The Five Factor Model Of A Personality Test - 1621 Words

Five Factor Model Individuals are often confronted with situations in which they only have very little information about the persons they have to interact with; to handle such situations, have been shown to spontaneously form first impressions in an extremely fast manner (Walker Vetter, 2016, p. 609). Personality allows an individual to obtain a specific amount of information about the person as a whole. Within this paper, one will discuss each trait originated under the five factor model, extraversion, neuroticism, openness, agreeableness, and conscientiousness. One will also discuss the traits that are possessed when scores from a personality test are revealed.†¦show more content†¦As a result, this would be viewed as absurd, or downright unethical activity within the corporation. It is evident, why an individual s personality test scores would be within the high ranking within the category, due to the liberal stands he/she exercise. Conscientiousness This personality fa ctor introduces society s children into a world of achievement and comprehension of what is needed to reach all set goals. As parents, ones objective is to embed in ones offspring the importance of achievement and success, in order to maintain self-independence. In order to fulfill this mission, one must portray and exercise a sense of diligence and leadership internally in order to carry out the steps of success. Conscientiousness, in one s personal opinion, sets the foundation for society to create and build a pathway for academic achievement within the community of youth. Children who score high on the personality test, reveal the eagerness and acceptance of ambition and preserving the mind for productiveness. While, others, who have yet to grasp the theory, remain on the lower end of the results, while continuing to live his/her life without organization, laziness, resulting in quitting task before without given fourth an extreme effort. One of the centralShow MoreRelatedFive Factor Model Of Personality Test Essay784 Words   |  4 PagesFive Factor Model of Personality Test Everyone we meet in life will have a different personality. Understanding personality traits can be useful for counselors. Counselors can use personality assessments to learn what influences a person’s development. I took Buchanan’s personality test to discover my personality style. Buchanan’s quiz uses the Five Factor Model of Personality Test (FFPT). Buchanan’s questionnaire covered topics of extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism, andRead MoreFive Factors Model And The Jungian Model Essay1227 Words   |  5 Pagesdiscuss two personality tests, the Five Factor Model and the Jungian Model. It will also discuss the results I got from the Five Factor Model and the Jungian Model personality tests. I will then do an analysis of my results and a write a summary of two articles. Questionnaire 1: Five Factor Model The Five Factor Model is a questionnaire based upon five broad personality traits. The Five Factor Model is set up in two sections of sixty phrases describing people’s behavior. A person taking the test uses theRead MoreThe Big Five Personality Constructs1654 Words   |  7 PagesPersonality theories, or models, are metaphors for describing something which is intrinsically indescribable, the human personality. Currently, one of the most popular approaches among psychologists for studying personality theory is the Five-Factor Model (FFM) or Big Five dimensions of personality. This essay will explore the Big Five personality constructs and seek to explain how useful they are to understanding how people are likely to perform in a work situation. In conclusion, this essayRead MoreHow Personality And Individual Differences Affect Career Choice And Success1331 Words   |  6 PagesThis essay will discuss how personality and individual differences can influence and affect career choice and success. Personality is defined as a group of emotional, cognitive, and behaviour characteristics that make an individual unique (Matsumoto, 2009). Individual Differences psychology examines how individuals vary in their behaviour and personality and the processes that cause this to occur (Eysenck, 1987). While there are many different theories and ideas as to what job satisfaction actuallyRead MoreThe Literacy And Understanding Of The Inuit Children1492 Words   |  6 PagesThe hypotheses will be to test whether different personalities can be or cannot be observed in a group of pre-teens from the Inuit children from northern Canada who will be fluent in the Inuktitut language. The questionnaire will be prepared based on the level of literacy and understanding of the Inuit children. The SPSS software will be used to assess the Big Five (Five Factor Model) Personality Factors (Costa McCrae, 1995). The questionnaires will be translated in the Inuit language and willRead MoreThe Big Five Personality Traits Essay1617 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction: The â€Å"Big Five personality traits† is also called as the FFM or five factor model which is a model formed on general language descriptors of personality. These descriptors are formed jointly utilizing a statistical method known as factor analysis which is stated as this model is not formed on the tests/experiments†. This broadly observed hypothesis recommended 5 wide dimensions, utilized by few psychologists to explain the psyche the personality of the human. These 5 elements are explainedRead MoreDifferential Psychology : Cognitive Ability1723 Words   |  7 PagesThese domains include differences in behavior, personality, cognition, orientation and affect. Differential psychology focuses on these domains, by studying differences in our actions, emotions, intelligences, needs and activities. (Revelle, Wilt, Condon, 2011). This paper will review four domains of individual differences: cognitive ability, personality, orientation (values and interests) and affecti ve disposition. It will also focus on personality, explaining major ideas, themes and theoristsRead MorePersonality Structure Of Self Control869 Words   |  4 Pagesthe Five-Factor Model? Examining Personality Structure in Children and Adults Aleiahua Jones Arizona State University  Where does self-control fit into the five-factor model? Examining personality structure in children and adults This article talks about a study of self control in children and parents, how it carries through to adulthood, and how it links to the five factor model. The authors, Aslan and Cheung-Blunden, start with a basics of what is self-control and the five factor model and theRead MoreThe Big Five Assessment Report Will Not Be Used1097 Words   |  5 Pagesthe big five assessment report will not be used. According to (Webster, 2015), personality is defined as â€Å"the quality or state of a being person.† There are thousands of different traits that can make up a persons personality. One-way to measure a beings trait is to use the five-factor model, also known as the big five traits. (Larson Buss, 2014) defined the five-factor model as: A trait taxonomy that has its roots in the lexical hypothesis. The first psychologist to use the terms â€Å"five-factorRead MorePredicting Job Performance1203 Words   |  5 PagesPredicting job performance – personality tests Another often debated, yet empirically well evaluated test-based method of predicting job performance is that of personality tests. The method is based on the theory of personality, which states that there are relatively consistent patterns in human cognitions, emotions and behavior. Many models for how to define, categorize, explain and measure personality has been presented over the last century, and the Five Factor Model, FFM (also known as the Big-5)

Analysis Of The Article The Bird Catcher By Malcolm X

Going into prison, Malcolm X had no ability to read and write. He grew up on the streets as a hustler before getting arrested for larceny and breaking and entering. While in prison, X taught himself to read and write by copying the dictionary front to back. X then went on to be a political rights leader who fought a corrupt government with black power. X sees the theft in the government system and how it is unfair to most minority communities. Seeing this theft in the system gives him the idea to do the same against the government. He uses the knowledge that belongs to the government and uses them to fuel his own causes. To start his battle on government corruption, he writes his Autobiography and the essay â€Å"Learning to Read† is a section of it. This essay describes how he turns the white man’s oppression into life’s biggest opportunity to him. In this paper, I am arguing that X is stealing information from the white man and using it to help his communities. â€Å"The Bird Catcher† depicts a woman trapped inside someone else’s cage. The woman is clearly in a place where she does not belong, while the birds are toying with her as she is placed in this foreign place. Clearly the cage is meant for the birds, but the woman in this cage is trying to fight her oppressors even while they may think she is in a place where she cannot fight back. The woman is trying to trap the birds in her own net even though she herself is trapped. The birds clearly see her as a threat as they circle andShow MoreRelatedMarketing Management130471 Words   |  522 Pagesafter Neil H. Borden published his 1964 article, The Concept of the Marketing Mix. Borden began using the term in his teaching in the late 1940 s after James Culliton had described the marketing manager as a mixer of ingredients. The ingredients in Borden s marketing mix included product planning, pricing, branding, distribution channels, personal selling, advertising, promotions, pa ckaging, display, servicing, physical handling, and fact finding and analysis. E. Jerome McCarthy later grouped these

Drawing Blood Free Essays

Drawing blood is not as challenging as you may think. When I started my job at the hospital, I had no previous experience in drawing blood. They put me through a training that lasted about five days, eight hours per day. We will write a custom essay sample on Drawing Blood or any similar topic only for you Order Now There are many simple steps to drawing someones blood. The three biggest steps are waiting for a requisition to print off, preparing all of your equipment, and finally draw the blood. Step one is to get the requisition and take it into the patients room, you use this to verify the patient. You first identify yourself and indicate the procedure that is about to take place. Check the date and order time on the requisition form. Verify their name, date of birth, and sex. You have to verify the patients allergies to make sure they are not allergic to latex or any of the antiseptics or adhesives that are to be used. If patient is unresponsive you are not allowed to draw the blood unless they have a patient sticker on their armband. You have to verify who the person is. You then check the requisition form for what tests are being requested so you will know what and how many of each tubes to draw blood into. Step two is to prepare your equipment that will be used in this process. The number one item would be gloves, you use these to not only protect yourself but also the patient. You will need to have a tourniquet, 70% isopropyl alcohol wipes, gauze sponge, to apply to site after needle is withdrawn, an adapter to use with the evacuated collection system, needles, adhesive bandage, to protect site after collection, and tubes to place the blood into. After getting all of this together properly you move on to the final step. Step three, this is the final process, the actual blood draw. First tie the tourniquet about 3 inches above the site you are wanting to withdraw blood from. Have the patient make a fist but do not have them pump their first. Then palpate and trace the path of the vein with the index finger. The vein should feel cord-like and it should roll easily. When you find the vein you are wanting to draw blood from you then prepare the site. Using an alcohol pad, clean the site in circular motion. Let the site air dry. Next, grasp the patients arm firmly. Place needle in a fifteen to thirty degree angle with the arm. Swiftly insert needle through the skin into the vein. Then fill the required tubes. In the meantime of you filling the last tube you will remove the tourniquet from the arm. You then swiftly remove the needle from the arm and safely lock the needle. Immediately following, apply the gauze to the site with addequette pressure to avoid a hematoma. After applying pressure for approximately fifteen seconds you bandage the site. Then dispose of the needle in a sharps container and throw contaminated materials in their proper containers. Mix blood in a shaking motion. Then label all tubes of blood in the patients room. Finally you are ready to deliver it to the lab. How to cite Drawing Blood, Papers

Margaret Atwood Essay Example For Students

Margaret Atwood Essay Context is all (Margaret Atwood). Does this mean that there is no such thing as truth? What is truth and what is true? Is there such a thing as a truth or just what we perceive to be true at any given time? There are some circumstances where truth is certain. I am sitting in my study and I am writing my essay. This statement is true and hardly refutable unless we try and argue that all we see and feel is what our senses perceive. What the question is asking is whether there is such a thing as universal truth, a statement which cannot be refuted regardless of the situation, and which holds true across time and place. The definition of truth is that something is true always, everywhere and is independent of belief. There are three tests for truth, the first of which is proof by inductive logic, the second by actually testing a truth and the third being pragmatic. In George Orwell’s dystopian novel ‘1984’ a character states 2+2=5. We know this not true and can say immediately that two and two make four because this is what is mathematically accepted when we add up the definitions of two and two. Therefore this is a-priori truth and a deductive syllogism. No matter what context we put this statement in, it will 15 always be true, be it in the addition of two items (such as a sock and a piece of gum) or in a mathematical formulae as shown above. In other words, this statement is always true. However this kind of truth is only relevant in certain mathematical contexts. In other contexts, there is no such thing as absolute truth. 10 1 ________________ GodeFs1 Incompleteness theory shows us that even in a mathematical context, absolute 20 truth is not possible. He claims that in any rational formulaic sentence there is point of improvability. ‘This statement is improvable’2 if one was to prove this statement then it would reiterate its meaning whereas not proving it simply proves that it is improvable. What we can deduce from Godel’s findings is that even in a mathematical context, a formula of rational a-priori numbers can be formulated in such a way that they are 25 untrue. Perception is important when deciding a truth, particularly in the arts, including literature, poetry, music and visual arts. Perceptions have changed over time, and what was once thought beautiful may no longer be considered so. Similarly, some kinds of truth can be contextual depending on time, point of view and place. For example, 30 Indonesia is famous for its Gamalan musicians. The instruments are tuned to different scales from western instruments which makes the sounds unappealing to western ears who are accustomed to western scales. The same would be true for Indonesian musicians listening to western music. A historian prides himself on the ability to state the truth about certain historical events 35 or situations by giving an unbiased account of an event. However, lack of bias is nearly impossible, as a historian will always be affected by his environment and social surroundings. There are certain historical events about which we are certain because we have proof. For example, we know that the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were hit by nuclear bombs during World War H, and no matter what context we look at, 40 this is true. However, there are other situations that we cannot be so sure about. A prime example is the Armenian genocide. In May 1915 the Ottoman empire (now Turkey) is 1 Kurt Godel, Austrian mathematician. 2 This is a method of demonstrating Godel’s theorems in word form. 2 ________________ believed to have carried out genocide upon the people of bordering Armenia. .ubd666a2a60fc8cbb834593d7930f5000 , .ubd666a2a60fc8cbb834593d7930f5000 .postImageUrl , .ubd666a2a60fc8cbb834593d7930f5000 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ubd666a2a60fc8cbb834593d7930f5000 , .ubd666a2a60fc8cbb834593d7930f5000:hover , .ubd666a2a60fc8cbb834593d7930f5000:visited , .ubd666a2a60fc8cbb834593d7930f5000:active { border:0!important; } .ubd666a2a60fc8cbb834593d7930f5000 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ubd666a2a60fc8cbb834593d7930f5000 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ubd666a2a60fc8cbb834593d7930f5000:active , .ubd666a2a60fc8cbb834593d7930f5000:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ubd666a2a60fc8cbb834593d7930f5000 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ubd666a2a60fc8cbb834593d7930f5000 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ubd666a2a60fc8cbb834593d7930f5000 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ubd666a2a60fc8cbb834593d7930f5000 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ubd666a2a60fc8cbb834593d7930f5000:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ubd666a2a60fc8cbb834593d7930f5000 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ubd666a2a60fc8cbb834593d7930f5000 .ubd666a2a60fc8cbb834593d7930f5000-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ubd666a2a60fc8cbb834593d7930f5000:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Poetic Analysis of Song Lyrics EssayThe official position of the Turkish government until this day is complete denial that a massacre occurred. However, in Armenia historians tell us that thousands of innocent 45 Armenians were slaughtered by Ottoman soldiers. This demonstrates how the context changes our understanding of the truth of historical events. ‘Thou shalt not kill’ is a tenet that a religion with billions of followers states in its first teachings and is generally accepted not just as a piece of guidance on how to behave but as a moral absolute, and as a statement of true fact.

A Farewell To Arms Analysis Essays (892 words) -

A Farewell to Arms Analysis John Stubbs' "Love and Role Playing in A Farewell to Arms" John Stubbs' essay is an examination of the defense which he believes Henry and Catherine use to protect themselves from the discovery of their insignificance and "powerlessness...in a world indifferent to their well being..." He asserts that "role-playing" by the two main characters, and several others in the book, is a way to escape the realization of human mortality which is unveiled by war. Stubbs thinks that Hemingway utilized role-playing as a way to "explore the strengths and weaknesses of his two characters." Stubbs says that by placing Henry's ordered life in opposition to Catherine's topsy-turvy one, and then letting each one assume a role which will bring them closer together, Hemingway shows the pair's inability to accept "the hard, gratuitous quality of life." Stubbs begins by showing other examples, notably in In Our Time and The Sun Also Rises, in which Hemingway's characters revert to role-playing in order to escape or retreat from their lives. The ability to create characters who play roles, he says, either to "maintain self-esteem" or to escape, is one Hemingway exploits extraordinarily well in A Farewell to Arms and therefore it "is his richest and most successful handling of human beings trying to come to terms with their vulnerability." As far as Stubbs is concerned, Hemingway is quite blatant in letting us know that role-playing is what is occurring. He tells that the role-playing begins during Henry and Catherine's third encounter, when Catherine directly dictates what is spoken by Henry. After this meeting the two become increasingly comfortable with their roles and easily adopt them whenever the other is nearby. This is apparent also in that they can only successfully play their roles when they are in private and any disturbance causes the "game" to be disrupted. The intrusion of the outside world in any form makes their role-playing impossible, as evidenced at the race track in Milan, where they must be alone. The people surrounding them make Catherine feel uncomfortable and Henry has to take her away from the crowd. He goes on to describe how it is impossible for them to play the roles when they are apart and how they therefore become more dependent upon each other's company. Stubbs goes on to explain how, "neither mistakes role-playing for a truly intimate relationship, but both recognize that it can be a useful device for satisfying certain emotional needs." He says that originally Henry and Catherine are playing the "game" for different reasons but eventually move to play it as a team. Henry is role-playing to regain the sense of order he has lost when he realizes the futility of the war and his lack of place in it. Catherine is role-playing to deal with the loss of her fiance and to try to find order in the arena of the war. When they are able to role-play together, "the promise of mutual support" is what becomes so important to them as they try to cope with their individual human vulnerability. He also analyzes the idyllic world introduced early in the story by the priest at the mess and later realized by Henry and Catherine in Switzerland. They fall fully into their roles when they row across the lake on their way to their idealized world. The fact that they actually are able to enter this make-believe world strengthens their "game" and allows it to continue longer than it would have otherwise. And once they are in this new world they adopt new roles which allow them to continue their ruse. They also need to work harder to maintain the "game" because far from the front they are both still aware the war is proceeding and they are no longer a part of it. The world in which they exist in reality (!) is not conducive to role-playing because it tries repeatedly to end their "game". Stubbs manages to uncover numerous instances in which the two are role-playing and he makes a very interesting case that this is exactly what they are doing and not just his imagination reading into the story. He does make certain assumptions, that their love is not "real", that the characters are searching for order, which are

Hiral Patel Essays (501 words) - Conformity, Consensus Reality, Norm

Hiral Patel Essays (501 words) - Conformity, Consensus Reality, Norm Hiral Patel October 13, 2014 ANT 104 ONLN Professor Lynn O'Brien Tiwi Covering Up Should an anthropologist let personal beliefs get in the way of studying a culture? The answer should be no. Almost all anthropologists come across a time where they have to ponder over going along with the culture norms or by putting forth their beliefs on how things should be. The Tiwi society of Northern Australia believes in "covering up" their mothers when the mothers become decrepit and the sons are unable to take care of their mothers. So should anthropologist Charles Hart be judged because he agreed to "cover up" his adoptive mother according to the culture and norms of the Tiwi society? Mothers are considered to be burdens in the Tiwi society. At least that is the case when they become old and crippled, unable to fend for themselves. Charles Hart was an anthropologist adopted by the Jabijabui clan. His adoptive mother became a "toothless, almost blind, withered" (Hart 1) woman and the senior members of the Jabijabui clan decided amongst themselves that the time had come to "cover up" the woman. In a way, she became useless for the clan. What is shocking to the readers of this incident is that Charles Hart, despite being adopted, agreed with his clan to end the life of his mother. Despite being adopted into the clan and only staying with the clan for the purpose to study the culture, Hart chose to abide his brothers' decisions to "cover up" their mother. Although Hart was a human, he was also a man on duty: an anthropologist. The main job of an anthropologist is to blend in with the culture and the society that they are studying. It is their job to win the trust of t he society members. This is exactly what Hart did. He never let his personal concerns and beliefs get out of hand. Although he may have felt at one point that his brothers of the Jabijabui clan were making a mistake by burying their own mother he had to "go along with the culture." This would not be considered unethical taking into consideration that Hart was an anthropologist and he was attempting to fit in with the society. Hart did what he felt was right back then keeping his occupation in mind. If Hart had refused to bury his adoptive mother, then his refusal would be considered unethical because although anthropologists try not to forget their identities when living with another culture, one mistake can cause them to pay a big price. They can lose their opportunity to study that culture and may be forced to leave or they may even unwillingly lose their lives. The whole point of being an anthropologist is to blend in with and study another culture and its people. That is why it is important for anthropologists to put aside personal preferences and beliefs and to abide cultural norms. Keeping this in mind, Charles Hart's decision on burying his adoptive mother is completely justifiable.

Problem Based Learning in Medical Education Essay

Problem Based Learning in Medical Education - Essay Example The problem based learning technique is based on adult learning theory, according to which the human absorbing capabilities can be enhanced by juggling their minds and concepts, which can be achieve by giving them a chance to handle and discuss problems. Furthermore, the students are encouraged to mark their own learning goals, the scope of goals get broaden with experience problematic situations, the decision making capabilities can be improved by implementation of program based learning, the decision making activities further enhance their learning, and their critical and analytical approach towards the problem. Although Problem Based Learning is innovative and effectual exercise, 'however PBL does not offer a universal panacea for teaching and learning in medicine, and it has several well recognized disadvantages' (Diana F Wood., ABC of learning and teaching in medicine: Problem based learning). It has been observed that those students who have learned through problem based activi ties have better knowledge retention.

Cultural Issues in Public Schools Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Cultural Issues in Public Schools - Essay Example It tries to define what human beings are, by either through historically, socially, and biologically. Culture has been defined with a wide range of behavior patterns and knowledge learned and acquired by a society of people. One of the institutions that promote culture is public schools, where cultural sensitivity in public schools is attributed by mainly race, age and color. Some of the cultural conflict experienced in public schools include-role of women in family decisions as well as practices and symbol systems among cultural groups. Cultural anthropology helps us gain more understanding cultures, especially the complex setups of cultures. The discipline also assists in learning how we can help every stakeholder in a given cultural setup appreciate cultural diversities and run with the right values only as he/she discards values which cannot build such a person. Public schools are institutions where core values of a culture are acquired. Such institutions can determine one’s culture through supervision of the teachers, where teachers have the responsibilities of making instructions that is cultural responsive to all students without favoring one group over the other. Mainly, people from minor culture suffers from enculturalization, where situations force him or her ascribe to the major culture (s). Such instances are evidenced as one learns another group’s tongue and can communicate in it as though his/her native language. Often than not, a culture with a strong and influential power always determines the latest life style within the public school, and thus, such a culture is esteemed the benchmark. Usually, valuable cultures of minor cultures are rarely appreciated since they are rarely exposed to a point of gaining popularity. On the other hand, major cultures may override other cultures’ values, thereafter introducing bad cultures into minor cultures. This is mainly evidenced in the way teachers wear; lower class teachers; on the basis of

Introduction to Microeconomics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Introduction to Microeconomics - Essay Example Table 3 shows the trend in oil supply. Generally, oil supply shows an increasing trend just like price and demand, albeit at a slower pace. Supply grew by only 13.38 during the period. It should also be noted that dips in oil prices are matched by corresponding shrinks in the total supply. Oil supply also dropped during 1998, 2001, and 2002. The law of demand states that "All else equal, as price falls, the quantity of demanded rises, as price rises, the quantity demanded falls" (McConnel and Brue 2002, pp. 41). This declares that there is an inverse or negative relationship between price and demand. Tables 1 and 2 above shows the generally increasing trend in oil prices as well as oil demand which clearly violate the law of demand. In a situation where the oil price is rising, we must expect that the quantity demanded to fall as it discourages the purchases of higher priced commodities. However, the mounting demand notwithstanding the rise in prices can be explained by the factors which are exogenous or are outside the price-demand model. During the past years, there has been a boom in the automobile industry due to the increased purchases of cars and other transportation systems. The airline industry is also showing slight recovery with the proliferation of low cost carriers and the strong activity in the tourism sector. This trends and developments in the global market become the key drivers of oil demand. As the nation and the world as a whole, are becoming more and more industrialized, we also became more dependent on oil to fuel our technologically more advanced equipments. Nowadays, the importance of the oil industry can never be overstated. International demand for oil has also been increasing in order to support the growing economies of the prospective giants like China (Some factors 2005). Insufficiency in this resource will surely facilitate the spillover of negative externalities in the entire economy. Oil has become a necessity. Higher prices have not strongly hindered customers from purchasing their much needed fuel to facilitate the efficiency of their everyday activities. On the other hand, the law of supply can be stated as follows: "As price rises, the quantity supplied rises, as price falls, the quantity supplied also falls" (McConnel and Brue 2002, pp.47). This gives price and quantity supplied a positive or direct relationship. Tables 1 and 3 shows that both oil price and quantity supplied is generally in a upward trend with corresponding dips in 1998, 2001, and 2002. This shows a close positive relationship between the two variables as well as the responsiveness of quantity supplied to oil prices. The empirical evidence shows that the oil industry follows the law of supply. The oil industry has been adjusting to the higher global demand by increasing its production. Oil companies have been very keen in taking the opportunity of producing higher oil quantity in order to accommodate the expected mount in global demand. Although economies of scale must have

Analysis Of The Musical Grease Film Studies Essay

Analysis Of The Musical Grease Film Studies Essay In this musical written by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey, it is 1959 and Rydell high is crowded with defiant, fun-loving students. In the middle of this landscape, Sandy Dumbrowski arrives as the new girl in school. It turns out that over the summer she and Danny Zuko, leader of the Burger Palace Boys gang, have had a brief love affair. While Sandy tells her new classmates about the emotional involvement she had with Danny, he makes of tales about the sexual side of their relationship. As the show progresses the kids at Rydell High have to deal with issues surprising to people who have a romanticized view of the 1950s; love, gang violence, teen pregnancy, and friendship. In the end, Sandy and Danny work out their differences with each other and their friends and end up together and happy. I saw this production at the JSU/McClellan Theatre in Anniston, Alabama. The stage in this theatre is of the proscenium type. I think that overall, this is the perfect type of stage for this play but the arrangement of the theatre was a little lacking for this production mainly because of the seating challenges. There were three sections of seating. The middle section was fairly large and centered with the stage. There were two sections on either side that hugged the wall. The section on the far right was behind the orchestra. The orchestra pit was not really a pit and was actually on level with the seating. Therefore, those people in the rows behind the orchestra had a very difficult time seeing over the musicians and instruments; especially the harp that was used in this production. I know this because I was one of those unlucky enough to be sitting behind the aforementioned musicians. I spent the play with my head tilted at an odd angle trying to see around them. What I did have a good view of was the wing, stage left and unfortunately I could see the actors getting ready to make entrances and exits which ruined a little of the ambience. Had I been sitting in the center section and further back I believe it would have been much more enjoyable. This play had elements of the realistic and the non-realistic. It dealt with very real themes such as teen pregnancy, bullying, peer pressure, drinking, and gang violence. The non-realistic bits were obviously the musical numbers. In real life, we do not just burst into song because we broke up with a boyfriend or girlfriend or had a teenage romance. The sets of this play were not what I would call realistic. They attempted realism but it seemed as if the budget of the play and the way it had to be staged left them with no choice but leave it slightly abstract. The sets were very basic and the car set used for the Greased Lightning and Alone at a Drive-In Movie numbers was very cartoonish. The costumes in this play attempted realism but fell short. In the dance scenes, the dresses looked like leftovers from a 1980s prom sale that had been re-cut in an attempt to make them look like they were from the fifties. The clothing in the earlier scenes was a little bit better and closer to th e true fifties flavor. The use of props was done well. The actors used actual props for the most part, there was very little miming of actions. This play was a musical with elements of comedy. The comedy was mostly verbal with subtle inflections of tone. There were a few physical comedic elements mostly used by the characters of Eugene Florczyk and Cha-Cha DiGregorio, who did an excellent job making the audience laugh. The character of Jan played by Michelle Bain combined a few elements of physical with verbal comedy. Betty Rizzo, played by Judy Shealy was amazingly funny with her dry quips and very sarcastic delivery of Rizzos best lines. This play was structured episodically. This play was very entertaining. There were a few elements of it that could be taken as social messages such as the drinking and rebelliousness that resulted in a pregnancy scare for one of the characters. The playwright and director seemed to work in beautiful harmony for this production. You could see that there was a lot of effort put into the acting and the direction. The letter from the artistic director that was printed in the front of the program gave a small amount of background. For someone who was not familiar with the work it would have helped them to perhaps understand a little bit more of the motivation behind the play. There were several stand out performers in this play and also a few disappointments. Hands down Judy Shealys portrayal of Betty Rizzo was the show stealer. She gave the character real life. From the wisecracking to the sad and scared she made you care about what happened to her. Her performance of There Are Worse Things I Could Do was one of the standouts of the play. As I mentioned earlier the characters of Eugene and Cha-Cha played by Daniel King Jr. and Georgia Cook were wonderful. Both of these characters were very funny and entertaining. Jacob Cummings Teen Angel was excellent. The Teen Angel scene is one that I rank among my least favorites and it usually bores me, but I found myself loving this portrayal. Cummings sang excellently and lent a degree of humor to the role that was refreshing. Michelle Bain as Jan was another standout. She is a very good comic actress and her affected accent was very funny. I was not however thrilled with Heather Garlick or Joshua Cody Hunt who pl ayed the roles of Danny and Sandy. These are the two main characters and should carry the show. I found myself bored I am sad to say when they were on. Heathers performance as Sandy was wooden, one- dimensional and not at all believable. I found myself bored whenever she was on. Joshua Hunt as Danny was almost as bad although when he was interacting with the Burger Palace Boys he seemed to shine a little more. The scenery was low budget and it was obvious. It did detract a little from the overall performance. It was almost as if a high school had thrown the production together at the last minute as far as the scenery is concerned. The lighting was acceptable, but the band was excellent. They and the actors worked together well and there seemed to be no missed cues and everything flowed seamlessly. Overall, this was a very acceptable performance. The actors were as a whole very good, with the exceptions noted above. The band and actors worked flawlessly together and were very enjoyable. There was obviously a great deal of effort put into the choreography of the dance scene and it came off very well. It was a fun evening and certainly put a smile on my face. I came away nostalgic for a time I was not even alive to witness. Production Details Your name Cassie Patterson Name of production Grease Author Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey Producing organization or theatre where you attended Community Actors Studio Theatre Date of performance October 3, 2010 Style of performance (realistic, non-realistic, Combination combination) Structure of the play (climactic, episodic, ritualistic, Episodic Etc.) Form of the play (tragedy, drama, comedy, etc.) Musical Stage space (proscenium, arena, etc.) Proscenium Acting styles (realistic, melodramatic, exaggerated, Realistic, comedic etc.) Style of scenic designs (realistic, abstract, etc.) Abstract Style of costume designs (fantasy, abstract, etc.) Realistic Style of lighting designs (realistic, abstract, etc.) Realistic Production Personnel: Director Kimberly Dobbs Scenic Designer Eric Key Costume Designer Hayley Long, Lolly Payne, Sara Semmes Lighting Designer Terri Sherrill Stage Manager Pat Tiller, Chrissy Patterson, Cierra Parker, Tristan Waid, Janet Harbor, Tim Doyle, Alexandre de Lavalette

Essay --

Looking back throughout American history and research being done Chinese Americans throughout time has been discriminated greatly by our country and own government. Most Chinese immigrants started to arrive in our country in the late 19th century. Not many of them early on were able to get a good or steady job. The early immigrants mainly worked as laborers and in the mining industry. Even working in the lower class jobs they were discriminated by the white people they were working with. Making it hard enough to keep the low paying job they had already. In response to this the 1868 Burlingame Treaty was created for equality between the Chinese and white laborers (Rivero, Chen, Huynh, Peterson, Lasky, 2010). Even with the passing of this treaty it did not change much for Chinese immigrants. They still dealt with discrimination while at work causing a lot of them to lose or quit their jobs (Rivero, Chen, Huynh, Peterson, Lasky, 2010). What made it even harder at the time newspapers an d churches were rallying people together declaring this as a white’s only land; Because of these rallies and newspapers it made the previous treaty that was passed seem non existent (Rivero, Chen, Huynh, Peterson, Lasky, 2010). A little part of a bright point in American history for Chinese immigrants was during the time of the Civil War. There were not many that served in the war, but for some of the known few that did and survived through got some good out of it. There were Chinese that served for both the Union and Confederacy (Cohen, 1984). A lot of blacks were not accepted to serve in a white regiment and had to serve in their own little private one. Chinese Americans though did not deal with some of that discrimination; a lot of the white soldi... ...% of the United States population (Chen, 2002). Another thing to is, that even though the population in Chinese Americans is increasing a lot of the Chinese culture is being decreased. They are becoming more â€Å"Americanized† one would say (Chen, 2002). It is mainly going on in the youth of the Chinese Americans. They are adapting to our countries culture more today than ever (Chen, 2002). Our country as a whole has improved a lot in accepting the Chinese Americans in to our culture today. When looking through our countries history it is easy to see how much the Chinese were not welcomed in America and the Government did as much as possible to keep the population as small as possible in our country. Over time though our government began to realize about how this was not right and revoked a lot of treaties and passing new ones that were in favor of Chinese Americans.

Pupils Welfare And Academic Attainment Education Essay

Pastoral attention, or as it is known in an educational scene as Personal, Social, Health and Economic instruction or PSHE, has been under much argument and examination in the last decennary or so. The discourse environing this country of instruction is about how of import it is and if it has a topographic point within or alongside the National Curriculum. There are inquiries about the relevancy PSHE plays within schools and whether it is 2nd to the more academic based topics, and if it is in fact an country that needs to be included who is tasked with the occupation of presenting it? The chief publications I will be utilizing to discourse the inquiry are, Positions on Pastoral Care ; Pastoral Care and Personal Social Education: Entitlement and Provision ; Problems and Practice of Pastoral Care ; How to be a Successful Form Tutor ; The Pastoral and the Academic. Additionally to these I will be doing usage of articles, electronic stuff and an review study by Ofsted into PSHE. Pastoral attention and personal-social instruction can be found to arise before the Education Act was formed in 1944 and some grounds day of the months as far back as the last century. Although it was non until the 1970s, and shortly after critics, that publications about pastoral attention began to emerge in print, so it can safely be said that PSHE and pastoral attention has existed alongside instruction for a piece, ( Best et al, 1995 ) . A diffused construct from the general consensus for a sensible definition of PSHE is ; â€Å" Personal, societal, wellness and economic ( PSHE ) instruction is a planned programme of larning chances and experiences that help kids and immature people grow and develop as persons and as members of households and of societal and economic communities † .[ 1 ] ( PSHE Education, ND ) When it comes to pastoral attention a phrase which is going progressively used is ‘the concealed course of study ‘ , a phrase that defines a side consequence of larning which is non intentionally intended. The expostulation to this is that no portion of the course of study should be ‘hidden ‘ , for merely if it is openly defined can at that place be a plausible and incorporate structured programme of PSHE within schools, ( Marland & A ; Rogers, 2004, p.20 ) . An interesting point raised by Keith Blackburn that can associate to the ‘hidden course of study ‘ is that each member of the teaching staff, non merely the signifier coach, contributes in assorted ways to countries focused on the PSHE lessons, something I will turn to subsequently in this reappraisal ( Blackburn cited in Best et Al, 1980 p.58 ) . Overall, it is clear in some countries that there are values based on PSHE within schools and it is seen as an indispensable facet of ‘whole s chool ‘ ethos, furthering a safe and unafraid environment where kids are able to larn. So, from my initial readings it seems that the function of the signifier coach is to better the overall well-being of the student with the purpose of it holding a positive impact on the remainder of their instruction. With this general background in head we can get down to discourse how the place held by the pastoral carer/form coach is important to pupils ‘ public assistance and academic attainment. The signifier coach can hold many functions within a school, he/she are the first grownup students will run into in the forenoon and he/she have more contact clip with each student in comparing to their capable instructors. As a instructor he/she is at that place to supply support and counsel, every bit good as being a function theoretical account to whom their students can look up to. Dillon and Maguire acknowledge this in their book Becoming a Teacher, and so travel on to state â€Å" merely being there is an of import factor, supplying students with what might be the lone point of security in the instance of those with helter-skelter lives † , ( Dillon & A ; Maguire, 2011, p.371 ) . In turn toing the point made by Blackburn brought up earlier in this treatment, subjects teacher can lend to countries focused on by the chief pastoral carer. Then once more their chief aim is to learn their course of study topic, unlike the signifier coach, they would non follow with a structur ed programme that students will profit from within PSHE lessons. Furthermore, while it is the responsibility of the signifier coach to advance ‘personal development ‘ , Blackburn besides insists the signifier coach has to understand the manner each student sees himself in order to lend to his farther apprehension and penetration † , ( Blackburn, cited in Best et Al, 1980, p.58 ) . This support of a signifier coach can be a great aid during the adolescent phase of a student ‘s life as Watkins ( 1981 ) explains that one of the chief country of the signifier coach ‘s function will be to see is merely that ‘adolescence ‘ . A slippery clip for a student as they are trying to develop their ain individuality and where they fit within the larger community. Watkins puts it as â€Å" striplings are continuously involved in experimenting with their self-presentation and judging the reactions thereto † , ( Watkins, ND, cited in Hamblin, 1981, p.22 ) . During his calling Douglas Hamblin ( 1981 ) had become progressively cognizant of schools where the pastoral system was under-functioning and doing small direct part to the attainment of the ‘whole schools ‘ ethos. He seems to admit that instructors were non the 1s to fault, the job stemmed from uneffective pastoral attention caused by a hapless deficiency of structured programmes from which carers could present utile lessons, ( Hamblin, 1981, p.3 ) . Fortunately, varied lineations of learning standards in these PSHE lessons can be found in many publications, in add-on necessary qualities in being a successful signifier coach can be besides be found. One peculiar publication which discusses both would be How to be a successful Form Tutor, by Marland & A ; Rogers, ( 2004 ) in which they describe that â€Å" a signifier coach is a instructor whose topic is the student herself † , ( Marland & A ; Rogers, 2004, p.19 ) . The suggestion here is that each student ‘s ‘personal development ‘ , addressed by Blackburn before, is different and they should hold their ain single acquisition program to assist them come on. Marland and Rogers so travel on to compose about a theoretical account that focuses on seven countries of personal-social growing drawn upon by Richard Pring ; these include rational and moral virtuousnesss, character traits, societal competences, practical and theoretical cognition and personal values, ( Pring, 1984, cited in Marland & A ; Rogers, 2004 p.22-4 ) .These countries described here can help in the betterment of both the public assistance of students and their overall academic accomplishment ; or as Calvert expresses it, â€Å" issues of emotional intelligence were cardinal to larning and non merely concerned with go toing to the public assistance of the kid † , ( Calvert, 2009, p. 274 ) . In 1980 there was a ‘Great Debate ‘ of instruction looking into the constitution of a more purposeful course of study ; the topic of pastoral attention was mistily addressed but non much was done about the â€Å" luxuriant and frequently complicated systems † that were in topographic point, â€Å" in which academic personal businesss were separated from public assistance and counsel † , ( Best et al, 1980, p. ( xi ) ) . In the publication The Pastoral and the Academic, Powers ( 1996 ) writes that in its early phases pastoral attention had been used as a manner to depict any undertaking that would non suit into the academic side of instruction, ( Power, 1996, p.30 ) . As it was defined chiefly in negative footings, it lacked internal coherency and organizing rules, ( Power, 1996, p.30 ) . So at that place seems to be this great oversight between both pastoral and academic, but some authors feel there is a demand to unite the two in an interlacing relationship so they can feed off each other to better public presentation of students ‘ well-being and faculty members. Hamblin feels that â€Å" the relationship of pastoral attention to achievement can non be stressed excessively strongly ( Hamblin, 1981, p4 ) . There is a big sum of grounds that suggests PSHE has had a strong influence on students in both positive and negative ways. Such an illustration is the Ofsted review study into personal, societal, wellness and economic instruction in schools, which took topographic point between September 2006 and July 2009 in 165 kept up schools in England. In one school visited students responded positively towards PSHE instruction, â€Å" exhibiting first-class behavior within lessons and had developed lively and joint debating accomplishments and were besides willing to listen to the positions of others † , ( Ofsted, 2010 ) . The students besides showed their societal and personal accomplishments in practical ways by moving as function theoretical accounts and wise mans for younger students. The findings suggest that many of the schools with consistent and good quality learning were really much dependent on whether PSHE was taught by non-specialist instructors ( who were frequently coachs ) or by instructors who had had some preparation in PSHE instruction † , ( Ofsted, 2010 ) . This analysis suggests the benefits from holding a strongly structured programme for PSHE lessons can help any type of coach deliver a lesson. There is grounds of negative positions towards pastoral attention picked up by Powers ( 1996 ) , Calvert ( 2009 ) and Hamblin ( 1981 ) . As discussed earlier, Hamblin acknowledges the under operation of pastoral attention, while Calvert explains there are seven ages of pastoral attention which have developed over the last 50 old ages. These are pastoral attention as ‘control ‘ ; as ‘individual demand ‘ ; as ‘group demand ‘ ; the ‘pastoral course of study ‘ ; for ‘implementation of the National Curriculum ‘ ; for ‘learning ‘ and for ‘the wider work force and the Every Child Matters docket ‘ , something Power besides picks up on in less item, ( Calvert, 1996, p 270-274 ) . It seems apparent that the function of the signifier coach, no affair how many significant alterations it goes through, one portion which remains critical and is agreed upon is the development of the students ‘ wellbeing, ( Rees, 2010, cited in Dillon & A ; Maguire, 2011 ) . This sentiment of â€Å" personal development † dealt with by Marland and Rogers ( 2004 ) is something that is besides picked up on by Keith Blackburn in Perspectives on Pastoral Care, depicting â€Å" a new function created for instructors in secondary schools whose main accent was cognizing single students † , ( Blackburn, cited in Best et Al, p.56 ) . Associating many of the Hagiographas is this impression of the academic and the pastoral working together alternatively of against each other. Best and fellow authors indicate in Perspective on Pastoral Care, that as far back as 1980 there is clear deliberation over the thought of segregating the pastoral course of study from academic as a questionable act and something that the ‘great argument in instruction ‘ should hold picked up on but failed to so, ( Best et al, 1980, P ( xi ) ) . Chris Watkins suggests that â€Å" schoolmasters and instructors should guarantee that pastoral attention in schools embodies a healthy balance between challenge and support for students † , ( Best et al, 1995, p.304 ) The division of PSHE course of study devoted to either public assistance of students or their academic accomplishment is nonsensical, as the focal point on supplying for personal growing and accomplishment together is a better model for success, ( Standish et Al. 2006, cited in Dillon and Maguire 2011 ) something for which Watkins ( 1981 ) and Powers ( 1996 ) agree on. Mentioning back to the original inquiry posed, I feel it can be concluded that the signifier coach is genuinely cardinal to helping in the ‘personal development ‘ of students in both well-being and academic attainment, ( Blackburn, cited in Best et Al, 1980, p.58 ) . It seems a common understanding that the responsibility of the signifier coach is to cognize the students as persons and help them in their ‘personal development ‘ of these countries. It is besides apparent that the academic side of instruction is improved by such subjects taught in PSHE as discovered by Ofsted during their reviews, ( Ofsted, 2010 ) . However, it is good and works better if there is a structured programme in topographic point to work to. Unfortunately there is no easy reply to what constitutes an in agreement pastoral course of study. Everyone seems to hold similar thoughts about what should and should non be included ; nevertheless there are excessively many inconsistent thoughts to do a refined construction as yet, ( Calvert, 1996, p.268 ) .

A Few Obvious Grad School Essay Mistakes To Avoid

A Few Obvious Grad School Essay Mistakes To Avoid A Few Obvious Grad School Essay Mistakes To Avoid Failing To Answer The Essay Question This is perhaps one of the most common mistakes that students will make when they are composing an essay. The point of an essay is to address and expound upon a certain proposition. The mistake that students will often make is to generalize the proposition and prattle on about the general thoughts that they have. This is a problem because essay questions are very specific and nuanced. Professors notice that sort of thing. They are trained and can deduce if the essay questions have been answered. So, when you are preparing to rough draft of your essay, ensure that you are being very specific and respond to the question that the essay is posing. Proofreading After you have spent all night writing an essay, you have finally finished and all you want to do is go to bed. It is time to shut your brain down and get ready for the next day. But despite the effort that you have put into the essay, you could still receive some negative feedback because there are a few glaring errors. Of course, these are errors that you would have noticed had you read through the essay. This is why the process of proofreading is so important. You will catch the mistakes that you made before you submit it. Further, if you have somebody else to proofread it for you, then they can give general feedback about the essay so that you can edit it. Do Not Procrastinate If you have a week before the essay is due, you might tell yourself that you will spend the last few days working on it. If you have two days, you will say that you will spend tomorrow working on it. If you have one day, you will tell yourself that you will stay up all night working on it. When night comes, you will wish that you did not procrastinate so that you could sleep. If you procrastinate composing your essay, it will be of much lower quality than it would have been if you had taken the time to think about it. Rushing through the essay will leave room for a lot of errors and could result in your missing the central premise of the essay question. Fluff If you are trying to reach the word count without worrying about the quality of the content, then you are likely to add fluff to your essay. This will manifest in different ways, including long and drawn out quotes from outside sources. Quotes generally should be paraphrases and should only be supplementary. Second, repetition is another maneuver that students will take in an effort to fill the word count. Anybody who is trained to grade essay papers will see through these tactics. If you want to write a high-quality paper, you will have to sit back and think about the topic at hand so as to provide legitimate insight. If you struggle with writing essays, perhaps you should consider contacting for actionable solutions to your writing problems. They will provide a hand when you are overwhelmed.

Confederacy of dunces essays

Confederacy of dunces essays John Kennedy Toole was only 32 when he took his life in 1969. Tooles story A Confederacy of Dunces was not published during his lifetime. When it was finally published 11 long years after his death, it immediately won the Pulitzer prize. Through out the entire novel there is any underlying sense of pathos that which suggests that A Confederacy of Dunces may be some sort of personal depiction of Tooles life. The epigraph by Jonathan Swift on the first page of the book reads, When a true genius appears in the world, you may know him by this sign, that the dunces are all in confederacy against him. Now given that this quote was not written specifically for this novel, there is not a more effective way to sum up the life of the main character, Ignatius J. Reilly. Never before has a person been more convinced of his own genius, and the idiocy of those surrounding him. Yet, at the same time, he is the most unsuitable candidate for such a flattering title. Ignatius is an obese, unemployed, self-centered, and socially challenged man that wears a green hunting cap, wool coat, and scarf all year long, despite the fact that he resides in balmy New Orleans. He lives with his widowed mother in a dingy, working-class neighborhood. Because his diet strictly consists of pastries and Dr. Nut, a local Louisiana cola, he is always complaining of gastric difficulties, and relieving them with various eruptions. And when under any sort of pressure Ignatius is likely to suffer from a shutting of the pyloric valve, this gastric malady is more than likely a figment of his imagination. On top of this Ignatius believes himself to be some sort of Christian philosopher that maintains and open disgust with the modern world in which he lives. The events of the novel center around a few weeks in Ignatius life. In the first main scene, Ignatius mother, ...

Ethical Dilema Case 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Ethical Dilema Case 2 - Essay Example Hence, a decision that his activities be reported to the police officials was taken. It was justified as the police would be in a better position to investigate his motives. The ethical duty has been done as the potential threat to other people’s lives has been reported. Having stated all this, it is, however, important to state that the Middle Eastern descent was only a potential threat and this fact does not make him an offender or a terrorist. He might have had differing views but it might be possible that despite having such views, he might not be dangerous at all. After all, everyone is entitled to his or her opinion. Hence the person should investigate what had happened to the Middle Eastern man and his belongings. Have the police taken him into custody? Is he being tortured just for having such views? Or has he been deported? What happened to his belongings in his apartment? The answer to these questions must be sought to ensure that an innocent person is not being punished or tortured for what he has not even thought of doing, let alone committing the offense. The first decision can be supported by the moral rule that one must carry out his or her responsibilities. These responsibilities may include reporting a theft, a murder or reporting to the concerned authorities even if a suspicious activity is seen to be taking place. The man rightfully informed the police officials so that he and his neighbors can avoid any impending danger. In doing so, he had not only made himself secure but also others around him and had also helped the concerned authorities in maintaining law and order situation by taking the appropriate decision at the right time. The second decision is that the person should further investigate the whereabouts of the Middle Eastern man. This decision is based on the moral rule that no innocent should ever be

Database Dangers in the Cloud Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Database Dangers in the Cloud - Research Paper Example An example of co-mingling of data is â€Å"data (which) could become unavailable to you just because it was being stored on the same server as data belonging to someone else† (Trappler, 2012, par. 2). The danger of co-mingling of data, as noted, include inability to access the data; information being disclosed to other parties and thus, compromising the privacy and confidentiality nature of the information; being exposed to legal sanctions; among others. As emphasized, â€Å"with cloud computing, data from multiple customers is typically commingled on the same servers. That means that legal action taken against another customer that is completely unrelated to your business could have a ripple effect†¦ a search warrant issued for the data of another customer could result in your data being seized as well† (Trappler, 2012, par. 2).An example of co-mingling of data is â€Å"data (which) could become unavailable to you just because it was being stored on the same serv er as data belonging to someone else† (Trappler, 2012, par. 2). The danger of co-mingling of data, as noted, include inability to access the data; information being disclosed to other parties and thus, compromising the privacy and confidentiality nature of the information; being exposed to legal sanctions; among others. As emphasized, â€Å"with cloud computing, data from multiple customers is typically commingled on the same servers.

An Evaluation At Primark Stores Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

An Evaluation At Primark Stores - Essay Example They are expected to produce and market the products and services ethically and in an environment-friendly manner, provide good working conditions for the employees, etc,. Along with these, the organisations owe their revenues to the society, and thus have to pay back a part of it by serving the community at large. All these expectations in Toto make up the Corporate Social Responsibility(CSR) of a firm. It is defined as, â€Å"a concept whereby companies integrate social and environmental concerns in their business operations and in their interaction with their stakeholders on a voluntary basis† ((Mcnall & Hershauer, 2011) CSR is a means of ensuring the sustainability of an organization. Unless it conducts the trade morally, the malpractices and loop holes in the operations may surface at any time and become the organisations’ weakness in winning the hearts of customers. Decent working conditions attract good job-seekers and make the organization a better place for the employees, this again reflects on their loyalty. When a percentage of profits are diverted towards community development, the company appeals to the attention of larger audience and helps it build a brand image. Finally, the stress on environment is the order of the day and there is growing concern in the consumers towards using eco-friendly products. Thus, CSR is a social investment that reaps huge competitive advantage to the companies and guarantees their viability in the competitive markets (Banerjee, 2007). 2. Primark Stores Primark is a chain of 235 clothing stores spread in 7 countries including Ireland, Spain, UK, Netherlands, Portugal, Germany and Belgium. Associated British Foods (ABF) plc., is its parent company. The clothing line offered by Primark include men, women, kids and baby clothing, accessories such as shoes and home linen and upholstery. Its competitive advantage lies in presenting variety to the fashion-conscious customers at affordable rates. The factors tha t allow Primark to sell high fashion products at such low prices are Bulk-buying merchandising only the most popular sizes Stream-lining of operations their easy and unsophisticated design logic low expenses on promotion good ties with suppliers 3. Corporate Social Responsibility at Primark Primark’s CSR is aligned according to the instructions drawn out by ABF. These initiatives fall into 6 categories under the Twinings Ovaltine Strategy Model developed by ABF. The model is illustrated in figure 1. The facets of this strategy pertinent to Primark are discussed in the following sections. Figure 1: Twinings Ovaltine Strategy Model of CSR at ABF (Source: Associated British Foods url: http://www.abf.co.uk/our-decentralised-approach.aspx) 3.1. Its People The company believes that its human resources are one of its main assets. All the employees are treated equally, provided with equal opportunities in case of employment, training, promotion, etc., based on their skill and ability . The company gives due regard to their safety during work. They abide by the regulations set by national and international statutory bodies in the countries where they operate. Harassment is considered as a crime. Primark accords due respect to the cultural differences among employees, who belong to different backgrounds. Open communication among the entire workforce is encouraged. The strong whistleblowing policy guarantees that the employees abide by Primark’s code of conduct (Werther & Chandler, 2011). 3.2. Upstream and Downstream

Home Depot Essay Example for Free

Home Depot Essay It is not common for an enterprise to rise from the level of start-up to market domination in less than 3 decades, but Home Depot has this special distinction. With annual sales in excess of $80 billion from over 2 thousand retail stores (A Portrait of Growth, 2007) this remarkable corporation did not even exist until 1978. This stunning growth, which has an impressive record of profitability as well, has been largely achieved in North America, during the less than dynamic times of the last quadrant of the 20th century. The Home Depot success story is not in mere commercial or financial terms alone, but is also a powerful symbol of the spirit of free enterprise: the company was founded by a team of just 2 entrepreneurs, and has made deep inroads in all the communities it serves (Roush, 1999). This document combines both internal and external views and accounts of the functional histories and accomplishments of Home Depot, and concludes with observations about the possible future prospects of the corporation in the global markets which have begun to unfold. Company Analysis Home Depot has been built on a triad of platforms, which can be used to analyze its performance in qualitative terms (A Portrait of Growth, 2007). The first of these planks has been to build on a core business, which the company has executed with finesse and with impressive results. The corporate brand has become virtually synonymous with all do-it-yourself and do-it-for-me home improvement activities in the United States. The company is present in all 50 States, and has a comprehensive package of products and services for all categories of individual home owners. The company brand is an assurance of quality and value-for-money for an entire generation of U. S. citizens. Easily accessible customer advice (Roush, 1999). and strong cultural roots in the multi-racial values of modern America are inextricably linked with all phases of company operations. A second dimension of Home Depot has been to extend business (A Portrait of Growth, 2007). The management has been relatively conservative in this respect, adding wholesale and electronic business lines, but without the kind of aggressive expansion that was a hall-mark of its early years of store expansion. Indeed, it is also interested to dispose off its wholesale business. It is possible to think of many extensions of the original home improvement business in a retail format, which the company seems to have ignored. However, business extension remains a key stated aim of Home Depot. The third plank of Home Depot is to enter new markets (A Portrait of Growth, 2007). Implementation, being restricted to Canada, Mexico, and China, has been poor. Russia, India, the European Union, Brazil, the Middle East, and South Africa, are some of the potential markets which Home Depot has ignored. There seems to be no systematic effort to exploit the Internet and establish a strong global presence, as many other U. S. based corporations have done. The overall qualitative company analysis of Home Depot shows excellence in and focus on growing the core business, with limited forays in diversification, and weak attempts to extend the business to all available markets. Quantified company analysis leads to the same conclusion: Home Depot yields high short-term cash, but seems to be low on initiatives for new investment. 2005 Gross Profit, at over $27 billion, is more than a third of sales revenue. This is quite extraordinary for a business without proprietary products or technology. It reflects the success of the company’s basic philosophy of achieving economies of scale (Roush, 1999). The 2005 achievement is no ‘flash in the pan’ for the company has an impressive record of 5 years of operating margin expansion. Long term debt is less than 10% of equity, indicating some possible diffidence of company management about future prospects. It does not augur well for investors who look for superior growth opportunities. The 2005 Quick Ration is below 0. indicating efficiency in purchasing and logistics, with due leverage of its commanding market share and brand strength. It is clear that Home Depot is a successful and profitable enterprise, though it is inadequately geared to exploit new opportunities and emergent market trends. The company’s financials and business structure indicate that it may have already crested its best years, especially with respect to the limitations to further growth in North America. Segregated accounts for operations in China are not available in the public domain, but it appears that the company has not matched its historical success in a new continent. The entrepreneurial origins of Home Depot may not be entirely relevant for the professionalism demanded by a global market environment. Economics High volumes at low prices are at the heart of the business model (Roush, 1999). The network of over 2 thousand retail stores, with national spread in the United States, and enviable brand equity, combine to attract a plethora of suppliers with apparent deep discounts for the company’s endorsement. The economics of Home Depot act as an entry barrier, preventing regional competitors from attacking its market share. High cash generation puts Home Depot in a formidable bargaining position, and with the power to sustain predatory pricing offers. The Home Depot economic model has deeper roots in people than in numbers! Decades of intensive training and close interaction between the founders and front-line employees (Roush, 1999) make the company’s stores more than mere warehouses of branded goods. Home Depot emphasizes customer education, which attracts middle-class first time home buyers in sustained and large numbers. The company has carved a large segment in the U.  S. market with such deep footprints that they are almost impossible for newcomers to erase. Accounting Home Depot is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (Home Depot Inc, 2007). It has met all reporting and disclosure requirements without any exceptions on record. Auditor comments on its financial statements show adequate compliance with statutory accounting standards. It is apparent that the company has an adequate accounting system, which is able to capture details of millions of transactions in reliable manner. Though the Management Information Systems of Home Depot are not in the public domain, it is possible to observe that even statutory treasury functions are advantageous for the company. The control of such a large number of sales items spread trans-nationally over such a large number of locations, would itself serve as an entry barrier for a new entrant. The company must excel in systems development, even if some parts are outsourced, to account correctly for such a large number of daily transactions. The Home Depot accounting system is therefore a significant non-financial asset of the corporation. Such systems have large future profit potentials if the company diversifies and enters new markets. Finance Earnings have grown by more than 20% for 4 consecutive years (A Portrait of Growth, 2007). Cash generation exceeds $7 billion. Total assets are about $44 billion. The equity base is stable at just over 2 billion shares, but long term debt is just 9. 9% of equity. The company is amazingly liquid for a business, which on paper should be most vulnerable to the vagaries of customer demand. The Current Ratio is just 1. 7, which is remarkable for so many items on sale across more than 2 thousand depots. Return on Investment in 18. 31, which exceed expected performance for a business without patents and proprietary technologies. Home Depot has a sterling financial performance, and is extremely sound by all financial yardsticks. However, the equity is not adequately leveraged. It appears that the management does not have new ideas about the future, though the business segment in which it operates is full of technological, economic, spatial, and demographic changes. Even the Current and Quick ratios, while admirable from an accountant’s perspective, may be questioned in terms of inventories of scare materials such as wood. Overall, finance has opportunities to excel as a function when a company grows aggressively, makes ambitious expansion plans, and deals in multiple currencies. The financial waters of Home Depot are placid! Marketing The Finance function of Home Depot may be a quiet place, but Marketing is a dynamic function for the company! Excellence in customer service is a founding value of the company (Roush, 1999). Much of this is achieved through intensive training programs, and by innovation in store design. It is hard to match the incomparable product and service combination of Home Depot and it is apparent that the company has a strong understanding of middle-class Americans as a customer segment. All home improvement needs can be met at the company’s stores, and customers have come to rely on the company’s pricing for a wide variety of tools and fixtures. The company brand enjoys top-of-the-mind recall, and has strong associations with the generic product category of retail home improvement. The do-it-yourself product category is very large in most sections of U. S. society, so Home Depot has a durable line of revenue by dominating this market. The business calls for deep understanding of the multi-faceted needs of home owners, and Home Depot has nurtured a special bonding with typical customers ever since its inception. The brand loyalty is extremely strong and has not been broken by any competitor as yet. The company has such a strong hold on the market that new manufacturers of appliances, fittings, and surfaces, are forced to enter the market through Home Depot stores. Customer education is a key consideration at Home Depot (Roush, 1999). This serves to protect the company’s market shares for even the most generic product lines, because no one else matches the information needs of new home owners, or older ones who encounter new problems in their properties. Since the company also offers favorable pricing, customers have little motivation to switch loyalties. Repeat custom is ensured through universal customer satisfaction. There is also plenty of space devoted to do-it-for-me market segments, which combines well with the wholesale business (now on the block for sale) to bring in valuable endorsements from experts in the professional home repair and redecoration businesses. Customers routinely visit Home Depot without any specific product in mind, or even without fully knowing what exactly they need to buy. The friendly advice which is easily and freely available at Home Depot serves to hook customers and has them returning for all home improvement needs. The service also serves to expand the overall market for home improvement, encouraging home owners to take on tasks which they may have left unattended or passed on to service providers, were it not for the guidelines forthcoming from the stores of Home Depot. The encouraging ambience in the stores of Home Depot is reinforced by wise and timely mass media communication. By advertising on a NASCAR theme on television (A Portrait of Growth, 2007) the company shows deep appreciation of its typical customer cluster, and their preferences. Home Depot is also an official NFL sponsor, which is most appropriate considering the profile of the typical customer who shops at Home Depot, and who is responsible for the vast majority of home improvement decisions. Home Depot excels in all aspects of Marketing with sharp focus on a targeted segment. The Marketing Mix is a coordinated mix of product and service elements guaranteed to ensure repeat custom and durable brand loyalties. Though Home Depot has not slackened its intensive marketing efforts to this day, the residual effects of the goodwill it has generated can stand it in good stead for years. It is considered to be one of the best retailers in North America by customers, associates, and peers alike. Management The Chief Executive Officer and senior Legal and Human Resources personnel have left the company in the last 3 months ending February 2007 (A Portrait of Growth, 2007). All the vacancies have been filled by internal promotions. Such moves would indicate strong management resistance to proposed changes of basic direction, and a determination to persist with established business patterns. The implications are even clearer for a company such as Home Depot, with strong traditions for developing and depending on people. The possible power struggle may have left significant sections of the remaining staff in turmoil, and perhaps now actively searching for alternate jobs. The former Chief Executive Officer is bound by a year’s no-compete clause, and cannot solicit employees to leave and join in his other ventures for the next few years: such clauses in separation contracts also suggest that many people in Home Depot may want to search for alternate jobs as soon as they have options. There is no merit in this matter as far as Home Depot’s future prospects are concerned. There is worse conflict with a major share-holder as well, over strategic direction (A Portrait of Growth, 2007). The share-holder entity, which is professionally managed, has merely asked for an independent strategy review, which is not something against the best interests of Home Depot. However, the Board has decided to oppose the constructive resolution. Reviews by outsiders are never binding on clients, so the management’s intransigence in this matter leaves room for doubt about cohesion at the top of the hierarchy. It is apparent that the company is divided between proponents of change, and a powerful group which favors the status-quo-ante. Though Home Depot has a spectacular performance record, it is true that the 21st century global market is quite different from domestic USA towards the end of the last millennium. New demographic segments of the wealthy, and of some immigrants, have emerged even within the strong hold of the home market, so a recasting of strategy seems in order, even if such an exercise were to conclude that the company is already on the right course. Hands on Human Resources Management, with emphasis on training (Roush, 1999) formed the template of the early success of Home Depot. However, a modern corporation cannot survive on breakfast meetings between employees and founders alone! Diversity concerns have certainly altered the composition of the work force, so new ways of managing people and deploying resources are inevitable. The present Home Depot management may have become prisoners of past achievement, preferring to stay with a course which may not be appropriate any longer. While internal promotions are creditable to a certain extent, Boards also need infusion of new perspectives from other successful companies. By filling all the recent vacancies internally, Home Depot may have deprived itself of valuable perspectives from the street. The company’s close association with middle-class America may become a limitation as it is forced to engage with unfamiliar markets and new customer types. Overall, serious discontinuities are evident in the highest echelons of Home Depot.

The Concept Of Balance Of Power Politics Essay

The Concept Of Balance Of Power Politics Essay When one state or alliance increases its power or apply it more aggressively, the balance of power theory is maintained. By forming a counter-balancing coalition, threatened states will increase their own power in response. The central concept in neorealist theory is Balance of power. Since Martin Wright said, the notion is notoriously full of chaos and confusion, it is difficult to provide exact definition to balance of power. The main difficulty prevails with the balance of power is that there are too many meanings associated with it. Nevertheless, the indispensable idea is very simple but when the principle is applied to the international relations, the concept of power means that with the help of shifting alliances and countervailing pressures, not a single power or mixture of powers will be allowed to become strong enough to threaten the security of the rest of the world according to Perkins and Palmer. In order to be more effective, identification and sensing of threats from th e neighboring countries and rebels is an essential need for applying the balance of power effectively. A balance of power can be formed by multiple states when alliances are fluid, for instance when they are formed easily or broken on the basis of practicality by not taking into consideration form of government, history, religion or values. Shifting its support to oppose whichever alliance or state is strongest, a single state occasionally plays the role of a balancer. In the 18th and 19th centuries, specifically in its relations with Germany, Russia and France, this role was played by Britain in Europe (Williams, Andrew 2004). By matching their increases in military capability, two states can balance against each other. Both the United States and the Soviet Union expanded their nuclear arsenals to balance against each other in the cold war. The complexity of measuring power is one weak point of the balance of power. From the size of its land mass, level of technology and population, the states power ultimately derives its power. Nevertheless, this potential power translates into mili tary capability in a flawed manner. There is a dependence on such elements of luck, geography, morale and leadership with the effective use of military force. Throughout history in various regions of the world, there are found some historical examples of power balancing. For instance, through a constantly shifting network of alliances, these Chinese states pursued power (China Superpower, 2010). (2) Evaluate how effective power balancing is, in practice, toward preserving peace. Without the Soviet threat, the United States, as the dominant world power, would face difficulties in its relations with such states as the European powers and china and the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 left the United States as the worlds sole superpower (The Globalist: June 2, 2010). The ever changing nature of power, in the present-day international system further complicated the operation of the global balance of power. For the smaller states, the internet, Globalization, weapons of mass destruction and other developments of technology have made them acquire power in a significant manner. Even though, the balance of power is less applicable to conflicts involving other non state groups and terrorists, the balance of power may continue to operate among other states which are engaged in prolonged disputes in the future. In the present study of international relations for the past five hundred years, the balance of power played a prime role in achieving power and peace and for the past five hundred years, the balance of power has been a central concept and practice of international relations. Liberalism also plays an important part here and it carries a legacy of international imprudence (Hume, David. 1752). The purpose of the balance of power is to put in place to explain the situation where states will ally themselves to prevent the domination of one state upon others and peace will obviously be preserved by effective balancing of power and by matching their increase in military capability, two states can balance against each other. (Shubhya pandey, 16th March, 2009). Early intervention will often be more cheaper and effective than late intervention, if security is now better procured than defended. Before they have the time to gain momentum and focus, the threats to security should be addressed. References: 1. Williams, Andrew (2004). D-Day to Berlin. Hodder Stoughton. ISBNÂ  0340833971 2. . China Superpower (PDF). http://www.casaasia.es/pdf/9200595422AM1127202862621.pdf. Retrieved 2010-08-27 3. The Globalist June 2, 2010 cite: An Insecure Foothold for the United States; Russia is certainly still a superpower comparable only to the United States 4. Hume, David. 1752/1963. Of the Balance of Power, Essays: Moral, Political, and Literary. Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 346-347. 5.Shubhya pandey (16th March, 2009) Balance of Power in International Relations, article Student Semester IV, Hidayatullah National Law University, Raipur 7. List and describe some of the major multilateral attempts at arms control and disarmament. How effective have these attempts been in the past? How effective are they likely to be in the future? Do you believe that agreements of this kind will play a significant role in stemming nuclear proliferation to rogue states and terrorists? Why or why not? Arms control and disarmament are not the same. The objective of arms control is to limit weapons in certain selective and agreed methods with regard to certain aspects like transparency, lethality, range and quantity while the latter aims at the destruction of certain types of weapons capable of wreaking mass destruction. The entire globe sought to eliminate all types of weapons of mass destruction which are chemical arms, biological and nuclear and the use of multiple types of conventional weapons apart from their production and sale are sought to be controlled by the world after their bitter experience post the two world wars (Conventional weapons, 2004, p.36). The term general and complete disarmament means the elimination of all weapons of mass destruction or WMD along with the balanced reduction of conventional armaments and balanced reduction of armed forces which is based on the principle of undiminished security of the parties along with a purpose of promoting or improving st ability at a lower military level after taking into account the requirement of all States to protect their security and achieve peace and stability (Speech, 2002). Besides being supported by an implementing institution, a regime is a multilateral arrangement governing either the elimination or control of certain weapons. On the prohibition of bacteriological weapons and poisonous gas to which Canada became a signatory on 6th May 1930, the inter-war period was also witness to the Geneva Protocol, 1925 (Canadian Reference Guide to the United Nations. Ottawa, 1994). Until April 1975, the protocol introduced by the United States was not endorsed by the Senate of United States. The General assembly of the United Nations called for the total elimination of atomic weapons and use the atomic energy for peaceful purposes and it was the foremost resolution passed by the General assembly of the United nations (World Military Expenditures and Arms Transfers 1996). But all these attempts were not full effective as some countries of the world are still continuing to produce weapons of mass destruction under the pretext of security reasons and have not been fully cooperative in destroying weapons of mass destruction completely. Treaties were signed seeking to eliminate and prevent the production of weapons of mass destruction which include the treaty of Non-proliferation of Nuclear weapons and the Biological weapons convention and the Chemical Weapons Convention. In order to promote their WMD non proliferation goals which include the Nuclear Suppliers Group and the Zangger committee, Wassenaar Arrangement (for dual-use goods and conventional arms), the Missile Technology Control Regime and the Hague Code of Conduct (for missiles) and the Australia Group (for chemical and biological weapons), some countries of the world have decided to establish various non-binding suppliers regimes. How effective are they likely to be in the future? In the future, these measures are not going to be effective unless universal application of multilateral disarmament treaties are promoted and its awareness is created for both the Government and its citizens, improving compliance with the commitments of treaty, improving transparency (Some countries fear that reporting of possessions of WMD might compromise on their diplomatic goals or security, strengthening verification by effectively implementing intrusive inspections, vigorous accounting methods and physical security and at the same time not compromising legitimate defence secrets. The development of a politically binding code of conduct was proposed by Netherlands in 2002 when it chaired the Missile Technology control Regime. For this purpose, several international meetings were organized by the European Union (The Netherlands, Ministry of Foreign Affairs,ICOC Background information, 2002). In spite of all these attempts, the lack of public understanding of the contribution of treaties to international security makes non-proliferation education and disarmament a compelling priority. There is a concentration of specialized knowledge only in a very few ministries or in some governments lack the knowledge altogether. Preoccupations with other pressing issues and conflicting priorities faced by many developing countries in areas like internal conflicts, environmental challenges, economic development, health needs and poverty have reduced the effectiveness of these treaties and control and still a long way is to go in order to implement the measures effectively. Do you believe that agreements of this kind will play a significant role in stemming nuclear proliferation to rogue states and terrorists? Why or why not? I do believe that Agreements and treaties arms control and disarmament will play a significant role in stemming nuclear proliferation to rogue states and terrorists only if cooperation prevails among the nations of the world and by maintaining good relations and key contributions are made by the parliaments which has the prime major responsibilities for enacting implementing legislation under the relevant disarmament and arms control treaties apart from the effective role played by the United Nations as they face multiple challenges with regard to the promotion of is armament . Unless collective efforts are put forth by all the nations of the world, any treaty or measures of arms control will not work and remain a challenge and problem forever to be faced by all the countries over the globe. References: 1. Conventional weapons are weapons that are not WMD; see UNIDIR 2004, p. 36. 2. The Netherlands, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, ICOC Background information, http://www.minbuza.nl, 2002. 3. Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade. Canadian Reference Guide to the United Nations. Ottawa, 1994. 4. U.S. Arms Control and Disarmament Agency. World Military Expenditures and Arms Transfers 1996. Washington, 1997. 8. International relations theorists disagree about the propensity for states to balance versus bandwagon. On the one hand, some theorists claim that states form counter-alliances against the powerful to prevent any one state from achieving hegemony over everyone else. On the other hand, a second group of theorists claim that states tend to gravitate toward the powerful, joining the strongest rather than participating in a blocking coalition. Which claim do you believe is best supported by the historical evidence? Explain your answer. Striking an alliance with powerful nations to fulfill the concerns of security was followed by many countries since the North Atlantic Treaty Organization or NATO which is an intergovernmental military alliance based on the North Atlantic Treaty which was signed on 4th April 1949((The official Emblem of NATO,2008). A system of collective defence whereby its member states agree to mutual defence to an attack by any external party is constituted by the organization. Even though some theorists claim that states form counter alliances against the powerful to prevent any one state from achieving control over everyone else, the story has always been on the other side. The countries of the world normal strike alliances with the powerful countries for their own security reasons. For example, Israel always lean on the United States for its support instead of maintaining cordial relations with its neighbours. Even during the gulf war many European nations like the United Kingdom, France and Italy joined hands with the United states in waging war in the Persian gulf against Iraq which did not get any support even from its own neighboring countries. The second group of theorists who claim that states have a tendency to gravitate towards the powerful joining the stronger rather than participating in a blocking coalition and this claim is valid as a lot of historical data is available to support this kind of theory. For instance even during the post world war time, in 1954, South Korea formed an alliance with the United States of America and South Korea signed the ROK/U.S Mutual Security Agreement in which they agreed to defend each other in the event of aggression by outside nations (Manwoo Lee,1988,pp. 35-36). Even during the war waged in Afghanistan after the September 11 terrorist attacks on United States, Pakistan supported United States because of security concerns. The major reason why most of the nations of the world depend on the United States is that in recent years it has been the most formidable military power in recent years and its spending levels is the principle determinant of world military spending and recent increases are connected to the so-called war on Terror and the Afghanistan and the Iraq invasions. Japan struck an alliance with the United States of America because it feels that its presence in the western pacific is very much important to the regions peace and stability (Jusuf Wanandi, 1997). Rather than adopting leniency and initiating collective efforts to prevent the disaster of war in the gulf, numerous countries were on the side of the United States in its war against Iraq including Saudi Arabia. Many countries like the United Kingdom and France even went to the extent of spending huge sums of money for the military operations in the gulf. Many countries in the Southeast Asia feel that the transformation of Southeast Asia as a region of stability could not have been achieved in such a quick manner without the help of the United States (Straits Times,1997). Therefore the second claim of the theorists who stated that the states tend to gravitate toward the powerful, joining the strongest rather than participating in a blocking coalition were right in their perspective. Reference: 1. The official Emblem of NATO. NATO. http://www.nato.int/multi/natologo.htm. Retrieved 20 February 2008 2. Manwoo Lee, et.al. Alliance under Tension: the Evolution of South Korean-U.S. Relations (Boulder, Co.: West view Press, 1988), pp. 35-36. 3. Jusuf Wanandi, Time for Japan to rethink its regional and global role, Straits Times, 27 August 1997 4. Straits Times, 20 November 1997. 9. Assess the concepts of direct opposition and competition as described in the textbook. Do you believe that instances of either competition (which seems to approximate the situation leading up to both World Wars I and II) or direct opposition (which the textbook applies to the Cold War) are more preferable in terms of ensuring international stability? Are they equally useful (or useless) toward achieving this end? Do you believe that the future of world politics will be characterized more by competition of some kind (as suggested in the textbook) or by a renewed form of direct opposition (potentially between the United States and China)? Given your earlier arguments, what ramifications might this have for international stability? Support your arguments with evidence. Assess the concepts of direct opposition and competition as described in the textbook. Do you believe that instances of either competition (which seems to approximate the situation leading up to both World Wars I and II) or direct opposition (which the textbook applies to the Cold War) are more preferable in terms of ensuring international stability? The relationship that developed first and foremost between the United States of America (USA) and the Union of Soviet socialist Republic (USSR) was given the name cold war because the two was always at loggerheads with regard to the domination of international affairs (The origins of the Cold War, 2004). The term was used to describe their relationship from 1945 to 1980. They fought for their beliefs using client states who were fighting for their beliefs on their behalf because these two superpowers did not trust each other. Since times immemorial, the competitive rivalry among nations is largely attributed to the uneven distribution of resources across the world to a great extent. Nations have been working hard to control resources and not merely to develop their geographical extent of colonialism from the age of exploration to the two world wars and from the Middle East to the west. For the purpose of determining a nations strategic direction apart from helping the nation outperform its rival through gaining the competitive, geopolitics highlights about the spatial analysis in terms of social sciences, politics and geography. Due to healthy competition among the nations of the world, the importance of world resources have been highlighted by Mackinders Heartland Theory in the year 1904 (The Geographical Journal, 2004). Huge concentration is made on the co-existence of nations through their mutual economic interdependence by the modern geopolitics even though it does not necessarily talk about power shi fts. Healthy competitions therefore make the nations to realize their potential and awareness about their resources and this in one way can be utilized to maintain cordial relationship with other countries by helping the other countries by mutual exchange of resources. Are they equally useful (or useless) toward achieving this end? The outcomes or effects of competition of some kind will be favorable for international stability. This is supported by the fact that a favorable environment has been created for export diversification and competitiveness in sub-Saharan Africa and many African countries concentrated on getting the essentials economic management in the right way (Borner, S., Brunetti, A. and Weder, B., 1995). In order to reduce their debt and controlling inflation and putting in place sustainable fiscal policies, they worked together. All these happened due to the healthy competition which prevailed among these nations and fostered a good relationship between them (Sachs, J. and Warner, A., 1996). Do you believe that the future of world politics will be characterized more by competition of some kind (as suggested in the textbook) or by a renewed form of direct opposition (potentially between the United States and China)? I do therefore believe that the world of future politics will be characterized more by competition of some kind in comparison to a renewed form of direct opposition because in a direct opposition healthy competition can never take place. For instance when it comes to China and the United States of America, China always opposed the United States power politics, hegemonism and unipolar strategy and vice versa even though both of them have relatively mature ideas, tactics, policies and strategies on the global configuration of international order and power (Peter Grier and James N. Thurnman, 1999). On the other hand, if these two countries nurture a healthy competition and foster good relationship, it will be beneficial for them apart from the rest of the world. Majority of the other countries of the world also favour this. Given your earlier arguments, what ramifications might this have for international stability? Support your arguments with evidence. Right from the historical periods, economic inequalities have existed in a wide range of societies and the negative phenomenon arising out of economic inequality can be removed only with a healthy competition between the nations of the world. Healthy competition may also pave the way for the trade liberalization which will shift economic inequality from a global to a domestic scale where low skilled workers in poorer countries will see higher wages. Therefore international stability can be achieved globally by healthy competitions among the nations. International trade is promoted and significant benefits arise out of this. In concurrence with comparative advantage, it allows numerous countries to specialize. Considerable gains of efficiency may arise out of this. Severe competition takes place only out of trade which breaks down institutional impediments to change and promotes innovation. The advantages of the utilization of increased returns to scale is further provided by trade. A ll these facts were realized by many countries of the world after the post war era. Under the sponsorship of the GATT (General Agreements on Tariffs and Trade), numerous tariffs relating to international trade was introduced after several rounds of negotiations and it lead to successful trade liberalization in the developed nations (Jacob Kol and L.B.M. Mennes, 1990).