Fp101 - 959 Words

------------------------------------------------- University of Phoenix Material Credit Protection and Identity Theft Directions Refer to: Free Credit Report on the Federal Trade Commission’s site. * Identity Theft resource center on the Federal Trade Commission’s site. Provide answers to three of the following questions based on your readings and your personal experiences. Answers should be 100-to 150-words each. 1. If you find errors on your credit report, what steps would you take to correct them? 1. Tell the credit reporting company, in writing, what information you think is inaccurate. Credit reporting companies must investigate the items in question — usually within 30 days — unless they†¦show more content†¦4. Using the FTC site, what can you do to minimize the chance of your identity getting stolen? Keeping your important papers secure, shredding documents with sensitive information before you put them in the trash, and limiting the personal information you carry with you are among the ways you can protect your identity you could also put some active duty alerts to add an extra layer of protection to the credit records. An active duty alert on a credit report means businesses have to take extra steps before granting credit in your name. Active duty alerts last for 1 year, and can be renewed to match the period of deployment also never give your credit cardShow MoreRelatedFp101 Week 1 Dq Answers1559 Words   |  7 PagesFP/101 Week One DQ 1   Post a 150- to 300-word response to the following discussion question by clicking on Reply:   Refer to Figure 1-1 of Personal Finance. List the five steps in the personal financial planning process. Share one or two questions you may ask yourself when you are in Step 1.   According to Figure 1-1 of Personal Finance, the five steps in the personal financial planning process are: Step 1 – Analyze your current finances, Step 2 – Develop goals, Step 3 – Identify and evaluateRead MoreFoundations of Personal2001 Words   |  9 Pages|Nongraded Activities and |Watch the video, Decision to Own a Home vs. Rent, located at the following link: |Week 1 | | |Preparation |https://ecampus.phoenix.edu/secure/aapd/materials/videos/FP101.html |Day 7 | | |Video | | | | |Individual Read MoreHow Can Communities and Governments Encourage Recycling Efforts in the United States?3602 Words   |  15 PagesQuestions | Respond to weekly discussion questions. | | 1 | Nongraded Activities and Preparation Video | Watch the video, Decision to Own a Home vs. Rent, located at the following link: https://ecampus.phoenix.edu/secure/aapd/materials/videos/FP101.html | | | Individual Personal Financial Planning Worksheet | Resource: Appendix BComplete the Personal Financial Planning Worksheet located in Appendix B. Be sure to answer all questions completely.Post your Personal Financial Planning

How Private Is Our Privacy On Internet - 1731 Words

How Private is our Privacy on Internet? 1,846 words Stephen Hawking, a well-known scientist and researcher once said, â€Å"We are all now connected by the Internet, like neurons in a giant brain†. In other words, he meant that the internet is helpful to us, in every way, from getting the information around the world to getting connected with everyone. The world today is an age of internet where there is life in and outside of the web. The internet is very powerful and convenient, so that it has become an inevitable part of the Americans. On the other hand, it is not a very good thing when the big corporations and the government use it to spy on the consumers and use it as marketing tool. The online privacy and safety is a major concern in†¦show more content†¦However, most users are not aware of the amount of personal information that can be collected without their consent when they do such ordinary things as visiting a Web page, opening a document, or reading an e-mail message. The protocol of the Web requires that a certain amount of information be exchanged between a user’s Web browser and the Web server with which it is communicating. The server needs to know the type and version of the browser because different versions have different capabilities, such as support for Java or online forms. The Web server knows the page from which the user came and the page to which the user goes because that information is part of the environment shared by the Web server and the users Web browser. Information about an Internet user can be collected in many ways, including the underlying protocol of the web, cookies, banner advertisements and web bugs. A user may also provide information to an online vendor to reduce annoyances. Almost every user has seen a popup ad of almost anything that is annoying and disturbing. Some of these ads comes in full screen and would not let us close the pop up window. These ad companies know that the people gets annoyed when the same popup ad keeps appearing. Some of the ads have a â€Å"Click here to disable this ad† button that takes the user to another page which shows you even more ads of the company. By doing so, aShow MoreRelatedControversy of Privacy and the Internet1117 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"Privacy is dead – get over it†, according to Steve Rambam, a privacy investigator who specializes in Internet privacy cases, this is how he considers privacy to be in today’s society. He is just another entity living in the midst of a high technology society to whom privacy seems to be dead when reaching the Internet. With all the traffic on the Internet, the risk of private information falling into the wrong hands is excessive, and with all the advances in computer technology the rate of privacyRead More Privacy On The Internet Essay1588 Words   |  7 Pages Privacy on the Internet nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Ever feel like you are being watched? How about having the feeling like some one is following you home from school? Well that is what it will be like if users do not have the privacy on the Internet they deserve. EPIC (Electronic Privacy Information Center), a advocacy group that has been fighting the Clinton Administration for tougher online consumer protection laws, and other privacy protection agencies have formed to protect the rights andRead MoreInternet Privacy.1148 Words   |  5 PagesSolutions for Violations of Internet Privacy. In the past thirty years computer technology has been developing very rapidly. Internet in last decade has revolutionized the way how we conduct our lives and businesses. Internet has become a daily necessity we cannot live without. Development of Internet and wireless technologies together with advancement in miniature technology has made it possible for us to have access the internet on the go. Every year we expect new and more advance modelsRead MorePrivacy on the Internet1616 Words   |  7 PagesPrivacy on the Internet Ever feel like you are being watched? How about having the feeling like some one is following you home from school? Well that is what it will be like if users do not have the privacy on the Internet they deserve. EPIC (Electronic Privacy Information Center), a advocacy group that has been fighting the Clinton Administration for tougher online consumer protection laws, and other privacy protection agencies have formed to protect the rights and privileges of the InternetRead MorePrivacy in the Online World Essay1221 Words   |  5 PagesPrivacy is something we don’t really think about. Privacy is the last thing that comes up in our minds. The Internet is easily accessed by many people and can be hacked to find out important private information about anyone. People all over the world access the Internet, and when private information is posted online one person is going to be able to view that information no matter the privacy setting a person may use. The first article that I will use is â€Å"Who Is This Man, and Why Is He ScreamingRead MoreEssay on Internet Privacy1325 Words   |  6 PagesInternet Privacy It has become a sad and upsetting fact that in today’s society the truth is that the right to one’s privacy in the I.T (information technological) world has become, simply a joke. In an electronic media article â€Å"No place to hide†, written by James Norman, two interesting and debatable questions were raised: ‘Are we witnessing the erosion of the demarcation of public and private spaces brought on by the networked economy and new technology?’ Also, ‘What roles do government, industryRead MoreInternet Privacy1375 Words   |  6 PagesA Right to Privacy? What a Joke! It has become a sad and upsetting fact that in todays society the truth is that the right to ones privacy in the I.T (information technological) world has become, simply a joke. In an electronic media article No place to hide, written by James Norman, two interesting and debatable questions were raised: ‘Are we witnessing the erosion of the demarcation of public and private spaces brought on by the networked economy and new technology? Also, ‘What rolesRead MoreEssay Can We Protect Ourselves On the Internet?1359 Words   |  6 Pages Can We Protect Ourselves On the Internet? nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; Although the Internet is a wonderful place to shop, explore and interact with other people we should always keep our guard up to protect our privacy. Privacy on the Internet is very important to anyone who uses the Internet and even for someone who has never been on line before. Most people do not realize how important Internet is in everyday life. Within most of our lifetimes the Internet has grown from an obscure militaryRead MoreSocial Media And Its Effects On Society Essay1456 Words   |  6 Pageson social media and that can hurt us if we are trying to get a job or anything like that, even if we put our profile on private the stuff we put out there can be found some way. A lot of people feel that the government shouldn’t be able to see what we do online because it’s our personal life and there are some things we don’t want other to be able to see. We deserve to have some type of privacy and we don’t deserve to just be watche d by people we don’t even know. This is important because some peopleRead MoreThe Lack of Privacy over the Internet1375 Words   |  5 PagesIt is apparent, that privacy is becoming less of a factor to people now days and technology contributes to it. Technology is a big part of the problem in many ways. Camera are installed almost everywhere, that make it almost impossible to not have your every movement accounted for with the use of CCTV (Closed Circuit Television). Social media also contributes to the lack of privacy one may have, by ones choice to post about their private lives including their family and friends. With so many

What My Sister Means to Me Free Essays

article 4 nola. com Gulf of Mexico oil spill’s environmental impact expected to be profound, long-lasting Published: Friday, May 07, 2010, 8:26 PM As the â€Å"Miss Brandy† shrimp boat skimmed rust-colored clumps of oxidized oil from Chandeleur Sound, seagulls from a flock circling nearby dived beneath a light oily sheen on the water’s surface to feed on a school of minnows Friday afternoon. â€Å"The fish are probably coming to the surface because they’re dying from the oil,† said Larry Schweiger, president and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation. We will write a custom essay sample on What My Sister Means to Me or any similar topic only for you Order Now Those gulls think they’re getting a free meal when really they’re getting a load of toxins. † Schweiger, who heads the nation’s largest conservation group, led reporters on a six-hour boat tour to survey ecological damage caused by the Deepwater Horizon oil leak, which has been spewing an estimated 210,000 gallons of sweet crude per day into the Gulf of Mexico since the drilling rig exploded April 20. A 100-mile round trip from Venice to the Chandeleur Islands revealed no oil on the shorelines of several islands. However, areas in Chandeleur Sound are crisscrossed by long ribbons of degraded oil, which turns a rust color as iron in the oil is exposed to air. Once scooped from the water, the oily clumps transform into gooey dark brown globs with the consistency of molasses. Shrimp boats were deployed throughout the sound to skim the water with orange booms to corral the floating oil. Schweiger traced the clumping phenomenon to a decision by BP, which was leasing the rig and is in charge of clean-up efforts, to use dispersants both on the water’s surface and below the surface to break up the oil before it can wash ashore. Using dispersants minimizes the damage to the coastline, but the oil is spread throughout the water column and probably does more damage to the fisheries,† he said. â€Å"The dispersants just shift the risk. It’s a trade off. † He applauded the decision to halt the use of underwater dispersants on the Deepwater Horizon leak, which is nearly a mile be low the water’s surface, deeper than chemical dispersants had ever been used before. About two miles west of the Chandeleur Islands, schools of rain minnows could be seen darting beneath the floating oil. Schweiger said the fish are likely doomed. Dispersants will make oil and water mix, but there’s no way to make oil and fish mix,† he said. Most islands in Chandeleur Sound are not protected by containment booms. One notable exception is New Harbor Island, a prime nesting ground for brown pelicans because the mangrove trees enable the birds to build nests safe from high tides. The island is encircled by booms, but beyond the booms were patches of oily water. â€Å"You can protect the island from the oil, but the pelicans are still exposed to it when they feed on fish in contaminated water,† Schweiger said. There have been several confirmed sightings of oil on barrier islands, but he oil does not appear to be staying very long, at least not in high concentr ations. Schweiger pointed to a spot on Freemason Island, where he had seen oil the day before. Nevertheless, high tides had apparently washed it away by Friday afternoon, when several killdeer could be seen darting along the shoreline where the oil had been. However, Schweiger noted that little of the oil gushing from the ruptured well for more than two weeks has been removed from the water. â€Å"Just because you can’t always see the oil doesn’t mean it’s not there and that it’s not going to have a huge impact on nature,† he said. How to cite What My Sister Means to Me, Papers

Leadership For Quality and Safety in Healthcare

Question: Discuss about theLeadership For Quality and Safety in Healthcare. Answer: Introduction: Healthcare organizations need to place strong emphasis on providing high-quality health care services to the patients through implementing proper safety interventions and strategies. The development and implementation of effective patient safety interventions and strategies depends on the skills and competencies of health care professionals. The workplace performance of health care professionals is directly influenced by human factors such as motivation, working environment and goal clarity. Thus, there exist a significant relationship between human factors and performance of health care professionals (Carayone et al., 2013). In this context, the present essay aims to demonstrate the impact of human factors on quality and safety in health care organizations. The essay, in this regard, provides a detailed analysis of the concept of human factors and its significance in impacting work performance. The types of human factors affecting work performance in health care organizations are al so examined and evaluated in the present essay. Concept of Human Factors its Impact on Work Performance Human factors mainly refer to the three aspects that are, environmental, organizational and job factors influencing the behavior of an individual at workplace that can have a direct effect on the health and safety of people (Bard, 2013). Human factors assess the impact of human and individual characteristics on work performance of individuals. Human factors mainly emphasizes on the type of task and its characteristics, skills and competencies of an individual and organizational attributes. The proper management of human resources is essential for an organization to enhance the productivity and profitability. The organizations aim to gain high productivity through developing proper health and safety procedures for all its stakeholders. This can be achieved by an organization through the implementation of appropriate work systems. The efficiency of work systems in an organization can be enhanced through the development of a competent workforce and well-designed job roles in accordance with the skills and capabilities of employees (Bard, 2013). Human factors such as biological, psychological and organizational factors have a direct impact on the work performances of an individual. These factors influence the efficiency and productivity of individuals through determining their capabilities and limitations at workplace. For example, if a task requires huge physical strength then it should be allocated to someone who possesses the physical stamina of doing it (Human Factors, 2016). Otherwise, an individual can suffer injury or cause damage to the tools and machineries involved in carrying out the task. Similarly, in the case of a task requiring mental capabilities, it should be assigned to an individual possessing mental power otherwise it can cause quality and safety issues for an organization through its inadequate completion. In addition to this, individuals reluctant to carry out their task might be the result of lack of proper motivation by the management of an organization. Thus, it can be said that human factors are ess ential for the development of appropriate health and safety management system in an organization impacting the work performance (Bard, 2013). Specific Human Factors and their Impact on Work Performance Human factors mainly determine the relationship between humans and the systems through which they interact at their workplaces (Human Factors, 2016). These factors are critical in an organization to be considered for designing best work role and responsibilities for an individual in accordance with his/her capabilities. The three specific human factors that impact the work performance of an individual are described as follows: Job factors: It includes the fields such as nature of job role, working conditions and the type of business practices and procedures adopted. The type of job role assigned to an individual must be in accordance with human abilities and limitations. This requires carrying out a proper matching of job roles and responsibilities to an individual physical as well as mental strength and constraints (Human Factors, 2016). Individual factors: Individual factors relate to the competency, skills, attitude and talent of an individual that influences the work role carried out by him/her. The skills and capabilities of an individual must be in accordance with the job role assigned (Human Factors, 2016). Organizational Factors: It includes type of business practices and procedures, culture, resources, communication flow and leadership followed by an organization. Strong emphasizes should be placed on these factors at the time of designing a job role for an individual (Human Factors, 2016). Critical Analysis of the Relationship Between Human Factors and Quality and Safety in Health Care Carayon et al (2013) stated that the approach of human factors system is highly essential to be implemented in the health care organizations for improving quality and patient safety. The concept of human factors facilitates health care professionals to emphasize on the development of effective systems and work producers for providing safety to the patients. It is necessary for health care professionals to gain an in-depth understanding of the application of human factors in the daily operational activities. The development of a well-structured human factors system is essential in health care organizations for ensuring safety of both staffs and patients (Human Factors Analysis in Patient Safety Systems, 2015). Human factors, mainly, environmental, organizational and individual factors help health care professionals to design best work systems that facilitates them to carry out best job. The discipline of human factors incorporates the basic science of safety that helps in developing s afety practices and procedures in health care organizations (Carayon et al., 2013). In the views of Fryer (n.d.) the work-task and individual related human factors hold a significant role in impacting the work performance and quality and safety in health care. The occupational roles and responsibilities of health care professionals include providing high-quality care services to the patients. The health-care professionals should possess the necessary skills and competencies so that they are able to understand the needs and requirements of the patients in an appropriate way (Fryer, n.d.). The main capabilities required for health care professionals includes interpersonal skills, reasoning skills, technological skills, patience, decision-making skills and having a good knowledge about the type of medication to be provided to the patients. It is the responsibility of management in health care organizations to allocate the duties and responsibilities to health care professionals as per their skills and competencies. As per the views of Spath (2011) stated that the necessary skills and competencies can be acquired by health care professionals through the help of training provided by the senior management. They can possess good knowledge regarding the work procedures and practices so that they can appropriately identify the health hazards in care services. In addition to this, they can design and implement safety design principles in work-processes for enhancing the quality of care services. The main job roles in health care organizations include of physicians, nurses and staff members for providing primary care services to the patients (Spath, 2011). The designing of the workplace in health care environment must be in accordance with work-task and individual human factors. Physicians should possess good medical knowledge in order to provide appropriate treatment to the patients. Nurses and other staff members involved in care co-ordination need to have good interpersonal and communication skills for meeting the varying needs of patients. The presence of required skills will facilitate health care professionals to carry out their work-task in an appropriate way thus enhancing their work performance. As per the views of Cacciabue Vella (2010) the organizational factors also play a vital role in impacting the quality and safety in healthcare organizations. Organizational factors include working environment that must be deigned in accordance with the patients need for safety. The physical layout of the heath care organizations must be designed in a way to safeguard the patients from any type of health hazard. The organizations should implement the use of advanced technologies such as electronic health hazard and health information exchange systems for providing high-quality care services to the patients. The equipment and machineries used in health care organizations should be properly designed for ensuring patients protection. Thus, the presence of all these organizational factors is essential in health care organizations for enhancing its performance by safeguarding patient safety and providing them high-quality acre services (Cacciabue Vella, 2010). Conclusion Thus, it can be inferred from the discussion held in the essay that human factors plays a vital role in the designing of workplace environment in health care organizations to ensure the best fit between people and the work practices. The successful implementation and adoption of human factors is essential in health care organizations to enhance the work performance. The human factors such as job, individual and organizational are highly significant in health care for improving the work performance. The management of health care organization should focus on these factors in inter-relation with each other at the time of designing job roles. These human factors have a direct impact on the work performances of individual at health care workplace. Therefore, it can be said that the analysis of human factors is highly significant for developing a workplace in health care providing high quality care services and also ensuring patient safety. References Carayon, P. et al. 2013. Human factors systems approach to healthcare quality and patient Safety. Applied Ergonomics, xxx, 1-12. Human Factors Analysis in Patient Safety Systems. (2015). The Joint Commission, 13(4), 1-10. Bard, L. 2013. Human Factors Influencing Workplace Safety. Retrieved August 24, 2016, from https://www.hazmatmag.com/features/human-factors-influencing-workplace-safety/ Fryer, L. A. (n.d.). Human factors in nursing: The time is now. Australian Journal of Advanced Nursing, 30(2), 56-65. Spath, P.L. (2011). Error Reduction in Health Care: A Systems Approach to Improving Patient Safety. John Wiley Sons. Cacciabue, P.C. Vella, G. (2010). Human factors engineering in healthcare systems: The problem of human error and accident management. International journal of medical informatics, 79, 1-17. Human Factors. (2016). Retrieved August 24, 2016, from https://www.nopsema.gov.au/resources/human-factors/

The role of conscience in moral decision-making Essay Example

The role of conscience in moral decision-making Paper Conscience can be defined as something within each of us that tells us what is right and what is wrong. In Latin ’Con’ means with and ’science’ means knowledge. Therefore we should surely use our conscience when we are making decisions as we should be being told what is the right thing to do and what is wrong. This however doesn’t always seem to be the case. The problem with using your conscience is that it is not consistent. We can see this when claims have been made after someone made the wrong choice. For example at the time he was Prime minister Tony Blair took the choice to go to war with Iraq. It is widely regarded as being the wrong choice to have made and Tony Blair said in response that he was following his conscience. There are religious and secular (non-religious) views on the conscience. The religious views have been developed from biblical teaching and the divine command theory. However there is more than one interpretation about the conscience. Thomas Aquinas for example believed that people should follow their conscience totally as long as your principles are right because it is the voice of reason. On the other hand Butler argued the conscience comes form intuition. Thomas Aquinas thought that synderesis is the means of distinguishing between right and wrong. Synderesis was first used by Aristotle and is the ability of the mind to understand the first principles of moral reasoning. He noticed that people do chose the wrong choice and said that this was ‘conscientia’ which is the actual ethical judgement or decision a person makes. Aquinas said that it is important to apply your moral principles to each situation but you can still be wrong if you follow your conscience because your principles can be wrong so your conscience will be too. We will write a custom essay sample on The role of conscience in moral decision-making specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The role of conscience in moral decision-making specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The role of conscience in moral decision-making specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Conscience is reasoning used correctly to find out what God sees is good. Joseph Butler similarly to Aquinas believed that conscience could determine and judge the rightness or wrongness of different actions or thoughts. However Butler saw the conscience as being more authoritative that â€Å"magisterially exerts itself. † in such a way that it had the last say when it comes to moral decision making. Butler described a hierarchy of human nature in which the desire for food and other animal instincts are at the bottom and the conscience at the top. Self love and benevolence was above the drives and the ability to reflect was above that. Mistakes made by conscience were not seen as particularly bad to Butler as he believed that we would intuitively know what the right action to take is. However convincing yourself that a wrong action is right is more evil than the action which results from it. John Henry Newman also took Conscience from a view point and took an intuitionists approach to conscience. This meant that the mind is able to percieve abstract concepts of truths normally thought to beyond empirical evidence. He believed that we when we followed our conscience we were following some kind of divine law like a messenger from God. He believed that he could prove this when â€Å"we feel responsibility, are ashamed, are frightened at transgressing the voice of conscience, this implies there is One to whom we are responsible. Newman also believed that the more relativist (atheist) a person is the less of a conscience they will have as they do not follow a God (an absolute unchanging moral authority). He therefore saw that our conscience will continuously change in different circumstances not making it a reliable source to make a decision on. Augustine too believed that we should take it seriously and listen to our conscience because we are hearing the word of God. Therefore Newman, Augustine and Butler take a much less rationalist view upon conscience compared to Aquinas but as all four believe that God is involved with our Conscience it is important to use it when making moral-decisions, especially if we believe in God. Due to there being Secular views on the conscience the debate over nurture or nature has risen. This is questioning whether we get our morals and our conscience before we are born or whether we develop morality as we get older. With this argument there is also the belief that we have both. For example a Secularist could hold that we are born with our natural instincts that encourage us to do good because it will encourage our survival. This would be a Darwinian approach. The same person could then argue that we also develop our morals during life that allow us to fit into society and the rules and regulations that surround it. A religious person could say the same except that we would have been given a conscience before we were born by God. Sigmund Freud was a psychiatrist that took a secular view on the conscience. He studied the human mind and its effects on the body. He also saw that human personality like Butler could be put into a hierarchy. Both Freud and Butler put drives such as sexual drives at the bottom of the triangle. However Freud then put the ‘Id’ in the space above this which represents the part of a human that is amoral (has no morality). The Id contains our wishes and instincts. Then at the top of the triangle was the ‘Ego’ which is the conscious part of a human that shows on the outside. A smaller space is taken up at the top by the ‘super-ego’ which is the set of moral controls that are given to us by outside influences. Freud explains that the super ego is often in conflict with the Id therefore our conscience, which is a construct of the mind, is shaped and influenced by our experiences. Jean Piaget a psychiatrist saw that a child’s moral development grows and the ability to reason morally depends on cognitive development. He suggested two stages which were later developed by Kohlberg. Heteronymous (other law) which a child is from the age of five to ten. The conscience is still immature and punishment is expected if a rule is broken. Autonomous (self law) is the next stage when a child reaches the age of 10 and over. At this age the child understands how rules operate in and help society, they are less dependent on moral authority Piaget down quite extensive research experiments on children by asking in which of two stories told to them the child was the naughtiest. His results showed that younger children evaluated the actions by the size of the outcome whereas the older children evaluated the stories through the intentions of the child. It is said that Piagets definition of morality is narrow. One of the reasons for this is that is becomes overly rational and disregards the function of morality in promoting human fulfilment. Kohlberg extended the stages to six and believed that the individual would have to follow them in sequence. The most important moral development occurs through social interactions. Fromm on the other hand had two approaches and didn’t think there was stages in moral development but saw that all humans are influenced by external authorities like parents, teachers and church leaders. He thought that a guilty conscience is a result of displeasing these authorities. The example of the Nazi government in Germany in the 1930’s was very successful about manipulating the conscience’s of its people to encourage them not to help the Jews. But that was his authoritarian approach and he had a humanistic approach. This was that our conscience is our real self and leads us to realise our full potential using our experiences not slavish obedience. It appears the conscience should take a large role in how we make moral decisions. However for both Secular and Religious views on the conscience we have seen that mistakes can be made. These mistakes are the products of wrong principles or bad nurturing as a child growing up or manipulations and bad influences. Therefore conscience should take a big role in making moral decisions but one should also consider the fact that they may be wrong and should compare the choice they want to make to another to see if one is greater.

Free Essays on Pros and cons of Drinking

The following essay will introduce you to pros and cons of drinking. It will also give you a clear understanding in why you shouldn’t drink alcohol. Alcohol is a depressant; it impairs your ability to drive, slows down your reaction time and causes you to make some risky decisions that you wouldn’t normally take. This essay will also help you comprehend how and why things happen, because of alcohol. Alcoholism can kill in many different ways, and in general, people who drink regularly have a higher rate of deaths from injury, violence, and some cancers. The earlier a person begins drinking heavily, the greater their chance of developing serious illnesses later on. Any protection that occurs with moderate alcohol intake appears to be confined to adults over 60 who have risks for heart disease. Adults who drink moderately (about one drink a day) have a lower mortality rate than their non-drinking peers, their risk for untimely death increases with heavier drinking. Alcohol may not cause cancer, but it probably does increase the carcinogenic effects of other substances, such as cigarette smoke. Daily drinking increases the risk for lung, gastric, pancreatic, colorectal, urinary tract, liver, brain cancers, and leukemia. About 75% of cancers of the esophagus and 50% of cancers of the mouth, and throat are attributed to alcoholism. (Wine appears to pose less danger for these cancers than beer or hard liquor.) Smoking combined with drinking enhances risks for most of these cancers dramatically. When women consume as little as one drink a day, they may increase their chances of breast cancer by as much as 30%. In the liver, alcohol converts to an even more toxic substance, which can cause substantial damage. Not eating when drinking and consuming a variety of alcoholic beverages are also factors that increase the risk for liver damage. People with alcoholism are also at higher risk for hepatitis B and C, potentially chronic liver dis... Free Essays on Pros and cons of Drinking Free Essays on Pros and cons of Drinking The following essay will introduce you to pros and cons of drinking. It will also give you a clear understanding in why you shouldn’t drink alcohol. Alcohol is a depressant; it impairs your ability to drive, slows down your reaction time and causes you to make some risky decisions that you wouldn’t normally take. This essay will also help you comprehend how and why things happen, because of alcohol. Alcoholism can kill in many different ways, and in general, people who drink regularly have a higher rate of deaths from injury, violence, and some cancers. The earlier a person begins drinking heavily, the greater their chance of developing serious illnesses later on. Any protection that occurs with moderate alcohol intake appears to be confined to adults over 60 who have risks for heart disease. Adults who drink moderately (about one drink a day) have a lower mortality rate than their non-drinking peers, their risk for untimely death increases with heavier drinking. Alcohol may not cause cancer, but it probably does increase the carcinogenic effects of other substances, such as cigarette smoke. Daily drinking increases the risk for lung, gastric, pancreatic, colorectal, urinary tract, liver, brain cancers, and leukemia. About 75% of cancers of the esophagus and 50% of cancers of the mouth, and throat are attributed to alcoholism. (Wine appears to pose less danger for these cancers than beer or hard liquor.) Smoking combined with drinking enhances risks for most of these cancers dramatically. When women consume as little as one drink a day, they may increase their chances of breast cancer by as much as 30%. In the liver, alcohol converts to an even more toxic substance, which can cause substantial damage. Not eating when drinking and consuming a variety of alcoholic beverages are also factors that increase the risk for liver damage. People with alcoholism are also at higher risk for hepatitis B and C, potentially chronic liver dis...

My recommendations to the board Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

My recommendations to the board - Research Paper Example Table of Contents 1. Introduction 4 2. About Coca-Cola Company 4 3. Issue in question 7 4. Recommendations 8 4.1 Career development 8 4.2 Workplace safety 8 4.3 Corporate reputation and organizational culture 8 4.4 Compensation benefits 9 4.5 Mentoring and Termination 9 5. Recommendations for implementation plan 10 6. Conclusions 10 References Appendices I. Equal Opportunities Policy 14 II. Sexual Harassment Policy 15 III. Drug Testing Policy 16 IV. Loan Policy 17 V. Termination Policy 18 1. Introduction: An evaluation of company policies based on changing performance trends will help in identifying existing gaps and taking appropriate actions. An attempt towards this direction will be made to identify existing gaps in organizational policies of the beverage-manufacturing giant, Coca-Cola in the North America region. Based on findings, recommendations to include or modify existing policies will be made keeping in mind obligatory aspects related to regulations and ethics. 2. About Coc a-Cola Company: Coca-Cola, a world-leading manufacturer of about 500 varieties of beverages being sold in more than 200 countries and employing over a million people, was an invention of an American about 125 years ago (Pendergrast, 2000), and PepsiCo that arrived much later has been its archrival competitor since many years. With its expansive growth, Coca-Cola is one of the largest multinational companies in the world, and has thus eventually shifted towards a global philosophy of business management. Coca-Cola has always focused on establishing itself locally and serving its local people; and hence, their management philosophy has been to â€Å"think globally and act locally,† (Anfuso, 1994). Considering the current position of Coca-Cola, management has to put in efforts not only to sustain its competitive position but also protect its reputation by adopting the right strategies, as well as modifying some of the existing strategies. Coca-cola operates its various divisions in six groups namely, north America, the EU, the Pacific Region, the East Europe/Middle East, Africa and Latin America. The corporate HRM at Coca-Cola facilitates the connection between human resources of these regional groups through propagation of common HRM philosophy within the company, and through leadership to manage the business internationally (Ashwathappa & Dash, 2013). From a policy perspective, Coca-cola focuses on translating all its organizational policies into practices and procedures that abide by the national laws and are aligned to local culture. Coca-Cola’s HRM philosophy is translated into different strategies in different regions that suit the necessary regulations, culture, and business requirements. For instance, in North America, Coca-Cola employs skilled personnel irrespective of their ethnic background, which not only helps their business but also abides by the federal laws of employment by following diversity in recruitment and recruiting on the bas is of performance, skills and qualifications (Workplace Rights Policy, n.d). A brief hypothetical account of demographics at Coca-Cola is represented in Table 1 below: Coca-Cola employs a comprehensive HR policy that addresses various HR needs that would be required for it to sustain its co

Management of International Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Management of International Business - Essay Example After that David Ricardo formulated the principle of comparative advantage, even in the present day it stands true. Such thoughts and ideologies have influenced a number of companies to undertake global expansion. It has forced Governments of different countries to formulate an international trade policy. There was an establishment of customs duty, local sales tax and various other charges were levied on companies taking up international trade. However with the course of time countries understood the importance of international trade. There were drastic changes took place in the scenario of international trade, most of the countries also made significant changes to their existing trade policies. The report will mainly emphasize on the international expansion of a company based on USA. The company chosen for this purpose is Dunkin’ Donuts and the chosen country of expansion is Australia. In this context, a comprehensive analysis of Australian business environment will be carrie d out. The regional organization APEC has been chosen and comprehensive analysis of the same will be also done. The study will then discuss the foreign market entry modes and based on the findings, recommendation regarding the most suitable mode will be made. Table of Contents Country Analysis 4 PESTEL Analysis 4 CAGE analysis 6 Analysis of Regional Organisation 8 APEC: A Brief Overview 8 Functions of APEC 9 Important Factors 9 MNE Analysis 10 SWOT Analysis 11 Industry/Sector Analysis 13 Porter’s Five Forces Model Analysis 13 FMSS/Mode of Entry Analysis and Recommendation 19 References 23 Country Analysis The report highlighted that the chosen company will be Dunkin’ Donuts, which is based in USA. Now the chosen country of expansion is Australia. The primary rationale behind choosing Australia is that, the MNE, which has been selected for accomplishing the study, does not have their presence in the markets of USA. Hence a comprehensive analysis of the Australian busine ss environment will be carried out. The analysis of the business environment will include a range of aspects that influences the performance and operation of new venture. Moreover the business will have hardly any control over the factors. Hence the analysis of business environment will include cultural and social influence, regulations, laws, technological infrastructure and also the economic condition. The tools that will be used for the purpose of analysing the country will include PESTEL analysis CAGE analysis. The next half of the project will highlight the PESTEL and CAGE analysis. PESTEL Analysis PESTLE is external environmental analysis tool, which is used for analysing the political, social, technological, economical legal and environmental factors (Henry, 2008, p.51). Political – The political factors corresponds to the political stability of the country where the expansion will be carried out. Hence the facets that will be mainly analysed include government stabili ty, political changes, tax policies, trade restrictions, and tariffs. Now in Australian context, the government of Australia follows a federal system. The tariffs structures and tax policies are well defined. The Australian government is stable to a large extent. Economical – The economical aspect will analyse gross domestic product, interest rates, unemployment rates, inflation rate, and growth rate of the Australian economy. The GDP per person is nearly $44,000. The top performing sectors of the country includes Retail,

Chronic Medical Conditions and Health Surveillance Essay

Chronic Medical Conditions and Health Surveillance - Essay Example In order to control her blood pressure, she was started on an antihypertensive. The patient then sustained a fall which was not accompanied by any episodes of altered consciousness. Falls are a commonly encountered issue amongst the elderly and studies have revealed that they amount to almost 60% of the hospital admissions in the UK National Health Service (NHS) amongst the elderly (Oliver, 2007, p. 173). In order to decipher the cause of the fall, a focused history regarding the events preceding and following the fall should be obtained. In the case of this patient, she reports that the fall occurred when she stood up from a chair and was preceded by an episode of feeling ‘giddy’. Since she denies any aura, alteration of consciousness, post-ictal events, persisting weakness or loss of function in any part of the body after the fall, and this is verified by her husband who was present at the time of the incident, most common neurologic causes of the fall such as stroke o r seizures can be ruled out. Similarly, as she denies any chest pain or palpitations, cardiac causes such as arrhythmias and angina/myocardial infarction also become unlikely as the cause of the fall. ... system covers the commonest causes of falls amongst the elderly, whereby D refers to Drugs and alcohol; A refers to age-related physiological changes, such as impaired balance and postural instability, reduced vision and increased reaction time; M refers to medical causes and E refers to environmental causes (Oliver, 2007). Drugs/medications are amongst the top causes of falls amongst elderly especially due to the multiple co-morbidities that are commonly found amongst elderly patients, the problem of poly-pharmacy leading to drug interactions is quite common in this population of individuals. Therefore, obtaining a careful drug history and ruling out any drug over dosage, interactions and adverse effects leading to a fall is important in elderly patients. A critical analysis of the patient’s medication history reveals that the patient was started on Atenolol, at a starting dose of 400mg BID, which amounts to 800mg of Atenolol per day. Atenolol belongs to a class of anti-hyper tensives termed as beta blockers, and is one of the most commonly prescribed drugs from this class (Carlberg, Samuelsson, & Lindholm, 2004, p. 1684). Atenolol is a cardio-selective beta blocker, i.e. it only acts on beta-1 receptors, which are the predominant type of receptors in the heart. Such beta blockers spare the beta-2 receptors, which are the predominant type of receptors located in the lungs and the vascular smooth muscle and are thus free from side effects such as bronchospasm, which were previously commonly encountered with the use of non-selective beta blockers (Medic8, 2010). Previously, beta blockers such Atenolol were considered to be the first-line agent in the management of hypertensive patients, but more recently, the use of these agents as the drug of choice for hypertension

Tata operates

Tata operates Introduction Tata operates over 96 companies in 7 sectors which are: information technology, communications, engineering, material, service, consumer product and chemicals. This company was founded in late 18th century in India in British rule. It has been facing problems ever since, although it turn out to be India’s largest company with revenues equivalent to nations 3.2% nations GDP in 2007. Tata International came into existence in 1962, and it has evolved into an international company with turnover more than 850 million$ in 2006-07. This company has taken over various other sectors of business adding more responsibility to the stake-holders. Here we will discuss the problems faced by Tata in United Kingdom and there PESTEL and PORTAL analysis, issues relating to Marco-environment like Political, Economical, Social, Technological, Environment and Legal. â€Å"In dynamic environment where the external situation is continually changing this analysis would be carried out regularly† (Roger Lewis, 2005). The model of the Five Competitive Forces was developed by Michael E. Porter in his book â€Å"Competitive Strategy: Techniques for Analyzing Industries and Competitors† in 1980. The five forces as describe in his book are bargaining power suppliers, Bargaining power of customers, threat of new entrants, threat of substitute and competitive rivalry between existing players. When a company enters a new market they have set a certain goals and ambitions, they first segment the market on the basis of demography, political, environmental, socio cultural, economical and geographical. Whenever any company goes overseas it needs do proper research and see if the structural fit is possible. They should also consider the macro –environment and then decide what strategies they want to adopt and which will be the best to survive. Tata has six sectors of business in United Kingdom, which are Engineering, Consumer products, Services, Information system and communications, Chemicals and Material. Tata has widely spread business, which went on acquiring many companies in United Kingdom. Under the guidance of Ratan Tata these companies have done exceedingly well, however due to financial crisis last year its profits fell from 10.1bn rupees ($214m;  £133m) in the year to the end of March, down from 20.29bn rupees a year earlier. One of the recent achievements was to present the world’s cheapest car within 2000$ which Ratan had promised to world, although it’s having problems in setting up an industry for this car. PESTEL analysis of Tata in U.K. â€Å"Organisation’s performance and effectiveness will be dependent upon the successful management of the opportunities, challenges and risk presented by changes in the external environment† Management and organisational behaviour by Laurie J. Mullins. Political problems faced by Tata in United Kingdom The political environment in United Kingdom is quite stable and much more organised than any other countries. The only problem that the firm may face is the high tax rates in this country. Which makes it more expensive as the raw material increases the cost of productions also goes up automatically and this is the reason why many firms stay out of United Kingdom. There are also some policies by the labour contract to avoid exploitation of labour which makes this country much more expensive The famous incident is Tata Nano project in west Bengal which had to be shifted due to the political pressure and there were riots and big problems. So this plant had to shift at different region finally it was decide to Gujarat. Ratan Tata had promised the world that it would be available next year for the common man. This was not happening because of this political problem. This car was also going to be exported to UK. As the production process didn’t start the other thing got to be delayed. This is how one country’s political problem affects the whole manufacturing as well as the sales of a company. Today in financial crises every government is under tremendous pressure for the lack of investment and increasing unemployment. Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), Tatas UK-based car maker beset by recession and falling sales, wants the Government to act as guarantor to underwrite a  £340m loan on offer from the European Investment Bank, but the Government is stalling. It also wants Labour to encourage banks to advance it loans worth  £400m â€Å"Tata Motors executives will warn Business Secretary Lord Mendelssohn that they will scrap plans to build electric cars in the UK if it does not receive a 10 million pound loan soon†. After launching the project â€Å"low carbon industrial strategy† by Lord Mendelssohn Tata showed a great deal of interest and decided to build electric cars and applied for 10 million pounds loan. The firm secured 292 million pound loan from the European Investment Bank in April, but this needs to be guaranteed by the British Government and the two sides still cannot reach agreement on the conditions, the paper reports. (ANI) Economical Problems faced by Tata in United Kingdom Corus was really in big financial crisis before and it was in argument. UK government was ready to help this steel company and it would have followed the aluminium business which went to close for shut down. A rescue package was being prepared by the government for the bail out of the Corus. The attempt was made to bail out of this crisis as this government intervention comes there is added pressure on the managing director. Sir Brian Muffed stepped down of the post. So Corus had planned to raze 543 £millon to get out of this crisis by selling the aluminium business in Dutch and this was ruled out by the court. Off course taking over an in loss company would have been difficult and also get approval from all the stake holders. Tata was eager to become world’s 5th largest steel producing company. Tata steel borrowed 1billon $ form state bank of India, with this finance Tata injected 250  £ million into Corus much more than they anticipated. The real problem of Corus was about its finance so it had to merge with an external company. There were many problems after Tata took over the Corus and many disagreed with this design of Ratan Tata but it said that â€Å"the need for steel in this world will never will be over and it will go on rising endlessly as more and more sky scrapers are being build more new constructions are being developed and new dams are being constructed the need for steel will rise and we need to produce†. Of course this is proving to be wrong as the finical crises raise the largest steel consumer China cut the down the consumption but it’s never know what may happen. According to reports Tata is planning to raze 2 £ billion pounds as it tries to cope up with the collapse of its core business and looks for the ways to salvage the acquisition such as 1.5  £ billion Ford Marques and Corus, the British steel maker bought for 6.7 £ billion nearly 2 years ago. Tata faces tremendous pressure because of the money borrowed for foreign acquisitions thanks to economic turn down and fall for the demand of their product. Tata motors needs to repay 3 £ billion bridge loan which they borrowed for JLV acquisition. Sociological problems faced by Tata in United Kingdom Every International company faces socio-cultural problems, proper research to overcome this problem is necessary. Geographically we are divided into different continents and every country has its own cultural, according to this the company’s has to adjust and make some changes to their approach. In Corus there were mixed reactions like ,Paul Hoyt who works at defender line in land rover said that â€Å"the workers were told about this deal in three minutes just before the deal was about to be confirmed. There were only leaflets and CD’s distributed about the company about Tata Company but nothing about actual sales†. Mr. Hoyt was happy to retain his job but for how long. Johanna Nichols who works at assembly line said that, â€Å"I just hope we don’t get stitched up again†. Another worker who was working for 20 years in this company described this as â€Å"good move†. Jaguar on other hand is planning to shut down a factory and stop the production for X-type cars. This move will cost 300 job cuts while trying to adjust with changing economy, where it reported a loss of 521.8$ million in 2008-2009. Tata motors have also announced to export Tata Nano in United Kingdom with some minor changes according to the rules and regulations of the country. Tata in general has to look at the boarder view at the socio cultural changes from its home country as in India is a developing nation the labour laws are not so perfectly followed. There are lots of changes in cultural like Demographic, lifestyle patterns changes, attitude towards issues like education and corporate social responsibility and ethnic and religious matters. There also been reports of cultural clashes in Tata led Nextel in South Africa between South African Indian staff and those brought from India by Tata Communications. This was denied later on by Windily Zoà «, Nextel executive head for corporate communications and branding Technological problems faced by Tata in United Kingdom. Tata has always looked positively towards technology and has invested billions of pounds for it. Tata’s led Corus and jaguar land rover are one of the most technical advance factories. Tata invests around 35% of its total profits in RD which is by far more that its competitors. Tata consultancy service (TCL) has tied up with CISCO for technology labs in India. The lab will also allowCiscoandTCSto illustrate proofs of concepts, and IT and networking methodologies for client-specific business processes. The Pune factory in India for Tata motors is more emphasised on human hand rather than robotic arms, Ratan Tata believes that the labour in India is cheap and investing more on robotic arms will push more individuals on unemployment scale. The brand new factory being set up for Tata nano in Gujarat is more technically advance to meet its demand. Tata in UK did not face any technical problems as such but there are plenty of threats that may cause these problems. As this is a more technically developed country the infrastructure available is much more advance and stable then India. As Tata telecom is ready to invest 500$ US dollars it future technology of WiMax, 4G, Wireless broadband in India. It recently formed joint venture with Boeing with investment of over 500$ million for defence-related aerospace component work in India for export to Boeing and its international customers. Tata motors European technical centre (TMETC) brought up for RD a purpose which is steadily taking Tata motors towards achieving global standards. Legal obligations faced by Tata in United Kingdom The political environment of United Kingdom is very stable and well structured. The laws and trading policies are well developed which give minimum exploitation to labours and customers. Tata comes from India where the legal environment is not so stable and the regulatory bodies are incapable to enforce laws. The British health and safety laws for the better conditions of workers are the most strong and predominant On June 30th 2009 Gordan Brown meet chairmen of Corus about the 2000 job cuts as the steel industry faces a major economic turn down. He agreed that government has already offered  £5 million pounds to help with training support across Corus sites. Buying over Land Rover and Jaguar for 2.3$ billions Tata was under tremendous pressure as there were mixed reactions from all Britain. Plenty feared about devaluation by Indian brand and suggested government to take control of Jaguar brand, as it symbolises best of British. There were no real legal or political problems faced by this company in United Kingdom. There were some MPs who did not like an Indian brand taking over British Companies. India has the second largest investment from Asia with 75 projects in 2007-07. The future changes to be expected in the legislation are mostly based on the environment effect and the green house effect on our earth. Environmental problems faced by Tata in United Kingdom Today in the ever changing environment there is lot of pressure on every industry to cut down there green house gases and cut the pollution to minimum. As the climate change is a major problem in front of humans, the changes in the basic system of industrialization is necessary. The Tata group has a set of explicit guidelines on environmental and ecological issues, and a broad range of policies aimed at helping Tata companies protect, conserve and restore our natural resources. Tata group is facing up to the challenge of climate change and making it integral to its processes. Coordinating and directing the climate change efforts of the groups companies are some of the senior-most Tata leaders. It is quite clear that the major pollution is caused by automobile industry and other commodities. Tata has its share of problems in this sector as it launched the new product Tata nano the low price car which is also to be sold in the European market by nano europa. Professor Lucas Reinders, Amsterdam Universitys professor of the environment, is very concerned: This car will offer an attractive alternative to people who rely on Indias poor public transport or who ride cycles or motorbikes on its dangerous roads. Therefore, I think theres a good chance a huge number of the cars will be sold. Professor Reinders however has different views about this car and says that even though nano is clean then motor bikes, it still drinks more fuel than motor bikes. Jaguar and land rover in UK have a different story, which is asking for more investment to meet the fuel-economy regulation in EU. LandRoverdoesn’t have a single model that comes near the EUs proposed 120g/km CO2 fleet average emissions rating, let alone an entire fleet averaging this, while Jaguar’s emissions levels are only marginally better. Corus Consulting offers a comprehensive range of environmental services which are applicable to many heavy and light industries through a number of Environmental Groups established by Corus in both the Netherlands and the UK. In all, Corus Consulting can call upon the expertise of around 120 environmental specialists within the Corus Group. Additionally The Corus Group of companies has developed numerous unique and innovative techniques used in the field of environmental practices which are used to enhance and benefit the services offered. Portal’s Five Forces for Tata Bargaining power of suppliers Bargaining power is the ability to set the prices according to changing conditions. The more concentrated and controlled the supply is the more monopolistic it is. In a truly competitive market, no one supplier can set the prices. The choice of supplier may affect every department of company directly and indirectly The fear that the production of jaguar and Land Rover can leave Midland, it is estimated that up to 90% of the suppliers in Midland employing around 15,000 people, make parts directly or indirectly for Jaguars Castle Bromwich Plant in Birmingham and Land Rover in Solihull. Corus Purchases include iron ore and coal, alloys, refractories, rolls, and paint, as well as a whole range of other goods and services. Corus expects their suppliers to be comply with law and regulation standards, appropriate health and safety standards, appropriate quality, appropriate environmental standards, financial safety, reliable supply and competitive prices. These are not unusual demands and in fact every company expects the same and demands the similar choices. Bargaining power of customer Similarly, the bargaining power of customers determines how much customers can impose pressure on margins and volumes. Customers bargaining power is likely to be high when customers buy large volume of sales; the supplying industry comprises a large number of small operations, supply industry operates with high cost. Sales for jaguar and land rover have decreased over the year and past few months it has registered loss due to decrement in sales. The table below shows us the sales of past few years and how it has decreased over the years. Jaguar Sales Land Rover Sales Sales Year 41,046 2003 41,401 2004 43,769 2005 42,793 2006 Sales Year 29,240 2003 32,535 2004 26,328 2005 23,165 2006 Threat of new entrant It’s not only the existing players in an industry pose threat to each other; a new entrant can also affect the competition. The easier it is for a new firm to enter in a business, the more cut-throat competition there will be. Factors like Government Restrictions and legislations, Patents, High Entry Cost, Existing loyalty to major brands. Tata does not hold such risk but it may have risk against new high prices and also government restrictions. As the raw material prices rise so does the cost of production, this may affect the sales and the profit margin of the company. Tata’s Taj hotels may have a threat for new hotels, although they have enough competitions already. The dream project Nano is also going to face a competition as Nissan- Renault are developing a new product similar to Nano with Bajaj the biggest two wheeler company in India . Threat of substitute of Product Substitute refers to the change of taste of customers, the threat that customer will switch to a new of a substitute product for e.g. If Tata tea (Tetley) increase their price it is quite possible that their customer might switch to coffee or a cheaper brand. â€Å"The international steel shortage and subsequent price increases have led to the manufacture of fibreglass gratings as an alternative to steel grating† says Fibreglass Grating Company MDJay Behrmann. Steel needs high costs of steel installations and maintenance, frequent replacement and steels susceptibility to corrosion and rust, alternatives to steel are being sought. Tata motors also face a major threat as the fuel crises rise and demand goes on rising, the quest to search for new or alternative source of fuel goes up. The new hybrid cars and electric cars seem to be solution for time being. There are major research labs set up by competitors to overcome this problem Tata somewhere seems to be left behind. Competitors with Industry This is the competition between the existing firms in the same sector of industry the most common example is coca cola and PepsiCo. Tata has big set of rivals in each sector of its business and it adds to change in strategies, prices, structure and finance. The competitors for Tata steel (Corus) is Arcelor Mittal, Nippon Steel (Japan), JFE (Japan), POSCO (China), these are some of the major steel producing companies in world and they stand before Corus in production bases and impose a major threat to Corus. Tata motors on other hands has major problems because in this financial crisis it has imposed a major loss of around 383$ millions. Companies like BMW, Mercedes, Toyota and Honda are major threat to Jaguar as we have seen the sales has decreased over the years and after Tata took over the company there was a big decline. The competitors impose a huge pressure on the pricing on the product and denser the competition more price effective the customer is. Conclusion Tata one of the leading company’s of India is facing some major problems due to credit crunch. Although it is in FTSE 100 it has done excellent in taking over some of the major companies and can look forward to get long term benefits. After doing the PESTEL analysis i suggest considering the economic problem which could be the major problem for the company. After analysing the Portal’s 5 forces i see a major threat from the rivalry with in Industry. Tata has a long way to go before if finally achieves its ambitions and the external factors or Macro Environment factors won’t make it easier. Bibliography Global shift: mapping the changing contours of the world economy / Peter Dicken, 2007 (page no. 57-58). Management and organisational behaviour By Laurie J. Mullins (page no 256-259) http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/markets/india/ visited (06-06-2009) http://uk.tata.com/ visited (08-06-2009) http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/analysis-and-features/ visited (12-07-2009) http://www.corusgroup.com/en/ visited (12-07-2009) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_business visited (13-07-2009) http://blog.taragana.com/n/tata-says-uk-job-cuts-likely-at-jaguar-land-rover-93565/ Visited (13-07-2009) http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8074231.stm visited (14-07-2009) http://www.marketingminefield.co.uk/marketing-plan/pestle-analysis.html visited (14-07-2009) http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/comment/damianreece/5297599/Labours-cold-hearted-treatment-of-Tata-could-be-costly-to-UK-trade.html visited (16-07-2009) http://blog.taragana.com/n/tata-led-neotel-denies-problems-between-indian-south-african-staff-76091/ visited (16-07-2009) http://blog.taragana.com/n/tata-to-scrap-uk-electric-cars-project-if-10-mn-pound-loan-is-delayed-114007/ visited (16-07-2009) http://ukinindia.fco.gov.uk/en/working-with-india/india-uk-relations/ visited (18-07-2009) http://www.marketsmonitor.com/Indian-Automobile-Sector-A-Booming-Market-Report/IM526.htm visited (19-07-2009) http://www.researchconnect.com/downloadreport.asp?RepID=23987 visited (21-07-2009)

Johannes Brahms Essay -- biographies bio biography musician

Johannes Brahms was a German Composer, Pianist and conductor of the 19th century or the Romantic period. He was one of the 3 B's or the Big three: Bach, Beethoven and Brahms. Johannes was a very self-critic man he burned many of his pieces before he could get anyone's opinion on them and he burned all of his compositions that he wrote before the age of 19. Johannes Brahms was born on Tuesday 7th may 1833, in the city of Hamburg the birthplace also of Mendelssohn. Johann Brahms was himself a musician, and played the double bass for a time at the Karl Schultze Theatre, and later in the Stadttheater orchestra. In 1847 Johannes attended a good Burgerschule (citizens? school), and in 1848 a better, that of one Hoffmann. When he was eight years old his father requested the teachers to be very easy with him because of the time that he must take for his musical studies. Brahms?s boyhood days passed uneventfull. He grew up with his brother fritz and sister Elise amid the poorest surroundings. Fritz turned to music (the Neue Zeitschrift mentions his successful debut at Hamburg in January 1864) was a piano teacher in Hamburg, lived for many years in Caracas, and died at an early age in Hamburg of a disease of the brain. Elise married a watchmaker, much to Johannes? disappointment. As a boy Johannes worked and studied with his father and learnt lessons from books with his mother, with whom he would play ?four-hands? at the piano, ?just for fun.? There were never any doubts as to his becoming a musician. From early childhood he learn everything his father could teach him, read everything he could lay hands on, practiced with undeviating enthusiasm, and filled reams of paper with exercises and variations. The soul of the child went out in music. He played scales long before he knew the notes, and great was his joy when at the age of six he discovered the possibility of making a melody visible by placing black dots on lines at different intervals, inventing a system of notation of his own before he had been made acquainted with the method which the musical world had been using for some centuries. When Johannes was in his tenth year he had made such remarkable progress that Cossel thought it best to secure a more advanced instructor. He was thus put under the care of Eduard Marxsen (Cossel?s own teacher), the royal music director at Altona, who took him unwillingly ... ...for the folksong of his fatherland, which he used as themes for some remarkable variations a musical form, by the way, which he rescued by his masterly treatment form the disrepute into which it had fallen. No career, however, open up before him. He had to continue playing at the low sailors? haunts and to eke out his earnings by giving cheap lessons and arranging popular music for the piano or for brass bands. This hack work continued for what must have seemed a distressingly long time, and it was brightened for him only by the composition of three important works for his instrument, the scherzo in E flat minor (Op. 4) in 1851, the Sonata in F sharp minor (Op.2) in 1852 and the Sonata in C major (Op. I) early in 1853.] It was not only until the spring of that year that he for first time left Hamburg professionally. He undertook a tour with the Hungarian violinist Eduard Remenyi for the purpose of introducing himself and his works. At Gottingen they gave a concert in which the young pianist made a deep impression upon the musicians present. He and Remenyi were to play Beethoven?s Kreutzer sonata, but at the last moment it was discovered that the piano was half a tone too low.

Attitude Theories – Essay

Attitude Theories Attitudes are our positive and negative evaluation of a situation or object. Attitudes can be divided into three distinct components the cognitive, affective and the behavioral. They may take the form of the implicit attitude, explicit attitude and the dual attitude. The components of attitudes are the cognitive which helps people structure the world to make sense to them, the affective which helps people cope with emotional conflicts and the behavior helps people achieve rewards and gain approval from others. One way that attitudes can be formed is through the classical conditioning theory. Classical conditioning is â€Å"learning through association when a neutral conditioned stimulus is paired with an unconditioned stimulus that naturally produces an emotional response† (Franzoi 2010,p. 157). Classical Conditioning is the affective component of attitudes. An example of classical conditioning would be â€Å"the soft click of the switch that turns on a noisy bathroom fan would have little effect on your behavior. After the click a conditioned has been paired with a loud noise an unconditioned on several occasions you might begin to react to the click alone conditioned response† (Bacon and Kalsher, 2008, p. 161). Another example would be the famous study the dogs salivating at the saw or smelled food but not tasted it. Then they salivated at the sight the person bringing the food. Classical conditioning can be very useful in helping in the learning in shaping attitudes to protect us from overcoming certain fears in life and also help acquire aversion to certain foods. Classical conditioning is a gradual process. Using this conditioning can help shape, form different attitudes in many of life situations. Classical conditioning of attitudes occurs below the level of conscious awareness. The other very influential way to shape attitude is the Operant conditioning form of learning. Through the behavioral component (Franzoi, 2010, p. 158). The Operant conditioning is a type of learning attitudes in which behavior is strengthened if followed by reinforcement maintain, changed and weaken if ollowed by punishment through consequences. Operant conditioning occurs when some action towards an object is rewarded or reinforced. Doing this enough times, the subject will do probably repeat it in the future. Also if behavior is not rewarded or is punished then future actions are less likely to occur. An example of a positive operant conditioning would be related to basic biological needs. Positive reinforcement include food when you are angry and conditioned rein forces include money, status, trophies and praises from others. When we hear† you must clean your room before you watch TV† (Bacon and Kalsher, 2008, p. 172). This can shape a person’s attitude. A negative example of this â€Å"stimuli, other subway riders are moving away to escape the stench of a person’s cologne† (Bacon and Kalsher, 2008, p. 173). When people ride in the future they will remember that person and avoid them. This would definitely shape one’s attitude towards this person. Doing well will help shape attitude about eating habits. Since, they did not have a good experience with bad situations that will also shape attitudes. We can use the operant conditioning in teaching techniques such as learning computers, aggressive driving, traffic safety and all goal oriented tasks. In conclusion we have discussed how attitudes can take form. They shape through the implicit attitude form which is activated automatically from our memory or through the explicit attitude which is consciously held. These attitudes are seen in classical, operant conditioning. References Bacon, R. and Kalsher, M, (2008). Psychology: From Science to Practice 2nd Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon Franoi, S. (2010). Social Psychology 5th Ed.

Crip History

Crip History Crip is an alliance of individual street organizations known as sets. The Crip alliance originated in Los Angeles, California. Each Crip set is it's own individual gang and are known to have sub-clicks, blocks, or lines (line-ups) which are like smaller individual sets within the set. Gang members in gangs under the Crip allaince are known as Locs and all Crips call each other "cuz" (short for cousin) to signify that they see each other as family. The gangs under the Crip Alliance are mainly identified by the color blue which is worn proudly by all Crip members as a primary color. Each Crip set has significant differences such as hand signs, use of secondary colors, and customs. The Crip alliance has significantly branched out of California and has spread throughout the majority of the United States.A 15 year old Fremont High School student named Raymond Washington started a gang called the Baby Avenues in 1969 in an attempt to be like the older gangs and copy the political activitie s carried out by other organizations such as the Black Panthers.Tattooed Crip.The gang named itself the Avenue Cribs eventually and took on the nickname Cribs because most members were very young back then. The name Crips was first brought up in L.A. a Los Angeles newspaper in a artical about young Cribs with canes, as if they were crippled. A lot of people believe the name came to existance because of a spelling error. Either way, The name stuck and the Crips alliance was formed.Stanley Tookie Williams is one of the co-founders of the Crips. He started his own gang called the Westside Crips. The Crips were very well known throughout southern L.A. as more and more people began to join. The Crips eventually became the biggest and...

Free Essays on Guadalcanal Campain

In August 1942 a powerful fleet comprising 48 combat ships, including the US Aircraft Carriers Wasp, Saratoga and Enterprise and the new battleship North Carolina, began to assemble for the invasion of the Solomon Islands. The Royal Australian Navy was represented by the cruisers Australia (Captain H. B. Farncomb); Canberra (Captain F. E. Getting and Hobart (Captain H. A. Showers). Commanding the Australian cruisers and five American cruisers was Rear-Admiral Victor Crutchley RN, who in June had succeeded the Australian born Rear-Admiral Crace RN, as the commander of the Australian Squadron. He was responsible for the safe arrival in the combat area of the troopships carrying the assault force of some 16000 US marines. Australian ground forces were at this time busy holding the Japs back on the Kokoda Trek in New Guinea. The invaders achieved complete surprise as they approached the shores of Guadalcanal over a smooth sea and under a clear sky. HMAS Australia and USS Quincy opened fire at 6.13 a.rn. and at 6.23 a.m. and shortly afterwards at dawn on 7 August, the first waves of US Marines landed at Guadalcanal and Tulagi, and soon secured the sites. The first wave of marines went ashore near Lunga Point without opposition and next day the marines occupied the airstrip. Opposition at Tulagi was strong but was soon crushed The Japanese reaction was immediate. Hastily organising a surface strike force of seven cruisers and a destroyer, they began to attack the Allied force without delay. It was a bold decision as it involved steaming in broad daylight down the length of 'The Slot' between the Solomons. Incredibly, the sole sighting of the approaching enemy force - by an RAAF Catalina - was not passed on to Allied leaders. The Americans had split their forces into three groups. Two were guarding the channels on either side of Savo Island. AUSTRALIA in company with CANBERRA, CHICAGO and two destroyers, patrolled the southern channel, while... Free Essays on Guadalcanal Campain Free Essays on Guadalcanal Campain In August 1942 a powerful fleet comprising 48 combat ships, including the US Aircraft Carriers Wasp, Saratoga and Enterprise and the new battleship North Carolina, began to assemble for the invasion of the Solomon Islands. The Royal Australian Navy was represented by the cruisers Australia (Captain H. B. Farncomb); Canberra (Captain F. E. Getting and Hobart (Captain H. A. Showers). Commanding the Australian cruisers and five American cruisers was Rear-Admiral Victor Crutchley RN, who in June had succeeded the Australian born Rear-Admiral Crace RN, as the commander of the Australian Squadron. He was responsible for the safe arrival in the combat area of the troopships carrying the assault force of some 16000 US marines. Australian ground forces were at this time busy holding the Japs back on the Kokoda Trek in New Guinea. The invaders achieved complete surprise as they approached the shores of Guadalcanal over a smooth sea and under a clear sky. HMAS Australia and USS Quincy opened fire at 6.13 a.rn. and at 6.23 a.m. and shortly afterwards at dawn on 7 August, the first waves of US Marines landed at Guadalcanal and Tulagi, and soon secured the sites. The first wave of marines went ashore near Lunga Point without opposition and next day the marines occupied the airstrip. Opposition at Tulagi was strong but was soon crushed The Japanese reaction was immediate. Hastily organising a surface strike force of seven cruisers and a destroyer, they began to attack the Allied force without delay. It was a bold decision as it involved steaming in broad daylight down the length of 'The Slot' between the Solomons. Incredibly, the sole sighting of the approaching enemy force - by an RAAF Catalina - was not passed on to Allied leaders. The Americans had split their forces into three groups. Two were guarding the channels on either side of Savo Island. AUSTRALIA in company with CANBERRA, CHICAGO and two destroyers, patrolled the southern channel, while...

Choose a set of military images or objects and consider how they have Essay

Choose a set of military images or objects and consider how they have mobilized popular opinion in support of war - Essay Example Thesis statement: pictures especially of military objects mobilized popular opinion in support of war. This paper will discuss the role played by pictures in the outbreak and spread of the World War 1 and the Vietnam War. Experts believe that propaganda spread by the media then played a big role in the outbreak of the war (Dowling, 2006). The mass media played a great role in spreading pictures that were emotions and aggressive thus convincing the neutral nations that their sovereignty and peace was at risk (Allan, 2003). Many countries relied on propaganda pictures in scaring their enemies and demonstrating their military power. Cartoonists drew sarcastic pictures of their rivals thus contributing to anger among the citizens and agitations for the support of the War (Dowling, 2006). A majority of the pictures contained ill motive messages such as killing of women and children thus implying the intention to contravene the universal human rights of the civilians that were safeguarded by the international law. The agitated interest groups and emotional civilians could not withstand the provocative messages contained in the pictures and hence urged the governments to join the War in order to ensure national security (Allan, 2003). Pictures of women being raped by soldiers during war prompted feminist groups to urge the nation to join in the war while those containing images of burning property prompted the humanitarian groups to join urge the national governments to take military action against countries that breached civilian rights (Dowling, 2006). This was the height of propaganda since pictures portrayed the negativity of the war leading some countries to join the War in order to safeguard the innocent civilians (Allan, 2003). Accordingly, some pictures and images depicted an ongoing arms race since several countries were involved in military strengthening and manufacture of sophisticated weaponry. Countries like German and Britain were engaged in manufacturin g advanced war ships and battle tanks that could easily overpower the enemy (Dowling, 2006). The mass media fueled the popular opinion on War through showing the pictures of enemy weapons and analyzing how such weapons posed a great threat to their stability and security. Military weapons pictures contributed to War since several countries wanted to demonstrate their superiority and military strength through putting the advanced weapons in to action during the War (Dowling, 2006). The increased fear among the citizens led to agitation for surprise attacks on the enemies (Allan, 2003). The humanitarian crisis images and pictures taken in Vietnam also created a popular opinion towards the War since pictures showed images of crushing trains, burning airplanes, starving children. The pictures of death American soldiers and crushing planes made Americans believe that extreme military offensive through air strikes, naval strikes and additional soldiers was needed in Vietnam. The effects o f these devastating images prompted the entry of other states in order to end the costly War (Dowling, 2006). Recruiting Poster, World War I Pictured above was part of the posters used to urge nations to join in the First World War in the wake of its outbreak (Dowling, 2006). The picture shows a gorilla with fangs and a scary spiked Prussian helmet carrying off an American woman. The club has a label of â€Å"kultur†

Social Effects of the War in Iraq Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Social Effects of the War in Iraq - Essay Example The worst struck by wars are people directly involved in the war - soldiers, their families and Iraqi civilians. These individuals critically create a society. Attitude formation of Iraqi civilians towards the Americans will expectedly be very unforgiving. They will be desperate to seek revenge from them for tearing apart their homes and killing their children for no apparent reason. Even though no American was personally involved in this except for the US government and the forces, the Iraqi civilians will develop a deep hatred for all Americans as it will remind them of their perfect lives that they ruined. (Farris, 2002) Attitude measurement is a quantitative technique used to measure the change in attitude towards a certain object (Bohner & Wnke, 2002). In this particular case the attitude measurement will be to see which factors have influenced change in the minds of the Iraqi civilians about Americans on the whole and especially George Bush. As said before, it comes as no surprise that individuals directly involved in the war will develop an extremely negative impression of the Americans. But those individuals, who were not directly involved, like the American civilians, have developed a sympathetic attitude towards the Iraqi people. This is because Americans are highly aware and they are much more civilized than Iraqi people. They value life more.

Book review Literature Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Book - Literature review Example He cogently makes the analogy that forcing developing countries to participate in free trade before the country is ready is akin to forcing his six year old child to get a job – it is a good short-term policy, in that money will be coming in, but a very poor long-term strategy, as the child’s growth will be stunted and he can never become a brain surgeon if he is forced to leave school at the age of six. His arguments are well-grounded, well-reasoned and difficult to refute. Chang begins by analyzing the developing countries in relationship to neo-liberal policies, and shows how the official history differs from the actual reality. According to Chang, the official history of neo-liberal policies is that these policies, which rely on laissez faire domestic policies, low barriers to the international flowing of goods, labour and capital; and â€Å"macroeconomic stability, both nationally and internationally, guaranteed by principles of sound money and balanced budgets† (Chang, 2008, p. 22) were adopted by developing and Third World countries in the 1980s, which led to the fall of communism in 1989, global economic integration, and a new â€Å"golden age of liberalism† (Chang, 2008, p. 23). Not included in this official history of neo-liberalism is any hint of coercion, nor any suggestion that these policies were not good for these developing countries. Chang contrasts this official story with what he calls â€Å"the real history of globalization† (Chang, 2008, p. 24). According to Chang, the real history is far different from the official story of globalism. The real history involves considerable coercion on the part of the neo-liberal countries, who are led by Great Britain and the United States. For instance, Britain, in the 1840s, used its might around the world to force weaker countries to accept low tariffs, while they themselves set their own tariffs high (Chang, 2008, p. 25). The coercion on these countries continue as the World Bank lends

Your Personal Sales Letter - The Cover Letter Essay Example for Free

Your Personal Sales Letter The Cover Letter Essay The need to accompany a professional resume with a cover letter is as basic as offering a handshake, signing a card, saying thank you or the greeting at the beginning or end of a phone call. All may be taken for granted as a common courtesy, but you can be assured that by omitting any of the above, you will miss an opportunity to generate a positive and lasting impression. A cover letter sets the stage by enticing the reader with a personal connection and a professional introduction that is expected when submitting a resume. A generic letter addressed to the â€Å"resident† or a cover letter addressed â€Å"to whom it may concern† or â€Å"Senior Marketing Manager† is no match for one which is personally addressed. A cover letter can be a powerful selling tool if it is professional, personally addressed, contains pertinent information to the company and position and includes highlights of your accomplishments. All are criteria for each type of cover letter. Here are a few more points to ensure your cover letter is a powerful selling tool: Format your cover letter consistently with your resume regarding the font type and header Include full contact information as found in your resume Adjust right and left margins alike and leave consistent white space at top and bottom Check for spelling or grammatical errors Obtain a contact name and full address for the recipient Clearly introduce yourself and the reason you are submitting your resume Highlight accomplishments from your resume that are pertinent to the position Do not include information that is not available for validation in your resume Note information about the company to reinforce your interest and due diligence Choose industry/job related keywords that are current

The Teachings Of Buddha And Buddhism

The Teachings Of Buddha And Buddhism Buddha is the principal figure in the religion of Buddhism, and accounts of his life, discourses and simple rules, which involve the renouncing of earthly pursuits in order to wholly devote ones self to spiritual work, are believed to have been summarized after his demise and are memorized by his followers. Collections of the teachings attributed to him were originally passed down to generations by oral tradition, and were first committed to writing about 400 years after his death. In other religions such as the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community and Hinduism, Buddha is regarded as a prophet and in others, a god. Followers of this religion recognize Buddha as an enlightened teacher who shared his insights to help beings that are not enlightened and are therefore confined to death, rebirth and suffering to achieve nirvana. Nirvana refers to a supreme state which allows one to be free of suffering and selfish or individual existence. Nirvana allows an individual to blow out the fires of hatred, greed and delusion and therefore end the cycle of suffering in the individuals life. The two major branches of Buddhism are Theravada and Mahayana. Theravada, which is the oldest surviving branch, refers to the school of elders, and is widespread in Southeast Asia and Sri Lanka. Mahayana is widely practiced in East Asia and Vajrayana, a subcategory of Mahayana, is recognized as a third branch and is practiced in Tibet and Mongolia. Though Buddhism remains most popular within Asia, both branches are now seen to spread throughout the world with estimates of around 350-500 million followers worldwide. The core foundation of Buddhist belief and practice are the three treasures or jewels i.e. the three things that Buddhists look toward for guidance and take refuge in, are the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha. The Buddha refers to the historical founder of Buddhism or can be interpreted to mean the highest spiritual potential that exists within nature. The Dharma refers to the teachings of Buddha while the Sangha refers to the community of those individuals who have attained enlightenment, and who may help a practicing Buddhist attain the same. Taking refuge in the triple jewels distinguishes a Buddhist from a non-Buddhist and traditionally, it has been a declaration and commitment to following the Buddhist path. Other practices in Buddhism may include renouncing conventional living, becoming part of and supporting the monastic community as well as practice of meditation. Even though less than 1% of Americas are Buddhists, it is difficult to overlook the prominence of Buddhism today in American culture. This can mainly be attributed to the media focus on celebrity converts, popular films and the increasing popularity of the Dalai Lama, a Buddhist leader of spiritual officials of the Gelug people, who practice Tibetan Buddhism. Buddhism has expanded through a broad spectrum of American culture, including film, art, literature, and psychology. The history of Buddhism in the United States can be traced back to the Chinese laborers who came to the United States in 1820, to work on the railroads. Henry David Thoreau, an American poet, also played an important role in the popularization of Buddhism with his translation of the Lotus Sutra, a 3rd century Buddhist text. By 1993, there were over 1000 Buddhist temples and monasteries in San Francisco, New York and Los Angeles. As recent public opinion surveys illustrate, Americans typically seek for new religious expression. Additionally, Americans demonstrated the desire to be different from the living styles offered by conventional religions. According to this same survey, more than 44% of Americans had left their original religions to seek for other religions they thought to be more fulfilling; Buddhism being one of them. Though ambiguous, Buddhisms appeal to the contemporary American society can sometimes be contradictory, with a thin line being between the end of practicing Buddhism as a fashionable and trendy practice, and the beginning of devotional focus on this ancient religion. Buddhism has predictably invaded the American culture with vegetarian restaurants, health food stores and even some movies attributing part of their success to this religion. To many Americans, Buddhism has become an all-encompassing, primary gateway to meaningful life. Buddhist concepts on life and the world are continuously being adopted into the American culture. A good example is Karma which according to the Buddhist teachings, is the force that drives the cycle of actions that produce seeds in an individuals mind that are sure to come true either in this current life or in a subsequent rebirth. The avoidance of unpleasant actions and the nurturing of positive actions is called sila, which can be translated to ethical conduct. According to Buddhist teachings, karma is used to refer to the actions of the mind, body, as well as speech, that originate spring from the psychological intent and which bring a result or consequence. In Theravada Buddhism, since karma is a purely impersonal process that is part of the structure of the universe, there can be no divine deliverance or forgiveness for ones action. However, other forms of Buddhism, such as the Vajrayana, regard the recitation of mantras, a sound, syllable, utterance or a group of words, as a way of cutting off previous negative karma. This concept helps an individual understand that everything that happens to him or her is as a result of their actions and we should therefore struggle to do good deeds. Buddhism rejects the concept of an unchanging or permanent self with an eternal soul as in other religions like Hinduism and Christianity. Instead, Buddhist teachings emphasize on rebirth, the process whereby beings go through a series of lifetimes as one of several possible forms of sentient life, with each running from conception. Rebirth can be understood as the continuation of an ever-changing process which is determined by the laws of reason and karma, or effect, as opposed to that of one life form incarnating from one life to the next. This concept of Buddhism emphasizes on the need for a being to do good while in the current life in order to attract good karma in their subsequent lives. Sentient beings desire pleasure and are averse to pain from their birth to death. In being controlled by these desires, they bring about the cycle of habituated suffering and existence, and produce the causes and conditions of the subsequent rebirth after death. Every rebirth repeats this process in an uncontrolled cycle, which Buddhists try to end by applying the teachings of the Buddha and subsequent Buddhists, as a way of eradicating these causes and conditions. Buddhist teachings accentuate that all the sufferings that any sentient being goes through has causes and solutions. This is especially revealed in the four noble truths which were the first teachings of Buddha after he attained Nirvana. They contain the essence of Buddhas teachings which maintain that life ultimately leads to suffering, which in turn is cause by desire. This is frequently expressed as a deluded clinging to selfhood or a certain sense of existence which we consider to cause happiness or unhappiness. Suffering only ends when desire ends, which can only be achieved by eliminating delusion, thus reaching a liberated state of enlightenment i.e. Nirvana. The only way to reach this state is by following the path and teachings laid out by the Buddha. This concept emphasizes on the renouncing of ones self in order to free his or herself from worldly sufferings. The Middle Way, which is said to have been discovered by the Buddha before his enlightenment, is one of the most important guiding principles of Buddhist practice. It can be defined as a path of moderation, away from the limits of self indulgence and can explain Nirvana, a state in which it becomes clear that al dualities in the world result to nothingness. In order o be liberated from suffering, one develops dispassion for worldly objects which can be achieved by viewing things as characterized by the three marks of existence which are suffering, impermanence and not-self. Impermanence expresses the Buddhist notion that everything is in constant flux and nothing lasts. Therefore, we should not fix our nature to any object or experience. The notion asserts that everything is impermanent, and attachment to anything is futile and only leads to suffering. Suffering, on the other hand, can be equated to misery and according to the Buddhist teachings; it is often as a result of the individuals actions. Not-self, the third mark of existence is an approach for gaining release from suffering. The phenomenon of I or mine, are constructed by the mind and are metaphysical assertions that bind an individual to suffering. By carefully analyzing the continually changing physical and mental constituents of a person or object, one comes to the conclusion that neither a person, nor any individual parts as a whole comprise a self. Nirvana, which can be translated to extinction, allows a being to be freed from suffering and the cycle of involuntary rebirths. In some Buddhist categories, it refers only to the elimination of greed and hate, implying that delusion was still present in an individual who attained nirvana and that one needed to attain bodhi, the awakening of arahants (those who have achieved awakening). This is the only way that an individual attains complete nirvana at the moment of death, the time when the physical body expires. In the Theravada doctrine of Buddhism, a person may arise from the sleep of ignorance and directly realize the true nature of reality. Such people are referred to as arahants and occasionally as buddhas. After numerous lifetimes of religious strivings, arahants reach the end of the cycle of rebirth, and no longer reincarnate as human, animal, ghost, or any other being. In Mahayana, the Buddha is viewed as merely human but as an earthly projection of an endless, omnipresent being beyond range or reach of thought. Moreover, the Buddha, Sangha and Dharma are seen as the eternal Buddha in certain Mahayana sutras. Celestial Buddhas though they no longer exist on the material plane of existence, still aid in the enlightenment of all beings. Devotion and practice are an important part of the Buddhist way of life. Devotional practices include offerings, bowing and chanting. It incorporates states of meditative absorption with liberating cognition. According to Buddhas teachings, meditative states alone are not an end to liberation. Instead, some mental activity must take place, based on the practice of mindful awareness in order to attain complete liberation. In the centuries preceding the Buddha, meditation was a feature of the practice of the yogis. Later on, the Buddha built upon the yogis concern and developed their meditative techniques, though he rejected their theories of liberation. In Buddhism, clear and mindful awareness was to be observed at al times, which was not the case in pre-Buddhist yogic practices. According to the Buddha, religious knowledge or vision was as a result of perfect meditation coupled with the perfection of discipline. The contemporary American culture has heavily borrowed this section of t he Buddhist doctrine by the practice of yoga as a means of liberation. Buddhist ethics, Sila, which is translated to virtuous behavior or morality, is an action involving intentional effort, and is committed through the body, speech or mind. It refers to maintaining the moral purity of word, thought or deed. It involves four conditions; chastity, quiet, calmness, and extinguishment. It is the foundation of meditative or mind cultivation. Observance of these precepts not only promotes the peace of mind for the individual observing them, but also peace in the community, which is external. According to the law of karma, observing these precepts is estimable and it promotes causes which bring about happy and peaceful effects. Buddhas monastic rules are designed to assure a satisfying life and constantly remind his followers that it is the spirit that counts. Buddhist meditation is concerned with transformation of the mind, and using it to explore other phenomena. Zen Buddhism became popular in Japan, Korea and China, and lays special emphasis on meditation and prefers to focus on direct spiritual breakthroughs to truth, unlike other forms of Buddhism which lay emphasis on scriptures. According to the Zen Buddhist teachings, thinking and thought must not be permitted to confine and bind an individual in order to penetrate the realm of the Formless Self. Many Americans have borrowed liberally from the wide variety of Buddhist traditions in an effort to seek a calmer and more satisfying way of life. Though there is tension between the Buddhistss vision of reality which emphasizes on the renouncing of ones self with the American culture which emphasizes on individualism, Buddhism has continued to thrive in America. This could be attributed to the American Buddhists who have developed reciprocity with this faith: as the faith changes them, they have changed the faith also. Historically, wherever Buddhism has spread, it has responded as a dynamic improvement to the emotional needs and customs of the locals. Buddhism has a wide range of spiritual practices and the adoption of its spiritual techniques is especially appealing to some Americans who find activities like meditation and chanting useful in helping to find a path to increasing compassion and wisdom. This is because Buddhism has no devotion to a god or a firm belief in deity, but emphasizes the introspection of ones true nature and kindness to all sentient beings. It is this Buddhism flexibility that allows it to be copied by other religions without significant conflict with the beliefs. Majority of Americans seem to appreciate the fact that Buddhism has managed to escape the depressing history of sectarian violence that has been seen to characterize majority of the Western religions. Instead, Buddhism continues to focus on the affirmation of an individuals potential and teaches that enlightenment is not only achievable but also unavoidable. American culture has also had a positive effect on Buddhism tradition too. The American commitment to feminism can be seen to balance the prejudiced aspects of Asian culture that have permitted the existence of Buddhism over the centuries. With more Americans discovering the value of Buddhist religious practices and the Buddhist way of life, Buddhism is now becoming an accepted path within many religions in the country. Buddhism is being modified to meet the American peoples needs for a socially engaged and democratic form of religious practice. In the American culture, the concept of God has been seen to evolve from that of an omnipresent, omnipotent presence to define various concepts like love, energy or spirit. Despite the continuing evolutions of the Americans conception of God, other religions, such as Buddhism, have not changed significantly. By contrast, Buddhism has changed its major emphasis from theism to spiritual humanism. Core beliefs in Buddhism include finding immortality in the examples that individuals set and the work they do as well as showing love to all other beings. As in does not emphasize on deities, Buddhism helps individuals gain insight on from other religions and cultures and recognize the power within ones self. Through Karma, which though, originally from India is inscribed in Buddhists teachings, individuals learn and understand that they are responsible for what they do and become, both as individuals and as members of a community. By meditation, individuals deeply connect personally with themselves and through prayers and reverence; they acquire purification, or cleansing of their emotional, physical, spiritual and mental parts. Physical cleansing is acquired as the sweat carries out the toxins out from the individuals body while the mental cleansing is achieved from the individual releasing their worries and troubled thoughts to the surrounding. The spiritual cleansing offers a connection to the spirit while emotional cleansing is a combination of al the above. The process of the se cleansings brings an individual to a calmer and more grounded state, leaving them more peaceful with themselves and their lives. In Tibetan Buddhism, the mandala is seen as an aid to meditation and it expresses the intuition of the mysticism in humanity as a diagram of the spiritual life. In Buddhism, it is an image constructed through powerful meditation, discipline, and concentration. It is aimed at finding a balance between the inward and outward conflicting opposites of life in order for individuals to coexist in harmony with nature. The mandala philosophy is based on the fact that one-sidedness, of any nature, can lead to illness, depression, loss of energy flow or stagnation. Many Americans have borrowed mandala, meaning magic circle, from the Buddhist tradition in order to reconcile and harmonize various aspects of their lives. Mandala cannot be brought about by force or will but is a natural, unending process of development which expresses itself in symbols of cosmic and spiritual completeness. In American culture, mandalas occur in dances and artwork, where like snowflakes, mandalas occur in countless forms, with the most common being the cross, flower or star and they have a tendency toward fourfold structures. This fourfold unity reflects the natural division of the universe into four directions, four seasons, four elements as well as the fourfold structure of the soul. Buddhism teachings