaccine administered in these settings was 45% (CDC, unpublished data, 2010)† (Fiore, et al.: Other Settings, 2010, par. 1). Future directions indicate that â€Å"most severe morbidity and mortality during typical influenza seasons occurs among persons aged ?65 years of those who have chronic medical conditions. More immunogenic influenza vaccines are needed for persons at

Critique of Aristotle's Politics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Critique of Aristotle's Politics - Essay Example In each of these types of governance, he gives the sound and the bad. According to Aristotle, the philosopher king is the ideal governance. In this form, the kings’ interest is in the welfare of his people (Tacitus & Benario 18). The highest form of governance is the monarchy. It is hereditary in nature, and people can associate freely with the royal family. In a monarchy, the interests of the nation take priority above all other matters. When the respectable leadership of a monarchy becomes rogue, Aristotle terms it as tyranny. When leadership becomes self seeking the citizens of this state, suffers thus; cannot achieve happiness (Chuska 277). Aristotle considers aristocracy of philosophers to be the second best leadership. When this form of leadership gets crooked, it becomes oligarchy. Further, he views democracy as the worst form of leadership. In his opinion, the third best form of leadership is one whose polity would combine all the noble forms of leadership. According to Aristotle, a polity is a constitution. Aristotle is of the opinion that, for a polity to be viable, it has to consider the stability and security of its people. The aristocracy as Aristotle puts it is the rule of several. When a virtuous rule of law prevails the society enjoys solidity. In this rule, the needs of the wealthy get priority while the rest of the population gets neglected. This brings about class division, and discrimination on the basis of riches. The elite in the society protect and guard their status making it difficult to join the elite group from low class people. According to Aristotle, who was advocating for fairness, elitism in the society is wrong (Chuska 278). Polity is the rule of the majority. This is what Aristotle refers to as the rule of many. In the better form, it concerns with the needy. The leaders take office through an election. It is the citizens of the state who decide the person

Nmgmt Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Nmgmt - Essay Example geting but ‘orthodox’ planning approaches are insufficient for handling large-scale changes as opposed to incremental changes, according to Kotter and Cohen (2002). Significant structural changes had begun to take place in 1994 because of the arrival of free trade. Free trade in the UK’s market meant that foreign competition was coming and was providing local businesses with an opportunity to expand by means of acquisition. Charles Berry has quoted the response of his organization to the change. Even after everyone had agreed to a mutual point and the agreed suggestions were documented in a report, no real progress was made. Hence, all the planning efforts went down the drains because they were not put to work. Most of the industries are designed for incremental changes and commonly everyone associated knows about their business in some detail. Planning helps with such incremental changes where everyone is aware of the little details. However it is inadequate for managing large-scale changes. With non-incremental change, the analysis is often based on unclear assumptions because extrapolations from previous trends may be misleading. Charles Berry explains how his organization considered seven alternatives in an effort to evaluate the situation. In measurable terms, these included sales turnover, the number of employees, potential customer market, core business, competitors, beliefs and the proposed action steps. All the options were documented precisely and several meetings were conducted in order to visualize the propositions in a way that materialized the visions into a near reality. This provided a direction for the attainment of the vision and things got less vague. Hence, the approach , involving seeing, feeling, and changing, was particularly geared towards painting the picture or visualizing the future. There are four main elements involved in successful changes that occur on a large scale. These include plans, budgets, strategies, and visions.

Introspection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Introspection - Essay Example The depth of introspection a person has concerning ethical beliefs depends on their life experiences. An example would be a child raised in a monastery, who later becomes a monk. This child believes what he has been taught but also spends much time in prayer. This child has been taught about the sins of man. He then introspectively searches his soul for his sins. This allows for him to be a more ethical person. On the other hand, if a child is raised in a monastery, but physically or sexually abused by a priest, this child might not have high ethics. This child might even grow up to abuse other children since the cycle tends to repeat themselves. Experiences determine an individual’s ethics. Ethical beliefs can change over time. In fact, ethical beliefs change and grow as a person ages. A child might lie for fear of disapproval, but grow and become a truthful adult. Children learn as they grow. Another example would be a two-year-old might hit other children, but find out later hitting is wrong. It depends on how time and experiences change a child. Adults guide children’s ethics, but in the end, experiences dictate a child’s ethics and introspection. Finally, the true test of ethics is the reason behind an individual’s beliefs. If a person does not steal or commit murder for fear of prison, they are law abiding, not truly ethical. If a person does not steal because it is wrong, this makes them ethical. When a person thinks of others and how they feel; about what is right and wrong, then they are ethical.

Forms and Theories of Government Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Forms and Theories of Government - Essay Example This is done to have an equitable distribution of property while still giving some economic freedom to the citizens3. Norway is a good example of such a form of government. A republic form of government is one which is led by the representatives of the voters. Each representative is chosen for a set period of time. The management of affairs is open to all citizens. An example of a republic is the United States of America. A dictatorship is a form of government which is autocratic and involves a single leader who is not an elected representative and often uses force to keep power. In a military dictatorship, the army keeps control. Iraq is an example of a dictatorship5. Tyranny is similar concept where the all power is vested in one single ruler who is often harsh, unjust and oppressive. A totalitarian government is the rule of a single political party over all public and private sectors. Such a political system has no limits to its authority and there is use of force and restrictions to ensure obedience6. China is an example of such a state. Anarchy is a state of affairs where there is no proper government or political system in place. This often happens after a civil war where the existing government is destroyed and rival groups fight to take control. Such a situation is present in Afghanistan where there is little writ of the state over its citizens. The United States of America is a constitution-based federal republic with a democratic convention. This means that it is a government which is ruled by representative of the citizen body. In this political system, sovereignty lies with the people who elect their representatives to run the affairs of the state. This is very different from a dictatorship, tyranny, anarchist and totalitarian regimes where there is often abuse of power and the people have little say in who is to run the nation. The person or small bodies in power are not there

Simulation and systems modelling Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Simulation and systems modelling - Essay Example It provides an overview of DES, DES adoption challenges, and DES application main areas in manufacturing. The report also represents three selected famous systems appeals for small, medium, and large companies. Finally, the report gives a conclusion and future directions for simulations. First of all, to define simulation, The Oxford English Dictionary describes Simulation as: "The technique of imitating the behaviour of some situation or system (Economic, Mechanical etc.) by means of an analogous model, situation, or apparatus, either to gain information more conveniently or to train personnel." Also, computer simulation methods have developed since the early 1960s. (Holst, 2001) Holst defines discrete event simulation (DES) as "The modeling over time of a system all of whose state changes occur at discrete points in time those points when an event occurs". In discrete event simulation, the operation of a system is represented as a chronological sequence of events. Each event occurs at an instant in time and marks a change of state in the system (Banks et al, 2005) The need for simulation applications in management is increasing. First of all, Simulation is considered to be a powerful decision making tool for managers. Xianglong et al (2001) provided simulation system that can provide the decision-maker a sequential decision-making environment by establishing a virtual reality simulation system. Also, it could be used for experiments planning and results analysis. Semini et al (2006) listed several reasons why a simulation can support manufacturing logistics decision-making: It facilitates understanding of the real system and its behavior. It reveals previously hidden relationships and provides a systematic way to analyze the situation Can facilitate communication and provide a basis for discussions. "What-if" analyses can be carried out, allowing the decision-maker to test the affects of different alternative scenarios without having to make changes in the real system. Also, Simulation applications are used for risk and disaster management for businesses, organizations, or even countries. It could construct useful visualizations of risk, as provided by triangular decompositions and trade risk profiles, and calculating relevant risk measures. For example, it can provide additional

Organization & Operation of International Investment Bank Essay Example for Free

Organization Operation of International Investment Bank Essay Nowadays, banks seem to be springing up in the nooks and corners of every city in every country. The banks are no longer operating globally, in fact most of the big banks have marked their presence in most of the continents and yet they keep on expanding their business. There was a time when banking only meant providing loans to people or keeping their deposits but this is not the case anymore. Many different kinds of banks have sprung up offering diversified financial service that provide clients with investment and insurance products but the major ones are the commercial banks and the investment banks. The banks not only offer services to the customers and make their own money in the process but are in fact a vital part of the economy and its development as well. The purpose of the study is to make an analysis of the role played by investment banks; through their importance will come to light. The study will also be discussed with respect to the working of these bodies internationally. Introduction: The study deals with investment banks it is important to know how these institutions are different from commercial banks. Commercial banks are those institutions which accept deposits, provide business loans, and also offer other relevant services. Besides, they also provide the facility of making a variety of deposits through accounts like checking, time deposits or savings (Harvey, 2004). The purpose of existence of these institutions is to make a profit and the owners are a group of individuals, of whom some may belong to Federal Reserve System. Though the commercial banks provide services to individuals or clients, but their prime concern is to receive deposits and lend to businesses. An investment bank perform a range of tasks including issuance of securities (underwriting), management of portfolios of financial assets, trading securities (stocks and bonds), helping investors in buying securities and providing financial advice and support services; they are also involved in various proprietary functions in the financial markets, where they are their own clients (Lim, 26). It is mainly an intermediary who brings together sellers of stocks and bonds with buyers of the same. It differs mainly from the investment bank in the aspect that it has no inventory of cash deposits unlike a commercial bank. The companies usually use investment banks for achieving the same end as the commercial banks. If capital is required by a company, it may either obtain loan from a commercial bank, or buy equity or debt from investment bank. Commercial banks have availability of funds through depositors unlike an investment bank who, for this reason, have to spend considerable time looking for investors from whom they may obtain capital for clients. Literature Review: In the earlier days, banks were usually restricted to their local place of origin and only a few large ones had their branches in other countries but during the 19th century it was seen that many small banks failed in trying times for the reason that they were dependant on the fluctuations that local trades and industries went through; on the other hand larger banks which had their branches across the border were much secure as the risks were extended across a larger market and a broader range of borrowers. This is what gave rise and added to the popularity of international banking. Banks are involved in a wide range of services including the safe keeping of money and its transmission by different means like checks. At a primarily level, a bank takes the money from the customers and undertakes to repay it when demanded or when a prearranged period expires. But the roles of bank are no longer restricted to taking deposits or providing loans, there has been a great change in the nature of banks and their business has become more complicated over the last 20 years and this can be greatly contributed to the addition of various services pertinent to non-banking areas. This is the reason that major banks have taken control of bodies like merchant banks, estate agencies or hire-purchase companies, and have moved into areas like insurance and leasing (Geoffrey, 38-41). International banks operating overseas often suffer downward rating as seen the course of history that when a countrys creditworthiness is downgraded by international private agencies because of slacking public finances, it is followed by a similar rating of banks issuing shares because they carry large amounts of foreign currency government debt. The reason for this is that debt carries foreign exchange risk since the country is issuing it in a foreign currency thus increasing the probability of default in case the domestic currency depreciates; the countries who issue Eurobonds exercise acceptable sovereign credit ratings which permits them to float, in international markets, foreign currency bonds that have been underwritten by major international investment banks and carry investment grade AAA. Funds from the sale of securities return to banks and then may be invested partly in the provision of loans to the private sector or any other asset which carries a lower risk than that of foreign currency government debt (Shaheen Achkar, 353). A bank should work profitably but by no means it should turn into an organisation that is not trusted by its customers, employees or shareholders. Most of the customers across the globe consider banks with quiet suspicion and at times even with vocal hostility where they are considered evil and not a valued service industry and there is rarely a day when the tabloid press does not expose some apparent banking bungle or scam. Majority of the banks are bent opon extending their branch network and makreting their products. A customer who is anxious to just perform a simple transaction like cashing a cheque, often find himself/herself in the hands of a bank staff trying to make him go for the product of the week. The banks are no longer focused on creating a customer-oriented environment that may attract customers but are following the policy of ‘indiscriminate sell’ which are driving out customers. Merely, expanding the branch network in different countries is not enough unless the bank succeeds in establishing a reputation for loyalty and trustworthiness with its borrowers. There are occasionally times when conflicts arise between the interests of a bank and its borrowers, but the key is to maintain mutual respect. Like the other organizations in service industries, customer satisfaction should lie at the core of a banks culture (John, 27). With respect to working of the investment banks, there is great reliance on analysts. These analysts are essential to the organization and working of investment banks. Because of the servies that they provide and avail, investors depend on analysts to perform a skilled analysis of security valuation, as it is usually the art and science which they are unable to perform themselves. At individual level, these analysts normally give coverage to a group of companies falling within the domain of particular industries. For this reason all major investment banks and even smaller commercial ones have their own teams of analysts who perform essential research on public corporations. These analysts do not contribute directly in generating material revenue for the bank. Instead, their services support two major groups. The first group is of professional and non-professional investors who give commissions to the banks by means of their orders to buy and sell securities. In this domain, what the analyst does is to spend time talking with investors in order to collect orders from them, which are not directly given to them but instead placed through salespeople working in the bank and with whom analysts keep in touch on a daily basis. The other important group in investment bank is the corporate finance department. This department is the vital contributor to revenues and profits earned by banks. The majority of revenue earned by the corporate finance is a result of underwriting and arranging financing (debt and equity) and providing services like mergers and acquisitions (MA) advice to the clients. The role of analysts in Corporate finance lies where they are seeked for the promottion and sale of capital offerings and MA deals to investors (Hayward Boeker, 1-5). In the past, investment banks have earned great benefits because of the high demand for its products and many existing macro trends prevalent in most of the countries. One such example is of disintermediation of traditional capital providers which facilitated the continued developments in the business arena of corporate bond and securitisaties; even on the investment side, there was disintermedation of traditional savings providers like banks or insurance companies, as a result a flood of funds rushed into equity markets which brought the need for execution of advice and transaction; another factor which contributed to the success of investment banks is the globalisation of corporations and investors. Another positive trend was the effort of continued restructuring by corporations and governments so as to achieve global competitiveness and thus requiring advisory services of the investment banks. The reaction of the banking industry to these trends was the decision to organise itself around the organizations that were product-orientated so as to take advantage of the situation. To put it in other words, the former range of services that were offered and product capability was amplified due to increased product demand (Kauffman Howcroft, 214). The international investment banks expanded their network across many countries as result of opportunities that were offered due to structural changes in the economy during the nineties in the form of privatization and ownership reallocation both in the financial and non-financial sectors (Messori 177). The function of international investment banks in terms of the banks’ own business is not awlays and necessarily the desire to be a major force in the retail mortgage market; but sometimes what they are instead aiming for is the building of their securitisation businesses. By expanding into the mortgage space beyond the local arena, a ready supply of new assets for securitisation become accessible to these banks directly, rather than this that they source loans in the secondary market. The benefit of securitising most of the loans of the bank in the mortgage business originates implies that the investment bank is capable of passing the risk of credit along to investors, and not only this but in turn also earning feed by means of arranging the securitisation transactions(Wood 36). An international investment bank often reaps the benefit of geographical co-location in many of the cases. The concept behind geographical co location can be illustrated by means of a ‘local code’ which promotes the idea that the knowledge which is specific to a certain place can be best acquired and utilized by marking your presence at that place. When talking of investment banks’ services, let’s say, its MA advisory service, such transaction requires knowledge that is of a non-cosmopolitan nature, meaning, that the availability of such knowledge is limited, which means that it is pertinent to local market besides being related to the professional knowledge of the international MA community (Schamp et al. 11- 615). Methodology: This research is basic in nature and is done to have a better understanding of the investment banks. The qualitative methodology of research has been used and is based on the use of secondary data, which is one that is gathered from existing data sources and has not been done by the researcher himself. For the purpose of collecting data for this research, articles/journals on the subject have been used. The use of secondary data saves time of doing all the research from a scratch and saves cost due to easily available of databases catering to the need and providing relevant information. The methodology takes effort in identifying the correct data and discarding the irrelevant ones; besides it authenticity may also be questioned at times. Property and validity of data: The data is secondary in nature, and has been obtained through reliable sources like published articles and research journals. The data is valid since it is not obsolete, relevant and authentic. Analysis of findings: Now, we will present an analysis of our findings in light of the literature review. Expansion banking beyond the boundaries:Â  The workings of banks on an international level has not always been the trend, in fact, the banks usually used to be local and work within limited cities and towns but over time, such banks turned out to be unsuccessful and the counted few ones who operated internationally were seen to be making success. thus the banks saw opportunity in expanding their branches and their network as a whole beyond local boundaries. The reason for the success was that when they operated in diverse foreign markets and dealt with diverse borrowers, the risk was no longer linked with a single market only and was thus reduced. Rise of investment banking: The traditional functions of bank were limited to making loans and taking deposits and transferring of funds but this is no longer the case. There are banks now providing non-traditional services like leasing, insurance, mortgages. The investment banks became well versed among the masses as a result of diversification of bank services and of the trends that were prevalent in the economy during the 19th century. These trends among others, included disintermediation of financial services and different restructuring in the economy like privatization or resource allocation among different sectors which facilitated the need for advisory services. Organization of international investment banks: The international investment banks are organized in a manner so as to reap the best benefits from their operation in the international markets. These banks deal with local securities among other things of the countries in which they operate. This provides them with a better understanding of the local market conditions but at the same time, unlike local banks, they are not oblivious of the international markets and can play smartly in both arenas. But the back draw of this international arrangement is often visible in the form of downgraded rating when the foreign country of their operation is going through some sort of economical crisis but even then this downgrading is better than those of the local investment banks who are purely organized around the local financial instruments in their operations. The international investments banks are organized in such a way that only makes them visible in the international domain but also provide them with a supply of new assets thus enabling them to pass the credit risk to investors and also to arrange more transactions. Operation of the international investment banks: In the operation of the international investment banks, trust is a crucial element. Banks seem to be more focused on the expansion of their branch network and sale of their products than on building the customers’ trust. The customers must have the trust that their bank is providing them with the right investment options and that it is equally involved in the risk bore by them; only then can these investment banks operate successfully. The international bank operates through a complicated process but what is important is to know that these banks are dependant to a great degree on their financial analysts. These analysts are not involved in the direct generation of revenue but are in fact the essential elements for providing support to two of the revenue generating bodies, which are the investors and the corporate finance. The analysts spend considerable amount of time with the investors and give them advices regarding the right place to invest in; with respect to the corporate finance department, these analysts support those working with corporate finance department in persuading the clients into letting the bank handle their buying and selling of securities and other needs and in promoting their services by giving the right check and balance. Conclusion:Â  Banking is no longer traditional and the former traditional role lies with the commercial banks; the diverse operations have given rise to the investment banks that have expanded their networks internationally and are making success. By operating globally, the investment banks come to terms with the local market conditions which enable them to have a more in depth insight and thus make wise investment decisions and provide the clients with the right options for decision making; the main personnel involved in their operations are their analysts who provide support to the revenue generating bodies of the bank.

Commentary on Women Beware Women Essay Example for Free

Commentary on Women Beware Women Essay Beware Women is a Jacobean tragedy, which has a complex plot and deals with corrupted characters. This tragedy is about corruption in the court and life in general, love by money and how women can lead other women to destruction. As Tricomi states about the characters, they ‘are not wholly the product of their circumstances, but their circumstances condition their choices and propel them toward their destiny’. Middleton, as other Jacobean playwrights before him, has managed to point out that ‘aristocratic life is brutal and corrupt’. 2] The focus of this commentary will be concentrated on marriage and to what can lead one to fall apart. The first scene (Act I), deals with the characters of the play’s main plot: Leantio, Bianca and the Mother. In this scene, the readers come across with the insulting behaviour towards Bianca, where she is treated as an object. Leantio speaks of his wife with words of business, to him she is â€Å"the most unvalued’st purchase†.He describes her as if she was a dangerous object that must stay hidden and safe, away from the sight of men. When he talks about her, it is obvious that Bianca is for him a treasure and he is the thief that now has to hide his â€Å"best piece of theft† (I. ii) in a safe place so no one will steal it from him. Such words describing a human being are rather cruel, especially when Leantio is talking about a person for whom he is supposed to have true and pure feelings of love. Leantio is aware that Bianca’s family is rich, but he also knows that by marrying Bianca in secrecy and taking her away from them, Bianca will lose all of the property and money that belongs to her. He has also written over to her his house and put his mother in jeopardy. Although his act seems a romantic one and, even though he speaks of that relationship and feelings as being pure, his love is not mature; rather, it is one filled with jealousy. In the beginning of the play Bianca could be characterised as the victim because she has a mother-in-law who is not fond of her and does not approve their marriage and she is now imprisoned in poverty and in home. However, Bianca is ‘as much a victim as perpetrator, and she is to be judged as a tragic protagonist with a vexing mix of virtues and flaws’. [3] As seen in the plot, the Mother aids and abets in Bianca’s meeting with the Duke. The Mother and Livia hatched up a plan for Bianca’s rape and she falls into the trap, as Isabella did, but the rape was almost enticed on her part. ‘The attitude towards Bianca is one of dehumanizing possession and manipulation’. [4] But Bianca, after that, changes drastically and soon enough she becomes one of the most corrupted characters, who along with others, brings about the downfall and the final bloodshed in the play. Bianca chose money over her marriage, although, she blames the other women for her disaster. ‘Treachery and betrayal [ ] are Bianca’s terms of explanation for her downfall’. [5] Bianca is seen by her mother-in-law as an added burden to her son’s finances. The Mother’s interest is focused only on money. For the Mother, Bianca as a wife has nothing to offer, she will only demand and receive. The Mother is sizing up the economics of their situation now that there are three members in the family. Leantio can barely support himself, and up until now he had to support his mother as well. The Mother doubts that her son is able to support a family of three. She claims that nothing can save him from this financial dead end by saying â€Å"My life can give you But little helps, and my death lesser hopes† (I. i). The Mother thinks of Bianca, as for every other wife, that she will require from Leantio â€Å"maintenance† (I. ii) fitting to her â€Å"birth and virtues† (I. ii), but also gratification of her desire for â€Å"affections, wills, and humours† (I. ii). [6] Leantio then expresses his intentions towards Bianca, by replying to his mother’s words, pleading with her not to â€Å"teach her to rebel† (I. ii) now that â€Å"she’s in a good way to obedience† (I. ii). Leantio’s â€Å"assurance† (I. ii), of keeping his â€Å"jewel† (I. ii) locked away â€Å"from all men’s eyes† (I. ii), is his mother. She is the one who holds the â€Å"key† (I. i) to his â€Å"treasure† (I. ii), and â€Å"old mothers† (I. ii) are â€Å"good to look to keys† (I. ii) when â€Å"sons lock chests† (I. ii). However, the irony here is that later on, it’s the Mother herself who pushes Bianca towards rape with the Duke, first to get rid of her, but then to accrue some of the benefits from the court life for herself and her son. Bianca is to Leantio nothing but an object of â€Å"great value† (I. ii), a â€Å"matchless jewel† (I. ii) that he has stolen. Because â€Å"temptation is a devil will not stick to fasten upon a saint† (I. ii), Leantio’s â€Å"gem† (I. ii) must stay hidden and locked. This is the â€Å"great policy† (I. i) for Leantio in order to never lose a treasure; never â€Å"show thieves our wealth† (I. ii). Bianca is the â€Å"treasure† (I. ii), Leantio is the â€Å"thief† (I. ii), and the â€Å"key† (I. ii) to his happiness holds his mother, thus, it could be said that the chest with the key is symbolic of Leantio and Bianca’s relationship. To conclude, this tragedy proves that women should beware women. Women lead other women to destruction, and are even responsible for another woman’s rape. Corruption and enemies are present everywhere but, as Bianca says in her dying breath, â€Å"Like our own sex, we have no enemy†.

Impact of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX)

Impact of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) Sarbanes-Oxley Act In the aftermath of the post-boom financial scandals in the U.S., Congress revised significantly federal securities laws and ratified the Sarbanes-Oxley Act in 2002 (SOX). As noted by Coffee (2006, p. 16), the intent of the new legislation was to â€Å"protect the integrity of financial reporting by redesigning the network of institutions and intermediaries who served investors in order that the capital markets would not be systematically deceived again.† SOX imposes several changes to the governance and regulatory environment in the U.S. including, (1) heightened disclosure, (2) separation of analysts from underwriters, (3) requiring attorneys to report crimes or fraud without delay, and (4) requiring senior management to personally certify their corporations’ quarterly financial results. In addition, audit committees were given enhanced powers, with a new quasi-public self-regulatory system put in place. Some observers have concluded that the overall impact of SOX is beneficial as a consequence of improved transparency and disclosure, with heightened monitoring providing better control of agency costs. Indeed, a governance metrics international survey (GMI) claims that U.S. companies have gone up to the top of an international comparison of corporate governance standards, leave behind the U.K. The report suggests due to SOX and similar reforms, the performance of large U.S. increased by over 10%. However, opponents of SOX have argued that the costs of compliance are excessive. For example, a survey of corporate board members by Korn/Ferry International estimates that the costs of compliance average $5.1 million, while Parsons Consulting estimates that costs average $12.28 million for 70 British headquartered businesses. (Lorne N. Switze, 2007)The annual survey of Foley Lardner LLP suggests that the costs associated with SOX are particularly onerous for small and medium-sized companies, with smaller firms lacking the requisite compliance infrastructure. Adherence to Sarbanes-Oxley Section 404 (Management Assessment of Internal Controls) is deemed in their survey to be the most problematic, with estimated compliance costs ranging from $350,000 to $1 million to assess and document the scope, adequacy, and overall effectiveness of the internal control structure and procedures. According to the most recent Foley Lardner survey, since the enactment of SOX the average cost of comp liance for companies with under $1 billion in annual revenue has increased more than $1.8 million to approximately $2.9 million, representing a 174% overall increase. (Lorne N. Switze, 2007)The U.S. Government Accountability Office also has suggested that small businesses’ costs for implementing the disclosure requirements of SOX rules are disproportionately higher than large firms. Recently, the high costs of compliance have been alleged to the impetus for several international companies to delist from U.S. exchanges. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act is the single most significant piece of legislation embracing corporate governance since the U.S. securities laws of the 1930s. At the forefront of this legislation, is the intent to restore public confidence and interest at a time when there was an avalanche of corporate scandals. The cost and financial cost of implementing the act will, no doubt, be significant. Two-thirds of IT executives surveyed explain that future investment in financial technologies is targeted to comply with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (Strempel, 2004). A recent study indicated the average cost of being publicly traded for a company with less than $1 billion in annual revenue shot up $1.6 million due to this act. There is ground swell of objections to the acts implementation. However, the effort to restore public confidence and interest is priceless. Of interest is that despite the swelling of complaints by companies concerning the burden imposed by the act, 56% of a recent survey explained that they do not track and report internally on the costs of Sarbanes-Oxley and other compliance programs (Sri Forum Limited, 2003). The act is an attempt to restore public confidence that corporations have squandered away. A responsibility of public research is to inform the public to the diverse issues that surface. The advantages and disadvantages need to be discussed at length. A significant impact of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act is to make the board of directors more inquisitive of various items that are presented to them for approval. (Joseph J. Riotto, 2007)Historically, items presented to board of directors might have been a simple â€Å"rubber stamp.† Now, board of directors need to be aware of the ramifications of their approval. Recently, the percentage of chief executive officers who were forced out by their boards rose significantly. In fact, on average, directors are now spending 50% more time each month than before on their responsibilities (Prentice, 2005). In short, it raises the visibility of procedures for corporate accountability. There is mounting speculation that the act has decelerated corp orate mergers and acquisitions. One rationale is that the due diligence process for acquisitions could conceivably be lengthened because of the directors taking their responsibility more seriously. In addition, an effective compliance program can mitigate the amount of a criminal fine imposed under the acts guidelines; improve processes to eliminate criminal opportunities; establish requirement for corporate adherence to the act; and promote good corporate citizenship. As far as the state and local government sector is concerned, it might be in their best interests to further investigate and be proactive. Balancing the needs and expectations in this area is ideally done before it becomes a strict requirement. Compliance to the act is costing firms significant amounts of time, professional fees, and other resources (Beasley and Hermanson, 2004). Congress determined that the public interest is best protected by, not less regulation, but more regulation of corporate policy and governance. From the governments viewpoint, success is not measured solely by the bottom line, but by the optimization of public interest. A centralized corporate governance approach has been emphasized. The act has endorsed the Commission to promulgate such rules and regulations, as may be necessary or suitable in the public interest or for the safety of investors, and in furtherance of this act. The passage of time might be the true test of the effectiveness of the act. Corpor ate fraud is essentially the product of the morality and ethics of management. (Joseph J. Riotto, 2007) To Conclude, One of the criticisms of SOX is that it overly burdens small-cap firms. The net benefits of SOX in the form of increased accountability of managers to act in shareholders’ interest outweigh the costs of increased disclosure and compliance. On the whole, the SOX support the substitutability of governance mechanisms for small-cap firms. Some sub-optimal deployment of the endogenous governance mechanisms is observed. Firm leverage is inversely related to performance. Laws are implemented so that they are followed; however, there will always be those that look to circumvent the law. In short, the act is recognized as a dynamic document in the sense that additional rules can be implemented for the betterment of the public interest. References Beasley and Dana R. Hermanson, Effective Compliance Programs in the Aftermath of Corporate Megascandals. Insights: the Corporate and Securities Laws Advisor, Englewood Cliffs NY 18 (5) (2004), pp. 12–18. Coffee, 2006 J. Coffee, Gatekeepers: the professions and corporate governance, Oxford University Press, New York (2006). Joseph J. Riotto, Understanding the Sarbanes-Oxley Act next term—A valued added approach for public interest, Critical Perspectives on Accounting, September 2007 Lorne N. Switze, Corporate governance, Sarbanes-Oxley, and small-cap firm performance, The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Volume 47, Issue 5, December 2007, Pages 651-666 Prentice, 2005 R. Prentice, Student guide to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, Thomson Publishing (2005). SriForum Limited, 2003 Sri Forum Limited. â€Å"Sarbanes-Oxley almost integrated into corporate governance strategy† NY. July 2003. Strempel, 2004 D. Strempel, Companies pay price for Sarbanes-Oxley, Fairfield County Bus J 43 (June 24) (2004), p. 11.

Essay --

Five thousand years ago lived the immoral societies of Sodom and Gomorrah in the Middle East. The people of these corrupt cities were sinners who lead luxurious lives and seemed like they had it all, even though soon they would lose everything. Their immorality and lack of awareness is what caused God to send fire from the heavens and destroy the towns as punishment. Parallels can be drawn from ancient times to the story of The Great Gatsby. Fitzgerald uses the eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg to symbolize God watching down and to express the theme of immorality in society and the loss of spiritual values in the American dream. Symbolism is a key part of this passage in revealing the author’s purpose. It becomes apparent that the eyes are symbols when our narrator says, â€Å"The eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg are blue and gigantic-their retinas are one yard high. They look out of no face, but instead, from a pair of enormous yellow spectacles which pass over a non-existent nose,† (24). The significance of these eyes can be noted from their first introduction. The eyes are more than just a faded picture on a billboard; underneath the eerie description lies a deeper meaning. Doctor T.J. Eckelburg’s eyes symbolize God watching down on the Valley of Ashes, judging over society and their actions. The colossal eyes are all seeing and all knowing, scrutinizing all the corrupt lifestyles and values amongst the characters in Gatsby. Fitzgerald’s use of diction in creating the mood centering around T.J. Eckleburg’s eyes supports the immorality and the carelessness seen in the community. Nick goes on to state, â€Å"But his eyes, dimmed a little by many paintless days under the sun and rain, brood on over the solemn dumping ground,† (24). This lin... ...ths, which can be thought of as a punishment from God. Throughout the novel, Fitzgerald instills the theme of immorality using the eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg. These eyes, representing God, dispatch judgment and punishment on society. However the lives of the characters continue, because God has given them a second chance in hopes of changing their immoral ways. This gift was also given to a man named Lot, who escaped death by the grace of God five thousand years ago in the city of Sodom. Thought he wouldn’t live forever, he had a new take on life and a chance to turn his back on immorality. The same can be thought of for the characters of Gatsby-they will continue trudging on with their lives, hopefully having learned a lesson from the consequences of immorality, and if they don’t, they eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg will always be there as a constant reminder.

Reforming Australian Legal Education to match Canadian Essay -- Austra

Legal Education in Australia On January 25, 2005 one of Canada’s most respected law schools, Osgoode Hall Law School of York University (Osgoode), announced the launch of its new LL.B./JD programme with New York University Law School (NYU). The program provides an opportunity for students to earn both a Canadian LL.B. and a U.S. (ABA - American Bar Association approved) JD degree in four years. An LL.B. is a three-year Canadian law degree. A JD is a three-year U.S. law degree. A JD that is â€Å"ABA† approved allows U.S. law graduates to take the bar exam in any U.S. state. The program has been structured so that students will do two back-to-back years at Osgoode and two back-to-back years at New York University Law School. Students will receive both the LL.B. and JD degrees at the end of the fourth year. It is necessary to note that Osgoode Hall is not the only school to enjoin with an American university. Both Windsor and Ottawa have already established bilateral degree arrangements with U.S. law schools. Windsor has partnered with the University of Detroit whereas Ottawa has partnered with both Michigan State University as well as American University in Washington. Effectively, therefore, three of Canada’s seventeen law schools now have agreements with U.S. law schools allowing students to graduate with both Canadian and U.S. law degrees. In addition, McGill University in Montreal awards students both civil and common law degrees in three years. Commentators have suggested that it is only a matter of time before other Canadian schools will seek to establish similar programmes. 2 Like Australia, common law Canada has historically conferred the law qualification in the form of a Bachelor of Laws or LL.B. However, in recent times ... ...donesia. She is a former shop assistant and beauty student from Queensland. She was sentenced on May 27, 2005 and is currently serving her sentence in Kerobokan Prison, Indonesia. Despite the conviction, Corby maintains that the drugs were planted in her bag, and that she did not know about them. Her trial and conviction were a major focus of attention for the Australian media. 2 The ‘Bali Nine’ is the name given to nine Australian citizens arrested on 17 April 2005 in Denpasar on the island of Bali, Indonesia, in a plan to smuggle 8.3kg of heroin valued at approximately $4 million from Indonesia to Australia. Andrew Chan, Si Yi Chen, Michael Czugaj, Renae Lawrence, Tac Duc Thanh Nguyen, Matthew Norman, Scott Rush, Martin Stephens and Myuran Sukumaran, all aged between 18 and 28 at the time of their arrests, were convicted. Several have been handed the death penalty.

Five Forces

————————————————- Re:The Cable Industry Conditions Are Ambiguous The cable industry’s conditions are quite ambiguous for new firms thinking to penetrate the market. The cable industry consists of firms that operate in the wired, third party distribution systems for broadcast programming. These cable operators offer television programming from cable networks or local television stations to consumers via cable infrastructure on a subscription basis.It is important to note that the industry is different from satellite providers, Internet service providers, or VoIP services, whose main difference is in infrastructure. Main players in the cable industry operate on a nation-wide basis. The biggest threat to this industry is high barrier to entry. This is due to a number of factors. First, capital requirements are high because infrastructure is costly such as the fiber-opti c lines that have been introduced to offer customers higher-priced, enhanced or bundled services.There is a medium level of industry concentration as the top four companies construct around 55% of the industry overall. Government regulations are also high, since operators must be licensed by the FCC through extensive registration. Thus programming rights, infrastructure investment, and high regulations present significant expenses and hardship for new firms entering. Barriers to entry, unlike all other factors in the five forces model, actually raises profits in a five forces analysis. This is because high barriers to entry prevent firms that could easily come into the market and take away profits.Other forces such as supplier power, buyer power, threat of substitutes, and industry rivalry, have moderate power in this industry. This would usually present a case of relatively lower profits in the industry – however we see that industry profitability is way above the industry a verage. It seems that the established firms in the industry are profitable because there are both high barriers to entry and many firms have consolidated with content suppliers. Thus profitability in this industry is quite ambiguous.

Case study of Boeing Dreamliner Essay

Critical Facts: Boeing is the world’s largest manufacturer of military and commercial aircraft, which was founded in 1916 by William Boeing and Navy Engineer Conrad Westervelt in the name of Pacific Aero Products Company in Seattle, which after active participation in World war-I was renamed to Boeing Airplane Company (Frederick, 2014). Boeing produced several hundreds of B-17 Flying fortress during World War II which became the U.S Bomber. In 1950’s Boeing faced a tough competition from its opponent McDonnell-Douglas which was good at manufacturing propeller aircraft. Due to the increased reputation of its competitor, Boeing entered into the field of manufacturing commercial Jet-aircrafts in a full-scale (Frederick, 2014). Boeing, after its full-scale entry into commercial aircrafts modelled aircrafts such as 707, 727,737,747,767. The letters of the series from 707 to 777 begins with seven in terms of publicity aspect. Among these aircrafts 747 is the jumbo-jet and 777 is an aircraft designed by completely relying on computer technology. For each and every aircraft it had released in the commercial market, it opted for model rejuvenation (Frederick, 2014). Boeing with an intention of creating additional value to its customers and their passengers by developing an innovative aircraft launched the program of 787 Dreamliner in 2003. Boeing’s value creation strategy for the passengers was to reduce the time of journey and make their travel experience better by re-designing the aircraft and offering new comforts. Dreamliner 787 is designed with some advanced features like it is made of 50% of composite material, light weight, nonstop flights between any pair of cities without any hauls in travel (Zimmerman & S.Tang, 2009). Boeing Dreamliner with the 50% use of composite material benefitted in two distinct ways of Fuel Efficiency and Easy maintenance due to which it is free from rust for several years. Fuselage and wing mostly comprises of composite material rather than the traditional material (Aluminum). Manufacturing of Dreamliner 787 involved a new supply chain process of outsourcing major extent of the components and assembling all these components by Boeing at their assembling hall. These made several Tier1 suppliers to get involved in these project such as Spirit, Kawasaki, Alena and Vought (Boeing  Corporation, 2014). Because of complexity in supply chain system and lack of Information system collaborating all the suppliers involved in the project of Dreamliner 787, made Boeing to undergo some hassles which resulted in delay of first flight for a period of 27 months and its delivery to the customer for a time of 40 months. This overrun resulted in huge investments of $11 billion more than the planned investment on the Dreamliner 787 Project (Zhao, 2012). Analysis: Boeing as to increase the Performance of 787 Dreamliner, introduced a complex supply chain process, which integrates the best aerospace companies all around the globe to design the critical components of 787. Also it had changed its manufacturing model from a vertical model to a global partner model. With the implementation of these new strategies Boeing want to reduce its cost and time in development, as a result of rising its market share than that of its competitors. Boeing after moving to the new global partner model faced several problems. As the supply chain process is spread all over the world Boeing got into trouble of coordinating with its partners. The big risk in this model was Boeing had to ensure that all the partners involved in 787 manufacturing are visible to the information provided and also it should have access of the information about its vendors in order to ensure that they are capable of delivering on-time (Danning, 2013). Boeing as a part of new supply chain process it spread its components manufacturing all over the world. So as to get coordinated with its vendors and in the process of obtaining information from them it introduced a new communication web-based tool developed Exostar supply chain management solution. Because of this tool, Boeing wanted to collaborate its partners planning schedules and progress in work so as to ensure that no delay in manufacturing. But Exostar which opted by Boeing posed problems during its runtime. Also as a part of cultural difference and due to lack of trust on other suppliers some of the vendors involved in 787 design did not input accurate and timely information. As a result of this inaccurate information Boeing had not discovered the problems at the early stages and in a timely fashion (Zhao, 2012). Boeing during 2003 lost its share value to Airbus which is a strong opponent to it (Boeing Corporation, 2014). In order to regain its value in the market Boeing decided to design an aircraft by enhancing its customers.  So in the process of designing a new aircraft Boeing decided to use composite carbon fiber instead of regular aluminum to an large extent which had not been implemented in the past. Because of this composite fibers Boeing estimated to decrease the cost of travel for its passengers and to increase fuel efficiency. But this step backfired in getting air bubbles on the skin of fuselage and nose during assembling of aircraft which resulted in delay of 787 Dreamliner (Pearlson & Saunders, 2013) Boeing in the process of reduction in time and cost it opted a supply chain process in which it adopted from Toyota. Toyota manufactures its products with short development life cycle with minimal risk and cost. Boeing in the same perception of minimal risk and cost opted this process. But this resulted Boeing into deep risks by lack of accurate information and improper delivery by its ven dors (Pearlson & Saunders, 2013). The 787 Dreamliner involved lot of technical and non-technical innovations which had not been implemented in any of aircraft manufacturing such as 70% of composite material replacing aluminum, Lithium ion batteries, new systems of electrical is a huge task to achieve. While dealing with such complex and huge innovations one should involve in maximum extent of the project but whereas Boeing opted for minimal involvement by relying on its Tier1 suppliers. This resulted of increase in costs and timeline of aircraft delivery (Danning, 2013). As a part of establishing its market share with no longer duration it implemented global manufacturing model which involved maximum extent of outsourcing its components design which left Boeing just with assembling the aircraft. This resulted workers at Boeing in fear of their jobs in trouble lead to strike for 3 months. Because of this strike it lost lots of money due to no production of work (Michael, 2012). Conclusion: The aforementioned problems are some of the main reasons of Boeing Dreamliner 787 is not delivered on time. While starting a new project with such huge innovations and risks every firm would be cautious by following certain steps that helps the project to run in a smooth phase without any complications in which Boeing failed to do so. Recommendations: While adopting a certain process from other organizations or firms it is better to know the principles and rules that are involved and need to examine the process implementation. I would recommend if Boeing would have  followed the same implementation process as of Toyota with pre-defined steps it would have saved billions of dollars which would have lead Boeing into top aerospace industry While implementing a new supply chain process it is always better to have face to face coordination rather than coordinating through computers or on relying through some technology. I would recommend although information entered through computer will be for future purpose but as the process is globally spread out it would have been better if Boeing have send its employees, engineers and skilled workers to have spy on its suppliers or vendors. For any industry that is going to develop new product with innovative material instead of traditional material it is the responsible of that industry to perform research and experiments so as to get some analysis of the innovative material and to be cautious of the problems that arise in the future. If Boeing would have done the analysis on using composites in major part of aircraft production then no delays due to rise of air bubbles on fuselage section and on nose section. I would have recommend to hire high skilled workers who are having experience in aircraft industries and dispatch them to vendor location for the guidance of vendors to follow certain rules and regulations or the standards followed Boeing. As the project involved more amounts of risk factor I would suggest Boeing would have been involved in every phase of project completion, so as to get correct updates and to speed up the work than deadline estimated, which would have resulted in rise of fame and reputation of Boeing for producing aircraft at very cheap cost than estimated. References: Anupindi, R. (2011, 10 10). Case study:Boeing’s Dreamliner. Boeing Corporation. (2014). Boeing. Retrieved from Boeing 787 Dreamliner: http://www.boeing.com/boeing/commercial/787family/background.page? Danning, S. (2013, 1 28). What Went Wrong At Boeing? Frederick, P. (2014). VIEW AMERICA WHAT TO SEE. In P. Frederick. view america. Michael, A. J. (2012, 10 25). Boeing :787 case analysis. p. 15. Pearlson, K. E., & Saunders, C. S. (2013). Managing and Using Information Systems. John Wiley & sons. Zhao, Y. (2012). Why 787 Slips Were Inevitable. p. 16. Zimmerman, & S.Tang, C. (2009). Managing New Product development and supply chain risks. Supply chain forum, 14.

Alibaba Competing in China and Beyond

Case: Alibaba Competing in China and Beyond Electric commerce (e-commerce) is the buying and selling of products or services over an electronic medium like the internet. The advantages of e-commerce are speedy transactions, less travel, low operational costs, ability to reach a large customer base, and round the clock buying and selling. Some of the disadvantages of e-commerce are the minimum amounts of customer to company interactions which leads to trust issues, e-commerce is prone to fraud and theft, and there is no guarantee on product quality.In a market like China, it's important to understand the local culture, values, the political government, and the language. The political government in China has a major impact on the Internet companies in China. It is important for e-commerce companies in China to understand how to successfully launch a Chinese language website or design a search engine that would suit the complex language. In order to gain an edge amongst their competitor s, international companies must seek out local help to understand the local culture and values, the language, the consumers, and how to deal with the politics of the region.Alibaba, founded by Jack Ma, is a website which allows for buyers and sellers all over the globe to engage in electronic business transactions. Alibaba played a major role in bringing the Internet Revolution to China. Ma achieved this by allowing small and medium-size enterprises (SME) in China to benefit from cross border trade through his website. Alibaba made their money from the 21 million users who paid annual subscriptions. Alibaba established itself when the Chinese Internet industry was still in its infancy.This was the perfect opportunity for e-commerce companies because of the lack of competition. However, the competition that they did face were Global Sources and MeetChina, which were also launched in 1999. In order to gain a competitive advantage in the B2B market Alibaba did not charge fees for any t ransaction. That was a strategy that critics were skeptical about. However, Alibaba built a customer base that would end up to be unrivaled. What made Alibaba so successful was its ability to rapidly adapt to current market trends in China.In the dotcom bubble burst Alibaba reformulated their strategy to concentrating on improving its business in China rather than focusing on global markets, they moved the headquarters back from Shanghai to Hangzhou, and they would concentrate on the richest regions in China. Foreign companies saw opportunity in China's expanding e-commerce market. One of those companies was US-based eBay Inc. , who entered China by acquiring stake in Shanghai's EachNet. com for $30 million. Ma then launched Taobao to rival eBay in the Business to Consumer (B2C) and Consumer to Consumer (C2C) market.Again, Taobao employed the free concept strategy to attempt to build a consumer base by offering free listings on their website. Alibaba also developed a promotional str ategy for Taobao in which they advertised through online ads and billboards. Taobao also had a unique feature where users can e-mail and chat with each other onsite unlike their eBay counterparts who concealed sellers identity and only offered communications through offline messaging. Taobao also addressed the trust factor during online transactions between buyers and sellers by developing AliPay, similar to Paypal.The first mistake that eBay Inc. made was that they based their business strategy on the US business model. What works well in one region will not work in others. Ma quoted â€Å"We knew that someday, eBay would come in our direction. † indicating that Alibaba had done their research and they were prepared for the arrival of any potential rivals. After cornering 79% of the market shares in China, eBay soon found itself in fierce competition with Alibaba when Alibaba made quick marketing adjustments. Bay ‘s other mistake was that they entered China assuming th at they have a global product. What they failed to realize is that the Taobao product was designed for the local consumer while eBay's product was more product based, meaning they are more concerned with how to get more consumers to use their product rather than does this product fit the consumers wants and needs. eBay declined to drop their auction fees and failed to improve consumer interaction on their website to compete with Taobao. eBay should have focused more on the local strategies that other local business use.They could have done this if they were more consumer driven and aligned with the local environment. eBay should have went through the process of environmental scanning. They should have conducted an analysis of their current and potential competitors to find out what their goals and strategies are and what are their strengths and weaknesses. eBay's lack of knowledge and ignorance of the local market left them unprepared for rapid change that local businesses employ. F oreign competitors fail to enter the Chinese market because they lack the nderstanding of the language, the culture, and they lack the ability to adapt rapidly to change. Foreign companies can address this issue by preparing a strategy for entry such as organize ways to enable fast communication and processes for quick business decision making. They should hire within the country to adopt the workers who have a understanding of the local culture and values. They should be prepared for change and learn to adapt with the local market trends and prepare a plan of action to react faster.

Obesity speech

Overweight and obesity cause the development of diabetes, and contribute to high blood pressure, Infertility, birth complications and amplify asthma and a poor health status. This Is very serious and It has to be taken way more serious by the people living here. Obesity Is largely preventable through changes In lifestyle, especially diet or daily exercise. There are many diseases that are so hard to cure, so why is it that, when we actually have a disease that you can cure yourself, we don't do anything about it?By some changes in your lifestyles, you could actually get a lot healthier than you were before. I am not saying that it is easy. I know that it can be hard to turn things around especially if it's become a habit to eat unhealthy and by eating unhealthy you don't get energy, and that is also a reason why many don't exercise as much as they should do. Younger people have largely grown up in a world, where a greater variety of food than ever before has become available and at a relatively low cost, and so are more prone to develop obesity at a younger age.Obesity is a major cause of death and 1 out of 3 adults and 1 out of 6 children is obese. Obesity costs the US, almost 150 million dollars a year, where almost 10 % of he national medical budgets. The way you eat has changed over the last 50 years. A lot more food is available than before and opportunities for physical activities are lacking. It is a known fact that physical activity improves overall health. Not only does it improve circulation, increase blood flow to the brain, and raise endorphin levels, which all helps to reduce stress, improve mood and attitude, and calm children.Physically active students also achieve more in school, they are less likely to miss school and participate more in class. Michelle Obama speaks about obesity In her beech and tells that because of the support of huge American businesses, Like Disney and Walter etc. Now more than half a million In undeserved communities now have the access to fresh, healthy food. Military leaders are serving healthier menus and products. Nearly two and a half million kids have enrolled In recreational sport classes.And they launched Let's Move Active schools, an unprecedented effort to Invest more than $70 million to promote actively and bring physical education back to your schools. So something Is done, yes. But could more be done? Walt for audience response I think – yes! Guys! I know that I may not Influence you to do something about It, but I may as well try, because this is serious. After I told you all these consequences, it must do outside the restaurant is looking so tasty and the candy in the candy stores can be so tempting, and its okay to eat it once in a while, but it can't be an everyday food or an everyday habit.That's Just too unhealthy for your body and health. I know that it tastes so good when you're eating it, but how do you feel about yourself when you finished the meal? Do you feel good or do you feel insecure about your body? Wait for audience response I can tell you, that I sure don't feel especially good after an unhealthy meal like that. So you got to ask yourself – Is this worth it? Do I want to be healthy? Do I want to be fit? Do I want to look good?I'm not saying that it's wrong to have curves, it isn't at all. But it's wrong, when it's dangerous for your own life. You are the young generation. You can still do something about this and with one step at a time it will help. Even if it's baby steps, you still got to try. I know that after an exhausting day at school it is very tempting to lie down in the bed and watch television, go on your ‘phone and hat with your friends on backbone, go on Mainstream and post a picture, whatever you like to do.

Candide Essay On Religion Example For Students

Candide Essay On Religion Voltaire’s Candide is a novel which contains conceptual ideas and at the same time is also exaggerated. Voltaire offers sad themes disguised by jokes and witticism, and the story itself presents a distinctive outlook on life. The crucial contrast in the story deals with irrational ideas as taught to Candide about being optimistic, versus reality as viewed by the rest of the world. The main theme which is presented throughout the novel is optimism. Out of every unfortunate situation in the story, Candide, the main character, has been advised by his philosopher-teacher that everything in the world happens for the better, because â€Å"Private misfortunes contribute to the general good, so that the more private misfortunes there are, the more we find that all is well† (Voltaire, p. 31). Pangloss, the philosopher, tries to defend his theories by determining the positive from the negative situations and by showing that misfortunes bring some privileges. As Candide grows up, whenever something unfortunate happens, Pangloss would turn the situation around, bringing out the good in it. Candide learns that optimism is â€Å"The passion for maintaining that all is right when all goes wrong † (Voltaire, p.86). According to Rene Pomeau, â€Å"Voltaire-Candide†¦have made him Candide acquainted with the bad and the good side of human existence. The moral of Candide is born out of its style; it is the art of extracting happiness from the desolate hopping-about of the human insect† (Adams; Pomeau p.137). Pomeau explains that Candide shows both sides of humanity; how both great and terrible events are standard in a human life. Also according to Pomeau, the whole point of the story is to debate between good and bad; for example, as Candide becomes more independent, he starts to doubt that only good comes out of life. Pangloss is a very hopeful character in the story because he refuses to accept bad. He is also somewhat naive and believes that he could make the world a better place by spreading his theories on optimism. When Candide had met up with Pangloss after a long period of time, Pangloss said that he was almost hanged, then dissected, then beaten. Candide asked the philosopher if he still thought that everything was for the better, and Pangloss replied that he still held his original views. No matter how little Pangloss believed in the fact that somehow everything would turn out well, he still maintained his original views. Voltaire exaggerates his point on optimism; there is nobody in reality who is positive about everything all the time, especially about something so horrible. One could conclude that Pangloss is an irrational and inane figure, and Voltaire tries to expose how incomprehensible his beliefs are which do not measure up to reality. According to Linguet, â€Å"Candide offers us the saddest of themes disguised under the merriest of jokes† (Adams; Wade p. 144). It seems as if Candide was written as a comedy; not because of humor, but because every time something bad occurs, a quick turn of events happens which bring everything back to normal. One moment Candide murders the brother of the woman he loves, the next moment he travels to a land where he sees women mating with monkeys. In instances like these, it doesn’t seem like Voltaire is serious about tragic events. During the course of Candide’s journey, an earthquake strikes, murdering thirty thousand men, women, and children. In reality, this is a horrible predicament to be involved with. In Pangloss’ world, † It is impossible for things not to be where they are, because everything is for the best† (Voltaire, p. 35), meaning that the earthquake was necessary in the course of nature, and so there was definitely a rationale for the situation. To show contrast in the story, Voltaire introduces a character whose beliefs are completely opposite than the beliefs of Pangloss. This character is Martin, a friend and advisor of Candide who he meets on his journey. Martin is also a scholar, and a spokesman for pessimism. Martin continuously tries to prove to Candide that there is little virtue, morality, and happiness in the world. When a cheerful couple are seen walking and singing, Candide tells Martin â€Å"At least you must admit that these people are happy. Until now, I h ave not found in the whole inhabited earth†¦anything but miserable people. But this girl and this monk, I’d be willing to bet, are very happy creatures† (Voltaire, p. 58). â€Å"I’ll bet they aren’t† (Voltaire p. 58), replies Martin, and he bets Candide that the couple are, in fact, depressed, and are disguising their unhappiness. Upon talking to the couple, Martin, ironically, proved correct, strengthening his pessimistic views. Martin claims to be a pessimist because he â€Å"knows what life is † (Voltaire, p. 117) which is why Martin concludes that man was born to suffer. READ: Hamlet Essay Appearance Vs RealityCandide becomes affected by optimism in different ways throughout his life. The name Candide comes from the Latin word candidus, which means white, and symbolizes innocence. Perhaps Candide very readily believed in optimism at first because of his innocence. Candide grew up as a naive and vulnerable child in his own Eden and was only exposed to the brighter side of life and the idea that everything in the world happens for the better. He did not know what to expect in the real world and why things happened. As Candide progressed in life, though, his eyes opened and he became exposed to bad without goodness coming out of it, like when the people he cared for were harmed. Candide became more independent and learned to form his own opinions. He would look at the world and say exactly what he saw, and in every situation where Pangloss is absent, Candide would refer to Pangloss’ spirit: â€Å"What would Pangloss think?† Over time Cand ide realized that â€Å"Pangloss cruelly deceived him when he told him that all is for the best in this world † (Voltaire p.43). For a long time throughout Candide’s life, he believed strongly in optimism, not because he was forced to, but because he was raised in that manner. It is possible, however, that all along, deep down inside, Candide doubted the philosophies of his teacher because of his exposure to immorality in the real world. For example, Candide witnessed the public hanging of two Portuguese Jews simply because they refused to eat bacon for dinner. It was occurrences like these which demonstrated the inhumanity that one person can do to another, leading Candide to disbelieve Pangloss’ philosophies. Voltaire himself does not necessarily agree with the views of the philosopher Pangloss, that optimism is always the best way of looking at life. Many people in the story who were presumed to be dead were found to be alive and well. Cunegonde, the object of Candide’s affections, was thought dead by Candide but she had really been raped and sold into slavery. Pangloss was also presumed dead but he reappeared in Candide’s life. Although it is good that these people did not die, this is not an example of good coming from bad, since bad (their deaths) never even happened in the first place. This does not at all prove Pangloss’ ideas. It is debatable whether Candide is a novel whose purpose is to teach a moral and be analyzed, or if it was written for entertainment purposes only. According to I.O. Wade, in the Journal Encyclopedique, the story was written for entertainment purposes and the author should have dealt more with important matters such as religion instead of focusing on story line. Most of the story is about the journeys of Candide, and Voltaire did not include significant morals upon writing the novel. In Grimm’s review, it is also thought that Candide was not meant to be a high quality piece of work, but rather as something enjoyable. It is written in bad taste, yet filled with gaiety, and the amusing parts make it entertaining. According to Georges Ascoli, â€Å"Nothing could be more lively, more witty, or more instructive than this story†¦Too often Voltaire, delighted with his own artistic flair†¦gives us amusing stories†¦Let us take them for what they are, not giving too much historical credit†¦but tasting freely of the delights of well told stories† (Adams; Ascoli p.129). Ascoli takes Candide to be a witty and lively story despite the misfortune in the characters’ lives. He, too, thinks the story was written for entertainment in which Voltaire did a good job. The readers should accept the story for its zest, and not try to find a deep hidden meaning. READ: Maya Angelou Short Bio (Team Harmony Requirement) EssayCandide’s learnings and the events that happened to him affected his character in many ways. He had learned to become his own person, to accept life for what it had to offer, and that not everything had to be analyzed to decide whether it was good or bad. In this way Candide can be an example for all those who read his story.

Change Stages and Strategies in Popular Culture Essay

Change Stages and Strategies in Popular Culture - Essay Example In the case of the jilted lover, he/she must give up his/her identity as one half of a romantic relationship, and must resume his/her identity as an individual. Sheryl Crow's song "My Favorite Mistake" presents the case of a woman who knows that her relationship with her lover is at an ending point. She tells her lover, "I woke up and called this morning. The tone of your voice was a warning that you don't care for me anymore" (Crow). She goes on to say how all of this man's friends know about his "secret lover," and they pity her for holding on the way she is (Crow). She even admits that she knows she is wrong for staying in a relationship with a man who doesn't love her. She calls him her "favorite mistake," but she concludes that she will continue to stay with him because "maybe nothin' lasts forever, even when you stay together. I don't need forever after. It's your laughter won't let me go, so I'm holding on this way" (Crow). The woman in this song is stubbornly holding on to a relationship that she knows is bad for her, and possibly even bad for her lover; however, she is not willing to accept the end of their relationship. She knows that she should let go, and she should go on with her life and let her lover go on with his so that he won't have to try to pretend he adores her, but she is hesitant to make that first step.