Causes of the Afghan Civil War

Reasons for the Afghan Civil War Mohammad Haseeb Daudzai Who demolished Kabul? The Afghan Civil War which began in 1989 and finished in 1992 was one of the bloodiest and most damaging wars in Afghan history. This war had two stages. The primary stage was battled between the Afghan government and the Mujahedeen, and the subsequent stage was battled between various gatherings of the Mujahedeen. The Afghan Civil War which brought about in excess of 100,000 passings and the devastation of Kabul was brought about by different factors some of which were: Afghan individuals, Afghanistan’s economy, Afghan government officials and outside inclusion. As a matter of first importance, Afghanistan is a multicultural nation with in excess of ten ethnic gatherings and in excess of thirty dialects. Afghans have a few contrasts in their way of life, as well. Most of Afghans follow both of the two schools of fiqh (schools of Islamic law) specifically Jafari and Hanafi. The education rate is likewise low in Afghanistan. These social contrasts, strict issues and low proficiency rate make bigotry a typical wonder among the individuals and it’s simple for anybody to incite a war in Afghanistan. In 1992, racists from various ethnic gatherings began welcoming their ethnic gatherings to battle against other ethnic gatherings, so they could pick up power in Afghanistan. The economy of Afghanistan was extremely frail in 1989 when the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) was leaving Afghanistan. Joblessness arrived at its pinnacle. In spite of the fact that Dr. Najibullah arranged various procedures for making a steady economy in Afghanistan, but since gas wells were heavily influenced by the Mujahedeen, the administration was totally reliant on the USSR help, thus a large portion of those systems fizzled. Because of joblessness, individuals began keeping in certain parts from Kabul, so they began challenging the administration in Kabul. These fights gave the Mujahedeen a decent reason for assaulting Kabul which denoted the primary period of the Afghan Civil War. Back in 1980s when the USSR had full control of Afghanistan, eight gatherings were framed contrary to the People’s Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA) which was legitimately upheld and affected by the Soviet Union. All these eight gatherings called themselves Mujahedeen (Holy warriors). These gatherings battled against the USSR for a long time. Following nine years of battling in Afghanistan, the USSR lost the war to the Mujahedeen and had to pull back their powers from Afghanistan. In 1989, preceding leaving Afghanistan, the USSR chose Dr. Najibullah to be the leader of Afghanistan after they left. Dr. Najibullah was an individual from the PDPA, henceforth his legislature was not adequate to the Mujahedeen and they kept on battling, which incited a common war between Afghan armed force and the Afghan Mujahedeen. In excess of 20,000 Afghans were slaughtered in this first period of the Afghan Civil War. In 1992 Dr. Najibullah left his position. Afghan warlords knew Dr. Najib would at long last leave and all of them needed to have his spot so they sorted out a social event in Peshawar, Pakistan. This social affair brought about shaping another legislature and a bureau which should take power after Dr. Najibullah surrendered. Furthermore, Ahmad Shah Masood framed an overseeing committee known as Shura e Nazar, which was made out of 120 military commanders from various pieces of northern Afghanistan, to manage the exercises of the up and coming government. In 1992, the new government dealt with Kabul and significant pieces of Afghanistan. Sibghatullah Mujadeedi was selected as the new leader of Afghanistan, however because of his poor authority aptitudes he was before long supplanted by Burhanuddin Rabbani. Rabbani was an individual from Shura e Nazar and with the exception of Tajik warlords nobody needed him to be the President of Afghanistan. Following a month, the second and bloodiest period of the Afghan Civil War started. In excess of 50,000 regular folks were slaughtered uniquely in Kabul and it was isolated into various parts, each part constrained by an alternate gathering. For instance Kart e Parwan region was constrained by Ahmad Shah Masood’s powers and just Tajik individuals lived there, Taimani locale was constrained by Abdul Ali Mazari’s powers and just Hazara individuals lived there and on the off chance that anybody from Kart e Parwan challenged to go to Taimani or the other way around, the contrary party would murder him. Following two months of Rabbani’s government the Mujahedeen began terminating rockets over the avenues of Kabul as result nobody was sheltered anyplace in Kabul. In the interim Gulbudin Hekmatyar, who was bolstered by Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, needed to be the leader of Afghanistan, thus he began battling the administration and Abdul Ali Mazari went along with him. The Civil War in Afghanistan was a piece of the Cold War. As indicated by George Crile, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) propelled Operation Cyclone to subsidize the Mujahedeen against the USSR. In 1980 the measure of these assets came to $30 million every year and in 1987 this sum rose to $630 million every year. The CIA additionally gave weapons including Type-56 rifles and FIM-92 stingers to the Mujahedeen. The primary stinger which end up being a powerful weapon, was propelled in 1986 close to Jalalabad by the Mujahedeen, thus 500 extra stingers were given to the Mujahedeen by the CIA. Pakistan likewise began supporting the Mujahedeen which brought about the USSR giving extra AK 47s to the Afghan armed force. The USSR additionally gave in excess of 2500 SCUD rockets to the Afghan government. Dr. Najibullah utilized the SCUDs against Pakistan and gave the AK 47s to the Afghan armed force. Many rockets were shot on the fringe among Afghanistan and Pakistan as a reaction to Pak istan’s backing of the Mujahedeen and the US weapons supplies to the Mujahedeen that came through Pakistan. In 1992, Dr. Najibullah surrendered. Dr. Najib’s acquiescence denoted the finish of the primary period of the Afghan Civil War. Pakistan kept supporting Gulbudin Hekmatyar against the Afghan government and requested that he continue battling against the legislature till he increased full force in Kabul and supplanted Rabbani. Saudi Arabia likewise began supporting Hekmatyar. The second period of the War started after Hekmatyar began shelling Kabul. Relations between Shura e Nazar and General Abdul Rasheed Dostom who currently had the full help of Uzbekistan, had soured and Dostom needed to leave Kabul. Subsequent to leaving Kabul, Dostom began shelling Kabul from the entryways of Kabul. In excess of 50,000 non military personnel were slaughtered in Kabul in daze shelling (1) (likewise called rockety koor ([blind rockets]). To close, during these two periods of the Afghan common war, which kept going from 1989 to 1992, in excess of 100,000 Afghans were executed, a huge number of Kabul residents were harmed and lost their homes and nothing was found in Kabul with the exception of besieged structures and indications of various weapons utilized during the war. The Afghan Civil war was brought about by four central point, the Afghan individuals, Afghan economy, Afghan government officials and outside forces.

Transformational and Transactional Leadership Essay -- Leadership Skil

Absolutely, a military would not have the option to fight in the war without an authority who in charges of the entire system. Correspondingly, any associations can't work without pioneers. Pioneer is the most generous component of fruitful associations. Turning out to be exceptional pioneers, initiative ability is essential so as to drive the associations forward. A few administration standards are broadly utilized nowadays. Consumes (1978) distinguished two sorts of authority include value-based and transformational administration. Thus, pioneers ought to be skilled to demonstrate which hypothesis ought to be applied as per organization’s culture and goals. This article expects to assess the likenesses and the contrasts among value-based and transformational initiative just as the achievability to use a blend of them by giving the definitions and models followed by the supporting explores and studies. At first, value-based and transformational authority are diverse regarding execution and its results. Be that as it may, transformational initiative was created from value-based administration (Downton, 1973). Bass (1985) characterized value-based initiative as a trade action that pioneers execute to rouse subordinates so as to accomplish their assignments by giving out remuneration or discipline compare with their presentation. Moreover, dynamic and aloof administration by special case are considered with regards to confusion and deficiencies. Bass (1985) expressed that transformational authority underlines the estimation of subordinates, urges them to perform additional exertion, and guarantees their appreciation on organization’s objectives and destinations. Furthermore, glorified impact, uplifting inspiration, scholarly stimulatio... ...) has indicated that these two typologies function admirably in various structures, transformational initiative includes in procedural equity while distributive equity depends on value-based administration. A relationship of both would amplify the degree of trust on pioneers. Taking everything into account, value-based and transformational administration can be blended or utilized separately relying upon different conditions. Be that as it may, they are somewhat connected. So as to make the best utilize and get the attractive outcomes out of these standards, pioneers ought to achieve a profound comprehension of every hypothesis as they are divergent in leading. In addition, a suitable equalization ought to be thought of if pioneers mean to coordinate them together. In my perspective, either remain solitary or blend use would profit to any associations if the use of pioneers was taken in appropriate circumstances.

How Mentally Strong People Respond to Snarky Comments

How Mentally Strong People Respond to Snarky Comments At times, a well-timed funny comment at someone’s expense is a good humor amongst good friends. However, passive-aggressive comments which hide anger prowling behind the mask usually constitute a snark.At times, snarky comments comprise of insincere compliments like “You really look appealing to someone as old as you”.Snark can also include sarcastic comments like “No offense but there is a possibility you would have made extra sales if you sounded like you actually understood what you were talking about.”Today, it looks like people are becoming snakier every moment.However, that does not mean that you have to allow those comments to stress you or drag you down.This article will guide you on how to become a mentally stronger person and how to respond to snarky comments with the needed mental strength to do that.WHAT IS MENTAL STRENGTH?A person who is always optimistic controls his or her life and does not feel sorry for his or herself is a mentally strong person i.e. they p ossess a mental strength.Most people use mental toughness interchangeably with mental strength.However, depending on how you define mental toughness, there is a possibility you are not talking about the same thing.Mostly, mental toughness is used when referring to Navy Seals or elite athletes, or people who are subjecting their bodies to extreme limits to see how much pain their bodies can endure.But, many of us don’t need to subject their bodies to extreme limits or physically threaten their opponents.Being a mentally strong person is not about acting tough. It is all about knowing your emotions, following your values and learning from previous painful experiences.The following are the three main components of mental strength:Controlling your thoughts â€" by controlling your thoughts, you teach your brain to think more helpfully. This can mean to ignore doubting yourself or to replace self-depreciation with self-comparison.Governing your emotions â€" when you are aware of your em otions, you begin to understand the feelings that impact how you behave and think. This can involve accepting certain emotionsâ€"even if they make you feel uncomfortable, or acting opposite to your emotions when the feelings dont serve you the way you want.Behaving productively â€" the key to becoming mentally strong is choosing things and actions which can enhance your life, even at times when you are struggling with delayed gratification or motivation.THE TRAITS OF A MENTALLY STRONG PERSONThomas Jefferson had said,“Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude”.With that said, you should understand that being mentally strong is not a trait you are born with, but it is an attribute you must develop.Your daily activities can drag you through some tough and exciting situations and how to understand mental strength is essential in how you are handling these situations.Life happens, and you can only navigate it well if you are mentally strong.Therefore, you should learn how to improve yourself through your life experiences, rather than to allow the regret of your past mistakes eats you up. That can only happen if you are mentally strong, but it is not all that it takes.Mental strength is considered a skill, which you can only develop through perseverance and grit. It also comes as a result of acquiring certain traits that you develop through regular repetition of particular habits.By its nature, a habit automates your actions, and this helps you not to be a victim of decision fatigue via overthinking.Here are the top 20 traits of mentally strong people. These traits show how these people think, act and how they handle and treat themselves as well as others. 1. Emotional IntelligenceMaybe you not clear the difference between mental strength and emotional intelligence. You are not alone in this. Many people have many misconceptions about being mentally strong and myths regarding how to develop their emotional intelligence.In the past few years, the meaning of emotional intelligence has significantly changed.The Cambridge Dictionary defines emotional intelligence (EQ) as your ability to understand how people react and feel, and how this skill can assist you to make good judgments to solve or avoid problems.You should understand that emotional intelligence is part of mental strength. Yet, mental strength goes way beyond your emotions and addresses the behaviors and thoughts that affect the general value of your life.However, you can still increase your emotional intelligence and still build your mental strength. Both emotional intelligence and mental strength can serve you well personally as well as professionally.A book written by Daniel Goleman called “Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ”, is what brought the concept of emotional intelligence into the limelight. Goleman argues that emotional intelligence can give you a competitive advantage in some environments.Furthermore, he says that your high EQ cannot make you achieve higher academic grades or improved SAT scored. He says these things rely more on your IQ.According to Goleman, there are five core components you should know about emotional intelligence. These include:Self-awareness â€" this is your ability to recognize and understand your emotions as well as what drives these emotions, and how your emotions affect other people.Internal motivation â€" this is the passion, or desire to work and it goes way beyond status and money. It’s like your inner vision of what matters in life or the satisfaction or joy of doing what you like.Self-regulation or self-control â€" this is all about redirecting your unsettling moods and desires and your ability to think carefully before acting.Empathy â€" is your ability to understand the emotions of other people around you and the readiness to treat these people according to how they react emotionally.Soci al skills â€" these include your skills to handle relationships and your ability to develop a rapport with other people through finding a neutral ground.2. Confidence“Whether you think you can or think you can’t â€" you are right”, Henry Ford has said once.As a mentally strong person, you will always subscribe to Fords idea about how your attitude can significantly affect your success. That idea is not a mere motivational tool; it is a fact.Real confidence, compared to the false/untrue confidence that you can use to mask your insecurities, has its own look.Being mentally strong can allow you to be in a better position over the skittish and doubtful people since your confidence can inspire other people and even assist them to make things happen.3. Avoiding ConflictsOne true mark of mental strength is when someone tries to hurt you, but you try to understand his or her situation in return rather than focusing on how to hurt them.Holding grudges can never be a solution to any pro blem, and you will never achieve anything positive from that.Rather than spending most of your time loathing people who hurt you, you allow yourself to heal and learn from that occurrence. Even during some of the most difficult stress factors, you prefer to calm yourself down and try to manage the situation with maturity.As a mentally strong person, you firmly believe that raising your voice signifies weakness.4. Not Envying nor JudgingYou can never make any assumption without being aware of the situation at hand in the first place. You dont have hard feelings about the success of other people, and you also dont believe in the negative things people have told you in the past.You like to celebrate the success of other people and do not get jealous when someone outdoes you in a particular area. You believe that success is a result of hard work and you are always ready to go that extra mile just to achieve what you want.5. Embracing ChangeWhen you are mentally strong, you will always b e flexible and adapt to new changes every time. You know that the fear of change can be paralyzing and a threat to your happiness and success.Every time you look for change that is waiting around the corner and develop a plan just in case these changes happen.You can only find the good in new things when you embrace change. You have an open mind as well as open arms, and they assist you to recognize and take advantage of the opportunities that are created by change.6. Willingness to Receive the Assistance of Other PeopleAs a mentally strong person, you are not a slave to your ego. You dont fear to ask support from others when you need help.Besides, you always have confidence when admitting that you don’t know certain things and you can always ask for help when you want to learn.7. Embracing FailureMentally strong people do not fear to fail because they are aware that for them to succeed, they must fail sometimes. You can never experience success without embracing failure.By admitt ing that you are on the wrong path, your mistakes create the way for your success. You should understand that the most significant breakthroughs in life happen at times when you feel that you are stuck or most frustrated.Frustration forces you to think differently, think out of the box and see the answers which you have been missing all the way.8. Not Letting Mistakes Bringing You DownMentally strong people believe that where they focus their attention greatly determines their emotional state.Focusing on the issues which you are going through can lead to prolonged stress and negative emotions, and this can significantly affect your performance.On the other hand, focusing on the actions which can improve yourself as well as your situation helps in creating a mood of personal efficiency.This, in turn, results in positive emotions, which enhances performance.Mentally strong people don’t like associating themselves with their mistakes, but they also don’t forget them. By not relatin g to their mistakes, and not forgetting about them, you develop the ability to adjust and adapt to your future success.9. No One Limits Your JoyIf you derive your sense of satisfaction and pleasure from comparing your life to that of others, you stop mastering your own happiness.When you feel good because of something you did, you won’t allow other people’s opinions on success to take that joy away from you.Whenever it is possible, you always dont focus on what other people think about you.Furthermore, you dont like comparing yourself to other peoples, and at times you take the opinions of other people positively.Mentally strong people believe in one thing, no matter what other people think or say about them, they are never as good or bad as people perceive them.10.  You Dont Limit the Joy of Other PeopleYou can never judge other people since you know that everybody has his or her potential, and they have something to bring to the table. Also, you can never take another person d own just to feel good about yourself.Always know that comparing your life to that of other people can be limit you.Resentment and jealousy drain life out of you â€" they are some of the greatest energy-stealers in a person. You do not waste your energy or time analyzing other people and worrying whether or not they are worth your time.Rather than wasting your energy and time on jealousy, you direct that energy into appreciating other people. You believe that celebrating the success of other people benefits you both.11. You Know How to Say NoYou are more likely to experience burnout, stress or even depression if you find it hard to say ‘no’.Mentally strong people understand that saying no is very healthy to them. Therefore, mentally strong people have developed the foresight and self-esteem to ensure other people understand them when they say no.When it comes to saying no, mentally strong people usually avoid certain phrases like “I am not sure” or “I don’t think I can do it.”You have confidence when saying no since you believe that rejecting new commitments usually honors your existing commitments. As a result, you have the opportunity to fulfill these commitments successfully.As a mentally strong person, you know how to wield self-control via saying no to yourself. You can easily delay satisfaction and avoid stupid actions which can cause you harm.12. Youre not SelfishYou like to assist others. Also, you never anticipate anything from a person after doing good to them. You believe in the saying that, “my candle cannot lose anything by lighting another candle.”13. The World Doesnt Owe You AnythingMentally strong people feel that they are not entitled to things in this life. They are always ready to work hard and deny themselves comfort just to achieve their goals.They believe that their world is what they make it be.As a mentally strong person, you never take anything for granted, and you always appreciate whatever you have.14. You Cannot Ple ase EverybodyEven though you are a genuine and kind person, you know that you can never make everyone around you happy.For you, spending time by yourself is an important thing, just like spending time with other people.However, you are not afraid to say no to someone who tries to steal the time youve set for yourself.15. You Know that Determination Pays OffAs a mentally strong person, once you set your goals no one can distract you from achieving these goals. Even though you might have failed severally, you dont see your failures as a reason to stop pursuing your goals.But, you see your failure as a chance to grow to improve yourself and grow stronger.You always find a way around any obstacle you encounter.Giving up is not something for you, but looking for different alternatives is what you know.16. Self-Improvement is Your ThingYou are always aware that life is all about learning and meeting new things. So, you live your life by trying to improve it, whether it is your health, job or any other aspect of your life.You don’t like people stopping you, and if they try to, “they are dead!”.17. You Know How to Forgive YourselfIf you are preparing a presentation, and you forgot to save all your work before you turned your PC off.How can you react?In reality, you only have two options; you can choose to forgive yourself and move on or blame yourself for what you did. As a result, you can waste more energy focusing on your mistakes.But, mentally strong people are conversant with self-comparison. You treat yourself just like you’d treat your friend. You cannot continue to put your friend down just because he or she made a mistake.So, why treat yourself the way you wouldn’t treat your friend?18. You Dont Like Staying in Your Comfort ZoneComfort zone is not a good place for a mentally strong person to be stuck. This is because nothing good comes out of there.As a result, you usually challenge yourself every day, and you like taking calculated risks.19. You Fol low and Believe Your HeartYou believe that you cannot go wrong so long as you are following your instincts and heart.You know that following your instincts and heart helps your soul to grow. Furthermore, you don’t ever feel sorry when you follow your heart.20. You Are Relentlessly PositiveWhen you watch new for an extended period, you will see that it is one endless cycle of violent attacks, war, failing companies, environmental disasters and fragile economies.Many people see that its very easy for them to think that its like everything is headed south.Who knows?There is a possibility that is true.However, mentally strong people never worry about such things because they can never find themselves in situations which they cannot control.Rather than starting a revolution, you channel your energy on directing the things which are within your controlâ€"your effort and your attention.Mental strength isn’t an inborn thing awarded to only the chosen few. You can achieve and enjoy it! H OW TO DEAL WITH SNARKY COMMENTSA study conducted by the Michigan State University in 2016 revealed that there is a lot of incivility in todays workplaces.The researchers found that people who experience snaky behaviors, such as put-downs and sarcasm, waste their mental strength trying to understand the person’s motives.As a result, these people become mentally drained, and they have a challenge in handling their instincts and managing their emotions. Thus, they are more likely to lose their temper since they lack the energy to control their impatience.If you are not careful, one snarky person can case mass incivility.However, there is still good news.You can remain mentally strong even when you are dealing with people full of snark. THREE OF THE BEST WAYS HOW YOU CAN RESPOND TO SNARKY COMMENTSDon’t Give Away Your PowerAllowing another person to control how you feel, think or behave hands them the power over you. But, you still dont want to let negative and snarky comments to imp act the way you feel about yourself or how your day shall be.In case a person decides to give you snarky comments regularly, you should never allow that person to occupy too much space in your life. You should always endeavor to make your day as interesting as possible, even when your workmates are rude to you.Also, you can decide never to allow snide remarks from your supervisor affect your self-esteem. Never hold any upsetting thoughts in your mind. In case someone gives you snark, take a deep breath as this helps you to stay calm, and then walk away from the entire situation if warranted.Stay True To Your ValuesYou should always know your values and prioritize living according to your values, even when dealing with snarky people.You should always know that maintaining your integrity is the secrete to your inner peaceâ€"whether it means to keep telling yourself, “It is essential to treat other people with respect,” or excusing yourself from circumstances which are not in line with your thoughts.Even if you feel tempted to respond to a snarky person, never stoop to his or her level. At the end of the day, you want to hold your head high, and know that you triumphed over the entire situation.You Know When To Speak And When To Keep QuietWhen you are mentally strong, you will always know the time to be assertive, and you will never back down from speaking up.Also, youll be able to recognize when a person is trying to use snarky comments just to grab your attention.Mentally strong people never feel like the must comment in every situation and they are not interested in entering in arguments, just to announce their presence. However, they are not afraid to address a person out of his or her behavior.You should always use direct communication, but when it is needed. You can choose to say, I didnt like your comment after I reminded you of that project. Did I upset you or something?Or, when you are in a meeting, and a person gives a negative comment to your idea, just turn and discuss it with people who look like they are interested in the idea. This will allow you to focus your attention on the right placeâ€"to the positive people. CONCLUSION  It is possible for everybody to develop strong mental muscles to assist them in handling snarky people and difficult situation in positively.However, if you happen to find yourself in a compromising situation, you might need to bail out, for good. An unhealthy environment can affect you, both physically and mentallyâ€"no matter how mentally strong you are.

Roman Terms Covering Politics, Law, War, and Lifestyle

The Ancient Roman Republic lasted from 509 BCE to 27 BCE, and was followed by the Ancient Roman Empire which existed from 27 BCE to 669 CE. While already boasting a lengthy rule, the Romans influence continued to shape all aspects of society for centuries after. Roman civilization made its mark on Elizabethan literature by inspiring Shakespeares seminal play, Julius Caesar. The iconic Colosseum in Rome is a staple case study in architecture studies and influenced many similar structures, especially sports stadiums. The Roman Republic, and even the Roman Empire with its Senate legislature, is often referred to as the building blocks of modern democracy. And its ruling over diverse lands and its trade with Asia via the Silk Road inevitably established cross-cultural exchanges that continue to today. These terms cover a variety of topics, ranging from names of battles to significant architecture, from geographical features to an explanation of cultural rituals. Hopefully, this extensive list will be intriguing for any history buff or Ancient Rome enthusiast.   Battles  and Warfare Rome was imperialism personified, and the Romans kept blow by blow records of many of the important battles that sealed that definition. Many Roman battles and battle plans are still cited as ideals by recent military tacticians and teachers in military academies. ActiumBattle of CarrhaeBattle of Milvian BridgeBattle of PharsalusCatapultCohort  Gergovia BattleMacedonian WarsMorbihan Gulf BattleRubiconSeleucidsSocial WarVercingetorix Politics and Law Politics played a vital role in Roman society. The passion plays in the Senate and the struggles for power among generals, kings, and emperors provide us a great deal of historical precedent for our society today. Comitia CenturiataConstitutio Antoniniana (Edict of Caracalla)ConsulCuriaCurule AedileCursus HonorumEdict of CaracallaForumInterregnumOptimatesPax RomanaPlebiscitumPlebeiansPraetorsSenatorsTarpeian RockTetrarchyTribuneTriumvirate Architecture   Rome built some of the finest civic architecture, both as public displays but also as functional works, aqueducts and other structures still standing today.   AqueductsCloaca Maxima  ColosseumForumInsulaRegionariesTemplum Lifestyle   What do you know of these terms related to social mores and traditions, music, and foods of Roman society? A.D.  and B.C.AgonaliaBacchanalia  ConfarreatioCornucopiaFabula TogataFescenine VerseGarum (Roman Fish Sauce)HedonismJulian CalendarLudiLudi ApollinaresLudi FloralesPater Familias  PraetextataPrandiumSalutatioTogaTria Nomina Geography At its height, the Roman Empire stretched over much of Europe; do you know these points of geographic interest?   ​7 Hills of RomeAlba LongaAntonine WallAppian WayBoiiGallia /GaulHadrians WallHispaniaMt. VesuviusPraefecturesVesuvius Religion   Roman religion changed over the centuries, and it includes Roman gods and goddesses, but also the influence of religion, and religious specialists.   Abundantia  Fides  FlamenJulian the ApostateMaiaMonkNicene CreedPersecutionsPervigiliumPontifex MaximusPriapusRegiaRex Sacrificulus  Sibyl People Do you know who these important persons were to the history of the Roman Empire?   7 Kings of RomeAugustusCaligula  ClaudiusConstantineCurtius (Lacus Curtius)Historia AugustaJulius CaesarJustinianNero  Pontius PilateScaevolaScipionic Circle

Ortho, Meta, and Para in Organic Chemistry

European Exploration and Trade Free Essays

There was once a time in our history, before computerized maps and satellites and tracking programs. Sailors had to guide themselves by the stars and very basic and inaccurate maps. In the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries in Europe there was advancement in technology and learning that led to widespread exploration and trade among countries. We will write a custom essay sample on European Exploration and Trade or any similar topic only for you Order Now The introduction of the compass, advancements in cartography, the printing press, and other inventions led to increased trade and exploration throughout Europe. Before the fifteenth century, sailors often didn’t venture far from what they knew because maps were extremely inaccurate and weather was unpredictable. In the fourteenth century a style of maps, called portolon charts, were introduced. These were pictures of harbors, ports, cities, and coastlines inscribed on sheepskin. These maps were valuable to the merchant and traders between cities, but to the explorer changing continents they were basically useless. The compass was also a major improvement to previous methods. Before this invention, sailors used the stars to navigate and stay on their somewhat planned course. However, during the day they were at a loss. When the compass was invented, it allowed sailors to know their bearing all the time. People soon learned to notice and pay more attention to weather patterns while sailing. They discovered the trade winds among the seas and noted where they were in relation to each other and what their effects on shipping were. The winds caused either a faster and smoother trip or a longer and rougher voyage, depending on the direction of the ship and the wind involved. This was an advancement to previous methods because they now knew what to expect and prepare for instead of guessing or being surprised. They could also plan routes and try new routes. This led to a period of time called the Age of Sail. The printing press was one of the biggest and most important inventions of this time period. Before, literature and documents were scarce and not very common. After the printing press was introduced, literary works and various types of documents were more available to the common person. This encouraged people to become more educated because they now had the means to do it. The printing press also had an effect on cartography. Because maps had to be either inscribed or drawn, they were rare and not very public. After the printing press, maps were able to be duplicated and shared with other cartographers. In doing this, they could compare their maps with other peoples and create a newer and more accurate representation of the land and sea. This caused people to become more sure and trusting of these maps, making them venture out further than they had before, thus increasing trade. The design and size of ships were also changing during this time. The Europeans began to incorporate the methods of other countries, such as China, into their own shipbuilding process. One change was the multiple sails on the ship which allowed for better upwind travel. The all-in-one rudder was also a major improvement because it allowed for easier and faster steering and better control and stability of the keel. All in all, various changes and improvements occurred during this time. Inventions and improvements such as map making, compasses, understanding of weather patterns, and the printing press were all factors in the increase in exploration and trade in Europe. How to cite European Exploration and Trade, Essay examples

Islamic Finance in Australia Global Market

Question: Describe about the Islamic Finance in Australia for Global Market. Answer: Introduction Islamic Financial System has earned an excellent image in the global market due to its innovative products and services. The global Islamic finance market is estimated to grow up to US$ 2.6 trillion by the end of 2017. Hence, the demands for Islamic Financial products are increasing all across the globe (Mollah Zaman, 2015). Though Australia has a minimum Muslim population of 2 percent, the market has a real potential to expand into the Islamic Finance. Hence, the paper has been developed to conduct a theoretical analysis and market research to observe the possibilities of growth for Islamic Finance in the Australian market. Report Background The primary purpose of the report is to analyse the potentials for Islamic finance in the Australian market. The study has been conducted to examine the literature critically on Islamic finance and explain the role of Islamic corporate governance and Islamic financial products in the development of the financial market of Australia. Hence, the paper will present a critical evaluation of the financial services companies that operates in the Australian market under the Islamic corporate governance model and offers Islamic Financial products to the customers. It will help to analyse the demand for Islamic financial products and observe the potential to grow in the Australian market. The data has been collected through secondary sources such as articles, journals, books, company and government reports, and internet sources to conduct the literature review in the context of the whole world. On the other hand, a critical evaluation has been presented in context to the Australian market in the discussion and analysis section (Rini, 2014). The primary limitation of the research is the second handed information that can be minimised by conducting a research survey to increase the reliability and efficiency of the study. Literature review Through the identification of corporate governance models and Islamic corporate governance, the role of the Sharia committee has been presented to understand the existing status of global Islamic finance market. Corporate governance models The corporate governance structure of a country has played a massive part in determining significant factors such as the legal and regulatory framework including the rights and accountability of each element associated with it. Meanwhile, there are three identified corporate governance models such as the Anglo-US model, the Japanese model, and the German model that have been utilised to control the capital market structure in developed countries (Hashim, Mahadi, Amran, 2015). The Anglo-US Model: The Anglo-US model has been characterised by individual share ownership, a well-established legal framework determining the significant rights and accountabilities towards shareholders, organisational management and directors and the outside shareholders not associated with the organisation. The specific model has included three major players to manage the open market operations in the developed countries. Moreover, the share ownership pattern has got its influence on the organisation as an increase in ownership can result in the increase in the influence (Abu-Tapanjeh, 2009). On the basis of ownership increment, specific regulatory changes have been triggered to facilitate the corporate governance tactics. The Japanese Model: The Japanese model has been identified by a premium level of stock ownership by associated organisations and banking corporations. Also, substantial public policy, legal framework and industrial proposition have provided significant connection to the financial banking systems and the corporations to create a trading relationship among industrial groups (Alam Choudhury Nurul Alam, 2013). Such corporate governance model has got a central banking corporation at the centre stage and a financial network around the system namely keiretsu. Meanwhile, in Japanese model, the non-affiliated shareholders have got petite to say in the governance procedure. The German Model: The German model has been characterised by two distinct boards such as a management board and a supervisory board. Such two-tiered board framework has efficiently managed the financial management as well as regulatory control in the market. Also, the voting right restrictions in the German model have limited the ownership structure of the shareholders to a certain extent (Mahmood, 2015). In the German model, the regulatory framework has been controlled by significant federal laws such as Commercial Law, The Stock Corporation Law and Stick Exchange Law. Islamic corporate governance and the role of the Sharia Committee Islamic corporate governance has followed strict standards and regulatory framework so that significant value of transparency, fairness and responsibility towards the shareholders can be incorporated. By managing financial risks to a certain order, the fundamental objective of Islamic corporate governance is to increase the shareholders value. In order to develop sustainable corporate governance, The Islamic Financial Services Board (IFSB) has published the guiding principles for corporate business organisations to maintain highest IFSE standards (Bhatti Bhatti, 2009). By identifying the growing need for standardisation in the Islamic finance industry, the Islamic corporate governance structure has delivered efficient business standards incorporating business ethics, transparency and fair trading concepts among the financial institutes operating in the global market (Morrison, 2014). Understandably, the Sharia governance committee has played a crucial role in advising the Islamic financial institutions about the compliance of guiding principles (Ahmed, 2014). Thus, greater clarity has been achieved within the financial services in the Islamic corporate governance. The five specific elements of the Sharia committee such as general approach, competence, independence, confidentiality and consistency have mandated the operative procedure of the Islamic financial services (Casper, 2015). The Sharia Board has connected the Islamic financial governance to the IFSB standards so that the organisations can understand their liability and responsibility towards the shareholders (Bhatti Bhatti, 2010). Moreover, the compliance of the Sharia Board has addressed significant issues associated with the financial governance securing transparency. Discussion and analysis Islamic corporate governance in Australia Governance is term that relates the government with its constituents. Therefore, corporate governance refers to the corporation and its constituents. It is important to understand who the constituents of a corporation are. Islamic corporate governance differs from that of corporate governance of conventional financial institutions. Islamic corporate governance mainly focuses on building a good relationship with entrepreneurs exploring for growth of businesses. The Islamic Financial institutions do not offer money in forms of debts, but believes in investing in potential projects in return of profit (Sukardi, 2013). The foremost difference is the risk level involved for the depositors of Islamic Banks when the bank invests on different projects. Hence, it can be seen that Banks or financial institutions opting for Islamic Financial products must be aware of the facts of high risk exposure that they tends to provide to the regular customers. Along with that, there is a need of proper a pproval of the Australian government before offering Islamic financial products in the Australian market. One of the major examples of Islamic bank in Australia is the MCCA Islamic Finance and Investment (Australia). The company started its business in the year 1989 as a registered corporation in Melbourne with $20,000. MCCA started its business with a vision to meet the investment, banking and financial needs of the Muslims living in Australia (Wijethunga Ekanayake, 2015). It offers all sorts of Islamic Financial products and has facilitated around $1 billion in home finance. Along with that, the financial institution also manages around $50 million in investment. Hence, it can be seen that Islamic Corporate has good opportunity to grow in the Australian market with upcoming projects available in the future. Islamic financial products in Australia Different Islamic Financial products can be offered by the Australian Banks to improve their positioning in the market. The Islamic Financial Products that can be offered by the Australian banks are discussed herein below: Products based on Profit and Loss sharing: In place of providing loan in return of interest, the Australian Banks can offer investment on basis of profit and losses. It will reduce the risk of the entrepreneurs and ensure the banks a higher rate of return. Furthermore, the entrepreneurs will get technical assistance of the banks and it will develop a good relationship with the customers (Zain, Zulkarnain, Hassan, 2015). Two different products can be offered namely Mudaraba Products that involves sharing of only profit and the second is Musharaka that is a termed used for joint ventures. Products based on investing financing: Product based financing is used to earn fees by purchasing properties and selling them to a buyer who pays the price of the property in small instalments. In return of the investment, the financial institutions earn a good amount of fees. The ownership of the property is not transferred to the buyer unless he pays the full amount. Alternative to Bonds: Another product is known as Sukuk that is a type of Islamic bond in which the investors are entitled with an ownership of a tangible asset, project, business, joint venture and service. It is important that every asset must be in compliance with the Sharia regulations (Srairi, 2015). Conclusion and recommendation The significant research on corporate governance models and the Islamic governance framework have provided the broader concept of corporate social responsibility among the financial services. Moreover, the IFSB standards and principle guidelines have incorporated significant strengths to the organisations operating in the Islamic finance industry proving transparency and fairness policy in business operations. Along with that, the Sharia Board has delivered ethical and moral standardisation among the Islamic corporate governance prohibiting any illegal business activities. Meanwhile, the existing Islamic corporate governance in Australia and the Islamic financial product discussion have pointed out the massive opportunities in the Australian market. Evidently, some of the fundamental recommendations have been included at the end of the paper to improve the current scenario. Improve the current set of the Regulatory framework: Through the identification of indifferent risks associated with the financial industry such as liquidity risk, transparency risk, fiduciary risks and legal risks, the efficient regulatory framework must be promoted to the Islamic financial services. The regulatory framework must upgrade licensing, liquidity rules and capital structure of the financial organisations so that the Islamic banking structure and system can provide efficient services in the developed as well as emerging nations. Strengthening supervision: By the help of the Sharia Board and IFSB standards, the Islamic financial governance structure has found solidity. Moreover, IBs and CBs supervision model must have been identified to provide right funding structure, efficient skills and management of services. Also, the operational independence through financial oversight can result in vigorous accountability practices to strengthen the corporate governance structure of the Islamic finance industry. References Abu-Tapanjeh, A. (2009). Corporate governance from the Islamic perspective: A comparative analysis with OECD principles.Critical Perspectives On Accounting,20(5), 556-567. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cpa.2007.12.004 Ahmed, P. (2014). Corporate Governance and Ethics of Islamic Finance Institutions.Journal Of Islamic Economics Banking And Finance,10(1), 32-55. https://dx.doi.org/10.12816/0025696 Alam Choudhury, M. Nurul Alam, M. (2013). Corporate governance in Islamic perspective.I J Islam Mid East Fin And Mgt,6(3), 180-199. https://dx.doi.org/10.1108/imefm-10-2012-0101 Bhatti, M. Bhatti, I. (2009). Development in legal Issues of Corporate Governance in Islamic Finance.J Of Ec And Admin Sciences,25(1), 67-91. https://dx.doi.org/10.1108/10264116200900004 Bhatti, M. Bhatti, M. (2010). Toward Understanding Islamic Corporate Governance Issues in Islamic Finance.Asian Politics Policy,2(1), 25-38. https://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1943-0787.2009.01165.x Casper, M. (2015), Sharia Boards and Sharia Compliance in the Context of European Corporate Governance.SSRN Electronic Journal. https://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2179412 Hashim, F., Mahadi, N., Amran, A. (2015). Corporate Governance and Sustainability Practices in Islamic Financial Institutions: The Role of Country of Origin.Procedia Economics And Finance,31, 36-43. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/s2212-5671(15)01129-6 Mahmood, S. (2015), International Perspectives - Corporate Governance Regulations and Models.SSRN Electronic Journal. https://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2423864 Mollah, S. Zaman, M. (2015). Shariah supervision, corporate governance and performance: Conventional vs. Islamic banks.Journal Of Banking Finance,58, 418-435. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jbankfin.2015.04.030 Morrison, S. (2014). Shariah Boards and the Corporate Governance of Islamic Banks in the United Kingdom.Journal Of Islamic Economics Banking And Finance,10(1), 96-109. https://dx.doi.org/10.12816/0025699 Rini, R. (2014). The effect of audit committee role and sharia supervisory board role on financial reporting quality at Islamic banks in Indonesia.Journal Of Economics, Business, And Accountancy | Ventura,17(1), 145. https://dx.doi.org/10.14414/jebav.v17i1.273 Srairi, S. (2015). Corporate Governance Disclosure Practices and Performance of Islamic Banks in GCC Countries.JIF,4(2), 1-17. https://dx.doi.org/10.12816/0024085 Sukardi, B. (2013). Corporate Governance Engineering of Islamic Banking and Finance: Tantangan Globalisasi Sistem Ekonomi dan Pasar Bebas.TSAQAFAH,9(1), 149. https://dx.doi.org/10.21111/tsaqafah.v9i1.42 Wijethunga, I. Ekanayake, E. (2015). Element of Corporate Governance in Islamic Banks vs Conventional Banks: A Case Study.Journal Of Islamic Banking And Finance,3(1). https://dx.doi.org/10.15640/jibf.v3n1a5 Zain, N., Zulkarnain, I., Hassan, P. (2015). Shariah Corporate Governance Structure of Malaysian Islamic Banking and Finance: The Traces of Shura.Journal Of Islamic Banking And Finance,3(1). https://dx.doi.org/10.15640/jibf.v3n1a3

Women in Law Essay Example

Women in Law Essay It is clichà © to say that women are the weaker sex. It was not too long ago when the things women were allowed to do were very limited. They were not allowed to wear skimpy clothing. They couldn’t even go to school. If they did, they only had limited subjects to study. Women were passive. They were fine about not being prioritized by the law. Then again, this did not last long. There were strong and courageous women who fought for their rights. The women of today are reaping all the benefits, especially when they were finally included in the law. This year, a number of non-residents enrolling in law school are increasing. More foreigners are taking up law. Compared to the part years, more minorities are venturing on the field of law. Some of these ethnic minorities are women. Women, who are also members of the ethnic minority, studying law, are something that is unfamiliar to most of us. It just goes to show that women are getting braver as years pass. It is then important to study women in law in comparison to the different ethnicities and minorities. First, we should look at how women are doing in the industry of law. This will include women as a group of people taken care and prioritized by the law, and women as a member of a group that creates the laws for commoners to follow. In short, women practicing law and women being governed by the law are the two sides of the coin that should be scrutinized. We will write a custom essay sample on Women in Law specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Women in Law specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Women in Law specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The Law’s Representation and Treatment of Women In the past years, law paid attention to women. The constitution and basic human rights show it all; however, this attention given to women by the law is very scant. All considerations and explorations, when dealing with rights and when creating a new law, are all centered to the male species. Humanity is explored to be able to come up with a sound law. Then again, this exploration is confined to the exploration of men. The women almost have no place in the law (Tilly and Gurin 1990, p. 485). There was an era of the feminine mystique. During this time, women are passive and submissive. This was also an era of general conservatism. This is partly because of the American societys pervasive permeation, in which all people engaged in psychoanalytic thinking. Consequently, the people made use of the law and of social science as well, as a social control. People failed to see that the law should also be a means of social inquiry (Tilly and Gurin 1990, p. 485). The law, during this time, only described the role of the women in society. It described where they stood, where exactly in the society should they be found. No one had the initiative to analyze the role of women in society. Their capacity to think and do things was generally underestimated, which is exactly the reason why the attention paid to them was very scant (Aggarwal, University of Delhi and Womens Studies and Development Center 2002, p. 205). What the law should have been capable of doing during those early times was to explain why women grew to be that way. There should have been researches and studies conducted to be able to come up with a more substantial and sensible constitution, where women would have been given the voice they rightfully deserve. Such act was not expected, because this occurred during the time when the only voices of the nation were the males. Everyone was busy about other social problems and issues, and complacency about gender issues got the better of most of the people in a given community (Aggarwal, University of Delhi and Womens Studies and Development Center 2002, p. 205). Women, as represented by law, were just members of a group who were different from men. The difference came only in discussions of biology and physical structure. Physiology was highly important in defining the conditions of women, but this did not last long. After some time, interpretations became brand new. Not everyone kept on believing what was already written. Pieces of information established began to be cracked open. Psychological passivity is no longer a trend, and people started to ask why (Aggarwal, University of Delhi and Womens Studies and Development Center 2002, p. 206). All old data were studied again, and this time, with newer tools, and of course, newer interpretations. More considerations in studying the old data were added. Other areas of gender and sexuality were being explored. Studies by social scientists helped women define themselves. They were able to explain why they were not experiencing their freedom for the past years. Women now know that they were passive and submissive because they were trained to be passive and submissive (Aggarwal, University of Delhi and Womens Studies and Development Center 2002, p. 207). The law and society both have a big influence on the general make-up of a woman. Society, since day one, has offered the woman alternatives. She was capable of choosing things for herself, and society has given her all the options she can choose from. The problem came in when the law, especially when it matched the power of society, controlled not the womans options, but her motivation to select from the choices given to her (Tilly and Gurin 1990, p. 485). Motivation of Women Controlled by the Law How, then, was motivation controlled? The law developed women through social science. It has controlled the women to automatically know that they have roles to fill. Women are trained to act as models. Why is this so? There is an accepted image of a woman, which every woman should emanate. All members of a society are governed by expectations. Something is always expected from them. An image is always expected from them. An act, a response, a reaction, a deed, an expression or the lack of it all, are all expected from them (Aggarwal, University of Delhi and Womens Studies and Development Center 2002, p. 209). Because of this, women in law are seen as light, soft, weak and small. They are slow, passive, rounded, cold, relaxed, peaceful and dull. They are domestic. They are expected to wait for their husbands from work. As they wait, they are expected to cook meals for their partners. They are expected to wash the dishes and do the laundry. They should keep the house clean, take care of the children, and watch after the pets. Because of how the law defines a woman, the woman has grown accustomed to the image asked of her. The woman is the patient one. She is grateful, kind, nice, moral, affectionate and loving. She is at the same time silly, sorry, careless and clumsy. The law has generalized women and failed to recognize individual differences (Aggarwal, University of Delhi and Womens Studies and Development Center 2002, p. 209). It is not surprising that there were no women lawyers during the old times. Women are expected to stay at home. They could not think of a simple law to add to the constitution. Today, all these are now being erased, as more women are already taking law, and there are women who take positions in public offices to create laws. It should not be forgotten, though, that they still experience restrictions. Women in law are still governed by laws, whether these are written or not, because society said so (Aggarwal, University of Delhi and Womens Studies and Development Center 2002, p. 205). The Conflict There is huge evidence for gender bias not only in developing countries but also in the United States, where one would expect that the law profession had already reached its maturity. The Employment Law Center together with The Women in Law Committee conducted a survey with some stunning results. According to 85% of the respondents, who are made up of women lawyers, they perceive gender bias in the legal profession. Two out of three say that their male colleagues dont accept them as equals (Aggarwal, University of Delhi and Womens Studies and Development Center 2002, p. 207). Interestingly, a number of women lawyers in the workplace seem to increase women’s perception of fairness. It’s not only the number of females in the workplace that contributes to this perception of inequality, however. Some of those surveyed claimed that the gender bias is caused by the belief in the workplace that woman lawyers are not part of the network of â€Å"old boys.† There are also cases where male lawyers unfairly try to make their points by physically threatening their female colleagues (Aggarwal, University of Delhi and Womens Studies and Development Center 2002, p. 209). It’s even more difficult in the United States to be a female lawyer and a member of a minority group at the same time. In this case, the person may be subject to a double bias in the legal profession. Women lawyers belonging to a minority group perceive both gender bias and ethnic bias in the workplace. According to them, the rules of professional conduct should be changed to prevent the racial and gender-biased behavior by their colleagues. The law profession itself may be in danger of retracting from its upward development as the discontent of female lawyers start to climb. Findings of the survey indicate that while more than seventy percent of the respondents still wanted to stay as lawyers, about twenty-four percent said they would choose to be in another career. Also, more than sixty percent of those surveyed believe that they dont have as much opportunities for advancement as their male counterparts. Its probably wise for the legal profession to accept more women because according to the survey, more than half of the female respondents preferred to work with other females. The legal profession and the courtroom itself seem to be teeming with gender bias based on the beliefs of women lawyers. More than seventy percent of the respondents feel negative bias coming from the opposing counsel and sixty percent say bias is also produced by clients. Almost fifty percent of the female respondents felt that their superiors have a gender bias, while about forty percent claim that bias is also present among their peers. Note that women lawyers are more likely to feel negative bias from the opposing counsel than from their peers. The most direct effect of gender bias in the legal profession is indicated by the fact that more than thirty percent of the respondents made career changes because of their perceived negative bias. Moreover, thirty-seven of the respondents did not make any changes in their careers because they believed that the situation would be the same if not worse in other careers. Its clear here that pessimism is the only thing that binds some women i n the legal profession. Had these women felt that other careers are less biased against women, they probably would have chosen other fields (Aggarwal, University of Delhi and Womens Studies and Development Center 2002, p. 205). Women lawyers deeply feel the gender bias in the legal profession. Results of the survey indicate that almost ninety percent of the respondents felt that there is a pervasive but subtle gender bias in the profession. In addition, almost forty percent believed that they would never be equal with their male colleagues (Aggarwal, University of Delhi and Womens Studies and Development Center 2002, p. 205). The gender bias in law forms a kind of â€Å"glass ceiling† which prevents women from advancing to other areas of the profession. While fifty-three percent of those surveyed believed that half of the women in the workplace received partnerships and promotions, sixty-four percent believed that male lawyers still received more partnerships and promotions. Gender bias is not the only challenge for women in the legal profession. Respondents say that they have negative feelings about having little time for their families, working too many hours, and difficulty in balancing their personal and professional lives. Despite these challenges, however, women are still very competitive in law. More than eighty percent of the respondents claim that they are satisfied with their jobs because of the challenges in the legal profession. They also enjoy the setting and the unique opportunity to meet other people. In 1992, the Ninth Circuit Gender Bias Task Force released some important findings on the issue of gender in the legal profession. They concluded that gender is still a relevant issue in law. The appointment process, conducts of lawyers in the courtroom, outside and other areas of the legal profession all have cases of gender bias. The report also claimed that males and females have different views on the prevalence and definition of gender bias in law (Aggarwal, University of Delhi and Womens Studies and Development Center 2002, p. 205). Like in other professions in the modern world, women are also subject to sexual harassment in the legal profession. The survey reveals some stunning statistics on the existence of sexual harassment in law. Nearly half of those surveyed claimed that they experienced sexual harassment at the workplace. This is disappointing considering that only thirteen percent of respondents reported that they felt sexual harassment decreasing over the past five years. It is always difficult to pin down the meaning of sexual harassment because of the number of behaviors that can be interpreted as sexual violations of women. The Judicial Council Advisory Committee released a report on gender bias in the courts in the 1990 in order to identify some behaviors that constitute sexual harassment in the legal profession. According to the report, acts and words that focus on the physical appearance or sexual attributes of women who participate in courtroom proceedings are considered cases of sexual harassment. The report identified other cases of sexual harassment in the legal profession such as the use of gender issues as a tactic during courtroom trials. Expressions that women are inferior or that they should not be lawyers are also considered to be violations of the law prohibiting sexual harassment. Furthermore, sexual harassment need not be done directly in order for it to be violative of the law prohibiting sexual harassment. The report recognizes th e participation and encouragement of gender bias by judicial officers as constitutive of sexual harassment (Aggarwal, University of Delhi and Womens Studies and Development Center 2002, p. 205). Based on all of the statistics regarding the situation of women in the legal profession, it is clear that all sectors of society should work harder to promote gender equality in law. The legal profession should be more concerned with gender equality since it promotes justice in its field. If the legal profession itself crumbles down to the pressures of tradition and stereotypes, then what hope is there for other areas of society to achieve something higher in terms of gender justice? Law firms must consider and accept more women lawyers to be free of the gender bias that apparently exists and proliferates in the law profession today. Governments also must strive harder to produce more laws that would guarantee women equal footing with men in the workplace. While it is true that gender discrimination cannot be eradicated by laws alone, it is important that sanctions be imposed on all citizens so they will be more aware of the rights of everyone for fair treatment. There should be stricter guidelines on the prevention of sexual harassment in the workplace so women will feel less pressure while doing their jobs. Laws must also be more specific on what constitutes sexual harassment so women will be more protected from sexual injustices (Aggarwal, University of Delhi and Womens Studies and Development Center 2002, p. 205). Society will be improved once womens status in the legal profession is elevated and developed more. It is time for the legal profession and society in general to recognize the huge contribution of women lawyers in promoting justice and equality. Also, more studies should be conducted on the perceptions of women regarding gender equality in law so that more immediate actions could be taken by the government and civil society. Once the legal profession is free of gender bias, then the government and other sectors of society could move forward on addressing the issue of gender bias elsewhere. Women are as talented and as hard-working as men in law, so they should be treated fairly and provided with equal opportunities for advancement. Bibliography Tilly, L and Gurin, P. (1990) Women, Politics and Change, Russel Sage Foundation, USA. Aggarwal, N. and University of Delhi and Womens Studies and Development Centre (2002) Women in Law in India, New Century Publications, Michigan.

Relevance of Modern Cinema to the Study of Ancient History essays

Relevance of Modern Cinema to the Study of Ancient History essays The Relevance of Modern cinema to the study of Ancient History Cinema has been around for about 100 years now. Who would have thought that the French short called The journey to the Moon (1901), would progress into a digital masterpiece like GLADIATOR. Over the century of movies that the world has witnessed, the have been almost 70 films made on the subject of classics. 21 of these were made in the decade between 1959-1969. Almost every one of these (with the exception of 6, including Carry On Cleo!) was solely intent on showing the cultural side of classical times, rather than the popular gory side (e.g. Cleopatra). Both sides are incredibly useful to the study of ancient history. The former shows how the ancient civilisations lived; and the latter shows what they did for entertainment. The subject of classics was first seen to be a novel idea to base a film on in 1899, by the French director Georges Mlis when he made Clopatre. This idea soon caught on, with some years churning out as many as 4 classics films a year (1908, 1961, 1962). However, the idea of classics in a movie soon became cliched, after 21 versions of Hercules, 9 versions of Quo Vadis, 15 films based on Cleopatra, and 7 versions of Spartacus. So, it was unsurprising that from 1983, there was a 14-year gap between two classics films. Ironically, both films were a version of Hercules, the most recent being a Disney Version (which actually stole ideas from almost every significant Greek myth ever told!) Even then, after 14 years, directors feared making a classical movie, as it could ruin their career. Ridley Scott was the first daring filmmaker, when, after 4 years, he made perhaps the most incredible classics film ever. Years of studying classics went into the movie, and the excellent effects enhanced the experience. Now, in the new millennium, the idea is once again becoming a trend, with Gates of Fire set to be released ...

Strategic Corporate Finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Strategic Corporate Finance - Essay Example An investor must be paid some price for this sacrifice (Brigham & Weston, 2009). So the future value of the dollar-assuming a positive rate of interest-will always be higher than its present value. Another reason for interest being charged on capital is that capital is one of the factors of production that can give access to men, materials and machinery, help automate and speed up processes and productivity in a short time and this is why the demand for capital attracts a price called the interest rate (Rao, 2011). Why is it Important for Financial Managers to Understand the Concept of Time Value of Money? Finance is the lifeblood of business and industry. Everything from running the day to day operations of an enterprise to meeting financial needs for future plans requires money. In fact investing surplus funds to get the best possible returns as well as keeping sufficient liquidity in the asset and liability mix is a key function of financial managers. They look at both present and future plans of the business and consider how to achieve these in the light of financial requirements (Crosson & Needles, 2008). This is why an understanding of the time value of money is of key importance to financial managers. They can match the funding and investment portfolios of the enterprise to get the best returns (Mathur, 1979). Calculations of the Future Value: a. $54,298 if invested for five years at a 7% interest rate FV= PV (1 + r)t FV= 52948(1 + 0.07)5 FV= 52948(1.07)5 FV= 52948 x 1.225 FV = $ 64,861. b. $99,112 if invested for three years at a 4% interest rate FV= PV (1 + r)t FV= 99112(1 + 0.04)3 FV= 99112(1.04)3 FV= 99112 x 1.125 FV = $ 111,501. c. $121,124 if invested for seven years at an 2% interest rate FV= PV (1 + r)t FV= 121124(1 + 0.02)7 FV= 112124(1.02)7 FV= 112124 x 1.149 FV = $128,830. d. $929,129 if invested for ten years with a 0.9% interest rate FV= PV (1 + r)t FV= 929129(1 + 0.009)10 FV= 929129(1.009)10 FV= 929129 x 1.09373 FV = $1,016,216. Calculation s of the Present Value: a. $455,126 to be received three years from now with a 4% Interest rate PV= FV/(1 + r)t PV= 455126/(1 + 0.04)3 PV= 455126/(1.04)3 PV= 455126 x 0.889 PV = $404,607. b. $289,231 to be received five years from now with a 5% interest rate PV= FV/(1 + r)t PV= 289231/(1 + 0.05)5 PV= 289231/(1.05)5 PV= 289231 x 0.864 PV = $249,896. c. $921,000 to received two years from now with a 12% interest rate PV= FV/(1 + r)t PV= 921000/(1 + 0.12)2 PV= 921000/(1.12)2 PV= 921000 x 0.797 PV = $734,037. d. $278,111 to be received eight years from now with a 1% interest rate. PV= FV/(1 + r)t PV= 278111/(1 + 0.01)8 PV= 278111/(1.01)8 PV= 278111 x 0.923 PV = $256,696. Suppose you are to receive a stream of annual payments (also called an "annuity") of $309,723 every year for three years starting this year. The interest rate is 4%. What is the present value of these three payments? PV of Annuity= PVA= A(PVFA)i,n PVA=309723(PVFA).04,3 PVA=309723 x 2.775 PVA=$859,481.32 Suppose you are to receive a payment of $239,201 every year for three years. You are depositing these payments in a bank account that pays 2% interest. Given these three payments and this interest rate, how much will be in your bank account in three years? FV of Annuity= FVAn=A(FVFA)i,n FVA=239201(FVFA).02,3 FVA=239201 x 3.060 FVA=$731,955. Evaluation of Module 2 Case Assignment The Module 2 case assignment gave me an opportunity to learn about the time value of

Team Collaboration Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Team Collaboration - Research Paper Example The second type is the leadership Team which has the strategic role in directing the company’s business decision. Most companies have such a team. Another type of team is the cross-functional teams. This is sometimes called the project team. It incorporates workers across different functions of the organization; mainly people with diverse areas of knowledge. They come together to share their knowledge toward a common goal. A familiar situation that needs a cross-functional team is the initiate of a new product (Robert and Barb, 2003). Sometimes we have a self-managed team. This type is also called a self-directed team; in this team, no position is granted authority. In a bid to working towards a regular goal, the team forms their action items, education, roles, and rewards system. This is usually founded on a very realistic what works, what doesn’t criteria. Some organizations have a quality circle team. This team works in a structured way to allow innovation at the same time as making management conscious of daily issues. Persons working in this team seek to locate, examine, and address issues in the workflow of their company. This is aimed at improving performance (Amy, 2004). The last type of team is the task force. This is a group of specialists that are called together with an aim of solving a predestined, distinct, and an assignment that comes once. If the duty recurs, sometimes it may also be called a commission (Amy, 2004). Developing a group into a team can be done in a four step process. The first stage is called the forming stage. In this stage, there is high dependence on leader for direction and course. There is minimal agreement on team aspirations other than those established by the leader. Individual responsibilities and roles are uncertain. The leader is obliged to answer many questions concerning the teams purpose, mission and external relationships (Amy, 2004). The next stage

Contemporary Indian Theatre And Habib Tanvirs

Contemporary Indian Theatre And Habib Tanvirs Habib Tanvir and Naya Theatre are two inseparable names which will always be remembered in the modern theatrical scenario in India. Its been a year since the death of Habib Tanvir, one of the most popular Indian Hindi, Urdu playwrights, a poet, a theatre director, and an actor, but still the majority of theatergoers in India remember his famous artworks like Agra Bazar and Charandas Chor. The country will always recall this man as the founding father of contemporary theatre of India. But before we go into his life and work details we will have a quick understanding of the evolution of contemporary theatre in India. The traditional theatre, The classical or Sanskrit theatre and The Modern theatre. Contemporary Indian theatre, as we know it today, has been widely influenced by the change in the political scenario in India. During the 200 years of British rule Indian theatre came in direct contact with western theatre. With the union of power by the British Raj in Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Bengal, it was in the metropolises of Bombay, Madras and Calcutta that they first introduced their style of theatre, primarily based on London concept. This genre of theatre began to expand in the 1850s as more enthusiasts started to perform their own play on different languages based on western style. Due to the growth of this new form of the theatre the other conventional form of theatre felt the heat. Theatre started being ticketed from the 1870s. By the 20th century and First World War, it became a product for sale and was restricted into the auditorium. As the Indian freedom movement picked momentum, the creative side of the theatre took a setback. In 1922, the Indian Communist Party was founded and along with it came the Indian People`s Theatre Association (IPTA), which worked as its cultural wing. They took the initiative of portable theatre and these were based on various political agenda primarily against the British Rule. Indian theatre was turning out as a medium of social and political change that would be more concerned about reaching out to the common people. Post-Independence, Indian theatre got a fresh and broader outlook from appropriate mixing of various styles from medieval, Sanskrit, and western theatre. This newly found entity was further enhanced by the formation of Sangeet Natak Academy in Jan 1953 and the National School of Drama, New Delhi under Ebrahim Alkazi in 1959. This dramatic revival brought many pioneers in the theatrical front among which Habib Tanvir was one of the most popular theatre playwright-director in Hindi and Urdu. Along with B.V. Karanth (1928-2002), Ibrahim Alkazi (born 1923), Utpal Dutt (1929-1993) Satyadev Dubey (born 1936), Tanvir shaped the structure of modern theatre in India. The individuality in Tanvirs form of theatre was that it showed how Indian theatre could be simultaneously blended with traditional and contemporary aspects. His theater was not fixed to any one form as a whole. His works reaped the skills, energies of folk performance and made them relevant to the secular and democratic perspective. The effect was that his artwork was as challenging as it was entertaining. During the five decades of his stint in theatre, Tanvir gave such memorable productions as Agra Bazar[1954], Mitti ki Gari[1958], Gaon ka Naam Sasural Mor Naam Damaad[1973], Charandas Chor[1975], Jis Lahore Ni Dekhya[1990], and Rajrakt[2006], of which many are renowned as classics of the contemporary Indian stage. In popular culture, the name of Habib Tanvir is closely related to the concept of the folk theatre. However, Habib Tanvirs appeal with the folk was motivated by the folk performers who brought their own styles along with them. Habib Tanvir plays involved actors who can sing and dance. His project from the start had been to utilize elements of folk as an instrument to produce theater to appeal general masses. Habib Ahmed Khan was born in Raipur, Chhattisgarh to Hafiz Ahmed Khan, who belonged to Peshawar. Tanvir was a pen-name he took later when he started writing poetry. Raipur, during that time was a small town surrounded by villages. As a child, Tanvir too had many opportunities to visit villages, interact with the residents and listen to the songs of the locals. He was so attracted by those melodies that he even memorized some of them. Tanvir completed his schooling from Laurie Municipal High School in Raipur and his BA from Morris College Nagpur in 1944. After pursuing his Masters for 1 year at Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), Tanvir moved to Bombay in 1945 and joined All India Radio (AIR). He also joined the PWA (Progressive Writers Association) and became an essential part of IPTA (Indian Peoples Theatre Association) as an actor. When the Communist Party of India was banned many IPTA members were jailed or went underground. From 1948-50, Habib solely handled the responsibility of running the organization. In 1954, Tanvir moved to Delhi, and worked with Hindustani Theatre formed by Qudsia Zaidi and authored many plays. It was in this period he met Moneeka Mishra, also an actor-director, whom he later married. In the same year, he produced Agra Bazar, based on the times of the 18-th-century Urdu poet, Nazir Akbarabadi, an older poet in the generation of Mirza Ghalib. He used students of Jamia Millia Islamia and local residents and folk artists from Okhla village and created an ambience never seen before in Indian theatre. The play was not staged in a restricted space, but in a bazaar, a marketplace. Later, On a Govt of India scholarship, Tanvir went to England in 1956. He received training at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, and the British Drama League, and having exposure to Western drama and production styles. He traveled extensively throughout Europe, watching theatre. In 1956 he spent about 8 months in Berlin and saw numerous productions by Bertolt Brecht. Being Tanvirs first experience with the German playwright-directors work he was quickly influenced by it. Simplicity and directness were the benchmark of Berliner Ensemble productions, and Tanvir was reminded of Sanskrit drama, about its simplicity in technique and presentation. By the time he got back to India, he was determined to unlearn much of what he had learnt at RADA. Thus following a path of development opposite to that followed by other Indian directors trained in Britain. Soon after returning from Europe, he worked with some folk artists of Chhattisgarh and tried to understand their forms and techniques. His first production, Mitti ki Gadi, included 6 folk actors from Chhattisgarh in the cast. Besides, to give a distinct Indian form and style, he used the conventions and techniques of folk stage. This play though is now performed entirely by village artists, but it is still considered as one of the best modern portrayal of the classic. Tanvir and his wife Moneeka Misra founded Naya Theatre in 1959. During this stage of career, Tanvirs interest in the folk traditions and performers continued to grow. But, it was not until the early 1970s that this association reached a new and more sustained phase. Tanvir wasnt entirely satisfied with the working of folk actors. He identified two faults in his approach to tackle them. Firstly, the problem with the rural artists was they not only could read or write but couldnt even remember what way they needed to move in the stage. So, it wasnt wise enough to pre-define their movements in advance. Secondly, making these people speak standard Hindi in Hindustani plays created a severe handicap for them and restricted their freedom of expression and creativity in performance. To improvise on these faults, the folk actors were allowed to speak in their native Chhattisgarhi dialect. He also worked intensively with rural performers in their language delivery and style of performance. Also, to make them feel stage worthy, he allowed them their own portion of delivery in their own traditional way. The second breakthrough came when Tanvir conducted a nacha workshop in Raipur in 1972 where more than a hundred folk participants were involved in a month-long exercise. During this workshop, three different traditional comedies were selected and combined to form a full length play. Further improvisations linked them up to a full story, leading to a stage play called Gaon ka Naam Sasural, Mor Naam Damaad. This play marked a turning point in Tanvirs career, not only because the play was a grand success in Delhi but that he finally found the form and style he was searching since his directorial debut. Since then, he continued his construction and casting of play through improvisations. Through this method, at that time he produced his best work Charandas Chor(1975). This play is still the evergreen favorite for most theatre goers. Tanvirs Naya Theatre worked almost entirely with folk actors. But, his occasional productions with other theatre groups were also marked by the style he developed through his work with folk artists. But, this newly developed style was not folk theatre by any sense. He was still an urban artist with sensibility, modern outlook and strong sense of history and politics. His unique style and content in theatre always reflected his commitment to common people and their causes, primarily due to his involvement with the leftist cultural movement in early years. Tanvirs fascination with the folk was motivated by the fact that he believed there is a huge artistic and creative energy inherent in these traditions. He always borrowed techniques, music and themes from these traditions as and when required. His theatre never belonged to any one form or tradition wholly. His plays, from the beginning, have been utilizing elements of folk traditions as a tool and make them give new, contemporary meanings, and to create an art form which has that touch of soil in it. The performance styles of the actors were always in their conventional nacha background, but the plays were not original nacha productions. While the number of actors in a nacha play is usually 2 or 3, the rest being background dancers and singers, Tanvirs plays used to involve a whole casting of actors, some of whom could sing and dance. His productions always had a structure which one doesnt associate with the original form of the nacha. Another significant difference is that while the nacha songs are mostly used as intermediate musical delays, in Tanvirs plays they were closely embedded as an important part of the theme of the play. This is best displayed in some his adaptations like The Good Woman of Szechwan (Shaajapur ki Shantibai) and A Midsummers Night Dream (Kamdeo Ka Apna, Basant Ritu Ka Sapna). Tanvir not only gave his poetic compositions the freshness of the original but has also used his words to fit native tunes with ease and skill. However, Tanvir was always conscious not to create a difference between his own educated minds over the uneducated creative mind of his actors. An example of this approach is the way Tanvir mixed his poetry to the traditional tribal and folk music, retaining its own imaginative power without in any way less valuing the latter. Another example is the way he allowed his actors and their skills to be projected by less complicating the lighting stage design. Therefore in contrast to the stylish genre of drama on one side and the traditional theatre on the other, Habib Tanvir, with his own blend of tradition, folk creativity and critical consciousness, offered a fresh and innovative model of field of dramatics. It is this rich blend which made his art so memorable. Even after Tanvirs death, his innovative art form and style is still being carried forward through newer productions of Naya Theatre. Seeing recent performance of Naya Theatre actors in movie Peepli Live we can probably comment that Tanvirs art form is gradually crossing the barriers of contemporary theatre and exploring newer towards mainstream cinema.

How Upholding Ethical Values Helps an Organisation

HOW UPHOLDING ETHICAL VALUES HELPS AN ORGANIZATION THAT USES INFORMATION SYSTEMS? INTRODUCTION In order to understand the role of ethical values and the related ethical codes of conduct with regard to information systems in organization performance, there is need to put the, whole affair in a broad context as to the rise of ethical issues and dilemmas in the management of systems for organizational performance and development.Information systems has been defined as â€Å"a set of interrelated components that collect, process, store, retrieve and distribute data or/information in an organization referred to above facilitates decision making and control in an organization† The data or information referred to above facilitates decision making and control in an organisation and hence being crucial to organizational management and performance.It can therefore be said that the system of managing the collection, processing, storage, retrieval and distribution of data and information is what is termed as Management Information Systems. Infact Management Information Systems is about the relationship between management and the operations of an organization. When you think about this assertion, three things stand out; How IT or information systems improves the management of an organization How IT or information systems helps in the improvement of organizational performance How IT contributes to organizational developmentThe fact of the matter is that the rapid growth of Information Technology and hence the use of information system has contributed significantly to organizational management, improvement in organizational performance and organizational development in general. The rapid advancement in IT has led to creation of INTERNET and the rise of the DIGITAL FIRM. While significant achievements in social progress have been recorded, at the same time, it has led to social costs for other users, and the rise of computer crimes.Infect the rapid advancement of IT and the attendant use of information systems has created ethical issues and this is due to the following; I. T changes the distribution of decision making rights, power and other resources. For example IT makes it possible for millions of people to download video files weakening the exclusive rights of movie studios to control distribution for their own profit. IT creates new opportunities to commit crimes. For example e-mail creates conditions for extensive â€Å"Phishing† or online con games designed to defraud ordinary citizens.In this era if IT and the expansion of computer usage, ethical values for good management information system can be looked at in relation to the following ethical moral dimensions. Information rights and obligation – this is about ourselves as human beings and organizations Property rights and obligation – this is the protection of intellectual property rights Accountability and control – this pertains to who will be held accountab le in case harm is done. Systems quality – standards of data and systems quality.Quality of life – this is in connection with in the preservation of values and culture WHAT IS ETHICS Ethics refers to the principle of right and wrong which people use to make choices to guide their behavior and actions in the operations for organizational performance It is necessary here to reflect on some key technological trends which have led to ethical issues in information systems; Computing power doubles every 18 months. Almost everything is computerized. The over dependence on computers us giving rise to errors.As computer usage increases its use if being abused Rapidly declining data storage costs. Modern computer techniques have led to the creation of multiple databases. Software’s have become cheap and this led to some people to store phonographic material. Data making advances – the use of high speed search engines has led to things like harking. It has led to va luated access to information and hence interfering with people’s privacy and the confidentiality of organizational information and data is at stake. Advances in networking including the INTERNET – This has led to increased computer crime.Thus, as we witness increased technological advancement and the increased use of information systems, concern must be put on the attendant rise of computer crime and other ethical issues, ethical concerns and dilemmas in this era of globalization. Therefore organizations using information systems must concern themselves with the need to put in place ethical codes of conduct and enforce them with emphasis on inculcating into the minds of their employees the use of ethical values in their day to day work for the proposer management of their organizations and managementHOW THE USE OF ETHICAL VALUES CAN HELP AN ORGANISATION WHICH IS USING INFORMATION SYSTEMS Upholding ethical values in an organization using information systems is of benefi t to both within and outside stakeholders. That is To outside stakeholders, the organization gives assurance to its clients of security and confidentiality of their data. Hence the integrity of the organization is reaffirmed. Ethical values are used to assure people of fair and free judgment thus transparency in operation. Ethical values emphasize law and order which affect the behavior of employees in a desired direction.For example workers of an ethical upright organization would not spend working time moonlighting since they are aware of illegality involved in using organization resources for private work. Ethics controls dilemmas. For example it is not certain if software fits in intellectual property law since it is a code created by mathematical texts (Severson 1997 p. 33). Hence in such incidences the law would work best with morality. Ethics is used for consistent decision making at all levels of management in the organization because everyone would be aware of what is accep ted or not.For example someone from an ethically upright organization was asked to steal funds using the electronic fund transfer would immediately say no because he or she would know is wrong without putting too much thought on the benefits of stealing. Through upholding ethical values, trust among employees is established since they are assured of confidentiality. This in turn brings a sense of belonging and commitment to the organization. By ensuring ethical values, the security is made certain since the organization ensures that the hacking is illegal and punishable especially in incidences of uncertainty.Fair presentation ensures honesty and fairness in the market to avoid law suits despite the pressure to succeed. This encourages whistle blowing in order to avoid negative publicity that may tarnish the image of the organization in the public eye. For† example it is unethical for an organization to bribe a worker from a competitor company to be their informer on the compe titor’s plans. Ethical values act as a driving force to achieving organization goals and objectives thus increasing productivity.That is ethics provides basic guidelines on which behavior is more likely to achieve the best results in the wrong run instead of mixing wrong and right. An organization upholding ethical values controls misuse of organization resources. For example if the organization considers download if internet material like movies, music for personal gain as un ethical, then its workers may not do that and this would minimize wastage of internet data. Upholding ethical values would create a conducive working environment which would create team work and sense of belonging for the workers.This reduces chances of corruption and malice as everyone would look out for each other from bottom to top and top to bottom. This also reduces supervision of workers thus providing opportunities for innovation. For example in an ethically upright organization, the manager may enjoy leave away from work without worrying about decline of profits in his absence. REFERENCES C. A Raiborn&D. PayneCorporate codes of conduct: A collective conscience and continuum. Journal of Business ethics. 9:879-889, 1990.

Costco case Analysis Essay

1. What is Costco’s business model? Is the company’s business model appealing? Why or why not? Costco’s business model is focused on producing high sales volumes and rapid inventory turnover by offering members low prices on a limited selection of national name brands and select private-label products in a wide range variety. Costco is focused in low-cost strategy is concentrated on a narrow buy segment and out competing rivals by having lower costs, therefore being able serve a niche consumers at a lower price. (Gamble, John and Thompson, Arthur (2009). Costco’s business model is appealing because they are able to continually sell to a niche market. This niche market has annual income which ranges from $75,000 to $100,000 or more a year. By offering the best products possible at lower price, they are able to have these members return. Presently there are 47,679,000 card holders which include Executive members, Business member, Primary cardholders and Add-on cardholders. Whereas Costco has offered the most popular products in order to have a rapid turn-over. Cost co has proven that there business strategy has worked by continually producing higher net sale. 2. What are the chief elements of Costco’s strategy? How good is the strategy? Strategy is the organization’s pre selected that means to achieve its goals or objectives, while keeping in view current and future external conditions. Costco’s strategy’s elements are low prices, limited product lines and selection and treasure hunt shopping environment. Costco’s is following cost leadership strategy which is good because on this base they can compete with their competitors. By limited product lines and limited selection they are offering limited 4000 items which are less as compared to its competitors. Costco’s is adopted market development strategy by capturing new markets for existing products. Also it provides such product at low prices to its members which they believe will not be available in next visit. This works as an incentive and members try to take maximum advantage and therefore Costco’s sales volume increases. At Costco’s warehouse products are not offered in every size. The strategy they followed is th at by offering every size their efficiency will decrease therefore it is said intelligent loss of sales. 3. Do you think Jim Sinegal has been an effective CEO? What grades would you give him in leading the process of crafting and executing Costco’s strategy? What support can you offer for  these grades? Refer to figure 2.1 in Chapter in developing your answers. Jim Sinegal is an effective CEO after gone through the case study. There are various reasons which show that Mr. Jim Sinegal was responsible to lead the path of strategy effectively. First, Jim Sinegal had made a transparent and well defined planned path for the Costco to follow. He was the only person in the company for the preparation of business model and appreciated over the growth of the strategy of the company. He had know how skills and created an environment to offer treasure hunt in the stores and maintain low prices and helps in promoting large volume of store traffic that helped in building quick turnover of inventory. He was responsible for driving the ability of the company to achieve yearly sales nearly to $130 million per store. According to the case study Sinegal had performed excellent job in the execution of the strategy process at Costco. He performed three functions in the company as producer, knowledgeable critic and director. He went to stores for investigation for checking out the performance of store managers and asked various questions from them, about the performance of stores and told them to do more work on their weak areas. In this case, when Sinegal found answers to his questions less than expected than he told store managers to do more research and come back with sufficient information. 4. What core values or business principle has Jim Sinegal stressed at Costco? The main business principle activity of Costco is to provide high value to users by offering global and local tag products at low prices, also it integrates its employees in a very nicely way. Jim Sinegal wanted to say that these two principal activities reflected in working environment of Costco which makes them profitable throughout the world as compared to other conventional wholesalers and merchandisers. 5. (in the event you have covered Chapter 3) What is competition like in the North America wholesale club industry? Which of the five competitive forces is strongest and why? Use the information in Figures 3.4, 3.5, 3.6, 3.7, and 3.8 (and the related discussions in Chapter 3) to do a complete five-forces analysis of competition in the North American wholesale club industry. The wholesale club industry has evolved into a common oligopoly just as other major industries have. The â€Å"big three† of this industry are Costco, Sam’s Club, and BJ’s. A five forces analysis will be examined in regards to the wholesale club industry. Force one, barriers to entry; the three companies  are at an advantage because of the difficulty of new firms entering the industry. They accomplish economies of scale and scope due to the size and volume of their sales by buying and selling more goods on a larger scale with lower costs. It would take a considerable amount of time for a new entrant to achieve the benefits of economies of scale. The capital requirements are large due to the construction of buildings and acquisition of land and licenses. Only companies with an established distribution network would have a fair chance of entering the industry. Force two, the threat of substitutes, is not a factor because the service they offer is not offered by other outside competitors. Force three, the bargaining power of buyers, is the strongest force working in the favor of the industry. This is so because buyers cannot negotiate the price. The main reason customers come to wholesale clubs is they are attracted by the already low prices and value of buying in bulk. Force four, the bargaining power of suppliers could come into play if a more favorable opportunity presents itself in the general retail industry. Wholesale clubs offer only a percentage of the products that a general retailer does. A key strategy of Costco is aimed squarely at selling top-quality merchandise at prices consistently below what other wholesalers or retailers charge. Force fifth, rivalry among existing players, is not a major factor. Costco, the runaway leader presently, offers the â€Å"treasure hunt† deals where extreme bargains are offered for short, unannounced periods of time. This creates buzz amongst customers by enticing them to return on a consistent basis to explore what â€Å"treasures† are available. BJ’s sets itself apart by being the only club among the three to accept manufacturer’s coupons. They also are the only club to accept all four major credit cards, MasterCard, Visa, Discover, and American Express, at all locations. They also offer a broader assortment of items as compared to Sam’s and Costco. 6. Base on the data in case Exhibits 1 and 4, is Costco’s financial performance superior to that at Sam’s Club and BJ’s wholesale? 7. Does the data in case Exhibit Exhibit 2 indicate that Costco’s expansion outside the U.S. is financially successful? Why or why not? 8. How well is Costco performing from a strategic perspective? Does Costco enjoy a competitive advantage over Sam’s Club? Over BJ’S Whole sale? If so, what is the nature of its competitive advantage? Does Costco have a winning strategy? Why or why not? Costco has been playing very successful in the wholesaling industry as it can be seen from its business strategies. First of all, for the purpose of supporting the Costco’s business model of generating high sales volumes and rapid inventory turnover, Costco members are given a limited selection of nationally branded and select private label products in a wide range of merchandise categories. Then Costco combine its rapid inventory turnover with the operating efficiencies to run the business profitably at significant lower gross margins than traditional wholesales, mass merchandisers, supermarkets and supercenters. As a result, Costco takes advantages of its high sales volume and rapid inventory turnover to obtain the benefits of early payment discounts from merchandise vendors due to the high sales volume and rapid inventory turnover allow Costco to generate enough cash in account. Secondly, the pricing strategy of Costco is key factors to support the low price business strategy which is to cap the margins on branded name merchandise at 14 percent so that its members can buy with low price. Thirdly, Costco focus to offer limited selection that is about 4000 items with fast selling models, sizes and colors, and target the small businesses for its commercial and professional models selling. Furthermore, advertising and sales campaigns are not being used frequently by Costco for the marketing strategy and the company only launches campaigns for new warehouse openings. In addition, Costco also use direct mail to prospective new members occasionally and direct mail programs promoting selected merchandise to members regularly. Opening more new warehouses, building an ever larger and fiercely loyal membership base and employing well executed merchandising techniques to encourage members to shopping more frequently with big trip are the main central growth strategy of Costco. Moreover, online shopping is another alternative that Costco offered to members so as to make their shopping more convenient rather than switch to competitors. In addition, Majority of merchandise is owned by Costco, and the company also builds direct buying relationships with many producers of national brand name merchandise and manufacturers and this result in the available of flexible alternatives of suppliers for Costco in anytime to  have sufficient of stocked merchandise. Also, Costco’s membership base and member demographics contains powerful buying ability as it mainly target the individual customers with minimum income of $75000 and 30 percent of the targeted customers earn more than $100000 annually. For the purpose of executing Costco’s strategy successfully, the company offer biannual bonuses and full spectrum of benefits for its employees. More important, the promoting opportunities will consider the insiders first based on the company policy. Other factors that determine the success of Costco also include the business philosophy, values and code of ethics such as obey the law and governmental regulations, take of members, take of employees, respect suppliers and business partners, and reward the shareholders. Costco is beating both Sam’s Club and BJ’s wholesale in net sales and market share. However, Sam’s Club has launched an aggressive campaign to increase its market share. 9. Are Costco’s prices too low? Why or why not? Yes, because the gross profit margin falls into the normal range for this industry. However, it should be trending upward and as you can see it is actually decreasing slightly. If this trend continues, steps will need to be taken to correct the problem. Another probability indicator, return on stockholder equity indicates that the company has a problem. Average returns are around 12%, which Costco was nearing in 2004 and 2005. In2006, the company experienced a sharp decline which is causing for concern. Investigate this decline. It could be due to low profits after taxes. If the pricing is too low, this can happen. Currently, Sinegal, admittedly, tries to sell products at the lowest price possible for longevity. However, if the investors in the firm are not making appropriate returns for the risk, they will invest elsewhere. The current ratio figure is in the average range but on the decline. The debt to equity shows a strong balance sheet and low levels of debt. It is trending downward. The inventory turnover rate is slightly higher than average, indicating that Costco is outperforming competitors in moving product. Also cause for concern is the fact that the working capital is shrinking. This might indicate the inability to expand without a loan. 10. What do you think of Costco’s compensation practices? Does it surprise you that Costco employees apparently are rather  well-compensated? Costco’s compensation and benefits are higher than those at walmart. Salaried employees in Costco warehouses could earn anywhere from $30000 to $125000 anually. Costco employees enjoyed a benefit package that included the following points. Health and dental care plans. A dependant care reimbursement plan. Confidential professional counseling services. Company paid long term disability coverage equal to 60%,of earning for workers that were out for more than 180 days on a non-worker’s compensationleave of absence. Generous life insurance and accidental death and dismemberment coverage. An employee stock purchase plan. 11. What recommendations would you make to Costco top management regarding how best to sustain the company’s growth and improve its financial performance? Costco is a company that have some criticism, such as people has to wait for a long time to pay their products. However costco doeS not have big problems that desperately need to be fixed. So it should stand in the same course using the present strategy. I think Costco has the capacity to continue investing in new stores and grow sales. It can also expand sales by introducing new products line, like furniture. The company has the financial resources to keep growing its business and open more warehouse locations