Leadership in project management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Leadership in project management - Essay Example A view holds that leaders are people oriented and their main task is to inspire people. Their primary functional output is a change(Veal,2004) and their capabilities are assessed in terms of controlling the process of this change. That is to mould and control change to suit project's objectives. Whereas managers are task and process oriented and their main task is to organize such tasks and processes. Management's main output is task done in target time at target cost. In plain language Management is assigned the task of producing and maintaining a degree of predictability & order(Veal,2004). Leadership on the other hand assumes the function of producing change under a constantly updated schemata of direction and vision. Leadership is the process of motivating others to work to meet specific goals and objectives. Leadership is deliberately causing people-driven actions in a planned fashion for the purpose of accomplishing the leader's agenda. Subsequent to identification of role of leadership in project management it is clear that leadership physically comprises of an individual or set of individuals acting on common concert and vision. A set of qualities are generally stated in support of good leadership. Such qualities helps in execution of the agenda of leadership as defined above. These qualities are stated below corresponding to their importance in an information system project: (a) A project leader must have the capability to nurture and develop a vision and a concrete sense of direction in which to lead the team on. He must make the entire team convinced of his stance of an inspired shared vision. At least he should be able to convey his vision to critical members of the project team. "Visionary leaders enable people to feel they have a real stake in the project. They empower people to experience the vision on their own(Barry,Top). Bennis explains about the leaders that "They offer people opportunities to create their own vision, to explore what the vision will mean to their jobs and lives, and to envision their future as part of the vision for the organization," (Bennis, 1997). (b) A project leader is expected to have high level of problem solving skills(Barry,Top). He may share problem-solving responsibilities with the team .As Kouzes says that a leader must have a "fresh, creative response to here-and-now opportunities," and not much concern with how others have performed them. (Kouzes,1987).Thus he would be capable of giving new solutions to complicated problems and lead in dead ends. (c) A project leader must exercise a lot of empathy. There is vast amount of difference between empathy and sympathy(Barry,Top). Although the words rhyme, they, in fact have widely different meanings. According to Norman Paul, in sympathy the subject is principally absorbed in his or her own feelings as they are projected into the object and has little concern for the reality

Enzyme catalysis lab Essay Example for Free

Enzyme catalysis lab Essay Enzyme catalysis was observed in order to analyze how changes in temperature, pH, enzyme concentration, and substrate concentration affected an enzyme-catalyzed reaction. This experiment analyzed the rate of enzyme-catalyzed reactions and observed the correlation between catalase activity and products formed. It was found out that the rate of an enzyme-catalyzed reaction starts off rapidly, decreases, and levels off or completely stops, and can be further affected by environmental factors, which play a crucial role in regulating enzymes and metabolic processes. Based on this experiment and the data collected one is able to conclude that the optimal environment in which this specific catalase is able to function is around 40 °C and in a pH around 7. This type of environment allows the enzyme to function at its fullest potential and produce the maximum amount of product allotted by the implemented amount of substrate present without the hindrance of environmental factors. Introduction Background: Enzymes, most of which are proteins, have two interrelated roles. One is to act as catalysts and accelerate spontaneous biochemical reactions so they occur with sufficient rates at moderate temperatures. The other is to determine which spontaneous biochemical reactions will be accelerated out of many more possibilities present in the cell. Balance between all the reactions in metabolism is achieved in several ways, by fluctuations in substrate concentrations, by local differences in pH, by changes in enzyme concentration, and by changes in enzyme activation Purpose: Enzyme activity is influenced by many factors; both temperature and pH at which enzymes functions are extremely important. Most organisms have a preferred temperature and pH range in which they survive, and their enzymes usually function best within very narrow temperature and pH ranges. If the environment of the enzyme is too acidic, basic, or hot, the activity of the enzyme may be altered due to a change in the three-dimensional shape of the enzyme. Denaturation, the unraveling or structural changes of an enzyme, may be temporary or permanent depending on the degree of the environmental change. In either case, a denatured enzyme no longer has the shape necessary to interact with the substrate effectively to lower the activation energy. Hypotheses: 1. The hypothesis is as the temperature increases, above 40 ° C, the activity of the enzyme catalyst will increase. 2. The hypothesis for the enzyme activity with the effect of the pH is if the pH is not at the optimum pH value there will be a complete loss of enzyme activity. 3. The hypothesis is as the change in enzyme concentration increases the activity rate of the enzyme will increase if there is a proportional amount of enzyme concentration and substrate. 4. The hypothesis is as the substrate concentration has an increase so will the reaction of velocity if the amount of enzyme is kept constant. Materials: Materials can be found on page 65 in the Bio 110 lab manual. Procedures are found on pages 65 to 68 in the Bio 110 lab manual. Discussion A. In table 5.1, the data that was collected was calibrating the colorimeter. The results should have been 0.000 or 0.001 no matter how long the machine was ran for. B. In table and graph 5.2, the data collected was in a time frame of 0-5minuites and was recorded every 30 seconds. In the cuvette was distilled water and substrate mix. The data collected showed that the longer the experiment ran for the higher the absorbency rate. C. In table and graph 5.4, the data that was collected was for three different amounts of enzymes:  ½x enzyme, 1x enzyme, and 2x enzyme. The hypothesis for this experiment was the more enzyme the faster the absorbance. With the results from the test the hypothesis is true. The 1/2x enzyme was absorbed less and a lot slower then the 2x enzyme. D. In table and graph 5.6, the data collected was the effect of the amount of substrate effects on the absorbency. The data was collected every 6 seconds for 60 seconds. With  ½x substrate the absorbance was the slowest. At 1x substrate the absorbance was the fast, and at 2x substrate the absorbance was in the middle. E. In table and graph 5.8, the data collected was to see how the effects of temperature played an effect on the absorbency. Ice water (4 °c) the absorbance rate was very slow. Room temperature (22 °c) was the normal rate of absorbance. Body temperature (37 °c) had the highest absorbance rate, and boiling water (100 °c) the protein was denatured giving no results. F. In table and graph 5.10, the data collected was to see how the effect of pH affects the absorbance. With the pH2 no reaction happened because pH2 is not a good match, pH7 had the highest absorbance. Ph10 was denatured, pH5 was absorbed but slowly and, pH8 was also absorbed but was absorbed the slowest. G. In table and graph 5.12 we added an inhibitor to see what the effects would be. With the inhibitor added the absorbance rate slow but did increase. Literature Cited Vital Health, Inc. Introduces a Digestive Enzyme for Children, MyZymes. SFGate. N.p., 23 Oct. 2012. Web. 19 Nov. 2012. http://www.sfgate.com/business/prweb/article/Vital-Health-Inc-Introduces-a-Digestive-Enzyme-3973438.php. Kilbourne, Jennifer, and Laurie Montgomery. Laboratory Investigations for Bio 1110. Second ed. Dubuque: Kendall Hunt, 2011. Print. Relevance Digestive Enzyme for Children Vital Health Inc. has introduced a new vitamin called MyZymes, a chewable digestive enzyme for children. This helps the body gain nutrients from food and plays an essential role in facilitating absorption. They are a highly effective digestive enzyme product because it contains a higher activity level of protease, amylase, lipase, cellulose and also includes six other enzymes. The higher activity levels assists in digesting more proteins, fats, carbohydrates and fiber. Enzymes are one of the most essential elements in our body. Enzymes are energized protein molecules found in all living cells. They catalyze and regulate all biochemical reactions that occur within our body. Enzymes also play a part in digestion. They break down proteins, fats, carbohydrates and fiber making it possible to utilize the nutrients found in those foods while removing the toxins. Digestive enzyme supplements help you digest your meals more efficiently and deliver the nutrients from your food to your body. The supplemental digestive enzymes will break down food, thus saving the body from having to release as many of its own enzymes. This allows the body to devote its attention to supplying more metabolic enzymes so the organs and tissues can carry on their daily work. Enzyme supplements are clinically proven to reduce the effects of bloating, gas, occasional heartburn and occasional acid reflux.

Diagnosis of a Respiratory Disorder

Diagnosis of a Respiratory Disorder Introduction Respiratory disorders are the commonest causes of morbidity and mortality among children of all ages. The presentation may vary from trivial to life threatening symptoms. While a carefully conducted history and physical examination are vital for a correct diagnosis, various laboratory and radiological investigations aid in finally clinching the diagnosis. This chapter focuses on clinical assessment of the respiratory system in children. There is much overlap between the respiratory examination and that of other systems, and it is assumed that the reader has mastered basic physical examination skills. History The evaluation of a child with respiratory disorder should start with the history of present illness, significant past history, family history as well as antenatal and birth histories. The parent should be asked the chief complaint that prompted the consultation, along with the circumstances at onset, frequency, duration, and severity. History of prior treatment should be obtained. History of past illness will include all previous respiratory and other complaints. These include history of recurrent pneumonia (suggesting immunodeficiency, cystic fibrosis, anatomic abnormality, or bronchiectasis) known allergy and malnutrition. The family/ environmental history will provide information about history of contact or that suggestive of asthma in relatives, nutritional and financial status of the family, and history of exposure to allergens. Following are important clinical pointers in the history: Recurrent pneumonia: points towards immunodeficiency, cystic fibrosis, anatomic abnormality (gastroesophageal reflux), dysfunctional swallowing, or bronchiectasis. The child with a history of tracheoesophageal fistula repair is prone to tracheomalacia and gastroesophageal reflux–related disease. Atopy: eczema, atopic dermatitis, hay fever, or known allergies, may be important in the child with chronic cough or recalcitrant asthma. Failure to thrive, frequent infections, blood product transfusion, parental substance abuse, or poor growth may be a clue to an underlying immunodeficiency. History of contact with a case of tuberculosis Environmental history: exposure to dust due to construction in the house/neighbourhood, presence of pet animals or birds, exposure to smoke, either from tobacco use or use of wood for heating, cooking, or both. Associated complaints: Headache may be a sign of sinus disease or, especially if occurring in the early morning, a result of obstructive sleep apnea. Ocular symptoms such as conjunctivitis and blepharitis, as well as nasal symptoms, may indicate an atopic predisposition or in the young infant a chlamydial infection. Recurrent mouth ulcers or thrush can be associated with immunodeficiency, as may chronic or recurrent ear drainage. Poor feeding, edema, shortness of breath, and exercise tolerance can be clues to the presence of congestive heart failure. Stool characteristics, abdominal bloating, and fatty food intolerance are important features of cystic fibrosis. Neurologic symptoms such as seizures or developmental delay are important in evaluating the child with apparent life-threatening events or suspected chronic or recurrent aspiration. PHYSICAL EXAMINATION A thorough general physical examination is extremely important in the approach to a child with respiratory disorder. Recording the anthropometry is as important as are the presence of cyanosis, pallor and clubbing. Use of accessory muscles of respiration may indicate severity of respiratory distress and intercostal recession may point towards airway obstruction and a non-compliant lung. Supraclavicular and cervical lymph nodes should form part of the exanination routinely. Upper Airway An examination of the upper airway will indicate presence of nasal foreign body or infection, tonsillar enlargement, or narrowing of the glottis. The position of the trachea should be noted during examination of the neck. Deviation to one side may be seen with pneumothorax, neck mass, unilateral pulmonary agenesis or hypoplasia, or unilateral hyperinflation (as seen with foreign body or congenital cystic lung disorders). Chest Inspection Inspection forms the first component of chest examination. Presence or absence of any deformity should be noted, as should the general shape of the chest. A barrel chest (increased anteroposterior dimension) denotes obstructive lung disease. The severity of this deformity shows increased lung volumes (functional residual capacity, residual volume, total lung capacity, functional residual capacity/total lung capacity ratio, and residual volume/total lung capacity ratio) and is associated with radiographic findings of hyperinflation in children with poorly controlled asthma. Pectus carinatum (â€Å"pigeon breast†) or pectus excavatum (â€Å"funnel chest†) may be seen in patients who have chronically increased work of breathing, as in pulmonary fibrosis, cystic fibrosis, or poorly controlled asthma. The respiratory rate, preferably noted with the child at rest or asleep, is a very important indicator of pulmonary illness (though fever and metabolic acidosis can have an inc reased respiratory rate in the absence of pulmonary disease). Nasal flaring to reduce nasal resistance to airflow and the use of accessory muscles of respiration such as the sternocleidomastoid muscles indicates respiratory distress as do retractions or indrawing of the skin of the neck and chest. Respiratory distress may also be seen in children with neuromuscular disorders. An objective way of assessing the degree of dyspnea is asking the child to count and noting the highest number reached in a single breath. The respiratory pattern and depth may also point towards a particular pathology. Shallow and rapid respiration is seen in children with restrictive lung disease. Similarly, rapid and deep respiration (hyperpnea), can be seen in children with hypoxia and metabolic acidosis while alkalosis results in slow, shallow breaths. Hyperpnea alternating with apnea (Biots respiration) is associated with central nervous lesions involving the respiratory centers. Cheyne-Stokes respirations seen in comatose patients is marked by gradually increasing and decreasing respirations. Likewise, the relative length of the respiratory phases (the inspiratory/expiratory ratio) is important. As the inspiratory and expiratory phases are roughly equal, a prolonged expiration may indicate obstructive diseases such as bronchiolitis, acute exacerbations of asthma, and cystic fibrosis. While some abdominal breathing, is normal up to 6 or 7 years of age, conspicuous respirations of this type in a child, however, generally reflect a pulmonary abnormality such as pneumonia, or respiratory muscle weakness. Palpation: Although more generally thought of in terms of the abdominal examination, palpation is important in the respiratory examination as well. It is used to confirm the visual observations of chest wall shape and excursion. Palpation is performed by placing the entire hand on the chest and feeling with the palm and fingertips. Friction rubs may be felt as high-frequency vibrations in synchrony with the respiratory pattern. Tactile fremitus, the transmission of vibrations associated with vocalization, is at times difficult to assess in children because of a lack of cooperation and a higher-pitched voice; lower-pitched vocalization is more effectively transmitted. It is best felt with the palmar aspects of the metacarpal and phalangeal joints on the costal interspaces. Decreased fremitus suggests airway obstruction, pleural fluid, or pleural thickening, whereas increased fremitus is associated with parenchymal consolidation. Occasionally a â€Å"thud† can be felt high in the chest or in the neck, a finding suggestive of a free tracheal foreign body. One can also assess chest excursion by placing the hands with the fingertips anterior and thumbs posterior and noting the degree of chest wall movement, comparing excursion of one side with the other by noting the movement of the thumbs away from the midline (the spinous processes). The point of maximal impulse, frequently shifted to the left in cardiac disease, may be shifted inferiorly and to the right in severe asthma, a large left-sided pleural effusion, or a tension pneumothorax. With massive left-sided atelectasis, it may be shifted to the left. Percussion: Percussion should be performed with the child upright with the head in neutral position, and using the indirect method (a single finger from one hand strikes on a finger of the other hand placed on an interspace). A gentle force should be used so as to avoid causing injury, especially in a young child). Sounds commonly elicited by percussion of the chest are as follows: Tympany : Normally heard with percussion of the abdomen, is seen in the chest with a massive pneumothorax. Resonance: This is the normal state in the chest; it is sometimes called vesicular resonance. Hyperresonance: Accentuation of the normal percussion is seen with states of hyperinflation like emphysema, asthma, or free intrapleural air. Coin test: A resonant metallic sound heard with a stethoscope when tapping a coin that is held flat against the chest with another coin; it indicates a pneumothorax. Dullness: A flat, thud-like sound, this sound is associated with pleural fluid or parenchymal consolidation. Flatness: This sound can be mimicked by percussing over muscle; its presence in the chest suggests massive pleural effusion. Auscultation: Auscultation of the chest should be performed with the age appropriate stethoscope (with chest pieces for premature infants, infants, children, and adolescents/adults). The diaphragm of the chest piece (pressed tightly against the skin) is used to filter out low-pitched sounds, thereby isolating high-pitched sound, and the bell (held lightly on the chest) is used preferentially to isolate low-pitched sounds. The upper lobes are best heard by listening anteriorly in the infraclavicular regions, the lower lobes by listening posteriorly below the scapulae, and the right middle lobe and lingula by listening anteriorly lateral to the lower third of the sternum. All lobes can be heard in the axillae. It is also important to specify the timing (continuous, early, or late), pitch (high, medium, or low), and character (fine, medium, or coarse) of sounds. These sounds can be divided into breath sounds (produced by the movement of gas through the airways), voice sounds (modifi cations of phonation not heard distinctly in the normal state), and adventitious sounds (neither breath or voice sounds). Breath Sounds Vesicular breath sounds are the sounds heard during respiration in a healthy individual. They are low-pitched, with a relatively longer inspiratory phase and a shorter expiratory phase and are louder on inspiration. These sounds emanate from the lobar and segmental airways and are then transmitted through normal parenchyma. Bronchial breath sounds are usually louder than vesicular sounds and have short inspiratory and long expiratory phases. They are higher pitched and louder during expiration. They may be the result of consolidation or compression (i.e., airlessness) of the underlying parenchyma. A similar sound can be heard by listening directly over the trachea. Bronchovesicular breath sounds, as the name implies, are intermediate between vesicular and bronchial sounds. The respiratory phases are roughly equal in length. This sound is felt to be indicative of a lesser degree of consolidation or compression (airlessness) than bronchial sounds. Bronchovesicular (and sometimes bronchial) breath sounds can occasionally be heard in normal individuals in the auscultatory triangle (the area in the back bound by the lower border of the trapezius, the latissimus dorsi, and the rhomboideus major muscles) and the right upper lobe. Wheezes are continuous musical sounds, more commonly expiratory in nature, and usually associated with short inspiratory and prolonged expiratory phases. They can be of single (monophonic) or multiple (polyphonic) pitches, which are higher pitched than vesicular sounds. These can often be very difficult to distinguish from snoring and upper airway sounds such as stridor. Stridor is a musical, monophonic, often high-pitched sound, usually thought of as inspiratory in nature; it can be expiratory as well, such as when produced by partial obstruction of a central, typically extrathoracic airway. Its presence in both inspiration and expiration suggests severe, fixed airway obstruction. Voice Sounds The normal lung parenchyma filters vocalization so that whispered sounds are not usually heard during auscultation and normally spoken syllables are indistinct. Bronchophony is the distinct transmission of spoken syllables as the result of an underlying consolidation or compression. More severe consolidation or compression results in the transmission of whispered sounds or whispered pectoriloquy. Egophony is very similar to bronchophony but has a nasal quality as well. It may reflect an underlying effusion, consolidation or compression, or both conditions. Adventitious Sounds Fine crackles are thought to be the result of the explosive reopening of alveoli that closed during the previous exhalations. These occur exclusively during inspiration and are associated with conditions such as bronchitis, pneumonia, pulmonary infarction, and atelectasis. They can also be normal when heard in the posterior lung bases during the first few breaths on awakening. They may be imitated by rolling several strands of hair between the thumb and forefinger in front of the ear or by pulling apart Velcro. Hamman’s sign, also called a mediastinal crunch, is the finding of crackles associated with systole and is suggestive of pneumomediastinum. Coarse crackles are popping sounds likely produced by the movement of thin fluids in bronchi or bronchioles. They occur early in inspiration and occasionally in expiration as well, may be audible at the mouth, and may clear or change pattern after a cough. They can sometimes be heard in the anterior lung bases during exhalation to residual volume. An example of these sounds is the crackles typically heard in patients with cystic fibrosis. Rhonchi (sometimes more descriptively called large airway sounds) are gurgling or bubbling sounds usually heard during exhalation. These sounds are the result of movement of fluid within larger airways. In individuals with pleural inflammation, a pleural friction rub may be heard. This loud, grating sound may come and go over a short period of time. It is usually associated with a subpleural parenchymal inflammatory process. OTHER SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS Clubbing: Clubbing is the broadening and thickening of the ends of the fingers and toes that occur as the result of connective tissue hypertrophy and hyperplasia and increased vascularity in the distal phalanges, in response to chronic hypoxia. It can be confirmed clinically by checking for Schamroth’s sign. Causes of clubbing are as follows: Bronchiectasis Severe pneumonia, lung abscess, or empyema Interstitial lung disease (autoimmune and infectious) Pulmonary arteriovenous malformation Hepatopulmonary syndrome Pulmonary malignancy Cyanotic congenital heart disease Bacterial endocarditis Inflammatory bowel disease Thyrotoxicosis Familial Cyanosis: The use of cyanosis as a clinical indicator of hypoxemia is confounded by a number of factors such as skin pigmentation, poor lighting, the presence of nail polish, or hypothermia. Cyanosis occurs when the concentration of reduced arterial hemoglobin exceeds 3 g/dL. Clinical impression of cyanosis should be verified by arterial blood gas analysis or pulse oximetry. Pulsus paradoxus: Pulsus paradoxus (fluctuation in systolic blood pressure with respiration) may sometimes be associated with obstructive pulmonary disease. The arterial pressure falls during inspiration and rises with exhalation. It is quantified as the difference between the systolic pressures measured during inspiration and expiration. Pulsus paradoxus is useful in evaluating children with cystic fibrosis and asthma, in which a value of more than 15 mm Hg has been found to INVESTIGATION:

Comparing the Use of Language in Titus Andronicus and Hamlet Essay

Comparing the Use of Language in Titus Andronicus and Hamlet As characters of high birth and important political positions, Titus and Hamlet are necessarily observed closely by those around them for their reaction to the tragic events that have taken in place in their lives; and it is primarily the unique language with which they express their grief and anger that disconcerts both their enemies and their friends, and keeps them under an exacting scrutiny for the duration of their eponymous plays. The other characters in Titus Andronicus and Hamlet interpret the language of these tragic heroes, the devices it employs, the lack of decorum it exhibits, as the symptom of madness. It is a language born out of suffering and crafted by intelligence and insight, and, above all, a desire to push language to its expressive limit, and as such, a language that characters like Marcus, Tamora, Polonius, Horatio, and Gertrude cannot appreciate, and are quick to label madness. And yet there is also a sense in which this term in not wholly inapplicable, for, a s these plays demonstrate, there is a fine line between poetry and madness. The language of the principal characters in Titus Andronicus is fraught with poetic devices, such as allusion to classical mythology and extended similes, many of which are in the heroic style of Virgil and Homer and appropriate classical themes. Titus compares his return to Rome with "the bark that hath discharged his fraught/ [and] returns with precious lading to the bay/ from whence at first she weighed her anchorage" and voices a desire that the virtues of Rome's new leader, Saturninus, will "reflect on Rome as Titan's rays on earth" (I.i.71-73, I.i.225-226). Lucius describes the bodies of his dead broth... ...ft, Horatio. The funeral baked meats/Did coldly furnish forth the marriage tables," thus realizing, through language, all of the implications of such a union of opposites (I.ii.180-1). Titus is also the only character in his play to make full sense of its themes-through the devices of metaphor, which yokes together seemingly disparate aspects of life, and the device of metonymy, which pares people and concepts down to their very essence, he comes to an understanding of the true nature of violence, grief, and revenge. Works Cited: Kurmode, Frank. Shakespeare's Language. The Penguin Group. London, 2000 Shakespeare, William. Titus Andronicus. Ed. Eugene M. Waith. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1998. Shakespeare, William. Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Literature: Reading Fiction, Poetry, and Drama. 5th ed. Ed. Robert DiYanni. New York: McGraw-Hill. 2002.

A critical review of literature on the importance of social media in branding

1.0 Introduction The aim of this chapter is to provide a broad overview of both literature in social media and the intended research. It offers a platform that would enable the reader understand the need for this research and also provides a gist about recent developments both in the industry and in research circles with respect to social media branding. The rapid development of technology and the reach of such technologies at affordable costs have revolutionized the way businesses operate. The World Wide Web and the Internet are being used by millions of people today. These technologies have led to a paradigm shift in the way communication happens and most business reputation and presence in a market is more driven by ‘social media’. (Tuten, 2008) It can also be noted that the shift and focus on social media has been drastic and many businesses were caught off-guard. However, the use of social media has created opportunities for online marketers to be able to engage with customers that they wouldn’t otherwise be able to using traditional methods. This reach though has posed many challenges to businesses that started looking at social media like other traditional media like magazine or television thus causing more gaps rather than bringing them closer to the customers (Qualman, 2012). On the contrary it can be said that more and more retailers and business are becoming increasingly aware of the social media and are waiting to exploit the potential that social marketing offers (Olivas-lujan, 2013) 1.1 Background Spend on social media by the businesses are on the rise. Recent study by the IAB (Internet Advertising Bureau) shows that in the first half of 2014 in the UK alone, there has been a rise of 53% in the spend on social media by businesses with a total contribution of ?242.5 million (Somerville, 2014). Another study by IAB on FMGC sector consisting of more than 4500 survey responses and 800 interviews showed that 90% of the customers would use social media to refer the brands to peers, 4 in 5 customers would buy products that have good social media coverage and 83% would be willing to try products that are popular in social media (Anon, 2013). Similarly, a research conducted by Mass Relevance that provides social media curation platform to clients found that 59% of the consumers will more likely trust a brand that has presence in the social media and 64% of the consumers interviewed have already made purchases based on social media presence and reviews (Chaney, 2012). Appendix 1 shows t he social media advertising effects on consumers (Source: Neilsen Survey: Anon, 2012) 1.2 Motivation From the above, it can be understood that social media has a profound impact on the consumers’ choice of brands and that it is key to engage effectively with customers. There is a lot of literature that discusses about the social media impact on consumers, why businesses should engage with customers, exploiting social media to provide value add etc. The main aim of this research is to look into various key researches in this area and to provide a critical review on the literature. The critical review aims to see if: The problems are identified clearly The literature provides a balanced view There are gaps in the literature 1.3 Research Process The success of the research is admittedly determined by measuring the extent to which each of the research objectives is met. The following steps are followed during this research to ensure its success. These steps are as follows: Firstly, a background into the research and its motivations is given. Following this, the key literature in this area is thoroughly investigated. This is intended to ensure that all aspects of the research are identified and that the challenges or gaps in the current literature are clearly understood. Next, the literature is critically analysed to see if the problems are identified and if it provides a balanced view of the topic. It also looks into the research methodology to see if the methods used are consistent with the qualitative and quantitative methods and also checks for what has not been provided. Finally, this research concludes by providing a conclusion that is supported by evidence presented in the literature. It also makes recommendations where appropriate. In summary, this chapter has provided a brief overview of the research, addressed the key challenges or gaps in the literature and justified the need to conduct this research. This chapter has also set the background and motivations for the research in order to enable the reader to better understand the subsequent chapters. The central question for the research has addressed here, and the reader now also understands the problem statements that have led to this research. 2.0 Literature Review This research discusses about social media and its effect on branding and consumers. But what is social mediaThe term social media can be defined as â€Å" Many online tools that allow people with similar interests to share information, learn from others, or network in an open process. The information found on these sites is commonly referred to as ‘user-generated content’, which means anyone is able to post with minimal restrictions or oversight.†(Wilson, 2010) Drury (2007) discusses how marketers of various businesses can effectively engage in social media marketing. The paper gives a fairly comprehensive view on what social media is and the role of marketing in social media. It discusses about how social media can be monetised by the marketers. The paper lists out opportunities that can be tapped for commercial benefits and also emphasises on the mobile marketing strategy and describes the success criteria for measuring success. The paper however has the follow ing drawbacks: It is very much general and has no qualitative or quantitative measures to define the success criteria. It gives a good overall picture but it would have been better if the context of the paper was more towards assessing the impact or the Return on Investment (ROI) of a specific sector or business. It lacks specific examples and also does not mention any strategy for implementation or even list challenges that organisations face while implementing good strategies for social media marketing. Michaelidou et al (2011) in their research discuss about social media marketing’s impact on small and medium B2B brands. They discuss in detail the adaption of social media networking as a marketing platform to be able to achieve the brand objectives and also the perceptions around the barriers of using social marketing networks. The research paper makes use of email surveys to understand the usage of social media by small and medium scale businesses that operate in the UK a nd the main drivers that motivate SMEs to adapt to the new channel of marketing. It clearly states the motivation of the research, giving appropriate background to the research and the method used for the research is depicted concisely. The research analyses the findings from the email survey and discusses the methods used for analysis. It provides a broad range of information and also clearly identifies the shortcomings in the business implementation of social media networking practices. It discusses how these pitfalls can be overcome and provides details for further improvement areas and scope for additional research in the future. The drawbacks of the paper are: Sample size: The sample size of the survey could have been more and also various other methods for obtaining the review could have been used. This would have ensured that the B2B base was thoroughly covered. Focus: The focus is on B2B businesses alone. It would have been interesting to see the results if the research was extended to B2C as well for small and medium scale enterprises. Some researches focus specifically on skills gap in digital marketing within specific industries. One such research concentrates on the communications industry (Royle and Laing, 2014). The research discusses the need for having the necessary skills in digital marketing arena and stresses on the growth and popularity of digital/social media marketing. The research explores the various gaps in the industry for digital marketing with a specific emphasis to communications sector and provides a best practice guide for the industry. It details the challenges that organisations face while implementing social media marketing and discusses the need to have evaluation criteria and metrics to critically analyse the success of social marketing strategies and campaigns within organisations. The paper talks about the key challenges that businesses face while trying to merge traditional marketing practices with that of social marketin g. The rationale for the research is clearly mentioned and the literature review is comprehensive. The conceptual framework is clearly detailed and the methodology used for developing the framework is precise. The research makes use of focus groups and interviews to be able to gauge the skill gap in the industry. The drawbacks of this research are: Limited sample size: The research could have used more samples to be able to analyse effectively the findings. Given that the research has already narrowed down by industry, it would have been good to get a more detailed view of the industry and a larger sample would have facilitated this. A study by Harvard Business Review (Edelman, 2010) discusses how the internet and the social marketing has changed not only the way businesses operate but also how consumers choose their products. It takes the reader through the funnel metaphor which was earlier being used by marketers to understand how consumers choose their products and how this has m oved to a more open-ended approach whereby consumers no longer follow a methodical approach of selecting products. It stresses how important it is for brands to be able to connect with the consumers and studied the consumers’ decisions across five different industries namely automobiles, skincare, insurance, mobile telecommunications and electronics in three different continents. Based on the results of the study, it proposed a four-stage model that focuses on today’s consumers using social media for advocating products and also purchasing based on the reviews and advocacy received. The research takes the reader through the entire customer journey and tells the businesses what it should not focus its energy and resources on. Providing statistical information about various surveys enables the businesses to identify the key areas that it should concentrate on to be able to build a good brand image online. Though the research is comprehensive it lacks in the following: Fr amework: It does not suggest what needs to be done and a framework for implementing those. The key focus is on what not to be done and it leaves it to the businesses to work on the best strategy. Sample size and analysis: The research does not disclose the sample size or indicate clearly the analysis method used to come to the conclusion. This section worked on identifying key research in the literature and also provided a critical review of each of the researches identified. 3.0 Conclusion Though there is a lot of literature on various aspects including but not limited to effects of social media on small and medium scale enterprises, identification of skill gaps in social media with specific emphasis to certain industries, general study on implementation challenges, perception of social media on businesses, barriers to adaptation of social media by businesses etc. it can be found that there is not much literature that specifically talks about a common framework for adapting to social media marketing along with the challenges that businesses might face and the evaluation criteria. Similarly while most of these researches make use of one or more methods for data collection, it is not very comprehensive. There is a gap in the current literature in terms of data collected from a wide range of sources using a bigger sample set. Given that technology has enabled a higher reach to customers, it would be good to get a larger sample to be able to effectively analyse the results . In many cases, the limitations of the research scope could be worked on to be able to get more information on the above mentioned areas. In short, it can be said that the social media marketing and the research around it are yet to attain the maturity level and there is a lot of scope for research that would aid businesses to effectively handle and manage social media marketing concerns and overcome challenges in a seamless and stress-free manner. 4.0 References Tuten, 2008: Advertising 2.0: Social Media Marketing in a Web 2.0 world, Greenwood publishing group. Qualman, 2012: Socialnomics: How social media transforms the way we live and do business, John Wiley & Sons Livas-Lujan, 2013: Social Media in Strategic Marketing, Emerald Group publishing limited Somerville, 2014: 18 Digital Marketing Trends you may not have heard about, The Fresh Egg blog accessed at: http://www.freshegg.co.uk/blog/18-digital-marketing-trends-for-2014 Anon, 2013: IAB Social Media Effectiveness Research, IAB UK accessed at: http://www.iabuk.net/research/library/iab-social-media-effectiveness-research Chaney, 2012: Brands should use social media to engage consumers, amplify messages and promote trust, Digital intelligence today accessed at: http://digitalintelligencetoday.com/brands-should-use-social-media-to-engage-consumers-amplify-messages-and-promote-trust-survey-says/ Anon, 2012: State of the Media, The social media report, Neilsen Wilson, 2010: Social Media and Small Business Marketing, University Business Printing and press, USA Drury, 2007: Opinion Piece: Social Media: Should marketers engage and how can it be done effectively?, Journal of Direct, Data and Digital Marketing Practice Michaelidou et al, 2011: Usage, Barriers and measurement of social media marketing: An exploratory investigation of small and medium B2B brands, Elsevier Royle and Liang, 2014: The digital marketing skills gap: Developing a digital marketer model for communication industries, Elsevier Edelman, 2010: Branding in the digital age: You’re spending your money in all the wrong places, Harvard Business Review

Alexander III

â€Å"In terms of both personality and policies, Alexander Ill did not posses the qualities necessary for a successful ruler of late 19th-century Russia† – to what extent to you agree with this Judgment? Whilst the Judgment could be considered well-founded, its validity is a matter of opinion, depending on how one defines the qualities of a ‘successful ruler' of Russia in the late sass, which policies contribute to this success and what, overall, makes a Tsar a success or a failure (if the matter can be categorized so dictatorially).Disregarding the technicalities of the Judgment, although Alexander Ill may not have assessed all the qualities that would have classed him as a successful Tsar, he was not entirely lacking in them – nor in his policies – therefore meaning that the statement is not entirely correct. Before discussing what made a successful 19th century Russian autocrat, it must be ascertained what ‘successful' entails: in this case, it would be achieving the aims of the autocrat/autocracy.The primary aim of an autocrat in the sass would be to preserve or extend the autocracy and its power both internally and internationally, meaning that there would be few or no concessions of power and that the Tsar would appear as a forceful, formidable figure to both its allies and enemies and in the eyes of citizens of the Russian Empire in both the motherland and its annexes. This was obviously extremely important to Alexander Ill, given his ‘Manifesto of Unshakeable Autocracy in April 1881.Secondary aims may have varied from Tsar to Tsar but for Alexander these were: the rejection of democracy and the reversal of Alexander SIS liberalism, which fitted neatly with the preservation of autocracy; the removal of opposition that had arisen during Alexander SIS reign, including crushing the threat of revolution; and the economic and industrial modernization of Russia, moving it towards becoming a ‘Great Power'.And of course, he would have to possess the support of the majority Russian people, though this was generally a given, as even – if not especially – those who had never seen the Tsar were convinced of his positions as ‘gods anointed' and their ‘Little Father'. Depending on how high a regard the Tsar is held in, it could be suggested that humanitarian aims were present however, for the purposes of this essay, this will not be included, as an overview of Alexander Ills reign suggest that whilst he made some inclusion for his workers and subjects, many freedoms and rights were compromised to further the ‘greater good'.Autocracy generally protects the autocrat from criticism of personal traits, though, if in possession of some or lacking in others, it may make the autocrat's rule easier or harder. To be both a highly autocratic ruler and to be successful, one would have had to appear as both ruthless and honest, likeable yet formidable, as the ‘little f ather' to the peasants whilst also appearing as working to protect the upper class and as incredibly patriotic, though not to the extent that it would disadvantage the country.An well rounded education in militarily, state and economic matters, though not technically a personality trait, would also be beneficial for a Tsar to possess, allowing him to be thoughtful and therefore to curb any headstrong impulsiveness he may have had. In terms of policy, depending on the Tsar's aims, how well they supported of achieved those aims and how well they were received helped his achievement of prosperity in his role as successful and popular policies make for a successful and popular rule.Despite this, it must be noted that although a Tsar had the potential to cake or break the country, advisors often tempered him, especially if those advisors had previously been influential in his life, meaning a Tsar's successfulness could be down to more than Just his personality or the policies he made. In terms of preserving the autocracy, and reversing the steps towards democracy his father had taken, Alexander Ill was arguably very successful, especially in his dealings with revolutionary groups and opposition in the sass and sass.After his fathers assassination by members of the terrorist group the ‘People's Will' – ‘Normandy Volta' – the Tsar ruthlessly cracked down on groups and organizations hat opposed him through the return of rigid censorship, exiles to Siberia and executions, such as the hanging of Alexandra Llanos and four others in 1887.The policy that allowed his authorities more power in pursuing opposition groups was the 1881 Statute of State Security, which gave the state the power to declare an area of the country under ‘extraordinary protection' and to therefore impose what essentially amounted to martial law: the banning of public meetings could be banned, the closing and restriction of schools, the extension of powers of the police especially the Koruna) and the arrest of anybody who was deemed ‘liberal' or in opposition to the regime.Furthermore, whilst the restrictions of censorship were resented by many (especially the revolutionaries, liberals and those calling for social change) it certainly did slow the spread of anti-tsarist ideas that had contributed to the dislike of autocracy and later the assassination of Alexander II. The combination of the restrictions on physically forming opposition groups and the restrictions on the spread of ideologies made it difficult for revolutionaries to even arm groups, let alone for them to actually perform any revolutionary actions.Whilst the methods through which Alexander Ill kept control of Russia were radical, conservative and incredibly harsh, they were no less effective for that and ensured a fairly stable, though oppressive, reign for him making him successful in his preservation of autocracy and the removal of the threat of revolution in his time. Econom ically and industrially, Russia was lagging behind Europe in the late sass.Alexander Ill intended to change that through a protectionist economic policy, imposing customs duties on imported goods to recover Russian's economy and allowing rapid industrial and infrastructural growth – the latter intending to an increase in the number of workers in industrial areas – and was fairly successful in the matter. He was also successfully frugal in accounting in state finances, though Russian's expenditure on debt was still fairly high.With his ministers Bungee, Witted & Yesterdays he achieved his aim of a major boost of progress both economically and industrially, whilst also attempting to improve agricultural production – evidence of this success being the 8% per annum Roth in Russian's economy. Antithetical to the progress made was the social conditions that went along with it. Living conditions in towns and cities were mostly poor and often factory work paid poorly, l eaving poverty, overcrowding and discontent to fester with the workers.In addition to this, though its efficiency improved, agriculture was exploited to the extent that major famines were caused, the largest in 1891 , as emphasis was placed on exporting the agricultural products, rather than letting peasants provide from themselves with them. High taxes were also placed on peasants to fund the instruction of railway lines, such as the Trans-Siberian Railway, and this furthered the poverty experienced by many in both developed and rural areas, though it did allow for improvement in the internal transportation of goods and of people (another successfully achieved aim).There was a definite lack of basic societal care in Alexander Ill, yet he was not entirely negligent in his role of the ‘Little Father' to his subjects: The Peasant Land Bank was set up in 1883, giving cheap loans to allow peasants to buy their own land; redemption payments were lowered, allowing extremely poor pea sants to move emend subsidence farming; and, in towns and cities, factories were legislated with working hours established and an inspectorate employed.In some ways, his work for the ‘greater good' could be considered more characteristic of a successful Tsar than humanitarianism would be as a Tsar's first duty was to God and his country, meaning that improvement of the country should be attempted no matter what the cost to its people (who were supposed to shared his loyalties, given his adopted slogan of ‘Nationality, Orthodoxy, Autocracy.As far as foreign policy goes, Alexander Ills title as the ‘Peacekeeper' Tsar is perhaps s deserved as his fathers title the Tsar ‘Liberator' was; though his policies successfully kept the peace, it was most likely not for pacifistic, humanitarian reasons (as far as we know, or can deduct) but rather to allow for Russia to improve practically. Evidence of this is that, although diplomatically peaceful, the Tsar opposed doctr ines of peace fairly strongly, preferring the view that a nation must be prepared for war in order to avoid it.No major wars occurred during his reign, and given the problems that the Crimean War had left in its wake, this was a definite success on his part. Ensuring a tentative peace with Germany and Austria-Hungary with the Three Emperors' Alliance with the renewal of it in 1881, Alexander Ill successfully gained security for the first few years of his reign.The circumnavigation of collapse of this from 1885-1887 due to conflict in the Balkans potentially avoided any major problems for Russia and instead left them option to pursue Franco-Russian policy to fill the vacuum left by Russian's estrangement from Germany & Austria-Hungary, earning another success for the Tsar in his foreign policy.Of course, the fact collapse of the Three Emperors' Alliance, along with the tensions n the Balkans (though a continuance from previous Tsar's agendas) could be counted as a failing on Alexande r part, but this is largely negated by his other successes, such his cautious avoidance of conflict with any European or Asian powers whilst gradually expanding Russian influence and power.Contrary to the success Alexander had with his foreign policy, a domestic policy that mostly failed and caused much resentment with in the Russian Empire was Rustication – the attempted unification of the Russian Empire under one ruler, one religion, one language and one culture. In abstract, Rustication would supposedly eave united the peoples of the Russian Empire and wiped out the threat of revolution and made Russia a dominant power in Europe, however all it did in reality was anger those whose cultures, religions or languages were being repressed, and spawn resentment towards the Tsar in all corners of his Empire.Obviously it was a policy that failed, given that it had been intended to quell revolutionary action and unify the state when, instead, it caused further divisions between the myriad of ethnicities present in Russia and actually grew revolutionary movements in areas like Poland, Lithuania and Ukraine. For Alexander Ill to be classed as successful the personal qualities needed for a ruler and the policies that may have been needed to achieve his aims would have been a balancing act of epic proportions – something that only somebody who had been raised to be a ruler could manage to do with any degree of success.As the second son of Alexander II, Alexander Ill was not expected to become Tsar and was educated only to the standard of a Grand Duke of the period, the finer points of ruling a country were not taught to him until his brother Nicolas died in 1865. Despite him being described as a gruff, narrow minded and fairly crude (Queen Victoria described him as â€Å"a sovereign she does not look upon as a gentleman†) Alexander Ill was of true Russian character: a deeply religious, moral & honest man with an imposing figure and fiery temperament .These traits would have fitted the profile of a Tsar fairly well in abstract but, in reality, the coarseness of Alexander character prevented them from being viewed as such. Alexander natural conservatism was likely furthered by the assassination of his father by radicals, and by the influence of Photostatted – his reactionary tutor – ND that the dangers that liberalism connoted, given the numerous attempts on his fathers life, and later on his own.However, conservatism obviously was not a bad trait to possess in the late 19th century, as the previous Tsar's liberalism had granted freedoms to those who would wish to end autocracy and in return had been granted a caved in skull. Gruffness of nature was characteristic of Alexander and, whilst it may have looked upon degradingly by the other nobles of Europe, it gained him a certain kind of respect from his people as he gave not only an impression of solidity and strength, UT also one of rough-cut solidarity with his peo ple.For an long period of time, the Romano Tsars had been untouchable, not only as divine, but also in the distinctions of class between them and their subjects, therefore having a Tsar who was relatable, but not ‘soft', as Alexander II may have been thought of as, was highly desirable. As far as being liked or admired as a person, Alexander was well liked by sloppiness and many of the Russian peasants who felt a ruler who was suspicious of the west, highly patriotic and characteristic of the ideal Russian man was one they could purport, and consequently, one who would be successful.On a slightly humorous note, an example of a quality that may have proved endearing to the typical Russian worker was his love of drinking. Even after he was diagnosed with kidney problems and forbidden alcohol by his wife, Alexander continued to drink, using hidden compartments in his boots to store flasks of alcohol that, when his wife left the room, he Jokingly pulled out and swigged from. Alter nately, the lack of education and culture Alexander Ill displayed made him seem rather brutish; two traits that did not sit well with the ‘cultured' gentry who had ivied through the reign of his more cultivated father.Furthermore it seemed to go against autocratic, ruling-class propriety to have a crude, UN-gentlemanly, bear of a man ruling a country that – though tumultuous and uneven in its wealth – produced some of the finest architecture, art, music and literature in the 19th century. The late 19th century was a time when Russia was teetering on the brink of revolution, modernization and industrialization, and in keeping the revolution down whilst advancing the country fiscally was something that Alexander Ill did admirably ell, despite his flaws and failed policies.Though he may not have been a Tsar for the people, nor the ‘Liberator' his father was he, ensured the security of Russian autocracy for his reign (mostly through repression, at the expense o f liberties) therefore making him a successful Tsar overall, contrary to what the statement suggests. Additionally, though conservatism is often painted as a backwards, oppressive political view to hold, it can be argued that for Alexander Ill preserve his rule and economically/industrially bring Russia up to speed – ruling with an iron fist

Faces of Deception in Ingmar Bergmans Persona essays

Faces of Deception in Ingmar Bergmans Persona essays Persona is probably Ingmar Bergmans most famous film. Its notoriety goes beyond the sum of its controversial ingredients, however, which are many (the inclusion of footage of an erect penis in the pre-title sequence, graphic verbal descriptions of an orgy, etc.); rather, its enduring legacy has more to do with the fraught complications of the plot itself, which has proven to be nearly impossible for critics and audiences to unravel ever since its release in the year 1966. While I make no claims of being able to solve the mystery of Persona, in what follows, I intend to focus on one primary aspect of the film the role that the human face plays throughout in order to gain insight into what I believe to be one of Personas central clues. From the very beginning of the film the famous pre-title sequence the face plays a primary role. The pre-title sequence, of course, consists of a montage of different still images, but culminates in a young boy in bed touching the large, projected face of a woman on a screen. The boy is clearly meant to be the son of Elisabeth, and the projection of the face is Elisabeth herself. What is only hinted at here will become clear towards the end of the film namely, Elisabeths distant stance from her son, and the boys desire to be closer to his mother something that he can never do, owing to her lack of authenticity. Indeed, the illness that Elisabeth (Liv Ullman), the actress, seems to be suffering from is a lack of authenticity. She feels that it is impossible for her to give an authentic reaction to tragic events, so in order to deal with this dilemma, which obviously affects her profoundly, she stops speaking. Her breakdown occurred when she was in the middle of playing the title role in Electra on stage. A young nurse, Sister Alma (Bibi Andersson), is assigned to take care of her. As Alma is unable to effe...

Corruption and Bribery Essay Example

Corruption and Bribery Essay Example Corruption and Bribery Essay Corruption and Bribery Essay Essay Topic: Discipline and Punish the Birth Of the Prison Definitions Bribery is a white neckband offense in which money. a favour or something else of value is promised to. given to. or taken from an person or corporation in an effort to rock his or its positions. sentiments. or determinations. Corruptness – is the usage of public’s delegated power in personal or close standing people involvement in order to acquire personal benefit. Types of Bribery Bribery of a Public Official. Any public functionary ( anyone moving in involvements of a state. for illustration president. frailty president. juryman etc. ) who demands. receives. or accepts a payoff in exchange for doing an illegal alteration in his responsibilities will be fined up to three times the value of the inducement and/or imprisoned for no more than 15 old ages. The public functionary may besides be prohibited from keeping any political or authorities office in the United States. Bribery of a Witness. Conversely. anyone who offers a payoff to a informant will be fined and/or imprisoned for up to two old ages. Any informant who demands. receives. or accepts a payoff in exchange for altered testimony faces a mulct of three times the value of the payoff and/or up to 15 old ages in prison. while anyone who bribes a informant faces a all right and/or up to two old ages in prison. Bribery of a Foreign Official. In 1977. The U. S. Congress accepted The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. which made it illegal for an American corporation to corrupt a foreign authorities functionary with money or gifts in hopes of set downing or keeping of import concern contacts. Harmonizing to the act. all publically traded companies must maintain records of all concern transactions- even if the companies do non merchandise internationally- to guarantee that this act is non being violated. However. in the act. there are loopholes of which many U. S. corporations take advantage. For illustration. the act permits grease payments . which are inducements paid- without penalty- to foreign functionaries to assist hasten the completion of paperwork and to guarantee the reception of licences or licenses. Bank Bribery. Harmonizing to the Bank Bribery Amendments Act of 1985. 1 ) the solicitation of an employee. manager. etc. in any capacity in exchange for concern and 2 ) the credence of anything ( including repasts. amusement. and adjustments during travel ) but a legitimate wage. rewards and fees from anyone in connexion with the bank’s concern are prohibited. If any representative of a bank accepts a payoff. he will be fined three times the value of the inducement. or he will be imprisoned for up to thirty old ages. However. if the value of the payoff is less than $ 1. 000. the representative will be fined but sentenced to non more than one twelvemonth in gaol. If a bank functionary is offered a payoff. he must unwrap all information to the bank so that the state of affairs may be addressed suitably. Bribery in Sporting Contests. A featuring functionary who accepts a payoff in exchange for a promise to fix a clean event is guilty of graft and may be punished harmonizing to Torahs of a peculiar state. For illustration. if a referee is convicted of throwing a major featuring event. he will be fined. imprisoned for up to five old ages. or both. Negative effects of graft 1. Bribery corrupts the capitalist economic system. The capitalist system is based on competition in an unfastened and free market. where people tend to purchase the best merchandise at the best monetary value. Bribery corrupts the free-market mechanism by acquiring people to do purchases that do non honor the most efficient manufacturer. 2. Bribery is a sell-out to the rich. In any state of affairs ruled merely by money. the deeper pocket will predominate. If graft were universally practiced. adept testimony. justness in the tribunals. and everything else would be up for sale to the highest bidder. 3. Bribery produces cynicism and a general misgiving of establishments. It destroys people’s trust in the unity of professional services. of authorities and the tribunals. of jurisprudence enforcement. faith. and anything it touches. There is good grounds that societies which allow graft tend to hold societal agitation and possibly revolutions. 4. Bribery treats people as trade goods whose honors can be bought and sold. It therefore tends to degrade the regard we owe to other human existences. Corruption Perceptions Index Since 1995. Transparency International has published an one-year Corruption Perceptions Index ( CPI ) telling the states of the universe harmonizing to the grade to which corruptness is perceived to be among public functionaries and politicians . The organisation defines corruptness as the maltreatment of entrusted power for private gain . The 2003 canvass covered 133 states ; the 2007 study. 180. A higher mark means less ( perceived ) corruptness. The consequences show seven out of every 10 states ( and nine out of every 10 developing states ) with an index of less than 5 points out of 10. Methods and reading Transparency International commissioned Johann Graf Lambsdorff of the University of Passau to bring forth the Corruption Perceptions Index ( CPI ) . The CPI 2005 draws on 16 different polls and studies from 10 independent institutions†¦The establishments who provided informations for the CPI 2005 are: Columbia University. Economist Intelligence Unit. Freedom House. Information International. International Institute for Management Development. Merchant International Group. Political and Economic Risk Consultancy. United Nations Economic Commission for Africa. World Economic Forum and World Markets Research Centre. Early CPIs used public sentiment studies. but now merely experts are used. TI requires at least three beginnings to be available in order to rank a state in the CPI. TI writes in their Faq on the CPI that residents’ point of views correlate good with those of experts abroad. In the yesteryear. the experts surveyed in the CPI beginnings were frequently concern people from industrialized states ; the point of view of less developed states was underrepresented. This has changed over clip. giving progressively voice to respondents from emerging market economic systems. As this index is based on polls. the consequences are subjective and corrupt in itself. and less dependable for states with fewer beginnings. Besides. what is lawfully defined ( or perceived ) to be corruptness. differs between legal powers: a political contribution legal in some legal power may be illegal in another ; a affair viewed as acceptable tipping in one state may be viewed as graft in another. In former Soviet provinces. the term corruption itself has become a placeholder for the broader defeat with all alterations since the dissolution of the USSR. In the Arab universe. footings for corruptness had to be invented by advocators every bit late as the 1990s. Statisticss like this are. by nature. imprecise ; statistics from different old ages aren’t needfully comparable. The ICCR itself explains. †¦year-to-year alterations in a country’s mark consequence non merely from a altering perceptual experience of a country’s public presentation but besides from a altering sample and methodological analysis. Each twelvemonth. some beginnings are non updated and must be dropped from the CPI. while new. dependable beginnings are added. With differing respondents and somewhat differing methodological analysiss. a alteration in a country’s mark may besides associate to the fact that different point of views have been collected and different inquiries been asked†¦ despite anti-corruption reform†¦ or recent exposure of corruptness scandals†¦ it is frequently hard to better a CPI mark over a short clip period. such as one or two old ages. The CPI is based on informations from the past three old ages ( for m ore on this. see the inquiry on the beginnings of informations. below ) . This means that a alteration in perceptual experiences of corruptness would merely emerge in the index over longer periods of time . Criticism The Corruption Perceptions Index has drawn increasing unfavorable judgment in the decennary since its launch. taking to name for the index to be abandoned. This unfavorable judgment has been directed at the quality of the Index itself. and the deficiency of actionable penetrations created from a simple state ranking. Because corruptness is will to the full conceal. it is impossible to mensurate straight ; alternatively placeholders for corruptness are used. The CPI uses an eclectic mix of third-party studies to try public perceptual experiences of corruptness through a assortment of inquiries. runing from Do you trust the authorities? to Is corruptness a large job in your state? The usage of third-party study informations is a beginning of unfavorable judgment. The information can change widely in methodological analysis and completeness from state to state. The methodological analysis of the Index itself alterations from twelvemonth to twelvemonth. therefore doing even basic better-or-worse comparings hard. Media mercantile establishments. interim. often use the natural Numberss as a yardstick for authorities public presentation. without clear uping what the Numberss mean. The deficiency of standardisation and preciseness in these studies is cause for concern. The writers of the CPI argue that averaging adequate study informations will work out this ; others argue that aggregating imprecise informations merely masks these defects without turn toing them. In one instance. a local Transparency International chapter disowned the index consequences after a alteration in methodological analysis caused a country’s scores to increase- media reported it as an improvement . Other critics point out that definitional jobs with the term corruption makes the tool problematic for societal scientific discipline. Aside from preciseness issues. a more cardinal review is aimed at the utilizations of the Index. Critics are speedy to profess that the CPI has been instrumental in making consciousness and stimulating argument about corruptness. However. as a beginning of quantitative informations in a field hungry for international datasets. the CPI can take on a life of its ain. looking in cross-country and year-to-year comparings that the CPI writers themselves admit are non justified by their methodological analysis. The writers province in 2008: Year-to-year alterations in a country’s mark can either consequence from a changed perceptual experience of a country’s public presentation or from a alteration in the CPI’s sample and methodological analysis. The lone dependable manner to compare a country’s mark over clip is to travel back to single study beginnings. each of which can reflect a alteration in appraisal. The CPI produces a individual mark per state. which as noted above. can non be compared year-to-year. As such. the Index is about useless as a tool for measuring the impact of new policies. In the late 2000s. the field has moved towards unpackable. action-oriented indices ( such as those by the International Budget Partnership or Global Integrity ) . which typically measure public policies that relate to corruptness. instead than seek to measure corruption as a whole via proxy steps like perceptual experiences. These alternate steps use original ( frequently locally collected ) informations and are limited in range to specific policy patterns ( such as public entree to parliamentary budget paperss ) . Recent Bribery Scandals Siemens Case. twelvemonth 2008. German technology pudding stone Siemens. rocked by the worst graft dirt in the country’s history. won a tribunal inquiring the company for a $ 56 million mulct. Previously. a lower tribunal ordered the company to pay back 1000000s of dollars in net incomes after two former directors pleaded guilty to paying payoffs to win orders from the Italian Enel Group. Now the highest court in Germany. the Federal Court of Justice. instructed a lower tribunal to retry the instance against the former executives. who forwarded $ 8. 9 million to staff of the Italian electricity company in 2000. The tribunal threw out the judgement against Siemens and lifted the graft strong beliefs. The tribunal didn’t challenge that the payments were made. However. before 2002. graft was merely a offense if it harmed competition between German companies. the Judgess said. As no other German company command for the order and Enel was non a authorities bureau. the payments didn’t constitute corruptness at the clip. the Judgess said. Siemens faces probes in the United States and at least a twelve other states over claims its employees used payoffs to win contracts. The company has found $ 1. 9 billion of unclear payments made from 2000 to 2006. Daimler Case. Daimler. the keeping company of Mercedes-Benz autos and commercial vehicles. has agreed to pay a $ 185m mulct in an effort to avoid revelation of alleged payoffs the company paid in 22 states. Amongst the states implicated are Croatia. Latvia. Russia. Hungary. Serbia. Montenegro and Turkey – where good authorities contracts were awarded to Daimler subordinates between 1998 and 2008. In one illustration. it was claimed Daimler gave an armored Mercedes as a birthday gift to an functionary at a clip it was in negotiations to sell about 200 vehicles to the Turkmenistan Government. Possibly the most damnatory statement is that Daimler made payments to functionaries in Iraq under the Oil for Food plan. Hewlett Packard Case. At issue is the sale of some $ 47. 8 million worth of computing machine systems to the office of Russia’s prosecuting officer general. who besides happens to be the 1 that investigates corruptness instances in his state. Talk about a turn of sarcasm if. as studies suggest. HP is found guilty of paying about $ 11 million in bribe money to set down the contract. This is an probe of alleged behavior that occurred about seven old ages ago. mostly by employees no longer with HP. We are collaborating to the full with the German and Russian governments and will go on to carry on our ain internal probe. the HP spokeswoman said via electronic mail on Wednesday. hypertext transfer protocol: //www. telegraph. co. uk/comment/columnists/danroberts/3557215/Bribery-is-bad-for-business. hypertext markup language hypertext transfer protocol: //en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Bribery hypertext transfer protocol: //www. transparence. org/news_room/in_focus/2008/bpi_2008 hypertext transfer protocol: //blogs. wsj. com/law/2008/08/29/in-germany-bribery-doesnt-always-mean-corruption-siemens-finds/tab/article/ hypertext transfer protocol: //www. delna. lv/lat/page/2220/ hypertext transfer protocol: //www. lawyershop. com/practice-areas/criminal-law/white-collar-crimes/bribery-kickbacks/ hypertext transfer protocol: //en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Corruption_Perceptions_Index hypertext transfer protocol: //www. wheels24. co. za/News/Industry_News/Huge-bribery-scandal-hits-Daimler-20100324

Organisational Change Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 3

Organisational Change Management - Essay Example A company is the life source of the area in which it is situated. For it to attain such a status, the dependability of the people in that area is of paramount import. This is because they are the ones that regulate the performance of the company; whether it will be a profit making enterprise or incur losses (Vakola, 2005). Its manpower is but one prong of development, for there is the management of the company that is to be considered. The management is characterized by the decision makers of the enterprise. This is tiered depending on the level of involvement in the functioning of the company (Alvesson, 2002). Another aspect of D2 as a company is its products and services. This wholly depends on the purpose it sets out to achieve, after analyzing a multitude of factors including the intended competition and the forecasted market forces (Fleming, 2012). This three tier approach at looking at the productiveness of D2 as a company is what leads to a productive company or a loss making enterprise (MARCHINGTON, 2001). Every business venture sets out with one goal in mind, profit making; and to achieve this, careful thought and practice should be put into the company’s framework and proposed forms of implementation (Shuck, 2011). Key among this is the company’s ability to adapt to the changing environment so that is can maintain its status as a going concern. It should be versatile enough to be able to conform to its immediate and portended environment (Beer, 2000). This is the mark of a good company. This is guided by the different and varying economic climates that are common in any field of trade, e.g. inflation, recession and the stabilization of the market (Fleming, 2012). This paper seeks to analyze the likely results of D2’s proposed change as relates to its manufacturers, workforce and product development. It seeks to determine the impact that cutting back and reinventing would have on D2 which is a French car components manufacturing co mpany (Shimon L. Dolan, 2002). Discovery As D2 grows, it would be guided by the objectives it intends to meet as it seeks to maximize profits. These factors include the company’s structure, its competition, its ability to change to reflect the changing economic times, economic climate and its management potential (Handy, 1976). This paper will focus on D2’s ability to change to reflect the changing economic times and the varying economic climate of the economy. Ability to adapt to changing Economic Times D2’s ability to metamorphosize is a very important aspect of the company. This is because it is regulated by its external and internal market forces. These directly influence what state the company will be in when it makes its returns (Fleming, 2012). The company’s ability to change cannot be gainsaid, and it goes to the purpose and strategies employed within the company. It requires a wholesome approach to its portended development for it to successfully adapt to its environment (Md Zabid Abdul Rashid, 2004). Economic Climate The economic climate is the main

Colt's Manufacturing Company Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Colt's Manufacturing Company - Assignment Example Colt's Manufacturing Company is an American manufacturing company that deals with the manufacture of firearms. Samuel Colt founded it in the year 1836. It makes both civilian and military firearms mainly used in America and other countries (Houze, Cooper, Kornhauser, & Colt, 2006). The companies most popular products include single action army, colt walker, Colt Commando, M4 carbine and colt python. The company mainly targets the United States of America government and the civilians. The company serves both the local and international firearms markets. The company split into two in the year 2002. Colt Manufacturing Company mainly deals with the civilian market while Colt Defense serves the law enforcement countries (Houze, Cooper, Kornhauser, & Colt, 2006). The separation mainly helps in increasing the quality of the products by encouraging specialization. It also enabled the company to clearly assess the performance of the two branches of their productions. This is always done with the aim of maximizing the income through separate management and attracting more investors. A company split up can also take place under the government orders mostly due to concern about monopolistic practices. The Colt's Manufacturing Company highly encourages creativity and innovation in their productions. It is due to this, that they have come up with many firearm designs over their many years in operation. It is also due to this innovation that they have managed to have a tight grip on the firearms production industry making it hard for the survival of new entrants (Groover, 2010). Innovation has also seen them come up with firearm designs that have been termed as way past their time. The Colt’s manufacturing Company mainly uses iron, brass, fiberglass, wood, ceramics, aluminum magnesium, zinc, and steel as their major raw material. Local companies either supply these materials and others imported from foreign countries (Houze, Cooper, Kornhauser, & Colt, 2006). They also reuse some of the local materials as a way of reducing the material price. The company has a huge number of qualified employees who are charged with responsibility of transforming the raw materials into finished products. The machines and equipment that are available at the company for the sake of manufacturing always help the employees. These equipments include gunsmithing lathe, drill presses, riveters, propane torches, rifling cutters; paint both, crimp tools and various others. The company also relies a lot on its researches department, which always makes sure that the necessary information is available. The Colt’s manufacturing Company greatly relies on technology and innovation maintaining their market relevance. The innovation is evident in the encouragement and support they give to their employees during the designing period. Apparently, the company has had many designs that do not make it to the market. This exhibits the level of tolerance that the company accords the designers. The fact that some of the designs by the company have been considered to be way ahead of their time show just how much the level of innovation in the company is high. The company has also avails all the resources and information that the designers might need during the process. The company has highly invested in technology. The development process is enhanced by the use of various machines that facilitate uniformity, quality standards and eliminates the possibility of defects. Such machines include the ones mentioned above. The company

Explained on the attachment Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Explained on the attachment - Assignment Example Employee motivation is key in influencing employee behavior. Mainly emphasizes on intuition and understanding. People are viewed as independent from environmental influences. On the contrary, the theory portrays people’s ability to determine the condition of the environment. A psychological approach that focuses on personal development for example through learning. Individuals are seen as seeking self-actualization through adequate learning and are able to actively control the learning activities independently. Puts emphasis on learning by observation of other people. Therefore, individuals learn from others in their environment. Role models are imperative in this case because they influence the behavior of those who look up to them. The theory stipulates that learning is context-dependent. This means that after learning, people make their own conclusions on over what was learned and develop personal meaning of the knowledge gained. It is an unstructured learning procedure that has recently been adapted by professionals. In this case, what is learnt by the workers is related to the work they do and not to other planned learning materials or procedures. Workers in organizational settings are able to learn informally through the daily activities they carry out. They can also learn from each other. Therefore, structured or planned training programs are not the only solutions to employee learning

Ethics and policies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Ethics and policies - Essay Example The intense and dynamic nature of business pressures may not provide enough time for reflection and with the high stakes involved it may be tempting to compromise on ideals. Moreover, well-minded people often exhibit major differences in opinions about what constitutes ethical behavior and how these ethical decisions need to be made, further compounding the complex nature of the subject. A lot of evidence that we discuss in this paper shows that the advantages gained in taking an ethical stance are well worth the efforts taken in this often tricky path. This paper identifies the inherent long term benefits of actively managing the business ethics process in organizations and explores the value in ethical leadership especially in the air travel industry using relevant examples. The ethical issues that have afflicted companies like Enron, WorldCom and Tyco have brought the impact of ethics violations to the popular attention in the United States. Parmalat, Adecco, Ahoid and Skandia have grabbed the media focus in Europe. In all these scandals involving breach of corporate ethics, revelations have been followed by investigations, accusations, claims and counter claims. Legal wrangling involving formal investigations, testimony, evidence trials, verdicts and punishments have gained relentless media coverage. The resulting damage done to the reputation of these businesses is enormous. As a result, the employee morale becomes very low in this worrisome, suspicious and discouraging environment. May International, a management consultation firm, recently conducted a survey of businesses in US and in Italy to determine how business owners viewed corporate ethics. Concern for business and personal reputation was the reason most often (54% of respondents) stated by Italian business owners for concern about ethics. The most common reason (43%) noted by U.S. business owners for their ethics concern was the basic belief that

Religion in Vietnam Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Religion in Vietnam - Research Paper Example This topic is likely to be tremendously engrossing and enjoyable to read. This is because it will evaluate the hypothesis in procedures that will lead to the final conclusion. One must support this statement that science must destroy religion since it makes sense. Science is an intellectual activity that humans carry out to discover information concerning the natural world, and ways of organizing information into meaningful patterns. Religion refers to a collection of beliefs, worldviews, and cultural systems that relate humanity to spirituality and moral values (Harris 12). These are two different fields that guide people in making various conclusions in life. The main idea in this essay is an analysis of religion and science that people use to form reasonable claims that help them understand the universe and human beings. It critically analyses the misleading aspect of religion that is used to make people believe various propositions that cannot happen in the real world. It explains the main differences between science and religion giving a deeper explanation behind the success of religion. This forms the thesis statement since it expounds on the irreco ncilable commitments of religion that amount to human conflict (Harris 34). It explains that our fear of provoking religion makes us incapable of criticizing ideas that maladaptive and absurd.... The arrival of the French missionaries in Vietnam in the 17th century was to have an effect on how people worshipped and how they talked to their god (Fox, 5). This is because their influence profoundly affected the manner in which Vietnam developed several years later. â€Å"Vietnamese society during the 17th and 18th centuries experienced many vicissitudes and complexities that created favourable conditions for the development of Christianity†(Fox,1). This is not only in the religious conviction but in addition in the political systems. This is because it was part of the cause of the Vietnam War that its effects have continued to be experienced until the recent past. Even, though, the missionaries received a warm welcome from the local population, this waned away after the realization that the missionaries had stated to recruit the population into their own religion. This is one of the chief reasons that lead to the conversion of Buddhists to Christianity and its expansion. The local population’s religion was to be transformed from Buddhism to Roman Catholicism for ease of governance. This is because, within the missionaries, there were explorers who determined the place to be a most favorable site to expand its empire. Threfore, the local population was encouraged to abandon their traditions and be loyal to God and not to the Emperor on conversion to Catholicism. This received a boost when French troops were sent to protect the missionaries, for they had been cases of frequent murders of catholic priests. This reinforcement and the subsequent surrender of Vietnam emperor allowed for continued conversion of the local population. The efforts of China to drive out the French troops from Vietnam that were thwarted by the French Army's

Service Marketing Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Service Marketing - Assignment Example However, People today are more selective, alert, enlightened and powerful. Traditional concept of shopping has been changed, and now conventional shops and outlets are at the verge of extinction. This makes marketers to put their effort to categorize consumers according to their response toward the unfamiliar products/services. Marketing has been often misunderstood by many managers as investing huge amounts in advertising and sales. Innovations and technological advancements have made service/product marketing highly complex and competitive. This paper will discuss some essential marketing objectives, effective method of market research, and proper implementation strategies etc. with relevant examples and reasons. A consumer in his daily life confronts with hundreds of new products and service offers. The age of cutthroat competition is compelling marketers to innovate techniques to promote their products and services. Consumer behavior is a highly important factor in marketing operations. Each purchaser is unique and his needs also might vary from others. The new concept ‘consumer is the king’ has great importance in today’s marketing scenario. Customer acquisition and retention has become too difficult for organizations. It happens because of two reasons; competition is at its peak; and customers are highly informed. Hence market research and further planning has great significance in today’s business field. Theoretical aspects of advertisements have long term effect on certain segments of people. However, investing huge amounts in advertising and sales can not be justified as marketing. 1. The initial objective of marketing is to increase product awareness among the customers. Company should have a clear and measurable strategy to assess the results of its functions. As mentioned earlier, customers have become selective more than ever before. Hence, product awareness and incessant persuasion are essential

Ethics and policies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Ethics and policies - Essay Example The intense and dynamic nature of business pressures may not provide enough time for reflection and with the high stakes involved it may be tempting to compromise on ideals. Moreover, well-minded people often exhibit major differences in opinions about what constitutes ethical behavior and how these ethical decisions need to be made, further compounding the complex nature of the subject. A lot of evidence that we discuss in this paper shows that the advantages gained in taking an ethical stance are well worth the efforts taken in this often tricky path. This paper identifies the inherent long term benefits of actively managing the business ethics process in organizations and explores the value in ethical leadership especially in the air travel industry using relevant examples. The ethical issues that have afflicted companies like Enron, WorldCom and Tyco have brought the impact of ethics violations to the popular attention in the United States. Parmalat, Adecco, Ahoid and Skandia have grabbed the media focus in Europe. In all these scandals involving breach of corporate ethics, revelations have been followed by investigations, accusations, claims and counter claims. Legal wrangling involving formal investigations, testimony, evidence trials, verdicts and punishments have gained relentless media coverage. The resulting damage done to the reputation of these businesses is enormous. As a result, the employee morale becomes very low in this worrisome, suspicious and discouraging environment. May International, a management consultation firm, recently conducted a survey of businesses in US and in Italy to determine how business owners viewed corporate ethics. Concern for business and personal reputation was the reason most often (54% of respondents) stated by Italian business owners for concern about ethics. The most common reason (43%) noted by U.S. business owners for their ethics concern was the basic belief that

Service Marketing Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Service Marketing - Assignment Example However, People today are more selective, alert, enlightened and powerful. Traditional concept of shopping has been changed, and now conventional shops and outlets are at the verge of extinction. This makes marketers to put their effort to categorize consumers according to their response toward the unfamiliar products/services. Marketing has been often misunderstood by many managers as investing huge amounts in advertising and sales. Innovations and technological advancements have made service/product marketing highly complex and competitive. This paper will discuss some essential marketing objectives, effective method of market research, and proper implementation strategies etc. with relevant examples and reasons. A consumer in his daily life confronts with hundreds of new products and service offers. The age of cutthroat competition is compelling marketers to innovate techniques to promote their products and services. Consumer behavior is a highly important factor in marketing operations. Each purchaser is unique and his needs also might vary from others. The new concept ‘consumer is the king’ has great importance in today’s marketing scenario. Customer acquisition and retention has become too difficult for organizations. It happens because of two reasons; competition is at its peak; and customers are highly informed. Hence market research and further planning has great significance in today’s business field. Theoretical aspects of advertisements have long term effect on certain segments of people. However, investing huge amounts in advertising and sales can not be justified as marketing. 1. The initial objective of marketing is to increase product awareness among the customers. Company should have a clear and measurable strategy to assess the results of its functions. As mentioned earlier, customers have become selective more than ever before. Hence, product awareness and incessant persuasion are essential

Monopoly and monopolistic competition Essay Example for Free

Monopoly and monopolistic competition Essay To understand the difference between these market structures, you have to understand what these market structures are. We start off discussing the oligopoly market. One type of imperfectly competitive market is an oligopoly which is a market structure in which only a few sellers offer similar or identical products. (Mankiw, 2012) this means that a small number of companies dominate the industry and have to compete with one another with price and service. In my opinion, this market is very competitive so most of the firms in this market have to have a strong point in quantity and customer service to win over their consumers. Some good examples of these companies in this market would be movies, health insurance providers, and phone carrier. In a monopoly sellers dominate the entire market and have the ability to set their own prices. This means that one of the main differences between a monopoly and a oligopoly is price because the price of a monopoly is going to be higher since they have no real competition. Now some great examples of these companies that are a monopoly are: Microsoft, Google (even thou you have others like Bing) etc. These corporate giants make millions of dollars with their products because in a monopoly the customer has no choice but to pay the price that the firm has set. Now the last one that I’m going to discuss is a monopolistic competition. Another type of imperfectly competitive market is a monopolistic competition, which is a market structure in which several or many sellers each produce similar, but different products. (Mankiw, 2012) Each of the producers can set its price and quantity without affecting the market as a whole. Some good examples of these firms would be your fast food restaurants (Mc Donald’s, Burger King, and Sonic). These restaurants all sell burgers, but the product doesn’t taste or cost the same. We have learned from reading this essay that in a monopolistic market uses their dominance to set their prices, so that they can maximize their profits. In my opinion, it seems that the man difference is that one market has to be competitive with other sellers and the others don’t really have any competition so they can do pretty much as much as the government would let them. So if I have to enter a market it would be monopoly for the simple fact that it has the majority control and you don’t have to really worry about competition, and make a good day for profits.

History of the Gun

History of the Gun The gun is a very unique piece of work that has all kinds of uses. The Chinese invented the gun many years ago. Since the gun has been invented it has improved tremendously and is still advancing this day. When was the gun invented? The first gun was invented in the year 1232. This invention was introduced after the invention of black powder was discovered. â€Å"Gunpowder is an explosive mixture of 15% charcoal, 10% sulfur, and 75% potassium nitrate, or saltpeter.†1 Gunpowder was used for fireworks that was fired out of bamboo sticks during the ninth century. The bamboo stick was also used as the first gun, they were not very productive because they were so brittle, but they were used to try to stop the Mongol invaders. â€Å"Europeans obtained gunpowder in the thirteenth century.†2 The Europeans took the recipe to this mixture and was going to enhance the gun severely. The first type of firearm invented by the Europeans was the cannon; the cannon was used to siege the defenders in the castle walls. The cannonballs fired from the cannons would crumble the castle walls leading to the end of feudalism. The first siege that the Europeans conquered was the siege of Metz in the year 1324. â€Å"Cannons were very effective weapons in a siege, but soldiers soon wanted guns they could carry. At first, simple â€Å"hand gonnes† were used side-by-side with traditional weapons such as crossbows, pikes, and lances. The development of small arms quickly changed how military battles were fought.†3 The knights that fought on the front line of the military were soon defeated when the gun was invented. The armor could withstand swords, spears and lances, but when a bullet was shot it pierced through the armor making it defenseless against the gun. When the full armor body suits were put away the helmets and the breastplates were introduced. The breastplates were made out of very hard steel and could withstand a straight shot from a bullet. This invention gave each side a chance to survive from a gunshot. Starting around the 1400s blacksmiths began inventing more and easier ways to operate a gun. The first invention that simplified the gun was the matchlock gun. A wick was attached to a clamp that released into a chamber full of gunpowder. This cut reload time down a little but not much. During the 15th and 16th century the only thing that changed on the gun was the way they produced a spark to fire. The 18th century rolled around and a percussion cap gun was invented. The percussion cap gun was invented by a man named Reverend John Forsyth. â€Å"firing mechanism no longer uses flash pan, a tube lead straight into the gun barrel, the tube had an exposed cap on it that exploded when struck†4 During the 18th century there were all sorts of guns invented. Guns ranging from revolvers and center firing guns all the way to shotguns and rifles. The automatic gun was even invented in the 18th century. During the 19th century a new gun was invented: the new gun was an automatic and it was a Winchester. The Winchester automatic rifle was invented during the year 1903. More rifles were invented during the 19th century and the more they were invented the more sophisticated and enhanced they became. Guns anywhere from the Tommy gun to the Assault rifle. When these guns were invented they were able to kill lots of people in a short period of time. The time it takes to reload a gun today verses the time it took 3 centuries ago has changed dramatically. Centuries ago it took almost two minutes to reload and fire a gun. Today you can shoot up to a thousand rounds a minute. Mankind has invented guns so that they can be used to kill people in mass numbers. When ships were introduced to guns they took advantage of opportunity to use them. Sailors could use guns to rob other boats and take over villages and tribes. Even though the people that lived in the tribe would outnumber the people on the boat, they could be conquered by something that they have never seen before in their life. Why were guns invented? â€Å"Guns were invented not for protection against the elements or for sport or for hunting but with the simple purpose to fight other men.†5 There was a man named Samuel Colt that quoted the phrase: â€Å"God made man. Samuel Colt made them equal†6,this is said to be true because of what Samuel Colt invented. Samuel Colt invented the revolver, which is still used in todays society in some countries. With the idea that the gun was invented to fight other men the world has turned into a war. Everywhere that you turn and look you will see someone with a gun or is being robbed by someone with a gun. Some people that own guns dont think before they act. This is why there are so many murders with guns. Everyone in the military has a gun issued to them. Most of the military carry machine guns with them into combat for the simple reason that the machine gun can fire rapid fire for a long period of time. All you have to do with a machine gun is keep it cool and keep the gun lo aded at all times and shooting will never stop. The man who invented the machine gun is Doctor Richard Gatling. â€Å"Doctor Richard Gatling patented his design of the â€Å"Gatling Gun†, a six-barreled weapon capable of firing a (then) phenomenal 200 rounds per minute.†7 The Gatling gun was invented in the year 1861. During the year 1885 The Maxim Machine Gun was invented. Years later the Tommy gun was invented. â€Å"The Thompson submachine gun or Tommy gun was invented by General John T. Thompson, it was the first hand held machine gun. Thompson was driven with the thought of creating a hand held machine gun that would help end the First World War, However, â€Å"the first shipment of prototype guns destined for Europe arrived at the docks in New York city on November 11, 1918, the day the war ended.†8 New and Improved Guns The guns of the 20th century are amazing. They have guns that can see around corners and guns that tell you how far your target is away from you. The equipment that mankind has come up with is far more advanced than anyone has ever thought. We now have radars that can see where you are at night. The infrared radar system has let us see things at night. This helps the military find the enemy in tough weather such as rain or snow, but the infrared radar has one downfall. The radar system cannot see anything submerged in water. Next we have the smart bullet, the smart bullet can follow your every turn, and you cant hide from it. The distance that the bullet can travel depends on where the target is. â€Å"According to recently declassified research by the Department of Defense, the new bullets will allow snipers to hit targets several kilometers away.†9 The smart bullet travels at Mach 3. The reason that this bullet can maneuver like it does is because it have a ball joint that c onnects the nose of the bullet to the casing. â€Å"The nose can move by up to 0.1 degrees in any direction.†10 The gun that this bullet comes out of has to be very powerful to make this bullet travel the distance it does. The military is going from guns to chemical warfare now. Chemical warfare is very dangerous to use because it spreads and doesnt stop and is hard to control. â€Å"Chemical warfare is warfare (and associated military operations) using the toxic properties of chemical substances to kill, injure, or incapacitate an enemy.†11 Chemical weapons are and can be very dangerous and have been used since the 1900s. The way that you use to tell how chemicals were surrounding you was by smell, by the time u smelled the gas you were dead, you had no chance of living. The chemical warfare today has improved its detection. The way that you can tell the chemicals are around you now are by chemical strips, laser detection, alarms, and blister agent detectors. There ar e three schedules of chemical weapons that can be used for warfare. The first schedule has little use. This schedule is mainly for medical research and pharmaceutical use. â€Å"Examples include nerve agents, ricin, lewisite, and mustard gas.†12 The second schedule has no big industrial uses but is used legitimately for small uses. â€Å"Examples include dimethyl methylphosphonate, a precursor to sarin but also used as a flame retardant and thiodiglycol, a precursor in the manufacture of mustard gas but also widely used as a solvent in inks.†13 The last scheduled substance has large-scale industrial uses. â€Å"Examples include phosgene and chloropicrin.†14 Both of these chemicals have been in use when it comes to chemical warfare. The substance phosgene is used in the production of plastic. The chemical Chloropicrin is used as a fumigant. If both of these plants produce up to 30 tons a year they have to be reported to The Organization for the Prohibition of Che mical Weapons, (OPCW). Guns have taken a very big toll on the 20th century population. The improvement of guns will never stop and will keep on getting more sophisticated. History is always in the making and history is always repeating itself, so keep up with time or it will leave you standing alone! Notes 1. Thomas Gale. Bookrags.com The Invention of Guns. Science and Its Times: 700-1449. (Background) 1st paragraph, 1st sentence. 2. Bookrags.com (Background) 2nd paragraph, 1st sentence. 3. Bookrags.com (Impact) 2nd paragraph, 1st 3 sentences. 4. Mary Bellis, About.com. History of Firearms. (Timeline), Year 1825. 2nd part of sentence. 5. Blurtit. Why Were Guns Invented? 1st paragraph, Last sentence. 6. Blurtit. 1st paragraph, 2nd sentence. 7. Mary Bellis, About.com. The History of Guns Rifles and Machine Guns. (Machine Guns- Gatling Gun-1861) 1st sentence. 8. (Machine Guns- Thompson Submachine Gun Tommy Gun) 1st 2 sentences. 9. Justin Mullins-New Scientist. Sniper Country.com. 1st paragraph. 2nd sentence. 10. Sniper Country.com. 3rd paragraph, Last sentence. 11. New World Encyclopedia. Chemical Warfare. 1st paragraph, 1st sentence. 12. New World Encyclopedia. (Three groups of chemical weapons Schedule 1 substances). 3rd sentence. 13. New World Encyclopedia. (Three groups of chemical weapons Schedule 2 substances). 2nd sentence. 14. New World Encyclopedia. (Three groups of chemical weapons Schedule 3 substances). 2nd sentence. Bibliography Blurtit. Why Were Guns Invented? The New York Times Company. Revised 2009. November 11 2009. http://inventors.about.com/od/militaryhistoryinventions/a/firearms.htm CALVO, SHERRI CHASIN. The Invention of Guns. 2005. November 11 2009. . Mullins, Justin New Scientist. â€Å"You can run, but you cant hide†.[Archive: 12 April 1997] November 11 2009 http://www.snipercountry.com/Articles/SmartBullets.asp Chemical warfare. New World Encyclopedia. 14 Jan 2009, 19:22 UTC. 18 Nov 2009, 07:21 .