Prose Appreciation “The Fly” By Katherine Mansfield Essay

â€Å"The Fly† by Katherine Mansfield is a short story which focuses on the trials and tribulations faced by those who lost relatives in World War One. Many who lost family and friends in the war struggled for years with grief, while others accepted the shortcomings and managed to overcome it. Everyone faced their own challenges, and everyone overcame them different ways, or in some cases not at all. Katherine Mansfield is one of many people who lost relatives in the war. She herself lost her brother in WW1 like Mr. Woodifield and the boss did. She wrote this story because she felt like she was a victim of helplessness and darkness, struggling with grief and also struggling with the Tuberculosis treatment she was going through at the time. This relates to the story because the boss felt like he was on his own after the death of his son, â€Å"Ever since his birth the boss had worked at building up this business for him; it had no other meaning if it was not for the boy.† He felt like he had no reason to do anything, like he was helpless and in the dark. The theme ‘time is a great healer’ fits these thoughts, because no matter what the boss might think, over time he is slowly getting over the death of his son even though he said â€Å"Time, he declared then, he had told everybody, could make no difference.† Six years have passed since the death of their sons, and Mr. Woodifield has overcome his grief, and has forgotten about his son, needing the help of whisky to remember that his daughters visited his grave. The boss however, believes that he is still wrought with grief, when in fact he has overcome it. He can no longer cry when his son is mentioned, and he can no longer use the photograph on the wall to force the emotions of grief on him. He forgets about his son, and that indicates that perhaps he is over his grief more than he would like to think. Time has healed him, and made it so he can no longer grieve as he used to. Mr. Woodifield is the one who forces the boss to come to terms with his feelings. He is si mply visiting his old friend and employer, when he recalls that he had something to tell him, however he could not remember what it was. Feeling pity for the man who is â€Å"on his last pins,† the boss offers him a drink of whisky to help recall his memories, which Mr. Woodifield is successful in doing. However the memories are not pleasant ones for the boss. Mr. Woodifield informs him that his daughters went to  visit his son Reggie’s grave, and happened to see the boss’ son there. They remark that the graves are well-kept and very nice. This brings up memories that the boss didn’t want to remember, and as soon as Mr. Woodifield had left, he asks his messenger to let no one bother him for a half hour. During this time the boss attempts to recall his feelings of grief for his son, and failing to do that he turns to the photograph, hoping that will help. A fly however falls into his inkwell and forces his attention towards it, coincidentally making him once again forget his son. He focuses on the fly and helps it out, then watching as it cleans itself. He decides that he will test the fly , and proceeds to drop ink onto it. On the fourth drop the fly gives in, and the boss throws it away, just as he did with his memories of his son, which â€Å"For the life of him he could not remember.† Similes play a part in making the reader understand the story. For example when describing Mr. Woodifield using the simile â€Å"He peered out of the great, green leather arm-chair by his friend, the boss’s desk, as a baby peers out of its pram,† gives you the impression that Mr. Woodifield is perhaps getting on in age, and yet is still curious about everything that goes on around him. Another example is when Katherine talks about grief saying â€Å"we cling to our last pleasures as the tree clings to its last leaves,† meaning that the boss refused to let go of the grief, even though subconsciously he had already done so. The use of the metaphor â€Å"The day had come when Macey had handed him the telegram that brought the whole place crashing about his head,† forces the reader to imag ine the boss’ feelings and reaction when he got the news about his son. He was devastated, and the metaphor used really enforces the point. To further enforce the point of devastation and grief, imagery is used. The two major ones are the fly and the boss himself, however there is also the photograph on the wall. The boss represents all those who have lost someone in the terrible war, yet they kept a faà §ade of being strong, and being the leader when in public, and when in private they were grieving their loved ones. He is a symbol of authority and power, keeping control when needed. The fly symbolizes those who lost their lives in the war. The young men who were shipped off to fight for their country, and who were getting more and more worn out the more years the war went on for. It symbolizes the constant struggle they had to deal with, and eventually they couldn’t handle it no more. Eventually the last inkblot killed the fly, just  as the last year of war killed a lot of the remaining young men and their innocence. The photo, while not mentioned as much, represents the innocence the young men had, and then lost in their first year of war. The things they had to do and see robbed them of the boyish innocence they went in with. â€Å"The expression was unnatural. It was cold, even stern-looking.† They all were changed by the horrendous happenings that they had to bear witness too. Overall this story sends out a message that everyone has their own way to grieve and everyone will spend different amounts of time doing so. Eventually however time will heal even the worst feelings of grief, and that is why I liked this story. It shows that no matter what things will get better one day. Things will get better, even if you don’t believe it ever will. Others should read this story, because at some time in their lives, they will have to face a challenge, and this story will remind them that time will help. They won’t overcome it straight away, but with time, they will get better. Just like Mr. Woodifield, and even the boss did.

Driving Force of Regionalism Essay

To what extent and in what ways have the driving forces of regionalism in South-east Asia changed since the end of the Cold War? Regionalism has become a trend in many regions of the world. Among them, Europe, North America and Asia (Asia Pacific region) are crucial ones. Some observers argue that the world order have been divided between these three regions with the existence of the European Union (EU), the North American Free trade Agreement (NFTA) and The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). This divergent part of the world requires comprehensive realization to make sense of how they have developed throughout history. In particular, writing the history of Southeast Asia remains a challenge as it involves the understanding of ‘societies that often took quite different view of the past †¦(and) a region where the implications of that historical tradition may have a political significance’[1]. Clapham notes that it is even more challenging to analyse foreign policy making in Southeast Asia region[2]. The early 1970’s was a significant period for the states in this region as i t was during this time that five countries decided to join together and define their position in the Cold War between two superpowers and claimed their neutrality. The fact that ASEAN has come up with such a policy is interesting to look at as it gives not only an insight of the driving forces of regionalism in Southeast Asia but also how these developing states saw themselves and formulate their foreign policy in the post-Cold War period. This paper aims to analyse ASEAN’s behaviour in order to access to what extent regionalism has changed since the end of Cold War in Southeast Asia. In that, regionalism would be conceived as ‘a state-led or states-led project designed to reorganize a particular regional space along defined economic and political lines’[3]. The discussion is divided into four parts. The first part discusses the useful theoretical insights of security community to explain why ASEAN states cooperate in the midst of new security challenge in the region. The second part identifies the diplomacy of ASEAN during the post-Cold War period. Given the confine of this paper, the discussion specifically examines the event of the Spratly Islands and the creation of ARF. In the concluding section, achievements and prospects for ASEAN will be addressed. The central argument that this paper advance is that regionalism in Southeast Asia has changed and the changes have been  driven and constrained by the security condition during the post-Cold War era where a regional power vacuum is found. ASEAN emerged from the Cold War as a regional organization in 1967. With the accession of Cambodia, it seemed to be fulfilling the aspirations of its founding fathers to expand membership to include all ten Southeast Asian countries. However, with the end of Cold War and the settlement of Cambodian conflict, ASEAN is facing a new challenge related to issues of security and stability in the post-Cold War regional environment[4]. According to the Bangkok Declaration of 1967, the goal of ASEAN is to ‘accelerate the economic growth, social progress and cultural development in the region; to safeguard the political and economic stability of the region against big power rivalry; and to serve as a forum for the resolution of intra-regional differences’[5]. The formation of ASEAN should be seen as a means of maintaining peace and stability by providing a forum for the discussion and resolution of regional issues relating to security. There are indeed a number of incidents to show that security issue is the major concern of ASEAN such as the call for a Zone of Peace, Freedom and Neutrality (ZOPFAN), the 1976 Treaty of Amity and Cooperation and ASEAN’s role in the Cambodian conflict in the 1980s. However, with the end of Cold War, ASEAN faced a new challenge to its goal when the security environment of South-east Asia was transformed by the change from the old bipolar Cold War security system to the new emerging multipolar system. The new power pattern in the region forced the ASEAN states to cooperate as they realized the security could be in danger if they do not collaborate to improve the situation. This kind of behaviour of the ASEAN states can be best explained by Deutsch’s discussion of security communities. This was especially evident in the study of regional integration and some scholars argued that the concept of security community provides the most useful framework to analyze ASEAN regionali sm. According to Deutsch, a security community is a group that has become integrated and accompanied by formal or informal institutions or practices in order to assure peaceful change among members of a group over a long period of time[6]. Essentially, members within the community retain their independence and sovereignty. The two attributes of such a community are marked by the absence of war and organized violence. To be more specific, as  Yalem notes, a regional security community is a group of states which have ‘renounced the use of force as a means of resolving intra-regional conflicts’[7]. Deutsch further adds that there should be no contingency planning or war-oriented resource mobilization against other members within a security community. This could be acted as an indicator of whether states have developed ‘dependable expectations of peaceful change’[8]. Furthermore, whether a security community has been achieved can actually ‘be tested operationally in terms of the absence or presence of significant organized preparations for was or larger-scale violence among its members’[9]. When applying the concept of security communities into the study of regionalism, it is import ant to make a distinction between security community and a security regime. Buzan defines security regime as ‘a group of states cooperate to manage their disputes and avoid war by seeking to mute the security dilemma both by their own actions and by their assumptions about the behaviour of others’[10]. Although this seems similar to the concept of security community, there is a major difference in that a security regime refers to a situation where the interests of the actors are both not wholly compatible and competitive. Thus, the resulting relationship is rather hostile and the use of force is hindered only by a balance of power[11]. In comparison, a security community is based ‘on a fundamental, unambiguous and long-term convergence of interests among the actors regarding the avoidance of war’[12]. In this context, ASEAN regionalism is more likely to be conceptualized as the process of building the security community rather than the latter. Although a security community seems to be constructed on the ground of interests and identities rather than the idea of common threat, recent literature sketched by Adler and Barnett stress that a security community can actually be triggered by common threat such as ‘cataclysmic events’[13]. As Adler puts it, the concept of a community is ‘the idea that actors can share values, norms, and symbols that provide a social identity, and engage in various interactions in myriad spheres that reflect long-term interests, diffuse reciprocity and trust, strikes fear’[14]. Furthermore, Hurrell attempts to suggest a series of approaches to study contemporary regionalism. He notes that cooperative arrangements in regional cooperation could serve a number of purposes ‘on the one hand, they can serve as a means of responding to external challenges and of coordinating regional positions  in international institutions or negotiating forums. On the other, they can be developed to secure welfare gains, to promote common values or to solve common problems arising from increased levels of regional interdependence. In the security field, for example, such cooperation can range from the stabilization of a regional balance of power, to the institutionalization of confidence -building measures, to the negotiation of a region-wide security regime.’[15] The concept of security community can be applied to explain the creation and the behaviour of ASEAN. During the time of the Cold War, great power rivalries between the Soviet Union and the US in the region has turned Southeast Asia into a battleground with the regional states being used by the opponents with the attempt to create blocs which support their positions or ideologies in the war. Simultaneously, many states in the region have been oppressed by external powers for centuries and not being treated as a respectable actor in the international agenda. Facing with the same hardship, therefore, they came together and create a region free from external interference. However, with the end of Cold War, the security order in this region is characterized by new factors of conflict and instability and ‘regional policy-makers have expressed misgivings about the strategic uncertainties and conflict-creation potential of a post-Cold War order at the regional level’[16]. Among the regional powers, China, Japan and India are generally being seen as the three leading contenders for influence[17]. For some, the involvement of US in the region as the balance of power is still desirable and the possibility of its withdrawal remains a major worry of the region’s stability[18]. In fact, there are a number of unsolved tensions in the region and most of them revolve around China’s strategic ambitions such as its claims for the Spartly Islands. In responding to the new challenge, the ASEAN states have to reconsider and adjust some of the assumptions and principles underlying ASEAN regionalism in order to contribute to regional security and order embedded in the 1992 Singapore Declaration. In order to examine in what ways the driving forces of regionalism in South-east Asia have changed since the end of the Cold War, it is essential to look at some case studies of ASEAN’s post-Cold War diplomacy: China’s claims for the Spratly Islands and ASEAN’s response Situated in the South China Sea, the Spratly Islands consists of islets and reefs with suspected deposits of oil and gas[19]. The disputes involve China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei. Many worried that the dispute will turn into a potential source of armed conflict involving ASEAN members particularly because ‘the likelihood of any agreement on the joint development of the islands involving all the claimants, as proposed by some regional policy-makers and analysts, has limited plausibility’[20]. In view of this, other ASEAN members initiated efforts to address the security issue which was seen as a destabilizing force in the region in the post-Cold War period. Finally in 1989, it was Indonesia alone launched the South China Sea Workshop (SCSW)[21] to promote peaceful settlement of the dispute by emphasizing the lessons of Cambodian conflict and the lessons from ASEAN regional c ooperation. Although the workshop has been extended to include China, Vietnam and Laos in 1991, there were no collective ASEAN position or action on the dispute. The irony lies on the fact that ‘the Spratly seminars are a unilateral Indonesian initiative, resulting from diplomacy not by ASEAN or even a group within ASEAN but by one member country’[22]. The regional community sense was missing in this incident particularly because Malaysia and the Philippines feared that multilateral forum could lessen their negotiating ability thus making bilateral settlements impossible. As a result, they were not willing to support ASEAN to settle the dispute involving other member states[23]. This indicates their determination to uphold national autonomy and also their perspective to view ASEAN only as a confidence-building forum rather than a regional community[24]. Consequently in 1992, China passed a Law on the Territorial Sea and the Contiguous Zone of the People’s Republic of China. The aim of this legislation is for China to formalize far-reaching claims in the South China Sea. The assertiveness of China caused doubt over the effectiveness of the previous launched workshops and made ASEAN members realized that China insisted on unilateral means to solve the problem. ASEAN responded to China’s claims with the ‘ASEAN Declaration on the South China Sea’ issued in the same year. The Declaration emphasized the need to ‘resolve all sovereignty and jurisdictional issues pertaining to the South China Sea by peaceful means  without resort to force’ and it urged all parties ‘to exercise constraint’[25]. It has been pointed out that ASEAN has claimed some success by placing the dispute on the agenda of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) with the support of intense lobbying[26]. At the same time, ASEAN has been criticized for failing to negotiate codes of conduct in that China continued to carry on its bilateral agreement with Vietnam in 1993 and Philippines in 1995[27]. However, in a bigger picture, it made clear that all AS EAN members has developed a respect for the codes of conduct enshrined in the 1976 Treaty of Amity and Cooperation on issues relating to peaceful settlement of conflicts and the non-use of force. Evolution of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) The ASEAN Summit of 1992 declared that ‘ASEAN shall seek avenues to engage Member States in new areas of cooperation in security matters’, therefore, the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) was established in 1993 which ‘serves as a multilateral consultative forum aimed at promoting preventive diplomacy and confidence building among the states in the Asia-Pacific region’[28]. Through the ARF, ASEAN hoped to create regional order based on its own norms as well as the new norm of inclusiveness which is essential to cooperative security[29]. In this content, the ARF provided a test of ASEAN’s norms as the membership of ARF included all the major powers of the international system whereby the regional order in this region would also base on the inclusive approach meaning that the major powers would engage in the management of regional order. In 1995, the Philippines discovered the incident of Mischief Reef by China while ASEAN responded by issuing a joint statement criticizing China[30]. It seems this stand of ASEAN fulfils the idea of community, however, it is only a partial fulfillment due to the fact that the ASEAN members have different interpretations of the conflict. ASEAN consensus is always revolved around the norms of peaceful settlement of conflict which is being seen as the guarantee for stability. However, they did not identify with the position of the Philippines, for instance, Thailand considered the dispute as bilateral and not a dispute between ASEAN and China. Again, the event actually put a test on the ASEAN member’s ability to come up with a collective position. As Malik comments on the future of the Southeast Asia regionalism, he points out that to maintain  peace in the region, it is ‘not only founded on the stability of a balance but is sourced in a sense of shared aspirations and common destiny’[31]. In view of this, the lack of consensus among ASEAN member states indicated their unwillingness to demand standards of behaviour from China which only reinforced the ASEAN’s partial fulfillment as a community. In general, the post-Cold War period has posed unleashing of conflicts in the Asia Pacific region which were effectively suppressed during the colonial era and the subsequent period of superpower rivalry[32]. With the end of bipolarity, there is a greater potential of conflict. This paper has examined ASEAN’s behaviour in security affairs during the post-Cold War ear with the objective of assessing the validity of the idea of community. Many scholars have widely acknowledged ASEAN’s potential to become a regional security community from both within and outside the region. Snitwongse notes that although ASEAN may not be able to fully achieve self-reliance, its most striking achievement has been community building[33]. Simon claims that ASEAN is perhaps a security community in which no member would consider the use of force against each other to settle disputes[34]. In the aftermath of the end of Cold War, the absence of war among the ASEAN members is indeed being recognized by many as a great achievement. Based on the discussion of this paper, it has proved that ASEAN has developed some of the attributes of what Adler and Barnett call it as a ‘nascent security community’ where a number of triggering mechanisms including threat perceptions, shared identity and organizational emulation are present. After three decades of progress in promoting peaceful intra-regional order, ASEAN faced its greatest challenge since the end of Cold War as the current regional security environment remains in a state of uncertainty. Nonetheless, the prospect of a regional power vacuum implies the possibility of ASEAN’s further progress while the question remains whether ASEAN itself can fill the security gap by mobilizing its collective diplomatic and political resources. Bibliography Acharya, A., A New Regional Order In South-East Asia: ASEAN in the Post-Cold War Era, International Institute for Strategic Studies, Adelphi Paper 279, London, 1993 Acharya, A., Constructing a Security Community in Southeast Asia: ASEAN and the problem of regional order, London, 2001 Adler, E & Barnett, M., ‘A framework for the study of security communities’, in Adler, E. & Barnett, M (eds.) Security Communities, Cambridge, 1998 ASEAN Secretariat, ASEAN: An Overview, Jakarta, 1995 Buszynski, L., ‘Declining Superpowers: The Impact on ASEAN’, Pacific Review, 3/3, 1990 Buzan, B., People, States and Fear: An Agenda for International Security Studies in the Post-Cold War Era, New York, 1991 Catley, B. & Keliat, M., Spratlys: The Dispute in the South China Sea, Aldershot, 1997 Deutsch, K.W., ‘Security Communities’, in Rosenau, J (ed.) International Politics and Foreign Policy, New York, 1961 Dewitt, D.B., ‘Common, Comprehensive and Cooperative Security’, Pacific Review, 7/1, 1994 Haacke, J., ‘Seeking Influence: China’s Diplomacy Toward ASEAN After the Asian Crisis’, Asian Perspective, 26/4, 2002 Hill, C., ‘Theories of Foreign Policy Making for the Developing Countries’, in Clapham, C. (ed.) Foreign Policy Making in Developing States: A Comparative Approach, Farnborough, 1977 Hurell, A., ‘Explaining the Resurgence of Regionalism in World Politics’, Review of International Studies, 21/4, 1995 Leifer, M., The ASEAN Regional Forum, Adelphi Paper 302, London, 1996 Payne, A. & Gamble A., Regionalism and World Order, London, 1996 Simon, S., ‘The Regionalization of Defence in Southeast Asia’, Pacific Review, 5/2, 1992 Snitwongse, K., ‘Meeting the Challenges of Changing Southeast Asia’, in Scalapino, R., Sato, S. & Han, S.J. (eds.) Regional Dynamics: Security, Political and Economic Issues in the Asia Pacific Region, Jakarta, 1990 Tarling, N., Southeast Asia: A Modern History, Oxford, 2001 Tow, W.T., Asia-Pacific Strategic Relations: Seeking Convergent Security, New York, 2001 Whiting, A.S., ‘ASEAN Eyes China: The Security Dimension’, Asian Survey, 37/4, 1997 Yalem, R.J., ‘Regional Security Communities’, in Keeton, G.W. & Scharzenberger, G. (eds.) The Yearbook of International Affairs, London, 1979

Employment Discrimination Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Employment Discrimination - Essay Example The argument put forward by this commission on behalf of the employee was that the medical disorder she suffered from was classified as a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) around January of 2013. This, therefore, provided a basis for valid suing and demand for compensation to the affected person. A close examination of how Cody – the employee was sacked it truly appears to have violated the Americans with Disabilities Act since after she suffered seizures the company required her to go for medical clearance that she complied. The doctors cleared her and found she would still perform her duties effectively but only under a few restrictions. This should have convinced the organization to let her continue with her job and observe the restrictions provided for in the doctor's report. The organization, however, gave her an unpaid leave and went ahead to sack her. The argument of EEOC was in accordance to title 7 if the Civil Rights Act of 1964 which was amended in 2009 to include the recovery of compensatory and punitive damages in cases of intentional violation of Title 7, Americans with Disabilities and Section 501 of the Rehabilitation Act (EEOC, np). In my opinion, after a close analysis of the case, I think the sacking was intentional. This decision is derived from the fact that the organization already had the medical report of the employee before she was relieved of her duties.

Cause and Effect of the Crash of Alaska Airlines Flight261 Essay

Cause and Effect of the Crash of Alaska Airlines Flight261 - Essay Example The National Transportation Safety Board said that the probable cause of the accident was â€Å"a loss of airplane pitch control resulting from the in-flight failure of the horizontal stabilizer trim system jackscrew assembly's acme nut threads†. The thread failure was caused by excessive wear resulting from Alaska Airlines' insufficient lubrication of the jackscrew assembly (NSTB, January 31, 2000).But when I watched the video and upon reading the transcriptions of the investigations of the National Transportation Safety Board, I realized that the jack-screw is only a participating evident of inefficiencies of the system.The circle of event shows inefficiencies on the maintenance system of the Alaska Airlines; as mechanics and authorities of the airlines dismissed warnings that the jack screw is already overused and that it may caused future problems. Perhaps reason for this is the cost of replacement is expensive. However, had it been regularly oiled and lubricated, the prob lem maybe did not exist. Clearly, at this level of ground maintenance, something is already amiss.Going to the pilots, there is no reason not to believe they are experts in their fields, but the captain lacked the will to exercise its authority to act in an emergency. Upon knowing of the problem at the tail of the aircraft, they had plenty of time to return, or land in the nearest field. The captain wanted to emergency land in Los Angeles airport, but was discouraged by the Alaskan Airlines operator at the Tower.

Does mergers and acquitions create value Coursework

Does mergers and acquitions create value - Coursework Example 1-6 Definition of Terms 1-7 Summary CHAPTER-2 RELEVANT LITERATURE REVIEW 2-1 Overview of the Topic 2-2 Scope and Limitations of this Review 2-3 Organisation of the Literature Review 2-4 Discussion CHAPTER-3 METHODOLOGY 3-1 Research Methodology 3-2 Research Approach 3-3 Event study methodology 3-4 Assessment of firm efficiency 3-5 Wealth effects 3-6 Research Design 3-7 Consent Procedures 3-8 Instrumentation 3-9 Procedures 3-10 Data Collection and Recording 3-11 Data Process and Analysis 3-11 Methodological Assumptions CHAPTER-4 RESULTS / FINDINGS 4-1 Overview 4-2 Effectiveness of M&A: Mergers by UK companies 4-3 Expenses on acquisitions overseas by UK 4-4 Mergers Abroad By UK Companies 4-5 Mergers in UK by Foreign Companies 4-6 Mergers in UK by UK Companies CHAPTER-5 DECISION 5-1 Business Proposal 5-2 Service Development Plan 5-3 Key Recommendation CHAPTER-6 CONCLUSIONS Glossary Bibliography Appendix A. Survey Instruments Appendix B. Statistical Tabulations of Survey Data Appendix C List of Tables Page Table 1. Title of Table 1 Table 2. Title of Table 2 Table 3. Title of Table 3 Table 4. Title of Table 4 List of Figures Page Figure 1. Title of Figure 1 Figure 2. Title of Figure 2 Figure 3. Title of Figure 3 Figure 4. Title of Figure 4 Abstract/ Executive Summary Merger and acquisitions is essential to enabling for an active Business lives. 'Does Merger and acquisitions create value' for shareholders depends on the causal motivation of the transaction. Perfect market finance theory demonstrates that the risks of both public companies and their stockholders are well diversified since any single company is alleged by a large group of shareholders and every shareholder grips a market portfolio in the...Teacher and staffs of the Department are extremely helpful. Devoid of their assistance this study could not have reached its ultimate conclusion. National Statistics, Drummond Gate, London and other divisions National Statistics under the State Government cooperated entirely to collect data for this study. State employees helped with their openness, dedication and sincere desire to serve. All the optimistic attributes of this dissertation have driven from those mentioned above. The conclusions or any other errors, omissions and mistakes within this dissertation are attributable just to the author. Merger and acquisitions is essential to enabling for an active Business lives. 'Does Merger and acquisitions create value' for shareholders depends on the causal motivation of the transaction. Perfect market finance theory demonstrates that the risks of both public companies and their stockholders are well diversified since any single company is alleged by a large group of shareholders and every shareholder grips a market portfolio in the economy. Proviso the value of a firm is resolute by its future cash flows; shareholders would be apathetic to receiving cash flows from two separate firms then from a merged firm. Our present dissertation "Does Merger and acquisitions create value" aimed to investigate the implications of implementing Merger and acquisitions and draw conclusions, which will support the development

Evidence based practice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 3

Evidence based practice - Essay Example A careful review of the available literature exposes some of the difficulties discovered in finding an answer to this question. Intake of omega n-3 (VLCn3 PUFAs) could be associated to construction and functional development of cognitive, sensory, perceptual, and motor neural systems. Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), an omega n-3, is crucial for the growth and functional development of the brain in infants. DHA is also required for preservation of the normal brain function in adults. The addition of rich DHA in the diet can improve the individual’s learning capability, while insufficient DHA is linked with insufficiency in learning. DHA is drawn into the brain in preference to other fatty acids and the speed at which DHA is assimilated in the brain is exceptionally fast, therefore requiring constant replenishment. In addition, the visual perception of healthy, full-term, formula-fed infants is amplified when their formula contains DHA. Throughout the last 50 years, infants have been given formula diets that are deficient in DHA and other omega-3 fatty acids. DHA deficiencies are associated with foetal alco hol syndrome, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, cystic fibrosis, phenylketonuria, unipolar depression, aggressive hostility, and adrenoleukodystrophy. Low levels of DHA in the brain are connected with cognitive decline during aging and with onset of sporadic Alzheimer disease (Martinez 1996). Reports have been generated over the last few years, regarding supplements of omega n-3 fish oil, and the effects that it may have on children of school age to improve their behaviour, mental capacity and studying performance amid concerns of poor diet amongst the younger generation (Poulter, 2006). This subject has evoked a lot of interest in the media from ministers to health care professionals, parents and school authorities (Poulter 2006). The vast amount of research by the scientific community is still argumentative as to whether chemical pollution

To identify an innovative human resource management practice or Essay

To identify an innovative human resource management practice or program - Essay Example The work that follows highlights problems solved by giving compensation and benefits to employees and its importance. Issues addressed by compensation and benefits Benefits and compensation are some of the important methods of motivating workers in an organization or a company. Due to high competition in the job market, employers seek to maintain their employees (Grobler 24). The award of benefits and compensation by employers to their employees saves them a number of problems. First, it saves the organization loss of employees because an employee cannot go for another job (Sims 458). A company that lacks good motivation to its employees will always look for more employees to replace those that have left the company due to unfavorable working conditions. An employee will always admire to work under better terms of service. Secondly, it saves poor production. This is because there will be enough workforce for the particular fields in the organization. Poor production will only result in an organization where there is no recognition on the importance of the work done by employees (Kleynhans 59). It is only that organization that gives motivation to its workers through giving benefits and compensation that will succeed it solving this problem. Poor production leads to poor achievement or profits. Poor quality of the products will always lead to poor sales in the market. This also leads to high losses incurred by the organization due to lack of recovery of the expenses incurred in the production process after sales (WorldatWork 451). Thirdly, it reduces competition on the company’s products (Kleynhans 35). If the employees leave and have the ability to start their own companies, they will, and this will give competition to the organization from which formerly employed them. If the employees are unable to start their companies, they will look for employment in other companies in the same field, which offer better terms of service. Due to the increased demand for labor force, the workers prefer the company that offers fair terms (Grobler 85). This promotes production due to enough workforce and motivated workers. Compensation and benefits saves a company of bad reputation. For example if an organization abruptly terminates a worker’s employment is and there is no compensation, definitely, the worker would not be happy with the treat given. This tarnishes the organization’s name, and as long as employers still flock the market looking for employment, they will not wish to work in an organization that treats workers unfairly. Reputation is a virtue that is very vital in the business line. If the is spoilt, the organization goes on low production due to lack of workers (Kleynhans 237). Compensations also save a company from court cases. Court cases emerge for instance when an injury occurs to an employee in the line of duty and no compensation. The worker may look for a personal lawyer and sue the company to court (Grobler 88) . On the contrary, if the company awards compensation to workers incase of emergencies like these, the program will save the company time, because of all the processes undergone in processing the cases and pursuing them in court and saves finances accompanying the court cases. Suing a company in court leads to decline in the production progress, as many activities will slow down due to lack of the personnel involved in the process, and the finances used in processing the

Microeconomic Stock Investment Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Microeconomic Stock Investment Project - Essay Example The number of shares bought were 2000, each at US$ 7.94. Lastly, in the portfolio, GPRN bought 598 shares each at US$ 5.63. The share prices appear in the figure 2 below. The investment strategy is to identify the trends and the variation of share process and the number of shares traded in order to decide whether to buy a particular stock or to sell. When the stock prices reduce and move towards the minimum threshold, the business decision is to buy more of the tock. On the other hand, if the stock price grows towards the maximum, the decision is to sell as many of the stock as possible. From the fake stock game, the stocks identified for sale were CVM at US$ 1.19 and CERE at US $ 1.05. The stock identified for sale was C at 47.74 and EBAY at US$. 53.96. The prevailing business is influenced by inevitable economic conditions such as the fluctuation of stock prices. This makes it difficult to set optimal prices at which the decisions can be made to either sell or buy the stocks (Hubbard 77). Secondly, the business is affected by liquidity challenges. The buying power of the business is low as exhibited by the low purchases of high value stock and investment on short-term basis. The business is headed for greater portfolio size in the future since the number of selling and buying transactions is dynamic. The strength of the portfolio is focused on diversification, innovation and intelligent study of the contemporary stock market. Indeed, the analysis was relevant as a tool for predicting the future dynamics of this portfolio and

Analysis of balance sheet and income statement Essay

Analysis of balance sheet and income statement - Essay Example The company focuses their services on the following four markets: clean energy, oil and gas, environment and infrastructure and mining (Annual report: AMEC plc 2013, pp. 1-8). On a similar note, Carillion plc is headquartered in Wolverhampton, United Kingdom. The company was founded in 1999. Carillion plc offers services on management in the following fields: efficient energy, buildings and infrastructure, project management and facility management. Carillion plc operates in the following business segments: construction services, support services, Middle East construction services and support services (Annual report: Carillion plc 2013, pp. 1-6). The key item considered in the analysis of the income statement is the revenue. Concerning AMEC plc, the revenue levels in the year 2012 and 2013 were  £ 4,088 million and  £ 3,974 million respectively. The company’s revenue decreased by 2.789% between the periods (Annual report: AMEC plc 2013, pp. 94). Comparatively, the revenue levels for Carillion plc for the same period were  £ 4,402.8 million and 4,080.9 million. The company’s revenue decreased by 7.311% between the two periods. Based on the analysis, Carillion plc’s revenue level were higher than that of AMEC plc, during the two years (Annual report: Carillion plc 2013, pp. 76). The analysis of the statement of financial position covers the total assets. Concerning AMEC plc, the total assets in 2012 and 2013 were worth  £ 2,518 million and  £ 2,384 million respectively. The company’s total assets decreased by 5.322% between the two years (Annual report: AMEC plc 2013, pp. 96). Comparativel y, the total assets for Carillion plc during the same period were worth  £ 3,862.4 million and  £ 3,639.9 million respectively. The company’s total assets decreased by 5.761% between the two years (Annual report: Carillion plc 2013, pp. 79). Based on the analysis,

Ku Klux Klan Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Ku Klux Klan - Research Paper Example The group had become a harbor for extremists who championed for white supremacy. The group is in essence comprised of three Klans on historical basis the first starting from 1865 to 1874, second from 1915-1944 and later Klans from 1950s to present. The group is one of the most famous not only in the United States but the whole world as it has transcended the test of time since its inception despite the many attempts, legal and otherwise, to try and extinguish its presence and influence. KKK - 1865 - 1874 KKK at this time did not have a definite structure as an organization most likely due to the nature of its objectives. There was however other groups existing at the same time i.e. 1865 especially in the Southern United States which took up the same name KKK as well as mannerisms (McVeigh 263). This is one of the first ways in which it spread. The Klan members acted as vigilantes whereby they murdered mostly radical republicans irrespective of whether they were black or white. They w ore masks and robes to hide their identities and usually ambushed their targets at night. This group was formed almost immediately after the Civil War whereby the veterans were against the changed society where people from different races had acquired some freedom seemingly undermining white supremacy. Many states after the Civil War experienced long periods of lawlessness which fuelled their efforts to use violence with impunity against black people. They later turned to Republicans and their ideologies claiming they were pro-blacks. They claimed that African Americans were largely voting for Republicans consequently trying to curtail their rights to vote, education and economic wellbeing. The group went as far as assassinating a congressman, J. M. Hinds and members of the legislature who were Republicans. Roughly 2,000 people were reported dead in Louisiana in 1968 just before the elections which followed a boycott by Republicans from voting in Fall of that year (Parker 63). The s ame actions were happening in other southern states leaving hundreds dead in the woods and thousands injured. By 1871, Acts had been passed that made it possible to prosecute the group’s crimes. In 1974 Klan groups reformed targeting Republicans by removing them from office through violence and intimidation. These actions were largely attributed to the landslide victory by Democrats in the South back in 1877 (78). KKK - 1915-1944 This Klan rekindled the ones that had died four decades earlier. The origin was in Georgia where its functions were largely concentrated. However, as time went by new recruits joined across the nation and the group leaders notably William Simmons realized the potential they had and immediately started fresh recruitment drives all over United States (Dray 113). This was a time of prosperity in the country and they found it easy to gain many affluent members. Apart from being heavily racist KKK had messages that were anti-Catholicism. They also preache d against communism and Semitism. The group increasingly became violent towards these groups or people affiliated to them regardless of their race. This KKK had a definite structure at both national and state levels and by 1925 the group widely publicized claims that its membership comprised of more than 15 percent of the total US population. These claims were however refuted as they had no scientific or factual basis. They were mere

Equal Human Rights for Women Essay Example for Free

Equal Human Rights for Women Essay This paper explores human rights issues as it relates to women; the right to work; the right to an adequate standard of living, the right to be treated equally, the right to autonomy, and the violations of basic human rights. I will reflect on how the issue of equality for women is addressed nationally and globally. In discussing human rights related to women’s issues of social injustice by industrial and global exploitation, I explore ways in which social workers commit to equality and what current attitudes may need to be refined. I discuss how global exploitation continues to oppress and stigmatize females. This paper also examines barriers to change and how empowering women can raise their understanding of human rights and the process of change. In July of 1848 in Seneca Falls, New York, based on the Declaration of Independence statement on equal rights for all, The Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions demanded the equality of men and women in several issues including the right to vote (Stanton Anthony, 1997). This proposed resolution stated, â€Å"The history of mankind is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations on the part of man toward woman, having in direct object the establishment of an absolute tyranny over her† (Stanton, 1889). Thus, in the United States, the plight began for equal rights for women in a male dominated world. Considering the period of time human beings have inhabited this planet, the concept of equality of the human sexes is a rather new prospect. Men are generally physically stronger than women and have exploited this for centuries influencing societies, religions and traditions. They have created for themselves arenas which are beneficial and convenient for them however abusive and oppressive for women. In many countries, including our own, religion and tradition are often used as justification for not implementing equal rights. According to UNICEF, working women globally not only earn significantly less than men, they own far less property and still maintain the majority (80%) of household work (UNICEF, 2007). Biases in property law and inheritances also make women (and children by virtue of being born to women) more vulnerable to poverty. Historically, and in some countries currently, violence against women was/is generally acceptable and at times, considered necessary (i.e. honor killings). So how do we advocate for change from centuries of oppression and discrimination towards women? Ending discrimination in all forms and advocating for social justice is the concrete foundation and commitment of the Social Worker. The National Association of Social Workers Code of Ethics states â€Å"Social Workers should act to expand choice and opportunity for all people, with special regard for vulnerable, disadvantaged, oppressed, and exploited people and groups (NASW, 2000, 6.04b). Social work practices, policies, and services must continue to address the disadvantages women and girls face. Advocacy for equal education, health care, employment, protection from violence, and rise from poverty for women is essential. According to NASW ethical principles, Social Workers respect the inherent dignity and worth of a person and are consistently proactive in helping people in need and advocating for social justice. In 1945 in its preamble, the United Nations and the peoples therein declared their commitment to â€Å"fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women and of nations large and small† (United Nations, n.d.), solidifying their commitment toward equal rights for women. Social Workers and the nations representing the world have sworn their allegiance to ensuring impartiality between the sexes. But how far have we come in successfully accomplishing this goal? Jessica Valenti, a writer for the Washington Post states in her article For women in America, equality is still an illusion (2010), â€Å"despite the indisputable gains over the years, women are still being raped, trafficked, violated and discriminated against not just in the rest of the world, but here in the United States. And though feminists continue to fight gender injustices, most people seem to think that outside of a few lingering battles, the work of the womens movement is done.† This especially rings true to me. There are still so many serious injustices against women here in the United States (i.e. violence, trafficking, unequal pay, unequal governmental representation, etc.) but the general public rejects this fact, therefore, we are only beginning to tackle this problem. Many programs which support, empower, and assist women toward self-determination (NASW, 1.02) have been created however progress is slow and many more are needed. How is the rest of the world fai ring toward the goal of equal rights for women? Read more:  Why Should Women Have Rights? There is a saying in Ghana, â€Å"If you educate a man, you simply educate an individual, but if you educate a woman, you educate a nation† (Women’s rights worldwide, 2007). But, unfortunately, being a woman in a developing country could mean a life of poverty, abuse, exploitation, and deprivation. In some countries, girl babies are killed because boy babies are considered more valuable. Woman worldwide own 1% of the property however work two-thirds of the world’s labor and earn 10% of the world’s wages. Honor killings (those women determined to dishonor a family) still occur in at least 17 countries identified by the United Nations. In 1980, the United Nations supported the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, sometimes referred to as the international bill of rights for women, where nations committed to end discrimination against women. People around the world express support for these world conferences and gender equality however people in many countries say inequalities persist. A 22-nation survey by Pew Research Center’s Global Attitudes Project in the spring of 2010 suggests the world supports gender equality however many more changes are needed and change is less than vigorous. The following study chart describes the percentage of countries views on who has a better life and who supports equal rights (Pew Research Center, 2010). In my research of global rights for women established by macro entities toward practice and policy change, the Worldwide Women’s Integrated Society for Everyone and Everything best defines a global bill of rights for women which I admire and support. They call this The Thirteen Rights – A Global Bill of Rights for Women. It includes the following: 1) The right to vote in all elections 2) Equal representation in the government 3) The right to assemble and access to communication 4) Females will be educated equally to males 5) Freedom of movement 6) Freedom of marriage or non-marriage 7) The right to carry weapons for protection 8) The right to own property 9) Equal rights, pay, and access to work 10) The right to choice of personal appearance 11) The right to birth control 12) The right to safely terminate a pregnancy 13) The sanctity of female genitals. The International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW) recognizing social workers’ commitment to human rights and equal treatment for all human beings, issued an international policy on women in 1999. Policy Statement 5.1 best sums up the views of international social workers by stating, â€Å"Women’s rights are human rights. To the extent that women and girls do not enjoy equal rights, their common human needs, and those of their families, will not be fully met and their human potential will not be fully realized. Therefore, the social work profession’s core commitment to human rights must involve a commitment to protecting and preserving the basic rights of all women and girls. Women of all ages and at all stages of the life cycle deserve protection from discrimination in all forms, including the elimination of all forms of gender-specific discrimination and violence† (IFSW, 1999). I am in complete agreement with the NASW and IFSW’s policies on equal rights for women. We must continue to research the effectiveness of national and international programs and reorganize, if necessary, to ensure delivery of rights to women everywhere. As social workers, it is imperative to advocate for all human rights, especially those oppressed, as women have been for centuries. We can do this through support, education, opportunities, and empowerment. I would like to see the United Nations imply sanctions to those entities that profess commitment to equal rights yet in reality do not â€Å"practice what they preach†. In this paper I have reviewed the journey toward equal rights for women on a personal, national and internationally level. Historically we’ve lived in a male-dominant world and the concept of equal rights for women has been generally foreign to global communities. Social workers are instrumental in expressing to each other and to the world the importance of dignity and worth of every person and the significance of a just and honorable society. In creating policies to define the rights of women, we must follow-through with punishing injustice practices in our own society and the global community. We still have a long way to go! References International Federation of Social Workers. (2012, February). Policies women. Retrieved from http://ifsw.org/policies/women/ National Association of Social Workers. (2000) Code of ethics of the national association of social workers. Washington, DC. National Association of Social Workers. (2012). Social work speaks: National Association of Social Workers policy statements 2012-2014. 9th edition. Washington, DC: NASW Press. Pew Research Center. (2010). Gender equality universally embraced, but inequalities acknowledged. Pew Global Attitudes Project. Retrieved from http://www.pewglobal.org/2010/07/01/gender-equality/ Sowers, K. M., Rowe, W. S. (2007). Social work practice and social justice: From local to global perspectives. Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole. Stanton, E. C. (1889). A history of woman suffrage. (Vol. 1, pp. 70-72). Rochester, NY: Fowler and Wells. Stanton, E. C., Anthony, S. B. (1997). The Elizabeth Cady Stanton Susan B. Anthony papers project. In A. Gordon (Ed.), Declaration of sentiments and resolutions (Vol. 1). New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press. Retrieved from http://ecssba.rutgers.edu/pubs/volume1.html UNICEF. (2007). Women and children the double dividend of gender equality. (p. 36). The state of the worlds children, (2007), Retrieved from http://www.unicef.org/sowc07/docs/sowc07.pdf References Valenti, J. (2010, February). For women in america, equality is still an illusion. Washington Post. Retrieved from http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/19/AR2010021902049.html Women’s rights worldwide. (2007). Working against the oppression of women around the world. Retrieved from http://womensrightsworldwide.org/ Worldwide Womens Integrated Society for Everyone and Everything. (n.d.). thirteen rights – a global bill of rights for women. Retrieved from http://globalwomensrights.org/index.php

Changing Business Environment of Coca-Cola

Changing Business Environment of Coca-Cola Summary The objective of this research is to study and evaluate the changing business environment of Coca-Cola over the past 5 years. To understand what business environment is one should have a clear idea initially about business. Business can be referred to as an economic act performed by an organization to attain its goals regarding profit, production etc. Any company would be affected by the environment surrounding it. PankajMehra (2008) defined Business Environment as The set of external factors such as the economic factors, socio-cultural factors, government and legal factors, demographic factors, geophysical factors, which are uncontrollable in nature and effects the business decisions of a firm or company. The research thus conducts a PEST analysis of Coca-Cola as well as identifies the environmental and ethical factor affecting the company. After the analysis, suggestions were given that would help the company to cope up with the challenges and changes that is being faced in the cur rent business scenario. PankajMehra, Aspects of Business Environment, 2008, Omega Publications INTRODUCTION During the recent years, there has been a tremendous increase in the number of people who are interested in Business. This was triggered by the flourishing of Far Eastern economies and especially the progress of China. So it is quite important for students to have an idea about business environment so that they can easily understand how business decisions are made and what the impact of each decision is. Generally business environment is divided into two- Micro environment and Macro environment. Another way is to categorize business environment into General and Specific environments. However there exists only minimal difference between these categorizations. There is another approach which views an organization as open system. This is referred to as Systems Model of organization and its environment. Thus business of an organization is thus influenced by a number of external factors which include political, social, and technological and many more. Hence every organization is keenly observing these dynamic forces in order to equip themselves against contingencies. There are a number of methods that help an organization to analyze its surrounding environment. This includes SWOT, PEST, SLEPT etc. PEST analysis has been used in this study and also the ethical and environmental factors are identified. This report looks at the Multi-national beverage company Coca-Cola, the worlds most recognized brand. Coca-Cola is a multinational company operating in almost 200 countries or territories. It is a beverage company and is into the production and distribution of non-alcoholic drinks. The main brand of the company is the aerated drink Coca-Cola or Coke. The company at present owns more than 400 brands across seven continents. Due to this fact, the company is likely to be affected by the fluctuations in the business environment, globally as well as on each country. The company hence introduces innovative strategies and takes business decisions in order to cope up with the turbulent environment. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Coca-Cola_Company John Kew, John Stredwick, (2005), Business environment: managing in a strategic context, CIPD Publishing ORGANIZATION DESCRIPTION AND BACKGROUND SOME FACTS Founded: 1886 Headquarters: Atlanta, Georgia, USA Chairman and CEO: Muhtar Kent Revenue: USD 31.0 Billion (FY 2009) Employees: 92,400 (Oct 2009) Operations: 200 Countries http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Coca-Cola_Company CORPORATE VISION MISSION Vision People: Be a great place to work where people are inspired to be the best they can be. Portfolio: Bring to the world a portfolio of quality beverage brands that anticipate and satisfy peoples desires and needs. Partners: Nurture a winning network of customers and suppliers, together we create mutual, enduring value. Planet: Be a responsible citizen that makes a difference by helping build and support sustainable communities. Profit: Maximize long-term return to shareowners while being mindful of our overall responsibilities. Productivity: Be a highly effective, lean and fast-moving organization Mission To refresh the world To inspire moments of optimism and happiness To create value and make a difference. http://www.thecoca-colacompany.com/ourcompany/mission_vision_values.html DESCRIPTION The journey of Coca-Cola started when the syrup of Coca-Cola was mixed with soda. It was done in a pharmacy in Atlanta, USA. Even today, the company I headquartered in Atlanta. Thus the company began as a soda fountain beverage selling firm. It sold a glass of drink for five cents. The initial progress of the company was quite remarkable, but only when a solid and strong bottling system developed could it emerge as one of the largest corporations as of today. Coca-Cola functions as a franchised distribution system. Thus the company only produces the syrup and it is then sold off to thousands of bottlers around the world. As per the annual report of 2005, the company operates in more than 200 countries. The beverages which bear the trademarks or licenses of Coca-Cola account to almost 1.5 billion. It was declared that Coca-Cola became the first brand in United Kingdom to cross  £1 billion in yearly grocery sales in the year 2010. Coca-Cola today is the worlds most popular brand. The annual company report of 2006 stated that the second most recognized expression in the world after OK is Coca-Cola. The strength of the company lies in it branding. Coca-Colas branding strategy lies on three As- availability, acceptability and affordability. The company competes not only to every carbonated or soft drink available in the world but even considers water as its competitor. For it, every product that has a share in human liquid consumption is its rival. At present Coca-Cola serves almost one billion servings per day. That means every second 12500 bottles are being consumed. The company was able to achieve this only because they made use of the most finest and innovative technologies available. During these 125 years of existence, the company has gone through different strategic paradigm shifts that involve financial re-engineering to debts on offload bottling and from product expansion to progress through distribution. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Coca-Cola_Company Brand Spotlight: Coca-Cola http://www.thecoca-colacompany.com/ourcompany/historybottling.html http://www.scribd.com/doc/14306067/Coca-Cola Business Environment The business environment of an organization is situational. That means every organization have a unique environment of its own. Due to this fact, the external factors influencing the company would also be different. The systems model of an organization and its environment views the organization as an open system. This model advocates that there are two ways in which an organization communicates with its environment. It acquires inputs/ resources from the environment, transforms it into finished product/services and distributes the outputs back. These outputs are meant to meet the needs of customers (Figure 1.1). Environment Organization Environment Money Machinery People Technology Materials Conversion Goods Services Information Waste Figure 1.1: Systems Model John Kew, John Stredwick, (2005), Business environment: managing in a strategic context, CIPD Publishing Analyzing the environment It is not a difficult task for the organization to analyze the task environment as they will have good knowledge about their customers, suppliers etc. But analyzing the general environment is more complex. The different factors in the general environment will have to be first identified. One of the most popular tools for analysis is PEST. This method segregates the environment into four components: Political/legal Economic Socio-cultural Technological PEST analysis was later modified into PESTLE analysis. This was done by splitting the political and legal factors as well as by adding a new factor i.e. environment. The major reason behind this addition was the increasing concern over global warming and other ecological issues. By the year 2000, another method was introduced which was named STEEPLE. This method have a new factor i.e. ethics. This factor was added due to the growing awareness about corporate social responsibility and business ethics. John Kew, John Stredwick, (2005), Business environment: managing in a strategic context, CIPD Publishing Analysis of the environment of Coca-Cola Social Factors: Over the past 5 years the numbers of people who are conscious about their health have increased exponentially. This is especially true in USA where more and more people are practicing healthier lifestyles. Researches indicate that soda and other sweetened drinks are the chief calorie sources in the diet of an American. Due to this fact, doctors and nutritionists advice people to reduce the daily consumption of drinks like Coca-Cola since they can be harmful to their health. In USA, drinks like Coca-Cola and Pepsi were found to be the main reason for obesity among young children and women. Studies have also revealed that regular intake of Coke and the like products reduce the absorption of minerals like Calcium, Magnesium, Ascorbic acid, Riboflavin and Vitamin A. Thus the company is facing a setback from the home country itself. In 2005, many lawyers and environmentalists charged a lawsuit against Coca-Cola and other soft drinks industry for excessive selling of their brands in school s. Coca-Cola also faced much resistance from the Eastern countries where there was a high consumption of tea and other milk fermented drinks. So the company in 2010 introduced a new drink named Sprite Tea which was a mix of sprite and tea. Before that in 2008, it launched a tea brand named Yuang Ye and Jackie Chan was the brand ambassador of the product. This was launched in China and other eastern countries. In 2004, the company also launched a wellness drink in Japan for women. Apart from that there are number of social ventures into which the company is into. It is providing resources like books and scholarships to needy children. Apart from that it has introduced a program in Pakistan that is into providing basic education to children. In 2004, the company donated à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬50,000 to SOS Kinderdorf, a childrens charity organization in Austria. A sum of 1 million USD was also donated for awareness against HIV/AIDS in 2007. www.thecoca-colacompany.com//10/Coca-Cola_10-K_Item_01ab.pdf http://www.virtualvender.coca-cola.com/ft/index.jsp www.thecoca-colacompany.com//eu_business_social_review2005.pdf www.thecoca-colacompany.com//2007-2008_sustainability_review.pdf http://blog.7xpub.com/2010/02/heaven-earth.html http://www.docshare.com/doc/8487/An-Analysis-of-The-Coca-Cola-Companys-Markets Technological Factors Coca-Cola is always a pioneer institution in bringing out innovative technologies. In 2007, it came up with a new technology that would help customers to have ice-chilled coke wherever they want. This technology will work in such a way that when the cap of the bottle is opened, the mechanism inside will make ice out of the drink inside. The company also introduced this technology in 2008 with a new product called Sprite Super Chilled. In the same year, the company announced to use coolers and vending machines free of HFC in the venues of 2008 Olympic Games to show its commitment towards environment protection. The company developed this technology together with Green Peace. In the year 2009, the company introduced another technology into their vending machines. These Freestyle machines will be having touch screens and the customer can mix up to a variety of 100 drinks at a single time. Popsci.com has named this as the Most Advanced Soda Fountain Ever. In 2009 itself the company introduced bottles which are partially made from plants and hence can be recycled completely. This bottle also has a reduced carbon emission when compared with ordinary plastic bottles. The company has also introduced innovative technologies in the entertainment field. In 2006, the company installed Dhoom 2-Juke boxes in and around Delhi (India). A limited series of Coke bottles were then brought into the market whose labels contained specific codes. When these labels are swiped into the Juke boxes, the customers could see the exclusive visuals of Dhoom 2 movie. http://www.techdigest.tv/2007/09/new_technology_1.html http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1973430/cocacola_meets_technology_touch_screen.html www.greenpeace.org//en/news//coca-cola-to-champion-our-cool/ http://www.greentechnolog.com/2009/09/cocacolas_new_plant_bottle.html http://www.coca-colaindia.com/media/media_news_releases_detail.aspx?id=189 Economic Factors: The company went through a major economic phase in the past five years. The income tax payment has increased from 1.5 billion USD in 2006 to 1.9 billion USD in 2007. But the capital expenditures have also increased from 1.4 billion USD in 2006 to 2 billion USD in 2008. Still the company managed to have revenue of 31.9 billion USD in 2008. The above graph shows the fluctuations in the stock prices of Coke from September 2009 to February 2010. In 2008, the world faced the global economic crunch and this naturally had an impact on the company. The main reason for this was that 75% of companys sales is derived outside of North America. But, reports revealed that the company was not much affected by the economic downturn. The first quarterly results of 2009 showed that the sales have increased by 2 percent in USA and by 3 percent around the world. This was because the company positioned it well in the international markets. The company also had a remarkable increase in business in India. In 2009, the companys business increased by 31 percent in this country despite the various environmental protests against it. But the final quarter results of 2009 showed a decrease of 18 percent in the companys profit worldwide. In 2010, the company registered revenue of 7.53 billion US dollars in the first quarter. This shows that the company expects to have a bright year ahead. http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/16128/ http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29161172/ http://www.wikinvest.com/stock/Coca-Cola_Company_(KO) http://equityclock.com/pictures/CocaColaEnterprisesInc.TechnicalAnalysis_3A38/image_thumb_3.png Environmental Factors: The company has been accused of a number of environmental issues around the world. In India, Coca-Cola has been nicknamed even as Killer Coke in certain areas. It was feared that Coke contains hazardous levels of pesticides that could cause numerous health issues. A study conducted by Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), New Delhi, revealed that Coke and Pepsi contains toxins like lindane, DDT, malathion etc. These pesticides if consumed could even result in Cancer or irreparable damage to immune system. CSE also found that the Coke that is sold in India contained 30 times the permitted level of pesticide residues as per European Union regulations. 1n 2005, the Kerala State government banned the production and selling of Coke but it was overturned by the state high court in the same year itself. The company was also blamed for over use of water resources and thus depleting the ground water table. The 16$ bottling plant in Kerala was shut down in 2004 due to severe decay in both quantity and quality of water in the surrounding areas. The plant there uses almost 900,000 litres of water every year for its purposes. According to the renowned environmentalist Vandana Shiva, it takes almost 9 litres of water to produce one litre of Coca-Cola. In the holy city of Varanasi, India, the Coca-Cola plant near the Ganges has been accused for emitting waste water which contained toxins into the river. The packaging of the bottles has also been a cause of concern to the public and alleges to have serious environment impact. The company still claims to be environmental friendly in all its ventures. The Coca-Cola environmental foundation is said to be actively participating in environment issues like waste management, recycling etc. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Criticism_of_Coca-Cola http://www.thecoca-colacompany.com/citizenship/foundation_local.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:CocaColaIndia.gif Political Factors: As far as the political factors are concerned, they affect the company in meager way. It is because the governmental activity which is the major part of political environment has a little impact over the company. Over the recent years the company met with a lot of protests in India and Middle East. Still it was able to outrival PepsiCo by a small percent. In the last century there have been issues in Israel regarding the construction of a plant over there. The company was accused of boycotting Israel in order to appease the Arab League. These still had an impact over the market of Middle East. The environmental laws have some impact over Coke and other companies operating in the same industry. Over the past two years, the government of India has introduced some modifications to the existing laws that are likely to affect Coke. But the company is introducing changes in the plants as well as implementing proper wastage handling system and this would reduce the impact of these laws. Tax system in India is a little complicated because it involves a variety of regulations. The license needs to be updated every time the production capacity is increased. This can pose certain problems to the company. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Coca-Cola_Company Ethical factors: The Coca-Cola Company has been involved into a number of ethical issues over the past. The major controversies include those like violation of human rights and following unethical business practices. The company has been charged of monopolistic and other discriminatory practices which affected its goodwill. In 2005, the European Union found that the companys business methods suppressed competition and hence the company had to end its dealings with bars and shops for stocking its drinks. In the same year itself, Coca-Cola Export Corporation was charged a fine of 68 million dollars for unfair commercial practices. In the early 2000s the company was also criticized for racial discrimination in its US offices and had to pay a hefty fine of 192.5 million dollars. The company is also involved in a number of cases related to environmental degradation, ground water depletion, overuse of pesticides etc. in India. This had affected the reputation of Coca-Cola in India in a major way. http://www.thecoca-colacompany.com/citizenship/foundation_local.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Criticism_of_Coca-Cola Conclusion To summarize it can be said that Coca-Cola Company has gone through a number of challenging situations in the past five years. The major challenge was the protests from the environmentalists for exploiting the resources. The company has tackled this issue to an extend by agreeing to the demands of the protesters and the governments. But it should put in more effort to get back the reputation it had in third world countries. Innovative technologies that are eco-friendly must be introduced. The company is now into more and more green initiatives which are a very positive sign. If such efforts continue, it would undoubtedly be the most reputed and recognized brand in the world. Recommendations In this current dynamic world scenario, its always best if the organization is well informed about the changes that are being taken place in its business environment. By this way the company can foresee the trends and come up with new strategies to cope up with them. It is recommended that Coca-Cola Company gives importance to some factors. These include: Introduce new programs aimed at public welfare and thus show their true concern for the society. Through this way try to be a model for other companies in following CSR activities. Follow the environmental regulations and norms properly. Make the public aware that the company has and is following strict environmental ethics. New technologies that produce superior quality products and that do not affect the environment must be invented. Understanding the exact needs of customers and try to find solutions to them in a harmless way. References Bibliography PankajMehra, Aspects of Business Environment, 2008, Omega Publications John Kew, John Stredwick, (2005), Business environment: managing in a strategic context, CIPD Publishing

The English Languages Explosion Over The World English Language Essay

The English Languages Explosion Over The World English Language Essay A  global language,  is a  language  spoken internationally, which is learned by many people as a  second language, the most popular one being English. A wide range of the lexical units in the English language were taken from German, Latin, French and other European countries. A large portion of the word borrowing uses as main source the French language justifying English language affinity for foreign words as well as mixed vocabulary. Crystal D. (2003: 7-10) argues that Languages have a strong relation between dominance and cultural power. The main reason that the languages exist is because of a strong power-base, political and military or economic. Linguists argues whether the simplicity of the English language is the main reason of it becoming a global language. Generally, nothing is considered to be easy. It generally depends on who the learner is. Ellis suggested that success depends on the learner and not on the language that one is learning. Some factors that have a significant role in making a person learn a foreign language are his motivation, age, aptitude, cognitive style and personality. While learning another language one can observe that some languages appear to be more difficult than others. There are some languages that have almost the same patterns or similar soundings of the words which make them simpler to remember and learn. For example Greek has many similar words with Italian. However, there are languages that have a rough pronunciation or spelling and they are not similar to any other languages, like for example German. English is a very effective language, that it is proved by the many native and non-native speakers all over the world. According to David Crystal (2003) Statistics suggest that nearly a quarter of the worlds population is already fluent or content in English. For example, Chinese has more native speakers, however it is a more complicated language in terms of grammar, verbs, meaning of the words, etc. However, some linguists have different points of view as to weather a language becoming global depends on the number of people speaking it . Crystal D. (2002: 7-10) claims that Why a language becomes a global language has little to do with the number of people who speak it. Furthermore, English can help one to express various meanings. That is happening because English language not only has a lot of words with different meanings but also has various different types of syntax which help the speakers to be more accurate and to give more emphasis to a particular point if it is needed. Anoth er interesting point is that the writing of English language is simple. There are even languages that have hundreds of letters in their alphabets that could have a different meaning when pronounced differently, like Chinese. The Roman alphabet is considered to be very easy to learn and surely much easier than the Chinese writing system which is very difficult for most people. Moreover, the Roman alphabet in English language is very phonetic, rather than character based, hence it can help to describe the actual sounds of words or phrases. On the other hand, there are some poor features of English language. For example there could be words written in one way and then read in another way and a lot of people may get confused, especially if ones native language is not English. The difficulty in English is mostly apparent when we go in different areas in England; there are different ways of pronunciation, making it difficult for someone who speaks English as a second language to understand people from different areas such as Wales, Ireland, and Scotland. Also, non- native speakers like people from India and Pakistan have a different accent. Since English language is so widely spoken, many people believe is vital to learn as a second language. People seem to have made the right decision, as it is spoken in a wide geographical area. A lot of people believe that English is the language of trade. It is true that English has been introduced in the field of Business for a lot of years. In addition, English is a language that is been used in films, music, television, and in a lot of more technological features like World Wide Web (internet). A big amount of population of the world watches Hollywoods movies. This expansion also led to the increase in popularity of English language. Moreover, English has enabled a common communication means between people of different backgrounds. For example, a German may not need to learn Indian in order to communicate with someone from India if both individuals speak English. Hence, English has helped to diminish certain cultural barriers between nations. However, there are cultural differenc es between countries and nations. The history of a nation may influence to their willingness to learn or speak another language than their own. The meaning of the word superior is very strong and quite dominant. We can never assume that English is superior to other languages, it has become an easy way of communication but each nation will consider their own language as being important to them. A language has many components such as grammar, vocabulary and rules of usage. So it is not easy to say that English is superior to other languages. A linguistic myth analyses that fact. It explains that there fact that some languages are superior to others is not true and it has no basis in linguistic fact. Linguists explain that some languages are more useful than others, at a given period of history. To sum up, English is being considered as an easier language to learn than some others, like for example Chinese but the level of difficulty also depends on the individual learner. Moreover, English can indeed be regarded as a global language, but, in my opinion, it cannot be considered as superior to other languages. In fact, every single language has its special characteristics and ways of expression. English has simply developed to be an easy way of communication between various nations.

Importance of Spyware Essay -- Computer Software

The Importance of Spyware â€Å"Spyware consists of computer software that gathers and reports information about a computer without the users’ knowledge or consent† (â€Å"Spyware†). Spyware is a major problem for many users. It causes problems with the setup and general operation of a computer. It is one of the most typical internet intruders today and many users are unaware of what spyware is and they do not know how to recognize or prevent it. Spyware is different than a computer virus because a virus travels into the computer system without permission from the user. Spyware may be obtained by clicking the â€Å"I agree† option on the installation agreement before actually reading the entire contract. Some examples of typical spyware include: Direct Revenue, Cydoor, Xupiter, XXXDial, and SpyKiller (â€Å"What is Spyware?†). Most spyware is the result of downloading documents from the Internet. In this respect, spyware is similar to a Trojan horse. Spy ware can also come from clicking the advertisement pop-up screens, and through email. According to National Cyber-Security Alliance, 90% of home PC’s have been infected with some type of Spyware (â€Å"Spyware†). In order to determine if a user has been infected with spyware, there are some vital signs to look for and recognize. There will be some defective functionality, where the spyware will keep track of the steps the user takes without the user’s knowledge of it. There is also a loss of privacy when spyware has infected a computer. The spyware can send private user information back to the Internet vendor; therefore it reduces the user privacy. There may also be an increased amount of pop-up advertisements on the computer screen while connected to the Inte... ... Anti-Spyware programs. Although spyware is a major problem for computer owners today, the advance of anti-spyware programs from software companies, along with help from the users, will ultimately aid in the termination of spyware altogether. Works Cited â€Å"How to Find, Remove, and Prevent Spyware, Internet Intruders, and Pop-Ups.† Los Angeles Chinese Learning Center. 3 April 2005. http://chinese-school.netfirms.com/computer-article-spyware-pop-ups.html â€Å"Microsoft AntiSpyware.† Wikipedia Encyclopedia. 3 April 2005. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_AntiSpyware â€Å"Spyware.† Wikipedia Encyclopedia. 3 April 2005. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spyware â€Å"What is Spyware?† PC Pitstop. 3 April 2005. http://www.pcpitstop.com/spycheck/whatis.asp

Costa Rica Essay -- essays research papers

General Information Within it's 51,100 square kilometers there is a wider variety of species of birds than in all of Europe or North America. With a relatively small population of roughly three million inhabitants, Costa Rica also boast of one of the oldest and more consolidated democracies in Latin America. In 1869 the primary education for both sexes was declared obligatory and free of cost, defrayed by the State. In 1882 the death sentence was abolished. In the year 1949 the armed forces were abolished and in 1983 Perpetual Neutrality was proclaimed. Prestigious international human rights organizations have their headquarters in Costa Rica.. Beacause of this, of its lush 1500 kilometers of tropical sun-bathed beaches and the wild diversity of flora and fauna to be found in it's wide array of microclimates Costa Rica has justifiably earned it's reputation of paradise regained. Being located within the tropics, seasonal changes in Costa Rica are not as drastic as they are in countries on other latitude s. There is a 'dry" season (equivalent to summer and spring) during which temperatures pleasantly in the high 20’s (Degrees Celsius), which goes from December to May, and a "wet" season from June till November during which mornings are usually sunny and showers might be expected after noon. On areas near the coasts temperatures may be as much as ten degrees higher, where as in the Chirripo Peak, the highest mountain of Costa Rica (3800 meters) temperature may drop down to freezing point although snow is unheard of, even at the Chirripo. Costa Rica's official language is Spanish. On the Caribbean Coast a small minority of Jamaican descendants speak a local version of English, and most Costa Rican can understand and speak a bit of English. Quite recently all public schools made mandatory the learning of a second language. The main religion, as in the rest of Latin America is the Roman Catholic, but there is a very wide margin of tolerance.The national currency is the colon. All air traffic to and from Costa Rica is handled through the Juan Santamarà ­a Airport, located 29 minutes from San Josà ©, in the city of Alajuela. Government Costa Rica is a democratic republic, as stated by the 1949 Constitution, which guarantees all citizens and foreigners equality before the law, the right to own property, the right of petition and assembly, freedom o... ...nts are required to pass tests on all subjects studied during those years. The most notorious of these tests are the Bachillerato Tests, which are required to get the high school diploma needed for admission to Universities. Although the country lacked a university until 1940, Costa Rica now has four state-funded universities and a score of small private ones, whose number has increased dramatically in the last decade, due to the difficulty of being admitted to state-funded, more prestigious universities. Opportunities abound for adults to earn the primary or secondary diplomas they failed to gain as children. The University of Costa Rica (UCR), the largest and oldest university, enrolls some 35,000 students, mostly on scholarships, but even paying full tuition is not hard as it rarely surpasses $200 a semester. The main campus is in the northeastern San Jose community of San Pedro but the UCR also has regional centers in Alajuela, Turrialba, Puntarenas and Cartago. In addition t here are many private institutions like, the Autonomous University of Central America, the University for Peace, sponsored by the United Nations offering a master’s degree in communications for Peace.

Anatomy Of A Muscle Cell Essay -- essays research papers

Anatomy of Muscle Cells There are three types of muscle tissue in the human body. These muscle tissues are skeletal muscles, smooth muscles and cardiac muscles. Each of these muscle tissues has it very own anatomical makeup, which vary from muscle to muscle. The muscle cells in a muscle are referred to as muscle fibers, these fibers are skeletal muscle fibers, smooth muscle fibers and cardiac muscle fibers. The anatomy of a skeletal muscle fiber is formed during embryonic development. Skeletal muscle fibers arise from a hundred or more small mesodermal cells called myoblasts. The mature skeletal muscle fiber has a hundred or more nuclei. Once fusion occurs the skeletal muscle fiber will lose the ability to undergo cell division. This means that the number of muscle fibers is set before birth and most of these fibers will last a lifetime. The muscle growth that occurs after birth is a result of the enlargement of these existing muscle fibers. The mature muscle fibers have a few myoblasts, which remain as satellite cells. These myoblasts retain the capacity to join with one another or with damaged muscle fibers in order to regenerate these muscle fibers. John Centore2 Dr. Jain Anatomy & Physiology The many nuclei of skeletal muscle fiber are located underneath the sarcolemma, which is the fiber’s plasma membrane. Thousands of invaginations of the sarcolemma, which are called T Tubules, Tunnel from the surface to the center of the muscle fiber. These T Tubules are open to the outside of the fiber and are filled with extra-cellular fluid. Muscle action potentials propagate along the sarcolemma and through the T tubules and quickly spread through the muscle fiber. This process ensures that all parts of the muscle fiber become excited by an action potential virtually simultaneously. The sarcoplasm is located inside the sarcolemma. Sarcoplasm is the cytoplasm of a muscle fiber, it contains a good amount of glycogen, which is used for ATP synthesis. The sarcoplasm also contains myoglobin, a red colored, oxygen binding-protein, that is found only in muscle fibers. The myoglobin binds oxygen molecules, which are needed for ATP production within the mitochondria. The Mitochondria lie in rows throughout the muscle fiber, strategically close to the proteins that use ATP during contraction. The sarcoplasm is filled with little threadlike structures. These str... ...sponse to nerve impulses, hormones and other local factors. These muscle fibers can also stretch considerably and still maintain their contractile function. John Centore5 Anatomy & Physiology Dr. Jain The last of the three groups of muscle fiber is cardiac muscle fiber. The cardiac muscle fibers have the same arrangement of actin and myosin and the same bands, zones, and Z-disks as skeletal muscle fibers. However, the ends of cardiac muscle fibers connect to adjacent fibers by irregular transverse thickenings of the sarcolemma called intercalated disks. These disks contain desmosomes, which hold the fibers together, and gap junctions, which allow muscle action potential to spread from one cardiac muscle to another. In cardiac muscle fibers, calcium ions enter the sarcoplasm both from the sarcoplasmic reticulum and from extracellular fluid. The mitochondria in cardiac muscle fiber are larger and more numerous than in skeletal muscle fiber. Cardiac muscle fibers can also use lactic acid produced by skeletal muscle fibers to make ATP, a benefit during exercise. I had already submitted my Email is Johnnynip@aol.com,please excuse me for forgetting my email address....thank you

Agriculture industry

Agriculture is an art, science and industry of managing the growth of plants and animals for human use. In broad sense, agriculture includes cultivation of the soil, growing and harvesting the crops, breeding and raising livestock, daring and forestry. Modern agriculture is engineering and technology based. Therefore, mechanization has eased much of the back breaking toil to the farmer. Agriculture is the backbone of economy of most of the countries of the world.About 48 percent of world's labour force is engaged with agriculture. For some countries, agriculture is the major source of foreign exchange for example Sri Lanka depends upon tea, Denmark specializes in dairy products and Australia in wool. Nations depends on agriculture not only for food but for national income and raw materials for industry as well, trade in agriculture is a constant international concern. Agricultural scientists are of opinion that, about 40% of 37 million acre land of the world may be considered cultiva ble.Today, only 5. 5 million sq miles (10% to 11%) of the land surface is actually cultivated. It is fact that nature sets the outer limits of man’s potential resources, because physical limitation, like temperature, rainfall, soil character and physiography, fix up the outer limit of cultivable land. Factors Governing Agriculture: Today, agriculture has become an industry. Therefore, like all other industries, its development depends upon multiple factors.Basically, physical environment imposes limits on the distribution of agricultural activity but cultural environment at the same time has its own importance for this activity because, agricultural patterns in the world are the result of interaction among the influences exerted by the physical, economic and social factors. The factors of agriculture can be divided into following classification. I. Physical Factors II. Human Factors / Non Physical Factors A. Economic Factors B. Political Factors C. Social / Cultural Factors P hysical Factors of Agriculture:Man’s agricultural activities depend on the physical environment in which he lives although he often has tried to minimize the restrictions imposed by the natural conditions. Nature in its diverse manifestations provides man in different areas with a variety of possibilities for development. To examine the agricultural activity of man in the world, it is necessary to know about the natural and physical factors of the world, which are as follows: 1. Terrain 2. Climate 3. Soils 4. Water Resources 5. Forest Cover 1. Terrain:Many agricultural geographers have analysed the influences of terrain on agriculture and it indeed plays a significant role in land-use variation. The three most significant aspects of terrain are: (i). Attitude (ii). Slope (iii). Drainage texture (i). Attitude: The primary consequence of altitude is decrease in air pressure with the increase in elevation. At the height of 3500 m and above the decreased atmospheric pressure caus es nausea and agricultural activities cannot be carried out despite conditions being favourable to numerous domesticated plants.Usually the rarefied air of the high mountains increased transpiration rates of plants, which unfortunately restricts growth. In tropics, altitude is of special significance for utilization of the land for agriculture. Modification in temperature and not infrequently in humidity conditions associated with increasing elevation make these areas habitable for farming communities. The important secondary consequences of increasing elevation, both agronomically and economically significant are decreased temperature, increased precipitation, increased wind velocity, poor soil and rugged relief.All these factors a negative role on agricultural activity and they minimize the agriculture and agricultural products. Even increase in precipitation on elevations are has significant role for agriculture because at those place moisture results in snowfall which makes agri culture very difficult. (ii). Slope: Slope of land is also one of the important physiographic aspects influencing the agricultural land use of an area. It is universal fact that with increase in steepness of slope the use of even very simple farm machinery becomes difficult. Steep slopes are generally avoided by farmers.Livestock farming may be equally effected by slope. It is difficult for animals to more on and graze in the pasture situated on very steep slopes. Accessibility is the most potent factor in agricultural land-use in mountainous regions at any slope or elevation, and inaccessibility at places can put all the development efforts in reverse gear. Easy access is essential specially for perishable agricultural commodities like vegetable and fruits grown in mountainous area, although technological developments have reduced its significance. Milk and meat cannot be kept for a long time and need quick transportation.Soil erosion is a major problem of almost every slope. Soil erosion affects the agricultural activity of that area moreover the arrangements of irrigation cannot be easily made on the hilly areas with slopes. Sunshine is another issue related with slpe. Agriculture is practiced only at sun facing slopes. The slopes which do not receive direct rays of sun are unable to grow crops. (iii). Drainage Texture: Drainage texture is expressed as the total length of streams per unit area, while its reciprocal is the distance between two adjacent channels.These are two important parameters by which one can estimate soil erosion. The critical value of drainage density per square km which may cause faster soil erosion. The heartland of water erosion areas satisfy almost all the requisites of soil erosion. Soil erosion from cultivated fields, grazing lands, forest areas and the catchment areas of big rivers affects a nation’s agricultural economy as a whole. Accelerated erosion produces abnormal quantities of sand, silt, and shingle that are carrie d from the field and stream system and deposited on the lower land, lessening its productivity.Excessive water erosion areas coincide approximately with the areas of confluence of many tributaries or areas of joints and cracks. 2. Climate: Climate controls agriculture more than any other factor. The pole-ward limit of agriculture is set by the isotherm for the warmest month. Particular climate suits particular crops. Temperature and rainfall are two main controlling factors of agriculture and some others are snow, wind, mist and fog etc. we can make a list of them as. (i). Temperature (ii). Winds (iii). Snow (iv). Humidity (v). Fog (vi). Sunlight (vii). Rainfall (i).Temperature: For plant growth certain upper and lower limits of temperature control the plantation in certain areas temperature of lower limit and temperature of upper limit, certainly control the agricultural activity in the world. While some plants grow in the high temperatures and like rubber, rice, banana, tea, date, oil palm etc. Some plants requires moderate or low temperatures like wheat, barley, almonds and oranges etc. Natural vegetation distribution regions clearly depict temperature control likewise, the agricultural regions and products follows the temperature control.(ii). Winds: Winds and atmospheric pressure exert direct and indirect influence on the agriculture. The zones of trade winds especially eastern corners of continents are not suitable for agriculture due to aridity. High winds generally act as deterrent to the growth of crops in various ways. * Unusual high velocities of winds may damage the standing crops. * Snow drifts and chilled winds may damage the crops. * Hot and dry winds may not allow to grow crops in their areas. (iii). Snow: Snow has its own bearing on livestock and cropping.Snow drift results in loss; and melting of large masses of snow creates floods and water logging. In general, there are two major places where snow falls, i. e. higher elevations and higher l atitude. When snow fall occurs heavily, it blocks the roads, tracks, foot paths. This retards the accessibility to field and markets. In general, it slackens all the agricultural activities of the area. Agricultural activities are resumed with the advent of summer season. Unfortunately huge losses often occur along the streams by sudden flooding caused by a large mass of melting snow.On the other hand, snow cover is advantageous to agriculture because it insulates the ground from extremely low air temperature and retards deep penetration of frost action. This make soil available for cultivation rather more quickly when the snow begins to thaw. (iv). Humidity: Humidity is one of the prominent elements of weather from the farmer’s point of view and plays a significant role in changing agro climatic conditions from place to place. Of the many possible beneficial influences of high atmospheric humidity on plant growth, following are most significant.* Many a plant can absorb mois ture directly from an under saturated air of high humidity. * Humidity affects the photosynthesis in plants. * Most plants grow well in conditions of high atmospheric humidity because very often saturated air stops transpiration. (v). Fog: Fog, that is very thick mist, is really much like low hanging clouds and appears as a dense mass of small water drops in the lower layers of atmosphere. The negative aspect of fog manifests itself when it persists for several consecutive days, blocking the sun’s light. Consequently plant growth is retarded and plants are likely to be attacked by pests and diseases.On the other hand fog and mist are the sources of moisture supply in many areas like crops of tomatoes, peppers, beans and other vegetables can be grown in southern California where fogs are frequent without irrigation and even rainfall does not come in the growing season. (vi). Sunlight: Sunlight is a factor of great physiological importance to plants because it helps in the form ation of chlorophyll. The source of sunlight is the sun and its attribute depends upon the sunshine. The total amount of light that falls on the earth varies from place to place.The intensity, quantity and duration of the sunlight depend upon the latitude, altitude, season and the conditions of the atmosphere at a given place. On all the places on equator, the sun shines for 12 hours a day round the year. However away from the equator towards the poles the days become progressively longer during summer reverse is the case during winter when days are comparatively shorter. This seems to account for the fact that summer crops mature faster than the winter ones since the former can get the needed light and sunshine in the minimum possible period. (vii). Rain Fall:Rain fall is another climate element and major factor is mainly responsible for plant growth and distribution and certain areas for specific plants or agriculture practices etc. Rubber is the tree of the equatorial region, and requires high rain fall uniformly distributed throughout the year. It may be said that rain fall is the most important climatic factor as it determines the potential of any region in terms of crops to be produced, farming system to be adopted, the nature and sequence of farming operations to be followed, and the targets to be achieved in agricultural productivity.The cultivator are more optimistic about a bumper crop, in those seasons when moisture receipts are considerably above normal. In a region where rain fall is confined to a particular season and ground water resources are wanting, a drought will not be an unusual phenomenon. Sometimes the distribution of rain fall is so irregular, not only in amount but also in time and space, that it creates water deficiency everywhere. These variations may produce dry spells. Therefore, the emergence of way ward behavior of rainfall from year to year gives rise to different cropping patterns and imbalances in levels of agricultural produc tivity.3. Soils: Soils constitute the physical base for any agricultural enterprise. Farming is a business and good soil is the part of the farmer’s stock in trade. Together with their fertility and special qualities, soils influence the particular types of food, fibre, horticultural crops and olecultural crops. * Physical characteristics and properties of soil determines the types of the crops and their distribution. * Crop growth is determined to a considerable extent by the amount of nutrients in the soil. The three basic nutrients nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium, contribute to soil fertility.* Differences in soil fertility have the greatest impact on agricultural land use throughout the world. Unenlightened farming may lead to the rapid soil exhaustion. Soil resources are very important, and these must be carefully husbanded, so that these are conserved and not exploited. Improvement in water supply to crops, use of chemical fertilizers, and high-yielding exotic seeds , accelerate the rate of cropping intensity but at the same time they may have very harmful effects on the soil. 4. Water Resources:Availability of water to the crops is very much important because without water crops cannot be survived and we cannot think about agriculture at all. On the other hand, sufficient and assured water supply to the farming systems would yield superior, stable, diversified and commercially profitable farming, and a vastly superior living standard to peasant proprietors. Many parts of the world use irrigation for the activity of agriculture. The major sources which are used for irrigation are: (i). Ground water (ii). Surface water (iii). Desalinated water (i). Ground water:Ground water is often called under ground water which occurs below the surface of the earth. On the whole ground water is very unevenly distributed beneath the surface of the land. Moreover, the behavior of such unique storage of underground water is not consistent. It varies from year to year and season to season. Ground water is a major source of irrigation. It can be used from simple Persian wells to modern tube wells. In ovrid areas it is used through Karez system. Judious tapping of ground water resources is the need of the hour for avoiding excessive over draft and depletion of ground water.Water table is also important for agricultural point of view. If water table is too low then (in the absence of surface water source), the area cannot grow crops. The very high water table causes the two dangerous disease of land; water logging and salinity means again the area cannot grow crops. (ii). Surface water: Surface water supply is controlled by several factors such as large quantity of water in the form of rivers, streams, lakes, glaciers, gentle surface gradient and soft land. These make possible the construction of a network of canals.For such schemes, ideal conditions are prevailed in the plains of Niles, Ganges and Indus etc. so that these all plains are inten sively irrigated. The main problems in surface water utilizations are: * Prevention from evaporation in dry lands is a major problem. * Intensive irrigation may invite water logging and salinity. (iii). Desalinated water: The ocean and inland seas are also the source of water. Containing about 93 percent of earth’s water but not usable because of salt and contaminations. It would be great value to areas along the coasts which are in need of supplementing the short supplies of agricultural water.Some attempts have been made to utilize desalinated water for agriculture but this process is no doubt very costly. It has been estimated that at present in the western part of United States desalinated water costs between between fifteen and twenty five times more than irrigation water obtained from rivers or wells. Now in this modern era the constantly expanding need for fresh water for various purposes, especially agricultural and industrial, requires technically and economically fe asible processes for desalination. 5. Forest Cover:In the beginning, agricultural development benefited from forests by the use of natural species to breed more resistant varieties of cultivated crops. In addition to this forest also satisfied man’s material and socio-economic needs. Forest are also important for environmental balance and for charging the ground water. They are also important for providing water for irrigation in terraced we lands in mountains. Forests are badly effected by the agricultural activities of man in many areas of the world but their preservations are very important.A recommended and balanced extent and density of forest cover has to be maintained, so as so keep an ecological balance between man, agricultural land use and natural vegetation cover for achieving an optimum efficiency in agricultural land use at minimum level of hazards and costs in an area. Human / Non Physical Factors: No doubt that Agriculture depends on physical environment but th e socio cultural forces can not be neglected at all. Agricultural activities depend upon interrelated physical and non-physical factors.Non physical factors can be classified as follows: A. Economic Factors B. Political Factors C. Social / Cultural Factors A. Economic Factors: Agriculture provides employment for 48% labour force of the world’s population. Therefore, its economic importance and development needs proper investment for certain facilities to improve its yields for economic welfare of the farmers and food requirements of the growing world population. The factors of agriculture that need money are known as economic factors of agriculture.(i). Capital (ii). Agricultural Machinery (iii). Transportation (iv). Market (v). Cold storage (vi). Irrigation (vii). Pesticides / Herbicides (viii). Fertilizers (ix). High yielding verities (i). Capital: The capital or investment is the basic requirement for the agricultural activity. To practice the agriculture on modern grounds , a large investment is required. (ii). Agricultural Machinery: To keep pace with changing nature of agricultural process, modern agricultural machinery is required.Now a days combined harvester, threshers, sprinkled irrigation are necessary to gain a handsome productions. (iii). Transportation: The role of faster means of transportation cannot be forgotton in agriculture fruits, vegetables and dairy products are perishable items and they can only bring to the market in the presence of faster means of transportation. The advancements of transportation methods reduces the expenditure and wastage of the agricultural products. (iv). Market: Market place is a very important factor in agriculture.The markets for perishable agricultural products must be located near to the farms to deliver products to consumers as rapidly as possible. (v). Cold storage: Now a days storage / cold storage are too much necessary for agriculture point of view because whole yield of crops cannot be consumed at once. Grain crops required a proper storage in this way, they can be consumed throughout the year for example wheat, vegetables like peas, tomatoes, potatoes required cold storage for preservation. (vi).